Eating Disorder Awareness Campaigns:Thematic and Quantitative Analysis Using Twitter

Background: Health awareness initiatives are frequent but their efficacy is a matter of controversy. We have investigated the effect of the Eating Disorder Awareness Week and Wake Up Weight Watchers campaigns on Twitter. Objective: We aimed to examine whether the Eating Disorder Awareness Week and Wake Up Weight Watchers initiatives increased the volume and dissemination of Twitter conversations related to eating disorders and investigate what content generates the most interest on Twitter. Methods: Over a period of 12 consecutive days in 2018, we collected tweets containing the hashtag #wakeupweightwatchers and hashtags related to Eating Disorder Awareness Week (#eatingdisorderawarenessweek, #eatingdisorderawareness, or #EDAW), with the hashtag #eatingdisorder as a control. The content of each tweet was rated as medical, testimony, help offer, awareness, pro-ana, or anti-ana. We analyzed the number of retweets and favorites generated, as well as the potential reach and impact of the hashtags and the characteristics of contributors. Results: The number of #wakeupweightwatchers tweets was higher than that of Eating Disorder Awareness Week and #eatingdisorder tweets (3900, 2056, and 1057, respectively). The content of tweets was significantly different between the hashtags analyzed (P<.001). Medical content was lower in the awareness campaigns. Awareness and help offer content were lower in #wakeupweightwatchers tweets. Retweet and favorite ratios were highest in #wakeupweightwatchers tweets. Eating Disorder Awareness Week achieved the highest impact, and very influential contributors participated. Conclusions: Both awareness campaigns effectively promoted tweeting about eating disorders. The majority of tweets did not promote any specific preventive or help-seeking behaviors

Efectos extra-auditivos del ruido, salud, calidad de vida y rendimiento en el trabajo; actuación en vigilancia de la salud

Este documento se ha realizado en el marco del proyecto de investigación “Estudio de prevalencia de los efectos extra-auditivos del ruido y su relación en la calidad de vida y rendimientos en la población trabajadora española”. Financiado por el FIS (PI07/90034)Esta publicación tiene como objetivo difundir los resultados del proyecto de investigación “ESTUDIO DE PREVALENCIA DE LOS EFECTOS EXTRA-AUDITIVOS DEL RUIDO Y SU RELACIÓN EN LA CALIDAD DE VIDA Y RENDIMIENTO EN LA POBLACIÓN TRABAJADORA ESPAÑOLA” realizado por un equipo de investigación formado por investigadores de la Escuela Nacional de Medicina del Trabajo del Instituto de Salud Carlos III y de la Universidad de Alcalá de Henares

A Predictive Model and Risk Factors for Case Fatality of COVID-19

This study aimed to create an individualized analysis model of the risk of intensive care unit (ICU) admission or death for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients as a tool for the rapid clinical management of hospitalized patients in order to achieve a resilience of medical resources. This is an observational, analytical, retrospective cohort study with longitudinal follow-up. Data were collected from the medical records of 3489 patients diagnosed with COVID-19 using RT-qPCR in the period of highest community transmission recorded in Europe to date: February-June 2020. The study was carried out in in two health areas of hospital care in the Madrid region: the central area of the Madrid capital (Hospitales de Madrid del Grupo HM Hospitales (CH-HM), n = 1931) and the metropolitan area of Madrid (Hospital Universitario Príncipe de Asturias (MH-HUPA) n = 1558). By using a regression model, we observed how the different patient variables had unequal importance. Among all the analyzed variables, basal oxygen saturation was found to have the highest relative importance with a value of 20.3%, followed by age (17.7%), lymphocyte/leukocyte ratio (14.4%), CRP value (12.5%), comorbidities (12.5%), and leukocyte count (8.9%). Three levels of risk of ICU/death were established: low-risk level (20%). At the high-risk level, 13% needed ICU admission, 29% died, and 37% had an ICU-death outcome. This predictive model allowed us to individualize the risk for worse outcome for hospitalized patients affected by COVID-19

Chronic Venous Disease in Pregnant Women Causes an Increase in ILK in the Placental Villi Associated with a Decrease in E-Cadherin

Chronic venous disease (CVD) is a multifactorial vascular disorder frequently manifested in lower limbs in the form of varicose veins (VVs). Women are a vulnerable population for suffering from CVD, especially during pregnancy, when a plethora of changes occur in their cardiovascular system. Previous studies have indicated a worrisome association between CVD in pregnancy with the placental structure and function. Findings include an altered cellular behavior and extracellular matrix (ECM) composition. Integrin-linked kinase (ILK) is a critical molecule involved in multiple physiological and pathological conditions, and together with cadherins, is essential to mediate cell to ECM and cell to cell interplay, respectively. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the implication of ILK and a set of cadherins (e-cadherin, cadherin-6 and cadherin-17) in placentas of women with CVD in order to unravel the possible pathophysiological role of these components. Gene expression (RT-qPCR) and protein expression (immunohistochemistry) studies were performed. Our results show a significant increase in the gene and protein expression of ILK, cadherin-6 and cadherin-17 and a decrease of e-cadherin in the placenta of women with CVD. Overall, this work shows that an abnormal expression of ILK, e-cadherin, cadherin-6 and cadherin-17 may be implicated in the pathological changes occurring in the placental tissue. Further studies should be conducted to determine the possible associations of these changes with maternal and fetal well-being

Area-level deprivation and overall and cause-specific mortality: 12 years' observation on British women and systematic review of prospective studies.

BACKGROUND: Prospective studies have suggested a negative impact of area deprivation on overall mortality, but its effect on cause-specific mortality and the mechanisms that account for this association remain unclear. We investigate the association of area deprivation, using Index of Multiple deprivation (IMD), with overall and cause-specific mortality, contextualising findings within a systematic review. METHODS AND FINDINGS: We used data from 4,286 women from the British Women's Heart Health Study (BWHHS) recruited at 1999-2001 to examine the association of IMD with overall and cause-specific mortality using Cox regression models. One standard deviation (SD) increase in the IMD score had a hazard ratio (HR) of 1.21 (95% CI: 1.13-1.30) for overall mortality after adjustment for age and lifecourse individual deprivation, which was attenuated to 1.15 (95% CI: 1.04-1.26) after further inclusion of mediators (health behaviours, biological factors and use of statins and blood pressure-lowering medications). A more pronounced association was observed for respiratory disease and vascular deaths. The meta-analysis, based on 20 published studies plus the BWHHS (n=21), yielded a summary relative risk (RR) of 1.15 (95% CI: 1.11-1.19) for area deprivation (top [least deprived; reference] vs. bottom tertile) with overall mortality in an age and sex adjusted model, which reduced to 1.06 (95% CI: 1.04-1.08) in a fully adjusted model. CONCLUSIONS: Health behaviours mediate the association between area deprivation and cause-specific mortality. Efforts to modify health behaviours may be more successful if they are combined with measures that tackle area deprivation

EDUCORE project: a clinical trial, randomised by clusters, to assess the effect of a visual learning method on blood pressure control in the primary healthcare setting

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>High blood pressure (HBP) is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD). European hypertension and cardiology societies as well as expert committees on CVD prevention recommend stratifying cardiovascular risk using the SCORE method, the modification of lifestyles to prevent CVD, and achieving good control over risk factors. The EDUCORE (Education and Coronary Risk Evaluation) project aims to determine whether the use of a cardiovascular risk visual learning method - the EDUCORE method - is more effective than normal clinical practice in improving the control of blood pressure within one year in patients with poorly controlled hypertension but no background of CVD;</p> <p>Methods/Design</p> <p>This work describes a protocol for a clinical trial, randomised by clusters and involving 22 primary healthcare clinics, to test the effectiveness of the EDUCORE method. The number of patients required was 736, all between 40 and 65 years of age (n = 368 in the EDUCORE and control groups), all of whom had been diagnosed with HBP at least one year ago, and all of whom had poorly controlled hypertension (systolic blood pressure ≥ 140 mmHg and/or diastolic ≥ 90 mmHg). All personnel taking part were explained the trial and trained in its methodology. The EDUCORE method contemplates the visualisation of low risk SCORE scores using images embodying different stages of a high risk action, plus the receipt of a pamphlet explaining how to better maintain cardiac health. The main outcome variable was the control of blood pressure; secondary outcome variables included the SCORE score, therapeutic compliance, quality of life, and total cholesterol level. All outcome variables were measured at the beginning of the experimental period and again at 6 and 12 months. Information on sex, age, educational level, physical activity, body mass index, consumption of medications, change of treatment and blood analysis results was also recorded;</p> <p>Discussion</p> <p>The EDUCORE method could provide a simple, inexpensive means of improving blood pressure control, and perhaps other health problems, in the primary healthcare setting;</p> <p>Trial registration</p> <p>The trial was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01155973 [<url>http://ClinicalTrials.gov</url>].</p

Exploring the Extent of the Hikikomori Phenomenon on Twitter: Mixed Methods Study of Western Language Tweets

Background: Hikikomori is a severe form of social withdrawal, originally described in Japan but recently reported in other countries. Debate exists as to what extent hikikomori is viewed as a problem outside of the Japanese context. Objective: We aimed to explore perceptions about hikikomori outside Japan by analyzing Western language content from the popular social media platform, Twitter. Methods: We conducted a mixed methods analysis of all publicly available tweets using the hashtag #hikikomori between February 1 and August 16, 2018, in 5 Western languages (Catalan, English, French, Italian, and Spanish). Tweets were first classified as to whether they described hikikomori as a problem or a nonproblematic phenomenon. Tweets regarding hikikomori as a problem were then subclassified in terms of the type of problem (medical, social, or anecdotal) they referred to, and we marked if they referenced scientific publications or the presence of hikikomori in countries other than Japan. We also examined measures of interest in content related to hikikomori, including retweets, likes, and associated hashtags. Results: A total of 1042 tweets used #hikikomori, and 656 (62.3%) were included in the content analysis. Most of the included tweets were written in English (44.20%) and Italian (34.16%), and a majority (56.70%) discussed hikikomori as a problem. Tweets referencing scientific publications (3.96%) and hikikomori as present in countries other than Japan (13.57%) were less common. Tweets mentioning hikikomori outside Japan were statistically more likely to be retweeted (P=.01) and liked (P=.01) than those not mentioning it, whereas tweets with explicit scientific references were statistically more retweeted (P=.01) but not liked (P=.10) than those without that reference. Retweet and like figures were not statistically significantly different among other categories and subcategories. The most associated hashtags included references to Japan, mental health, and the youth. Conclusions: Hikikomori is a repeated word in non-Japanese Western languages on Twitter, suggesting the presence of hikikomori in countries outside Japan. Most tweets treat hikikomori as a problem, but the ways they post about it are highly heterogeneous

Semicircular lipoatrophy: a sistematic review of the literature

Artículos originales[ES ]Introducción: La lipoatrofia semicircular (LS) es un trastorno benigno del tejido subcutáneo, de causa desconocida. Se caracteriza por depresiones semicirculares en la cara anterolateral de los muslos, unilaterales o bilaterales. Se relaciona con condiciones ambientales laborales, microtraumas repetidos y factores personales. Se plateó esta revisión sistemática de la literatura científica para caracterizar el conocimiento existente. Métodos: Revisión sistemática. Bases de datos: IBECS, IBSST, LILACS, IME, OSH-UPDATE, ISI-WOK, PubMed, CIS-DOC y Cochrane. Se incluyeron los artículos sobre lipoatrofia semicircular relacionada con condiciones de trabajo y medioambientales. Se utilizaron los niveles de evidencia científica del Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network. Resultados: Se recuperaron 66 artículos. Solo 22 cumplieron los criterios de inclusión: Quince con nivel de evidencia 3 y 7 con nivel 4. Siete estudios de series de casos y ocho de casos únicos, sumaron 838 casos, informados entre 1982-2010. Los principales factores de riesgo para LS son: Microtraumas repetidos, humedad relativa baja y electricidad en los edificios modernos de oficinas. Las depresiones semicirculares ocurren en la cara anterolateral de muslos, sin alteración de la piel, en mujeres (85%), sin signos inflamatorios con histopatología inespecífica. La resonancia magnética, radiología y los anticuerpos antinucleares son negativos. El diagnóstico es clínico, apoyado con ecografía. El tratamiento psicológico y fisioterapia pueden ser útiles. Las medidas preventivas de mayor impacto son controlar los factores mencionados. Conclusiones: Existe insuficiente evidencia científica sobre las causas de LS. Es un trastorno prevalente, que genera alarma, relacionado con las condiciones de trabajo. Es necesario continuar la investigación sobre agentes causales. [EN] Introduction: The semicircular lipoatrophy (LS) is a benign disorder of the subcutaneous tissue with unkvown cause. It is characterized by unilateral o bilateral semicircular depressions in the anterolateral side of the thighs. It is related to environmental labor conditions, repeated microtraumas and personal factors. We conducted this systematic review of the scientific literature to characterize the existing knowledge. Methods: Systematic Review. Databases: IBECS, IBSST, LILACS, IME, OSH-UPDATE, ISI-WOK, PubMed, CIS-DOC and Cochrane. We included articles about semicircular lipoatrophy related to working and environmental conditions. We used the levels of scientific evidence of the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network. Results: 66 articles were recovered. Only 22 fulfilled the inclusion criteria: Fifteen with evidence level 3 and 7 with evidence level 4. Seven studies were series of cases and 8 were unique case reports. All of them added 838 cases, informed between 1982-2010. The principal risk factors for LS are repetitive microtrauma, low relative humidity and electricity in modern office buildings. The semicircular depressions occur in the anterolateral side of thighs, without alteration of the skin and muscles, mostly in women (85%), without inflammatory signs and with unspecific histopathology. The magnetic resonance, x rays and the antinuclear antibodies are negative. The diagnosis is clinical, supported by ultrasonography. Psychological treatment and physical therapy can be useful. The preventive measures of greater impact are controlling risk factors. Conclusions: Insufficient scientific evidence exists about the causes of LS. It is a prevalent disorder that generates alarm, related to workplace conditions. It is necessary to continue investigating about causative agents.N