New research and findings from open-access journals and the U.S. research agencies.
This cohort study investigates whether participation in youth soccer is associated with changes in brain health outcome compared with noncontact sports.
This qualitative study examines the association of abortion restrictions with abortion-adjacent care across medical specialties via interviews with US physicians who care for pregnant patients.
Objectives Coercive control is a complex behavioural phenomenon where severity, frequency and patterns need to be examined collectively. However, approaches to measuring coercive control to date have demonstrated limited understanding of these patterns of behaviour by a partner or ex-partner that reflect an individual woman’s experience. The aim of this study was to develop a holistic contemporary valid self-report measure of coercive control by partners. Design Standard instrument development, with academic and lived experience feedback and psychometric testing, using secondary data analysis…
Objectives Guided by the Andersen Behavioural Model of Healthcare Utilisation, this study investigated the relationship between socioeconomic status, enabling factors and need factors in predicting hospital admission. Design and setting Data were analysed from the first wave of the Malaysia Ageing and Retirement Survey (MARS), a longitudinal cohort study. Participants 5612 Malaysian adults aged 40 and older participated in MARS. Outcome measures A Generalised Structural Equation Modelling was applied to test associations between socioeconomic status (financial well-being and education levels)…
Introduction Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common endocrine disorder that affects reproductive-aged individuals. Our previous single-arm pilot trial showed that dihydroartemisinin (DHA) normalised menstrual cycles, ameliorated hyperandrogenaemia and reduced antral follicles in individuals with PCOS. However, no comparative evidence confirms the efficacy of DHA in individuals with PCOS when compared with placebo. Methods and analysis This is a multi-centre randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial of individuals with PCOS who have irregular menstrual cycles and…
Introduction Comprehensive sexuality education is an educational approach that addresses the cognitive, emotional, physical and social aspects of sexuality. When taught consistently and age-appropriately, it expands survival, health and life benefits for young people everywhere. To provide an efficient, comprehensive sexuality education curriculum, educators must be equipped with proper training. Objective This scoping review aimed to map and identify research gaps in the existing literature on educators’ training in comprehensive sexuality education, examine facilitators and barriers to…
Introduction Any tool that can reduce the administrative burden on healthcare providers while preserving safe, accountable and high-quality medical documentation is of immense value both to healthcare institutions and consumers. The key question we need to answer is whether a prospective tool can reduce these burdens while maintaining (and, ideally elevating ) quality documentation standards. The goal of this study is to describe the local performance of a large language model-based documentation assistive tool to draft safe, high-quality documentation in the Child Development Unit at the…
Introduction Diabetes mellitus is a global epidemic affecting hundreds of millions of people worldwide. The diabetic foot is among the most serious complications, and it is estimated that between 15 and 25% of patients with diabetes mellitus develop ulcers during their lifetime. The costs for the treatments of foot ulcerations are enormous, and thus prevention and early personalised treatments are a priority. Many traditional clinical and metabolic analyses have been performed, but these should now be supported by modern specific multi-instrumental measurements. Methods and analysis This is a…
Background As Tanzania experiences a rapid demographic transition towards an ageing population, the burden of geriatric malnutrition is increasing. The capacity of the health workforce to effectively screen and manage nutritional status in the elderly is critical. However, the preparedness of undergraduate health students regarding geriatric nutrition assessment remains underexplored. Objective This study assessed knowledge, attitudes and perceived challenges regarding geriatric nutrition assessment among undergraduate health students in Dodoma, Tanzania. Methods A cross-sectional analytical…
Objective This study aimed to explore (1) facilitating and inhibiting factors influencing the implementation of the Abdominal Pain Unit (APU) process, (2) physicians’ acceptance of the pathway and (3) typical experiential patterns and professional rationales emerging in clinical practice. Design Within a mixed-method framework, a qualitative evaluation study was conducted. Semi-structured expert interviews were conducted. Setting, participants 36 physicians experienced in emergency care from 10 different emergency departments (EDs) involved in treating APU patients were interviewed. Years of…
Background Adolescent obesity is increasing worldwide, and a minority of adolescents are meeting recommended physical activity (PA) and dietary guidelines, particularly among adolescents from low socioeconomic areas. There are limited studies qualitatively investigating the engagement in healthy lifestyle behaviours in this population. Therefore, this study aimed to gain a greater understanding of perceived barriers and facilitators of healthy lifestyle behaviours, specifically PA and dietary behaviours, in this under-represented population. Methods Eight semistructured qualitative focus…
Introduction The incidence of silent brain infarction (SBI) and perioperative neurocognitive disorders (PND) is higher in cardiac surgery. However, standard preventive strategies remain unknown due to limited evidence. Methods and analysis This multicentre, prospective, randomised controlled clinical trial with a 1-year follow-up includes patients undergoing elective cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). 912 participants are randomly assigned 1:1 into either the intervention group with neuroprotective anaesthesia targets (mean arterial pressure 65–90 mm Hg, bispectral index 40–60…
Introduction Early childhood development (ECD) interventions support children aged 0–5 years, including those typically developing, at risk of delays or diagnosed with motor, cognitive, language or social-emotional disorders. Current assessments face barriers like limited access, high costs, intermittent evaluations and invasive methods. Voice offers a non-invasive digital biomarker, with artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) enabling analysis of vocal features linked to developmental trajectories. This scoping review protocol synthesises evidence on AI-driven voice biomarkers…
Objectives Diabetes mellitus (DM) has a strong genetic component and is a known risk factor for several hand conditions. We aimed to examine whether DM in first-degree relatives is associated with an increased risk of hand surgical diagnoses. Design A retrospective cohort study. Setting Data were collected from a population-based cohort in southern Sweden (Malmö Diet and Cancer Study (MDCS)). Family relationships were obtained through the Swedish Multi-Generation Register and healthcare diagnoses from the National Patient Register. Participants 30 446 individuals (60% female) aged 45–73 years…
Objectives To identify risk factors and examine associations between colorectal cancer (CRC) status and modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors among patients diagnosed in Oman, considering the existence and increase of incidence and prevalence of these risk factors. Design A multicentre case–control study. Setting Sultan Qaboos University Hospital and the Royal Hospital in Muscat, Oman. Participants Patients diagnosed with CRC (n=166) and controls (n=166). Outcome measures A questionnaire adapted from the Colon Cancer Family Registry and other previously published studies was used to…
Introduction Infections are particularly common among hospitalised patients in surgical wards. Carbapenem antibiotics, major drivers of antimicrobial resistance, are frequently prescribed in this setting, often inappropriately and for unnecessarily prolonged durations. International guidelines emphasise the need for comprehensive multimodal antimicrobial stewardship programmes to optimise antibiotic use; however, evidence supporting their routine application in surgical wards remains scarce and is mostly derived from retrospective analyses or single-component interventions. This study aims to…
Background Muslim immigrants and their direct descendants are a large ethnoreligious minority in many regions, yet their access to palliative care remains under-researched and poorly theorised for practice. Existing evidence points to structural, communicative and cultural constraints, while mechanisms at the threshold of access remain unclear. Aim We explored access to palliative care among this population, developed an explanatory model of access dynamics and reconstructed culturally and religiously framed narrative resources. Design We conducted a qualitative, multicentre, four-group study…
Purpose Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a rapidly progressive neurodegenerative motor neuron disease (MND) with heterogeneity in disease onset, progression and treatment response. The Strategic ALS Australia–Systems Genomics Consortium (SALSA-SGC) was established in recognition of the need for large data sets of clinical data matched with biological samples to enable and foster ALS research and better understanding of aetiology and biological mechanisms. SALSA-SGC brought together the major Australian MND clinics to set up sustainable infrastructure that could facilitate long-term human…
Receipt of RZV during admission to a skilled-nursing facility or within 12 months was associated with lower dementia risk.
TAVR outcomes differ by sex and vary over time, with women seeing an early benefit with TAVR vs. SAVR that converged by year five and men exhibiting no significant differences across time points, according to a meta-analysis of nine randomized trials published June 10 in JACC: Advances.
by Nikki Bozinoff, Tanya S. Hauck, Robert A. Kleinman, Matthew E. Sloan, Beth A. Sproule, Simone N. Vigod, Jennifer Wyman, Priscila Pequeno, Tara Gomes Background Long-term benzodiazepine use has been associated with increased risk of morbidity and mortality. Preventing long-term use through safer prescribing practices has received little attention to date. We sought to better understand associations between initial prescription characteristics and duration of benzodiazepine use. Methods and findings This was a retrospective population-based cohort study of 1,820,808 adults in Ontario with…
Submitting Clinical Trial Datasets to Evaluate the Impact of Immunogenicity on the Pharmacokinetics of a Drug
Introduction Understanding whether socioeconomic and ethnic backgrounds influence help-seeking and communication with emergency medical services (EMS) is essential to mitigate disparities. Objective We explored how public housing residents seek help and communicate with EMS, focusing on barriers and enablers to out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) recognition and swift EMS responses. Design Explorative qualitative analysis of audio recordings of emergency service calls regarding non-EMS witnessed OHCAs. Audio recordings were screened and selected to ensure call variety—then transcribed and…
Background Informal caregivers are of utmost importance in providing sufficient care for palliative outpatients, yet are at risk for psychological burden themselves which might limit their capability to maintain their support. Aim This project aims to identify structural and psychological factors that are associated with the psychological burden of informal caregivers. Design The prospective observational study recorded illness-related and structural data. Multiple logistic regressions were performed to identify relevant factors for increased psychological burden. Setting/participants This…