The changing epidemiology of herpes zoster over a decade in South Korea, 2006–2015

BackgroundIn South Korea, the population is rapidly aging and the prevalence of comorbidities has increased. We investigated longitudinal changes in the herpes zoster (HZ) considering demographic changes and comorbidities in the era of universal single-dose varicella vaccination.MethodsWe used the population-based database of the National Health Insurance Service in South Korea, with approximately 50 million subscribers during 2006–2015. HZ cases were identified using ICD-10 codes and comorbid conditions were also collected. Incidence rates (IRs) and incidence rate ratios (IRRs) per year were calculated adjusting for age, sex, comorbidities and socioeconomic status, and the temporal trends were examined using segmented negative binomial regression analysis.ResultsOver a decade, the adjusted HZ IR increased significantly from 4.23 to 9.22 per 1000 person-years (adjusted IRR 1.05, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.04–1.06). However, during 2012–2015, the increasing trends decelerated (adjusted IRR per year 1.01, 95% CI 0.98–1.04) and slope changes differed by age. There was a declining trend in children under 9 years, sustained increase in adults aged 30–39 years, and near-plateau in those aged 50–69 years. Nonetheless, the age distribution of HZ incidence did not change over a decade, with the peak in adults aged 60–79 years. HZ-associated hospitalization rates also increased, with a deceleration in the increasing trends during 2012–2015.ConclusionsThe HZ burden increased independently of demographic changes and prevalence of comorbidities. However, different trajectories by age group necessitate continuous HZ surveillance for better understanding of these changes, and to provide evidence for development of preventive strategies.     

Characterising omission errors in everyday task completion and cognitive correlates in individuals with mild cognitive impairment and dementia

Objective: Functional ability declines with age and cognitive impairment. This study investigated errors of omission made by community-dwelling older adults completing everyday tasks in a naturalistic setting.

Method: Sixty-five cognitively healthy older adults (HOA), 19 individuals with single domain mild cognitive impairment (sdMCI), 33 individuals with multi-domain MCI (mdMCI), and 13 individuals with dementia completed measures of memory, processing speed, working memory, and executive functioning, as well as eight different activities of daily living in a naturalistic environment. Task steps were divided into preparatory, action-oriented, and concluding steps.

Results: For action-oriented steps, the number of omission errors increased with level of cognitive impairment beyond sdMCI (i.e., HOA?=?sdMCI?<?mdMCI?<?dementia). In contrast, for preparatory and concluding steps, the dementia group committed more omission errors than the HOA, sdMCI, and mdMCI groups, which did not differ.

Conclusions: The results suggest that the more complex and integrative action-oriented steps may be the first type of everyday task step to be affected in the process of cognitive decline, with preparatory and concluding steps being preserved longer and only showing decline in later stages of impairment (i.e., dementia). Individuals with sdMCI may use other intact abilities to compensate for task omission errors.     

中医健康状态辨识模式的研究现状与展望

健康状态的辨识是把握健康的前提。当前学界已存在专家辨识模式、标准辨识模式、数字辨识模式、智能辨识模式以及微观辨识模式等。联合多种辨识方法,构建健康状态辨识体系,形成常态与动态结合、主观与客观结合、人机互参的中医健康状态个体化辨识方法是研究的趋势所在。文章对未来的研究方向进行展望,探讨了多元辨识模式、远程辨识模式、终身辨识模式、自动辨识模式的思路方法,以期促进全民健康事业,助力"健康中国"战略。     

Spouse's subjective social status predicts older adults’ prospective cognitive functioning

Objectives: The current study aims to investigate the association between subjective social status (SSS) and prospective cognitive functioning of older adults and their spouses, and to explore the potential mediating roles of health habits and physical activities in this association.

Method: Using the longitudinal data of 512 pairs of community-dwelling older couples aged 65–91 years (M = 72.2 ± 4.6), we tested the effects of SSS in cognitive functioning using an Actor-Partner Interdependence Model. SSS was measured by a self-anchoring social ladder, and cognitive functioning was measured by the Mini-Mental State Examination at baseline and 4-year follow-up. Socioeconomic status (i.e. education) was tested as a moderator, and physical activity (measured by the Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly) as well as health habits (i.e. tobacco and alcohol consumption) were included as potential mediators.

Results: A partner effect of SSS was found only in the low-education group, in which the wife's higher level of SSS in the community was associated with the husband's better cognitive functioning in the follow-up. A small proportion of this effect was found to be partially mediated by participation in housework, such that the wife's higher SSS was associated with the husband's increased housework activity, which was related to higher prospective cognitive functioning.

Conclusion: By examining the dyadic effects of SSS with a longitudinal design, our findings extended the understanding on how subjective social status influenced older couples’ cognitive health, and provided evidence-based insights for future studies on cognitive health in later life.     

营养途径对食管癌围术期患者营养状况的影响

目的探讨肠内营养与肠外营养对食管癌围术期患者的营养状况和并发症的影响。方法回顾性分析淮安市第二人民医院2017年1月至2018年6月食管癌手术治疗患者73例，根据营养干预途径不同分为全肠外营养组（TPN）23例和全肠内营养组（TEN）50例。TPN组给予静脉营养治疗，TEN组给予经鼻饲管（经鼻至空肠起始位置）肠内营养治疗。比较两组患者营养指标和免疫指标、术后肠道功能和安全性指标。结果两组患者就诊前后体重丢失、入院时血清白蛋白、淋巴细胞数组间比较，差异无统计学意义（P>0.05）。TPN组血清白蛋白和淋巴细胞数不同时间点整体比较，差异均具有统计学意义（P<0.05）。TEN组淋巴细胞数不同时间点整体比较，差异均具有统计学意义（P<0.05）。两组手术后组间比较，TEN组体重丢失幅度小于TPN组；TEN组术后72h、术后120h血清白蛋白均短于TPN组，TEN组术后120h淋巴细胞数高于TPN组；TEN组肛门排气时间和肠鸣音恢复时间均低于TPN组，差异均具有统计学意义（P<0.05）。两组不良反应和不良事件比较，差异无统计学意义（P>0.05）。结论对食管癌围术期患者而言，肠内营养的疗效总体优于肠外营养，且安全性无明显差异。     

Induced Abortion According to Socioeconomic Status in Chile

Study ObjectiveThe Chilean legislation forbids induced abortion, so little is known of the young women who have abortions and what determinants are associated with this practice. In this study we examined the association between adolescents and young women who have had induced abortions and socioeconomic status and compared them with counterparts who reported not having a history of abortion.Design, Setting, Participants, and Main Outcome MeasuresDrawing on the 2015 Chilean National Youth Survey, a population-based sample of general community youth aged 15-29 years, we conducted a study on 2439 sexually active females. Bivariate and multiple logistic regression was used to examine the relationship between participants who had induced abortions and participants that had not according to socioeconomic status (low, middle, high), while controlling for demographic, sexual behavior, and cultural covariates.Results5.15% (n = 129) of participants declared having induced an abortion in the past. Participants with high socioeconomic status had 4.89 (95% confidence interval, 1.44-16.51) higher odds of induced abortion compared with participants with low socioeconomic status. Those with middle socioeconomic status had 1.8 (95% confidence interval, 1.02-3.24) higher odds of induced abortion compared with those with low socioeconomic status. Urban or rural residence, indigenous identification, age of sexual debut, contraceptive use at the time of sexual debut, adolescent pregnancy, and religious and political identification did not correlate with induced abortion rates.ConclusionIn Chile, where induced abortion is legally restricted, a social gradient was found in the chance of having had an induced abortion according to socioeconomic status; adolescent and young women with higher socioeconomic advantage reported more induced abortions compared with those with low socioeconomic status.     

Nutrition education in Southeast Sulawesi Province,Indonesia: A cluster randomized controlled study

This study evaluated the impact of a nutrition education intervention on child feeding practices and children's nutritional status. Using a randomized controlled trial, we conducted an intervention for 6 months among caregivers with children aged 6–17 months in two subdistricts of Kendari, SE Sulawesi Province, Indonesia. In all, 22 integrated health posts were randomly assigned to an educational intervention or control group with 266 participants in both groups. Participants in the intervention group attended four nutrition classes and received a monthly home visit by cadres (community volunteers), whereas participants in the control group only received standard monthly health care at the health post. The primary study outcome was children's dietary diversity scores (DDSs). Mixed model analysis was conducted to examine the intervention effects on DDS and children's growth adjusting for clustering within subvillages. The study showed the educational intervention had a significant effect on children's DDS. Children in the intervention group had a larger DDS compared with children in the control group (Beta [mean difference] = 0.34, 95% CI: 0.02 to 0.66, P = 0.038). The intervention effect on height‐for‐age z‐score (HAZ) could not be shown (Beta = 0.24, 95% CI: ?0.06 to 0.56, P = 0.112). However, stunting prevalence remained stable in the intervention group but increased in the control group. These results indicated nutrition education delivered through nutrition classes combined with regular home visits by cadres as influencers provided a great potential to be adopted to complement other nutrition programmes in community health centres.     

北京市养老机构老年人营养状况调查及其影响因素研究

背景　在人口老龄化日益加剧的社会背景之下，家庭养老功能不断减弱，机构养老成为今后发展的必然趋势。据报道，很多养老机构的老年人营养不合理，严重影响老年人的健康状况与生活质量。目的　通过调查北京市养老机构老年人营养现状及其影响因素，为全科医师营养教育及老年人生活质量提升提供理论依据。方法　2014年10月-2015年12月，采用方便整群抽样的方法，抽取了北京市7家养老机构，对符合纳入标准的老年人进行面对面问卷调查，问卷内容包括：一般情况、微型营养评定量表（MNA）、日常生活活动能力指数（BI）、老年人抑郁量表（GDS）。采用二元Logistic回归分析养老机构老年人营养状况的影响因素。结果　本研究共发放问卷258份，回收有效问卷258份，有效回收率为100%。被调查的258例老年人中，存在营养不良及存在营养不良发生风险的老年人共计75例（29.1%）。不同年龄、性别、婚姻状况、体质指数（BMI）、医疗费用支付方式、生活自理能力及精神状态的老年人营养状况比较，差异有统计学意义（P<0.05）。二元Logistic回归分析结果显示：年龄〔OR（95%CI）=2.349（1.070，5.156）〕、BMI〔OR（95%CI）=0.092（0.036，0.239）〕、医疗费用支付方式〔OR（95%CI）=0.208（0.083，0.522）〕、日常活动能力〔OR（95%CI）=10.214（3.099，33.669）〕、患病种数〔OR（95%CI）=2.682（1.248，5.763）〕及精神状态〔OR（95%CI）=4.822（2.005，11.600）〕是老年人营养状况的影响因素（P<0.05）。结论　北京地区养老机构的老年人面临着营养不良及营养不良发生风险的健康威胁，高龄、低BMI、抑郁、合并多种疾病、日常活动能力低下及无医保是其独立危险因素，需要对老年人加强个性化营养教育和营养治疗。