Tinnitus and associations with chronic pain: The population-based Tromsø Study (2015–2016)

Tinnitus and pain have many similarities. Both are subjective sensations that may turn chronic, they are often accompanied by hypersensitivity in their respective sensory system, and overlapping brain changes have been observed. Since no population study has examined the empirical association between chronic pain and tinnitus, the present study aimed to explore the relationship in a general adult population. We used data from the seventh survey of the Tromsø Study (2015–2016). Participants (aged ≥40) responded to questions about pain and tinnitus. Using multiple logistic regression, we analysed the adjusted relationship between chronic pain and tinnitus in the full sample (n = 19,039), using several tinnitus definitions ranging from tinnitus >5 minutes within the past 12 months (broadest definition) to at least weekly and highly bothersome tinnitus (strictest definition). We also analysed relationships between number of body regions with pain, pain intensity and bothering, and tinnitus >5 minutes, among participants with chronic pain (n = 11,589). We found an association between chronic pain and tinnitus that was present irrespective of tinnitus definition, but was stronger with more bothersome tinnitus. With chronic pain, the odds of tinnitus >5 minutes was 64% higher, while odds of at least weekly, highly bothersome tinnitus was 144% higher than without chronic pain. Among participants with chronic pain, the number of pain regions was the pain variable most strongly associated with tinnitus >5 minutes (OR = 1.17 (95% CI: 1.14–1.20) for an increase of one region), whereas the other pain variables (intensity and bothering) showed weaker associations. All chronic pain variables had significant interactions with age, with the strongest associations for the youngest individuals (40–54 years). Our findings support the existence of an association between chronic pain and tinnitus and emphasises the importance of examining for comorbid pain in tinnitus patients to provide a more comprehensive treatment of tinnitus.

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Factors Influencing SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine Acceptance and Hesitancy in a Population-Based Sample in Italy

Vaccines ◽

10.3390/vaccines9060633 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (6) ◽

pp. 633

Author(s):

Marco Del Riccio ◽

Sara Boccalini ◽

Lisa Rigon ◽

Massimiliano Alberto Biamonte ◽

Giuseppe Albora ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Online Survey ◽

Adult Population ◽

Herd Immunity ◽

Population Based ◽

Vaccine Hesitancy ◽

Convenience Sample ◽

Major Barrier ◽

Trust In Institutions ◽

General Adult Population ◽

High Level

Vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 represents an effective and safe tool to protect the population against the disease; however, COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy could be a major barrier to achieving herd immunity. Despite the severity of the current pandemic, the population’s intention to get vaccinated against COVID-19 is still not clear. The aim of this study was to evaluate the intention to get vaccinated against COVID-19 among a convenience sample of the general population resident in Italy and the factors associated with hesitancy and acceptance of the vaccine in the context of the current pandemic before the rolling out of COVID-19 vaccines. An anonymous online survey was diffused among a general adult population living in Italy. Participants aged 18 or older and living in Italy were considered eligible. Incomplete questionnaires were excluded. Overall, 7605 valid questionnaires were collected. Most of the participants (81.9%) were inclined to get vaccinated; male sex (OR 1.38, 95% CI 1.12–1.71), a high level of trust in institutions (OR 3.93, 95% CI 2.04–7.83), and personal beliefs about high safety of COVID-19 vaccines (OR 56.33, 95% CI 31.57–105.87) were found to be among the significant predictors of COVID-19 acceptance. These data could help design larger studies to address the problem of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in the current pandemic.

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The Prevalence of Sexual Abuse in Institutions: Results From a Representative Population-Based Sample in Germany

Sexual Abuse ◽

10.1177/1079063218759323 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 31 (6) ◽

pp. 643-661 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Andreas Witt ◽

Miriam Rassenhofer ◽

Marc Allroggen ◽

Elmar Brähler ◽

Paul L. Plener ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Sexual Abuse ◽

Sexual Intercourse ◽

Adult Population ◽

Population Based ◽

Adult Women ◽

Institutional Settings ◽

General Adult Population ◽

Nature Contact ◽

Protective Strategies ◽

Type Of Institution

The lifetime prevalence of sexual abuse in institutional settings in Germany was examined in a sample representative of the general adult population ( N = 2,437). Participants completed a survey on whether they had ever experienced such abuse, its nature (contact, noncontact, forced sexual, intercourse), the type of institution (e.g. school, club), and the relationship of perpetrator to victim (peer, caregiver, staff member). Overall, 3.1% of adult respondents (women: 4.8%, men: 0.8%) reported having experienced some type of sexual abuse in institutions. Adult women reported higher rates of all types than did men, with rates of 3.9% versus 0.8% for contact sexual abuse, 1.2% versus 0.3% for noncontact sexual abuse, and 1.7% versus 0.2% for forced sexual intercourse. We conclude that a remarkable proportion of the general population experiences sexual abuse in institutions, underscoring the need for development of protective strategies. Especially, schools seem to represent good starting points for primary prevention strategies.

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Birthweight and Adult Health in a Population-Based Sample of Norwegian Twins

Twin Research and Human Genetics ◽

10.1375/twin.8.2.148 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 8 (2) ◽

pp. 148-155 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Andrej M. Grjibovski ◽

Jennifer R. Harris ◽

Per Magnus

Keyword(s):

Health Outcomes ◽

Population Based ◽

Adult Health ◽

Brain Disorder ◽

Full Sample ◽

Intraclass Correlations ◽

Opposite Sex ◽

Lower Birthweight ◽

The Relationship ◽

Pair Analysis

AbstractPopulation-based twin data were used to test (a) whether lower birthweight confers a greater risk of adult health disorders, and (b) whether within-pair birthweight differences in twins explain discordance for health outcomes. The sample consisted of 1201 monozygotic (MZ) male twins, 1048 dizygotic (DZ) male twins, 1679 MZ female twins, 1489 DZ female twins, and 2423 opposite-sex DZ twins, born in Norway between 1967 and 1979. The relationship between birthweight and self-reported health outcomes were studied using multivariable logistic regression. In the full sample (n= 7840), birthweight was negatively associated with risk for nearsightedness (odds ratio OR = 0.76, 95% CI: 0.65 – 0.92) and minimal brain disorder (OR = 0.27, 95% CI: 0.16–0.44) when adjusted for gestational age, sex, zygosity, age, education and body mass index after correction for intraclass correlations and multiple comparisons. Within-pair analysis of 159 MZ and 224 DZ pairs revealed that myopic twins were on average 2 g (p= .966) and 64 g (p= .040) lighter than nonmyopic twins in MZ and DZ pairs respectively, suggesting that genetic factors may play an important role in the associations between birthweight and nearsightedness. Within-pair analysis of twins discordant for a minimal brain disorder indicated that affected twins were 80 g (p= .655) and 85 g (p= .655) lighter than their healthy co-twins in MZ and DZ pairs respectively, although there were only 2 MZ and 2 DZ discordant pairs.

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Association of Dietary and Lifestyle Inflammation Score With Metabolic Syndrome in a Sample of Iranian Adults

Frontiers in Nutrition ◽

10.3389/fnut.2021.735174 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 ◽

Author(s):

Fatemeh Dehghani Firouzabadi ◽

Ahmad Jayedi ◽

Elaheh Asgari ◽

Zahra Akbarzadeh ◽

Nasim Janbozorgi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Metabolic Syndrome ◽

Adult Population ◽

Positive Association ◽

Population Based ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Significant Positive Association ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

General Adult Population ◽

Education Status ◽

Inflammation Score

Objective: We aimed to evaluate the association between the dietary and lifestyle inflammation score (DLIS) and metabolic syndrome (MetS) and its components in a sample of Iranian adults.Design: Population-based cross-sectional study.Setting: General adult population living in Tehran, Iran.Subjects: We included 827 adult men and women with an age range of 18–59 years who were referred to health centers in different districts of Tehran, Iran. Dietary intake was assessed by a semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire with 168 items. The DLIS was calculated based on four components, including dietary inflammation score, physical activity, cigarette smoking, and general obesity. Higher DLIS represents a more proinflammatory diet and lifestyle. The odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) of the MetS across quartiles of the DLIS was calculated by using logistic regression analysis, controlling for age, sex, energy intake, marital status, education status, and occupation.Results: A total of 827 participants (31% men) were included, with a mean age of 44.7 ± 10.7 years. The prevalence of the MetS was 30.5%. The DLIS ranged between −2.35 and +3.19 (mean ± SD: 0.54 ± 1.09). There was a significant positive association between the DLIS and odds of MetS (OR fourthvs.thefirstquartile: 1.57, 95% CI: 1.01–2.45) in the fully adjusted model.Conclusion: Our results showed a significant positive association between the DLIS and odds of MetS. The results of the present crosssectional study suggested that having a more proinflammatory lifestyle can be associated with MetS. More prospective studies are needed to confirm the findings.

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The relationship between chronic pain, prehypertension, and hypertension. A population-based cross-sectional survey in Al-Kharj, Saudi Arabia

Postgraduate Medicine ◽

10.1080/00325481.2020.1863716 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 1-6

Author(s):

Sameer Al-Ghamdi ◽

Mamdouh M. Shubair ◽

Ashraf El-Metwally ◽

Majid Alsalamah ◽

Saeed Mastour Alshahrani ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Chronic Pain ◽

Saudi Arabia ◽

Population Based ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

The Relationship

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Prevalence and Correlates of Individuals Screening Positive for Depression and Anxiety on the PHQ-4 in the German General Population: Findings from the Nationally Representative German Socio-Economic Panel (GSOEP)

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph17217865 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 17 (21) ◽

pp. 7865

Author(s):

André Hajek ◽

Hans-Helmut König

Keyword(s):

Chronic Diseases ◽

Adult Population ◽

Population Based ◽

Depression And Anxiety ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Self Rated Health ◽

Patient Health ◽

General Adult Population ◽

Nationally Representative ◽

Probable Depression

Our aim was to estimate the prevalence and correlates of probable depression and anxiety in the general adult population in Germany. Repeated cross-sectional data (i.e., cross-sectional data observed at different time points: year 2012 and year 2014) were derived from the innovation sample of the German Socio-Economic Panel, a population-based study of German households. The validated Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-4) was used to measure probable depression and anxiety. In the analytical sample, n equaled 2952 individuals. According to the PHQ-4 cut-off values, 10.4% of the individuals had probable depression and 9.8% of the individuals had probable anxiety. Regressions revealed that the likelihood of depression was positively associated with lower age (OR: 0.98 (95% CI: 0.98–0.99)), being unmarried (and living together with spouse) (OR: 0.75 (0.58–0.98)), worse self-rated health (OR: 1.99 (1.73–2.27)), and more chronic diseases (OR: 1.18 (1.07–1.31)). Furthermore, the likelihood of anxiety was positively associated with being female (OR: 1.36 (95% CI: 1.04–1.76)), lower age (OR: 0.98 (95% CI: 0.97–0.99)), low education (medium education, OR: 0.69 (0.50–0.95)), worse self-rated health (OR: 2.00 (1.74–2.30)), and more chronic diseases (OR: 1.15 (1.03–1.27)). The magnitude of depression and anxiety was highlighted. Clinicians should be aware of the factors associated with probable depression and anxiety.

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The prevalence of rheumatoid arthritis in Spain

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-020-76511-6 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Lucía Silva-Fernández ◽

Cristina Macía-Villa ◽

Daniel Seoane-Mato ◽

Raúl Cortés-Verdú ◽

Antonio Romero-Pérez ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Rheumatoid Arthritis ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Adult Population ◽

Geographic Origin ◽

High Body Mass Index ◽

Population Based ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Computer Assisted ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

General Adult Population

AbstractRheumatoid arthritis (RA) prevalence is believed to be around 1% worldwide, although it varies considerably among different populations. The aim of EPISER2016 study was to estimate the prevalence of RA in the general adult population in Spain. We designed a population-based cross-sectional study. A national survey was conducted between November 2016 and October 2017 involving a probabilistic sample from the general population aged 20 years or older. Subjects were randomly selected for phone screening using a computer-assisted telephone interviewer system. Positive RA screening results were evaluated by a rheumatologist. Cases fulfilled the 1987 ACR and/or the 2010 ACR/EULAR criteria; previous diagnosis established by a rheumatologist and clearly identified in medical records were also accepted regardless of the criteria used. Prevalence estimates with 95% CI were calculated taking into account the design of the sample (weighting based on age, sex, and geographic origin using as a reference the distribution of the population in Spain). 4916 subjects participated in the study and 39 RA cases were confirmed. RA estimated prevalence was 0.82% (95% CI 0.59–1.15). Mean age of RA cases was 60.48 (14.85) years, they were more frequently women (61.5%), from urban areas (74.4%), non-smokers (43.6%), and with a high body mass index (53.8% with overweight). Extrapolating to the population in Spain (approximately 37 million are ≥ 20 years old), it was estimated that there were between 220,000 and 430,000 people aged 20 years or older with RA. No undiagnosed cases were detected, which could be related to the establishment of early arthritis clinics around the country, increasing the rates of diagnosis during early phases of RA.

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A PubMed Citations Search Study on the Prevalence of Epiphora in the General Adult Population

Klinische Monatsblätter für Augenheilkunde ◽

10.1055/a-1112-7335 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 237 (04) ◽

pp. 527-530

Author(s):

Ivan O. Haefliger ◽

Yasmina D. Haefliger ◽

Ana Rosa Pimentel de Figueiredo

Keyword(s):

General Population ◽

Dry Eye ◽

Adult Population ◽

Large Population ◽

Population Based ◽

Database Search ◽

Medical Subject Headings ◽

General Adult Population ◽

Pubmed Search ◽

Number Of Citations

Abstract Purpose To assess the prevalence of epiphora in the general adult population based on PubMed search citations. Methods 1) Electronic PubMed MEDLINE database search (September 13, 2019) with the terms (Medical Subject Headings or MeSH) “prevalence” and “epiphora”, 2) “epiphora” and “dry eye”, and 3) “prevalence”, “epiphora”, and “dry eye”. Review of all citations from these searches containing the term “epiphora” either in their abstract or title. Results 1) PubMed search retrieved 2 617 137 citations for “prevalence”, 26 135 for “epiphora”, and 2554 for “prevalence” AND “epiphora”. Within the latter 2554 citations, the word “epiphora” appeared in the abstract or title of only 109 citations (< 5%). None of these 109 citations assessed the prevalence of epiphora in the adult general population as the primary end point. Only one abstract mentioned that out of 125 patients, 7.2% indicated, retrospectively, that they had already had epiphora before cataract surgery. Two large population-based studies addressed the incidence of epiphora, not in adults, but in infants (20%) and children (7.7%). 2) The PubMed search showed 22 487 citations for “dry eye”, 30 211 for “epiphora” OR “dry eye”, and up to 18 414 joint citations for the terms “epiphora” AND “dry eye”. These 18 414 citations were 70 and 82% of the number of MeSH citations for “epiphora” and “dry eye” alone, respectively. Of these 18 414 citations, the word “epiphora” only appeared in 131 citations (< 1%), one of them being an extra report mentioning a 32% incidence of epiphora among postmenopausal women. 3) The search found 2206 citations for “prevalence” AND “epiphora” AND “dry eye”, with only 10 of them (< 1%) containing the word “epiphora”. Conclusions Despite a large number of citations retrieved by PubMed searches, there seems to be a lack of studies on the prevalence of epiphora in the adult general population. There is apparently also a large number of overlapping PubMed citations retrieved for searches with the terms “epiphora” AND “dry eye”, although more than 99% of them did not even display the word “epiphora”. Although epiphora is considered a common complain, its prevalence in the adult general population deserves to be further assessed.

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The Epidemiology of Benign Voice Disorders in Taiwan: A Nationwide Population-Based Study

Annals of Otology Rhinology & Laryngology ◽

10.1177/0003489419826136 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 128 (5) ◽

pp. 406-412 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Ying-Ta Lai ◽

Yuan-Hung Wang ◽

Yu-Chun Yen ◽

Tzu-Yun Yu ◽

Pin-Zhir Chao ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Adult Population ◽

Voice Disorders ◽

International Classification Of Diseases ◽

Population Based ◽

Research Database ◽

Age Group ◽

Classification Of Diseases ◽

General Adult Population ◽

Study Participants

Objective: Because there are few population-based studies regarding the epidemiology of benign voice diseases, the present study used a nationwide population-based claims database (the National Health Insurance Research Database) to investigate the epidemiology of benign voice diseases among the general adult population in Taiwan. Methods: Study participants were retrieved for those patients who were 20 to 90 years old with a diagnosis of benign voice diseases that were defined by International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) codes from 2006 to 2014. Patient visits were grouped into infectious (ICD-9-CM: 012.3, 032.3, 034.0, 090.5, 095.8,101, 464.0, 464.20, 464.21, 465.x, 476.0, 476.1) and noninfectious (ICD-9-CM: 306.1, 478.3x, 478.4, 478.5, 748.3, 784.4x) dysphonia groups. Results: Benign voice disorders have a prevalence of approximately 3.6% in Taiwan as of 2014. The year-to-year prevalence decreased gradually in the query period. Infectious dysphonia diagnoses were higher than noninfectious ones. Dysphonia caused by noninfectious diagnoses was most prevalent in the 60 to 79 years age group. Dysphonia caused by infectious diagnoses was highest in 20 to 39 years group. Noninfectious dysphonia diagnoses were more common in women. Conclusion: The prevalence of voice disorders among the adult population in Taiwan was 3.6% in 2014. Voice disorders are more common in women and occur primarily in the 20 to 39 years age group. Infectious dysphonia is more common than noninfectious dysphonia. The results may be underestimated due to limitation of the database. This is the first population-based epidemiology study of adult voice disorders.

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Area-level and individual correlates of active transportation among adults in Germany: A population-based multilevel study

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-019-52888-x ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

Author(s):

J. D. Finger ◽

G. Varnaccia ◽

L. Gabrys ◽

J. Hoebel ◽

L. E. Kroll ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Adult Population ◽

Population Based ◽

Active Transportation ◽

Multilevel Regression ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Work Related ◽

General Adult Population ◽

European Health ◽

European Health Interview Survey

Abstract This study aimed at estimating the prevalence in adults of complying with the aerobic physical activity (PA) recommendation through transportation-related walking and cycling. Furthermore, potential determinants of transportation-related PA recommendation compliance were investigated. 10,872 men and 13,144 women aged 18 years or older participated in the cross-sectional ‘German Health Update 2014/15 – EHIS’ in Germany. Transportation-related walking and cycling were assessed using the European Health Interview Survey-Physical Activity Questionnaire. Three outcome indicators were constructed: walking, cycling, and total active transportation (≥600 metabolic equivalent, MET-min/week). Associations were analyzed using multilevel regression analysis. Forty-two percent of men and 39% of women achieved ≥600 MET-min/week with total active transportation. The corresponding percentages for walking were 27% and 28% and for cycling 17% and 13%, respectively. Higher population density, older age, lower income, higher work-related and leisure-time PA, not being obese, and better self-perceived health were positively associated with transportation-related walking and cycling and total active transportation among both men and women. The promotion of walking and cycling among inactive people has great potential to increase PA in the general adult population and to comply with PA recommendations. Several correlates of active transportation were identified which should be considered when planning public health policies and interventions.

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