Search results for "statistical [methods]"
showing 10 items of 1664 documents
The effects of age at menarche and first sexual intercourse on reproductive and behavioural outcomes:A Mendelian randomization study
2020
SummaryThere is substantial variation in the timing of significant reproductive life events such as menarche and first sexual intercourse. Life history theory explains this variation as an adaptive response to the developmental environment. In environments characterized by harsh conditions, adopting a fast life history strategy may increase fitness. In line with this, there is evidence demonstrating that greater childhood adversity is associated with earlier age at menarche. Here we applied Mendelian randomization (MR) methods to investigate whether there is a causal effect of variation in age at menarche and age at first sexual intercourse on outcomes related to reproduction, education and…
Discover cervical disc arthroplasty versus anterior cervical discectomy and fusion in symptomatic cervical disc diseases: A meta-analysis.
2016
OBJECTIVE:Symptomatic cervical disc disease (SCDD) is a common degenerative disease, and Discover artificial cervical disc, a new-generation nonconstrained artificial disk, has been developed and performed gradually to treat it. We performed this meta-analysis to compare the efficacy and safety between Discover cervical disc arthroplasty (DCDA) and anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) for SCDD. METHODS:An exhaustive literature search of PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library was conducted to identify randomized controlled trials that compared DCDA with ACDF for patients suffering SCDD. A random-effect model was used. Results were reported as standardized mean difference or risk …
Polymorphisms of an innate immune gene, toll-like receptor 4, and aggressive prostate cancer risk: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
2014
Background: Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) is one of the best known TLR members expressed on the surface of several leukocytes and tissue cells and has a key function in detecting pathogen and danger-associated molecular patterns. The role of TLR4 in the pathophysiology of several age-related diseases is also well recognized, such as prostate cancer (PCa). TLR4 polymorphisms have been related to PCa risk, but the relationship between TLR4 genotypes and aggressive PCa risk has not been evaluated by any systematic reviews. Methods: We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of candidate-gene and genome-wide association studies analyzing this relationship and included only white populatio…
Psychometric properties of the German version of the Self-Image Scale (SIS-D)
2020
Background The Self-Image Scale is a self-report measure originally developed for use in women with cancer. Two subscales assess appearance satisfaction (self-acceptance) and perceptions of partners’ acceptance of their appearance (partner-acceptance). This study aimed to increase the Self-Image Scale’s utility by 1) confirming the two-factor structure of the German version of the Self-Image Scale, 2) testing measurement invariance across sex and age groups and validity, and 3) gathering general population normative data. Methods Confirmatory factor analysis methods were used to examine the proposed two-factor model in a random sample of adults from the general German population (N = 1367).…
Orthorexia nervosa and healthy orthorexia as new eating styles
2019
It was recently proposed that healthy orthorexia (HeOr) and orthorexia nervosa (OrNe) should be differentiated. The aim of the present study was to analyze whether the two dimensions of orthorexia can be considered new eating styles or basically equivalent to restrained eating behavior. Two samples of university students (sample 1, n = 460; sample 2, n = 509) completed the Teruel Orthorexia Scale (TOS), the Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire (DEBQ), and the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS). Factor analysis with the TOS and DEBQ items together revealed an adequate fit for the preexisting five-factor solution (TOS: OrNe and HeOr; DEBQ: Restrained Eating, Emotional Eating, and Ex…
Development and testing of an instrument (HeSoEduCo) for health and social care educators' competence in professional education
2019
Abstract Background: Health and social care education is highly important for preparing future professionals for their future roles in sustainable health and social care. However, previous studies have emphasized that health and social care educators’ competence is complex and poorly defined. Thus, there is a clear need for a psychometrically validated instrument to enable clarification and assessment of the required skills. Objective: To develop and psychometrically validate an instrument (the HeSoEduCo) for assessing health and social care educators’ competence in higher and professional education. Design: Cross-sectional study. Methods: A HeSoEduCo instrument, with items inviting 1–4 Lik…
Direct and indirect effects of Growth Hormone Deficiency (GHD) on lung function in children: A mediation analysis
2018
Background: Studies on pulmonary function tests (PFTs) in Growth Hormone Deficiency (GHD) children are lacking. The aims of this study were: (i) to investigate PFTs in GHD pre-pubertal children with respect to Controls, before starting Growth Hormone Therapy (GHT) (T0); (ii) to evaluate changes of PFTs in GHD vs Controls, after 1-year GHT (T1). Forboth aims the mediation analysis (MA) was applied to evaluate the extent to which the relationship between GHD and PFTs could be ascribed to a height-mediated (indirect) or a GH direct effect. Methods: 47 pre-pubertal GHD children (aged 5–14 years) underwent PFTs at T0 and T1. At T0, 47 healthy children matched for age and sex were enrolled as Contr…
Repeatability of exhaled breath fingerprint collected by a modern sampling system in asthmatic and healthy children
2019
E-noses provide potential non-invasive metabolic biomarkers for diagnosing and monitoring pulmonary diseases. The primary aim of the present study was to assess the within-day and between-day repeatability of a modern breath sampling system (Pneumopipe® plus an array of e-nose sensors) in asthmatic and healthy children. The secondary aim was to compare the repeatability of the breath sampling system, spirometry and exhaled nitric oxide (eNO). Fifteen children (age 6-11 years) with asthma and thirty healthy children matched by age and gender (1:2 allocation) were recruited; of them, three healthy children did not complete the study. All measurements were collected twice during the baseline v…
Long-term variations of arterial stiffness in patients with obesity and obstructive sleep apnea treated with continuous positive airway pressure
2020
BackgroundObstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is associated with cardiovascular co-morbidities and mortality. Arterial stiffness is an independent predictor of cardiovascular risk and mortality, and is influenced by the presence of OSA and related comorbidities. There is a paucity of data regarding long-term evolution of arterial stiffness in CPAP-treated OSA patients. We aimed to prospectively study long term PWV variations and determinants of PWV deterioration.MethodsIn a prospective obese OSA cohort, at time of diagnosis and after several years of follow-up we collected arterial stiffness measured by carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV), clinical and metabolic parameters, and CPAP adheren…
The COPD multi-dimensional phenotype: A new classification from the STORICO Italian observational study.
2019
BackgroundThis paper is aimed to (i) develop an innovative classification of COPD, multi-dimensional phenotype, based on a multidimensional assessment; (ii) describe the identified multi-dimensional phenotypes.MethodsAn exploratory factor analysis to identify the main classificatory variables and, then, a cluster analysis based on these variables were run to classify the COPD-diagnosed 514 patients enrolled in the STORICO (trial registration number: NCT03105999) study into multi-dimensional phenotypes.ResultsThe circadian rhythm of symptoms and health-related quality of life, but neither comorbidity nor respiratory function, qualified as primary classificatory variables. Five multidimension…