Search results for "valence"
showing 10 items of 2732 documents
Obtaining a male circumcision prevalence rate of 80% among adults in a short time
2017
Abstract World Health Organization recommends a target for the male circumcision prevalence rate of 80%. This rate will have a substantial impact on the human immunodeficiency virus-acquired immunodeficiency syndrome epidemic in Eastern and Southern Africa. The objective of the study was to assess whether an innovative intervention can lead to an increased voluntary male medical circumcision (VMMC) uptake among adults in a short time. This prospective observational study of a demand generation intervention was conducted in the township of Orange Farm (South Africa) in August to November 2015. In this community male circumcision prevalence rate among adults was stable between 2010 and 2015 a…
Testing a model of physical activity and obesity tracking from youth to adulthood: the cardiovascular risk in young Finns study
2006
To test a potential model of the relationship between physical activity and obesity from youth to adulthood.Longitudinal study data from the cardiovascular risk in young Finns study.A total of 1319 boys (n=626) and girls (n=693) aged 9, 12, 15 and 18 years were randomly selected from five university towns and their rural surroundings in 1980. They were followed up for 21 years. In 2001 they were 30, 33, 36 and 39 years old.Physical activity was assessed by a short questionnaire at two measurement points. Obesity was measured by body mass index (BMI) and sum of skinfolds in 1980 and BMI and waist circumference in 2001.Structural equation analysis (LISREL) indicated that the prevalence of abd…
Association Between Low Education and Higher Global Cardiovascular Risk
2014
This study was designed to evaluate the impact of educational status on global cardiovascular risk in a southern Italian urban population. The study population consisted of 488 consecutive outpatients aged 18 years and older. Educational status was categorized according to the number of years of formal education as follows: (1) low education group (10 years) and (2) medium-high education group (10-15 years). In both groups, cardiometabolic comorbidities (obesity, visceral obesity, diabetes, dyslipidemia, metabolic syndrome, microalbuminuria, left ventricular hypertrophy) and global cardiovascular risk, according to international guidelines, were analyzed. Left ventricular mass index and eje…
Active commuting from youth to adulthood and as a predictor of physical activity in early midlife: The Young Finns Study
2014
Abstract Objective The aims of the study were to describe the stability of active commuting (AC) behavior (i.e., walking and cycling) over 27 years and examine the relationship between AC and physical activity (PA) from youth to early midlife. Methods The mode and distance of travel were assessed using a self-reported questionnaire at five consecutive measurements between 1980 and 2007, when 2072 individuals were followed up from youth (9–18 years) to adulthood (30–45 years). PA was also measured using a questionnaire. Results The prevalence of AC declined sharply with age, particularly after 12 years, while AC distances to work or place of study increased substantially. AC was concurrently…
The evolution of educational inequalities in smoking: a changing relationship and a cross-over effect among German birth cohorts of 1921-70
2006
Aims To investigate the evolution of the relationship between education and smoking behaviour (ever-smoking and age of initiation) among German birth cohorts of 1921–70. Participants A total of 5297 respondents to the German Federal Health Survey of 1998 were divided into 10-year sex–birth–education cohorts. Measurements Self-reported smoking histories (ever-smoking and the age of starting smoking). Findings There was an inversion of the educational gradient around the birth cohorts of 1931–40 for men and 1941–50 for women. For men, the educational cross-over in smoking was due to a stronger decrease of the ever-smoking prevalence of the highly educated compared to the least educated. …
Incidence of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in Sicily: A population based study
2012
Our objective was to investigate incidence of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in Sicily, southern Italy, by means of a population based study. We included people with ALS resident in fi ve Sicilian provinces, whose onset occurred in the two-year period 2005 2006 (population at 31 December 2006: 3,481,096 inhabitants). A multisource case-fi nding procedure was adopted and patients were classifi ed as affected by ALS according to revised El Escorial criteria. During the two-year surveillance period, 97 patients meeting eligibility criteria included 57 males (58.8%) and 40 females (41.2%). Crude annual incidence rate was 1.4/100,000 person years (95% CI 1.33 1.47). The incidence rate was h…
Psychological distress and psychiatric disorders in primary health care patients in East and West Germany 1 year after the fall of the Berlin Wall
1999
The reunification of Germany confronted citizens in East and West Germany with many changes in their lives. These changes may be considered as critical life events. Especially for those in East Germany, life circumstances drastically changed, and individuals were increasingly required to adopt and develop coping capabilities. In addition to new opportunities and freedom, there was threatening uncertainty about the future. Theories of life events and stress postulate that threat events have an impact on human well-being. It was expected that there would be an increased rate of psychiatric morbidity after unification, especially in the eastern part of Germany.An international study by the WHO…
Can the serological status of anti-HBc alone be considered a sentinel marker for detection of occult HBV infection?
2008
Some individuals have “occult” infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV), defined as presence of HBV genome in the serum or liver tissue without HBV surface antigen (HBsAg) in the serum. The aim of this study was to investigate whether serum antibodies against HBV core antigen in isolation (“anti-HBc alone”) are a useful marker of “occult” HBV in patients with or without hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. “Anti-HBc alone” was detected in the sera of 119/6,544 (1.8%) asymptomatic outpatients referred to the diagnostic laboratory for routine testing for viral hepatitis, 62/607 (10.2%) drug users, and 42/195 (21.5%) patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. Using three in-house nested-PCR amplifica…
Occult Hepatitis B Infection in the Immigrant Population of Sicily, Italy.
2012
In Italy, about 7 % of the resident population is represented by immigrants originating from geographic regions at high endemicity for hepatitis B virus infection. This study aims to assess the prevalence of occult HBV infection (OBI) including the identification of HBV-genotypes in a population of immigrants serologically negative for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg). Between May 2006 and May 2010, 339 immigrants were tested for markers of HBV, hepatitis C virus (HCV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections. HBV-DNA was tested by using nested-PCR assays on three different genetic region. HBV-DNA was detected in plasma samples of 11/339 (3.2 %) patients. Most of them had no ser…
Decrease in HDV endemicity in Italy.
1997
To evaluate a possible variation in hepatitis D virus endemicity in Italy, the data from a multicentre study concerning HBsAg chronic carriers first observed in 31 liver units during 1992 were compared with the corresponding figures from a similar study performed in 1987.In both studies the methodology for the recruitment of cases was the same. The overall anti-HD prevalence in 1992 was 14.4%, a significantly lower rate than that observed in 1987 (23.4%, p0.01). The decrease significantly (p0.01) affected both males and females; it occurred in all geographical areas, although to a greater extent in northern regions. It was evident in subjects below 50 years of age, but not in subjects older…