Journal of Global Health最新文献

Background: In a previous pilot randomised controlled trial conducted on UK adults, we found that hypertonic saline nasal irrigation and gargling (HSNIG) reduced common cold symptoms, the need for over-the-counter medications, viral shedding, and the duration and transmission of the illness. It is unclear whether HSNIG improves outcomes of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Hypertonic saline can be prepared and HSNIG performed at home, making it a safe and scalable intervention, particularly well-suited for low- and middle-income countries.

Methods: We conducted a pragmatic randomised controlled trial in Pakistan on adults with suspected or confirmed COVID-19, initially within 48 hours of symptom onset, later extended to within five days due to recruitment challenges. Participants were randomised to one of two groups: the intervention group received instructions on preparing a 2.6% hypertonic saline solution for HSNIG, while the control group was instructed on performing ablution for Muslim prayers (wudu), which involves nasal washing and gargling with tap water. Our primary outcome was the time to symptom resolution, measured by two consecutive days of scoring zero on relevant questions from the validated, self-reported, adapted short form of the Wisconsin Upper Respiratory Symptom Survey (WURSS-24). Secondary outcomes included the severity of all symptoms, the severity and time to resolution of individual symptoms, health care contacts (GP/physician, emergency contacts), hospital attendance (and length of stay if admitted), over-the-counter (OTC) medication (frequency and cost), and transmission to household contacts. The analysis was conducted on an intention-to-treat basis. Logistic regression was used to calculate adjusted odds ratios (aORs) of improvement and Cox regression to calculate adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs) for the time to improvement with accompanying 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

Results: We randomised 576 people: 279 to the HSNIG group and 297 to the control group. Among those, 10 out of 279 (3.6%) in the HSNIG had symptom resolution, compared with 11 out of 297 (3.7%) in the control group (aOR = 1.20, 95% CI = 0.46- 3.22). The time-to-event analysis also showed no significant benefit (aHR = 1.23, 95% CI = 0.51-2.97). Excluding the 127 participants with no data on the primary outcome (who did not complete the study), 10 out of 222 (4.5%) in the HSNIG group had symptom resolution, compared to 11 out of 227 (4.8%) in the control group.

Conclusions: HSNIG was not effective for individuals with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 who began the intervention within five days of symptoms onset and therefore cannot be recommended for use. Further investigation is needed for interventions started within 48 hours of illness onset.

Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05104372).

Background: To date, findings from systematic reviews and meta-analyses on unintended pregnancies in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) are inconsistent, posing challenges for preventive efforts. Therefore, the aim of this study is to determine the magnitude, determinants, and adverse outcomes of unintended pregnancy among pregnant mothers in LMICs: an umbrella review of systematic review and meta-analysis.

Methods: PubMed, Scopus, Science Direct, Web of Science, as well as databases specific to systematic reviews, such as the Cochrane Database, have investigated the magnitude, risk factors, and adverse outcomes of unintended pregnancy in LMICs. The methodological quality of the included studies was assessed using the Assessment of Multiple Systematic Reviews (AMSTAR) tool. The estimates from the included studies regarding the magnitude and predictors of unintended pregnancy were then pooled and summarised using random-effects meta-analysis models.

Results: We included 13 systematic review and meta-analysis (SRM) studies involving 1 446 122 women. The summary estimate for the magnitude of unintended pregnancy was 28.38% (95% CI = 23.06-33.7%, I² = 100%). From the umbrella review, the reported factors and complications of statistical significance were as follows: maternal illiteracy (AOR = 3.79; 95% CI = 1.36-8.94), being unmarried (AOR = 12.98; 95% CI = 1.88-27.85), lack of communication with the husband about family planning (AOR = 3.43; 95% CI = 1.68-5.19), inability to attend antenatal care (AOR = 1.4; 95% CI = 0.62-2.17), never using family planning (AOR = 1.4; 95% CI = 0.62-2.17), maternal depression (AOR = 1.72; 95% CI = 0.81-2.64), stunting (AOR = 1.76; 95% CI = 1.25-2.48), and parity 3.83 (AOR = 1.3; 95% CI = 1.3-11.3).

Conclusions: The pooled magnitude of unintended pregnancies in LMICs was high. Therefore, it is crucial to integrate family planning and maternal health care services to prevent unintended pregnancy. Additionally, interventions targeting rural, unmarried, less-educated, and adolescent women are important for preventing unintended pregnancies in LMICs.

Background: Addressing antibiotic resistance is important for reducing parents' self-medication of antibiotics for children's upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs). However, the decision-making process for parents who irrationally use such antibiotics is still unclear. In this study, we aimed to explore the reasons why parents self-medicate antibiotics for children's URTIs based on a discrete choice experiment.

Methods: We conducted a systematic review and in-depth interviews to identify the key attributes of choices when parents self-medicate antibiotics for children's URTIs. We developed and applied a discrete choice experiment in Wuhan and Chongqing, China. We used a mixed logit model to determine the impact of various attributes on parents' decisions, while we applied latent class logit models to explore different decision-making patterns within populations.

Results: A total of 400 valid responses were returned from parents. It was shown that symptom severity was the most important in parents' decision-making to self-medicate antibiotics for children's URTIs, followed by risk of side effects or resistance, duration, total cost, onset time of antibiotic, and antibiotic effectiveness. More severe and longer symptoms, perceived higher effectiveness, and fewer side effects of antibiotics consistently were significantly associated with parents' more likely to self-medicate with antibiotics for children's URTIs. There are also different patterns of decision-making of parents, including 'symptoms-oriented,' 'safety-oriented,' and 'comprehensive consideration.' Parents' gender and educational level were associated with decision-making patterns.

Conclusions: Parents' self-medication of antibiotics for children's URTIs was mainly driven by symptoms, followed by perceived antibiotic value. We recommend a multi-faceted intervention strategy to enhance parents' ability to differentiate mild from severe URTIs, as well as their knowledge of antibiotics.

Background: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hypertension are major contributors to morbidity and mortality in South Africa. Effective management of these conditions is critical to population health, yet patient management and retention varies by facility for reasons that are not fully understood. We assessed whether measures of clinic leadership, cohesion, and stress were associated with retention for HIV and hypertension in a cohort of patients in northeast South Africa before and during the Coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.

Methods: We quantified nursing capacity and service readiness within primary health care facilities in the Bushbuckridge sub-district in Mpumalanga province South Africa. We administered brief scales on facility leadership, cohesion, and stress from January to March 2019, and tested scales for individual and facility-level agreement. We extracted clinical records for patients with HIV and/or hypertension from 2019 to 2021 and quantified treatment retention by quarter. We used generalised estimating equations to assess individual and clinic factors associated with retention in each treatment programme prior to (2019-first quarter 2020) and during (second quarter 2020-2021) the pandemic.

Results: The nine facilities had a median of 12 nurses on staff and scored 0.83 out of 1.0 on basic service readiness. We collected responses to leadership, cohesion, and stress scales from 54 nurses and counsellors. Scales showed high inter-item agreement and moderate within-facility agreement. From 2019 to 2021, 19 445 individuals were treated for HIV and/or hypertension across seven participating facilities. Two-year retention was 91% for those with both conditions, 82% for those in treatment for HIV alone and 77% for those in treatment for hypertension alone, with 10-15% differences between facilities and high retention during the pandemic period. In addition to those with both conditions, women and adults aged 60-69 were more likely to be retained. Clinic factors were inconsistently associated with patient retention.

Conclusions: While measures of clinic leadership, cohesion, and stress were generally reliable at individual and facility levels, we found limited evidence supporting a link between these factors and better retention in care. Retention was stable during the Coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. Men, the youngest and oldest adults, and those without known multimorbidity should be prioritised for retention interventions.

Background: Rare endocrine diseases (RED) often pose chronic and life-threatening challenges, yet their economic costs and societal impact remains have not been precisely quantified.

Methods: We obtained patient data from the 2018 Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) and the Nationwide Readmissions Database (NRD), identifying RED patients through International Classification of Diseases, 10th revision codes. The difference of economic burden between RED patients and the control group, including hospital length of stay, hospitalisation costs, and readmission rates, was assessed using chi-square tests.

Results: We extracted 638 083 (2.98%) RED-related records from the NIS database. Compared to patients with common conditions, RED patients showed an exceedingly high burden of disease, including significantly extended hospital stays (P < 0.05), elevated total charges (P < 0.05), and heightened mortality rates (P < 0.05). They also had a substantially increased 30-day all-cause readmission rate based on the NRD database (P < 0.05). Although the different subgroups of RED patients had varying patterns of health care utilisation and economic burdens, they all surpassed those of patients with common conditions.

Conclusions: There is a need for novel strategies aimed at mitigating the substantial RED-related burdens borne by individuals, families, and society in general, as well as funding for research and clinical trials.

Background: The use of antibiotics in the treatment of acute and persistent watery diarrhoea has long been a subject of contention. While the advantages of using antimicrobials are acknowledged, concerns remain regarding potential adverse effects and antibiotic resistance. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the efficacy of antibiotics compared to placebos for the treatment of diarrhoea.

Methods: We searched PubMed, CINAHL, the Cochrane Library, ClinicalTrials.gov, the World Health Organization (WHO) International Clinical Trials Registry Platform, and Scopus from inception until 20 July 2023 for studies published after the year 2000 assessing antibiotics vs placebo in acute and persistent diarrhoea and/or blood in stools in children less than 10 years of age. We conducted a meta-analysis for the included studies, assessed them using the Risk of Bias 2 tool, and evaluated their quality of evidence through the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluations (GRADE) framework. This review was commissioned by WHO for revision of their guidelines for childhood diarrhoea management.

Results: We included five randomised controlled trials (RCTs) for acute watery diarrhoea and no study for bloody diarrhoea. Our findings suggest that there is a significant increase in clinical cure (risk ratio (RR) = 2.28; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.52, 3.41; low certainty evidence) and parasitological cure (RR = 2.86; 95% CI = 1.72 to 4.74; low certainty evidence) among children with acute watery diarrhoea in the antibiotic group when compared to the placebo group. The duration of diarrhoea (in hours) was significantly reduced (mean difference = -24.90; 95% CI = -34.09, -15.71; low certainty evidence) in the intervention group, while the effect on all-cause mortality (RR = 0.71; 95% CI = 0.40, 1.27; moderate certainty evidence) and the need for intravenous fluid infusion (RR = 0.50; 95% CI = 0.05, 5.17; very low certainty evidence) were comparable between the two groups.

Conclusions: In children under 10 years of age suffering from acute watery or persistent diarrhoea, antibiotics led to an apparent increase in cure rates. However, considering the low certainty of evidence, low number of studies with small sample sizes, and the fact that most studies were conducted in a single country, further investigation and cautious interpretation are warranted, as is a large multi-country RCT that would allow for firmer conclusions.

Registration: PROSPERO: CRD42023447133.

Background: Zinc is a micronutrient that plays a role in immune system strengthening and regulation of intestinal epithelial cells, and can reduce the duration and severity of diarrhoea. We conducted a systematic review of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) to assess the effectiveness of zinc compared to no zinc for the management of acute and persistent diarrhoea in children.

Methods: We searched PubMed, the Cochrane Library, Scopus, CINAHL, ClinicalTrials.gov, and World Health Organization (WHO) International Clinical Trials Registry Platform from inception until 31 July 2023 for studies published from year 2000 onwards that assessed the use of zinc in the management of acute and persistent diarrhoea in children aged less than 10 years. We conducted the meta-analysis in Cochrane's RevMan software, determined risk of bias in individual studies using the Risk of Bias 2 (RoB 2) tool, and assessed the quality of evidence through the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach. This review was commissioned by the WHO for revision of their guidelines for childhood diarrhoea management.

Results: We included 38 RCTs in this systematic review. Our findings suggest that, in children with acute diarrhoea, zinc supplementation resulted in a greater proportion of children who recovered from diarrhoea at last follow-up (risk ratio (RR) = 1.07; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.03, 1.1; moderate certainty of evidence) and a reduction in the duration of diarrhoea (mean difference (MD) = -13.27 hours; 95% CI = -17.66, -8.89; moderate certainty of evidence) when compared to placebo. A significant number of children in the zinc group compared to placebo experienced vomiting (RR = 1.46; 95% CI = 1.22, 1.76; moderate certainty of evidence), however, there were few vomiting episodes in low-dose zinc group compared to high-dose (RR = 0.80; 95% CI = 0.72, 0.89; moderate certainty of evidence). In children with persistent diarrhoea, zinc supplementation led to a greater proportion of children who recovered from diarrhoea (RR = 1.75; 95% CI = 1.34, 2.30; low certainty of evidence). The low certainty of evidence ratings were mostly due to high heterogeneity among the studies.

Conclusions: Zinc should continue to be recommended in children under the age of 10 years with acute or persistent diarrhoea, but moderate certainty of evidence concludes that the dose of zinc should be reduced. However, further multi-country randomised clinical trials are required with a direct comparison to assess the appropriate dosage, duration and adverse effects.

Registration: PROSPERO: CRD42023439028.