scholarly journals Latent Class Analysis: a new vision of the phenomenon of depression in elderly men in the Brazilian Northeast

2017 ◽  
Vol 20 (6) ◽  
pp. 814-825
Author(s):  
Rita de Cássia Hoffmann Leão ◽  
Vanessa de Lima Silva ◽  
Rafael da Silveira Moreira

Abstract Objective: to identify the prevalence of depression in elderly men and associated factors using Latent Class Analysis. Method: a cross-sectional, epidemiological study evaluating 162 Primary Care users resident in the community in Recife, Brazil, was carried out. The Yesavage Geriatric Depression Scale was used as a screening instrument. The study was based on descriptive analysis and Latent Class Analysis, which allows the indirect measurement of the phenomenon of Depression by measuring the latent phenomenon of depression through 15 directly observed questions/answers from the scale used followed by ordinal logistic regression. Results: Elderly men with up to four years of schooling had a 2.43 times greater chance of developing depression. Those with normal levels of cortisol were less likely to become depressed while elderly men with low levels of Vitamin D and testosterone and high levels of thyroid stimulating hormones (TSH) were more likely to be depressed. The prevalence of the highest level of depression in the study population was 29% and was associated with low levels of education and alterations in the clinical data investigated. Conclusion: The study concluded that Latent Class Analysis allowed an innovative perspective of the phenomenon of depression and its relationship with associated factors, allowing a better and broader approach to this phenomenon in clinical practice.

Sports ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 31 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefano Amatori ◽  
Davide Sisti ◽  
Fabrizio Perroni ◽  
Samuel Impey ◽  
Michela Lantignotti ◽  
...  

Beach volleyball is an intermittent team sport played under high temperature and humidity. Given that some nutritional supplements can enhance sports performance, this study aimed to evaluate the quantity and the heterogeneity of the nutritional supplementation practices of amateur (n = 69) and professional (n = 19) beach volley athletes competing in the Italian National Championship; an online form was used to collect data about the supplementation habits. The latent class analysis was used to find sub-groups characterised by different habits regarding supplements consumption. The most frequently used supplements (more than once a week) are vitamins B and C (39.2% of athletes), protein (46.8%), and caffeine (36.9%). The latent class analysis revealed three different sub-groups of athletes: the first class (56.7%) included athletes who were used to take very few supplements, the second class (17.0%) was characterised by higher consumption of supplements and the third class (26.2%) was in the middle between the others two. Groups were characterised not only by the quantity but also by the category of supplements used. Our results highlighted a high heterogeneity in supplementation habits. A pragmatic approach to supplements and sports foods is needed in the face of the evidence that some products can usefully contribute to enhancing performance.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rui Li ◽  
Wanqiong Zhou ◽  
Jing Wu

Abstract Background: Undergraduate nursing students often encounter emotional problems due to academic stress. However, researchers have primarily focused on the impact of stressors, rather than understanding the subtypes of psychological state among students.Objectives: To identify subgroups of psychological traits among undergraduate nursing students using latent class analysis (LCA), and to examine the relationship between subgroups and exam failure risk.Design and Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed from May to July 2019. The Ruminative Responses Scale, Learning Burnout Questionnaire and Psychological Capital Scale were used to evaluate students’ psychological traits. Subjects were categorized into subgroups by latent class analysis. Cross-sectional comparisons and longitudinal regression analyses were subsequently performed.Settings and Participants: A total of 379 undergraduate nursing students from three medical colleges in Shanghai were investigated by cluster sampling method.Results: A total of four latent classes were identified based on the mean scores of rumination, learning burnout and psychological capital: Class 1 – General group (N=181, 47.76%); Class 2 – Negative psychologically dominated group (N=54, 14.25%); Class 3 – Positive psychologically dominated group (N=65, 17.15%); and Class 4 – Ambivalence psychological group (N=79, 20.84%). Students belonging into Class 1 and 2 displayed a higher rate of exam failure compared with those in Class 3 and 4 (p<0.05). Regression analysis showed that Class 1 (OR=2.108, 95%CI 1.240-4.118, p=0.006) and Class 2 (OR=2.694, 95%CI 1.229-6.293, p=0.016) independently predicted exam failure among undergraduate nursing students after adjusting for age, gender, grade and other academic related factors.Conclusions: Our findings provide practical implications for effective interventions that target each specific subgroup. Undergraduate nursing students with “Negative psychologically dominated group” were at a higher risk of exam failure. Urgent attention should be paid to address issues associated with psychological coping in students and their effect on learning outcomes.


2017 ◽  
Vol 40 (10) ◽  
pp. 1452-1468 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chen X. Chen ◽  
Susan Ofner ◽  
Giorgos Bakoyannis ◽  
Kristine L. Kwekkeboom ◽  
Janet S. Carpenter

Dysmenorrhea is highly prevalent and may increase women’s risk for developing other chronic pain conditions. Although it is highly variable, symptom-based dysmenorrhea phenotypes have not been identified. The aims of the study were to identify symptom-based dysmenorrhea phenotypes and examine their relationships with demographic and clinical characteristics. In a cross-sectional study, 762 women with dysmenorrhea rated severity of 14 dysmenorrhea-related symptoms. Using latent class analysis, we identified three distinctive phenotypes. Women in the “mild localized pain” phenotype ( n = 202, 26.51%) had mild abdominal cramps and dull abdominal pain/discomfort. Women in the “severe localized pain” phenotype ( n = 412, 54.07%) had severe abdominal cramps. Women in the “multiple severe symptoms” phenotype ( n = 148, 19.42%) had severe pain at multiple locations and multiple gastrointestinal symptoms. Race, ethnicity, age, and comorbid chronic pain conditions were significantly associated with phenotypes. Identification of these symptom-based phenotypes provides a foundation for research examining genotype–phenotype associations, etiologic mechanisms, and/or variability in treatment responses.


2006 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 204-211 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sabu S Padmadas ◽  
José G Dias ◽  
Frans J Willekens

AbstractObjectiveTo investigate the degree of individual heterogeneity related to complex dietary behaviour and to further examine the associations of different dietary compositions with selected characteristics.DesignLatent class analysis was applied to data from the recent cross-sectional National Family Health Survey that collected information on the intake frequency of selected foods. Different responses regarding intake frequency were condensed into a set of five meaningful latent clusters representing different dietary patterns and these clusters were then labelled based on the reported degree of diet mixing.SettingIndian states.SubjectsIn total, 90 180 women aged 15–49 years.ResultsThree clusters were predominantly non-vegetarian and two were vegetarian. A very high or high mixed-diet pattern was observed particularly in the southern and a few north-eastern states. Many women in the very high mixed-diet cluster consumed mostly non-green/leafy vegetables on a daily basis, and fruits and other non-vegetarian diet on a weekly basis. In contrast, those in the low mixed-diet cluster consumed more than three-fifths of the major vegetarian diet ingredients alone on a daily basis. The affluent group that represented the low mixed-diet cluster were primarily vegetarians and those who represented the very high mixed-diet cluster were mostly non-vegetarians. The significant interrelationships of different characteristics highlight not only socio-economic, spatial and cultural disparities related to dietary practices, but also the substantial heterogeneity in diet mixing behaviour.ConclusionsThe results of this study confirmed our hypothesis of heterogeneous dietary behaviour of Indian women and yielded useful policy-oriented results which might be difficult to establish otherwise.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tochukwu Igboanugo ◽  
Anusha Malapati Ramesh

Abstract Introduction: The psychosocial framework of adolescent transformation period is characterised by risk-taking behaviours such as the use of psychoactive substances like tobacco. Smoking initiated at this stage may lead to a lifetime nicotine-addiction. This study aims to identify and describe a typology of smoking among third level student smokers according to their pattern of smoking and to inform the designing of effective interventions in tobacco use among studentsMethods: Latent class analysis was used to characterise different smoking pattern among 361 third level students in an Irish university. The participants were enrolled in this cross-sectional study by inviting them to complete an online survey.Results: Three groups were identified: (1) Late-onset, Social smokers (n=88, 41.3%). (2) late-onset, light smokers (n = 74, 34.4%). (3) Early-onset, Nicotine addicts (n = 52, 24.3%). The predominantly female Late-onset, Social smokers has a low probability of regular use of tobacco, a low number of lifetime cigarettes smoked and a high probability (83.0%) of initiating smoking in their adulthood. Nearly 100% of them had neither of the parents as smokers. The predominantly male late-onset, light smokers exhibits similar characteristics with the female-dominated class 1 but has consumed more of cigarettes in the lifetime relative to class 1. 33.8% of class 2 smokers had both parents as smokers; 42.0% had mothers and 33.8% reported their father was a smoker. 64.6% of this class reported their parents to smoke in the home and 54.3% initiated smoking in adulthood. Class 3 (Early-onset, Nicotine addicts) dominated by males has a higher probability of regular tobacco use and has smoked the largest number of cigarette in their lifetime compared to classes 1 and 2. The majority (60.0%) of those in this group had initiated smoking as a teenager. 14.9% had both parents as smokers; 10.6% had mothers who smoke and 20.6% reported their father was a smoker. 23.7% of this class reported their parents to smoke in the home.Conclusion: This study reveals the cigarette smoking behaviours among students and can further inform interventions and strategies to achieving a tobacco-free Ireland.


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