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Recent revelations of the extent of sexual abuse in the Roman Catholic Church in Germany and the United States have once more triggered the debate about sexual abuse. Those inquiries identify cases that are known to authorities or have been recorded in these institutions. However, to assess the full magnitude of the problem, data beyond recorded or known cases are needed, as it can be assumed that a vast number of cases are not reported and are hence not included in such file reviews. Therefore, representative surveys are needed. The aim of the present study was to examine the prevalence of sexual abuse by priests and in different contexts in the German population based on a representative sample. A total of 2,510 participants (54.3% female, M = 48 years) were retrospectively asked about different experiences, offenders, contexts, and so on, of child sexual abuse using questions that were used to assess child sexual abuse in prior surveys and the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ). In sum, 0.21% (n = 7) of the participants reported child sexual abuse by a priest or pastor. 0.16% reported child sexual abuse in an institution of the Roman Catholic Church. Results also indicated that victims of sexual abuse by priests and pastors reported rather severe types of sexual abuse based on the CTQ in comparison with other contexts, such as schools. Extrapolating the data for the population, it can be assumed that the estimated number of victims is much higher than those identified by research based on recorded cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency (VDD) may be high in countries with abundant sun exposure year-round, but nationally representative data are lacking. Objective We examined the prevalence and distribution of VDD by individual and environmental characteristics in a nationally representative sample of Colombian children, pregnant women, and adult nonpregnant women. Methods Using the 2015 Colombian National Nutrition Survey, we defined VDD and low vitamin D (LVD) as serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] <30 nmol/L and <50 nmol/L, respectively, in 31,841 children aged 1 to <18 y, 1262 pregnant women, and 7170 nonpregnant women aged 18–49 y. Within each group, we compared VDD and LVD prevalence by levels of sociodemographic, anthropometric, and geographic factors using adjusted prevalence ratios with 95% CIs from multivariable Poisson regression. Results The mean ± SE 25(OH)D was 65.1 ± 0.4 nmol/L. The prevalence ± SE of VDD and LVD was 3.1% ± 0.3% and 23.9% ± 0.8%, respectively. Pregnant women had the highest VDD prevalence at 6.7% ± 1.5%, whereas toddlers had the highest prevalence of LVD at 42.5% ± 1.8%. Altitude was one of the strongest correlates of VDD and LVD, with every 100 m above sea level related to a 4% increase in LVD prevalence (P  <0.0001). Among children, VDD was positively associated with BMI-for-age Z >1 and maternal education. Among pregnant women, VDD was positively related to education. Among adult nonpregnant women, VDD was associated with BMI and household wealth. Conclusion The prevalence of VDD and LVD in Colombian women and children is nonnegligible; some age groups are disproportionately affected. Altitude was a strong predictor of vitamin D status in this tropical setting. VDD was positively related to indicators of higher socioeconomic status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Although alcohol use can have detrimental effects for employees, little is known about the prevalence, distribution, and correlates in the Norwegian workforce.Aims: To determine the overall and the work-related prevalence of weekly alcohol use, and to establish associations between psychosocial work stressors and alcohol use among Norwegian employees.Methods: Data were from a 2015 national probability sample of 1,608 Norwegian employees (response rate 32%). Job demands, lack of job control, role expectations, workplace bullying, and leadership were examined as correlates of several dimensions of alcohol use.Results: Average weekly alcohol consumption was 4.28 units (SD = 7.91). Male workers reported significantly higher consumption than female workers. Also, 2.6% of male and 2.0% of female workers reported problematic alcohol use. Only 0.1% of workers reported weekly alcohol use before the workday, 0.4% reported weekly use during the workday, 20.1% reported weekly use after ending the work day, and 80% reported use during weekends/days off. Alcohol intake increased with age, but was not related to marital status, educational level, work schedule, or leadership position. Problematic alcohol use was related to job demands and workplace bullying. Alcohol use after work was positively related to lack of job control and role ambiguity and negatively related to bullying.Conclusions/importance: Weekly alcohol use before and during the workday is not prevalent among Norwegian workers. Interventions to reduce job demands and workplace bullying may reduce problematic alcohol intake, whereas increasing job control and reducing role ambiguity may reduce after work use. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background: The research of light (≤10 cigarettes per day) and non-daily smokers in developing countries including Brazil is scarce despite the high prevalence of these groups among smokers and health risks associated to low-level smoking.Objective: To describe health and smoking characteristics of Brazilian adult light and non-daily smokers.Methods: We analyzed data from the 2013 Brazilian National Health Research survey (n=48,282).Results: The prevalence of current manufactured cigarette smoking in the total sample was 12.4%. Among these smokers, 12.8% were non-daily smokers (NDS), 47.4% were light smokers (LS) and 39.8% were moderate/heavy smokers (MHS). Bivariate analysis showed that non-daily smoking was associated with higher odds of poor self-rated health, binge drinking and lung diseases compared to never smokers (ORs=1.2; 5.9 and 1.9). Light smoking was associated with higher odds of poor self-rated health, binge drinking, depression, use of sleeping pills and lung diseases (ORs=1.3; 4.3; 1.4; 1.2 and 2.0). After controlling for sex and age, non-daily smoking was associated with lung disease (OR=2.2) and light smoking with depression and lung diseases (ORs=1.3 and 1.8). Smoking levels were associated with living with same-level smokers in bivariate and multivariate analyses.Conclusion: A large proportion of smokers in Brazil are light and non-daily smokers, carrying substantial health risks related to tobacco use. Longitudinal research is needed to provide further evidence of associations found in this study. Public health policies must take the different smoking patterns into consideration to effectively target all smokers and reduce the harmful consequences of tobacco worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Specific phobia is the most prevalent anxiety disorder in the community and is associated with substantial impairment. Comorbidity with physical diseases is assumed and has important implications for etiology, treatment, or prevention of the comorbid conditions. However, due to methodological issues data are limited and subtypes of specific phobia have not been investigated yet. We examined the association of specific phobia and its subtypes with physical diseases in a representative community sample with physician-diagnosed physical diseases and diagnostic criteria of specific phobia. Methods: Data of the German Mental Health Survey from 4181 subjects aged 18-65 years were used. Specific phobia was diagnosed using M-CIDI/DIA-X interview; physical diseases were assessed through a self-report questionnaire and a medical interview. Logistic regression analyses adjusted for sex were calculated. Results: Specific phobia was associated with cardiac diseases, gastrointestinal diseases, respiratory diseases, arthritic conditions, migraine, and thyroid diseases (odds ratios between 1.49 and 2.53). Among the subtypes, different patterns of associations with physical diseases were established. The findings were partially replicated in the Swiss PsyCoLaus Study. Conclusions: Our analyses show that subjects with specific phobia have an increased probability for specific physical diseases. From these analyses etiological mechanisms of specific phobia and physical disease can be deduced. As subtypes differed in their patterns of associations with physical diseases, different etiological mechanisms may play a role. The findings are highly relevant for public health in terms of prevention and therapy of the comorbid conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ObjectiveLow- and middle-income countries are experiencing rises in the prevalence of adult obesity. Whether these increases disproportionately affect vulnerable subpopulations is unclear because most previous investigations were not nationally representative, were limited to women, or relied on self-reported anthropometric data which are subject to bias. The aim of the present study was to assess changes in the prevalence of obesity from 2005 to 2010 in Colombian adults; overall and by levels of sociodemographic characteristics.DesignTwo cross-sectional, nationally representative surveys.SettingColombia.SubjectsMen and women 18–64 years old (n 31 105 in 2005; n 81 115 in 2010).ResultsThe prevalence of obesity (BMI ≥30 kg/m2) was 13·9 % in 2005 and 16·4 % in 2010 (prevalence difference = 2·7 %; 95 % CI 1·9, 3·4 %). In multivariable analyses, obesity was positively associated with female sex, age, wealth, and living in the Pacific or National Territories regions in each year. In 2010, obesity was also associated with living in an urban area. The change in the prevalence of obesity from 2005 to 2010 varied significantly according to wealth; 5·0 % (95 % CI 3·3, 6·7 %) among the poorest and 0·3 % (95 % CI −1·6, 2·2 %) in the wealthiest (P, test for interaction = 0·007), after adjustment. Obesity rates also increased faster in older than younger people (P, test for interaction = 0·01), among people from urban compared with non-urban areas (P, test for interaction = 0·06) and in adults living in the Atlantic region compared with others.ConclusionsAdult obesity prevalence has increased in Colombia and its burden is shifting towards the poor and urban populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A recent UK population survey of oral health included questions to assess dental anxiety to provide mean and prevalence estimates of this important psychological construct. Methods: A two-stage cluster sample was used for the survey across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. The survey took place between October-December 2009, and January-April 2010. All interviewers were trained on survey procedures. Within the 7,233 households sampled there were 13,509 adults who were asked to participate in the survey and 11,382 participated (84%). Results: The scale was reliable and showed some evidence of unidimensionality. Estimated proportion of participants with high dental anxiety (cut-off score = 19) was 11.6%. Percentiles and confidence intervals were presented and can be estimated for individual patients across various age ranges and gender using an on-line tool. Conclusions: The largest reported data set on the MDAS from a representative UK sample was presented. The scale's psychometrics is supportive for the routine assessment of patient dental anxiety to compare against a number of major demographic groups categorised by age and sex. Practitioners within the UK have a resource to estimate the rarity of a particular patient's level of dental anxiety, with confidence intervals, when using the on-line percentile calculator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a major public health issue. In France, few studies have evaluated CKD prevalence. The objective of the MONA LISA study was to estimate and to characterize CKD in three representative cross-sectional surveys in subjects aged 35–74.9years. CKD was defined as subjects having MDRD glomerular filtration rate lower than 60mL/min/1.73m2. Prevalence of CKD in MONA LISA was standardized according to the French population. A multiple logistic regression analysis was performed in order to find independent factors associated to CKD. The French estimate of CKD prevalence was 8.2% (95% confidence interval: 7.4–8.9%), that is 2,454,548 (95% confidence interval: 2,215,080–2,664,082) subjects aged 35–74.9years. Factors significantly and independently associated to CKD were older age, hypertension and dyslipidemias. In conclusion, the MONA LISA study evaluated for the first time in France CKD prevalence in subjects aged 35–74.9years. This prevalence probably underestimates the real CKD size due to selection bias present in every representative cross-sectional survey. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]