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Background: Research is important internationally, impacting on health service provision and patient benefit. Journals play an important dissemination role, but there may be geographical bias, potentially affecting access to evidence. Aim: To understand if there is a relationship between the continent of journals and that of contributing authors. Design: Bibliometric analysis of journal citation report data (June 2018). Odds ratio of association of an author being from region, region of journal publication, publication model and the number of papers. Setting: Journals specialising in palliative care research, with an impact factor above the median impact factor for their most common indexing category. Results: Five journals: three published in Europe (Palliative Medicine, BMJ Supportive and Palliative Care, and BMC Palliative Care) and two in North America (Journal of Pain and Symptom Management and Journal of Palliative Medicine). Authors were from 30+ countries, but mostly North America (54.18%) or Europe (27.94%). Preliminary sensitivity tests show that the odds of an author being from a North American institution increase 16.4 times (p < 0.01; 95% confidence interval: 12.9, 20.8) if the region of journal publication is North America. The odds of an author being from a European institution is 14.0 times (p < 0.01; 95% confidence interval: 10.9, 17.9) higher if the region of journal publication is Europe. Conclusion: Publishers, editors and authors are concentrated in North America or Europe. North American authors are more present in North American journals and European authors in European journals. This polarised approach, if replicated across readerships, may lead to research waste, duplication, and be sub-optimal for healthcare development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

People with dementia from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds often face poor health and social outcomes such as stigma, depression, and reduced help seeking behaviours. Dementia friendly communities have been shown to reduce stigma, and the gap in health and social outcomes for people impacted by dementia. Despite the large presence of established dementia friendly communities, their functioning in multicultural communities remains underexplored. The aim of this review was to identify the barriers and facilitators of cultural inclusivity to inform the development of a multicultural dementia friendly community. We systematically searched for academic and grey literature regarding existing and prospective age or dementia-friendly communities that engaged with culturally and linguistically diverse communities. Using the matrix method, data on the barriers and facilitators to engagement were extracted. Papers were analysed for common themes and findings were integrated in a narrative format. A total of 3,164 papers were identified, 11 of which met inclusion criteria. There were 6 dementia friendly communities in North America, 3 in Europe, 1 in Australia and 1 in Asia. Analyses revealed that barriers to cultural inclusivity were centered around the accessibility of services, sociocultural factors, and the environment, including issues such as low awareness of dementia and stigma, language barriers, isolation, and the inaccessibility of transport and buildings. Leveraging existing cultural leaders and social structures to target culturally and linguistically diverse populations and develop tailored dementia friendly initiatives were key facilitators. To foster cultural inclusivity in dementia friendly communities, a culturally specific lens that addresses these barriers and utilises facilitators must be applied from the design stage through to implementation and evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Dark Triad (i.e., narcissism, psychopathy, Machiavellianism) has garnered intense attention over the past 15 years. We examined the structure of these traits' measure—the Dark Triad Dirty Dozen (DTDD)—in a sample of 11,488 participants from three W.E.I.R.D. (i.e., North America, Oceania, Western Europe) and five non-W.E.I.R.D. (i.e., Asia, Middle East, non-Western Europe, South America, sub-Saharan Africa) world regions. The results confirmed the measurement invariance of the DTDD across participants' sex in all world regions, with men scoring higher than women on all traits (except for psychopathy in Asia, where the difference was not significant). We found evidence for metric (and partial scalar) measurement invariance within and between W.E.I.R.D. and non-W.E.I.R.D. world regions. The results generally support the structure of the DTDD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This descriptive scoping aims to understand how the prevalence of cyberbullying has been estimated across studies. A systematic scoping review of cyberbullying empirical studies was conducted by using three bibliographic databases to search for papers published between January 2004 and August 2014. A protocol was defined to identify the relevant papers. Papers selected were included in a data sheet developed by the authors to record specific findings. In total, 159 studies were included in the scoping review. Most of the prevalence studies were conducted in the last 4 years, mainly in North America (n = 77) and in Europe (n = 65). High methodological heterogeneity was found among the studies, which may contribute to explain variability in prevalence estimates. Cyberbullying experiences were assessed through several different perspectives: focused only on victims, focused only on perpetrators, or focused on both victims and perpetrators (without differentiating between if they are victims or perpetrators). Most of the studies tend to assess cybervictimization experiences. However, even considering the same perspective, the same country, and the same recall period, a high variability in the estimates was observed. As a main conclusion, the way in which the prevalence of cyberbullying is estimated is influenced by methodological research options. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To identify barriers and facilitators to international implementation of a prospective system for standardized outcomes measurement in cleft care. Design: Cleft teams that have implemented the International Consortium for Health Outcomes Measurement Standard Set for cleft care were invited to participate in this 2-part qualitative study: (1) an exploratory survey among clinicians, health information technology professionals, and project coordinators, and (2) semistructured interviews of project leads. Thematic content analysis was performed, with organization of themes according to the dimensions of the reach, effectiveness, adoption, implementation and maintenance (RE-AIM) framework: reach, effectiveness, adoption, implementation, and maintenance. Results: Four cleft teams in Europe and North America participated in this study. Thirteen participants completed exploratory questionnaires and 5 interviewees participated in follow-up interviews. Survey responses and thematic content analysis revealed common facilitators and barriers to implementation at all sites. Teams reach patients either via email or during the clinic visit to capture patient-reported outcomes. Adopting routine data collection is enhanced by aligning priorities at the organizational and cleft team level. Streamlining workflows and developing an efficient data collection platform are necessary early on, followed by pilot testing or stepwise implementation. Regular meetings and financial resources are crucial for implementing, sustaining, analyzing collected data, and providing feedback to health care professionals and patients. Fostering patient-centered care was articulated as a positive outcome, whereas time presented challenges across all RE-AIM dimensions. Conclusions: Identified themes can inform ongoing implementation efforts. Intentionally investing time to lay a sound foundation early on will benefit every phase of implementation and help overcome barriers such as lack of support or motivation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Since the middle of the 20th century, most discussions of spasmodic dysphonia (SD) reference a paper by Ludwig Traube published in1871 as the first historical citation, crediting him with priority for this clinical syndrome. However, our recent research has determined that the original observation by Traube was published in 1864 and does not in fact describe what is currently recognized as SD. It appears that many clinics throughout Europe and North America were investigating and publishing observations on a range of voice disorders. Methods: The wider context of work on laryngeal disorders in the 1860s-1870s is considered. One of Traube’s contemporaries, Morell Mackenzie, made significant contributions to the understanding of laryngeal movement disorder and its consequences for the voice. These will be examined to gain a clearer focus on the characterization of this disorder. Results: The clinical descriptions published by Morrell Mackenzie in the 1860s provide details that conform quite closely to our current-day understanding of SD. Conclusions: The citation of Traube’s “hysterical” patient links to mid 20th–century views of the functional nature of SD and the utility of psychiatric treatment. The description presented by Mackenzie is consistent with current views of SD as a movement disorder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: While evidence shows that occupational therapists can play a key role in the care of people with palliative care needs, more knowledge about effective occupational therapy interventions for this group is needed. Aim: To identify, organise and prioritise intervention components considered to be effective within occupational therapy for people with palliative care needs from the perspective of occupational therapy clinicians, managers and researchers. Design: Group Concept Mapping utilising a mixed methods participatory approach. Using a focus prompt, participants brainstormed, sorted, labelled and rated generated statements about effective occupational therapy intervention components. Multidimensional scaling analysis and cluster analysis were conducted. Setting/Participants: Snowball recruitment was used to recruit participants. Participants included occupational therapists worldwide who were able to read and write in English and were working as clinicians, managers and/or researchers with occupational therapy interventions for people with palliative care needs. Results: Seventy-two occupational therapists from 15 countries participated in the study representing Asia (n = 3, 20%), Europe (n = 8, 53%), Oceania (n = 2, 13%) and North America (n = 2, 13%). A total of 117 statements were identified and organised into five clusters: (1) being client-centred, (2) promoting occupational engagement to optimise quality of life, (3) involving the social and relational environment, (4) enabling occupations and (5) facilitating occupational adaptation. Conclusions: Five clusters of core occupational therapy intervention components were considered to be effective when supporting people with palliative care needs. Research should use this knowledge to inform future occupational therapy interventions for this group of people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Prolonged screen time (ST) is a potential concern for poor wellbeing. This study aimed to examine the associations of different types of ST with life satisfaction among adolescents. Methods: Data were from 380,446 adolescents (aged 11–15 years, 51% girls) across 37 European and North American countries who completed the 2010 and 2014 Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children surveys. Participants reported h/day during free time spent on television, electronic games, and computer/other devices. Life satisfaction was assessed using a 10-point scale (low life satisfaction ⩽5). Results: Generalized additive modelling showed non-linear associations for each ST type, with low life satisfaction increasing monotonically for >1 h/day of electronic gaming or computer/other device and >2 h/day of watching television. Multilevel multivariable modelling showed that >4 h/day of watching television was associated with 26% higher odds for boys (OR 1.26; 95% CI:1.21–1.32) and 52% higher odds for girls (1.52; 1.46–1.59) of low life satisfaction than for ⩽1 h/day of television. Electronic gaming >4 h/day was associated with low life satisfaction with odds 42% higher in boys (1.42, 1.36–1.48) and 69% higher in girls (1.69, 1.61–1.76). A similar association was found for >4 h/day of computer/other device for boys (1.43, 1.37–1.49) and girls (1.71, 1.65–1.77). Conclusions: Low levels of ST may be beneficial; however, prolonged periods are associated with low life satisfaction among adolescents, in particular among girls. Results support ⩽2 h/day restriction of ST and highlight research is needed to understand underlying mechanisms of ST and wellbeing, which may not reflect active versus passive content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Whether dietary fiber intake could reduce the risk of breast cancer (BC) is still controversial. The articles related to breast cancer and dietary fiber were retrieved through PubMed and Web of Science database. Summary relative risk (RR) and attributable risk percentage (ARP) for dietary fiber intake on the development of breast cancer were calculated. Dose-response meta-analysis modeled the relationship between dietary fiber intake and breast cancer risk. A total of 10 studies were included in this study. Meta-analysis showed that dietary fiber intake was negatively associated with breast cancer (RR = 0.83). In dose-response analysis, the risk of breast cancer showed a statistically significant linear trend with increasing dietary fiber dose: when adding 10 g per day, the risk decreased by 4.7% (RR = 0.95). The ARP results demonstrated that the breast cancer dietary fiber–attributed percentage was 33.33% in Asia, which was higher than 16.28% in North America and 9.89% in Europe. In conclusion, dietary fiber intake may have a positive effect on reducing breast cancer risk, especially in high doses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patterns of—and correlates associated with—bullying perpetration and peer victimization have received widespread research attention. Somewhat less research has considered how protective factors in the parental domain help to buffer against both adverse behaviors. And perhaps more importantly, even less research has considered potential racial differences in the manner in which family-level variables relate to both bullying perpetration and peer victimization. Using a nationwide sample of adolescents, the present study examines (a) how parent/guardian support, mother's parental monitoring, father's parental monitoring, and family satisfaction buffer against bullying perpetration and peer victimization; and (b) whether these relationships vary across race. Data are derived from the 2009 to 2010 Health Behavior in School-Aged Children study in the United States. A total of 8,998 adolescents were included in the study sample, which consisted of 6,521 European Americans and 2,477 African Americans. Findings show that both European American and African American youth who received parental/guardian support were less likely to report being bullied. Among both African American and European American sub-samples, results showed that mother's parental monitoring was negatively associated with both bullying perpetration and peer victimization. Father's parental monitoring was negatively associated with peer victimization and bullying perpetration for European Americans only. Both European and African American youth who reported being satisfied with their family were less likely to report being bullied while European American youth who reported higher family satisfaction were less likely to engage in bullying. In sum, several family variables help to buffer against both bullying perpetration and peer victimization, but for the most part these relationships are race-invariant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current article investigates the relation between values and modernization applying some elements of the method proposed by Inglehart and Welzel (the authors of the Human Development Sequence Theory) to the data of Shalom Schwartz. The values survey by Schwartz specifies two main value axes, namely, conservation versus openness to change and self-transcendence versus self-enhancement. Our research has revealed that the correlation between these two value axes differs in its direction when estimated for "macro-Europe" (that includes Europe and former settlement colonies of North and South America and Oceania) and "Afroasia" (that includes Asia and Africa). In "macro-Europe," we deal with a significant positive correlation between openness to change and self-transcendence, whereas in "Afroasia," this correlation is strong, significant, and negative. We investigate the possible impact of modernization on this difference. To do this, we approximate modernization through such indicators as gross domestic product (GDP) per capita and the proportions of the labor force employed in various sectors of economy. We find that, in both megazones, modernization is accompanied by increasing openness to change values. As for the self-transcendence/self-enhancement axis, we propose two possible explanations of the different dynamics observed in Europe and in "the East" (Asia and North Africa), namely, (a) that Eastern and Western societies find themselves at different modernization stages and (b) that this difference is accounted for by different civilizational patterns. Further analysis suggests that the latter explanation might be more plausible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Migration and social policy have become fiercely contested issues in Europe and North America. In this article, I highlight how mobility and migration, on one hand, and social policy, on the other hand, have historically been closely interwoven and shaped by power relations. It is argued that European states actively assisted their poor to leave 'home' and settle in far-away places. I will elaborate some of the tensions between freedom of movement and the role of social policy in the North German Confederation (Norddeutscher Bund [NDB]) and the British Empire. Finally, it is argued that many of the current challenges and issues associated with migration and social policy in Europe are historically not unique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: While studying the etiology of multiple sclerosis (MS) in children has several methodological advantages over studying etiology in adults, studies are limited by small sample sizes. Objective: Using a rigorous methodological process, we developed the Pediatric MS Tool-Kit, a measurement framework that includes a minimal set of core variables to assess etiological risk factors. Methods: We solicited input from the International Pediatric MS Study Group to select three risk factors: environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) exposure, sun exposure, and vitamin D intake. To develop the Tool-Kit, we used a Delphi study involving a working group of epidemiologists, neurologists, and content experts from North America and Europe. Results: The Tool-Kit includes six core variables to measure ETS, six to measure sun exposure, and six to measure vitamin D intake. The Tool-Kit can be accessed online (www.maelstrom-research.org/mica/network/tool-kit). Conclusion: The goals of the Tool-Kit are to enhance exposure measurement in newly designed pediatric MS studies and comparability of results across studies, and in the longer term to facilitate harmonization of studies, a methodological approach that can be used to circumvent issues of small sample sizes. We believe the Tool-Kit will prove to be a valuable resource to guide pediatric MS researchers in developing study-specific questionnaire [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transitioning to a new school is often challenging for students with autism spectrum disorder. Few studies have examined the transition needs of students with autism spectrum disorder or the benefits of specific supports. This review synthesizes research findings on the difficulties that school transitions pose for students with autism spectrum disorder and their parents and teachers, and the strategies used to support students and parents during school transition. The review included 27 studies (10 examining the transition to primary school, 17 the transition to secondary school), with data from 443 students with autism spectrum disorder, 453 parents, and 546 teachers, across four continents (North America, Europe, Africa, and Australia). Studies reported that children with autism spectrum disorder struggled with anxiety and increased social pressure, their parents felt overwhelmed with complex placement decisions and worried about the well-being of their children, and teachers strove to provide appropriate supports to their students with autism spectrum disorder, often with inadequate resources. Findings indicated that the most useful strategies involved helping the student adjust to the new school setting, individualizing transition supports, clarifying the transition process for parents, and fostering communication both between the sending and receiving schools, and school and home. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parents wish to reduce their child's pain during medical procedures but may not know how to do so. We systematically reviewed the literature on parents' experiences and information needs related to managing their child's pain for common medical procedures. Of 2678 records retrieved through database searching, 5 were included. Three additional records were identified by scanning reference lists. Five studies were qualitative, and 3 were quantitative. Most took place in North America or Europe (n = 7) and described neonatal intensive care unit experiences (n = 5). Procedures included needle-related medical procedures (eg, venipuncture, phlebotomy, intravenous insertion), sutures, and wound repair and treatment, among others. Generally, parents desired being present during procedures, wanted to remain stoic for their child, and thought that information would be empowering and relieve stress but felt unsupported in taking an active role. Supporting and educating parents may empower them to lessen pain for their children while undergoing medical procedures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To implement the appropriate services and develop adequate interventions, detailed estimates of the needs for palliative care in the population are needed. Aim: To estimate the proportion of decedents potentially in need of palliative care across 12 European and non-European countries. Design: This is a cross-sectional study using death certificate data. Setting/participants: All adults (≽18 years) who died in 2008 in Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Hungary, Italy, Spain (Andalusia, 2010), Sweden, Canada, the United States (2007), Korea, Mexico, and New Zealand (N = 4,908,114). Underlying causes of death were used to apply three estimation methods developed by Rosenwax et al., the French National Observatory on End-of-Life Care, and Murtagh et al., respectively. Results: The proportion of individuals who died from diseases that indicate palliative care needs at the end of life ranged from 38% to 74%. We found important cross-country variation: the population potentially in need of palliative care was lower in Mexico (24%-58%) than in the United States (41%-76%) and varied from 31%-83% in Hungary to 42%-79% in Spain. Irrespective of the estimation methods, female sex and higher age were independently associated with the likelihood of being in need of palliative care near the end of life. Home and nursing home were the two places of deaths with the highest prevalence of palliative care needs. Conclusion: These estimations of the size of the population potentially in need of palliative care provide robust indications of the challenge countries are facing if they want to seriously address palliative care needs at the population level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this scoping review is to identify cardiovascular interventions that are designed to address the needs of immigrant women across North America and Europe. The articles retrieved were reviewed independently by both the first author and a trained research assistant. Although the search revealed many articles and resources related to supporting cardiovascular self-management behaviors among individuals, few focused on interventions designed for immigrant women who were diagnosed and living with cardiovascular disease. Also, it was difficult to determine the quality of the literature retrieved, as the main goal of this scoping review was to assess the body of literature and categorize materials by common themes and topics. A more in-depth structured systematic review is needed to determine the quality of evidence being presented and to serve as a rationale for the design and implementation of future culturally sensitive interventions delivered to immigrant women diagnosed with cardiovascular disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We explore the relationships among the North American, European and Asian natural gas markets for evidence of convergence and integration for the January 1997 through May 2011 period. The analyses are conducted under a multivariate framework, so the dynamics among the prices can be captured without the necessity of identifying an anchor price series. We find evidence of convergence among the Japanese, Korean, Taiwanese and UK prices. The North American price displays behaviour that is distinct from this group of prices. We conclude that there is not a fully integrated international natural gas market. The integration between European (represented by NBP) and Asian geographic regions appears to be due primarily to underlying contractual mechanisms specifically linking natural gas prices to oil prices rather than the result of market supply and demand interactions. We also find that the relationship among the Asian markets has evolved with Japanese prices adjusting to changes in South Korean and Taiwanese prices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]