International Journal of Preventive Medicine最新文献

Background: Suboptimal health status (SHS) has become a public health issue and virtual exercise could bridge health disparities across borders. We aimed to evaluate the effects of a home-based virtual group exercise intervention among Asian women.

Methods: A total of 370 participants were recruited from a health social network across five regions globally. Six months of group exercise was delivered virtually 40 minutes per time every other day, with the instruction of staff from the health social network. Women completed baseline assessments of SHS, physical health, mental well-being, social interaction, and grit. The follow-up survey was carried out after the intervention.

Results: The home-based virtual group exercise showed an increase in social interaction in pre-post comparisons. The improvement of SHS was only significant in the participants who exercised frequently (i.e., attended the group exercise more than three times per week), indicating the intervention effects under higher intensity of group exercise.

Conclusion: Our study addresses the previous limitations of traditional in-person exercise programs and provides opportunities for people to participate in exercise at home, particularly when outdoor activity is limited. The effects may provide insight into the development of novel interventions in the context of health promotion.

Background: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a global health problem that increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke, and all-cause mortality. We aimed to investigate the association between sleep duration and related risk factors with the development of MetS: A systematic review and Meta-analysis of Observational Studies.

Methods: We systematically searched PubMed/MEDLINE, Web of Science, EMBASE, Scopus, and ProQuest for observational studies that enrolled adults without MetS at baseline. We investigated the association between sleep duration or insomnia and MetS through adjusted analysis. We pooled association estimates for all independent variables and presented both proportion and absolute risks for MetS.

Results: After screening records, 26 observational studies with a total population of 279,571 met our criteria. Our meta-analyses showed male sex (absolute risk increase (ARI): 144 more, 95% CI: 116 to 173 more in 1000 participants), short sleep duration of ≤ 6 hours (ARI: 62 more, 95% CI: 38 to 88 more in 1000 participants), insomnia (ARI: 57 more, 95% CI: 12 to 112 more in 1000 participants), and difficulty maintaining sleep (ARI: 30 more, 95% CI: 1 to 63 more in 1000 participants) may be associated with an increased likelihood of MetS. Regular exercise (absolute risk decrease (ARD): 20 fewer, 95% CI: 3 to 36 fewer in 1000 participants) and vegetable intake (ARD: 57 fewer, 95% CI: 25 to 81 fewer in 1000) may be associated with decreased likelihood of MetS.

Conclusions: Adequate sleep, improved sleep patterns, regular exercise, and increased vegetable intake have a substantial impact on MetS prevention.

Background: Inappropriate use of healthcare services not only represents inefficient use of limited healthcare resources but also incurs an additional cost burden. Therefore, this study aimed to estimate the inappropriateness of admission and hospitalization in the EMRO region. A systematic review and meta-analysis study was carried out based on the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines.

Methods: The data were collected between April and June 2024 from four databases: Web of Science, ProQuest, Scopus, and PubMed. The data collection period ranged from January 1, 1980, to February 30, 2024. The search involved a combination of terms such as "Appropriate," "Inappropriate," "Admission," "Stay," "hospital admission," "hospital use," "Hospital stay," "AEP," "Hospitalization," "Avoidable admission," "Bed utilization," "Appropriateness Evaluation Protocol," and "countries of EMRO" in interventional and observational studies. Excel and STATA, version 11, were used for data analysis.

Results: Among 14,430 published articles, 19 studies were included in the review. The inappropriate admission rate was 14.6 in Eastern Mediterranean region countries (95% CI: 10.45-20.54). Inappropriate admission in Iran was lower than in other countries in the EMRO region (10.20 vs 22.28) (P = 0.001). The inappropriate hospitalization rate in EMRO countries was 15.63 (CI: 9.61-25.41). The highest number of inappropriate admissions and hospitalization was reported before 2010 (22.14, CI: 9.42-52.05) and (42.52 CI: 29.10-62.13), respectively (P value 0.001).

Conclusions: This study showed that the rate of inappropriate admission and hospitalization in EMRO countries is lower than in some European countries, such as Turkey, Italy, and Switzerland. Adopting appropriate policies for patient admission, physician training, employing experts, and fully utilizing the hospital's referral system for home care can help optimize hospital facilities and services.

Backgrounds: Vanillin is the active component of Vanillus planifolia seeds and is widely used as a flavoring agent in food and pharmaceutical industries. It has shown anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive properties. The aim of the present research was to investigate its possible mechanism(s) in formalin test.

Methods: Male Swiss mice (25-30 g) were used. Formalin test was used to evaluate the antinociceptive effect. Different groups of mice were pretreated with prazocin (2 mg/kg), yohimbine (5 mg/kg), propranolol (2 mg/kg), cyproheptadine (2 mg/kg), ondansetron (2 mg/kg), naloxone (5 mg/kg), sulpiride (20 mg/kg), arginine (100 mg/kg), L-NAME (20 mg/kg), methylene blue (5 mg/kg), or glibenclamide (10 mg/kg) to evaluate the role of pertinent receptors or pathways on vanillin-induced antinociception.

Results: Vanillin showed antinociceptive effect in the second phase of formalin test. Pretreatment with ondansetron, sulpiride, L-NAME, methylene blue, or glibenclamide prevented vanillin antinociceptive effect.

Conclusions: Vanillin showed antinociceptive effect in formalin test, and according to the results, the NO/cGMP/K_ATP pathway and serotonin 5HT₃ and dopamine D₂ receptors have an important contribution to its antinociceptive effect, but opioid and adrenergic receptors are not involved in this effect.

Background: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of hemoglobin (Hb) levels on 3-year clinical outcomes and long-term cardiovascular-related mortality in MI patients.

Methods: This study is a secondary study of the ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction Cohort Study (SEMI-CI) in Isfahan, Iran, that included 844 STEMI patients. The Hb level and other clinical and biochemical data during hospitalization were recorded at admission and also for 3 years annually. Cox regression analyses (univariate and multivariate) were performed to identify hazard ratios for CVD events.

Results: The prevalence of anemia was 16.7% in our population. Anemia was associated with an increased risk of the composite event (HR: 2.38, 95% CI: 1.77-3.19), mortality (HR: 2.91, 95% CI: 2.03-4.15), and unstable angina (HR: 2.22, 95% CI: 1.07-4.58) during a 3-year follow-up. After adjusting factors including smoking, diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, atrial fibrillation, treated hypertension, and BMI, anemia was only associated with an increased risk of the composite event and mortality. The 3-year cardiovascular survival curve showed better results in the nonanemic group (P value < 0.0001).

Conclusions: Anemia was associated with a higher prevalence of 3-year mortality in STEMI patients, especially in the first year. In addition, there were associations between anemia and some CVD events in long-term follow-ups such as composite CVD events and unstable angina in our population.

Background: Obesity imposes a heavy burden on healthcare systems and society. Despite various treatment options, choosing cost-effective pharmacological interventions remains a key concern for health policymakers. This study systematically reviews economic evaluations of antiobesity drugs, comparing their costs and outcomes with those of lifestyle interventions.

Methods: A systematic review was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Four databases (PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Embase) were searched for full economic evaluations of FDA-approved antiobesity drugs, including semaglutide, liraglutide, tirzepatide, phentermine-topiramate, and orlistat. Inclusion criteria required studies to report cost-effectiveness, cost-utility, or cost-benefit outcomes. Data on incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs), quality-adjusted life years (QALY), or disability-adjusted life years (DALY) were extracted and adjusted to 2024 USD using PPP. Study quality was assessed using CHEERS 2022.

Results: Fifteen studies met the inclusion criteria. Most used Markov models and cost-effectiveness analyses. The review of articles showed that 60% of the articles were conducted in the United States of America, 33.33% of the articles in Europe, and 6.66% of the articles in Australia. Among the reviewed studies, semaglutide was found to be the most cost-effective and clinically effective drug in most scenarios. Phentermine-topiramate showed acceptable cost-effectiveness, particularly in low-resource settings. Orlistat and naltrexone-bupropion were also considered affordable options, though with lower effectiveness. Tirzepatide, despite its high efficacy, demonstrated a higher ICER, making its cost-effectiveness context-dependent.

Conclusions: These findings highlight the importance of integrating cost-effective pharmacological treatments into obesity management strategies. Semaglutide appears to be a highly effective and economically favorable option, while phentermine-topiramate and orlistat offer practical alternatives in resource-limited settings. Economic evaluations can inform policy decisions and optimize healthcare resource allocation in combating obesity.

Children are extremely vulnerable to secondhand smoke (SHS) and this is mainly because their lungs and airways are still growing, making them more sensitive to the harmful chemicals. The available scientific and clinical evidence has demonstrated an association between exposure to SHS and the development of multiple cardiovascular diseases and conditions. Acknowledging the wide number of cardiovascular diseases and conditions that have been attributed to exposure to SHS, it is the need of the hour to implement targeted public health measures to reduce the exposure among children. In conclusion, exposure to SHS has been linked with the development of varied cardiovascular ailments. Considering the presence of multiple challenges that act as a barrier in minimizing the exposure to SHS among children, there is an urgent need to adopt a comprehensive approach supported by policies, legal enforcement, and community efforts.

Background: First-year university students often face challenges in adapting to new academic, social, and living environments, which can lead to significant lifestyle changes and negatively impact their sleep quality (SQ) and overall quality of life (QoL). However, these issues remain insufficiently explored, particularly in low- and middle-income contexts; therefore, this study aims to examine the relationships among social support, lifestyle behaviors, SQ, and QoL among first-year students in Vietnam.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from August 2021 to August 2022 involving 1,201 students from six universities within the Vietnam National University, Hanoi. Participants completed a structured questionnaire assessing socio-demographic characteristics, personal health behaviors, SQ using the Jenkins Sleep Scale (JSS), and QoL with the EuroQol-5 dimensions (EQ-5D-5L) scale. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize participants' characteristics, health status, and lifestyle behaviors. Multivariate linear regression models with stepwise selection were employed to identify factors associated with SQ and QoL.

Results: The study found that 40.1% of participants experienced sleep disturbances, with those affected reporting a significantly lower QoL (mean EQ-5D-5L: 0.86) compared to those without disturbances (mean EQ-5D-5L: 0.96). Poor lifestyle behaviors, including increased alcohol consumption and internet use, were prevalent among students facing sleep disruptions. Conversely, higher perceived social support was associated with improved QoL and SQ.

Conclusions: This research highlights the concerning prevalence of sleep disturbances and unhealthy lifestyle practices among first-year students, emphasizing social support's critical role in promoting better health outcomes. Interventions aimed at enhancing social support and addressing detrimental behaviors are essential for improving QoL and SQ in this demographic, particularly during their transition to university life.