Do social support and community engagement act as mechanisms in the association between neighbourhood income inequality and the mental health of mothers in Calgary,Canada? A mediation analysis

PurposeAccording to the social determinants of health framework, income inequality is a potential risk factor for adverse mental health. However, few studies have explored the mechanisms suspected to mediate this relationship. The current study addresses this gap through a mediation analysis to determine if social support and community engagement act as mediators linking neighbourhood income inequality to maternal anxiety and depressive symptoms within a cohort of new mothers living in the City of Calgary, Canada.MethodsData collected at three years postpartum from mothers belonging to the All Our Families (AOF) cohort were used in the current study. Maternal data were collected between 2012 and 2015 and linked to neighbourhood socioeconomic data from the 2006 Canadian Census. Income inequality was measured using Gini coefficients derived from 2006 after-tax census data. Generalized structural equation models were used to quantify the associations between income inequality and mental health symptoms, and to assess the potential direct and indirect mediating effects of maternal social support and community engagement.ResultsIncome inequality was not significantly associated with higher depressive symptoms (β = 0.32, 95%CI = −0.067, 0.70), anxiety symptoms (β = 0.11, 95%CI = −0.39, 0.60), or lower social support. Income inequality was not associated with community engagement. For the depression models, higher social support was significantly associated with lower depressive symptoms (β = −0.13, 95%CI = −0.15, −0.097), while community engagement was not significantly associated with depressive symptoms (β = 0.059, 95%CI = −0.15, 0.27). Similarly, for the anxiety models, lower anxiety symptoms were significantly associated with higher levels of social support (β = −0.17, 95%CI = −0.20, −0.13) but not with higher levels of community engagement (β = 0.14, 95%CI = −0.14, 0.41).ConclusionThe current study did not find clear evidence for social support or community engagement mediating the relationship between neighbourhood income inequality and maternal mental health. Future investigations should employ a broader longitudinal approach to capture changes in income inequality, potential mediators, and mental health symptomatology over time.     

P-Values and Power in Orthopedic Research: Myths and Reality

The results of statistical tests in orthopedic studies are typically reported using P-values. If a P-value is smaller than the pre-determined level of significance (eg, < .05), the null hypothesis is rejected in support of the alternative. This automaticity in interpreting statistical results without consideration of the power of the study has been denounced over the years by statisticians, since it can potentially lead to misinterpretation of the study conclusions. In this paper, we review fundamental misconceptions and misinterpretations of P-values and power, along with their connection with confidence intervals, and we provide guidelines to orthopedic researchers for evaluating and reporting study results. We provide real-world orthopedic examples to illustrate the main concepts. Please visit the following https://youtu.be/bdPU4luYmF0 for videos that explain the highlights of the paper in practical terms.     

彩色多普勒超声诊断卵巢肿瘤蒂扭转的临床意义

目的：探讨彩色多普勒超声诊断卵巢肿瘤蒂扭转的临床意义。方法方便选取2012―2015年该院收治的58例疑似卵巢肿瘤蒂扭转患者作为观察目标，入选病例均应用彩色多普勒超声进行检查，并将检查结果同术后病理检查结果进行比较。结果58例患者中，术后病理证实卵巢肿瘤蒂扭转者51例，彩色多普勒超声共确诊49例，检查准确率为96.1%；囊壁增厚、腹腔或盆腔积液、可见混合型团块是卵巢肿瘤蒂扭转的主要彩超表现。结论卵巢肿瘤蒂扭转应用彩色多普勒超声诊断，可显著提高诊断准确率，具有积极的临床使用和推广价值。     

2009-2018年资阳市手足口病流行病学及病原学特征分析

目的 研究2009-2018年资阳市手足口病的流行病学及病原学特征，为有效防控手足口病提供理论依据。方法 从中国疾病控制中心监测信息报告管理系统获取以乡镇为单位的手足口病数据，进行三间分布描述，利用ArcGIS 10.1软件制作专题地图。结果 资阳市2009-2018年累计报告病例19195例，年平均发病率为61.72/10万，虽总体上呈升高的趋势；各乡镇均有手足口病报告；每年有两个发病高峰，分别是5-7月和9-11月，其中5-7月为主高峰，9-11月为次高峰；男女性别比为1.44[DK]∶1，5岁以下儿童共发病18209例，占比为94.9%。2015年之前优势毒株为EV71和CoxA16，2015年之后优势毒株为其他肠道病毒。结论 资阳市手足口病发病呈持续升高态势。手足口病的优势毒株近年来在改变，应增加人肠道病毒的监测种类，落实综合性防控措施，预防和控制手足口病的流行。     

昆明市2013-2017年丙型病毒性肝炎流行特征及趋势分析

目的分析昆明市2013-2017年丙型病毒性肝炎的流行特征和流行趋势,为科学制定防控策略提供依据。方法运用描述性流行病学方法,统计昆明市2013-2017年丙型病毒性肝炎的发病情况,分析其流行特征和趋势。结果昆明市2013-2017年丙型病毒性肝炎呈现先上升后下降的趋势,2015年达到发病高峰,其发病率高达32.80/10万,总体上2013-2017年丙型病毒性肝炎发病率呈现上升趋势,且肝炎和丙肝以官渡区、五华区和西山区为主要的高发地区;无明显的季节性特点,四季均有发病;易发生丙型病毒性肝炎的人群为35~50岁的农民和家务及待业人员。结论昆明市丙型病毒性肝炎发病状况并不乐观,应加强丙肝防控力度,重点关注高发地区和高发人群,通过有效举措控制丙型病毒性肝炎的发病率。     

Preventing heart disease: is treating the high risk sufficient?

Monte Carlo simulation was used to assess the effects of several intervention strategies on coronary heart disease mortality rates in a Finnish and a North American cohort. Lowering total serum cholesterol by 4%, smoking by 15%, and diastolic blood pressure by 3% for the whole cohort would be expected to reduce the incidence of non-fatal myocardial infarction by at least 13% and coronary heart disease deaths by at least 18%. Lowering serum cholesterol by 34%, diastolic blood pressure to 90 mmHg, and reducing smoking by 20% in the subset of the population with all three risk factors in the highest quartile would result in a 6-8% reduction in non-fatal myocardial infarction and a 2-9% reduction in deaths from coronary heart disease in these cohorts. These data demonstrate that in populations with a relatively high incidence of heart disease, treating the entire population will produce larger effects than focusing only on high-risk populations.