151 research outputs found
The effect of home visits as an additional recruitment step on the composition of the final sample: a cross-sectional analysis in two study centers of the German National Cohort (NAKO)
Background: Participation in epidemiologic studies has been declining over the last decades. In addition to postal invitations and phone calls, home visits can be conducted to increase participation. The aim of this study was therefore to evaluate the effects of home visits in terms of response increase and composition of the additionally recruited and final sample.
Methods: In the framework of the German National Cohort (NAKO) recruitment process, two of 18 study centers, Halle (Saale) and Berlin-Center, performed home visits as additional recruitment step after postal invitation and reminders. Response increase was calculated and differences between participants recruited via home visits and standard recruitment were examined. Proportions are presented as percentages with 95%-confidence intervals.
Results: In the general population in Halle, 21.3-22.8% participated after postal invitation and two reminders in the five assessed recruitment waves. The increase of the overall response was 2.8 percentage points (95%confidence interval: 1.9-4.0) for home visits compared to 2.4 percentage points (95%CI: 1.7-3.3) for alternatively sent third postal reminder. Participants recruited via home visits had similar characteristics to those recruited via standard recruitment. Among persons of Turkish descent in Berlin-Center site of the NAKO, home visits conducted by native speakers increased the participation of women, persons living together with their partner, were born in Turkey, had lower German language skills, lower-income, lower education, were more often smokers and reported more often diabetes and depression to a degree which changed overall estimates for this subsample.
Conclusions: As an additional recruitment measure in the general population, home visits increased response only marginally, and the through home visits recruited participants did not differ from those already recruited. Among persons with migration background, home visits by a native speaker increased participation of persons not reached by the standard recruitment, but the effects of using a native speaker approach could not be separated from the effect of home visits
Determination of nasal and oropharyngeal microbiomes in a multicenter population-based study – findings from Pretest 1 of the German National Cohort
We examined acceptability, preference and feasibility of collecting nasal and
oropharyngeal swabs, followed by microbiome analysis, in a population-based
study with 524 participants. Anterior nasal and oropharyngeal swabs were
collected by certified personnel. In addition, participants self-collected
nasal swabs at home four weeks later. Four swab types were compared regarding
(1) participants’ satisfaction and acceptance and (2) detection of microbial
community structures based on deep sequencing of the 16 S rRNA gene V1–V2
variable regions. All swabbing methods were highly accepted. Microbial
community structure analysis revealed 846 phylotypes, 46 of which were unique
to oropharynx and 164 unique to nares. The calcium alginate tipped swab was
found unsuitable for microbiome determinations. Among the remaining three swab
types, there were no differences in oropharyngeal microbiomes detected and
only marginal differences in nasal microbiomes. Microbial community structures
did not differ between staff-collected and self-collected nasal swabs. These
results suggest (1) that nasal and oropharyngeal swabbing are highly feasible
methods for human population-based studies that include the characterization
of microbial community structures in these important ecological niches, and
(2) that self-collection of nasal swabs at home can be used to reduce cost and
resources needed, particularly when serial measurements are to be taken
prevalence and lack of association with selected cardiovascular and metabolic disorders—findings of a multicenter population-based study
Background We determined the prevalence of anti-nuclear autoantibodies (ANAs)
in the German adult population and examined the association between ANAs and
cardiovascular and metabolic disorders. Methods We used data and blood samples
from the pretest phases of the German National Cohort, obtained from six of
the 18 study centers (n = 1199). All centers applied standardized instruments
including face-to-face interviews, anthropometric measurements and collection
of blood samples. Self-reported histories of diabetes mellitus, heart attack
and elevated blood cholesterol and/or lipids were recorded. Height, weight and
blood pressure were measured. ANAs were detected using a semi-automated system
(AKLIDES®; Medipan GmbH, Dahlewitz, Germany). A positive ANA was defined as a
titer ≥ 1:80. ANA were classified as weakly (1:80 or 1:160), moderately (1:320
or 1:640) or strongly (≥1:1280) positive. Specific autoantibodies against
nuclear antigens were detected with second-step assays according to the ANA
staining pattern. Associations between the assessed disorders and ANA
positivity and pattern were examined using sex and age-adjusted mixed-effects
logistic regression models. Results Thirty-three percent (95% confidence
interval; 31–36%) of the 1196 participants (measurements could not be obtained
from three samples) were ANA positive (titer ≥ 1:80). The proportions of
weakly, moderately and strongly positive ANA were 29%, 3.3% and 1.3%,
respectively. ANA positivity was more common among women than men across all
titers (χ2, p = 0.03). ANA positivity, even when stratified according to
height of titer or immunofluorescent pattern, was not associated with
diabetes, elevated blood cholesterol and/or lipids, obesity or hypertension.
Second-step autoantibody assays were positive in 41 of the 83 samples (49%)
tested, with anti-DFS70 (n = 13) and anti-dsDNA (n = 7) being most frequent.
These subgroups were too small to test for associations with the disorders
assessed. Conclusions The prevalence of ANA positivity in the German general
population was similar to values reported from other countries. Contrary to
other studies, there was no association with selected self-reported and
objectively measured cardiovascular and metabolic variables
Prevalence of chronic urticaria in children and adults across the globe: Systematic review with meta‐analysis
Background and objectives: Urticaria is a frequent skin condition, but reliable prevalence estimates from population studies particularly of the chronic form are scarce. The objective of this study was to systematically evaluate and summarize the prevalence of chronic urticaria by evaluating population-based studies worldwide.
Methods: We performed a systematic search in PUBMED and EMBASE for population-based studies of cross-sectional or cohort design and studies based on health insurance/system databases. Risk of bias was assessed using a specific tool for prevalence studies. For meta-analysis, we used a random effects model.
Results: Eighteen studies were included in the systematic evaluation and 11 in the meta-analysis including data from over 86 000 000 participants. Risk of bias was mainly moderate, whereas the statistical heterogeneity (I-2) between the studies was high. Asian studies combined showed a higher point prevalence of chronic urticaria (1.4%, 95%-CI 0.5-2.9) than those from Europe (0.5%, 0.2-1.0) and Northern American (0.1%, 0.1-0.1). Women were slightly more affected than men, whereas in children < 15 years we did not find a sex-specific difference in the prevalence. The four studies that examined time trends indicated an increasing prevalence of chronic urticaria over time.
Conclusions: On a global level, the prevalence of chronic urticaria showed considerable regional differences. There is a need to obtain more sex-specific population-based and standardized international data particularly for children and adolescents, different chronic urticaria subtypes and potential risk and protective factors
Social Value Procurement in Policy Creation: Development of a Social Value Framework for Public Procurement Systems
In conjunction with academia and local government, Data Performance Consultancy Ltd. (DPC) is developing a Smart Social Value Procurement Platform (WASP – Workflow Analytics and Social Procurement). The aim of WASP is to electronically connect suppliers to local authorities, where the value will be delivered by superseding the current manual input systems with an online model. Furthermore, it will generate benefits from an included social value matrix, which defines and measures social value within the procurement process of the public sector
Occurrence and determinants of parental psychosocial stress and mental health disorders in parents and their children in early childhood: rationale, objectives, and design of the population-based SKKIPPI cohort study
Purpose: The postnatal period is a vulnerable time for parents and children but epidemiological and health care utilisation data for Germany on parental mental health during early childhood is scarce. This protocol describes the rationale, aim and study design of a population-based cohort study to assess the occurrence and determinants of psychosocial stress and mental health disorders, as well as the use and cost of health care and social services in early childhood.
Methods: As part of the collaborative SKKIPPI project, we will contact a random sample of 30,000 infants listed in the residents’ registration offices of three German towns and we expect to include 6,000 mother–child pairs. Both parents are invited to fill out an online screening questionnaire. Mothers with indications of psychosocial stress will be interviewed to assess mental health disorders, regulatory problems of their children, as well as health care and social services utilisation, with a follow-up assessment after 6 months.
Results: After description of sociodemographic and health data, we will analyse occurrences, patterns, and potential determinants (maternal age, social status, household factors, migration status etc.) of psychosocial stress and mental health disorders in the mothers and their children in early childhood.
Conclusions: Our study will identify potential risk and protective factors for postnatal mental health and health care utilization of psychosocially burdened families. This will help to improve prevention and treatment strategies to strengthen the parent–child relationship, to reduce persisting vulnerability of children, and to improve health care and social services.
Trial registration: The study has been registered in the German Clinical Trial Registry on February 8th 2019 (DRKS-ID: DRKS00016653)
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Composite materials for innovative urban farming of alternative food sources (macroalgae and crickets)
Facing an inexorable growth of the human population along with substantial environmental changes, the assurance of food security is a major challenge of the present century. To ensure responsible food consumption and production (SDG 12), new approaches in the food system are required. Thus, environmentally controlled, sustainable production of alternative food sources are of key interest for both urban agriculture and food research. To face the current challenge of integrating food production systems within existing structures, multidisciplinary discourses are required. Here, we bring together novel technologies and indoor farming techniques with the aim of supporting the development of sustainable food production systems. For this purpose, we investigated the feasibility of 10 composite materials for their innovative use as structural support in macroalgal cultivation (settlement substrates) and cricket rearing (housing). Considering material resistance, rigidity, and direct material-organism interactions, the bio-based composite polylactic acid (PLA) was identified as a suitable material for joint farming. For macroalgae cultivation, PLA sustained the corrosive cultivation conditions and provided a suitable substrate without affecting the macroalgal physiology or nutritional composition (carotenoids and chlorophylls). For cricket rearing, PLA provided a suitable and recyclable shelter, which was quickly accepted by the animals without any observed harm. In contrast, other common composite components like phenolic resin or aramid were found to be unsuitable due to being harmful for the cultivated organisms or instable toward the applied sterilization procedure. This multidisciplinary study not only provides profound insights in the developing field of urban indoor food production from a new perspective, but also bridges material science and farming approaches to develop new sustainable and resilient food production systems
Heidelberg-Studie 2000
Umfrage zum Leben und poltischen Problemen in Heidelberg. 1219 Telefoninterview
Utilization and costs of health care and early support services in Germany and the influence of mental health burden during the postnatal period
Limited evidence is available about health care utilization and its determinants in the vulnerable postnatal period for
mothers and their children. Thus, the aim of our analyses was to assess determinants of health care and early support
services utilization regarding mothers and their children and associated costs in the postnatal period in Germany.
Moreover, we aimed to investigate the impact of noticeable mental health and psychosocial burdens on health care
and early support services utilization and costs. Using a two-step assessment process of parents from a randomly
selected sample of 30,000 recently born children in the multicenter observational population-based cohort study of
the SKKIPPI project, we firstly identified mothers who were potentially at risk of mental health and psychosocial
burden. These mothers were then invited to participate in an in-depth assessment, including a detailed self-developed
questionnaire focusing on early support and health care services utilization. A follow-up after 6 months was conducted.
Potential determinants of early support services utilization were analyzed using logistic regression. General
linear models with gamma distribution and log link functions were applied to analyze potential determinants of health
care costs and to estimate mean adjusted costs. Mothers with a noticeable mental health or psychosocial burden and
their children caused mean early support services costs of €1073 and caused total costs of €10,849 in the postnatal
period from a payer’s perspective compared to €349 (early support services) and €9136 (total costs) for mothers
without a noticeable mental health or psychosocial burden and their children. The main determinants of total costs
were facing a chronic disease (child), preterm delivery, bad experiences with doctors and midwives, and single
parenthood. The majority of participants (69 %) utilized some kind of early support services. The most important
determinants of early support service utilization in the postnatal period with respect to the children were facing a
chronic disease, being the first child, and being born as a twin. Our findings highlight the importance of sufficient
appreciation and treatment of mental health problems in the postnatal period from both a societal and payer’s
perspective. Future research should investigate whether these and more specific interventions could be a costeffective
way to support mothers with mental health or psychosocial burden and their children
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