Population-Level Impacts of Alcohol Use on Mental and Physical Health Outcomes

This study explores patterns of alcohol drinking within a representative New Zealand sample (2887 participants (1464 female, 1423 male)). Alcohol use and drinking patterns across the population are described. Multivariable logistic regressions document associations between alcohol use and drinking patterns and the likelihood of experiencing different health outcomes. Alcohol use, early drinking initiation, frequent drinking, and heavy episodic drinking (HED) are prevalent in New Zealand and vary in relation to gender, age, and socioeconomic characteristics. Those who reported alcohol-related problems were more likely to report poor mental health (AOR: 2.21; 95% CI: 1.42–3.46) and disability (AOR: 1.79, 95% CI: 1.06–3.00), and less likely to experience positive mental health (AOR: 0.28, 95% CI: 0.18–0.42). Those who reported HED were also less likely to experience good general health (AOR: 0.61, 95% CI: 0.47–0.81) and positive mental health (AOR: 0.67, 95% CI: 0.53–0.84). Younger age cohorts were more likely to engage in early drinking, and those who initiated regular drinking before age 18 were more likely to report HED and alcohol-related problems. Findings indicate that problem drinking and HED are not only associated with poor physical health, but also reduce the likelihood of individuals experiencing positive mental health. This provides information to enable public health practitioners to target alcohol prevention strategies at the entire population of drinkers

Vertical distribution of buoyant Microcystis blooms in a Lagrangian particle tracking model for short‐term forecasts in Lake Erie

Cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (CHABs) are a problem in western Lake Erie, and in eutrophic fresh waters worldwide. Western Lake Erie is a large (3000 km2), shallow (8 m mean depth), freshwater system. CHABs occur from July to October, when stratification is intermittent in response to wind and surface heating or cooling (polymictic). Existing forecast models give the present location and extent of CHABs from satellite imagery, then predict two‐dimensional (surface) CHAB movement in response to meteorology. In this study, we simulated vertical distribution of buoyant Microcystis colonies, and 3‐D advection, using a Lagrangian particle model forced by currents and turbulent diffusivity from the Finite Volume Community Ocean Model (FVCOM). We estimated the frequency distribution of Microcystis colony buoyant velocity from measured size distributions and buoyant velocities. We evaluated several random‐walk numerical schemes to efficiently minimize particle accumulation artifacts. We selected the Milstein scheme, with linear interpolation of the diffusivity profile in place of cubic splines, and varied the time step at each particle and step based on the curvature of the local diffusivity profile to ensure that the Visser time step criterion was satisfied. Inclusion of vertical mixing with buoyancy significantly improved model skill statistics compared to an advection‐only model, and showed greater skill than a persistence forecast through simulation day 6, in a series of 26 hindcast simulations from 2011. The simulations and in situ observations show the importance of subtle thermal structure, typical of a polymictic lake, along with buoyancy in determining vertical and horizontal distribution of Microcystis.Key Points:Microcystis vertical distribution is a dynamic balance between turbulence and buoyancyAppropriate time step and numerical scheme avoid artifacts in random walk modelsVertical mixing with buoyancy improved simulation of bloom spatial distributionPeer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/134116/1/jgrc21832_am.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/134116/2/jgrc21832.pd

Association Between Men’s Exposure to Intimate Partner Violence and Self-reported Health Outcomes in New Zealand

Importance Health implications of intimate partner violence (IPV) against men is relatively underexplored, although substantial evidence has identified associations between IPV and long-term physical health problems for women. Given the gendered differences in IPV exposure patterns, exploration of men’s IPV exposure and health outcomes using population-based samples is needed. Objective To assess the association between men’s lifetime IPV exposure and self-reported health outcomes. Design, Setting, and Participants This cross-sectional study analyzed data from the 2019 New Zealand Family Violence Study, which was conducted across 3 regions of New Zealand. The representative sample included ever-partnered men aged 16 years or older. Data analysis was performed between May and September 2022. Exposures Lifetime IPV against men by types (physical [severe or any], sexual, psychological, controlling behaviors, and economic abuse), any IPV (at least 1 type), and number of IPV types experienced. Main Outcomes and Measures The 7 health outcomes were poor general health, recent pain or discomfort, recent use of pain medication, frequent use of pain medication, recent health care consultation, any diagnosed physical health condition, and any diagnosed mental health condition. Results The sample comprised 1355 ever-partnered men (mean [SD] age, 51.3 [16.9] years), who predominantly identified as heterosexual (96.9%; 95% CI, 95.7%-97.8%). Half of the sample (49.9%) reported experiencing any lifetime IPV, of whom 62.1% reported at least 2 types. Of all sociodemographic subgroups, unemployed men had the greatest prevalence of reporting exposure to any IPV (69.2%) and all IPV types. After adjustment for sociodemographic factors, men’s exposure to any lifetime IPV was associated with an increased likelihood of reporting 4 of the 7 assessed health outcomes: poor general health (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 1.78; 95% CI, 1.34-2.38), recent pain or discomfort (AOR, 1.65; 95% CI, 1.21-2.25), recent use of pain medication (AOR, 1.27; 95% CI, 1.00-1.62), and any diagnosed mental health condition (AOR, 1.66; 95% CI, 1.11-2.49). Specific IPV types were inconsistently associated with poor health outcomes. Any physical IPV exposure was associated with poor general health (AOR, 1.80; 95% CI, 1.33-2.43), recent pain or discomfort (AOR, 2.23; 95% CI, 1.64-3.04), and frequent use of pain medication (AOR, 1.69; 95% CI, 1.08-2.63), which appeared to be associated with exposure to severe physical IPV. Exposure to sexual IPV, controlling behaviors, and economic abuse was not associated with any assessed outcomes after sociodemographic adjustment. Experience of a higher number of IPV types did not show a clear stepwise association with number of health outcomes. Conclusions and Relevance Results of this study indicate that exposure to IPV can adversely affect men’s health but is not consistently a factor in men’s poor health at the population level. These findings do not warrant routine inquiry for IPV against men in clinical settings, although appropriate care is needed if IPV against men is identified

Immunologic and Hematopoietic Effects of CD40 Stimulation after Syngeneic Bone Marrow Transplantation in Mice

CD40 is a molecule present on multiple cell types including B lymphocyte lineage cells. CD40 has been shown to play an important role in B cell differentiation and activation in vitro, although little is known concerning the effects of CD40 stimulation in vivo. We therefore examined the effects of CD40 stimulation in mice using a syngeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT) model in an effort to augment B cell recovery after high dose therapy with hematopoietic reconstitution. After the BMT, mice were treated with or without 2-6 μg of a soluble recombinant murine CD40 ligand (srmCD40L) given intraperitoneally twice a week. A significant increase in B cell progenitors (B220 +/surface IgM -) was observed in the bone marrow of mice receiving the srmCD40L. The treated recipients also demonstrated improved B-cell function with increases in total serum immunoglobulin and increased splenic mitogen responsiveness to LPS being noted. Additionally, srmCD40L treatment promoted secondary lymphoid organ repopulation, accelerating germinal center formation in the lymph nodes. Total B cell numbers in the periphery were not significantly affected even with continuous srmCD40L administration. Lymphocytes obtained from mice treated with the ligand also had increases in T cell mitogen and anti-CD3 mAb responsiveness and acquired the capability to produce IL-4. Surprisingly, treatment with srmCD40L also produced hematopoietic effects in mice, resulting in an increase of BM and splenic hematopoietic progenitor cells in the mice after BMT. Treatment with srmCD40L significantly increased granulocyte and platelet recovery in the peripheral blood. Incubation of BMC with srmCD40L in vitro also resulted in increased progenitor proliferation, demonstrating that the hematopoietic effects of the ligand may be direct. Thus, stimulation of CD40 by its ligand may he beneficial in accelerating both immune and hematopoietic recovery in the setting of bone marrow transplantation

Reliability of Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis for Estimating Whole‐Fish Energy Density and Percent Lipids

We evaluated bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) as a nonlethal means of predicting energy density and percent lipids for three fish species: Yellow perch Perca flavescens, walleye Sander vitreus, and lake whitefish Coregonus clupeaformis. Although models that combined BIA measures with fish wet mass provided strong predictions of total energy, total lipids, and total dry mass for whole fish, including BIA provided only slightly better predictions than using fish mass alone. Regression models that used BIA measures to directly predict the energy density or percent lipids of whole fish were generally better than those using body mass alone (based on Akaike’s information criterion). However, the goodness of fit of models that used BIA measures varied widely across species and at best explained only slightly more than one‐half the variation observed in fish energy density or percent lipids. Models that combined BIA measures with body mass for prediction had the strongest correlations between predicted and observed energy density or percent lipids for a validation group of fish, but there were significant biases in these predictions. For example, the models underestimated energy density and percent lipids for lipid‐rich fish and overestimated energy density and percent lipids for lipid‐poor fish. A comparison of observed versus predicted whole‐fish energy densities and percent lipids demonstrated that models that incorporated BIA measures had lower maximum percent error than models without BIA measures in them, although the errors for the BIA models were still generally high (energy density: 15‐18%; percent lipids: 82‐89%). Considerable work is still required before BIA can provide reliable predictions of whole‐fish energy density and percent lipids, including understanding how temperature, electrode placement, and the variation in lipid distribution within a fish affect BIA measures.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/141722/1/tafs1519.pd

Experiences of being exposed to intimate partner violence during pregnancy

In this study a phenomenological approach was used in order to enter deeply into the experience of living with violence during pregnancy. The aim of the study was to gain a deeper understanding of women's experiences of being exposed to intimate partner violence (IPV) during pregnancy. The data were collected through in-depth interviews with five Norwegian women; two during pregnancy and three after the birth. The women were between the age of 20 and 38 years. All women had received support from a professional research and treatment centre. The essential structure shows that IPV during pregnancy is characterized by difficult existential choices related to ambivalence. Existential choices mean questioning one's existence, the meaning of life as well as one's responsibility for oneself and others. Five constituents further explain the essential structure: Living in unpredictability, the violence is living in the body, losing oneself, feeling lonely and being pregnant leads to change. Future life with the child is experienced as a possibility for existential change. It is important for health professionals to recognize and support pregnant women who are exposed to violence as well as treating their bodies with care and respect

A Systematic Review of African Studies on Intimate Partner Violence against Pregnant Women: Prevalence and Risk Factors

Background: Intimate partner violence (IPV) is very high in Africa. However, information obtained from the increasing number of African studies on IPV among pregnant women has not been scientifically analyzed. This paper presents a systematic review summing up the evidence from African studies on IPV prevalence and risk factors among pregnant women. Methods: A key-word defined search of various electronic databases, specific journals and reference lists on IPV prevalence and risk factors during pregnancy resulted in 19 peer-reviewed journal articles which matched our inclusion criteria. Quantitative articles about pregnant women from Africa published in English between 2000 and 2010 were reviewed. At least two reviewers assessed each paper for quality and content. We conducted meta-analysis of prevalence data and reported odds ratios of risk factors. Results: The prevalence of IPV during pregnancy ranges from 2% to 57% (n = 13 studies) with meta-analysis yielding an overall prevalence of 15.23% (95% CI: 14.38 to 16.08%). After adjustment for known confounders, five studies retained significant associations between HIV and IPV during pregnancy (OR1.48-3.10). Five studies demonstrated strong evidence that a history of violence is significantly associated with IPV in pregnancy and alcohol abuse by a partner also increases a woman's chances of being abused during pregnancy (OR 2.89-11.60). Other risk factors include risky sexual behaviours, low socioeconomic status and young age. Conclusion: The prevalence of IPV among pregnant women in Africa is one of the highest reported globally. The major risk factors included HIV infection, history of violence and alcohol and drug use. This evidence points to the importance of further research to both better understand IPV during pregnancy and feed into interventions in reproductive health services to prevent and minimize the impact of such violence