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Aging Jan 2022To study how marital status influences overall survival (OS) in patients with stage IA non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). And whether the result is valid in different...
OBJECTIVES
To study how marital status influences overall survival (OS) in patients with stage IA non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). And whether the result is valid in different time periods.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
We retrospectively analyzed 55,207 cases of stage IA NSCLC from 1995 to 2015 in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. Marital status was classified as follows: married or with unmarried/domestic partner (MR/W.P), divorced or separated (DV/SP), widowed (WD), and single (never married). Patients diagnosed in 1995-2005 and 2006-2015 were analyzed separately as groups 1 and 2, respectively, to validate the results. Within each group, age-stratified demographic, clinicopathologic features, and OS were compared among different marital statuses.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS
A total of 55,207 cases were included (group 1 n=20,223, group 2 n=34,984). From 1995-2005 to 2006-2015, median OS was prolonged significantly in all patients besides the DV/SP subgroup. In general, being MR/W.P was associated with the lowest relative risk of death in the study population (Group 1, HR= 0.854, 95%CI: 0.816-0.893; Group 2, HR = 0.799, 95%CI: 0.758-0.842). Meanwhile, OS of DV/SP and widowed patients was similar. In group 2, being single was associated with lower risk of death beyond 60-year-old.
Topics: Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung; Humans; Kaplan-Meier Estimate; Lung Neoplasms; Marital Status; Prognosis; Retrospective Studies; Risk Factors; SEER Program
PubMed: 35045398
DOI: 10.18632/aging.203838 -
BMJ Open Jul 2022To estimate anaemia prevalence and the associated factors among hospitalised people living with HIV (PLHIV) receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART).
OBJECTIVES
To estimate anaemia prevalence and the associated factors among hospitalised people living with HIV (PLHIV) receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART).
DESIGN
A cross-sectional study.
SETTING
PLHIV receiving ART and hospitalised in a specialised hospital for infectious disease in Guizhou Province, Southwest China, between 1 January 2018 and 31 March 2021.
PARTICIPANTS
A total of 6959 hospitalised PLHIV aged ≥18 years and receiving ART were included in this study.
PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES
Anaemia was diagnosed as a haemoglobin concentration <120 g/L for non-pregnant females and <130 g/L for males. Mild, moderate and severe anaemia were diagnosed as below the gender-specific lower limit of normal but ≥110 g/L, 80-110 g/L and <80 g/L, respectively.
RESULTS
The prevalence of anaemia was 27.5%, and that of mild, moderate and severe anaemia was 9.2%, 12.2% and 6.1%, respectively. Results from multivariate logistic regression showed that females had increased odds of anaemia (adjusted OR (aOR)=1.60, 95% CI: 1.42 to 1.81) compared with males. Widowed or divorced inpatients (anaemia: aOR=1.26, 95% CI: 1.08 to 1.47; severe anaemia: aOR=1.52, 95% CI: 1.16 to 1.97) and thrombocytopenia inpatients (anaemia: aOR=4.25, 95% CI: 3.54 to 5.10; severe anaemia: aOR=4.16, 95% CI: 3.24 to 5.35) had increased odds of anaemia and severe anaemia compared with their counterparts. Hepatitis C was associated with increased odds of severe anaemia (aOR=1.80, 95% CI: 1.11 to 2.92).
CONCLUSIONS
Anaemia was prevalent among hospitalised PLHIV. Female sex, those widowed or divorced, and thrombocytopenia were associated with increased odds of anaemia, and those widowed or divorced, thrombocytopenia and hepatitis C were associated with increased odds of severe anaemia. Determination of anaemia predictors, early detection and timely management of anaemia are crucial to prevent anaemia progression.
Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Anemia; China; Cross-Sectional Studies; Female; HIV Infections; Hepacivirus; Hepatitis C; Humans; Male; Prevalence; Risk Factors; Thrombocytopenia
PubMed: 35851012
DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-059316 -
International Journal of Environmental... Mar 2021Social isolation is a common phenomenon among the elderly. Retirement, widowhood, and increased prevalence of chronic diseases in this age group lead to a decline in... (Review)
Review
Social isolation is a common phenomenon among the elderly. Retirement, widowhood, and increased prevalence of chronic diseases in this age group lead to a decline in social relationships, which in turn has adverse consequences on health and well-being. The coronavirus COVID-19 crisis worsened this situation, raising interest for mobile telepresence robots (MTR) that would help create, maintain, and strengthen social relationships. MTR are tools equipped with a camera, monitor, microphone, and speaker, with a body on wheels that allows for remote-controlled and sometimes autonomous movement aiming to provide easy access to assistance and networking services. We conducted a narrative review of literature describing experimental studies of MTR involving elderly people over the last 20 years, including during the COVID-19 period. The aim of this review was to examine whether MTR use was beneficial for reducing loneliness and social isolation among older adults at home and in health and care institutions and to examine the current benefits and barriers to their use and implementation. We screened 1754 references and included 24 research papers focusing on the usability, acceptability, and effectiveness of MTR. News reports on MTR use during the COVID-19 period were also examined. A qualitative, multidimensional analysis methodology inspired by a health technology assessment model was used to identify facilitating and limiting factors and investigate if and how MTR could reduce social isolation in elderly people. Reviewed studies provide encouraging evidence that MTR have potential in this regard, as experiments report positive feedback on MTR design and core functionalities. However, our analysis also points to specific technical, ergonomic, and ethical challenges that remain to be solved, highlighting the need for further multidimensional research on the design and impact of MTR interventions for older adults and building on new insights gained during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Topics: Aged; COVID-19; Humans; Loneliness; Pandemics; Robotics; SARS-CoV-2; Social Isolation
PubMed: 33808457
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18073597 -
The Journals of Gerontology. Series B,... May 2022We provide new evidence on the profiles of social isolation, social support, and loneliness before and after spousal death for older widows. We also examine the...
OBJECTIVES
We provide new evidence on the profiles of social isolation, social support, and loneliness before and after spousal death for older widows. We also examine the moderating effects of gender and financial resources on changes in social health before and after widowhood.
METHODS
We use 19 waves of data from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia Survey, including 749 widowed individuals and a comparison group of around 8,000 married individuals. We apply coarsened exact matching weights and control for age and time trends. Local polynomial smoothed plots show the profiles of social health from 3 years pre- to 3 years postspousal death. All analyses were stratified by gender.
RESULTS
Spousal death was strongly associated with increased loneliness for women and men, but also an increase in interactions with friends and family not living with the bereaved. For men, financial resources (both income and asset wealth) provided some protection against loneliness. Spousal death was not associated with changes in social support or participation in community activities.
DISCUSSION
We demonstrate that loneliness is a greater challenge of widowhood than social isolation or a lack of social support. Our findings suggest that interventions focusing only on increasing social interactions are unlikely to alleviate loneliness following spousal death. Moreover, policies that reduce the cost of formal social participation may have limited effectiveness in tackling loneliness, particularly for women. Alternative strategies, such as helping the bereaved form a new sense of identity and screening for loneliness around widowhood by health care workers, could be beneficial.
Topics: Female; Friends; Humans; Loneliness; Male; Social Isolation; Social Support; Spouses; Widowhood
PubMed: 35373252
DOI: 10.1093/geronb/gbac039 -
The Journals of Gerontology. Series B,... Apr 2022The spousal relationship is one of the most important social contexts in old age, and the loss of a spouse/partner is associated with stress and cognitive decline. In...
OBJECTIVES
The spousal relationship is one of the most important social contexts in old age, and the loss of a spouse/partner is associated with stress and cognitive decline. In the present study, we examined whether social relationships can buffer potential negative effects of spousal loss on cognition. We examined the role of social network, social activities, and perceived deficiencies in social relationships (loneliness).
METHOD
We used longitudinal data between 1998 and 2012 from 2,074 participants of the Health and Retirement Study, who had experienced spousal loss during the study period. Multilevel modeling was used to examine how time-varying indicators of social network, social activities, and loneliness were related to age-related trajectories of episodic memory prior to and after spousal loss. Analyses controlled for gender, race/ethnicity, education, time-varying functional health, and being repartnered/remarried.
RESULTS
Having children living within 10 miles and providing help to others buffered negative effects of widowhood on episodic memory. In addition, within-person increase in providing help to others buffered against decline in episodic memory after spousal loss. Having friends in the neighborhood, more frequent social visits, providing help to others, volunteering, and lack of loneliness were related to higher episodic memory, while having relatives in the neighborhood was related to lower episodic memory.
DISCUSSION
Our findings suggest that social networks, social activities, and loneliness are related to levels of cognitive function at the time of spousal loss and that social relationships can buffer negative effects of spousal loss on cognitive function. Implications for future research are discussed.
Topics: Friends; Humans; Interpersonal Relations; Loneliness; Longitudinal Studies; Memory, Episodic; Social Networking
PubMed: 34939648
DOI: 10.1093/geronb/gbab231 -
International Journal of MCH and AIDS 2023Socio-demographic factors are important risk factors for HIV infection. Maternal socio-demographic factors associated with HIV transmission from mother to child are not...
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE
Socio-demographic factors are important risk factors for HIV infection. Maternal socio-demographic factors associated with HIV transmission from mother to child are not well elucidated to our knowledge. This study aimed to assess the maternal socio-demographic factors associated with HIV vertical transmission.
METHODS
A matched case-control study was conducted among children under 15 years of age born to HIV-infected mothers; using a structured questionnaire. The study was conducted in four health facilities in the North Region of Cameroon from July 2015 to October 2016. HIV- infected children were the cases, and HIV-uninfected children were the controls. One case was matched to nearly 4 controls according to age and sex. A total of 113 HIV-infected mothers of children under 15 years of age were purposively enrolled in the study. A questionnaire was administered to mothers and socio-demographic characteristics were collected. Blood samples were collected from the mother and her child for the determination or confirmation of HIV status. Univariate and multiple logistic regressions were used to assess associations between socio-demographic variables and HIV transmission from mother to child.
RESULTS
A total of 113 HIV-infected mothers and 113 children under 15 years of age were enrolled in this study. The majority of the mothers were between the age ranges of 25 years to 34 years. Of the 113 HIV-infected mothers, 69 (61%) were Muslims, 33 (32.1%) were not educated, 88 (77.8%) were unemployed, 80 (70.9%) were married, out of which 49 (61.6%) were engaged in a monogamous union. Of the 113 children (49.6%) were female, 25 (22.1%) were HIV-infected and 88 (77.9%) were HIV-exposed uninfected. At the univariate level, mothers who achieved a primary level of education were less likely to transmit HIV to infants compared to uneducated mothers [OR=0.28; CI (0.08-0.95); p=0.04]; and widows had a higher likelihood of HIV transmission to infants compared to married mothers [OR=4.65; CI (1.26-17.20); p=0.02]. Using multiple logistic regression, the maternal primary education level [aOR=0.32; CI (0.08-0.90); p=0.03] and widowerhood [aOR=7.05; CI (1.49-33.24); p=0.01] remained highly associated with the likelihood of HIV transmission to infants.
CONCLUSION AND GLOBAL HEALTH IMPLICATIONS
Uneducated mothers and widows had a higher likelihood of mother-to-child transmission of HIV. Our findings should prompt reinforcement of prevention strategies targeting uneducated women and widows.
PubMed: 36683650
DOI: 10.21106/ijma.593 -
Zhongguo Yi Xue Ke Xue Yuan Xue Bao.... Oct 2022Objective To understand the prevalence and influencing factors of hypertension among the elderly aged 60 years and above in Mianyang City,Sichuan Province,so as to...
Objective To understand the prevalence and influencing factors of hypertension among the elderly aged 60 years and above in Mianyang City,Sichuan Province,so as to provide clues for targeted prevention and control of hypertension. Methods A total of 115 775 permanent residents aged 60 and above screened out from Mianyang demonstration sites from October 2017 to April 2019 were investigated by questionnaire and physical examination,and the data of personal basic information,lifestyle,body height,body weight,waist circumference,and blood pressure were collected.SPSS 22.0 was used for descriptive analysis,single factor analysis,and Logistic regression analysis. Results The prevalence rate of hypertension in the elderly aged 60 years and above in Mianyang was 50.60%.Specifically,the prevalence rates of hypertension in men and women were 50.27% and 50.85%,respectively.The prevalence rate of hypertension increased with the increase in age([Formula: see text]=370.199,<0001).Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that the independent risk factors of hypertension included age of 70-79 years(=1.327,95%=1.292-1.363,<0.001),the age of 80 years and above(=1.455,95%=1.386-1.527,<0.001),widowhood(=1.343,95%=1.296-1.392,<0.001),divorce(=1.255,95%=1.033-1.525,=0.022),overweight(=1.431,95%=1.391-1.473,<0.001),obesity(=2.171,95%=2.076-2.270,<0.001),waist-to-height ratio>0.5(=1.317,95%=1.281-1.354,<0.001),history of diabetes(=1.865,95%=1.791-1.941,<0.001),history of smoking(=1.107,95%=1.068-1.148,<0.001),and history of drinking(=1.950,95%=1.894-2.009,<0.001).Living in urban-rural fringe areas(=0.628,95%=0.594-0.664,<0.001),education background of junior high school and above(=0.942,95%=0.912-0.974,<0.001),and low body weight(=0.785,95%=0.742-0.830,<0.001) were protective factors for hypertension. Conclusions More than 50% of the elderly aged 60 years and above in Mianyang suffer from hypertension.The elderly with advanced age,widowhood,divorce,overweight,obesity,waist-to-height ratio>0.5,diabetes history,smoking history,and drinking history are the high-risk groups of hypertension.
Topics: Aged; Male; Humans; Female; Overweight; Hypertension; Waist Circumference; Obesity; Risk Factors; Prevalence; Body Weight; China; Body Mass Index
PubMed: 36325777
DOI: 10.3881/j.issn.1000-503X.14695 -
Frontiers in Public Health 2023The high multimorbidity and lower socioeconomic status (SES) of older adults, can lead to catastrophic health expenditures (CHEs) for older adults' households. However,...
BACKGROUND
The high multimorbidity and lower socioeconomic status (SES) of older adults, can lead to catastrophic health expenditures (CHEs) for older adults' households. However, whether widowed older adults will bear such a financial burden has yet to be explored. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of multimorbidity patterns and SES on CHE in Chinese widowed older adults.
METHODS
Data was obtained from the 2018 China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). This is a cross-sectional study. A total of 1,721 widowed participants aged 60 years and older were enrolled in the study. Latent class analysis was performed based on 14 self-reported chronic diseases to identify multimorbidity patterns. The logistic model and Tobit model were used to analyze the influence of multimorbidity patterns and SES on the incidence and intensity of CHE, respectively.
RESULTS
About 36.72% of widowed older adults generated CHE. The incidence and intensity of CHE were significantly higher in the cardiovascular class and multisystem class than in the minimal disease class in multimorbidity patterns (cardiovascular class, multisystem class, and minimal disease class). Among SES-related indicators (education, occupation and household income), respondents with a middle school and above education level were more likely to generate CHE compared to those who were illiterate. Respondents who were in the unemployed group were more likely to generate CHE compared to agricultural workers. In addition, respondents aged 70-79 years old, geographically located in the east, having other medical insurance, or having fewer family members are more likely to generate CHE and have higher CHE intensity.
CONCLUSION
Widowed older adults are at high risk for CHE, especially those in the cardiovascular and multisystem disease classes, and those with low SES. Several mainstream health insurances do not provide significant relief. In addition, attention should be paid to the high-risk characteristics associated with CHE. It is necessary to carry out the popularization of chronic disease knowledge, improve the medical insurance system and medical service level, and provide more policy preferences and social support to widowed older adults.
Topics: Humans; Female; Middle Aged; Aged; Cross-Sectional Studies; Health Expenditures; Longitudinal Studies; Multimorbidity; Widowhood; Social Class; China
PubMed: 37637831
DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1188248 -
Industrial Psychiatry Journal Oct 2021By 2040, dementia is projected to rise exponentially by 300% in India. Studies addressing the need for psychiatric care in the community being few and those focusing in...
BACKGROUND
By 2040, dementia is projected to rise exponentially by 300% in India. Studies addressing the need for psychiatric care in the community being few and those focusing in old age homes even fewer, a study was undertaken to study the prevalence of dementia and the association with sociodemographic factors and psychiatric morbidity.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
A total of 558 elderly aged 60 years and above, residing in old age homes in Pune were studied. 179 inmates were included based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Those who scored a predetermined cut-off score on the screening tool were included to undergo a detailed physical and neurological examination, cognitive profile using subtests from the cognitive test (community screening instrument for Dementia of 10/66 group).
RESULTS
Mean age of the sample was 75.02 years majority (39.7%) was in the 60-70 years group. Males 25.7% versus females 74.3%. The sample consisted of the following socioeconomic groups: 40.2% middle, 26.3% low middle, 24% high middle, 8.4% high income, and 1.1% in low income. 60.3% widow/widower category, 36.3% never married, 4.5% had family history of dementia. Mean scores of mini mental state examination in the overall sample was 26.02 compared to 18.02 in those cut-off point of 23. The prevalence of dementia in the sample was 22.9%. There was the high prevalence of psychiatric symptoms and psychiatric morbidity in the dementia group than the rest. Frontal lobe dysfunction and impairment of orientation with increasing severity of dementia were observed.
CONCLUSIONS
Sociodemographic factors, which were considered protective against the prevalence of dementia, identified were less restriction in physical activity and having fish in the diet regularly.
PubMed: 34908681
DOI: 10.4103/0972-6748.328806 -
Integrative and Comparative Biology Oct 2021The origin of aggregate silk glands and their production of wet adhesive silks is considered a key innovation of the Araneoidea, a superfamily of spiders that build...
The origin of aggregate silk glands and their production of wet adhesive silks is considered a key innovation of the Araneoidea, a superfamily of spiders that build orb-webs and cobwebs. Orb-web weavers place aggregate glue on an extensible capture spiral, whereas cobweb weavers add it to the ends of strong, stiff fibers, called gumfoot lines. Here we describe the material behavior and quantitative proteomics of the aggregate glues of two cobweb weaving species, the western black widow, Latrodectus hesperus, and the common house spider, Parasteatoda tepidariorum. For each species, respectively, we identified 48 and 33 proteins that were significantly more abundant in the portion of the gumfoot line with glue than in its fibers. These proteins were more highly glycosylated and phosphorylated than proteins found in silk fibers without glue, which likely explains aggregate glue stickiness. Most glue-enriched proteins were of anterior aggregate gland origin, supporting the hypothesis that cobweb weavers' posterior aggregate glue is specialized for another function. We found that cobweb weaver glue droplets are stiffer and tougher than the adhesive of most orb-web weaving species. Attributes of gumfoot glue protein composition that likely contribute to this stiffness include the presence of multiple protein families with conserved cysteine residues, a bimodal distribution of isoelectric points, and families with conserved functions in protein aggregation, all of which should contribute to cohesive protein-protein interactions. House spider aggregate droplets were more responsive to humidity changes than black widow droplets, which could be mediated by differences in protein sequence, post-translational modifications, the non-protein components of the glue droplets, and/or the larger amount of aqueous material that surrounds the adhesive cores of their glue droplets.
Topics: Adhesives; Amino Acid Sequence; Animals; Silk; Spiders
PubMed: 34003260
DOI: 10.1093/icb/icab086