scholarly journals Rubella epidemiology in South East England

1986 ◽  
Vol 96 (2) ◽  
pp. 291-304 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. J. Nokes ◽  
R. M. Anderson ◽  
M. J. Anderson
Keyword(s):  
Virus Transmission ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Adult Age ◽  
Force Of Infection ◽  
Immunization Programme ◽  
South East England ◽  
Serological Data ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Large Survey

SUMMARYAnalyses of data collected in a large survey (sample size > 3000) of rubella antibody in South East England, finely stratified according to age, reveal age-dependent changes in the pattern of virus transmission. The rate or force of infection changes from low in the young children to high in the 5 - to 15-year-olds and back to low again in the adult age classes (there is a 50% reduction between the 5- to 15-year-olds and the 20+-year-olds). Raised levels of immunity are recorded in the teenage and young adult female segments of the population as a consequence of the UK rubella immunization programme. Mean antibody concentrations show a decline with age and are, on average, lower in vaccinated females when compared with unvaccinated males of the same age. The interpretation of horizontal cross-sectional serological data and future research needs are discussed.

scholarly journals Taming the chaos: NHS professionals’ perspective of using video consulting during COVID-19 in Wales

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. e001318
Author(s):  
Gemma Johns ◽  
Sara Khalil ◽  
Mike Ogonovsky ◽  
Markus Hesseling ◽  
Allan Wardhaugh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
National Health Service ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Local Health ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Early Use ◽  
Observational Study Design ◽  
The Uk

The use of video consulting (VC) in the UK has expanded rapidly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Technology Enabled Care (TEC) Cymru, the Welsh Government and Local Health boards began implementing the National Health Service (NHS) Wales VC Service in March 2020. This has been robustly evaluated on a large-scale All-Wales basis, across a wide range of NHS Wales specialities.AimsTo understand the early use of VC in Wales from the perspective of NHS professionals using it. NHS professionals were approached by TEC Cymru to provide early data.MethodsUsing an observational study design with descriptive methods including a cross-sectional survey, TEC Cymru captured data on the use, benefits and challenges of VC from NHS professionals in Wales during August and September 2020. This evidence is based on the rapid adoption of VC in Wales, which mirrors that of other nations.ResultsA total of 1256 NHS professionals shared their VC experience. Overall, responses were positive, and professionals expressed optimistic views regarding the use and benefit of VC, even when faced with challenges on occasions.ConclusionsThis study provides evidence of general positivity, acceptance and the success of the VC service in Wales. Future research studies will now be able to explore and evaluate the implementation methods used within this study, and investigate their effectiveness in being able to achieve better outcomes through VC.

scholarly journals Current therapy for the upper limb after stroke: a cross-sectional survey of UK therapists

BMJ Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (9) ◽  
pp. e030262 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel Stockley ◽  
Rosemary Peel ◽  
Kathryn Jarvis ◽  
Louise Connell
Keyword(s):  
Upper Limb ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Current Therapy ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Constraint Induced Movement Therapy ◽  
Therapy Interventions ◽  
The Uk

ObjectivesTo survey the reported content, frequency and duration of upper limb treatment provided by occupational and physiotherapists for people after stroke in the UK.DesignA cross-sectional online survey was used. Description and analysis of the data were based on items from the Template for Intervention Description and Replication (Who, Where, What and How much).SettingThe online survey was distributed via professional and social networks to UK-based therapists.ParticipantsRespondents were occupational or physiotherapists currently working clinically in the UK with people after stroke. Over the 6 week data collection period, 156 respondents opened the survey, and 154 completed it. Respondents comprised 85 physiotherapists and 69 occupational therapists.ResultsRespondents reported treating the upper limb a median of three times a week (range: 1 to 7) for a mean of 29 min (SD: 18). Most (n=110) stated this was supplemented by rehabilitation assistants, family and/or carers providing additional therapy a median of three times a week (range 1 to 7). Functional training was the most commonly reported treatment for people with mild and moderate upper limb deficits (>40%). There was much less consistency in treatments reported for people with severe upper limb deficits with less than 20% (n=28) reporting the same treatments.ConclusionsThis study provides a contemporaneous description of reported therapy in the UK for people with upper limb deficits after stroke and a detailed template to inform standard therapy interventions in future research. Several evidence-based therapies were reported to be used by respondents (eg, constraint induced movement therapy), but others were not (eg, mental imagery). The findings also highlight that the current reported provision of upper limb therapy is markedly less than what is likely to be effective. This underlines an urgent need to configure and fund services to empower therapists to deliver greater amounts of evidence-based treatment for people with upper limb deficits after stroke.

scholarly journals The usefulness of health education materials in GP waiting rooms: a cross-sectional study

2018 ◽  
Vol 68 (suppl 1) ◽  
pp. bjgp18X696845 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katherine Maskell ◽  
Paula McDonald ◽  
Priyamvada Paudyal
Keyword(s):  
Health Education ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Waiting Room ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Health Education Materials ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Changing Knowledge ◽  
University Degree

BackgroundMore than half of patients in the UK wait between 5 and 15 minutes before seeing the GP, and this time in the waiting room (WR) provides an ideal opportunity for patient education.AimTo assess patients’ perceptions of the usefulness, noticeability and attractiveness of health education materials (HEMs); and the variety, number, topics, design and accessibility of these HEMs.MethodAn anonymous questionnaire was distributed to patients in the WR to assess their use of health information and perceptions of HEMs. A survey measured the availability of HEMs in the WR and evaluated their quality against 16 accessibility and design criteria.ResultsA total of 556 questionnaires were completed (response rate 97.9%). On average, WRs contained 72 posters covering 23 topics, and 53 leaflets covering 24 topics. Multivariate analysis showed that patients’ perception of usefulness was significantly associated with reading in the WR, using written HEMs, and not having a university degree; whilst noticeability was associated with reading in the WR, and being female. Attractiveness was associated with not having a university degree and shorter waiting time.ConclusionThis study suggests that a wide variety of HEMs are available, and that many patients find them useful and noticeable, however, fewer find them well-designed and attractive. Future research should focus on the effectiveness of generally available HEMs at changing knowledge, attitudes, intentions, and behaviours; and utilising technology to deliver innovative means of providing patient health information.

scholarly journals Access to and adequacy of psychological services for adult patients in UK hospices: a national, cross-sectional survey

2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Daisy McInnerney ◽  
Bridget Candy ◽  
Patrick Stone ◽  
Nicola Atkin ◽  
Joana Johnson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Best Practice ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
National Level ◽  
Psychological Support ◽  
Psychological Services ◽  
Adult Patients ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Facilitators And Barriers ◽  
The Uk

Abstract Background Providing psychological support to people living with terminal illness is a fundamental part of hospice care. Recent research on delivery of psychological services in hospices in the United Kingdom (UK) on a national level, including inequalities or variation in practice, is limited. A nationwide survey will highlight any differences in provision and in doing so help focus future research and inform best practice both within the UK, and internationally. The specific objectives of this survey are to (1) chart the types of psychological support available to adult patients in hospices in the UK in line with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence model; (2) explore how services are organised; and (3) gather service perspectives on adequacy of care, and facilitators and barriers to appropriate practice. Methods A cross-sectional online survey emailed to adult hospices in the UK in November–December 2019. One staff member involved in the delivery and/or organisation of psychological support was invited to participate per hospice. Of 193 invited hospices, 116 took part. Results Sixteen percent rated their hospice psychological service as wholly adequate. The majority reported that services can access specialist professionals, but many relied on external referrals. Barriers to best practice included funding and staff capacity; facilitators included clear referral structures, audit and appropriate needs and outcome assessments. Conclusions Access to psychological professionals has improved since the last survey 15 years ago, but the majority of responders felt their overall service was not wholly adequate. Basic emotional support is largely felt to be sufficient, but our results indicate a need for improvements in access to more specialist care. Partnerships with external mental health services may be key. Our findings highlight core facilitators and barriers to providing good psychological care at the end of life that should be considered by services both within the UK and on an international level.

scholarly journals Hepatitis B virus transmission in pre-adolescent schoolchildren in four multi-ethnic areas of England

2012 ◽  
Vol 141 (5) ◽  
pp. 916-925 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. A. BALOGUN ◽  
J. V. PARRY ◽  
K. MUTTON ◽  
C. OKOLO ◽  
L. BENONS ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hepatitis B Virus ◽  
Hepatitis B ◽  
Virus Transmission ◽  
Core Antigen ◽  
Effective Measure ◽  
Immunization Programme ◽  
B Virus ◽  
Hepatitis B Core Antigen ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Universal Infant

SUMMARYThe aim of this study was to estimate the amount of childhood hepatitis B virus transmission in children born in the UK, a very low-prevalence country, that is preventable only by universal hepatitis B immunization of infants. Oral fluid specimens were collected from schoolchildren aged 7–11 years in four inner city multi-ethnic areas and tested for the presence of antibody to hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc). Those found positive or indeterminate were followed up with testing on serum to confirm their hepatitis B status. The overall prevalence of anti-HBc in children was low [0·26%, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0·14–0·44]. The estimated average annual incidence of hepatitis B was estimated to be 29·26/100 000 children (95% CI 16·00–49·08). The total incidence that is preventable only by a universal infant immunization programme in the UK was estimated to be between 5·00 and 12·49/100 000. The study demonstrates that the extent of horizontal childhood hepatitis B virus transmission is low in children born in the UK and suggests that schools in the UK are an uncommon setting for the transmission of the virus. Targeted hepatitis B testing and immunization of migrants from intermediate- and high-prevalence countries is likely to be a more effective measure to reduce childhood transmission than a universal infant immunization programme.

scholarly journals Apart but not Alone? A cross-sectional study of neighbour support in a major UK urban area during the COVID-19 lockdown

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
pp. 37 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mat Jones ◽  
Amy Beardmore ◽  
Michele Biddle ◽  
Andy Gibson ◽  
Sanda Umar Ismail ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Support Groups ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Vulnerable Groups ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Adult Age ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The Uk

Background: Evidence from a range of major public health incidents shows that neighbour-based action can have a critical role in emergency response, assistance and recovery. However, there is little research to date on neighbour-based action during the 2020 coronavirus pandemic. This article reports on a survey of people engaged in supporting their neighbours in weeks three and four of the UK COVID-19 lockdown. Methods: Members of area-based and community of interest COVID-19 support groups in the Bristol conurbation were invited to complete an online survey. Of 1,255 people who clicked on the survey link, 862 responded; of these, 539 responses were eligible for analysis. Results: Respondents reported providing a wide range of support that went beyond health information, food and medical prescription assistance, to include raising morale through humour, creativity and acts of kindness and solidarity. A substantial proportion felt that they had become more involved in neighbourhood life following the lockdown and had an interest in becoming more involved in future. Neighbour support spanned all adult age groups, including older people categorised as being at-risk to the virus. With respect to most measures, there were no differences in the characteristics of support between respondents in areas of higher and lower deprivation. However, respondents from more deprived areas were more likely to state that they were involved in supporting certain vulnerable groups. Conclusions: As with previous research on major social upheavals, our findings suggest that responses to the viral pandemic and associated social restrictions may increase existing social and health inequalities, and further research should explore this issue in more depth.

scholarly journals Identifying Age Cohorts Responsible for Peste Des Petits Ruminants Virus Transmission among Sheep, Goats, and Cattle in Northern Tanzania

Viruses ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 186 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine Herzog ◽  
William de Glanville ◽  
Brian Willett ◽  
Isabella Cattadori ◽  
Vivek Kapur ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Age Groups ◽  
Virus Transmission ◽  
Transmission Risk ◽  
High Morbidity ◽  
Peste Des Petits Ruminants ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Age Cohorts ◽  
Force Of Infection ◽  
Northern Tanzania ◽  
Pastoral Cattle

Peste des petits ruminants virus (PPRV) causes a contagious disease of high morbidity and mortality in global sheep and goat populations. To better control this disease and inform eradication strategies, an improved understanding of how PPRV transmission risk varies by age is needed. Our study used a piece-wise catalytic model to estimate the age-specific force of infection (FOI, per capita infection rate of susceptible hosts) among sheep, goats, and cattle from a cross-sectional serosurvey dataset collected in 2016 in Tanzania. Apparent seroprevalence increased with age, reaching 53.6%, 46.8%, and 11.6% (true seroprevalence: 52.7%, 52.8%, 39.2%) for sheep, goats, and cattle, respectively. Seroprevalence was significantly higher among pastoral animals than agropastoral animals across all ages, with pastoral sheep and goat seroprevalence approaching 70% and 80%, respectively, suggesting pastoral endemicity. The best fitting piece-wise catalytic models merged age groups: two for sheep, three for goats, and four for cattle. The signal of these age heterogeneities were weak, except for a significant FOI peak among 2.5–3.5-year-old pastoral cattle. The subtle age-specific heterogeneities identified in this study suggest that targeting control efforts by age may not be as effective as targeting by other risk factors, such as production system type. Further research should investigate how specific husbandry practices affect PPRV transmission.

scholarly journals Bibliometric Analysis of Dental Erosion (2011–2020)

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (22) ◽  
pp. 10971
Author(s):  
Laura Marqués Martínez ◽  
Carla Borrell García ◽  
Clara Guinot Barona ◽  
Paula Boo Gordillo ◽  
Esther García Miralles
Keyword(s):  
Bibliometric Analysis ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Dental Erosion ◽  
Research Articles ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
The Past ◽  
Mesh Terms ◽  
Number Of Publications ◽  
The Uk

During the past decade, an increase in the number of studies about dental erosion has been observed. The aim of the present study was to describe the current trends in published scientific articles related to dental erosion between 2011 and 2020. Data of the authors, year and language of publication were analyzed. A bibliometric analysis of the articles published in PubMed was conducted using the MeSH terms (dental erosion) and (tooth erosion) using the Boolean operator OR/AND. A sample of n = 1090 articles published during the past ten years (2011–2020) was obtained. The variables analyzed were the language of the article, the year of publishing, the number of authors, the affiliations of the first and last author and the relationship between them. The countries of origin of the first and last author were ranked according to the number of publications, led by Brazil, the UK, and the USA. During the analysis of the type of article, we observed that 79.4% of all publications were research articles. In recent years, a significant increase in research articles on dental erosion has been observed, especially in Brazil and the UK, with a high number of publications of translational articles in humans and cross-sectional observational studies. The main findings in this article will help researchers, academics and students to characterize scientific results regarding dental erosion, to evaluate management strategies and to identify important topics and issues that will help design future research.

Military families: the impacts of having a first child during service on military mothers

2021 ◽  
pp. bmjmilitary-2021-001928
Author(s):  
Charlotte Williamson ◽  
J Baumann ◽  
D Murphy
Keyword(s):  
Military Service ◽  
Armed Forces ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
First Child ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Military ◽  
Health And Well Being

IntroductionThe rights, roles and responsibilities of servicewomen in the UK Armed Forces has changed dramatically over time. Previously, service personnel were automatically discharged from the military if they became pregnant. As the percentage of servicewomen in the UK Armed Forces increases, having children during service is becoming more common and maternity policies are now in place. Having children during military service can impact on the health and well-being of servicewomen, including a greater risk of illness when returning to work.MethodsA cross-sectional, self-report survey was used for data collection. The response rate was approximately 45%. Female Army veterans were recruited via a female military association. The survey collected data on parental status, the timing of their first child (during or after service), and several current mental and physical health and well-being outcomes.ResultsOf the 750 female Army veterans who completed the survey, 406 reported having children. Of those with children, 14.5% had their first child during service compared with 85.5% after service. The most frequently endorsed health outcomes were low social support, loneliness and common mental health difficulties. Participants who had their first child during military service were more likely to have left the service non-voluntarily.ConclusionsThis study provided insight into the impacts of having a first child during military service on servicewomen. Overall, female Army veterans who had their first child during service had poorer outcomes, including leaving service non-voluntarily. However, none of the health or well-being outcomes remained significant after adjusting the results. This study explored a widely under researched population and field of research. Future research should seek to expand on our findings and continue to explore the impacts of having a first child during military service for military mothers.

scholarly journals Breadth of neutralising antibody responses to SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern is augmented by vaccination following prior infection: studies in UK healthcare workers and immunodeficient patients

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angalee Nadesalingam ◽  
Diego Cantoni ◽  
David A Wells ◽  
Ernest T Aguinam ◽  
Matteo Ferrari ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Single Dose ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Post Vaccination ◽  
Care Workers ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Serological Data ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Prior Infection ◽  
Induced Immunity

A large portion of the UK general population has currently only received a single dose of a COVID-19 vaccination (either BNT162b2 (Pfizer) or AZD1222 (Vaxevria, AstraZeneca)), making it critical that we continue to track and understand the levels of protection against SARS-CoV-2 Variants of Concern (VOCs). We undertook a single-centre cross-sectional study in order to understand the variations in vaccine-induced immunity to the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine strain (B.1) and three major VOCs (B.1.1.7, B.1351 and P.1). We studied a cohort of outpatients with immunodeficiencies (IDPs) and health care workers (HCWs) based at the same critical care tertiary NHS Trust, following a single dose of either BNT162b2 or AZD1222 vaccines. Our serological data revealed either undetectable antibodies or low neutralising antibodies (nAbs) in IDPs, with only 5% and 3% showing detectable neutralisation of B.1.1.7 and B.1.351, respectively. Healthy HCWs without a prior SARS-CoV-2 infection demonstrated a wide range of nAb titres post-vaccination. However, their responses are significantly lower than HCWs with previous SARS-CoV-2 infection. Neutralisation of VOCs with the E484K mutation (B.1.351 and P.1) were consistently lower in HCWs in the absence of evidence of prior SARS-CoV-2 infection (p<0.001). Notably, in HCWs with prior SARS-CoV-2 infection, there is a significant increase of neutralising titres post-vaccination to all four strains, compared to their pre-vaccination neutralisation titres. This underscores the importance of vaccination even in populations that have been previously exposed, and also provides support for the hypothesis that a second-dose of vaccination will similarly boost immunity to greater protective levels in individuals without prior SARS-CoV-2 exposure. Overall, this serological nAb analysis after a single-dose of BNT162b2 or AZD1222 vaccination demonstrates a wide variety of responses, particularly against the VOCs, and suggests limited neutralisation-based protection in individuals with immunodeficiencies.

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