Thoughts on comparative studies of dementia knowledge of older adults across cultural settings

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
Fei Sun ◽  
Jaewon Lee

As the world’s population ages, dementia has become a global public health concern (WHO, 2017). However, misconceptions of dementia remain, which pose discrimination and isolation to persons living with dementia (PWD) and prevent individuals from timely access to diagnosis and treatment. Research has shed light on factors associated with dementia knowledge among elders, but little has been known regarding an influence of social-cultural contexts on elder’s dementia acknowledge. Dr. Zhao and colleagues’ paper on dementia knowledge and its associates among Chinese background elders in Melbourne and Beijing generated inspirational findings in this regard. This commentary highlights major findings of Dr. Zhao et al.’s paper and discusses their implications for dementia education, as well as points out limitations that future research can address.

2014 ◽  
Vol 142 (9) ◽  
pp. 1848-1858 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. PANDA ◽  
A. K. DEB ◽  
M. CHAWLA-SARKAR ◽  
T. RAMAMURTHY ◽  
S. GANGULY ◽  
...  

SUMMARYSocio-behavioural factors and pathogens associated with childhood diarrhoea are of global public health concern. Our survey in 696 children aged ⩽2 years in rural West Bengal detected rotavirus as sole pathogen in 8% (17/199) of diarrhoeic stool specimens. Other organisms were detected along with rotavirus in 11% of faecal specimens. A third of the children with rotavirus diarrhoea, according to Vesikari score, had severe illness. The top four rotavirus genotypes were G9P[4] (28%), G1P[8] (19%), G2P[4] (14%) and G8P[4] (8%). In the multivariate model, the practice of ‘drawing drinking water by dipping a pot in the storage vessel’ [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 2·21, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1·03–4·74,P = 0·041], and ‘children aged ⩽6 months with non-exclusive breastfeeding’ (aOR 2·07, 95% CI 1·1–3·82,P = 0·024) had twice the odds of having diarrhoea. Incidence of rotavirus diarrhoea was 24/100 child-years in children aged >6–18 months, 19/100 child-years in children aged >18–24 months and 5/100 child-years in those aged ⩽6 months. Results have translational implications for future interventions including vaccine development.


Foods ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 701
Author(s):  
Aroa Lopez-Santamarina ◽  
Esther Gonzalez Gonzalez ◽  
Alexandre Lamas ◽  
Alicia del Carmen Mondragon ◽  
Patricia Regal ◽  
...  

Allergies are an increasing global public health concern, especially for children and people living in urban environments. Allergies impair the quality of life of those who suffer from them, and for this reason, alternatives for the treatment of allergic diseases or reduction in their symptoms are being sought. The main objective of this study was to compile the studies carried out on probiotics as a possible therapy for allergies. The most studied allergies on which probiotics have been shown to have a beneficial effect are rhinitis, asthma, and atopic dermatitis. Most studies have studied the administration of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium spp. in children and have shown beneficial effects, such as a reduction in hyperreactivity and inflammation caused by allergens and a decrease in cytokine release, among other beneficial effects. In the case of children, no clear beneficial effects were found in several studies, and the potential risk from the use of some opportunistic bacteria, such as probiotics, seems controversial. In the studies that reported beneficial results, these effects were found to make allergy symptoms less aggressive, thus reducing morbidity in allergy sufferers. The different effects of the same probiotic bacteria on different patients seem to reinforce the idea that the efficacy of probiotics is dependent on the microbial species or strain, its derived metabolites and byproducts, and the gut microbiota eubiosis of the patient. This study is relevant in the context of allergic diseases, as it provides a broader understanding of new alternatives for the treatment of allergies, both in children, who are the main sufferers, and adults, showing that probiotics, in some cases, reduce the symptoms and severity of such diseases.


Toxins ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 528 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rasetti-Escargueil ◽  
Popoff

Botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT) is produced by the anaerobic, Gram-positive bacterium Clostridium botulinum. As one of the most poisonous toxins known and a potential bioterrosism agent, BoNT is characterized by a complex mode of action comprising: internalization, translocation and proteolytic cleavage of a substrate, which inhibits synaptic exocytotic transmitter release at neuro-muscular nerve endings leading to peripheral neuroparalysis of the skeletal and autonomic nervous systems. There are seven major serologically distinct toxinotypes (A–G) of BoNT which act on different substrates. Human botulism is generally caused by BoNT/A, B and E. Due to its extreme lethality and potential use as biological weapon, botulism remains a global public health concern. Vaccination against BoNT, although an effective strategy, remains undesirable due to the growing expectation around therapeutic use of BoNTs in various pathological conditions. This review focuses on the current approaches for botulism control by immunotherapy, highlighting the future challenges while the molecular underpinnings among subtypes variants and BoNT sequences found in non-clostridial species remain to be elucidated.


2020 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bev John ◽  
Katy Holloway ◽  
Nyle Davies ◽  
Tom May ◽  
Marian Buhociu ◽  
...  

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 174-179 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Mahmoudi ◽  
S. Agha Kuchak Afshari ◽  
S. Aghaei Gharehbolagh ◽  
H. Mirhendi ◽  
K. Makimura

2012 ◽  
Vol 200 (4) ◽  
pp. 330-335 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rory C. O'Connor ◽  
Susan Rasmussen ◽  
Keith Hawton

BackgroundAdolescent self-harm is a major public health concern, yet little is known about the factors that distinguish adolescents who think about self-harm but do not act on these thoughts from those who act on such thoughts.AimsWithin a new theoretical model, the integrated motivational–volitional model, we investigated factors associated with adolescents having thoughts of self-harm (ideators)v.those associated with self-harm enaction (enactors).MethodObservational study of school pupils employing an anonymous self-report survey to compare three groups of adolescents: self-harm enactors (n= 628)v.self-harm ideators (n= 675)v.those without any self-harm history (n= 4219).ResultsEnactors differed from ideators on all of the volitional factors. Relative to ideators, enactors were more likely to have a family member/close friend who had self-harmed, more likely to think that their peers engaged in self-harm and they were more impulsive than the ideators. Enactors also reported more life stress than ideators. Conversely, the two self-harm groups did not differ on any of the variables associated with the development of self-harm thoughts.ConclusionsAs more adolescents think about self-harm than engage in it, a better understanding of the factors that govern behavioural enaction is crucial in the effective assessment of the risk of self-harm.


2012 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mobarak Hossain Khan

SummaryUrban health in rapidly urbanizing megacities of developing countries is a global public health concern due to growing slums in vulnerable areas, huge impacts of climate change, environment pollution, unhealthy lifestyles, high inequity, limited resources, and growing violence. Increasing cooperation and partnership among relevant disciplines such as urban planners, health professionals, community workers and politicians including improved urban governance are necessary to ameliorate risk factors and improve megacity health.


2016 ◽  
Vol 90 (10) ◽  
pp. 4864-4875 ◽  
Author(s):  
Helen M. Lazear ◽  
Michael S. Diamond

Zika virus (ZIKV) had remained a relatively obscure flavivirus until a recent series of outbreaks accompanied by unexpectedly severe clinical complications brought this virus into the spotlight as causing an infection of global public health concern. In this review, we discuss the history and epidemiology of ZIKV infection, recent outbreaks in Oceania and the emergence of ZIKV in the Western Hemisphere, newly ascribed complications of ZIKV infection, including Guillain-Barré syndrome and microcephaly, potential interactions between ZIKV and dengue virus, and the prospects for the development of antiviral agents and vaccines.


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