Quality of life in people with Type 2 diabetes; a study in a multi-ethnic clinical trial population

Background: The long-term burden of self-management in type 2 diabetes can impact quality of life. Aims: To examine associations between demographic and clinical factors, anxiety/depression and perception of health in people with type 2 diabetes. Methods: Retrospective analyses of anonymised data from completed clinical trials provided by the diabetes subsection of Virtual International Cardiovascular and Cognitive Trials Archive (VICCTA). Data on demographics, polypharmacy, HbA1c, anxiety/depression (EQ-5D-3L) and perception of health (EQ-5D-3L VAS) were extracted. Regression analyses explored associations amongst polypharmacy, HbA1c and quality of life (anxiety/depression and health perception) at baseline. Results: In 2783 participants with type 2 diabetes (median age 66 years (IQR 61–70), n=1,595 (57%) male), female sex and Caucasian/European ethnicity were each associated with increased anxiety/depression and lower EQ-5D-3L VAS scores. Following adjustment for covariates, each additional prescribed medication was associated with increased anxiety/depression: OR 1.09 (95% CI 1.04 to 1.14; p<0.001) and lower VAS scores: B= −1.06 (95% CI −1.37 to −0.75, p<0.001)). Conclusion: Demographic factors and polypharmacy are associated with anxiety/depression and lower health perception.

Health Literacy in the Canton of Zurich: First Results of a Representative Study

Managing health information and services is difficult for nearly half of the population in Switzerland. Low health literacy has been shown to result in poorer health and health outcomes as well as a higher utilization of health services. To date, studies on health literacy in Switzerland have focused on a national level. However, Switzerland is a federal state with 26 cantons and a strongly decentralized health system. Therefore, the aim of this study is to understand how health literacy is distributed within the population of the canton of Zurich specifically, and to develop methods to determine whether an individual has a higher or lower level of health literacy. There were a total of 1000 participants in this representative study. Data was collected by an adapted version of the HLS-EU-Q47 and additional sociodemographic questions. The majority (56%) of the reported difficulties concerned accessing, understanding, appraising, and applying health information. The findings confirm that health literacy follows a social gradient, whereby financially deprived individuals and those with a low educational level report lower health literacy. The need for action to strengthen the health literacy of these population groups is therefore urgent. Interventions should pay particular attention to these vulnerable groups and tailor resolutions to their needs and preferences.

Exploring Spirituality, Loneliness and HRQoL In Hispanic Cancer Caregivers

Providing care to an aging society in the new normal requires increased attention to the informal caregivers who support the health and well-being of older adults with chronic conditions. Hispanic caregivers carry a high caregiver-associated burden. Health disparities experienced by Hispanics, coupled with the emotional, social and physical demands of caregiving, may set an unprecedented risk for lower health-related quality of life (HRQoL). In a quantitative analysis, we investigated the relationship between spirituality, loneliness and HRQoL in Hispanic cancer caregivers using baseline data from the Support for Latinas with Breast Cancer study (N= 234 Hispanic caregivers). Findings suggested an indirect effect of spirituality on HRQoL through reduced loneliness among more spiritual caregivers, effects that were independent of age. The second study was conducted using qualitative semi-structured interviews (N= 10) with Hispanic caregivers. Interviews evaluated spirituality and HRQoL in Hispanic cancer caregivers who reported variable levels of loneliness. Five themes emerged: caregiver experience, coping strategies, loneliness, religion to gain strength or support, and spirituality to gain strength or support. Results supported the role of spirituality in promoting higher HRQoL in Hispanic cancer caregivers and elucidated pathways to intervene on HRQoL through spirituality. With Hispanics often underutilizing formal services, having an improved understanding of caregiving experiences, particularly related to spirituality, will support the development of culturally-relevant strategies and programming to promote HRQoL for Hispanic caregivers.

The Concept of Harm Reduction from Tobacco: Past, Present, Future

The concept of tobacco harm reduction (THR) is a speculative and controversial topic in the context of the international battle against the use of all types of tobacco. This concept involves providing tobacco users who are unable or unwilling to quit smoking or using other types of tobacco (snuff, chewing), with modified risk tobacco product (MRTP) for continued use. Skepticism about THR is huge and is associated with the negative experience of tobacco companies to produce cigarettes with a low content of tobacco tar/nicotine, which should have had significantly lower health risks than conventional cigarettes. Paradoxically, such an experience served as a springboard to an increase in the number of tobacco products that potentially have the properties of MRTP. Moreover, some members of the anti-smoking coalition, including WHO, consider the transition of tobacco smokers to MRTP as a strategy with great potential. However, the European Group of Experts believes that the MRTP strategy does not work and will lead to another generation of young people getting used to tobacco. In this article, we have critically analyzed the history of the past and present of tobacco products, myths and contradictions around them. We have tried to evaluate the modern concept of S THR as objectively as possible, which has a high potential for a real reduction in the number of deaths associated with smoking.

From Tobacco Cigarettes to Electronic Cigarettes: The Two Sides of a Nicotine Coin

Tobacco smoking-related diseases, including cardiovascular disease, pulmonary disease, stroke, and cancer in multiple organ sites, are the leading causes of preventable death, worldwide. Youth electronic cigarette use (vaping) is an evolving public health problem in the United States and around the world. Many of the same toxicants and carcinogens present in tobacco smoke are also found in electronic cigarette vapor, although mostly at substantially lower levels. The reduced concentrations of these chemicals in electronic cigarette vapor may imply lower health risk; however, they cannot equate to no risk. To date, the long-term health consequences of vaping are largely unknown. This “Perspective” provides a concise chronology of events leading up to an unprecedented global challenge, namely the convergence of global tobacco epidemic and youth vaping epidemic. Current state of knowledge, outstanding questions in the field, present challenges, and future directions in research are highlighted. The existing data show a continued and dynamic evolution of the converged epidemics. The goal should be to prevent youth vaping while improving smoking cessation strategies. In smokers who are unable or unwilling to quit smoking, the objective should be to provide “provably” safe or less-harmful alternatives, which should “completely” or “substantially” substitute tobacco cigarettes.

P129 THORACIC VS. ABDOMINAL APPROACHES FOR DIAPHRAGMATIC HERNIA REPAIR: A NATIONWIDE STUDY OF CLINICAL OUTCOMES

Aim “To compare the outcomes of different surgical approaches for diaphragmatic hernia (DH) repair.” Material and Methods “Adult patients with a principal admitting diagnosis of uncomplicated DH registered in the National Inpatient Sample in the period 2010-2015 were included. Patients with obstruction, gangrene, or congenital hernias were excluded. The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality. Secondary outcomes were the incidence of complications, length of stay, and hospital charges. A multivariate logistic regression model adjusted by age, sex, elective admission, comorbidities, and hospital characteristics was used to analyze the impact of the surgical approach on the evaluated outcomes.” Results “A total of 14910 patients with DH were included (median age 65 years, 74% women). Abdominal approaches were the most commonly performed (78.9% laparoscopy and 13.6% open). Patients that underwent open abdominal and thoracic repairs had a higher risk of complications (sepsis, pneumonia, surgical site infection, prolonged postoperative ileus, and acute myocardial infarction), longer hospital stay, higher total hospital costs, and a significantly higher risk of mortality (OR 2.62. 95% CI 1.59-4.30 and OR 4.60; 95% CI 2.37-8.91, respectively) compared to patients that underwent laparoscopic abdominal repair. Individuals whose DH repair was performed through thoracoscopy had a similar mortality risk to those who underwent laparoscopic abdominal repair (OR 0.87; 95% CI 0.11-6.43).” Conclusions “Nowadays, laparoscopy has become the most used approach for DH repair. In the present cohort, it was associated with better outcomes in terms of complications, length of hospital stay, and mortality, as well as lower health costs. Additional studies assessing hernia characteristics are required to validate this result.”

How can psychiatrists make mental health services more accessible for people with autism?

Unrecognised psychiatric and medical conditions can lead poorer health outcomes, lower health-related quality of life and increased mortality in people with autism, compared with the general population. A reasonable adjustment required in mainstream services is patient prioritisation by clinicians with knowledge and understanding of autism. Developed as part of the revised autism strategy, the recently developed autism competency framework lists the range of capabilities that psychiatrists who treat people with autism should have. Psychiatrists could lead the workforce transformation required to make the reasonable adjustments to mainstream mental health services needed to improve outcomes for people with autism.

Children with Poor Motor Skills Have Lower Health-Related Fitness Compared to Typically Developing Children

Most of the current empirical evidence regarding the relationship between health-related fitness and level of motor performance is based on children from high-income countries. Yet, children from low-resource areas may have fewer opportunities to develop their fitness skills. The aim of the study was to determine if South African children from both low- and middle-income areas scoring below the 16th percentile on the Movement Assessment Battery for Children-2 (probable-Developmental Coordination Disorder (p-DCD)) have lower health-related fitness levels than typically developing (TD) children. We hypothesized that children with p-DCD would have lower overall health-related fitness than TD children. A sample of 146 participants aged 10 to 11 (10.05 years (SD = 0.41)) was collected from schools in the North West Province of South Africa, on the basis of their poverty classification. Children were tested for anaerobic capacity and strength using the Bruininks–Oseretsky test of motor proficiency second edition (BOT-2) and aerobic capacity using the Progressive Aerobic Cardiovascular Endurance Run (PACER). Body composition was evaluated using body mass index corrected for age and sex (BMI-z), body fat (BF), and waist circumference. The data was analyzed using Spearman correlations and chi-squared tests. Statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) were found between groups for running and agility, strength, and aerobic capacity. No significant differences were found between p-DCD and TD groups in terms of body mass (36.1 kg vs. 33.3 kg), waist circumference (62.2 cm vs. 59.8 cm), BMI-z (19.7 vs. 17.6), and fat percentage (20.2 vs. 18.1%). Overweight and obesity prevalence was 15% in those with low socio-economic status (SES) and 27% in high SES. In conclusion, children with p-DCD had lower muscular strength, aerobic capacity, and endurance than TD children. Although it has been reported that children with p-DCD have a higher risk for overweight/obesity than TD children, this is not (yet) the case in 10–11-year-old children living in rural areas in South Africa (North West Province).