Applying a correction procedure to the prevalence estimates of overweight and obesity in the German part of the HBSC study

Background: Prevalence rates for overweight and obesity based on self-reported height and weight are underestimated, whereas the prevalence rate for underweight is slightly overestimated. Therefore a correction is needed. Aim of this study is to apply correction procedures to the prevalence rates developed on basis of (self-reported and measured) data from the representative German National Health Interview and Examination Survey for Children and Adolescents (KiGGS) to (self-reported) data from the German Health Behaviour in School Aged Children (HBSC) study to determine whether correction leads to higher prevalence estimates of overweight and obesity as well as lower prevalence rates for underweight. Methods: BMI classifications based on self-reported and measured height and weight from a subsample of the KiGGS study (2,565 adolescents aged 11–15) were used to estimate two different correction formulas. The first and the second correction function are described. Furthermore, the both formulas were applied to the prevalence rates from the HBSC study (7,274 adolescents aged 11–15) which are based on self-reports collected via self-administered questionnaires. Results: After applying the first correction function to self-reported data of the HBSC study, the prevalence rates of overweight and obesity increased from 5.5% to 7.8% (compared to 10.4% in the KiGGS study) and 2.7% to 3.8% (compared to 7.8% in the KiGGS study), respectively, whereas the corrected prevalence rates of underweight and severe underweight decreased from 8.0% to 6.7% (compared to 5.7% in the KiGGS study) and from 5.5% to 3.3% (compared to 2.4% in the KiGGS study), respectively. Application of the second correction function, which additionally considers body image, led to further slight corrections with an increase of the prevalence rates for overweight to 7.9% and for obese to 3.9%. Conclusion: Subjective BMI can be used to determine the prevalence of overweight and obesity among children and adolescents. Where there is evidence of bias, the prevalence estimates should be corrected using conditional probabilities that link measured and subjectively assessed BMI from a representative validation study. These corrections may be improved further by considering body image as an additional influential factor

Die Elektronische Aufenthaltsüberwachung in Deutschland: Die Fallkonferenzen als entscheidendes Koordinationsinstrument einer progressiven Policy-Maßnahme im Strafsystem?

Die in Deutschland im Jahr 2011 gesetzlich eingeführte elektronische Aufenthaltsüberwachung (EAÜ) bietet die technische Voraussetzung zur Überwachung entlassener Straftäter*innen mit negativer Legalprognose. Dies betrifft insbesondere Sexualstraftäter*innen und betont den Ausnahmecharakter der EAÜ als ultima ratio in Deutschland. Das Bundesland Hessen als Pionier der elektronischen Überwachung in Deutschland setzte in der Vergangenheit institutionelle Maßstäbe für die bundesweite Implementation. Bei der praktischen Umsetzung sind Akteur*innen verschiedener Behörden beteiligt, die bei sog. Fallkonferenzen über den EAÜ-Einsatz entscheiden. Die Fallkonferenzen wurden erst mit der Einführung der EAÜ ins strafrechtliche SanktionssystemDeutschland initialisiert. Sie sind ein innovatives, bisher wenig erforschtes Instrument einer ressortübergreifenden Verwaltungskoordination. Im vorliegenden Beitrag werden auf Basis von Interviews mit Expert*innen einer exklusiv besetzten Stichprobe sowie mit Hilfe des akteurzentrierten Institutionalismus die Bedeutung der Fallkonferenzen für die erfolgreiche Koordination der EAÜ exploriert.The electronic monitoring (EAÜ), introduced by law in Germany in 2011, offers the technical prerequisites for monitoring released criminals with a negative legal prognosis. This applies, in particular, to sex offenders and emphasizes the exceptional nature of the EAÜ as ultima ratio in Germany. The federal state of Hesse is a pioneer in electronic surveillance in Germany and has set institutional standards for nationwide implementation in the past. Actors from various authorities are involved in the practical implementation, who decide on the use of the EAÜ at so-called case conferences. The case conferences were solely initiated with the introduction of the EAÜ into the criminal sanctions system in Germany. They are an innovative instrument of cross-departmental administrative coordination. This article explores the importance of case conferences for the successful coordination of the EAÜ based on interviews with experts from an exclusively selected sample and with the help of actor-centred institutionalism

Results from the KiGGS Study

Objective: The use of reported instead of measured height and weight induces a bias in prevalence rates for overweight and obesity. Therefore, correction formulas are necessary. Methods: Self-reported and measured height and weight were available from the German Health Interview and Examination Survey for Children and Adolescents (KiGGS) baseline study (2003-2006) from 3,468 adolescents aged 11-17 years. With regression analyses, correction formulas for height and weight were developed. Cross-validation was conducted in order to validate and compare the formulas. Corrected BMI was calculated, and corrected prevalence rates were estimated. Sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values for overweight and obesity were calculated. Results: Through the correction procedure, the mean differences between reported and measured height and weight become remarkably smaller and thus the estimated prevalence rates more accurate. The corrected proportions for overweight and obesity are less under-reported, while the corrected proportions for underweight are less over-reported. Sensitivity for overweight and obesity increased after correction. Specificity remained high. Conclusion: The validation process showed that the correction formulas are an appropriate tool to correct self- reports on an individual level in order to estimate corrected prevalence rates of overweight and obesity in adolescents for studies which have collected self-reports only

The need for robust critique of arts and health research: Dance‐movement therapy, girls, and depression

We examine a highly cited randomized controlled trial on dance-movement therapy with adolescent girls with mild depression and examine its treatment in 14 evidence reviews and meta-analyses of dance research. We demonstrate substantial limitations in the trial which seriously undermine the conclusions reached regarding the effectiveness of dance movement therapy in reducing depression. We also show that the dance research reviews vary substantially in their treatment of the study. Some reviews provide a positive assessment of the study and take its findings at face value without critical commentary. Others are critical of the study, identifying significant limitations, but showing marked differences in Cochrane Risk of Bias assessments. Drawing on recent criticisms of systematic reviewing and meta-analysis, we consider how reviews can be so variable and discuss what is needed to improve the quality of primary studies, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses in the field of creative arts and health

Relationship of serum bicarbonate levels with 1-year graft function in kidney transplant recipients in Switzerland

BACKGROUND: Metabolic acidosis (MA) is common in kidney transplant recipients (KTRs). Several studies have shown that MA is involved in the progression of chronic kidney disease. However, it is unclear if there is also a relationship between serum bicarbonate and graft function after kidney transplantation (KTx). We hypothesized that low serum bicarbonate is associated with a lower estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) 1 year after KTx. METHODS: We performed a post hoc analysis of a single-center, open-label randomized trial in 90 KTRs and investigated the relationship of serum bicarbonate and graft function in the first year after KTx. RESULTS: Prevalence of MA was high after KTx (63%) and decreased to 28% after 1 year. Bicarbonate (20.6 ± 3.0 to 22.7 ± 2.7 mmol/L) increased in the first year after transplantation whereas eGFR (53.4 ± 15.8 to 56.9 ± 18.5 mL/min/1.73 m2) did not change significantly. Higher serum bicarbonate (p = 0.029) was associated with higher eGFR in the first year after KTx. CONCLUSION: Prevalence of MA is high in KTRs. In the first year after KTx, serum bicarbonate was positively correlated with eGFR, suggesting a potential role of MA in kidney graft function

Tissue Sodium Content and Arterial Hypertension in Obese Adolescents

Early-onset obesity is known to culminate in type 2 diabetes, arterial hypertension and subsequent cardiovascular disease. The role of sodium (Na+) homeostasis in this process is incompletely understood, yet correlations between Na+ accumulation and hypertension have been observed in adults. We aimed to investigate these associations in adolescents. A cohort of 32 adolescents (13-17 years), comprising 20 obese patients, of whom 11 were hypertensive, as well as 12 age-matched controls, underwent 23Na-MRI of the left lower leg with a standard clinical 3T scanner. Median triceps surae muscle Na+ content in hypertensive obese (11.95 mmol/L [interquartile range 11.62-13.66]) was significantly lower than in normotensive obese (13.63 mmol/L [12.97-17.64]; p = 0.043) or controls (15.37 mmol/L [14.12-16.08]; p = 0.012). No significant differences were found between normotensive obese and controls. Skin Na+ content in hypertensive obese (13.33 mmol/L [11.53-14.22] did not differ to normotensive obese (14.12 mmol/L [13.15-15.83]) or controls (11.48 mmol/L [10.48-12.80]), whereas normotensive obese had higher values compared to controls (p = 0.004). Arterial hypertension in obese adolescents is associated with low muscle Na+ content. These findings suggest an early dysregulation of Na+ homeostasis in cardiometabolic disease. Further research is needed to determine whether this association is causal and how it evolves in the transition to adulthood

The need for robust critique of arts and health research: young people, art therapy and mental health

We describe work in progress to conduct a systematic review of research on effects of arts-based programs for mental health in young people. We are at the stage of searching for relevant studies through major databases and screening extant systematic reviews for additional research which meet our inclusion criteria. At this stage, however, concerns have arisen regarding both the quality of existing primary studies and of recently published systematic reviews in this area of arts and health. As a case in point, in this paper we focus on one research report on art therapy with adolescent girls and its inclusion in three systematic reviews. We demonstrate that the reviews fail to undertake a robust critique of the Bazargan and Pakdaman paper and that the paper and reviews are flawed. Drawing on recent criticisms of systematic reviewing, we consider the value of proceeding with our systematic review as initially planned. [Abstract copyright: Copyright © 2022 Grebosz-Haring, Thun-Hohenstein, Schuchter-Wiegand, Irons, Bathke, Phillips and Clift.