Social support and protection from depression: systematic review of current findings in Western countries

BackgroundNumerous studies report an association between social support and protection from depression, but no systematic review or meta-analysis exists on this topic.AimsTo review systematically the characteristics of social support (types and source) associated with protection from depression across life periods (childhood and adolescence; adulthood; older age) and by study design (cross-sectionalv. cohort studies).MethodA systematic literature search conducted in February 2015 yielded 100 eligible studies. Study quality was assessed using a critical appraisal checklist, followed by meta-analyses.ResultsSources of support varied across life periods, with parental support being most important among children and adolescents, whereas adults and older adults relied more on spouses, followed by family and then friends. Significant heterogeneity in social support measurement was noted. Effects were weaker in both magnitude and significance in cohort studies.ConclusionsKnowledge gaps remain due to social support measurement heterogeneity and to evidence of reverse causality bias.

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Anticoagulant-related nephropathy: systematic review and meta-analysis

Clinical Kidney Journal ◽

10.1093/ckj/sfy133 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 12 (3) ◽

pp. 400-407 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Karolinny Borinelli de Aquino Moura ◽

Paula Marques Prates Behrens ◽

Rafaela Pirolli ◽

Aimee Sauer ◽

Dayana Melamed ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Cohort Studies ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Case Series ◽

Case Control Studies ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

High Prevalence ◽

Newcastle Ottawa Scale ◽

Meta Analyses ◽

Anticoagulated Patients

Abstract Background The aim of this study was to report the prevalence and mortality associated with anticoagulant-related nephropathy (ARN) through a systematic review of the literature. Methods Electronic searches were conducted in the Medline and EMBASE databases, and manual searches were performed in the reference lists of the identified studies. The studies were selected by two independent researchers, first by evaluating the titles and abstracts and then by reading the complete texts of the identified studies. Case series, cross-sectional studies, cohort studies and case–control studies reporting the prevalence and factors associated with ARN were selected. The methodological quality was assessed using the Newcastle–Ottawa scale. Meta-analyses of the prevalence of ARN and 5-year mortality using the random effects model were performed when possible. Heterogeneity was assessed using the I2 statistic. Results Five studies were included. Prevalence of ARN ranged from 19% to 63% among the four included cohort studies. Meta-analysis of these resulted in high heterogeneity [I2 96%, summary effect 31%; 95% confidence interval (CI) 22–42%]. Subgroup meta-analysis yielded an ARN prevalence of 20% among studies that included patients with fewer comorbidities (I2 12%; 95% CI 19–22%). In a direct comparison, meta-analysis of the 5-year mortality rate between anticoagulated patients who had experienced ARN and anticoagulated patients without ARN, patients with ARN were 91% more likely to die (risk ratio = 1.91; 95% CI 1.22–3; I2 87%). Risk factors for ARN that were reported in the literature included initial excessive anticoagulation, chronic kidney disease, age, diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease and heart failure. Conclusions ARN studies are scarce and heterogeneous, and present significant methodological limitations. The high prevalence of ARN reported herein suggests that this entity is underdiagnosed in clinical practice. Mortality in patients with ARN seems to be high compared with patients without this condition in observational studies.

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Occupational Asbestos Exposure and Kidney Cancer: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Cohort Studies

Annals of Work Exposures and Health ◽

10.1093/annweh/wxaa114 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Chris C Y Pang ◽

Kevin Phan ◽

Md Nazmul Karim ◽

Afsana Afroz ◽

Matthew Winter ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Cohort Studies ◽

Kidney Cancer ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Asbestos Exposure ◽

International Agency ◽

Standardized Mortality Ratio ◽

Significant Heterogeneity ◽

Incidence Studies ◽

Incident Cases

Abstract Objectives An estimated 125 million workers are exposed to asbestos worldwide. Asbestos is classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer as a Group 1 carcinogen. The association between occupational asbestos exposure and kidney cancer is not well established however. This study aimed to determine the mortality and incidence of kidney cancer in workers who have been exposed to asbestos. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the association between occupational asbestos exposure and kidney cancer. Methods Medline, EMBASE, and Web of Science were searched according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines for articles on occupational asbestos exposure and kidney cancer. The studies reported the standardized mortality ratio (SMR) or standardized incidence ratio (SIR) of kidney cancer in workers exposed to asbestos. SMRs or SIRs with its 95% confidence interval (CI) were pooled using a fixed-effect model. Results Forty-nine cohort studies involving 335 492 workers were selected for analysis. These studies included 468 kidney cancer deaths and 160 incident cases. The overall pooled-SMR of kidney cancer was 0.95 (95% CI: 0.86–1.05), with no significant heterogeneity (PQ = 0.09, I2 = 24.87%). The overall pooled-SIR of kidney cancer was 0.95 (95% CI: 0.79–1.11), with no significant heterogeneity (PQ = 0.68, I2 = 0.00%). Subgroup analysis did not find any increased association with occupational asbestos exposure. There was no evidence of publication bias with Egger’s test P values of 0.08 for mortality studies and 0.99 for incidence studies. Conclusions This systematic review and meta-analysis did not show evidence of association between occupational asbestos exposure and kidney cancer mortality or incidence.

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Pregnancy-related complications and incidence of atrial fibrillation: a systematic review and meta-analysis

EP Europace ◽

10.1093/europace/euab116.145 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 23 (Supplement_3) ◽

Author(s):

T Al Bahhawi ◽

A Aqeeli ◽

S L Harrison ◽

D A Lane ◽

I Buchan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Atrial Fibrillation ◽

Systematic Review ◽

Cohort Studies ◽

Observational Studies ◽

Large Scale ◽

Data Extraction ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Significant Heterogeneity ◽

Random Effects Models ◽

Increased Risk

Abstract Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: None. Background Pregnancy-related complications have been previously associated with incident cardiovascular disease. However, data are scarce on the association between pregnancy-related complications and incident atrial fibrillation (AF). This systematic review examines associations between pregnancy-related complications and incident AF. Methods A systematic search of the literature utilising MEDLINE and EMBASE (Ovid) was conducted from 1990 to 6 April 2020. Observational studies examining the association between pregnancy-related complications including hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP), gestational diabetes, placental abruption, preterm birth, low birth weight, small-for-gestational-age and stillbirth, and incidence of AF were included. Screening and data extraction were conducted independently by two reviewers. Inverse-variance random-effects models were used to pool hazard ratios. Results: Six observational studies met the inclusion criteria one case-control study and five retrospective cohort studies, with four studies eligible for meta-analysis. Sample sizes ranged from 1,839-1,303,365. Mean/median follow-up for the cohort studies ranged from 7-36 years. Most studies reported an increased risk of incident AF associated with pregnancy-related complications. The pooled summary statistic from four studies reflected a greater risk of incident AF for HDP (hazard ratio (HR) 1.47, 95% confidence intervals (CI) 1.18-1.84; I2 = 84%) and from three studies for pre-eclampsia (HR 1.71, 95% CI 1.41-2.06; I2 = 64%; Figure). Conclusions The results of this review suggest that pregnancy-related complications particularly pre-eclampsia appear to be associated with higher risk of incident AF. The small number of included studies and the significant heterogeneity in the pooled results suggest further large-scale prospective studies are required to confirm the association between pregnancy-related complications and AF. Abstract Figure.

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Circulating calcium levels and the risk of type 2 diabetes: a systematic review and meta-analysis

British Journal Of Nutrition ◽

10.1017/s0007114519001430 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 122 (04) ◽

pp. 376-387 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

J. Zhu ◽

P. Xun ◽

J. C. Bae ◽

J. H. Kim ◽

D. J. Kim ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Type 2 Diabetes ◽

Cohort Studies ◽

Glucose Homeostasis ◽

De Novo ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Relative Risks ◽

Ca Homeostasis

AbstractAbnormal Ca homeostasis has been associated with impaired glucose metabolism. However, the epidemiological evidence is controversial. We aimed to assess the association between circulating Ca levels and the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) or abnormal glucose homeostasis through conducting a systematic review and meta-analysis. Eligible studies were identified by searching electronic database (PubMed, Embase and Google Scholar) and related references withde novoresults from primary studies up to December 2018. A random-effects meta-analysis was performed to estimate the weighted relative risks (RR) and 95 % CI for the associations. The search yielded twenty eligible publications with eight cohort studies identified for the meta-analysis, which included a total of 89 165 participants. Comparing the highest with the lowest category of albumin-adjusted serum Ca, the pooled RR was 1·14 (95 % CI 1·05, 1·24) for T2DM (n51 489). Similarly, serum total Ca was associated with incident T2DM (RR 1·25; 95 % CI 1·10, 1·42) (n64 502). Additionally, the adjusted RR for 1 mg/dl increments in albumin-adjusted serum Ca or serum total Ca levels was 1·16 (95 % CI 1·07, 1·27) and 1·19 (95 % CI 1·11, 1·28), respectively. The observed associations remained with the inclusion of a cohort study with ionised Ca as the exposure. However, data pooled from neither case–control (n4) nor cross-sectional (n8) studies manifested a significant correlation between circulating Ca and glucose homeostasis. In conclusion, accumulated data from the cohort studies suggest that higher circulating Ca levels are associated with an augmented risk of T2DM.

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Adiposity and the risk of rheumatoid arthritis: a systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-020-71676-6 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Tomoya Ohno ◽

Dagfinn Aune ◽

Alicia K. Heath

Keyword(s):

Rheumatoid Arthritis ◽

Systematic Review ◽

Waist Circumference ◽

Cohort Studies ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Case Control Studies ◽

Rheumatoid Arthritis Risk ◽

Random Effects Models ◽

Relative Risks ◽

Meta Analyses

Abstract Several studies have investigated associations between overweight/obesity and risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis, however, the evidence is not entirely consistent, and previous meta-analyses mainly included case–control studies, which can be affected by various biases. We therefore conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies on adiposity and risk of rheumatoid arthritis. Relevant studies were identified by searching PubMed and Embase databases. Random effects models were used to estimate summary relative risks (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for rheumatoid arthritis in relation to different measures of adiposity. Thirteen cohort studies (10 publications) were included. The summary RR per 5 kg/m2 increase in body mass index (BMI) was 1.11 (95% CI 1.05–1.18, I2 = 50%), but the association was restricted to women (1.15, 95% CI 1.08–1.21, I2 = 17%) and not observed in men (0.89, 95% CI 0.73–1.09, I2 = 58%). The summary RR per 5 kg/m2 increment in BMI at age 18 years was 1.17 (95% CI 1.01–1.36, I2 = 26%, n = 3), and per 10 cm increase in waist circumference was 1.13 (95% CI 1.02–1.25, I2 = 44%, n = 2). Higher BMI in middle age, BMI at age 18 years, and waist circumference were associated with increased rheumatoid arthritis risk, suggesting adiposity could be targeted for primary prevention.

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Magnesium and mood disorders: systematic review and meta-analysis

BJPsych Open ◽

10.1192/bjo.2018.22 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 4 (4) ◽

pp. 167-179 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Danny Phelan ◽

Patricio Molero ◽

Miguel A. Martínez-González ◽

Marc Molendijk

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Mood Disorders ◽

Symptom Severity ◽

Odds Ratio ◽

Potential Role ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Blood Levels ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Bodily Fluids ◽

Meta Analyses

BackgroundMagnesium (Mg2+) has received considerable attention with regards to its potential role in the pathophysiology of the mood disorders, but the available evidence seems inconclusive.AimsTo review and quantitatively summarise the human literature on Mg2+intake and Mg2+blood levels in the mood disorders and the effects of Mg2+supplements on mood.MethodSystematic review and meta-analyses.ResultsAdherence to a Mg2+-rich diet was negatively associated with depression in cross-sectional (odds ratio = 0.66) but not in prospective studies. Mg2+levels in bodily fluids were on average higher in patients with a mood disorder (Hedge'sg = 0.19), but only in patients treated with antidepressants and/or mood stabilisers. There was no evident association between Mg2+levels and symptom severity. Mg2+supplementation was associated with a decline in depressive symptoms in uncontrolled (g = −1.60) but not in placebo-controlled trials (g = −0.21).ConclusionOur results provide little evidence for the involvement of Mg2+in the mood disorders.Declaration of interestNone.

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Is Sensory Loss an Understudied Risk Factor for Frailty? A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

The Journals of Gerontology Series A ◽

10.1093/gerona/glaa171 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 75 (12) ◽

pp. 2461-2470

Author(s):

Benjamin Kye Jyn Tan ◽

Ryan Eyn Kidd Man ◽

Alfred Tau Liang Gan ◽

Eva K Fenwick ◽

Varshini Varadaraj ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Risk Factor ◽

Longitudinal Studies ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Sensory Loss ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Sensory Impairments ◽

Subgroup Analyses ◽

Meta Regression ◽

Meta Analyses

Abstract Background Age-related sensory loss and frailty are common conditions among older adults, but epidemiologic research on their possible links has been inconclusive. Clarifying this relationship is important because sensory loss may be a clinically relevant risk factor for frailty. Methods In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched 3 databases for observational studies investigating 4 sensory impairments—vision (VI), hearing (HI), smell (SI), and taste (TI)—and their relationships with frailty. We meta-analyzed the cross-sectional associations of VI/HI each with pre-frailty and frailty, investigated sources of heterogeneity using meta-regression and subgroup analyses, and assessed publication bias using Egger’s test. Results We included 17 cross-sectional and 7 longitudinal studies in our review (N = 34,085) from 766 records. Our cross-sectional meta-analyses found that HI and VI were, respectively, associated with 1.5- to 2-fold greater odds of pre-frailty and 2.5- to 3-fold greater odds of frailty. Our results remained largely unchanged after subgroup analyses and meta-regression, though the association between HI and pre-frailty was no longer significant in 2 subgroups which lacked sufficient studies. We did not detect publication bias. Longitudinal studies largely found positive associations between VI/HI and frailty progression from baseline robustness, though they were inconclusive about frailty progression from baseline pre-frailty. Sparse literature and heterogenous methods precluded meta-analyses and conclusions on the SI/TI–frailty relationships. Conclusions Our meta-analyses demonstrate significant cross-sectional associations between VI/HI with pre-frailty and frailty. Our review also highlights knowledge gaps on the directionality and modifiability of these relationships and the impact of SI/TI and multiple sensory impairments on frailty.

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Is sexual content in new media linked to sexual risk behaviour in young people? A systematic review and meta-analysis

Sexual Health ◽

10.1071/sh16037 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 13 (6) ◽

pp. 501 ◽

Cited By ~ 18

Author(s):

Lucy Watchirs Smith ◽

Bette Liu ◽

Louisa Degenhardt ◽

Juliet Richters ◽

George Patton ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Young People ◽

New Media ◽

Sexual Intercourse ◽

Sexual Attitudes ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Sexual Content ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Causal Pathways ◽

Meta Analyses

Background: Social networking and digital media increasingly have an impact on the lives of young people. We undertook a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies that examined the relationship between exposure to sexually explicit websites (SEWs) and ‘sexting’ (i.e. sending semi-nude or nude photos from a mobile phone) and the sexual attitudes and practices of young people. Methods: In accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta Analyses statement, Medline, EMBASE and PsycINFO were searched for papers that described the statistical association between viewing SEWs or sexting by young people (defined as 10–24 years) and their sexual attitudes and behaviours. Results: Fourteen studies, all cross-sectional in design, met the inclusion criteria. Six studies (10 352 participants) examined young people’s exposure to SEWs and eight (10 429 participants) examined sexting. There was substantial variation across studies in exposure and outcome definitions. Meta-analyses found that SEW exposure was correlated with condomless sexual intercourse (odds ratio (OR) 1.23, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.08–1.38, two studies); sexting was correlated with ever having had sexual intercourse (OR 5.58, 95% CI: 4.46–6.71, five studies), recent sexual activity (OR 4.79, 95% CI: 3.55–6.04, two studies), alcohol and other drug use before sexual intercourse (OR 2.65, 95% CI: 1.99–3.32, two studies) and multiple recent sexual partners (OR 2.79, 95% CI: 1.95–3.63, two studies). Most studies had limited adjustment for important potential confounders. Conclusions: Cross-sectional studies show a strong association between self-reported exposure to sexual content in new media and sexual behaviours in young people. Longitudinal studies would provide a greater opportunity to adjust for confounding, and better insight into the causal pathways underlying the observed associations.

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Diagnosis of Schistosoma Infection in Non-Human Animal Hosts: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

10.20944/preprints202105.0075.v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Song Liang ◽

Keerati Ponpetch ◽

Yi-Biao Zhou ◽

Jia-Gang Guo ◽

Berhanu Erko ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction ◽

Diagnostic Techniques ◽

Molecular Technique ◽

Significant Heterogeneity ◽

Animal Hosts ◽

Polymerase Chain ◽

Human Animal ◽

Meta Analyses

Background Reliable and field-applicable diagnosis of schistosome infections in non-human animals is important for surveillance, control, and verification of interruption of human schistosomiasis transmission. This study aimed to summarize uses of available diagnostic techniques through a systematic review and meta-analysis. Methods and principal findings We systematically searched the literature and reports comparing two or more diagnostic tests in non-human animals for schistosome infection. Out of 4,909 articles and reports screened, 18 met our inclusion criteria, four of which were considered in the meta-analysis. A total of 14 techniques (parasitologic, immunologic, and molecular) and nine types of non-human animals were involved in the studies. Notably, four studies compared parasitologic tests (miracidium hatching test (MHT), Kato-Katz (KK), the Danish Bilharziasis Laboratory technique (DBL), and formalin-ethyl acetate sedimentation-digestion (FED-SD)) with quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), and sensitivity estimates (using qPCR as the reference) were extracted and included in the meta-analyses, showing significant heterogeneity across studies and animals hosts. The pooled estimate of sensitivity was 0.21 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.03 – 0.48) with FED-SD showing highest sensitivity (0.89, 95% CI: 0.65 – 1.00). Conclusions and significance Our findings suggest that the parasitologic technique FEA-SD and the molecular technique, qPCR, are the most promising field-applicable techniques for schistosome diagnosis in non-human animal hosts. Future studies are needed for validation and standardization of the techniques for real-world field applications.

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Retention strategies in longitudinal cohort studies: A systematic review and meta-analysis

10.31234/osf.io/fzk2w ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

Samantha Teague ◽

George Joseph Youssef ◽

Jacqui A Macdonald ◽

Emma Sciberras ◽

Adrian B. R. Shatte ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Cohort Studies ◽

Retention Rate ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Retention Strategies ◽

Longitudinal Cohort ◽

Research Designs ◽

Reduction Strategies ◽

Meta Analyses

Background: Participant retention strategies that minimise attrition in longitudinal cohort studies have evolved considerably in recent years. This study aimed to assess, via systematic review and meta-analysis, the effectiveness of both traditional strategies and contemporary innovations for retention adopted by longitudinal cohort studies in the past decade.Methods: Health research databases were searched for retention strategies used within longitudinal cohort studies published in the 10-years prior, with 142 eligible longitudinal cohort studies identified (140 articles; sample size range: 30 to 61,895). Details on retention strategies and rates, research designs, and participant demographics were extracted. Meta-analyses of retained proportions were performed to examine the association between cohort retention rate and individual and thematically grouped retention strategies.Results: Results identified 95 retention strategies, broadly classed as either: barrier-reduction, community-building, follow-up/reminder, or tracing strategies. Forty-four of these strategies had not been identified in previous reviews. Meta-regressions indicated that studies using barrier-reduction strategies retained 10% more of their sample (95%CI [0.13 to 1.09]; p=.01); however, studies using follow-up/reminder strategies lost an additional 10% of their sample (95%CI [-1.19 to -0.21]; p<.01). The overall number of strategies employed was not associated with retention.Conclusions: Employing a larger number of retention strategies may not be associated with improved retention in longitudinal cohort studies, contrary to earlier narrative reviews. Results suggest that strategies that aim to reduce participant burden (e.g., flexibility in data collection methods) might be most effective in maximising cohort retention.

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