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International Journal of Environmental... Jun 2024The suicide rates in Guyana, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago are among the highest in the Americas, containing significant Indo-Caribbean populations that are suggested... (Review)
Review
The suicide rates in Guyana, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago are among the highest in the Americas, containing significant Indo-Caribbean populations that are suggested to be most vulnerable to suicide. This systematic review analyzes the existing literature and identifies knowledge gaps in risk and protective factors against suicide in these countries. The literature search conducted followed PRISMA guidelines using the PubMed and APA PsycInfo databases. The PRISMA flow diagram illustrated that eight scholarly papers were eligible for inclusion. Included literature examined stratified data focused on the aforementioned countries, as well as their Indo-Caribbean adolescent populations. Excluded literature did not mention suicidality, adolescents, Indo-Caribbeans, or the focal countries or was focused on the Jonestown mass murder-suicide event. The studies encompassed 6581 individuals. Identified risk factors include social stigma regarding suicide, mental health resource scarcity, and difficult socioeconomic conditions. The identified protective factors for youth include religious/spiritual practices and group activities. Limitations include database quantity, risk of publication bias, and the small sample for each study. A prevailing social stigma regarding suicide was identified. Greater research is needed relating to effects of suicide legislation, bereavement experiences, sociocultural contexts, geography, migration patterns, and culturally compatible interventions to aid future suicide prevention efforts. The protocol was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42023417494).
Topics: Humans; Adolescent; Suicide; Risk Factors; Suicidal Ideation
PubMed: 38929047
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph21060801 -
International Journal of Environmental... Jun 2024Bystander-based sexual violence (SV) prevention trainings are offered on college campuses across the United States to meet federal Title IX requirements, as they have... (Review)
Review
Bystander-based sexual violence (SV) prevention trainings are offered on college campuses across the United States to meet federal Title IX requirements, as they have proven to be an effective strategy for violence prevention. Greek-affiliated students (fraternity and sorority members) are at a higher risk of sexual assault than their peers; however, few trainings consider the specific needs of this population, and program adaptations for this high-risk group may be needed. This scoping review identifies and describes the bystander trainings delivered to Greek-affiliated students in the US and Canada. An eight-database search was conducted following PRISMA-ScR guidelines. The review identified 81 unique sources, with 18 meeting the inclusion criteria. Eleven specific training programs were identified, encompassing qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-method studies. The thematic analysis revealed best practices, including the importance of peer leaders, interactive sessions, and tailored content to Greek culture, as well as barriers such as a lack of engagement and an inadequate session length. The review underscores the need for tailored interventions to effectively address the unique cultural characteristics and high-risk nature of Greek-affiliated students. These findings provide valuable insights for improving the design and implementation of bystander interventions to enhance their efficacy in preventing sexual violence within this population.
Topics: Humans; Students; Sex Offenses; Universities; Canada; United States
PubMed: 38929043
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph21060797 -
International Journal of Environmental... Jun 2024The WHO Dementia Global Action Plan states that rehabilitation services for dementia are required to promote health, reduce disability, and maintain quality of life for... (Review)
Review
The WHO Dementia Global Action Plan states that rehabilitation services for dementia are required to promote health, reduce disability, and maintain quality of life for those living with dementia. Current services, however, are scarce, particularly for people with young-onset dementia (YOD). This article, written by an international group of multidisciplinary dementia specialists, offers a three-part overview to promote the development of rehabilitation services for YOD. Firstly, we provide a synthesis of knowledge on current evidence-based rehabilitative therapies for early-onset Alzheimer's disease (EOAD), behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD), primary progressive aphasia (PPA), and posterior cortical atrophy (PCA). Secondly, we discuss the characteristics of rehabilitation services for YOD, providing examples across three continents for how these services can be embedded in existing settings and the different roles of the rehabilitation multidisciplinary team. Lastly, we conclude by highlighting the potential of telehealth in making rehabilitation services more accessible for people with YOD. Overall, with this paper, we aim to encourage clinical leads to begin introducing at least some rehabilitation into their services, leveraging existing resources and finding support in the collective expertise of the broader multidisciplinary dementia professional community.
Topics: Humans; Dementia; Age of Onset; Developing Countries; Developed Countries; Telemedicine
PubMed: 38929036
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph21060790 -
International Journal of Environmental... Jun 2024College students are at risk of disordered eating, particularly students with overweight/obesity and with higher stress, but little is known about how disordered eating...
OBJECTIVE
College students are at risk of disordered eating, particularly students with overweight/obesity and with higher stress, but little is known about how disordered eating may be related to diet. This study evaluated the associations between the Disordered Eating Attitudes Scale (DEAS) and age, BMI, stress, and diet.
METHODS
This is a secondary analysis of the baseline data in participants from the Snackability Trial. Participants completed a questionnaire on socio-demographics, DEAS, and snacking, self-reported their weight and height (to calculate BMI), and completed two 24 h non-consecutive dietary recalls (to calculate diet quality using HEI-2015 and snack quality score using an algorithm developed by our group). Associations between variables were assessed with Spearman correlations.
RESULTS
A total of 140 participants completed all assessments. The median age was 21.0 and the median BMI was 28.5 kg/m (43.7% had overweight and 41.5% had obesity). A total of 86.4% were females, 41.4% were white, 51.4% were low-income, and 30.7% were Hispanic/Latino. The total DEAS and the subscale 'Relationship with food' were positively correlated with stress and BMI ( < 0.05) but inversely correlated with HEI-2015 ( < 0.05). The subscales 'Restrictive and compensatory behaviors' and 'Concern about food and weight gain' were also positively correlated with stress ( < 0.001).
CONCLUSION
College students with higher disordered eating attitudes also had higher stress and BMI but poorer diet quality. Interventions may be needed for this group to manage stress and improve weight and diet quality, as well as promote awareness about disordered eating attitudes.
Topics: Humans; Female; Male; Students; Young Adult; Feeding and Eating Disorders; Body Mass Index; Universities; Diet; Stress, Psychological; Adult; Adolescent; Age Factors; Feeding Behavior; Attitude
PubMed: 38929012
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph21060766 -
International Journal of Environmental... Jun 2024Although American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) students are the most underrepresented group in the U.S. in biomedical and health sciences relative to population size,...
Although American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) students are the most underrepresented group in the U.S. in biomedical and health sciences relative to population size, little is known about long-term research education programs and outcome tracking. For over 20 years, the Partnership for Native American Cancer Prevention (NACP) has been supported under the National Cancer Institute's (NCI)-funded Comprehensive Partnerships to Advance Cancer Health Equity (CPACHE) program. Programming included hands-on mentored research and an array of development opportunities. A validated tracking system combining participation records, institutional records, and enrollment/degree attainment from the National Student Clearinghouse documents outcomes. Collectively (2002-2022) NACP engaged 367 AIAN trainees, of whom 237 individuals earned 220 bachelors, 87 masters, and 34 doctoral/professional degrees. Approximately 45% of AIAN doctoral recipients are currently engaged in academic or clinical work, and 10% in industry or tribal leadership. A total of 238 AIAN students participated in mentored research, with 85% demonstrating strong outcomes; 51% attained a degree, and 34% are currently enrolled. Implementation of a robust tracking system documented acceleration in degree attainment over time. Next steps will evaluate the most impactful training activities on student outcomes.
Topics: Humans; Neoplasms; United States; American Indian or Alaska Native; Health Workforce
PubMed: 38928998
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph21060752 -
International Journal of Environmental... Jun 2024The escalating awareness of heat-related risks and the associated imperative to enhance preparedness strategies at various levels has spurred a growing emphasis on...
The escalating awareness of heat-related risks and the associated imperative to enhance preparedness strategies at various levels has spurred a growing emphasis on disseminating knowledge about heat vulnerability. These efforts aim to equip diverse stakeholders with practical heat planning and forecasting tools. The success of these communication initiatives hinges on understanding the nuanced perceptions of risk and the priority assigned to addressing heat as a health risk. This paper delves explicitly into the unhoused population's risk perceptions and coping strategies. Acknowledged as one of the most underserved and vulnerable groups to extreme heat, unhoused individuals face prolonged exposure, a heightened frequency of mental and physical health issues, and limited coping resources during extreme heat events. Despite widespread acknowledgment of their vulnerability, little attention has been directed towards researching health behavior within this demographic about excessive heat. We developed a survey instrument using the theory of planned behavior (TPB) to bridge this gap. We collected quantitative survey data from unhoused populations in Columbia, South Carolina, an area of the United States that experiences extreme heat events and has a sizeable unhoused population. Using a series of hierarchical multiple regression models, our findings indicate that TPB variables predict the intention to avoid the heat while considering additional coping strategies common among unhoused individuals. These findings offer valuable insights for public health researchers, practitioners, and community officials engaged in direct interactions with unhoused populations, informing how this underserved group manages excessive heat exposure.
Topics: Humans; Adaptation, Psychological; Adult; Female; Male; Middle Aged; Young Adult; Hot Temperature; Aged; Adolescent; Surveys and Questionnaires; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Perception; Risk Assessment; Coping Skills
PubMed: 38928983
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph21060737 -
International Journal of Environmental... May 2024Social media platforms, such as Instagram, provide space for marginalized groups to connect, learn about and express themselves, and cultivate community. Trans Latinas,...
Social media platforms, such as Instagram, provide space for marginalized groups to connect, learn about and express themselves, and cultivate community. Trans Latinas, a group target of violence and discrimination, resist by expressing themselves and building community through social media. As cisgender researchers, we explored how trans Latinas use #translatina on Instagram as a shared space to present themselves and their identities, to leverage this knowledge in our fields. We analyzed 134 posts in February and March of 2020 employing basic and interpretive content analyses while considering Goffman's theory of presentation of self. Results showed that trans Latinas mostly presented individually through posed selfies taken near the camera, using a straight camera angle, standing, not smiling, and making eye contact. Most users wore makeup, styled hair, and accessories. Analyzing written captions and photos, four themes were constructed to understand how trans Latinas presented their identities and connected with others: (1) expressions of beauty and femininity, (2) fostering community, (3) commercial or work, and (4) feeling good and confident. These results have implications for mental health and health promotion practices, as social media could serve as affirming spaces for trans Latinas to reinforce their self-determination, maintain a sense of self, and build community.
Topics: Humans; Social Media; Hispanic or Latino; Female; Adult; Transgender Persons
PubMed: 38928945
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph21060699 -
International Journal of Environmental... May 2024Health disparities between people who are African American (AA) versus their White counterparts have been well established, but disparities among AA people have not. The...
BACKGROUND
Health disparities between people who are African American (AA) versus their White counterparts have been well established, but disparities among AA people have not. The current study introduces a systematic method to determine subgroups within a sample of AA people based on their social determinants of health.
METHODS
Health screening data collected in the West Side of Chicago, an underserved predominantly AA area, in 2018 were used. Exploratory latent class analysis was used to determine subgroups of participants based on their responses to 16 variables, each pertaining to a specific social determinant of health.
RESULTS
Four unique clusters of participants were found, corresponding to those with "many unmet needs", "basic unmet needs", "unmet healthcare needs", and "few unmet needs".
CONCLUSION
The findings support the utility of analytically determining meaningful subgroups among a sample of AA people and their social determinants of health. Understanding the differences within an underserved population may contribute to future interventions to eliminate health disparities.
Topics: Humans; Social Determinants of Health; Black or African American; Latent Class Analysis; Chicago; Male; Female; Middle Aged; Adult; Young Adult; Cluster Analysis; Aged; Health Status Disparities; Adolescent
PubMed: 38928923
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph21060676 -
International Journal of Environmental... May 2024Lifestyle factors, including sleep characteristics, have been implicated in the development of metabolic syndrome, particularly among shift workers. This study aimed to...
Lifestyle factors, including sleep characteristics, have been implicated in the development of metabolic syndrome, particularly among shift workers. This study aimed to explore the relationship between shift work, sleep duration, social jetlag, and the risk of metabolic syndrome among U.S. workers and the moderating effect of sleep duration and social jetlag on this relationship. Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) in 2017-2020 March were analyzed. Poisson regression models were employed to examine associations. Among 4136 U.S. workers, 53.3% had metabolic syndrome, with a higher proportion of shift workers (63.8% vs. 56.7%, = 0.001) and those sleeping less than 6 h or more than 9 h per week (22.3% vs. 19.1%, = 0.044) in the affected group. Shift workers were initially found to have an increased risk of metabolic syndrome (Coef. = 0.03, 95% CI: 0.02, 0.16); however, this association was mitigated when accounting for the interaction with social jetlag. Specifically, 1 to <2 h of social jetlag interacted significantly, increasing metabolic risk (Coef. = 0.15, 95% CI: 0.09, 0.22), whereas 1 to <2 h alone showed a protective effect (Coef. = -0.11, 95% CI: -0.17, -0.06). These findings suggest that optimizing sleep schedules and addressing social jetlag may be crucial in mitigating metabolic syndrome risks among shift workers.
Topics: Humans; Metabolic Syndrome; Male; Adult; Sleep; Female; Middle Aged; Nutrition Surveys; Shift Work Schedule; United States; Jet Lag Syndrome; Risk Factors; Young Adult; Work Schedule Tolerance; Sleep Duration
PubMed: 38928916
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph21060668 -
Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland) Jun 2024The mental foramen (MF) is an opening found bilaterally on the anterolateral aspect of the mandible; it can be round or oval and have different diameters. One of the...
The mental foramen (MF) is an opening found bilaterally on the anterolateral aspect of the mandible; it can be round or oval and have different diameters. One of the anatomical variants of the jaw is the presence of an accessory mental foramen (AMF). These are usually smaller than the MF and can be located above, below, or to the sides of the main MF. The objective of this study was to recognize the presence of AMF in dry jaws of the Chilean population and collect information about its clinical relevance reported in the literature. In this descriptive observational study, we have collected dried jaws obtained from three higher education institutions in Santiago de Chile, from the Department of Morphology of the Andrés Bello University, the Normal Human Anatomy Unit of the University of Santiago, and the Human Anatomy pavilion from the Faculty of Medicine of the Finis Terrae University. The samples for this research were obtained by convenience, and the observation of the jaws was carried out in the human anatomy laboratories of each institution by three evaluators independently, and a fourth evaluator was included to validate that each evaluation was correct. The sample for this research came from 260 dry jaws, showing the following findings from the total jaws studied, and to classify as an accessory MF, it will be examined and measured so that it complies with what is declared in the literature as the presence of AMF, which is between 0.74 mm. and 0.89 mm. There were 17 studies included with a sample that fluctuated between 1 and 4000, with a cumulative total of 7946 and an average number of jaws analyzed from the studies of 467.4, showing statistically significant differences between the means with the sample analyzed in this study; = 0.095. For the cumulative prevalence of the presence of AMF, this was 3.07 in this study, and in the compared studies, the average of AMF was 8.01%, which did not present a statistically significant difference; = 0.158. Regarding the presence of variants of unilateral AMF, this occurred in five jaws, which is equivalent to 1.84% in the sample of this study, while in previous studies, it was 7.5%, being higher on the left side than on the right. The presence of AMF is a variant with high prevalence if we compare it with other variants of the jaw. Knowledge of the anatomy and position of the AMF is crucial to analyze different scenarios in the face of surgical procedures or conservative treatments of the lower anterior dental region.
PubMed: 38928695
DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics14121277