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The present study aimed to examine the interrelationships of prenatal psychopathology (specifically symptom cluster), dispositional mindfulness, and rumination using network analysis. Network analysis estimates the links between symptoms and can evaluate the presence and strength of the links. A total of 1122 pregnant women were recruited from a tertiary hospital in China. Psychopathology symptoms (including anxiety, depression, stress, fatigue, sleep, fear of childbirth [FOC], and memory problems) were assessed and used along with mindfulness and rumination to construct networks of association using R. Results illustrated five communities within the network. Anxiety resulted in the highest strength of centrality followed by two symptoms: FOC and retrospective memory. Paths showed that mindfulness was directly connected to depression, prospective memory, retrospective memory, and lack of positive anticipation in FOC, whereas mindfulness was connected indirectly through rumination to anxiety, fatigue, stress, and sleep problems. The findings reinforce that anxiety is a key symptom of prenatal psychopathology and requires priority consideration. The direct associations between mindfulness and prenatal psychopathology symptoms provide potential targets for future mindfulness-based interventions, and mindfulness reducing rumination thus in turn decrease anxiety, suggesting potential mediating mechanism of mindfulness.

ObjectiveTo examine patient/caregiver preference for key attributes of treatments for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA).BackgroundIn the rapidly evolving SMA treatment landscape, it is critically important to understand how attributes of potential treatments may impact patient/caregiver choices.Design/methodsA discrete choice experiment survey was developed based on qualitative interviews. Patients with SMA (≥ 18 years) and caregivers of patients were recruited through a U.S. patient organization. Respondents made choices in each of 12 sets of hypothetical treatments. The relative importance of five treatment characteristics was compared (measured by regression coefficients [RC] of conditional logit models): (1) improvement or stabilization of motor function, (2) improvement or stabilization of breathing function, (3) indication for all ages or pediatric patients only, (4) route of administration [repeated intrathecal (IT) injections, one-time intravenous (IV) infusion, daily oral delivery] and (5) potential harm (mild, moderate, serious/life threatening).ResultsPatient ages ranged from less than 1 to 67 years (n = 101, 65 self-reported and 36 caregiver-reported) and 64 were female. Total SMA subtypes included: type 1 (n = 21), type 2 (n = 48), type 3 (n = 29), other (n = 3). Prior spinal surgery was reported in 47 patients. Nusinersen and onasemnogene abeparvovec-xioi use were reported in 59 and 10 patients, respectively. Improvement in motor and breathing function was highly valued [RC: 0.65, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.47–0.83 and RC: 0.79, 95% CI: 0.60–0.98, respectively]. Oral medication and one-time infusion were strongly preferred over repeated IT injections (RC: 0.80, 95% CI: 0.60–0.98 and RC: 0.51, 95% CI: 0.30–0.73, respectively). Patients least preferred an age-restricted label/approved use (≤ 2 years of age) (RC: − 1.28, 95% CI: − 1.47 to − 1.09). Cross-attributes trade-off decision suggested a lower willingness for a high-risk therapy despite additional efficacy gain. For some patients, there may be willingness to trade off additional gains in efficacy for a change in route of administration from repeated intrathecal administration to oral medication.ConclusionsImprovements in motor/breathing function, broad indication, oral or one-time infusion, and minimal risk were preferred treatment attributes. Treatment decisions should be made in clinical context and be tailored to patient needs.

The objective of this qualitative study was to address existing gaps in the literature by gathering parent perspectives on both health and school readiness in regard to neighborhood context, specifically parents’ perceived level of neighborhood safety and support, on physical health and the behavioral and cognitive domains of school readiness. Focus groups were conducted with a total of 28 parents or caregivers whose children attended Early Head Start/Head Start Centers or who received Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) services in New Orleans, Louisiana during fall 2015. Parents discussed concepts of school readiness, neighborhood, the intersection between the two, and parental stress, however, few expressed a clear connection between their concerns about safety, their own stress, and their child’s readiness for school. Disparities in both health and school readiness exist between both racial and socioeconomic groups in the United States, and this study offers a unique and enhanced understanding of the impact of non-academic factors on the well-being and development of young children.

IntroductionThe prevalence of diabetes self-management education and support (DSME/S) use among patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and patients with insulin prescription has not been evaluated. It is also unclear what demographic, behavioral, and clinical factors associated with use of DSME/S.Research design and methodsThis retrospective analysis was based on electronic health records from the Research Action for Health Network (2013–2019). Patients with newly diagnosed T2DM were identified as 35–94 year-olds diagnosed with T2DM≥1 year after the first recorded office visit. Patients with insulin were identified by the first insulin prescription records. DSME/S (Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System G0108 and G0109) codes that occurred from 2 months before the ‘new diagnosis date’ or first insulin prescription date through 1 year after were defined as use of DSME/S. Age-matched controls (non-users) were identified from the Electronic Health Records (EHR). The date of first DSME/S record was selected as the index date. Logistic regression was used to estimate the associations between patient factors and use of DSME/S.ResultsThe prevalence of DSME/S use was 6.5% (8909/137 629) among patients with newly diagnosed T2DM and 32.7% (13,152/40,212) among patients with diabetes taking insulin. Multivariable analysis found that among patients with newly diagnosed T2DM, black and male patients were less likely to use DSME/S, while in patients with insulin, they were more likely to use the service compared with white and female counterparts, respectively. Among patients taking insulin, those with private insurance or self-pay status were significantly less likely, while those with Medicaid were more likely to use the service compared with their Medicare counterparts. A strong positive association was found between HbA1c, obesity, and DSME/S use in both cohorts, while hypertension was negatively associated with DSME/S in both cohorts.ConclusionWe showed a low rate of DSME/S use in Louisiana, especially in patients with newly diagnosed T2DM. Our findings demonstrated heterogeneity in factors influencing DSME/S use between patients with newly diagnosed T2D and patients with insulin.

BackgroundCommunity-based management of acute malnutrition (CMAM) is an effective program to manage children with acute malnutrition, including both severe and moderate acute malnutrition. However, little is known about continued child nutritional status after discharge from community based management of acute malnutrition programs in Ethiopia.ObjectiveThe study aimed to identify factors associated with relapse of acute malnutrition among children 6-59 months after been discharged recovered from community based management program in South Gondar Zone, Northwest Ethiopia.MethodsA case-control study was conducted in three districts of South Gondar Zone by tracing children age 6-59 months who were reported as recovered from the community based management program. Sample size calculated for the first objective of assessing prevalence of severe acute malnutrition among children following discharge as recovery using Epi- Info version 7.1.3.3 StatCalc taking 95% CL, 17.8% post discharge relapse (Ashraf H, et al. (2012), 3% margin of error, design effect of 2 and adding 5% non-response rate was the largest sample size and used to this study. Children with Mid Upper Arm Circumference (MUAC) = 12.5cm served as controls. Data were collected from 10 November 2017 to 30 January 2018 using a survey questionnaire and families were asked to bring children to a health facility for anthropometric measurements, following which data were entered and analyzed. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression models were utilized to measure association between the risk factors and acute malnutrition.ResultsOverall, 1,273 participants were interviewed. The mean age in months of children was 23.1 (±9.1 SD) for cases and 23.1 (±8.9 SD) for controls. About 40% of the cases and 50% of the controls were female children. The factors associated with acute malnutrition were: male children (AOR = 1.84, 95% CI: 1.42-2.39), living in a food insecure household (AOR = 1.67, 95% CI:1.15-2.44), non-receipt of Vitamin A supplement (AOR = 1.76, 95% CI: 1.28-2.41), prelacteal feeding (AOR = 2.81 (95%CI, 1.57-5.05), distance to water source more than 15 walk (AOR = 1.88, 95% CI:1.32-2.71), less frequent self-reported hand washing (AOR = 1.35, 95% CI:1.05-1.75), mother not having consumed extra food during this pregnancy/lactation (AOR = 1.36, 95% CI: 1.03-1.78), and respondent age above 30 years (AOR = 1.43, 95% CI:1.10-1.87).ConclusionThe key factors contributing to relapse of acute malnutrition were related to childcare and feeding practices. Social and behavior change communication strategies targeting families at risk of undernutrition, along with improved food security and integrated programming are recommended to prevent relapse of acute malnutrition.

Background: Newborn mortality in Cambodia remains high, with sepsis and complications of delayed care-seeking important contributing factors. Intervention study objectives were to improve infection control behavior by staff in health centers, improve referral of sick newborns, increase recognition of danger signs, and prompt care-seeking at an appropriate health facility, and appropriate referral for sick newborns by mothers and families of newborn infants. Methods: The stepped-wedge cluster-randomized controlled trial took place in rural Cambodia from February 2015 to November 2016. Sixteen clusters consisted of public health center catchment areas serving the community. The intervention included health center staff training and home visits to mothers by community health volunteers within 24 hours of birth and on days 3 and 7 after delivery, including assessment of newborns for danger signs and counselling mothers. The trial participants included women who had recently delivered a newborn who were visited in their homes in the first week, as well as health center staff and community volunteers who were trained in newborn care. Women in their last trimester of pregnancy greater than 18 years of age were recruited and were blinded to their group assignment. Mothers and caregivers (2494) received counseling on handwashing practices, breastfeeding, newborn danger signs, and prompt, appropriate referral to facilities. Results: Health center staff in the intervention group had increased likelihood of hand washing at recommended key moments when compared with the control group, increased knowledge of danger signs, and higher recall of at least three hygiene messages. Of mother/caregiver participants at 14 days after delivery, women in the intervention group were much more likely to know at least three danger signs and to have received messages on care-seeking compared with controls. Conclusions: The intervention improved factors understood to be associated with newborn survival and health. Well-designed training, followed by regular supervision, enhanced the knowledge and self-reported behavior of health staff and health volunteers, as well as mothers&rsquo, own knowledge of newborn danger signs. However, further improvement in newborn care, including care-seeking for illness and handwashing among mothers and families, will require additional involvement from broader stakeholders in the community.

Postpartum care is a critical element for ensuring survival and health of mothers and newborns but is often inadequate in low- and middle-income countries due to barriers to access and resource constraints. Newly delivered mothers and their families often rely on traditional forms of postnatal care rooted in social and cultural customs or may blend modern and traditional forms of care. This ethnographic study sought to explore use of biomedical and traditional forms of postnatal care. Data were collected through unstructured observation and in-depth interviews with 15 mothers. Participants reported embracing traditional understandings of health and illness in the post-partum period centered on heating the body through diet, steaming, and other applications of heat, yet also seeking injections from private health care providers. Thematic analysis explored concepts related to transitioning forms of postnatal care, valuing of care through different lenses, and diverse sources of advice on postnatal care. Mothers also described concurrent use of both traditional medicine and biomedical postnatal care, and the importance of adhering to cultural traditions of postnatal care for future health. Maternal and newborn health are closely associated with postnatal care, so ensuring culturally appropriate and high-quality care must be an important priority for stakeholders including understand health practices that are evolving to include injections.

Policies on breastfeeding and possible mother-to-child transmission of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) during the outbreak evolved depending on public health priorities and the evidence available at that particular time. To improve responses to future outbreaks, research on vertical transmission of EVD should be prioritized; infant and young child feeding experts should be integrated into the outbreak response; and a digital repository of national policies and associated messages should be created., Optimal breastfeeding is of vital importance to infant and child health and has been adopted by countries as a standard recommendation. However, in the context of an infectious disease outbreak, especially when the disease is poorly understood, policy makers must balance the benefits of breastfeeding against the risk of disease transmission through breastfeeding. During the 2014–2015 Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) outbreak in Sierra Leone, the development of correct and consistent messaging about infant feeding and nutrition programming was considerably delayed by numerous challenges. These challenges included a lack of sufficient information about the risk of transmission through human milk, numerous stakeholders, limited communication between coordination pillars, inconsistent and evolving messages from various stakeholders, and the public's distrust of the health system and international actors. For improved response to future disease outbreaks, research on vertical transmission of EVD should be prioritized, infant and young child feeding experts should be integrated into outbreak response collaboration, and a digital repository of potential and appropriately tailored messages should be created.

This prospective cohort study examines the clinical effectiveness of electronic medical record clinical decision support (EMR CDS) for opioid prescribing.Data analysis included primary care patients with chronic opioid therapy for noncancer pain seen within an integrated health delivery system in Louisiana between January 2017 and October 2018. EMR CDS incorporated an opioid health maintenance tool to display the status of risk mitigation, and the medication order embedded the morphine equivalent daily dose (MEDD) calculator and a hyperlink to the Louisiana pharmacy drug monitoring program. Outcome measures included change in the average MEDD and rates of opioid risk mitigation, hospitalization, and emergency department use.Among 14 221 patients, 9% had prescriptions with an average MEDD ≥90 mg. There were no significant changes in MEDD after EMR CDS implementation. Increasing age, Charlson Comorbidity Index score, female sex, black non-Hispanic race, non-opioid pain medication co-prescriptions, and specialty referrals were associated with a lower odds of MEDD ≥90 (high-dose threshold). Medicare or self-pay, substance abuse history, and pain agreements were associated with increased odds of prescribing above this high-dose threshold. After incorporation of EMR CDS, patients had higher rates of urine drug screens (17% vs 7%) and naloxone prescriptions (3% vs 1%, all P.001). In addition, specialty referrals to physical or occupational therapy, orthopedics, neurology, and psychiatry or psychology increased in the postintervention period. Although emergency department use decreased (rate ratio 0.92; 95% confidence interval 0.89-0.95), hospitalization rates did not change.EMR CDS improved adherence to opioid risk mitigation strategies. Further research examining which practice redesign interventions effectively reduce high-dose opioid prescribing is needed.

Context Very few studies focused on the association between body mass index (BMI) and stroke risk among patients with diabetes. Objective We aimed to investigate the association between BMI and stroke risk in patients with type 2 diabetes. Design Demographic, anthropometric, laboratory, and medication information were extracted from the National Patient-Centered Clinical Research Network common data model. Participants We performed a retrospective cohort study of 67 086 patients with type 2 diabetes. Main Outcome Measures Incident stroke including both ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke were defined. Results During a mean follow up of 3.74 years. 8918 incident stroke events occurred. Multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios across different categories of BMI at baseline (18.5–24.9 [reference group], 25.0–29.9, 30.0–34.9, 35.0–39.9, and ≥40 kg/m2) were 1.00, 0.92, 0.85, 0.74, and 0.63 (Ptrend Conclusion The present study found an inverse association between BMI and the risk of total, ischemic, and hemorrhagic stroke among patients with type 2 diabetes. More clinical and molecular insights are still needed in explaining these findings.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to describe potential factors contributing to neonatal mortality in Takeo, Cambodia through assessment of verbal autopsies collected following newborn deaths in the community. The mortality review was nested within a trial of a behavioral intervention to improve newborn survival, and was conducted after the close of the trial, within the study setting. The World Health Organization standardized definition of neonatal mortality was employed, and two pediatricians independently reviewed data collected from each event to assign a cause of death. Results: Thirteen newborn deaths of infants born in health facilities participating in a community based, behavioral intervention were reported during February 2015–November 2016. Ten deaths (76.92%) were early neonatal deaths, two (15.38%) were late neonatal deaths, and one was a stillbirth. Five out of 13 deaths (38.46%) occurred within the first day of life. The largest single contributor to mortality was neonatal sepsis; six of 13 deaths (46.15%) were attributed to some form of sepsis. Twenty-three percent of deaths were attributed to asphyxia. The study highlights the continuing need to improve quality of care and infection prevention and control, and to fully address causes of sepsis, in order to effectively reduce mortality in the newborn period.: The study highlights the continuing need to improve both intrapartum and postnatal quality of care and infection prevention and control, and to fully address causes of sepsis, in order to effectively reduce mortality in the newborn period.

ObjectivesTo understand family and parent perspectives on newborn care provided at home to infants in the first 28 days of life, in order to inform behavioural interventions for improving care in low-income countries, where the majority of newborn deaths occur.DesignA comprehensive, qualitative systematic review was conducted. MEDLINE/PubMed, Embase and Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health databases were systematically searched for studies examining the views of parents and family members on newborn care at home. The search period included all studies published from 2006 to 2017. Studies using qualitative approaches or mixed-methods studies with substantial use of qualitative techniques in both the methods and analysis sections were included. Studies meeting the inclusion criteria were extracted and evaluated using Critical Appraisal Skills Programme guidelines. Following the initial selection and appraisal, barriers and facilitators to recommended care practices across several domains were synthesised.ResultsOf 411 results retrieved, 37 met both inclusion and quality appraisal criteria for methodology and reporting. Geographical representation largely reflected that of newborn health outcomes globally, with the majority of studies conducted in the region of Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. Specific barriers and facilitators were identified among a range of domains including: cord care, drying and wrapping, thermal control, skin to skin contact, hygiene, breast feeding, care-seeking for illness, and low birthweight recognition. Cross cutting facilitators, common to all domains were evident and includeddelivery at a health facility, inclusion of female relatives in care counselling, lower healthcare costs, and exposure to newborn care behaviour change messaging in the community.ConclusionsWhen designing behavioural interventions to address newborn mortality at scale, policy-makers and practitioners must include barriers and facilitators important to families in low-income settings.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42016035674.

Despite the significant benefits of giving birth at a health facility to improve maternal and child health, the practice remains lower than expected in pastoralist communities of Ethiopia. Understanding the intentions of pregnant women to use health facilities for delivery predicts the adoption of the behavior, yet documented evidence of intention in the context of pastoralist populations remains scarce. The current study aimed to assess pregnant women&rsquo, s intentions to use a health facility for delivery in the Afar region of Ethiopia using the framework of the health belief model (HBM). A community-based, cross sectional survey was conducted from April 1 to April 30 2016 among 357 randomly sampled pregnant women using an interviewer-administered, semi-structured questionnaire. Data were entered into EpiData and exported to SPSS version 20.0 for analysis. Principal component factor analysis was done to extract relevant constructs of the model, and the reliability of items in each construct was assessed for acceptability. Multivariate logistic regressions were applied to identify predictors of pregnant women&rsquo, s intentions to give birth at a health facility. The odds ratio was reported, and statistical significance was declared at 95% CI and 0.05 p value. Three hundred fifty seven pregnant women participated in the study (104.6% response rate indicating above the minimum sample size required). Among the respondents, only 108 (30.3%) participants intended to use a health facility for the delivery for their current pregnancy. Higher household average monthly income [AOR = 1.23, 95% CI = (1.10 &minus, 2.90), antenatal clinic (ANC) attendance for their current pregnancy [AOR = 1.41, 95% CI = (1.31 &minus, 2.10), perceived susceptibility to delivery-related complications [AOR = 1.52, 95% CI = (1.30 &minus, 2.70), and perceived severity of the delivery complications [AOR = 1.66, 95% CI = (1.12 &minus, 2.31) were positively associated with pregnant women&rsquo, s intentions to deliver at a health facility. Intention was negatively associated with participants&rsquo, perceived barriers to accessing a health facility [AOR = 0.62, 95% CI = (0.36 &minus, 0.85). Conclusions: A low proportion of pregnant women in the sampled community intended to deliver at a health facility. Pastoralist communities may have special needs in this regard, with household income, antenatal care attendance, perceived risk of complications, and perceived barriers to accessing a health facility largely explaining the variance in intention. Community-based interventions providing counseling and messaging on danger signs in the perinatal period and emphasizing benefits of delivering at a facility are recommended, alongside improving access.

Background Psychoactive substance (PS) use is a public health concern among University students. Understanding the factors underlay the use helps to underpin effective preventive interventions. However, there is dearth of exploratory studies on the drivers of psychoactive substance use in Ethiopian universities. Here, we aimed to explore the drivers for psychoactive substance use among Mekelle University undergraduate students. Methods Exploratory qualitative study was conducted from April 1 to May 30, 2017. We conducted five focus group discussions (FGDs) and eleven in-depth interviews (IDIs) with students, proctors and bar owners. We also conducted three round interviews within two weeks interval with each of four key-informant researchers (KIR). Participants were selected purposively and the investigators conducted the discussions and the interviews using semi-structured guides. Data were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and imported into qualitative data analysis software for coding and analysis. An inductive approach was applied to crystalize non-repetitive emerging themes overarching the drivers for psychoactive substance use among university students. Results The following themes emerged as drivers for psychoactive substance use among University students; (1)feeling helpless following detachment from family, (2) prior experience with substances, (3) socialization reasons, (4) low academic performance, (5) physical environment (explained by easy access to substance and limited recreational alternatives), and (6) sub-optimal organizational support. Conclusions Multiple drivers that range from individual to structural levels are involved in university student’s use of psychoactive substances, with socialization process at the center of the factors. Thus, the study appeals for a range of multifaceted interventions directed to the individual, interpersonal and organizational level factors. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13011-018-0190-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Background Despite potential for benefit, mindfulness remains an emergent area in perinatal mental health care, and evidence of smartphone-based mindfulness training for perinatal depression is especially limited. Objective The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a smartphone-based mindfulness training intervention during pregnancy on perinatal depression and other mental health problems with a randomized controlled design. Methods Pregnant adult women who were potentially at risk of perinatal depression were recruited from an obstetrics clinic and randomized to a self-guided 8-week smartphone-based mindfulness training during pregnancy group or attention control group. Mental health indicators were surveyed over five time points through the postpartum period by online self-assessment. The assessor who collected the follow-up data was blind to the assignment. The primary outcome was depression as measured by symptoms, and secondary outcomes were anxiety, stress, affect, sleep, fatigue, memory, and fear. Results A total of 168 participants were randomly allocated to the mindfulness training (n=84) or attention control (n=84) group. The overall dropout rate was 34.5%, and 52.4% of the participants completed the intervention. Mindfulness training participants reported significant improvement of depression (group × time interaction χ24=16.2, P=.003) and secondary outcomes (χ24=13.1, P=.01 for anxiety; χ24=8.4, P=.04 for positive affect) compared to attention control group participants. Medium between-group effect sizes were found on depression and positive affect at postintervention, and on anxiety in late pregnancy (Cohen d=0.47, –0.49, and 0.46, respectively). Mindfulness training participants reported a decreased risk of positive depressive symptom (Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale [EPDS] score>9) compared to attention control participants postintervention (odds ratio [OR] 0.391, 95% CI 0.164-0.930) and significantly higher depression symptom remission with different EPDS reduction scores from preintervention to postintervention (OR 3.471-27.986). Parity did not show a significant moderating effect; however, for nulliparous women, mindfulness training participants had significantly improved depression symptoms compared to nulliparous attention control group participants (group × time interaction χ24=18.1, P=.001). Conclusions Smartphone-based mindfulness training is an effective intervention in improving maternal perinatal depression for those who are potentially at risk of perinatal depression in early pregnancy. Nulliparous women are a promising subgroup who may benefit more from mindfulness training. Trial Registration Chinese Clinical Trial Registry ChiCTR1900028521; http://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.aspx?proj=33474

Balms and oils containing terpenic compounds, such as camphor, menthol and eucalyptus, are potentially toxic, and numerous reports of adverse events stemming from their use in infants and young children have been published. During qualitative research on newborn practices in rural Cambodia, these products were found to be commonly applied to the skin of newborns and infants and available in most households. Parents and caregivers of infants in Cambodia and other settings where use of camphor- and menthol-containing products are common should be educated on the risks of these to prevent child morbidity and potential mortality.

Studies on racial differences in diabetic complications are very limited. The aim of this study was to investigate the race and sex differences in diabetic complications between African Americans and Whites with type 2 diabetes (T2D) in Louisiana.A prospective cohort study was performed of 27 113 African Americans and 40 431 Whites with T2D who were 35 to 95 years of age from three healthcare systems located in south Louisiana. Four major diabetic complications were assessed: coronary heart disease (CHD), heart failure, stroke, and end-stage renal disease (ESRD).The age- and sex-adjusted incident rates per 1000 person-years and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for CHD, heart failure, stroke, and ESRD for African Americans with diabetes were 43.1 (95% CI 41.6-44.6), 36.6 (95% CI 35.2-37.9), 29.6 (95% CI 28.4-30.8), and 38.3 (95% CI 36.9-39.7), respectively. Cox regression models showed that African American women had a higher risk than White women for heart failure (hazard ratio (HR) 1.26; 95% CI 1.18-1.34), stroke (HR 1.15; 95% CI 1.08-1.22), and ESRD (HR 1.32; 95% CI 1.24-1.40), whereas African American men had higher risks than White men for heart failure (HR 1.33; 95% CI 1.25-1.43) and ESRD (HR 1.47; 95% CI 1.37-1.57) but a lower risk of CHD (HR 0.88; 95% CI 0.83-0.94).The incidence of major diabetic complications varied among difference race and sex groups. More race- or sex-specific studies on complications in patients with diabetes are needed to see whether incident rates are changing over time.摘要: 背景 目前有关糖尿病并发症种族差异的研究非常有限。本研究旨在路易斯安那州患有2型糖尿病的非裔美国人与白种人中，调查糖尿病并发症的种族与性别差异。 方法 这是一项前瞻性的队列研究，纳入了患有2型糖尿病的27113名非裔美国人与40431名白种人，他们的年龄为35至95岁，来自路易斯安那州南部的3个医疗机构。评估了4种主要的糖尿病并发症:冠心病(coronary heart disease，CHD)、心力衰竭、中风以及终末期肾病(end-stage renal disease，ESRD)。 结果 在患有糖尿病的非裔美国人中，校正年龄与性别后，每1000人-年的CHD、心力衰竭、中风以及ESRD的发生率与95%置信区间(CI)分别为43.1(95% CI为41.6-44.6)、36.6(95% CI为35.2-37.9)、29.6(95% CI为28.4-30.8)与38.3(95% CI为36.9-39.7)。使用Cox回归模型分析后发现，非裔美国妇女与白种妇女相比，前者出现心力衰竭(风险比[HR]为1.26；95% CI为1.18-1.34)、中风(HR为1.15；95% CI为1.08-1.22)以及ESRD(HR为1.32；95% CI为1.24-1.40)的风险都更高，而非裔美国男性与白种男性相比，前者出现心力衰竭(HR为1.33；95% CI为1.25-1.43)与ESRD(HR为1.47；95% CI为1.37-1.57)的风险都更高，但是出现CHD(HR为0.88；95% CI为0.83-0.94)的风险却较低。 结论 在不同的种族与性别组中主要糖尿病并发症的发病率都各不相同。为了观察发病率是否会随着时间而变化，需要在糖尿病患者中进行更多的种族或者性别特异性的并发症研究。.

Infection contributes to a significant proportion of neonatal death and disability worldwide, with the major burden occurring in the first week of life. Environmental conditions and gaps in water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) practices may contribute to the risk of infection, particularly in settings where health centers are expanding to meet the growing demand for skilled care at birth and homes do not have adequate access to water and sanitation. A qualitative approach was used to understand the environmental context for infection prevention and control (IPC) and WASH associated behaviors in health centers where women give birth, and in homes of newborns, in a rural Cambodian province. Structured observations and focus group discussions revealed important gaps in optimal practices, and both structural and social barriers to maintaining IPC during delivery and post-partum. Solutions are available to address the issues identified, and tackling these could result in marked environmental improvement for quality of care and neonatal outcomes. Water, sanitation and hygiene in home and health center environments are likely to be important contributors to health and should be addressed in strategies to improve neonatal survival.

The development of ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF) for the treatment of uncomplicated cases of severe acute malnutrition in young children from 6 months to 5 years old has greatly improved survival through the ability to treat large numbers of malnourished children in the community setting rather than at health facilities during emergencies. This success has led to a surge in demand for RUTF in low income countries that are frequently food insecure due to environmental factors such as cyclical drought. Worldwide production capacity for the supply of RUTF has increased dramatically through the expansion and development of new manufacturing facilities in both low and high income countries, and new business ventures dedicated to ready-to-use foods have emerged not only for emergencies, but increasingly, for supplementing caloric intake of pregnant women and young children not experiencing acute undernutrition. Due to the lack of evidence on the long term health impact these products may have, in the midst of global nutrition transitions toward obesity and metabolic dysfunction, the increased use of manufactured, commercial products for treatment and prevention of undernutrition is of great concern. Using a framework built on the life course health development perspective, the current research presents several drawbacks and limitations of RUTF for nutrition of mothers and young children, especially in non-emergency situations. Recommendations follow for potential strategies to limit the use of these products to the treatment of acute undernutrition only, study the longer term health impacts of RUTF, prevent conflict of interests arising for social enterprises, and where possible, ensure that whole foods are supported for life-long health and nutrition, as well as environmental sustainability.

Hormonal contraceptives may produce side effects that deter women from their use as a method of family planning. In nutritionally vulnerable populations these effects may be more pronounced due to micronutrient deficiencies and health status. Previous studies have been unable to resolve whether micronutrient supplementation may reduce such side effects. Aim: In a longitudinal study, 1011 women obtaining oral contraception through the public health system in rural Cambodia were allocated to either intervention or control groups, receiving either daily Vitamin B6 supplement or care as usual (without placebo). Results: The intervention participants (n = 577) reported fewer side effects in three categories: nausea/no appetite, headache, and depression compared with control group participants (n = 434). Conclusion: Women taking Vitamin B6 supplement were less likely to report side effects in a nutritionally vulnerable population. Underlying nutrition status should be considered by clinicians and reproductive health policy makers in the context of providing contraceptive services. Further investigation into micronutrient supplementation, particularly with B6, in reproductive-aged women using hormonal contraception should be conducted in other settings to determine the potential for widespread adoption.

Introduction: Child undernutrition remains a challenge globally and in the geographically diverse country of Ethiopia. Improving dietary diversity and consumption of animal source foods are important for improving child nutrition and corresponding health outcomes. Objective: The objective of the study was to identify household and community factors associated with consumption of animal source foods among 6 to 36-month-old children from four regions of Ethiopia. Methods: A cross-sectional survey using multistage probability sampling in eight geographic zones and four regions of Ethiopia took place in 2015 with parents/caretakers of 6 to 36-month-old children. Data was collected on demographic information, proxy indicators of socioeconomic status, and food consumed by the child the day before the survey. Results: Increased child age, pastoral livelihood, Muslim religion, and participation in the Productive Safety Net Program were associated with increased consumption of animal source foods. Odds of animal source foods consumption increased by 8% with each 3-month age increase. Children from pastoralist households were the most likely to have consumed animal source foods in the preceding 24 hours as compared with those in agro-pastoralist households (0.21 times as likely) or those in agriculturalist/farming households (0.15 times as likely). The odds of consumption of animal source foods for families with food aid or safety net support was 1.7 times greater among those receiving traditional support from the Productive Safety Net Program and 4.5 times greater for those in the direct support arm of the program. Conclusions: The findings illustrate the importance of accounting for local context and community characteristics, such as livelihood and religion, when undertaking programming designed to improve diversity of children&rsquo, s diets through increasing animal source foods. In addition, the Productive Safety Net Program may be a critical determinant of dietary diversity for young children in these regions.

Objectives High-quality evidence-based clinical practice guidelines can guide diagnosis and treatment to optimise outcomes. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the quality and content of national and international guidelines on hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. Data Sources: The MEDLINE database, the National Guideline Clearinghouse and several international databases were searched for appropriate guidelines from the past 10 years. Study Appraisal and Synthesis Methods: Six guidelines met inclusion and exclusion criteria and were evaluated using the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation II (AGREE II) instrument. Results A total of 695 records were identified and screened by two authors. Disorder definitions, classifications, preventive measures and treatment recommendations were evaluated and compared among guidelines. AGREE II results varied widely across domains and categories. Only two guidelines received consistently high ratings across domains and few demonstrated a high level of methodological rigour. Recommendations regarding classification and treatment were similar across guidelines, while assessment of preventive measures varied widely. Conclusions Clinical practice guidelines for hypertensive disorders of pregnancy vary significantly in quality and with respect to assessment of preventive measures.

Maternal and child feeding behaviors are often rooted in family and sociocultural context, making these an important point of inquiry for improving nutrition and health over the life course. The present study explored the practice of fasting during religious periods in relation to eating patterns of pregnant and lactating women and young children in four regions of Ethiopia, a nation which has experienced rapid economic growth and marked improvement in health and nutrition outcomes over the last two decades. Qualitative data collection and analysis at community level illustrated conflicting areas of understanding and practice related to diets of children and pregnant and lactating women during fasting times, potentially leading to gaps in nutrition. Community participants described different understandings of fasting requirements for these vulnerable populations and associated social norms and doxa, not always in accordance with religious texts or published guidance. Useful behavior change strategies may be developed through these results to address the potential barriers to appropriate feeding patterns for pregnant and lactating women and young children in Ethiopia. This will include continuing to work with communities and religious leaders to clarify that religious doctrine promotes improved nutrition outcomes.

Despite poverty reduction and increased promotion of improved nutrition practices in the community, undernutrition in Ethiopia remains a concern. The present study aimed to explore the demand and supply side barriers that limit the uptake of nutrition services among pregnant women from the rural communities of the Tigray Region, Northern Ethiopia. A community-based qualitative study was conducted in December through January 2017. A total of 90 key informant in-depth interviews and 14 focus group discussions were undertaken. Study participants were purposively selected for specific characteristics, along with health professionals deployed at various levels of the health system, including health posts, health centers, woreda health offices, and the regional health bureau. Study participants were asked to identify the barriers and implementation challenges that limit access to nutrition services for pregnant women. Participants&rsquo, responses were transcribed verbatim, without editing the grammar, to avoid losing meaning. The data were imported to ATLAS.ti 7 (qualitative data analysis software) for coding and analyzed using a thematic content analysis approach. The study findings indicated that the dietary quality of pregnant women in the study area remains poor and in some cases, poorer quality than pre-pregnancy. Across study sites, heavy workloads, food taboos and avoidances, low husband support, lack of economic resources, lack of awareness, low educational level of women, poor dietary habits, increased expenditure for cultural and religious festivities, &ldquo, dependency syndrome&rdquo, low physical access to health facilities, poorly equipped health facilities, focus on child health and nutrition, poor coordination among nutrition specific and sensitive sectors, and limited sources of nutrition information were identified as the demand and supply side barriers limiting the uptake of nutrition services during pregnancy. In conclusion, the community would benefit from improved social behavior change communication on nutrition during pregnancy and multi-sectoral coordination among nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive sectors.

To explore why women in Ghana initiate breast-feeding early or late, who gives advice about initiation and what foods or fluids are given to babies when breast-feeding initiation is late. Qualitative data were collected through 52 semistructured interviews with recent mothers, 8 focus group discussions with women of child-bearing age and 13 semistructured interviews with health workers, policy makers and implementers. The major reasons for delaying initiation of breast-feeding were the perception of a lack of breast milk, performing postbirth activities such as bathing, perception that the mother and the baby need rest after birth and the baby not crying for milk. Facilitating factors for early initiation included delivery in a health facility, where the staff encouraged early breast-feeding, and the belief in some ethnic groups that putting the baby to the breast encourages the milk. Policy makers tended to focus on exclusive breast-feeding rather than early initiation. Most activities for the promotion of early initiation of breast-feeding were focused on health facilities with very few community activities. It is important to raise awareness about early initiation of breast-feeding in communities and in the policy arena. Interventions should focus on addressing barriers to early initiation and should include a community component.

Objective To examine the social costs to women of skilled attendance at birth in rural Ghana. Method Ethnographic data were obtained through participant observation, interviews, case histories, and focus groups and were analyzed alongside data from a birth cohort of 2878 singletons born in the Kintampo study district between July 2003 and June 2004. Results Most women delivered at home. Home delivery raises a woman's status in her community, while seeking skilled attendance lowers it. Women feel that seeking assistance in childbirth wastes other people's time and they value secrecy in labor. Negative treatment by health providers and expensive supplies needed for delivery also act as barriers. Conclusion The social costs of obtaining skilled attendance at birth must be offset by community level strategies such as mobilization of older women and husbands, and ensuring health providers extend professional, humane care to laboring women.

Skin-to-skin contact (STSC) for low birth weight newborns in community settings may greatly improve survival, especially where access to health facilities is limited. Community STSC has been implemented in large-scale trials in Asia and is recommended by WHO and UNICEF. In countries where the practice is entirely new, such as Ghana, STSC may need special educational approaches. Objective: The dual aims of this study were to understand the acceptance and barriers to STSC in an African community setting and to use in-depth formative research to contribute to the success of a behavior-based health intervention. Design: A rapid qualitative study with an intentionally small sample. Setting: Kintampo, Ghana, a predominately rural, agrarian area in the center of the country with diverse ethnic groups in a forest-savannah transition zone. Method: Key informants were consulted through in-depth interviews and focus group discussions to develop the pilot. Five mothers participated in pilot instruction (four refused), which included counseling and used a trials-of-improved-practices methodology; data from group discussion with traditional birth attendants were also included. Results: It was difficult to overcome barriers to the practice (post partum pain, fear of harming the umbilicus), and less intractable barriers (traditional carrying practices, fear of causing harm, lack of back support, time constraints, breast feeding issues) were reported. Conclusion: Some study participants tried STSC but none did it continuously. As promotion of STSC could be vital for improving newborn survival in low resource settings, tackling perceived barriers may be an important way to increase acceptability of this practice.

This paper summarizes lessons learned from formative research conducted in Bangladesh, Ghana, India, Mali and Nepal to inform the development of newborn health interventions, mostly in the context of field trials. Current practices, constraints to the adoption of optimal practices and implications for implementing inventions to improve newborn survival are discussed for: optimal care during pregnancy; skilled care at birth; optimal delivery and newborn care practices; special care of low birth weight babies; and timely and appropriate care seeking for newborn illness. General lessons concerning target audiences and intervention strategy are also drawn. In brief, interventions to reduce neonatal mortality need to start during pregnancy not only to promote birth preparedness and institutional delivery, but also to start the process of change concerning early newborn care practices. Their target audience should not only be pregnant or recently delivered women, but also include the main gatekeepers, particularly traditional birth attendants, grandmothers and other family members. Health providers' opinions also matter as care practices are less likely to change if families receive conflicting messages from different sources. Interventions are more likely to succeed if they are not simply message based, but include problem solving approaches, and a behavior change component to address community norms. Although antenatal care (ANC) is theoretically a good channel for newborn interventions, capitalising on its potential is not straightforward, and will require considerable investment and intervention development in its own right in order to improve ANC counselling, which will need to extend beyond training and tackle the many working day constraints encountered by ANC providers. Removing or subsidising the cost of deliveries may be a necessary action to increase institutional deliveries, but it is unlikely to be sufficient; measures will need to be put in place to ensure the basic quality of institutional deliveries and newborn care, and to change staff attitudes and practices. Post-natal visits should include observation of the baby, referral and counselling of the mother concerning danger signs in addition to promoting optimal care practices. The lessons learned should guide the development of interventions in other contexts, and ensure that key essential elements are not overlooked. They do not, however, mean that formative research will not be needed in other contexts, although the list of questions to address should be considerably reduced; successful intervention strategies require adaptation to make them local, context-specific if they are to be effective, and ongoing process monitoring to ensure the quality of intervention delivery, to check that it is having its intended effect, and to respond to any concerns from its implementers, recipients or the community. Finally, major gaps in evidence are highlighted. These include: establishing levels of recognition of asphyxiated babies and effectiveness of local solutions for resuscitation; clarifying the extent of the overlap between community perceptions of 'at risk' babies and low birthweight babies; developing and evaluating effective interventions to enable ANC services to deliver effective behaviour change counselling for pregnant and newborn health; evaluating effectiveness of delivering community-based newborn interventions at scale through routine services.

To assess newborn care-seeking practices in a rural area of Ghana where most births take place at home in order to inform potential strategies for reducing newborn mortality.Qualitative, ethnographic study with quantitative data from a birth cohort collected as part of the surveillance system of an ongoing randomized controlled trial. Data collected comprised 84 h of participant observation (including following an ill newborn through a hospital visit), 14 in-depth interviews with key informants (older mothers and grandmothers), 45 semistructured interviews with mothers, 28 case histories from women who had recently given birth and 32 expert interviews with local health providers. Thirteen focus groups were held with men and women, and narrative histories of newborn deaths were taken from eight women. Birth cohort data came from 2878 singletons born alive in the study district within the year July 2003-June 2004.Significant delays in care seeking for ill newborns occur in Kintampo District, Ghana. 2.1% of 2878 newborns in the birth cohort had a serious illness during the first 4 weeks of life, but care was only sought outside the home for 61% of those and from a doctor or hospital for 39%. Barriers to prompt allopathic care seeking include sequential care-seeking practices, with often exclusive use of traditional medicine as first-line treatment for 7 days, previous negative experiences with health service facilities, financial constraints and remoteness from health facilities.Improvements in care seeking are urgently needed. Families should be urged to seek medical care for any symptom of illness in a newborn; financial and socio-cultural barriers to care seeking for newborns must be addressed in order to improve neonatal survival.