Is physical inactivity related to body mass index and waist circumference in a sample of Maltese adult population?

Physical inactivity and excess weight are two major public health problems (World Health Organisation [WHO], 2000, 2006). In 2008, the worldwide prevalence of overweight and obesity was estimated to be more than 1.4 billion adults (over 20 years), of these over 200 million men and almost 300 million women were obese (WHO, 2008). Furthermore, WHO (2013) estimated that in 2008, globally, 31% of adults aged 15 and over were insufficiently active (28% men and 34% women). This unhealthy behaviour was estimated to cause 600,000 deaths annually and lead to a loss of 5.3 million years of healthy life due to premature death and disability (WHO, 2002). If physical inactivity were to be reduced by 10‐25%, more than 1.3 million lives could be saved annually (Lee et al., 2012). In Malta, the situation is similarly grim. It is troubling to note that Maltese men rank top in European obesity chart and Maltese women place third (Eurostat, 2011). Furthermore, Malta is labelled as one of the most sedentary populations on earth (Stagno‐Navarro, 2012), with 71.9% of the population failing to meet recommended levels of PA (Hallal et al., 2012). It was estimated that Malta could gain an increase of 1.2% years in life expectancy if physical inactivity were eliminated (Lee et al., 2012). Lee et al. (2012) revealed that Malta has the highest estimate for coronary heart disease (CHD), type 2 diabetes, breast cancer, colon cancer and all‐cause mortality, compared to other European countries, almost double to the European and Worldwide median in all variables (Table 1)

Reasons for compliance or noncompliance with advice to test for hepatitis C via an internet-mediated blood screening service: a qualitative study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is mainly transmitted by exposure to infected blood, and can lead to liver cirrhosis and liver cancer. Since the onset of HCV and the development of liver cirrhosis usually are asymptomatic, many HCV-infected individuals are still undiagnosed. To identify individuals infected with HCV in the general population, a low threshold, internet-mediated blood testing service was set up. We performed a qualitative study examining reasons for compliance and noncompliance with advice to test for HCV via the online blood testing service.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Semistructured telephone interviews were conducted with 33 website visitors who had been advised to test for HCV (18 testers, 15 non-testers). Transcribed interviews were analyzed qualitatively and interpreted using psychosocial theories of health behavior.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Reasons for testing pertaining to the online service were: the testing procedure is autonomous, personalized test advice is provided online, reminder emails are sent, and there is an online planning tool. Reasons for testing not specific to the online service were: knowing one's status can prevent liver disease and further transmission of HCV, HCV is curable, testing can provide reassurance, physical complaints are present, and there is liver disease in one's social environment. Service-related reasons for not testing pertained to inconvenient testing facilities, a lack of commitment due to the low threshold character of the service, computer/printing problems, and incorrectly interpreting an online planning tool. The reasons for not testing that are not specific to the online service were: the belief that personal risk is low, the absence of symptoms, low perceived urgency for testing and treatment, fear of the consequences of a positive test result, avoiding threatening information, and a discouraging social environment.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Features specific to the online service played a significant role in motivation to test for HCV above and beyond the more conventional perceived health benefits of HCV testing. However, some online specific features were considered problematic and need to be adapted. Methods and strategies for dealing with these impeding factors and for improving compliance with testing via the online service are outlined.</p

IL28B, HLA-C, and KIR Variants Additively Predict Response to Therapy in Chronic Hepatitis C Virus Infection in a European Cohort: A Cross-Sectional Study

Vijayaprakash Suppiah and colleagues show that genotyping hepatitis C patients for the IL28B, HLA-C, and KIR genes improves the ability to predict whether or not patients will respond to antiviral treatment

Large-Scale Spatio-Temporal Patterns of Mediterranean Cephalopod Diversity

Species diversity is widely recognized as an important trait of ecosystems’ functioning and resilience. Understanding the causes of diversity patterns and their interaction with the environmental conditions is essential in order to effectively assess and preserve existing diversity. While diversity patterns of most recurrent groups such as fish are commonly studied, other important taxa such as cephalopods have received less attention. In this work we present spatio-temporal trends of cephalopod diversity across the entire Mediterranean Sea during the last 19 years, analysing data from the annual bottom trawl survey MEDITS conducted by 5 different Mediterranean countries using standardized gears and sampling protocols. The influence of local and regional environmental variability in different Mediterranean regions is analysed applying generalized additive models, using species richness and the Shannon Wiener index as diversity descriptors. While the western basin showed a high diversity, our analyses do not support a steady eastward decrease of diversity as proposed in some previous studies. Instead, high Shannon diversity was also found in the Adriatic and Aegean Seas, and high species richness in the eastern Ionian Sea. Overall diversity did not show any consistent trend over the last two decades. Except in the Adriatic Sea, diversity showed a hump-shaped trend with depth in all regions, being highest between 200–400 m depth. Our results indicate that high Chlorophyll a concentrations and warmer temperatures seem to enhance species diversity, and the influence of these parameters is stronger for richness than for Shannon diversityVersión del editor4,411