scholarly journals Deconstructing the Supermarket: Systematic Ingredient Disaggregation and the Association between Ingredient Usage and Product Health Indicators for 24,229 Australian Foods and Beverages

Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 1882
Author(s):  
Allison Gaines ◽  
Maria Shahid ◽  
Liping Huang ◽  
Tazman Davies ◽  
Fraser Taylor ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nutritional Quality ◽  
Health Indicators ◽  
Strong Relationship ◽  
Median Number ◽  
Interquartile Range ◽  
P Value ◽  
Star Rating ◽  
Packaged Foods ◽  
Ingredient Composition ◽  
Level Of Processing

Unhealthy diets are underpinned by the over-consumption of packaged products. Data describing the ingredient composition of these products is limited. We sought to define the ingredients used in Australian packaged foods and beverages and assess associations between the number of ingredients and existing health indicators. Statements of ingredients were disaggregated, creating separate fields for each ingredient and sub-ingredient. Ingredients were categorised and the average number of ingredients per product was calculated. Associations between number of ingredients and both the nutrient-based Health Star Rating (HSR) and the NOVA level-of-processing classification were assessed. A total of 24,229 products, listing 233,113 ingredients, were included. Products had between 1 and 62 ingredients (median (Interquartile range (IQR)): 8 (3–14)). We identified 915 unique ingredients, which we organised into 17 major and 138 minor categories. ‘Additives’ were contained in the largest proportion of products (64.6%, (15,652/24,229)). The median number of ingredients per product was significantly lower in products with the optimum 5-star HSR (when compared to all other HSR score groups, p-value < 0.001) and significantly higher in products classified as ultra-processed (when compared to all other NOVA classification groups, p-value < 0.001). There is a strong relationship between the number of ingredients in a product and indicators of nutritional quality and level of processing.

scholarly journals The COVID-19 Pandemic Situation in Malaysia: Lessons Learned from the Perspective of Population Density

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (12) ◽  
pp. 6566
Author(s):  
Siew Bee Aw ◽  
Bor Tsong Teh ◽  
Gabriel Hoh Teck Ling ◽  
Pau Chung Leng ◽  
Weng Howe Chan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Population Density ◽  
Pearson Correlation ◽  
Strong Relationship ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
P Value ◽  
Population Census ◽  
Infection Rates ◽  
Health Official ◽  
Contagious Diseases ◽  
Spatio Temporal

This paper attempts to ascertain the impacts of population density on the spread and severity of COVID-19 in Malaysia. Besides describing the spatio-temporal contagion risk of the virus, ultimately, it seeks to test the hypothesis that higher population density results in exacerbated COVID-19 virulence in the community. The population density of 143 districts in Malaysia, as per data from Malaysia’s 2010 population census, was plotted against cumulative COVID-19 cases and infection rates of COVID-19 cases, which were obtained from Malaysia’s Ministry of Health official website. The data of these three variables were collected between 19 January 2020 and 31 December 2020. Based on the observations, districts that have high population densities and are highly inter-connected with neighbouring districts, whether geographically, socio-economically, or infrastructurally, tend to experience spikes in COVID-19 cases within weeks of each other. Using a parametric approach of the Pearson correlation, population density was found to have a moderately strong relationship to cumulative COVID-19 cases (p-value of 0.000 and R2 of 0.415) and a weak relationship to COVID-19 infection rates (p-value of 0.005 and R2 of 0.047). Consequently, we provide several non-pharmaceutical lessons, including urban planning strategies, as passive containment measures that may better support disease interventions against future contagious diseases.

Medical Student Syndrome: A Hypochondriacal Distress In Undergraduates– Verity Or Myth

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 200-204
Author(s):  
Sana Akbar ◽  
Misbah Riaz ◽  
Lalarukh Munawar ◽  
Shazia Shakoor
Keyword(s):  
Medical Students ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Health Anxiety ◽  
Depression Scale ◽  
Strong Relationship ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
P Value ◽  
Depression Symptoms ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Exact Test

Objective: The purpose of this study was to correlate the hypochondriacal concerns related to diseases with level of anxiety and depression symptoms among medical and engineering undergraduates. Study design and Setting: Cross sectional study was conducted among undergraduates of final year students of BUMDC (Bahria University Medical & Dental College) and engineering students from NUST- PNEC (NUST – Pakistan Navy Engineering College). Methodology: In this study; (99) final year medical students and (92) engineering students were recruited. In order to maintain consistency of age, students aging between 21–26 years were selected. Selected students were handed to fill the required ‘Self-administered Questionnaire’ comprising of demographic details, short health anxiety inventory, medical history and DASS (depression, anxiety and stress scale) which were completed on-site. Data was entered in SPSS version 21 and analyzed using Fisher’s exact test. P value < 0.05 was considered as statistically significant. Result: Out of 191 students in total from both the groups n=86 (45%) were females and n=105(55%) were males. There were 99 participants from MBBS and 92 from engineering. The participants’ ages ranged from 21-26 years with a mean= 23.95 (SD±2.29), both the cohorts belonged to approximately same age group. While assessing depression the responses were not very different for both the groups. When responses of depression scale were related to visits to psychiatrists or psychologist or psychotherapist a strong relationship was observed (p=0.012) in medical students cohort. Conclusion: The results of the study reflected comparable psychosocial strain at an elevated level among both student groups

scholarly journals Simple compared to covariate-constrained randomization methods in balancing baseline characteristics: a case study of randomly allocating 72 hemodialysis centers in a cluster trial

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ahmed A Al-Jaishi ◽  
Stephanie N Dixon ◽  
Eric McArthur ◽  
PJ Devereaux ◽  
Lehana Thabane ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Principal Components ◽  
Cluster Randomized Trial ◽  
Median Number ◽  
P Value ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Level Data ◽  
Parallel Group ◽  
Baseline Characteristics ◽  
Cluster Randomized

Abstract Background and aim: Some parallel-group cluster randomized trials use covariate-constrained rather than simple randomization. This is done to increase the chance of balancing the groups on cluster- and patient-level baseline characteristics. This study assessed how well two covariate-constrained randomization methods balanced baseline characteristics compared with simple randomization. Methods: We conducted a mock three-year cluster randomized trial, with no active intervention, that started April 1st, 2014, and ended March 31st, 2017. We included a total of 11,832 patients from 72 hemodialysis centers (clusters) in Ontario, Canada. We randomly allocated the 72 clusters into two groups in a 1:1 ratio on a single date using individual- and cluster-level data available up to April 1st, 2013. Initially, we generated 1,000 allocation schemes using simple randomization. Then, as an alternative, we performed covariate-constrained randomization based on historical data from these centers. In one analysis, we restricted on a set of 11 individual-level prognostic variables; in the other, we restricted on principal components generated using 29 baseline historical variables. We created 300,000 different allocations for the covariate-constrained randomizations, and we restricted our analysis to the 30,000 best allocations. We then randomly sampled 1,000 schemes from the 30,000 best allocations. We summarized our results with each randomization approach as the median (25th, 75th percentile) number of balanced baseline characteristics. There were 156 baseline characteristics, and a variable was balanced when the between-group standardized difference was ≤ 10%. Results: The three randomization techniques had at least 125 of 156 balanced baseline characteristics in 90% of sampled allocations. The median number of balanced baseline characteristics using simple randomization was 147 (142, 150). The corresponding value for covariate-constrained randomization using 11 prognostic characteristics was 149 (146, 151), while for principal components, the value was 150 (147, 151). The median number of balanced baseline characteristics using the two covariate-constrained randomizations were statistically different from simple randomization (p-value < 0.0001). Conclusion: In this setting with 72 clusters, constraining the randomization using historical information achieved better balance on baseline characteristics compared with simple randomization; however, the magnitude of benefit was modest.

scholarly journals Sales Territory Design and Salesforce Performance in the Detergent Manufacturing Companies: The Actual Kenyan Context

2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (35) ◽  
pp. 203
Author(s):  
Benson Muchoki Mwangi ◽  
Francis N. Kibera ◽  
Mary Kinoti ◽  
Magutu P. Obara
Keyword(s):  
Critical Role ◽  
Strong Relationship ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
P Value ◽  
Manufacturing Companies ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Territory Design ◽  
Simple Regression Model ◽  
Independent Variable ◽  
Cross Sectional Design

This paper focuses on determining the influence of sales territory design on salesforce performance in the detergent manufacturing companies in Kenya. Detergents play a critical role in our everyday lives by ensuring hygiene at our personal level, in our homes, in schools, institutions, and hospitals. Detergents have gained a lot of prominence since the onset of the Corona Virus (COVID-19) disease in 2019, as it has been proved that they play an important role in curtailing the transmission of the COVID-19 disease. The Salesforce plays an important role in organizations as they are the ones who in most cases interact with customers, provide information about their organization and products, provide prices, demonstrate how products are used, train customers, provide after sales service, and resolve any issues that may arise. The study was anchored on Expectancy Theory, Resource Based Theory, Equity Theory, and Agency Theory. The study adopted positivism philosophy and used a descriptive cross sectional design. The unit of analysis was the sales people in the detergent manufacturing companies in Kenya who are members of Kenya Association of Manufacturers as per list obtained from KAM in December 2018. The study used primary data which was collected by administering semi-structured questionnaires. The data was analyzed using a combination of both descriptive and inferential statics to describe the manifestations of the variables in the data collected, simple regression model was used to test the significance of the influence of sales territory design (independent variable) on the salesforce performance (dependent variable). Fischer distribution test (F-test) was used to test the significance of the independent variable and the overall model. The p-value for the F-statistic was used to determine the robustness of the model. This was done at 95% confidence level (p<0.05). The study found a strong relationship between sales territory design and salesforce performance. This depicts that sales territory design is critical in determining salesforce performance in detergent manufacturing companies in Kenya.

scholarly journals Nutri-Score: The Most Efficient Front-of-Pack Nutrition Label to Inform Portuguese Consumers on the Nutritional Quality of Foods and Help Them Identify Healthier Options in Purchasing Situations

Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. 4335
Author(s):  
Francisco Goiana-da-Silva ◽  
David Cruz-e-Silva ◽  
Catarina Nobre-da-Costa ◽  
Alexandre Morais Nunes ◽  
Morgane Fialon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nutritional Quality ◽  
Food Choices ◽  
P Value ◽  
Portuguese Population ◽  
Food Category ◽  
Nutrition Labels ◽  
Label Condition ◽  
Promising Strategy ◽  
Ranking Task

Several studies have identified Front-of-Pack Nutrition Labels (FoPLs) as a promising strategy to improve the nutritional quality of consumers’ food choices and encourage manufacturers to offer healthier products. This study aims to fill the evidence gap regarding the most effective FoPL among the Portuguese population. In total, 1059 Portuguese participants were recruited through a web panel provider and asked to declare their intended food choices and to rank three sets of products (pizza, cakes and breakfast cereals) according to their nutritional quality, first in the absence of any labelling, and then with a FoPL displayed on-pack (five FoPLs tested). Finally, participants were asked to answer nine statements related to perceptions of FoPLs. Results showed that participants improved their food choices, depending on the FoPL and the food category. All FoPLs led to a higher percentage of correct responses on the ranking task compared to the no label condition. The Nutri-Score was among the FoPLs producing the greatest improvement across all food categories compared to the reference intakes (OR = 6.45 [4.43–9.39], p-value < 0.0001) and facilitating the highest percentage to correctly rank products according to nutritional quality. This study suggests that, among the available options, Nutri-Score is the most efficient FoPL to inform Portuguese consumers of the nutritional quality of foods and help them identify healthier options in mock purchasing situations.

scholarly journals Geospatial Variability in Excess Death Rates during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Mexico: Examining Socio Demographic and Population Health Characteristics

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sushma Dahal ◽  
Ruiyan Luo ◽  
Monica H Swahn ◽  
Gerardo Chowell
Keyword(s):  
Population Health ◽  
Excess Mortality ◽  
Health Indicators ◽  
Mortality Rates ◽  
Household Size ◽  
P Value ◽  
Death Rates ◽  
Excess Death ◽  
Average Household Size ◽  
Aging Index

Background: Mexico has suffered one of the highest COVID-19 mortality rates in the world. In this study we examined how socio-demographic and population health characteristics shape the geospatial variability in excess mortality patterns during the COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico. Methods: Weekly all-cause mortality time series for all 32 Mexican states, from January 4, 2015 to April 10, 2021, were analyzed to estimate the excess mortality rates using Serfling regression models. The association between socio-demographic, health indicators and excess mortality rates were determined using multiple linear regression analyses. Finally, we used functional data analysis to characterize clusters of states with distinct mortality growth rate curves. Results: The overall all-cause excess deaths rate during the COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico until April 10, 2021 was estimated at 39.66 per 10 000 population. The lowest excess death rates were observed in southeastern states including Chiapas (12.72), Oaxaca (13.42) and Quintana Roo (19.41) whereas Mexico City had the highest excess death rate (106.17), followed by Tlaxcala (51.99) and Morelos (45.90). We found a positive association of excess mortality rates with aging index (P value<.0001), marginalization index (P value<.0001), and average household size (P value=0.0003) in the final adjusted model (Model R2=76%). We identified four distinct clusters with qualitatively similar excess mortality curves. Conclusion: Central states exhibited the highest excess mortality rates whereas the distribution of aging index, marginalization index, and average household size explained the variability in excess mortality rates across Mexico. Our findings can help tailor interventions to mitigate the mortality impact of the pandemic.

scholarly journals Estado nutricional e desfechos clínicos em pacientes críticos internados em hospital universitário

2020 ◽  
Vol 34 (4) ◽  
pp. 361-366
Author(s):  
Edcleide Oliveira dos Santos Olinto ◽  
Gina Araújo Martins Feitosa ◽  
Izaura Odir Lima Gomes da Costa ◽  
Janine Maciel Barbosa ◽  
Ericka Vilar Bôtto Targino ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Body Mass ◽  
Statistical Significance ◽  
Strong Relationship ◽  
The Body ◽  
University Hospital ◽  
Nutritional Risk ◽  
World Health ◽  
P Value ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Length Of Hospitalization

Introduction: There is a strong relationship between malnutrition and increased length of hospitalization and morbidity and mortality. Studies have shown that malnourished patients can have up to twenty times more complications than eutrophic ones. In critically ill patients, there is a tendency to catabolism, resulting in the loss of lean body mass, which when it reaches 40% is usually lethal. Methods: A quantitative, descriptive study was conducted on adults from both genders, admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) of a university hospital, from March to December 2018. The following variables were collected from the evaluation and nutritional records: length of hospitalization in the ICU, date of discharge or death, nutritional risk through specific screening, height, weight and arm circumference (AC). For the screening, the Nutric score was used. For the nutritional evaluation, the body mass index (BMI) and AC indicators and the classifications recommended by the World Health Organization (2004) and Blackburn and Thornton (1979) were used. After collecting the data, they were analyzed in the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) 13.0 and for the association of the variables the Chi-square test was used, considering statistical difference when the p value <0.05. Results: The sample consisted of 116 patients, mostly female (53.4%) whose median age was 46 years (interquartile range IQR 31-53). Regarding the frequency of nutritional risk, most patients (61.5%) had a low score. There was an important frequency of malnutrition, according to the AC indicator (73%), although BMI (43.5%) showed eutrophy. Even though most patients had low nutritional risk, those with high nutritional risk (38.5%) had a higher tendency to mortality, however, not statistically confirmed (p> 0.05). There was also a tendency of association between death and malnutrition, although no statistical significance was shown(p> 0.05). Conclusion: Patients at nutritional risk and/or malnutrition appear to be vulnerable to worse clinical outcomes.

scholarly journals Examining the Nutritional Quality of Canadian Packaged Foods and Beverages with and without Nutrition Claims

Nutrients ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 832 ◽  
Author(s):  
Beatriz Franco-Arellano ◽  
Marie-Ève Labonté ◽  
Jodi Bernstein ◽  
Mary L’Abbé
Keyword(s):  
Nutritional Quality ◽  
Nutrition Claims ◽  
Packaged Foods

Adalimumab Significantly Reduces the Recurrence Rate of Anterior Uveitis in Patients with Ankylosing Spondylitis

2014 ◽  
Vol 41 (9) ◽  
pp. 1843-1848 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Christiaan van Denderen ◽  
Ingrid M. Visman ◽  
Michael T. Nurmohamed ◽  
Maria S.A. Suttorp-Schulten ◽  
Irene E. van der Horst-Bruinsma
Keyword(s):  
Ankylosing Spondylitis ◽  
Recurrence Rate ◽  
Outpatient Clinic ◽  
Anterior Uveitis ◽  
Reduction Rate ◽  
Median Number ◽  
Interquartile Range ◽  
Patient History ◽  
Adalimumab Treatment

Objective.To investigate whether use of adalimumab decreases the frequency of attacks of anterior uveitis (AU) in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS).Methods.Consecutive patients with AS, visiting an outpatient clinic and treated for at least 12 weeks with adalimumab, were enrolled. The number of attacks of AU in the year before start and during treatment were assessed by patient history and ophthalmological controls.Results.In the 77 patients a total of 52 AU attacks occurred in the year before baseline (68 attacks per 100 patient-yrs), whereas during adalimumab treatment 19 attacks were seen (14 per 100 patient-yrs; reduction rate 80%). Twenty-six patients with AU in the year before start of adalimumab treatment had recurrent attacks, with a median number of 2.0 AU attacks per year [interquartile range (IQR) 1.00–3.00], whereas during treatment this decreased to 10 patients with a median number of 0.56 attacks per year (IQR 0.30–0.75). Hence, the number of attacks per year decreased by 72% (p = 0.000).Conclusion.In patients with AS, a significant reduction in the number of AU attacks, as well as in the number of attacks per patient, was observed during adalimumab treatment.

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