Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies and Factors Associated with Seropositivity at the University of Salamanca: The DIANCUSAL Study

Background: Systematic screening for antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 is a crucial tool for surveillance of the COVID-19 pandemic. The University of Salamanca (USAL) in Spain designed a project called “DIANCUSAL” (Diagnosis of New Coronavirus, COVID-19, in University of Salamanca) to measure antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 among its ~34,000 students and academic staff, as the influence of the university community in the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in the city of Salamanca and neighboring towns hosting USAL campuses could be substantial. Objective: The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies among USAL students, professors and staff and to evaluate the demographic, academic, clinical and lifestyle and behavioral factors related to seropositivity. Methodology: The DIANCUSAL study is an ongoing university population-based cross-sectional study, with the work described herein conducted from July–October 2020. All USAL students, professors and staff were invited to complete an anonymized questionnaire. Seroprevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies was detected and quantified by using chemiluminescent assays for IgG and IgM. Principal findings: A total of 8197 (24.71%) participants were included. The mean age was 31.4 (14.5 SD) years, and 66.0% of the participants were female. The seroprevalence was 8.25% overall and was highest for students from the education campus (12.5%) and professors from the biomedical campus (12.6%), with significant differences among faculties (p = 0.006). Based on the questionnaire, loss of smell and fever were the symptoms most strongly associated with seropositivity, and 22.6% of seropositive participants were asymptomatic. Social distancing was the most effective hygiene measure (p = 0.0007). There were significant differences in seroprevalence between participants with and without household exposure to SARS-CoV-2 (p = 0.0000), but not between students who lived in private homes and those who lived in dormitories. IgG antibodies decreased over time in the participants with confirmed self-reported COVID-19 diagnoses. Conclusions: The analysis revealed an overall 8.25% seroprevalence at the end of October 2020, with a higher seroprevalence in students than in staff. Thus, there is no need for tailored measures for the USAL community as the official average seroprevalence in the area was similar (7.8% at 22 June and 12.4 at 15 November of 2020). Instead, USAL members should comply with public health measures.

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Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies and Factors Associated with Seropositivity at the University of Salamanca: The DIANCUSAL Study

10.21203/rs.3.rs-489321/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Vicente Santiago Belen ◽

Pendones Josue ◽

Adserias Francisco ◽

Gonzalez Hernandez ◽

Miguel Rodriguez ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Academic Staff ◽

Population Based ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Systematic Screening ◽

The Mean ◽

Behavioural Factors ◽

Private Homes ◽

The University ◽

The City

Abstract Background: Systematic screening for antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 is a crucial tool for surveillance of the COVID-19 pandemic. The University of Salamanca (USAL) in Spain designed a project called “DIANCUSAL” (Diagnosis of New Coronavirus, COVID-19, in University of Salamanca) to measure antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 among its ~34,000 students and academic staff, as the influence of the university community in the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in the city of Salamanca and neighbouring towns hosting USAL campuses could be substantial. Objective: The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies among USAL students, professors and staff and to evaluate the demographic, academic, clinical and lifestyle and behavioural factors related to seropositivity. Methodology: The DIANCUSAL study is an ongoing university population-based cross-sectional study, with the work described herein conducted from July-October 2020. All USAL students, professors, and staff were invited to complete an anonymized questionnaire. Seroprevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies was detected and quantified by using chemiluminescent assays for IgG and IgM. Principal findings: A total of 8197 (24.71%) participants were included. The mean age was 31.4 (14.5 SD) years, and 66.0% of the participants were female. The seroprevalence was 8.25% overall, and was highest for students from the education campus (12.5%) and professors from the biomedical campus (12.6%), with significant differences among faculties (p = 0.006). Based on the questionnaire, loss of smell and fever were the symptoms most strongly associated with seropositivity, and 22.6% of seropositive participants were asymptomatic. Social distancing was the most effective hygiene measure (p= 0.0007). There were significant differences in seroprevalence between participants with and without household exposure to SARS-CoV-2 (p=0.0000), but not between students who lived in private homes and those who lived in dormitories. IgG antibodies decreased over time in the participants with confirmed self-reported COVID-19 diagnoses. Conclusions: The analysis revealed an overall 8.25% seroprevalence at the end of October 2020, with a higher seroprevalence in students than in staff. Thus, there is no need for tailored measures for the USAL community as the official average seroprevalence in the area was similar (7.8% at 22nd June and 12.4 at 15th November of 2020. Instead, USAL members should comply with public health measures.

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Oral findings in patients with chronic kidney disease: A cross-sectional descriptive study in Cuenca, Ecuador

World Journal of Advanced Research and Reviews ◽

10.30574/wjarr.2021.11.2.0400 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (2) ◽

pp. 373-379

Author(s):

Yadira Lucía Piedra Bravo ◽

Diana Estefania Sinchiguano Velecela ◽

Ana Cristina Criollo Velecela ◽

María Gracia Ordoñez Pesántez ◽

María Paula Piedra Idrovo

Keyword(s):

Renal Insufficiency ◽

Oral Candidiasis ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Dialysis Treatment ◽

Gingival Enlargement ◽

Study Population ◽

The Mean ◽

The University ◽

The City

Objective: To determine the different oral findings in patients with renal insufficiency, chronic. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out that included 123 individuals who were diagnosed with renal insufficiency, chronic and underwent dialysis treatment at the Renal Services Unit of the Austro of the city of Cuenca-Ecuador. Once the study was approved by the Research Directorate of the Faculty of Dentistry (DIFO) of the University of Cuenca (code UC-DIFO-PROY-17-010), the oral cavity of the patients was examined to detect gingival enlargement non-inflammatory, hemorrhagic lesions (purpura and ecchymosis), uremic stomatitis and oral candidiasis. Data analysis was performed using the IBM-SPSS Statistics 20.0 program for Windows software (IBM Corporation, Armonk, NY, USA); the results were presented in simple distribution tables by calculating their percentage frequency. Results: Of the 123 subjects who participated in this study, 52% (n=64) were women, while 48% (n=59) were men. The mean age of the study population was 60.2 (SD: 14.6) years. Oral findings were described in 74% (n= 91) of patient’s with renal insufficiency, chronic. Among them were: non-inflammatory gingival enlargement (64.7%) (n=57), hemorrhagic lesions such as purpura and ecchymosis (57.7%) (n=71), uremic stomatitis (10.6%) (n=13) and oral candidiasis (8.1%) (n=10). Conclusion: Patients with renal insufficiency, chronic present important oral findings that should be identified and treated during dental practice.

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A cross sectional study: The association between sleeping quality and stress among second and third medical students at the University of Jordan

The International Journal of Psychiatry in Medicine ◽

10.1177/00912174211011287 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 009121742110112

Author(s):

AA Toubasi ◽

BR Khraisat ◽

RB AbuAnzeh ◽

HM Kalbouneh

Keyword(s):

Logistic Regression ◽

Medical Students ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Regular Exercise ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Chi Square ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

The Mean ◽

University Of Jordan ◽

The University

Objective Medicine is considered one if not the most stressful educational field. Thus, the aim of this study is to investigate the prevalence of stress and poor sleeping quality among medical students and the association between them. Method This cross-sectional study was conducted at the University of Jordan on second- and third-year medical students. The questionnaire consisted of: 1) Demographics; 2) The assessment tools which were Pittsburgh Quality of Sleep Index (PSQI) and Kessler Psychological Distress Status (K10). Binary logistic regression, chi-square and linear regression were used to investigate the association between PSQI, K10, and their determinants. Results The mean for PSQI score was 6.76 ± 3.32. PSQI scores interpretation revealed that 61.7% of the 282 participants of this study were poor sleepers. Logistic regression results showed that only the category of not napping at all from the napping hours variable was significantly associated with sleeping quality. Furthermore, the mean of K10 scores was 24.5 ± 8.5. K10 scores revealed that 66.3% of the participants were stressed. Logistic regression results showed that gender and regular exercise were significantly associated with psychological distress. Additionally, chi-square test, logistic regression and linear regression showed that PSQI was significantly associated with K10 (P <0.01). Conclusions Stress and poor sleeping quality in medical students at the University of Jordan were highly prevalent and strongly associated. What determined PSQI was daytime napping, and for K10 were regular exercise and gender. Further investigations into stress and sleep quality in the Arabian region are needed.

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Ultra-processed food consumption in Barbados: evidence from a nationally representative, cross-sectional study

Journal of Nutritional Science ◽

10.1017/jns.2021.21 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 ◽

Author(s):

Rachel M. Harris ◽

Angela M. C. Rose ◽

Suzanne Soares-Wynter ◽

Nigel Unwin

Keyword(s):

Communicable Disease ◽

Population Based ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Targeted Interventions ◽

Sweetened Beverages ◽

Group 4 ◽

The Mean ◽

Nationally Representative

Abstract Our objective was to describe, for the first time in an English-speaking Caribbean country, the contribution of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) to nutrients linked to non-communicable disease. Using a cross-sectional study design, dietary data were collected from two non-consecutive 24-h dietary recalls. Recorded food items were then classified according to their degree of processing by the NOVA system. The present study took place in Barbados (2012–13). A representative population-based sample of 364 adult Barbadians (161 males and 203 females) aged 25–64 years participated in the study. UPFs represented 40⋅5 % (838 kcal/d; 95 % CI 791, 885) of mean energy intake. Sugar-sweetened beverages made the largest contribution to energy within the UPF category. Younger persons (25–44 years) consumed a significantly higher proportion of calories from UPF (NOVA group 4) compared with older persons (45–64 years). The mean energy shares of UPF ranged from 22⋅0 to 58⋅9 % for those in the lowest tertile to highest tertile. Within each tertile, the energy contribution was significantly higher in the younger age group (25–44 years) compared with the older (45–64 years). One-quarter of persons consume ≥50 % of their daily calories from UPF, this being significantly higher in younger persons. The ultra-processed diet fraction contained about six times the mean of free sugars and about 0⋅8 times the dietary fibre of the non-ultra-processed fraction (NOVA groups 1–3). Targeted interventions to decrease the consumption of UPF especially in younger persons is thus of high priority to improve the diet quality of Barbadians.

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Factors influencing the dental caries in pregnant women: a cross-sectional study

Research Society and Development ◽

10.33448/rsd-v10i1.12226 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

pp. e32810111226

Author(s):

Gabriela Bohrer Bolsson ◽

Jessica Klöckner Knorst ◽

Marília Cunha Maroneze ◽

Maísa Casarin ◽

Patrícia Pasquali Dotto ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Dental Caries ◽

Pregnant Women ◽

Basic Research ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Mean Value ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

The Mean ◽

The City ◽

Santa Maria

Objective: To assess factors associated with the average number of dental caries in pregnant women. Method: Basic research design: This cross-sectional study was performed between January 2017 and December 2018 in Santa Maria, Brazil. Clinical setting and participants: Multistage random sampling resulted in the recruitment of 256 pregnant women from public health centers across the city. Clinical exams and semi-structured questionnaires including demographic, socioeconomic and behavioral questions were performed by trained interviewers. Main outcome measure: The experience of dental caries was evaluated through the mean value of the Decay, Missing, and Filled Surface Index (DMFS) by 4 trained and calibrated examiners. Multilevel Poisson regression models were used to evaluate the influence of different variables on the average number of dental caries. Rate ratio (RR) and respective 95% confidence intervals were calculated (CI 95%). Results: The prevalence of untreated dental caries was 62.7% in the sample, while the mean DMFS index was 10.27 (± 10.92). Women who smoked during pregnancy had a higher mean DMFS (RR 1.41; 95% CI 1.25-1.57). Furthermore, pregnant women who had poor self-ratings of oral health had a higher average DMFS (RR 1.21; 95% CI 1.10-1.32). Conclusions: The results showed that older age, ethnicity, fewer years in education and the presence of dental plaque resulted in higher means of DMFS.

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Geographic and socioeconomic distribution of food vendors: a case study of a municipality in the Southern Brazil

Cadernos de Saúde Pública ◽

10.1590/0102-311x00145015 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 33 (2) ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Elizabeth Nappi Correa ◽

Cristina Maria Proença Padez ◽

Ângelo Horta de Abreu ◽

Francisco de Assis Guedes de Vasconcelos

Keyword(s):

Secondary Data ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Healthy Food ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Distribution Profile ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Different Types ◽

The Mean ◽

The City

Abstract: The objective of this study was to identify the food vendor distribution profile of the city of Florianópolis, Santa Catarina State, Brazil, and investigate its association with the socioeconomic and demographic characteristics of different municipal regions. This descriptive, cross-sectional study obtained the location of food vendors from secondary data from different institutional sources. The density of different types of food vendors per 1,000 inhabitants in each municipal weighted area was calculated. The Kruskal-Wallis test compared the mean density of food vendors and the weighted income areas. The lowest-income regions had the lowest density of butchers, snack bars, supermarkets, bakeries/pastry shops, natural product stores, juice bars, and convenience stores. The identification of these areas may encourage the creation of public policies that facilitate healthy food startups and/or maintenance of healthy food vendors, especially in the lowest-income regions.

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Seroprevalence, prevalence, and genomic surveillance: monitoring the initial phases of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in Betim, Brazil

10.1101/2021.10.21.21265140 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Ana Valesca Fernandes Gilson Silva ◽

Diego Menezes ◽

Filipe Romero Rebello Moreira ◽

Octavio Alcantara Torres ◽

Paula Luize Camargos Fonseca ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Local Government ◽

Geographical Area ◽

Population Based ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

The Third ◽

Molecular Tests ◽

Epidemiological Monitoring ◽

The City

The Covid-19 pandemic has created an unprecedented need for epidemiological monitoring using diverse strategies. We conducted a project combining prevalence, seroprevalence, and genomic surveillance approaches to describe the initial pandemic stages in Betim City, Brazil. We collected 3239 subjects in a population-based age-, sex- and neighborhood-stratified, household, prospective; cross-sectional study divided into three surveys 21 days apart sampling the same geographical area. In the first survey, overall prevalence (participants positive in serological or molecular tests) reached 0.46% (90% CI 0.12% - 0.80%), followed by 2.69% (90% CI 1.88% - 3.49%) in the second survey and 6.67% (90% CI 5.42% - 7.92%) in the third. The underreporting reached 11, 19.6, and 20.4 times in each survey, respectively. We observed increased odds to test positive in females compared to males (OR 1.88 95% CI 1.25 - 2.82), while the single best predictor for positivity was ageusia/ anosmia (OR 8.12, 95% CI 4.72 - 13.98). Thirty-five SARS-CoV-2 genomes were sequenced, of which 18 were classified as lineage B.1.1.28, while 17 were B.1.1.33. Multiple independent viral introductions were observed. Integration of multiple epidemiological strategies was able to describe Covid-19 dispersion in the city adequately. Presented results have helped local government authorities to guide pandemic management.

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Normative data for the 6-min walk test in 11–14 year-olds: a population-based study

BMC Pulmonary Medicine ◽

10.1186/s12890-021-01666-5 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Mario Kasović ◽

Lovro Štefan ◽

Vilko Petrić

Keyword(s):

Normative Data ◽

Outcome Measure ◽

Population Based ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Healthy Children ◽

Walk Test ◽

Target Groups ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Population Based Study ◽

The Mean

Abstract Background The 6-min walk test (6MWT) has become an established measure for assessing exercise capacity in children with chronic diseases. However, little evidence has been provided regarding population-based normal data in healthy children. The main purpose of the study was to provide normative data in a large sample of children. Methods In this cross-sectional study, 4352 children between 11 and 14 years were recruited (66% girls). The main outcome measure was the distance walked for six minutes. Sex- and age-specific percentile values (5th, 15th, 25th, 50th, 75th, 85th and 95th) for the 6MWT were created and the differences and correlations were examined by the analysis of variance and Pearson’s coefficient of correlation. Results The mean distance walked in 6 min was 576 ± 93 m in boys and 545 ± 92 m in girls, respectively. The mean walking speed for boys and girls was 98 ± 5 m/min and 91 ± 6 m/min. Older boys and girls performed better, compared to their younger counterparts (p for age < 0.001). The 6MWT was significantly correlated with age (r = 0.24, p < 0.001), height (r = 0.09, p < 0.001), weight (r = − 0.13, p < 0.001) and body-mass index (r = − 0.26, p < 0.001). Conclusions This is the first population-based study aiming to provide normative data for the 6MWT in healthy children between 11 to 14 years. Children in lower percentiles are ‘target groups’ for special intervention aiming to enhance the performance.

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Awareness of Diagnosis and Decision-Making Preferences of Greek Cancer Patients

Pharmacovigilance and Pharmacoepidemiology ◽

10.33805/2638-8235.115 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 5-12

Author(s):

Despoina G Alamanou ◽

Konstantinos Giakoumidakis ◽

Dimosthenis G Theodosiadis ◽

Nikolaos V Fotos ◽

Elissavet Patiraki ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Decision Making ◽

Cancer Patients ◽

Cancer Diagnosis ◽

Active Role ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Medical Encounter ◽

The Mean ◽

The Impact ◽

The City

Objective: In Greece, the old phenomenon of hiding cancer diagnosis and depriving cancer patients of their right to participate in decisionmaking remains a reality. The aim of this study was to assess the decision-making preferences of Greek cancer patients and their awareness of diagnosis. Methods: It was a cross-sectional study. The sample consisted of 229 adult Greek patients diagnosed with cancer, attending the oncology outpatient department (outpatients) or being hospitalized (inpatients), in one general hospital in Athens. Patients who were aware of cancer diagnosis (n=209) were administered at the Control Preference Scale (CPS), a tool, designed to elicit decision-making preferences. The IBM SPSS program, version 21.0 was used for statistical analysis. Results: One hundred and one patients (52.8%) were males. The mean [±standard deviation (SD)] age was 64.8 (±11.2) years. The vast majority of patients knew they suffered from cancer (n=209, 91.3%). Older patients (p=0.003), those who lived in suburbs of the city (p=0.01), those who had lower educational level (p=0.001), those with lower personal income (p=0.001) and shorter disease duration (p=0.001) stated that were unaware of cancer diagnosis. Seventy five (36.2%) patients chose the shared-decision role in decision-making procedures. Lower age (OR 1.04, 95%, CI: 1.00-1.08, p= 0.05) and higher education level (OR 2, 63, 95%, CI: 1.11-6.29, p=0.03) were significantly associated with the preference of patients to actively participate in decision-making regarding treatment. Conclusions: Although Greek cancer patients are aware of cancer diagnosis and treatment, nowadays, they still seem to hesitate in playing a more active role in the decision-making procedures, which portrays the impact of the dominating paternalistic model of doctor-patient relationship in the Greek medical encounter

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Varicose Veins Among Different Occupational Background in City of Mosul-Iraq

10.53350/pjmhs211551399 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 15 (5) ◽

pp. 1399-1402

Author(s):

H. J. Mahmood ◽

R. H. Ibrahim ◽

M. F. Abdulghani ◽

Z. F. Al-Zaidy

Keyword(s):

Clinical Practice ◽

Varicose Veins ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Age Group ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Study Results ◽

The Mean ◽

Occupational Background ◽

The City

Background and aim: The Objectives of the present study to determine the VV among people with different background occupations in the City of Mosul, Iraq. Materials and method: A cross-sectional study was performed at Mosul Teaching Hospital between November 2019 and February 2020. Two hundred people who were physically examined represented different jobs in Iraqi society (Nurses, address, Policemen, and teachers). A physical examination was conducted of all participants who agreed to engage in this study. Results: The overall prevalence rate of VV among different occupational backgrounds in the City of Mosul is 19.5%. The study found that the percentage of men (50.5%) and women (49.5%). Most of the patient was beyond to age group (41-45) years and the mean age of the participants was (39.1+3.1). According to the BMI, the results indicated that most subjects belong to a class<30 (77%). Conclusions: The nurses will seek to prevent excessive extended occupational standing and using sitting or walking when appropriate. As a result, an improvement in clinical practice may reduce the incidence of vascular disease. Keywords: Varicose, Veins, Occupational

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