Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Mohammad Ali Mansournia, Charles Poole
Summary: Matching by a confounder in a case-control study often leads to control-selection bias and net bias, which can be affected by the direction and magnitude of the confounding. Previous assumptions that matching for a single confounder is sufficient to remove all confounding and that associations are monotonic have been challenged. It is now understood that the implications of matching by confounders in case-control studies are more complex and require further methodological research.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF EPIDEMIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Md Mobashir Hasan Shandhi, Peter J. Cho, Ali R. Roghanizad, Karnika Singh, Will Wang, Oana M. Enache, Amanda Stern, Rami Sbahi, Bilge Tatar, Sean Fiscus, Qi Xuan Khoo, Yvonne Kuo, Xiao Lu, Joseph Hsieh, Alena Kalodzitsa, Amir Bahmani, Arash Alavi, Utsab Ray, Michael P. Snyder, Geoffrey S. Ginsburg, Dana K. Pasquale, Christopher W. Woods, Ryan J. Shaw, Jessilyn P. Dunn
Summary: Mass surveillance testing is important for controlling infectious disease outbreaks, but there is a shortage of diagnostic tests globally. Researchers have developed an Intelligent Testing Allocation (ITA) method that uses continuous digital biomarkers to increase the positivity rate of COVID-19 diagnostic testing. They found that resting heart rate features can distinguish between positive and negative cases earlier than steps features.
NPJ DIGITAL MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Virology
Borris R. T. Galani, Danielle W. Mapouokam, Fredy B. N. Simo, Hassimi Mohamadou, Pascal D. D. Chuisseu, Nicolas Y. Njintang, Paul F. Moundipa
Summary: The study evaluated the seroprevalence of dengue among malarious patients at the Ngaoundere Regional Hospital, finding a significant association between the age range of 30-45 and dengue-malaria coinfection. Coinfected patients showed a significant decrease in platelets, with those aged between 30 and 45 being more susceptible to dengue-malaria coinfection.
JOURNAL OF MEDICAL VIROLOGY
(2021)
Article
Virology
Nosheen Nasir, Fazal Rehman, Syed Furrukh Omair
Summary: This study found that adverse outcomes in COVID-19 patients are often due to bacterial coinfection, with risk factors including critical illness at presentation and use of steroids. There is also a widespread use of empiric antibiotics in patients without bacterial infection.
JOURNAL OF MEDICAL VIROLOGY
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Sidhartha Giri, Venkata Raghava Mohan, Manikandan Srinivasan, Nirmal Kumar, Vinoth Kumar, Pavithra Dhanapal, Jayalakshmi Venkatesan, Annai Gunasekaran, Dilip Abraham, Jacob John, Gagandeep Rang
Summary: A case-control study conducted in Vellore, India revealed that consuming food from street vendors was a risk factor for typhoid, while treating household drinking water was protective. The study suggests that improving sanitation facilities and raising awareness about point-of-use water treatment could contribute to typhoid control in densely populated urban communities.
JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Julie M. Petersen, Jacob C. Kahrs, Nedghie Adrien, Mollie E. Wood, Andrew F. Olshan, Louisa H. Smith, Meredith M. Howley, Elizabeth C. Ailes, Paul A. Romitti, Amy H. Herring, Samantha E. Parker, Gary M. Shaw, Maria D. Politis
Summary: This study investigated the plausibility and extent of differential participation in the National Birth Defects Prevention Study (NBDPS) and the potential impact on the observed effect estimates.
PAEDIATRIC AND PERINATAL EPIDEMIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Jonathan Akwasi Adusei, Patrick Williams Narkwa, Michael Owusu, Seth Agyei Domfeh, Mahmood Alhassan, Emmanuel Appau, Alimatu Salam, Mohamed Mutocheluh
Summary: The study shows low-level exposure to chikungunya virus in Ghana, suggesting potential circulation of the virus and causing morbidity that may be misdiagnosed as malaria.
PLOS NEGLECTED TROPICAL DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Virology
Khabab Abbasher Hussien Mohamed Ahmed, Elfatih A. Hasabo, Mazin S. Haroun, Moh Mah Fadelallah Eljack, Esraa Hassan Salih, Yousif F. O. Altayeb, Alshareef B. Nour, Abdallah M. Abdallah, Waddah A. M. Osman, Mohammed Y. E. Yousif
Summary: Malaria and COVID-19 share characteristics that could lead to cross-infection. The study highlights the high mortality rate among patients with coinfection, emphasizing the need for further attention.
JOURNAL OF MEDICAL VIROLOGY
(2022)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Wajid Ameen Mirza, Ke Zhang, Rongguang Zhang, Guangcai Duan, Muhammad Shahid Nawaz Khan, Peng Ni
Summary: This study found that vitamin D deficiency in dengue fever patients coinfected with H. pylori is much higher than in dengue fever negative controls coinfected with H. pylori. Furthermore, DENV patients with H. pylori coinfection are more likely to have vitamin D deficiency and increased dengue severity.
FRONTIERS IN PUBLIC HEALTH
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Isha Saini, Jyoti Joshi, Sukhbir Kaur
Summary: Co-infection between leishmaniasis and other infectious diseases is common and leads to increased disease severity and mortality. The immunology, diagnosis, and treatment options for co-infections are areas that require further research.
INTERNATIONAL IMMUNOPHARMACOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Fei Wan, Graham A. Colditz, Siobhan Sutcliffe
Summary: This study compared different analytical methods in matched case-control studies and found that CLR is unbiased in exact matching, while unadjusted CLR tends to be biased in nonexact matching, but bias can be alleviated by spline smoothing of matching variables. Adjusted ULR generally has biases and is sensitive to model specification errors, highlighting the importance of using CLR as the primary analytical approach.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF EPIDEMIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Abraham Zefong Chin, Richard Avoi, Azman Atil, Khamisah Awang Lukman, Syed Sharizman Syed Abdul Rahim, Mohd Yusof Ibrahim, Kamruddin Ahmed, Mohammad Saffree Jeffree
Summary: The study identified male gender, spending overnight in the forest, not using mosquito repellent, and history of previous malaria infection as independent predictors of P. knowlesi infection, highlighting the need to strengthen strategies in preventing and controlling the infection.
Article
Immunology
Michelle E. Roh, Issaka Zongo, Alassane Haro, Liusheng Huang, Anyirekun Fabrice Some, Rakiswende Serge Yerbanga, Melissa D. Conrad, Erika Wallender, Jennifer Legac, Francesca Aweeka, Jean-Bosco Ouedraogo, Philip J. Rosenthal
Summary: In this case-control study assessing drug levels and resistance markers for seasonal malaria chemoprevention (SMC) with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine-amodiaquine in children in Burkina Faso, suboptimal drug levels and not increased prevalence of resistance markers was associated with incident malaria in SMC-eligible children.
JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2023)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Celine Nguefeu Nkenfou, Nadine Fainguem, Felicitee Dongmo-Nguefack, Laeticia Grace Yatchou, Joel Josephine Kadji Kameni, Elise Lobe Elong, Amidou Samie, William Estrin, Paul Ndombo Koki, Alexis Ndjolo
Summary: This study in Cameroon highlights the high prevalence of dengue virus infection in children, along with common co-infections with malaria and HIV. It emphasizes the importance of diagnosing and managing dengue, malaria, and HIV in children with fever, to prevent complications and improve patient outcomes.
PLOS NEGLECTED TROPICAL DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Monica Isgut, Kijoung Song, Margaret G. Ehm, May Dongmei Wang, Jonathan Davitte
Summary: Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have made significant advancements in understanding the genetic basis of diseases, but there can be variability in the definitions of case and control cohorts. This study systematically evaluated the impact of data sources on GWAS findings and found that the definition of cases can significantly influence the results, depending on the specific disease.
GENETIC EPIDEMIOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Nutrition & Dietetics
Karolina Lobczowska, Anna Banik, Piotr Romaniuk, Sarah Forberger, Thomas Kubiak, Biljana Meshkovska, Agnieszka Neumann-Podczaska, Krzysztof Kaczmarek, Marie Scheidmeir, Janine Wendt, Daniel A. Scheller, Katarzyna Wieczorowska-Tobis, Juergen M. Steinacker, Hajo Zeeb, Aleksandra Luszczynska
Summary: This study investigated and analyzed policy implementation frameworks for healthy nutrition, physical activity promotion, and a reduction of sedentary behavior. The findings showed that most frameworks have two or three aims and include constructs from multiple levels, although system-level constructs are less frequently included. These frameworks combine descriptive features with prescriptive and explanatory associations, but equity constructs are often overlooked.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BEHAVIORAL NUTRITION AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Franca Spatafora, Paula Matos M. Fialho, Heide Busse, Stefanie M. Helmer, Hajo Zeeb, Christiane Stock, Claus Wendt, Claudia R. Pischke
Summary: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant psychological impact on the population, with fear of infection being one of the stressors. This study examined the fear of infection among university students in Germany during the COVID-19 outbreak in May 2020. The results showed that 34% of the participants were worried about getting infected themselves, 75% were worried about someone in their personal network getting infected, and 78% feared that close individuals would get severely ill after infection. There was a significant association between fear of infection and depressive symptoms, with fear of infection explaining 16% of the variance in depressive symptoms.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH
(2022)
Review
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Florence Samkange-Zeeb, Hunny Singh, Meret Lakeberg, Jonathan Kolschen, Benjamin Schuez, Lara Christianson, Karina Karolina De Santis, Tilman Brand, Hajo Zeeb
Summary: This study aimed to explore the health literacy needs of unemployed adults through a combination of a scoping review and qualitative interviews. The results indicated that unemployed individuals have an interest in and knowledge of health topics, but face challenges in applying this knowledge to their daily lives. General practitioners and social service providers play crucial roles in providing health information and advice.
FRONTIERS IN PUBLIC HEALTH
(2022)
Review
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Karolina Lobczowska, Anna Banik, Sarah Forberger, Krzysztof Kaczmarek, Thomas Kubiak, Agnieszka Neumann-Podczaska, Piotr Romaniuk, Marie Scheidmeir, Daniel A. Scheller, Juergen M. Steinacker, Janine Wendt, Marleen P. M. Bekker, Hajo Zeeb, Aleksandra Luszczynska
Summary: This meta-review examined the contextual implementation determinants of obesity prevention policies targeting a healthy diet and active lifestyle. The study found strong support for sociocultural, economic, and political contexts in the formulation of policy implementation plans for promoting healthy diet and physical activity.
Editorial Material
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Hajo Zeeb, Julian Wienert, Tina Jahnel, Rehana Shrestha
FRONTIERS IN PUBLIC HEALTH
(2022)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Kaja Rahu, Mati Rahu, Hajo Zeeb, Anssi Auvinen, Evelyn Bromet, John D. D. Boice Jr
Summary: Mortality among Estonian cleanup workers in the Chernobyl area from 1986 to 2020 was studied. The all-cause standardized mortality ratio (SMR) was 1.04 and all-cancer mortality was elevated (SMR 1.16), with radiation-related cancers in excess (SMR 1.20). However, the excesses could be attributed to tobacco and alcohol consumption. Longer stays in the Chernobyl area, non-Estonian ethnicity, and lower education were associated with increased mortality risks. Suicide mortality was also increased, particularly among men with lower education.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF EPIDEMIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Stefan Rach, Lisa Kuehne, Hajo Zeeb, Wolfgang Ahrens, Ulrike Haug, Hermann Pohlabeln
Summary: This study found that even a mild case of COVID-19 can lead to post-COVID-19 condition, characterized by symptoms such as fatigue, breathing difficulties, and cognitive problems. Females and individuals with initial symptoms including fatigue, breathing difficulties, and cognitive problems are more likely to experience post-COVID-19 symptoms.
ANNALS OF MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Oncology
Kaja Rahu, Mati Rahu, Anssi Auvinen, Hajo Zeeb, John D. Boice Jr
Summary: From 1986 to 1991, 4831 men from Estonia were sent to clean up radioactively contaminated areas near Chernobyl. The study compared their cancer incidence rates to that of the male population of Estonia. It was found that there was an excess of radiation-related cancers combined, but not when smoking- and alcohol-related cancers were excluded. Less educated workers had a higher risk of all cancers and smoking-related cancers. An elevated risk of alcohol-related cancers was evident 15 to 24 years after return from the Chernobyl area.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CANCER
(2023)
Review
Health Care Sciences & Services
Karina Karolina De Santis, Lea Mergenthal, Lara Christianson, Annalena Busskamp, Claudia Vonstein, Hajo Zeeb
Summary: This study aimed to identify digital technologies for health promotion and disease prevention that can be independently used by older people in nonclinical settings. The findings suggest that digital technologies have great potential in improving the quality of life and health outcomes of older adults. However, further research is needed to explore how to better apply these technologies and identify factors that can enhance their health benefits.
JOURNAL OF MEDICAL INTERNET RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Miriam Heinig, Wiebke Schaefer, Ingo Langner, Hajo Zeeb, Ulrike Haug
Summary: This study used a large cohort of claims data to provide new insights into longitudinal adherence to the mammography screening program and the use of mammography outside of the program in Germany. Between the ages of 50-59, 57% of eligible women participated in the German mammography screening program at least three times, while 28% never participated. Among non-participants, 15% had at least three non-screening mammographies during this period, indicating potential gray screening. Participants were more likely to use other preventive measures compared to non-participants.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Karla Romero Starke, Melanie Schubert, Pauline Kaboth, Julia Gerlach, Janice Hegewald, Matthias Reusche, Dieter Friedemann, Andrea Zuelke, Steffi G. Riedel-Heller, Hajo Zeeb, Andreas Seidler
Summary: Noise annoyance is a significant issue in Europe, and this study aimed to investigate the impact of road, railway, and aircraft noise on high annoyance. The results showed that aircraft noise had the highest risk, followed by road and railway noise. Compared to the WHO review, aircraft noise had a higher proportion of highly annoyed individuals. These findings are important for public policy-making, and regular updates of exposure-response relationships are recommended.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Berit Brandes, Louisa Sell, Christoph Buck, Heide Busse, Hajo Zeeb, Mirko Brandes
Summary: This study tested the feasibility of the ACTIPROS toolbox, which provides twelve evidence-based PA interventions that can be selected according to the needs. At least one intervention from the toolbox was successfully implemented in the participating schools, and unsuitable interventions were replaced in a timely manner. Results showed that the ACTIPROS toolbox was associated with an increase in physical activity, but further testing is needed in a larger sample.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BEHAVIORAL NUTRITION AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
(2023)
Article
Nursing
Joachim Beckert, Hajo Zeeb, Karina Karolina De Santis
Summary: This study adapted and evaluated the Disaster Preparedness Evaluation Tool (DPET) for the nursing context in Germany. The findings suggest that DPET-GER has acceptable psychometric properties, but low content validity indicates the need for further adaptation.
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Rieke Alpers, Lisa Kuehne, Hong-Phuc Truong, Hajo Zeeb, Max Westphal, Sonja Jaeckle
Summary: During the COVID-19 pandemic, the EsteR project implemented statistical models as decision support tools to assist local health authorities in managing and reporting cases. This study aimed to validate the EsteR toolkit by conducting sensitivity analysis on the model parameters and evaluating the usability of the web application through user feedback.
JMIR FORMATIVE RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Health Policy & Services
Saskia Muellmann, Dirk Gansefort, Hajo Zeeb, Tilman Brand
Summary: This study evaluates the lasting effect of community-based capacity building for physical activity among the elderly on community readiness. The findings suggest that implementing capacity building and a local physical activity action plan for older adults did not significantly increase community readiness scores in the intervention communities. However, the process evaluation highlights several factors that facilitate successful cooperation with community stakeholders, including building on existing networks, using a structured approach, providing financial support, and linking activities to existing community events.
HEALTH PROMOTION INTERNATIONAL
(2023)