Age at First Birth in Uttar Pradesh: How Much Has It Actually Changed? Over Inter-NFHS Period?

Culturally, there is always pressure among newly-wed to conceive early and have births in India. Previous studies have documented relationship between age at first birth & fertility, besides the socio-demographic factors that influence age at first birth. The current study aims answering directions and quantum of such relationships using frailty models. The successive rounds of NFHS data (1, 2, 3 & 4) from Uttar Pradesh is used in the study. Fertility in India is characterized as too-early-too-fast. By age-30 majority women would have completed the childbearing. However, the data from NFHS-4 shows some striking changes in the initiation of child bearing in Uttar Pradesh breaking away from the stereotypes of too early too fast characterization. While 44.67 percent of the women aged 30-34 had experienced first birth by age 18 in the year 1992-93 (NFHS-1), the percentages declined during 2015-16 (NFHS-4) to 28.25%. However, by ages 26 majority of women (>95%) aged 30-34 have had experienced first birth. Births at younger age are also a reflection on enforcement of child-marriage restraint act & adherence to legal minimum age at marriage which is 18 for girls & 21 for boys. The data from NFHS-4 have some quality issues. Women aged as low as 5 have shown to have experienced first birth by that age. This may not be possible. The Kaplan Meier survival Graph provided the survival probabilities with respect of each predictor sub groups. The log rank test was used to test the equality of survivor function for each sub group of the predictor variable. The survivor function was significantly different among sub groups of the predictor variables except for the categories of ever use of contraception at NFHS1 and categories of religion across rounds of NFHS data. The Cox Proportional Hazards model was used to study the risk of first birth by socio demographic characteristics. The Frailty model capturing the unobserved heterogeneity in the event time was preferred over standard survival model. For the current study, gamma frailty with Weibull-hazard is used as it fits the data well. Age at marriage and women’s literacy significantly determines the Age at First Birth. The inverse relationship with regard to ever use of contraception needs further analysis. The model also predicts significant frailty with variance parameter (theta) greater than one across the NFHS datasets.

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The correlation between gain of chromosome 8q and survival in patients with clear and papillary renal cell carcinoma

Therapeutic Advances in Urology ◽

10.1177/1756287217732660 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

pp. 3-10 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Reza Mehrazin ◽

Essel Dulaimi ◽

Robert G. Uzzo ◽

Karthik Devarjan ◽

Jianming Pei ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Renal Cell Carcinoma ◽

Cell Carcinoma ◽

Renal Cell ◽

Cytogenetic Analysis ◽

Proportional Hazards ◽

Proportional Hazards Model ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards Model ◽

Renal Tumors ◽

Rank Test

Background: The proto-oncogene c-MYC, located on chromosome 8q, can be upregulated through gain of 8q, causing alteration in biology of renal cell carcinoma (RCC). The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of c-MYC through chromosome 8q gain and to correlate findings with cancer-specific mortality (CSM), and overall survival (OS). Methods: Cytogenetic analysis by conventional or Chromosomal Genomic Microarray Analysis (CMA) was performed on 414 renal tumors. Nonclear and nonpapillary RCC were excluded. Impact of gain in chromosome 8q status on CSM, OS, and its correlation with clinicopathological variables were evaluated. CSM and OS were assessed using log-rank test and the Cox proportional hazards model. Results: A total of 297 RCC tumors with cytogenetic analysis were included. Gain of 8q was detected in 18 (6.1%) tumors (9 clear cell and 9 papillary RCC), using conventional method ( n = 11) or CMA ( n = 7). Gain of 8q was associated with higher T stage ( p < 0.001), grade ( p < 0.001), nodal involvement ( p = 0.005), and distant metastasis ( p < 0.001). No association between gain of 8q and age ( p = 0.23), sex ( p = 0.46), and Charlson comorbidity index (CCI, p = 0.59) were seen. Gain of 8q was associated with an 8.38-fold [95% confidence interval (CI), 3.83–18.34, p < 0.001] and 3.31-fold (95% CI, 1.56–7.04, p = 0.001) increase in CSM and decrease in OS, respectively, at a median follow up of 56 months. Conclusion: Chromosome 8q harbors the proto-oncogene c-MYC, which can be upregulated by gain of 8q. Our findings suggest that gain of 8q, can predict aggressive tumor phenotype and inferior survival in RCC.

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Blood eosinophils on hospital admission for COPD exacerbation do not predict the recurrence of moderate and severe relapses

ERJ Open Research ◽

10.1183/23120541.00543-2020 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 7 (1) ◽

pp. 00543-2020

Author(s):

Balázs Csoma ◽

András Bikov ◽

Ferenc Tóth ◽

György Losonczy ◽

Veronika Müller ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Proportional Hazards ◽

Proportional Hazards Model ◽

Forced Expiratory Volume ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards Model ◽

Full Blood Count ◽

Rank Test ◽

Severe Exacerbation ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Exacerbation Of Copd

Background and objectiveThe relationship between hospitalisation with an eosinophilic acute exacerbation of COPD (AE-COPD) and future relapses is unclear. We aimed to explore this association by following 152 patients for 12 months after hospital discharge or until their first moderate or severe flare-up.MethodsPatients hospitalised with AE-COPD were divided into eosinophilic and non-eosinophilic groups based on full blood count results on admission. All patients were treated with a course of systemic corticosteroid. The Cox proportional hazards model was used to study the association with the time to first re-exacerbation; a generalised linear regression model was applied to identify clinical variables related to the recurrence of relapses.ResultsWe did not find a difference in the time to the next moderate or severe exacerbation between the eosinophilic (≥2% of total leukocytes and/or ≥200 eosinophils·µL−1, n=51, median (interquartile range): 21 (10–36) weeks) and non-eosinophilic groups (n=101, 17 (9–36) weeks, log-rank test: p=0.63). No association was found when other cut-off values (≥3% of total leukocytes and/or ≥300 eosinophils·µL−1) were used for the eosinophilic phenotype. However, the higher number of past severe exacerbations, a lower forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) at discharge and higher pack-years were related to shorter exacerbation-free time. According to a subgroup analysis (n=73), 48.1% of patients with initial eosinophilic exacerbations had non-eosinophilic relapses on readmission.ConclusionsOur data do not support an increased risk of earlier recurring moderate or severe relapses in patients hospitalised with eosinophilic exacerbations of COPD. Eosinophilic severe exacerbations present a variable phenotype.

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Treatment of metastatic disease with immune checkpoint inhibitors nivolumab and pembrolizumab: Effect of performance status on clinical outcomes.

Journal of Clinical Oncology ◽

10.1200/jco.2021.39.15_suppl.e18689 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 39 (15_suppl) ◽

pp. e18689-e18689

Author(s):

Leah Wells ◽

Michael Cerniglia ◽

Audrey C. Jost ◽

Gregory Joseph Britt

Keyword(s):

Disease Control ◽

Proportional Hazards Model ◽

Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽

Performance Status ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards Model ◽

Rank Test ◽

Time To Death ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Line Of Therapy

e18689 Background: While guidelines exist for appropriate use of chemotherapy in the metastatic setting based on performance status, such recommendations are less readily available for immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). We sought to determine if there is a relationship between Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status and outcomes on immunotherapy in patients treated for metastatic disease at our community-based oncology practice. Methods: 253 patients were identified as receiving nivolumab or pembrolizumab for stage IV malignancy at Cancer Centers of Colorado-SCL Health, between June 2018 and November 2020. Patients initiated on therapy after May 2020 were excluded from analysis, due to insufficient (less than 6 months) follow-up time. The remaining 183 patients were included in a retrospective cohort study comparing patients with ECOG 0, ECOG 1, and ECOG 2-4. Sex, age, type of cancer, and line of therapy were collected. Time on therapy was also calculated. Best response to therapy was determined (disease control or progressive disease). These baseline factors and outcomes were compared using ANOVA for numeric variables and chi-square tests of association for categorical variables. Time from initiation of ICI to death or hospice was also investigated and compared using a log-rank test. In addition, a multivariate Cox proportional hazards model was developed for the outcome, time to death/hospice, versus the predictors ECOG status, age, gender, and line of therapy. Hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated. Results: Of the 183 patients included in analysis, 31.7% had an ECOG of 0, 48.6% an ECOG of 1, and 19.7% an ECOG of 2-4. Non-small cell lung cancer and melanoma represented the majority of patients in each group. Gender and line of therapy did not differ between groups. There was a significant difference in age (p = 0.02) with mean age 62, 66, and 70 in ECOG 0,1, and 2-4, respectively. 54.6% of patients remained on therapy for at least 6 months (182 days), and there was no significant difference between groups in ability to complete 6 months of therapy (p = 0.32). For ECOG 0, 1, and 2-4, disease control was achieved in 67.2%, 59.6 %, and 41.7%, respectively (p = 0.048). Analysis of time to death/hospice with a log rank test and Kaplan Meier plot showed a significant difference between groups (p < 0.001). A multivariate Cox proportional hazards model revealed that patients with ECOG 0 had significantly longer time to death/hospice compared to patients in both other groups, after controlling for age, gender, and line of therapy (ECOG 1 vs. 0: HR 2.5, CI 1.27-4.9; ECOG 2-4 vs. 0: HR 2.83, CI 1.31-6.13). Conclusions: In this single institution retrospective study of patients receiving nivolumab or pembrolizumab for metastatic cancer, ECOG 0 was associated with disease control and increased time before death or transition to hospice.

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Subclinical Cognitive Impairment and Listing for Kidney Transplantation

Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology ◽

10.2215/cjn.11010918 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 14 (4) ◽

pp. 567-575 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Aditi Gupta ◽

Robert N. Montgomery ◽

Victor Bedros ◽

John Lesko ◽

Jonathan D. Mahnken ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cognitive Impairment ◽

Kidney Transplant ◽

Cognitive Assessment ◽

Proportional Hazards Model ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards Model ◽

Montreal Cognitive Assessment ◽

Rank Test ◽

Assessment Score ◽

Lower Likelihood

Background and objectivesCognitive impairment is common in patients with kidney disease and can affect physicians’ perception and/or patients’ ability to complete the pretransplant evaluation. We examined whether cognitive impairment influences the likelihood for transplant listing and whether patients with cognitive impairment take longer to be listed.Design, setting, participants, & measurementsWe conducted a single-center longitudinal cohort study. Patients presenting for their index kidney transplant evaluation were screened for cognitive impairment using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment. A score <26 indicated cognitive impairment. The transplant selection committee was blinded to the scores. Kaplan–Meier analysis assessed time to active listing by level of cognition. A Cox proportional hazards model that included age, sex, race/ethnicity, smoking, coronary artery disease, and diabetes was constructed to evaluate the association between Montreal Cognitive Assessment score and listing for transplant.ResultsIn total, 349 patients who underwent Montreal Cognitive Assessment testing at their initial visit were included in the analysis. Patients with cognitive impairment were more likely to be older, black, and smokers. The time to listing in patients with cognitive impairment was longer than the time to listing in those with no cognitive impairment (median time, 10.6 versus 6.3 months; log rank test P=0.01). Cognitive impairment was independently associated with a lower likelihood of being listed for transplant (hazard ratio, 0.93 per unit lower Montreal Cognitive Assessment score; 95% confidence interval, 0.88 to 0.99; P=0.02). A lower proportion of patients with cognitive impairment were listed compared with patients without cognitive impairment at 1 month (2% versus 11%), 6 months (17% versus 37%), and 1 year (23% versus 41%), (P<0.001 for all).ConclusionsCognitive impairment is associated with a lower likelihood of being listed for kidney transplant, and is associated with longer time to transplant listing.

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Spirit-Quieting Traditional Chinese Medicine may Improve Survival in Prostate Cancer Patients with Depression

Journal of Clinical Medicine ◽

10.3390/jcm8020218 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 8 (2) ◽

pp. 218

Author(s):

Po-Hung Lin ◽

Shun-Ku Lin ◽

Ren-Jun Hsu ◽

See-Tong Pang ◽

Cheng-Keng Chuang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Prostate Cancer ◽

Chinese Medicine ◽

Traditional Chinese Medicine ◽

Cancer Patients ◽

Proportional Hazards Model ◽

Survival Curve ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards Model ◽

Rank Test ◽

Cancer Type

Depression is associated with higher mortality in prostate cancer. However, whether traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for depression improves outcomes in patients with prostate cancer is unclear. This retrospective cohort study evaluated the association between TCM for depression and mortality in patients with prostate cancer. During the period 1998–2012, a total of 248 prostate cancer patients in Taiwan with depression were enrolled and divided into three groups: TCM for depression (n = 81, 32.7%), TCM for other purposes (n = 53, 21.3%), and no TCM (n = 114, 46.0%). During a median follow-up of 6.2 years, 12 (14.8%), 13 (24.5%), and 36 (31.6%) deaths occurred in the TCM for depression, TCM for other purposes, and no TCM groups, respectively. After adjusting age at diagnosis, urbanization, insured amount, comorbidity disease, and prostate cancer type, TCM for depression was associated with a significantly lower risk of overall mortality based on a multivariate-adjusted Cox proportional-hazards model (hazard ratio 0.42, 95% confidence interval: 0.21–0.85, p = 0.02) and Kaplan–Meier survival curve (log-rank test, p = 0.0055) compared to no TCM. In conclusion, TCM for depression may have a positive association with the survival of prostate cancer patients with depression.

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CD38 Variation in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood.v120.21.4576.4576 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 120 (21) ◽

pp. 4576-4576

Author(s):

Ryan D. Nipp ◽

J. Brice Weinberg ◽

Alicia D. Volkheimer ◽

Evan D. Davis ◽

Youwei Chen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Overall Survival ◽

Proportional Hazards Model ◽

Prognostic Significance ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards ◽

Lymphocytic Leukemia ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards Model ◽

Rank Test ◽

Cd38 Expression ◽

Log Rank Test ◽

Maximum Minimum

Abstract Abstract 4576 Background: Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) has a highly variable clinical course. Some patients require treatment early while others can be monitored without therapy. CD38 expression has been shown in multiple cohorts to have prognostic significance. An elevated percentage of CD38 positive CLL lymphocytes at the time of diagnosis is correlated with a more rapid need for therapy and a shorter overall survival. The extent to which CD38 varies during the course of CLL, including after therapy, has only been evaluated in a limited fashion. Methods: From a cohort of over 500 CLL patients at the Duke University and Durham VA Medical Centers, we selected 136 patients in whom we had measured CD38 expression by flow cytometry on two or more occasions. We determined the first, maximum, minimum, and range (maximum – minimum) CD38 values. We compared these values to other molecular prognostic markers using Wilcoxon tests and assessed the prognostic significance of these values using Cox proportional hazard models and Kaplan-Meier analyses. Results: Of the 136 patients, 70% were male and 88% Caucasian, with a median age of 60. The majority had low clinical stage at diagnosis—either Rai stage 0 (68%) or 1 (19%). Molecular prognostic markers were also generally favorable. Eighty-two (67%) patients had mutated IGHV status, 69 (51%) were ZAP70 negative, and 76 (63%) had either 13q deletion or normal cytogenetics, determined by fluorescent in situ hybridization. CD38 expression was measured a median of 5.5 times (2 – 19). The median time between the first and last CD38 measurements was 1206 days (81 – 4109). The median values were 6% (0.6 – 99) for maximum CD38, 1.5% (0 to 84.5) for minimum CD38, and 4.9% (0.2 to 95.3) for CD38 range. Maximum, minimum, and CD38 range were significantly lower in patients with mutated compared to unmutated IGHV status (p < 0.005 for all parameters, Wilcoxon rank sum test). Elevated maximum and CD38 range were significantly associated with a more rapid time to therapy (TTT) and shorter overall survival (OS) in a univariate Cox proportional hazards model (p < 0.03 for all, Wald test). In a multivariate Cox proportional hazards model including first CD38 and maximum CD38 values, only maximum CD38 remained statistically significant. We found that patients with high CD38 variation (CD38 range greater than the median) had significantly shorter TTT and OS than patients with low CD38 variation (p = 0.002 for both, log rank test). Using receiver operator characteristic analyses, we determined that the best cut-off for dichotomizing the first CD38 according to TTT and OS in the entire Duke/Durham VA CLL cohort was 11%. Using this cut-off, 15 patients (11%) converted from CD38 negative to CD38 positive. Using the standard 30% cut-off, 14 patients (10%) converted from CD38 negative to CD38 positive. Patients with a first CD38 measurement less than 11% and subsequent measurements above 11% had a favorable OS, similar to patients with low CD38 for all measurements (p = 0.002, log rank test). However, patients with a first CD38 measurement less than 30% who had subsequent measurements above 30% had an inferior OS, similar to patients with high CD38 for all measurements (p = 0.006, log rank test). Lastly, among 24 patients with CD38 measurements before and after first therapy, the percentage of CD38 positive cells increased in 19 patients (79%), with a median value of 3.2% before to 6.9% after therapy (p = 0.005, Wilcoxon signed rank test). Conclusions: CD38 values vary as patients transition across the disease trajectory. This variation appears to have prognostic significance, with high variation associated with faster time to first therapy and shorter overall survival. Additionally, in our cohort, a patient's maximum CD38 value had more prognostic significance than a single initial measurement. Thus, longitudinally measuring CD38 throughout the clinical course of CLL could aid in the management of CLL patients, refining the initial prognostic assessment, and improving patient counseling and decision making. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

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Tumor IGF-1 expression as a predictive biomarker for IGF1R-directed therapy in advanced pancreatic cancer (APC).

Journal of Clinical Oncology ◽

10.1200/jco.2012.30.15_suppl.4054 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 30 (15_suppl) ◽

pp. 4054-4054 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Milind M. Javle ◽

Rachna T. Shroff ◽

Gauri R. Varadhachary ◽

Robert A. Wolff ◽

David R. Fogelman ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Proportional Hazards ◽

Proportional Hazards Model ◽

Predictive Biomarker ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards Model ◽

Rank Test ◽

Primary Study ◽

Study Objective ◽

Log Rank Test ◽

Hazards Model

4054 Background: IGF-1 up-regulates PC proliferation and invasiveness through activation of PI3K/Akt signaling pathway and down-regulates PTEN. We investigated IGF-1 expression in tissue and blood as potential predictive markers in phase II study of IGF1R-directed monoclonal antibody, MK-0646 in APC. Prior phase I established the MTD of MK0646 at 5 mg/kg with gemcitabine (G) and erlotinib (E) and 10 mg/kg with G alone. Methods: Patients (pts) with stage IV, previously untreated APC, ECOG PS 0-1, adequate hematologic and organ function were enrolled. Arm A: G 1,000 mg/m2 over 100 min, weekly x 3, MK-0646 weekly x 4; Arm B: G 1000 mg/m2 and MK-0646 + E 100 mg daily. Arm C (control) was G 1,000 mg/m2 + E 100 mg. Cycles were repeated every 4 weeks. Pts were equally randomized in the 3 arms. Primary study objective was progression-free survival (PFS). Pre-treatment peripheral blood samples were measured for IGF-1 level by ELISA; archival core biopsies were analyzed for IGF-1 mRNA expression. RNA extraction from FFPE samples used Roche Transcriptor First Strand cDNA Synthesis Kit. TaqMan PreAmp technique was used to amplify target cDNA prior to TaqMan RT-PCR analysis. Cox proportional hazards model for PFS analyzed the interaction between tissue IGF-1 expression and treatment. Results: 50 pts were enrolled (A=15, B=16,C=16 pts, 3 ineligible). Median PFS of arms A, B and C were 5.5 months (95% CI: 3.9 – NA), 3.0 months (95% CI:1.8 – 5.6) and 2.0 months (95% CI: 1.8 – NA), respectively (log-rank test; p = 0.17). Median OS of A was 11.3 months (95% CI: 8.9 – NA), B 8.9 months (95% CI: 5.3 – NA) and C 5.7 months (95% CI: 2.0 – NA) (log-rank test; p = 0.44). 35 archival core biopsies were analyzed, 21 had adequate tissue for analysis. Using a Multivariable Cox proportional hazards model for PFS, where IGF-1 was dichotomized at the median, there was a 76% reduction in the risk of disease progression or death in arm A as compared with the control (arm C) at high IGF-1 level (p = 0.16). When IGF-1 was fitted as a continuous variable, this reduction was 96% (p = 0.08). There was no correlation between tissue and serum IGF-1. Conclusions: Tissue expression of IGF-1 level may represent a promising predictive biomarker for IGF1R-directed therapy in APC.

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Clinicopathologic features and survival outcomes of signet cell carcinoma of the appendix: Analysis of the SEER database.

Journal of Clinical Oncology ◽

10.1200/jco.2020.38.15_suppl.e16147 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 38 (15_suppl) ◽

pp. e16147-e16147

Author(s):

Kamelah Abushalha ◽

Wa'el Tuqan ◽

Sara Albagoush ◽

Sawsan Abulaimoun ◽

Peter T. Silberstein

Keyword(s):

Cell Carcinoma ◽

Proportional Hazards Model ◽

Total Colectomy ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards Model ◽

Rank Test ◽

Bivariate Analysis ◽

Seer Database ◽

Cancer Specific Survival ◽

Factors Associated

e16147 Background: Signet ring cell carcinoma of the appendix (SRCCA) is an exceedingly rare tumor, and limited data are available on the characteristics and survival probabilities of this tumor. Methods: Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database was used to identify 527 patients diagnosed with SRCCA between 2000 and 2015. The database was used to examine demographic information. Survival analysis was made by Kaplan-Meier and compared by log-rank test. Cox proportional hazards model was adopted for prognostic variable evaluation. Results: The majority of SRCCA patients were female (63.9%) and white (83.8%), with a mean age at diagnosis of 56 years. Histologically; 60% of the tumors were of high grade (poorly-differentiated and undifferentiated). The majority of patients were diagnosed with metastatic disease (61.3%) and received surgical treatment (86.5%), with sub-total colectomy was the most common surgery performed (45.6%). Median overall survival was 26 months, with a cancer-specific survival at three-year and five-years of 39% and 18.4%, respectively. There was a 10-year difference in median survival time based on sex (females vs males; 23 vs 33 months respectively). On bivariate analysis; factors associated with significantly increased mortality (p < 0.05), include increased age (HR 1.02), female gender (HR 1.33), AJCC T category (T4 compared to T0; HR 1.96), AJCC N category (N1 compared to N0; HR 1.9) and AJCC M category (M1 compared to M0: HR 2.62). Factors associated with improved survival (p < 0.05) included treatment by surgical resection; total colectomy (HR 0.47) and sub-total colectomy (HR 0.45) . Conclusions: This is the largest study to date on SRCCA. Older white females are most commonly affected and often diagnosed at advanced stage and grade.

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Determinants of Unintended Pregnancies Among Currently Married Women in Uganda

10.21203/rs.3.rs-74109/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Ronald Wasswa ◽

Allen Kabagenyi ◽

Leonard Atuhaire

Keyword(s):

Higher Education ◽

Unintended Pregnancy ◽

Rural Areas ◽

Structural Equation ◽

Proportional Hazards Model ◽

Married Women ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards Model ◽

Rank Test ◽

Age At First Birth ◽

Unintended Pregnancies

Abstract Background: Unintended pregnancies are no longer bound to teenagers or school going children, married women in Uganda as well experience such pregnancies though little has been investigated on them. This study therefore examines the determinants of unintended pregnancies among currently married women in Uganda.Methods: In this study, we used data from the 2016 Uganda Demographic and Health Survey (UDHS) which comprised of 11,223 married women aged 15-49 years. Analysis was done using descriptive analysis, logistic regression, Poisson regression, log-rank test for survival functions, cox proportional hazards model, and the generalized structural equation model.Results: The study revealed that 45% of the pregnancies were unintended while 3 in 10 married women were not using contraceptives. At the bivariate level; unintended pregnancy was associated with the highest wealth quintile (OR=0.45, 95%CI=0.40-0.49) while contraceptive use was associated with higher education level (OR=4.90, 95% CI=4.10-5.86). Similarly, children ever born were associated with married women from rural areas (IRR=4.34, 95% CI=4.30-4.39). At the multivariate level, married women from northern region (AOR=0.55, 95% CI=0.45-0.64) had lower odds and Muslim married women with more children (AOR=1.04, 95% CI=1.01-1.07) had higher odds of unintended pregnancy.Conclusion: Unintended pregnancies are directly and indirectly influenced by higher fertility and improver use of contraceptive. Married women who had more children and were: from poor households, with lowest education, in Central region, in rural areas, with low age at first birth, with older partners and were Muslim were more likely to have unintended pregnancies. Also, married women who were using contraceptives and were: older age, Anglican, from wealthiest households, in agricultural or domestic sector and higher parity were associated with higher risk of unintended pregnancies. The government should make efforts in reducing the fertility among married women by investing in programs and policies like: sensitization of women on the effectiveness in use of contraceptives, making contraceptives affordable and easily accessible to all people in different regions of the country with emphasis on who already have four or more children. Extension of higher education to all people will lead to reduced risks of unintended pregnancies.

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Anisocytosis is Associated With Short-Term Mortality in COVID-19 and May Reflect Proinflammatory Signature in Uninfected Ambulatory Adults

Pathogens and Immunity ◽

10.20411/pai.v5i1.391 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 5 (1) ◽

pp. 312

Author(s):

Andrew Hornick ◽

Nour Tashtish ◽

Michael Osnard ◽

Binita Shah ◽

Allison Bradigan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cardiovascular Disease ◽

Proportional Hazards Model ◽

Statistical Significance ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards Model ◽

Rank Test ◽

Short Term ◽

Distribution Width ◽

Principle Components Analysis ◽

Short Term Mortality

BackgroundRed cell distribution width (RDW), a measure of anisocytosis, is observed in chronic inflammation and is a prognostic marker in critically ill patients without COVID-19, but data in COVID-19 are limited.MethodsBetween March 12 and April 19, 2020, 282 individuals with confirmed COVID-19 and RDW available within 7 days prior to COVID-19 confirmation were evaluated. Individuals were grouped by quartiles of RDW. Association between quartiles of RDW and mortality was assessed using the Kaplan-Meier method and statistical significance was assessed using the log-rank test. The association between RDW and all-cause mortality was further assessed using a Cox proportional hazards model. Plasma cytokine levels in uninfected ambulatory adults without cardiovascular disease (n=38) were measured and bivariate Spearman correlations and principle components analysis were used to identify relationships between cytokine concentrations with RDW.ResultsAfter adjusting for age, sex, race, cardiovascular disease, and hemoglobin, there was an association between RDW and mortality (Quartile 4 vs Quartile 1: HR 4.04 [1.08-15.07]), with each 1% increment in RDW associated with a 39% increased rate of mortality (HR 1.39 [1.21-1.59]). Remote RDW was also associated with mortality after COVID-19 infection. Among uninfected ambulatory adults without cardiovascular disease, RDW was associated with elevated pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL8, IL6, IL1b), but not regulatory cytokines (TGFb).ConclusionsAnisocytosis predicts short-term mortality in COVID-19 patients, often predates viral exposure, and may be related to a pro-inflammatory phenotype. Additional study of whether the RDW can assist in the early identification of pending cytokine storm is warranted.

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