Treatment interruption is a risk factor for sickness presenteeism: a large-scale cross-sectional study during the COVID-19 pandemic

AbstractObjectiveThis study examined the relationship between interruption to routine medical care during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic and sickness presenteeism in Japan.MethodsAn internet monitor questionnaire was conducted. Data from 27,036 people were analyzed. Interruption to medical care was defined based on the response “I have not been able to go to the hospital or receive treatment as scheduled.” The number of sickness presenteeism days in the past 30 days was employed as the primary outcome. A zero-inflated negative binomial model was used for analysis.ResultsThe incidence rate ratio was significantly higher among workers who experienced interrupted medical care (2.26; 95% confidence interval: 2.03–2.52) than those who did not require routine medical care.ConclusionsThis study suggests the importance of continuing necessary treatment during a pandemic to prevent presenteeism.

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The Relationships Between Serum DHEA-S and AMH Levels in Infertile Women: A Retrospective Cross-Sectional Study

Journal of Clinical Medicine ◽

10.3390/jcm10061211 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (6) ◽

pp. 1211

Author(s):

Li-Te Lin ◽

Kuan-Hao Tsui

Keyword(s):

Generalized Linear Models ◽

Large Scale ◽

Linear Models ◽

Positive Association ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulphate ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Infertile Women ◽

The Relationship

The relationship between serum dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (DHEA-S) and anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) levels has not been fully established. Therefore, we performed a large-scale cross-sectional study to investigate the association between serum DHEA-S and AMH levels. The study included a total of 2155 infertile women aged 20 to 46 years who were divided into four quartile groups (Q1 to Q4) based on serum DHEA-S levels. We found that there was a weak positive association between serum DHEA-S and AMH levels in infertile women (r = 0.190, p < 0.001). After adjusting for potential confounders, serum DHEA-S levels positively correlated with serum AMH levels in infertile women (β = 0.103, p < 0.001). Infertile women in the highest DHEA-S quartile category (Q4) showed significantly higher serum AMH levels (p < 0.001) compared with women in the lowest DHEA-S quartile category (Q1). The serum AMH levels significantly increased across increasing DHEA-S quartile categories in infertile women (p = 0.014) using generalized linear models after adjustment for potential confounders. Our data show that serum DHEA-S levels are positively associated with serum AMH levels.

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A cross-sectional study of socioeconomic status and sickness presenteeism in Japanese workers during the COVID-19 pandemic

10.1101/2021.07.23.21260909 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Masashi Masuda ◽

Tomohiro Ishimaru ◽

Ayako Hino ◽

Hajime Ando ◽

Seiichiro Tateishi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Socioeconomic Status ◽

Health Status ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Financial Instability ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Lifestyle Habits ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Sickness Presenteeism ◽

Japanese Workers ◽

The Relationship

Background: We examined the relationship between socioeconomic and health status, and lifestyle habits and sickness presenteeism among Japanese workers during the COVID-19 epidemic. Methods: A cross-sectional study using Internet monitors was conducted in December, 2020 in Japan. Of 33,302 survey participants, we analysed 27,036 (13,814 males and 13,222 females) who reported experience with sickness presenteeism. Results: The OR of sickness presenteeism associated with unmarried versus married status was 1.15. Respective figures for other variables were 1.11 for manual laboring work compared to desk work; 1.79 and 2.29 for loss of employment at the time the pandemic began and continuation of unemployment compared to maintaining employment during the pandemic; and 3.34 for a feeling of financial instability compared to stability. Conclusion: The issue of sickness presenteeism has been highlighted by COVID-19.

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Higher Pro-Inflammatory Dietary Score is Associated with Higher Hyperuricemia Risk: Results from the Case-Controlled Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study_Cardiovascular Disease Association Study

Nutrients ◽

10.3390/nu11081803 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (8) ◽

pp. 1803 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Hye Sun Kim ◽

Minji Kwon ◽

Hyun Yi Lee ◽

Nitin Shivappa ◽

James R. Hébert ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Large Scale ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Disease Association ◽

Dietary Inflammatory Index ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Food Frequency ◽

Inflammatory Index ◽

The Relationship ◽

Dietary Score

In previous studies, the elevated dietary inflammatory index (DII®) scores have been consistently associated with several chronic diseases. However, the relationship with hyperuricemia remains unknown. The aim of this study was to determine if the DII is associated with hyperuricemia risk. The study included 13,701 participants (men 5102; women 8599) in a large-scale cross-sectional study in South Korea. A validated semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (SQFFQ) was used to measure dietary intake, and blood samples were obtained to determine hyperuricemia. As the DII score increased, the hyperuricemia risk increased among women (OR 1.35, 95% CI 1.03–1.77, p trend = 0.02). However, no significant results were found for men. Women with lower BMI scores had higher risks of hyperuricemia with higher DII scores (OR 1.62, 95% CI 1.05–2.52, p trend = 0.03). As the DII increased, however, only women who consumed alcohol (“past or current drinkers”) had higher risks of hyperuricemia (OR 1.92, 1.22–3.02, p trend = 0.004). Among the DII components, intake of flavonoids showed a significant association with the hyperuricemia risk in women (OR 0.75, 0.59–0.96, p trend = 0.03). Our results suggest that higher intake of pro-inflammatory diet is significantly associated with higher risk of hyperuricemia among women. These results reinforce the importance of less pro-inflammatory habitual dietary patterns in lowering the risk of hyperuricemia and secondary afflictions such as cardiovascular diseases.

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Difficulties faced by older Rohingya (forcibly displaced Myanmar nationals) adults in accessing medical services amid the COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh

BMJ Global Health ◽

10.1136/bmjgh-2021-007051 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 6 (12) ◽

pp. e007051

Author(s):

Sabuj Kanti Mistry ◽

ARM Mehrab Ali ◽

Uday Narayan Yadav ◽

Md. Nazmul Huda ◽

Saruna Ghimire ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Medical Care ◽

Emergency Preparedness ◽

Health Centre ◽

Sampling Technique ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Walking Distance ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Factors Associated ◽

Routine Medical Care

BackgroundCOVID-19 has seriously disrupted health services in many countries including Bangladesh. This research aimed to explore whether Rohingya (forcefully displaced Myanmar nationals) older adults in Bangladesh faced difficulties accessing medicines and routine medical care services amid this pandemic.MethodsThis cross-sectional study was conducted among 416 Rohingya older adults aged 60 years and above residing in Rohingya refugee camps situated in the Cox’s Bazar district of Bangladesh and was conducted in October 2020. A purposive sampling technique was followed, and participants’ perceived difficulties in accessing medicines and routine medical care were noted through face-to-face interviews. Binary logistic regression models determined the association between outcome and explanatory variables.ResultsOverall, one-third of the participants reported difficulties in accessing medicines and routine medical care. Significant factors associated with facing difficulties accessing medicine included feelings of loneliness (adjusted OR (AOR) 3.54, 95% CI 1.93 to 6.48), perceptions that older adults were at the highest risk of COVID-19 (AOR 3.35, 95% CI 1.61 to 6.97) and required additional care during COVID-19 (AOR 6.89, 95% CI 3.62 to 13.13). Also, the notable factors associated with difficulties in receiving routine medical care included living more than 30 min walking distance from the health centre (AOR 3.57, 95% CI 1.95 to 6.56), feelings of loneliness (AOR 2.20, 95% CI 1.25 to 3.87), perception that older adults were at the highest risk of COVID-19 (AOR 2.85, 95% CI 1.36 to 5.99) and perception that they required additional care during the pandemic (AOR 4.55, 95% CI 2.48 to 8.35).ConclusionMany Rohingya older adults faced difficulties in accessing medicines and routine medical care during this pandemic. This call for policy-makers and relevant stakeholders to re-assess emergency preparedness plans including strategies to provide continuing care.

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Relationship Between Glycosylated Hemoglobin and Short-Term Mortality of Spontaneous Intracerebral Hemorrhage

Frontiers in Neurology ◽

10.3389/fneur.2021.648907 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

Author(s):

Ping Lu ◽

Lingyun Cui ◽

Yu Wang ◽

Kaijiang Kang ◽

Hongqiu Gu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Intracerebral Hemorrhage ◽

Large Scale ◽

Glycosylated Hemoglobin ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Spontaneous Intracerebral Hemorrhage ◽

Short Term ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Short Term Mortality ◽

The Relationship ◽

Hba1c Levels

Background: The relationship between glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and prognosis of spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (SICH) patients has not been fully elucidated. This study aimed to reveal the relationship between HbA1c levels and short-term mortality after patient admission with SICH.Methods: It was a large-scale, multicenter, cross-sectional study. From August 1, 2015, to July 31, 2019, a total of 41910 SICH patients were included in the study from the Chinese Stroke Center Alliance (CSCA) program. Finally, we comprehensively analyzed the data from 21,116 patients with SICH. HbA1c was categorized into four groups by quartile. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to assess the association between HbA1c levels and short-term mortality in SICH patients.Results: The average age of the 21,116 patients was 62.8 ± 13.2 years; 13,052 (61.8%) of them were male, and 507 (2.4%) of them died. Compared to the higher three quartiles of HbA1c, the lowest quartile (≤5.10%) had higher short-term mortality. In subgroup analysis with or without diabetes mellitus (DM) patients, the mortality of the Q3 group at 5.60–6.10% was significantly lower than that of the Q1 group at ≤5.10%. After adjustment for potential influencing factors, the ROC curve of HbA1c can better predict the short-term mortality of patients with SICH (AUC = 0.6286 P < 0.001).Conclusions: Therefore, we concluded that low or extremely low HbA1c levels (≤5.10%) after stroke were associated with higher short-term mortality in SICH patients, with or without DM.

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Interleukin-6 and Melatonin as Predictors of Cognitive, Emotional and Functional Ageing of Older People

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph17103623 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 17 (10) ◽

pp. 3623

Author(s):

Anna Kurowska ◽

Iwona Bodys-Cupak ◽

Magdalena Staszkiewicz ◽

Joanna Szklarczyk ◽

Joanna Zalewska-Puchała ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Medical Care ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Ageing Process ◽

Functional Skills ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Life Orientation Test ◽

Life Orientation ◽

Human Immune ◽

The Relationship ◽

State Examination

Background: The ageing process causes a number of changes in the human immune and endocrine systems. The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between cognitive, emotional and functional skills as well lifestyle, versus selected biochemical indicators of the ageing process. Methods: The cross-sectional study was conducted in a group of 121 people aged 60–90 residing in the Lesser Poland voivodship. The study used standardized research tools including the Barthel scale, Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) scale, Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Life Orientation Test (LOT-R) and inventory of health behaviors (IHB). In addition, the concentration of IL-6 and melatonin in the blood plasma was determined. Results: We determined the correlation between the level of IL-6 in a group of people over 75 years of age (requiring medical care), and results of the IADL scale. There was also a correlation between melatonin levels and the MMSE results in a group of people aged 60–75 who did not require constant medical care. Conclusions: IL-6 can be treated as a predictor of functional skills of people over 75 years of age, and melatonin can be perceived as a factor for recognizing cognitive impairment in elderly people who do not require constant medical assistance.

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Implication of serum zinc level with duration and clinical type of vitiligo

Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University Journal ◽

10.3329/bsmmuj.v6i2.29123 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 6 (2) ◽

pp. 99

Author(s):

Sohail Mirza ◽

Mohammad Eakub Ali ◽

Lubna Khondker ◽

Md. Shirajul Islam Khan ◽

Nadia Islam ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Large Scale ◽

Serum Zinc ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Zinc Level ◽

Serum Zinc Level ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

The Mean ◽

The Difference ◽

Medical University ◽

The Relationship

Background: Vitiligo is a common dermatological disorder characterized by acquired, idiopathic, progressive, hypomelanosis of the skin and hair, with total absence of melanocytes microscopically. Objective: The study was conducted to find out the relationship between serum zinc level and clinical spectrum of vitiligo. Methods: A cross sectional study conducted in the departmenl of Dermatology and Venereology and department of Biochemistry, Bangabandbu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), Dhaka, Bangladesh and the period of study was from May 2010 to October 2011. Results: The mean difference of sernm zinc level in male and female of both groups were significant (p<0.05) but the mean serum zinc level was not significantly different (p>0.05) among various clinical types ofvitiligo. ln case oflocalized vitiligo mean serum zinc level was 755.3 ± 288.6, in case of acrofacial viriligo mean serum zinc level was 821.4 ± 259.6 and in case of generalized vitiligo mean sernm zinc level was 771.6 ± 222.2. The difference of mean sernm zinc level observed between family history positive and negative group were not statistically significant (p>0.05). The difference of mean senun zinc level was also not statistically significant (p>0.05) among <1 year, 1-10 years and 11-20 years duration groups of vitiligo patients. A negative correlation (r = -0.227) was observed between duration of symptom with senun zinc level in this study. Conclusion: This study showed low level of serum zinc in vitiligo patients. Large-scale studies are needed to confirm these findings and multicenter study should be carried out to reveal the accurate pattern of zinc status in vitiligo.

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Problems in patient management and the impact of osteoporosis therapy on the incidence of clinical infection

Rheumatology Science and Practice ◽

10.47360/1995-4484-2021-263-268 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 59 (3) ◽

pp. 263-268

Author(s):

O. M. Lesnyak ◽

E. N. Gladkova ◽

K. E. Zotkina ◽

A. L. Grigoryeva ◽

Yu. A. Safonova ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Medical Care ◽

Age Groups ◽

Clinical Manifestations ◽

Health Resources ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Osteoporosis Therapy ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Routine Medical Care ◽

Quality Of Medical Care ◽

The Impact

The global diversion of health resources during the COVID-19 pandemic from the provision of routine medical care, and the more frequent and severe course of this infection in older patients justify the need to study the impact of the pandemic on the management of patients with osteoporosis.Aim – to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the management of patients with osteoporosis, as well as the impact of anti-osteoporotic drugs on the incidence of COVID-19.Material and methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted, including a telephone survey and analysis of outpatient records of 304 patients with osteoporosis, who were recommended therapy with anti-osteoporotic medications. The average age was 70.8±8.8 years. The vast majority of patients took bisphosphonates in oral or parenteral forms.Results. Problems with the timely conduct of laboratory tests were noted by 91 (30.4%) subjects, DXA testing – 98 (32.8%). 65 (22.1%) were unable to receive the drug in a timely manner. Problems were more common when taking parenteral drugs (p=0.002). The cumulative incidence of COVID-19 was 12.2%, which is twice as high as in the population. There was a tendency to a lower incidence of confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection when treated with denosumab or zoledronic acid. COVID-19 cases were not associated with either a vitamin D dose or a 25(OH)D level.Conclusions. During the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a significant decline in the quality of medical care for patients with osteoporosis, which cannot but lead to a new epidemic in the future – an epidemic of low-energy fractures. Our data confirmed the predisposition of older age groups to a higher incidence of COVID-19. However, there is no clear association of osteoporosis therapy with the risk of developing clinical manifestations of COVID-19.

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Association between Working Hours and Anxiety/Depression of Medical Staff during Large-Scale Epidemic Outbreak of COVID-19: A Cross-Sectional Study

Psychiatry Investigation ◽

10.30773/pi.2020.0229 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 17 (12) ◽

pp. 1167-1174

Author(s):

Qin Lang ◽

Xiaojing Liu ◽

Ying He ◽

Qin Lv ◽

Sibo Xu

Keyword(s):

Medical Staff ◽

Large Scale ◽

Working Hours ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Epidemic Outbreak ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Anxiety Depression ◽

The Relationship ◽

Psychological Mood

Objective This present study aimed to investigate the relationship between working hours and anxiety/depression mood of medical staff in China during COVID-19 epidemic. Methods The cross-sectional interview study was conducted during the period between February 14th and February 29th, 2020. A total of 291 Chinese medical professionals were recruited from 4 cities and participated in the study. Results In 291 participants, 116 (40.0%) medical staff experienced anxiety and 151 (51.8%) underwent depressed mood. In male, the level of GAD-7 and PHQ-9 scores increased with the elevation of working hours per day (WHPD) (β=0.579, p=0.003 and β=0.943; p=0.001) respectively. In female, nonlinear relationship mode was demonstrated. The levels of GAD-7 and PHQ-9 scores increased with the elevation of working hours when it was above 5 hours (β=1.432; p<0.001 and β=1.177; p<0.001), but it did not have a significant association with WHPD when it was less than 5 (p>0.05). Conclusion During the COVID-19 epidemic, we found a strong correlation between the psychological mood and WHPD. The correlation followed different modes in male and female medical workers. Enforcing an upper time limit of WHPD may help decrease the risk of pandemic-related psychological problems in medical workers.

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