Relationship between Sexual Risk Behaviors and HIV Counseling and Testing (HCT) Uptake among Young People in Nigeria

This study examined the relationship between sexual risk behavior and HIV counselling and testing uptake among young people in Nigeria. Probability sampling technique was used to obtain a sample of 10,091 respondents (ages 15 to 24 years) for the study. The multistage cluster sampling was used to select suitable young people with known probability. Data were collected throughout Nigeria between September and December 2012 from 32,543 households (rural = 22,192;urban = 10,351) using structured and semi-structured questionnaires. The data were summed using descriptive statistics. Frequencies and percentages;measures of central tendencies were used to answer the research question while nonparametric test such as chi-square was used to analyze non-normally distributed data at 0.5 level of significance. Results of data analysis indicated that sexual risk behaviors comprised three variables: sex with multiple partners, intergenerational sex (sex with partners 10 years older), and transactional sex. The results of the chi-square test of association between sex with multiple partners and HCT uptake showed that there was no statistically significant relationship between sex with multiple partners and HCT uptake among young people ages 15 to 24 years in Nigeria. It was among others recommended that sexually active young people in Nigeria should use protection against HIV infection.

Evidence for the Reliability and Validity of the Arabic Version of the Student Risk Screening Scale for Internalizing and Externalizing Behaviors (SRSS-IE)

School-based universal screening for behavioral/emotional risk is a necessary first step to providing services in an educational setting for students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBDs). Psychometric properties are critical to making decisions about choosing a screening instrument. The purpose of the present study was to examine the psychometric properties of the student risk screening scale for internalizing and externalizing behaviors (SRSS-IE). Participants included 3145 students and their teachers. Item-level analyses of the current sample supported the retention of all items. The internal consistency of the SRSS items ranged from 0.83 to 0.85. Convergent validity between the SRSS-IE and a well-established screening tool, the strength and difficulties questionnaire (SDQ), was found for the total score (r = 0.70). Additionally, the results of this study demonstrate strong social validity, suggesting the SRSS-IE to be a useful and functional screening tool. We conclude that the SRSS-IE is a valid and reliable instrument for assessing the level of emotional and behavioral difficulties among elementary students.

Diagnostic value of ABCD2 and ABCD3-Ⅰ risk scoring systems in determining one-month risk of stroke in patients with transient ischemic attack: An observational study

Objective:To compare the diagnostic value of the ABCD2 and ABCD3-栺scoring systems in predicting the development of a 30-day neurological event in adult patients with transient ischemic attack(TIA)presenting to the emergency department.Methods:The study was observational and prospective and was conducted in a single center.The diagnostic values of the ABCD2 and ABCD3-栺scores in predicting a neurological event within one month were compared in patients diagnosed with TIA in the emergency department.Results:A statistically significant difference was observed between groups with or without stroke within one month in terms of both the ABCD2 and ABCD3-栺scores(P=0.044 and P=0.029,respectively).There was no statistically significant difference between the patients with and without a recurrent TIA within one month in relation to the ABCD2 score(P=0.934),but a statistically significant difference was found in the ABCD3-栺scores of these groups(P<0.001).Conclusions:Both the ABCD2 and ABCD3-栺scoring systems could predict ischemic stroke within 30 days of TIA,the ABCD3-栺score is more effective than the ABCD2 score in the prediction of TIA recurrence.

Symptomatic COVID-19 in University Students: A School-Wide Web-Based Questionnaire Survey during the Omicron Variant Outbreak

Aim: To detect risk and preventive factors associated with the Omicron variant infection in university students, a combination of a web-based survey and multivariate logistic regression analysis was introduced as the front-line initiatives by the school health practitioners. Design: Questionnaire survey. Methods: The school-wide web-based questionnaire survey was conducted among our university students as a part of the annual health check-up in April, 2023. The positive outcome was confined to the first symptomatic COVID-19 onset during the Omicron variant outbreak. Results: In this self-administered survey, risk or protective associations were merely estimated statistically in university students (n = 5406). In measured factors, karaoke and club/group activities could maintain the statistical significance in adjusted odds ratios (ORs) as relative risk factors, and science course, measles/ rubella (MR) vaccination, and COVID-19 vaccination remained as relative protective factors in adjusted OR analyses. Club/group activities with member gathering and karaoke sing-along sessions in university students may frequently have WHO’s three Cs. These risk factors are still important topics for the infection control of COVID-19 in university students. Together with some recent reports from other researchers, the significant protective role of MR vaccine in our survey warrants further clinical investigation. If the breakthrough infection continuously constitutes the majority of infection, real data in test-negative case-control or web-based questionnaire design continue to be important for statistical analysis to determine the minimal requirement of our strategies which may be equivalent to or replace COVID-19 vaccines.

Association between Selenium in Soil and Diabetes in Chinese Residents Aged 35–74 Years:Results from the 2010 National Survey of Chronic Diseases and Behavioral Risk Factors Surveillance

Objective To explore the association between soil selenium levels and the risk of diabetes in Chinese adults aged 35–74 years.Methods Data for this study were derived from the China Chronic Diseases and Behavioral Risk Factors Surveillance 2010 survey.Selenium concentrations in soil were obtained from the Atlas of Soil Environmental Background Values in China.A two-level binary logistic regression model was used to determine the association between soil selenium concentrations and the risk of diabetes,with participants nested within districts/counties.Results A total of 69,332 participants aged 35–74 years,from 158 districts/counties were included in the analysis.Concentrations of selenium in soil varied greatly across the 158 districts/counties,with a median concentration of 0.219 mg/kg(IQR:0.185–0.248).The results showed that both Quartile 1(0.119–0.185 mg/kg)and Quartile 4(0.249–0.344 mg/kg)groups were positively associated with diabetes compared to a soil selenium concentration of 0.186–0.219 mg/kg(Quartile 2),crude odds ratios(ORs)(95%CI)were 1.227(1.003–1.502)and 1.280(1.048–1.563).The P values were 0.045 and 0.013,for Quartile 1 and Quartile 4 groups,respectively.After adjusting for all confounding factors of interest,the Quartile 1 group became non-significant,and the Quartile 4 group had an adjusted OR(95%CI)of 1.203(1.018–1.421)relative to the reference group(Quartile 2),the P values was 0.030.No significant results were seen for the Quartile 3 group(0.220–0.248 mg/kg)compared to the reference group.Conclusion Excessive selenium concentrations in soil could increase the risk of diabetes among Chinese adults aged 35–74 years.

Image sequence-based risk behavior detection of power operation inspection personnel

A novel image sequence-based risk behavior detection method to achieve high-precision risk behavior detection for power maintenance personnel is proposed in this paper.In this method,the original image sequence data is first separated from the foreground and background.Then,the free anchor frame detection method is used in the foreground image to detect the personnel and correct their direction.Finally,human posture nodes are extracted from each frame of the image sequence,which are then used to identify the abnormal behavior of the human.Simulation experiment results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm has significant advantages in terms of the accuracy of human posture node detection and risk behavior identification.

Epidemiology of Sexual Behaviour with Risk of Sexually Transmissible Infection (STI) among Students in Africa: The Case of the University of Ouagadougou

Objective: To study the sexual risk behaviors and their determining role in sexually transmissible infection (STI) and HIV among students of the University of Ouagadougou. Methodology: It was a descriptive and analytical single pass cross-sectional study from June 22 to July 21 2010 at the University of Ouagadougou. A cluster sampling in two stages was adopted to form a population of 762. Data were collected using a standardized written questionnaire completed by individual interview after informed consent. Results: The average age of students was 24.2 ± 2 years old for men and 23.7 ± 2 years old women. Singles represented 95.1% of students. The students were not scholarship grantees in 90.6% of the sample. Knowledge about STIs was average in 60.2% of cases. In total 33.65% of the students admitted to having had multiple sexual partners, 19.57% had sex with prostitutes, 34.62% had unprotected sex, 4% practiced sodomy without condoms and 3.1% of students had sex in group with one partner. In multivariate analysis, male gender was the determining factor associated with multiple sexual partner (OR = 3.30 95% CI = 2.19 to 4.95) and relations with prostitutes with an odds ratio of 16.13 (95 = 6.87% to 37.8%). The female gender was the determining factor associated with not using a condom with odds ratio of 1.5 (95% CI = 1.01 to 2.16). Conclusion: There are many risk behaviors for HIV transmission among students of the University of Ouagadougou. The urgent implementation of specific prevention programs to benefit this population is essential.

Constructing Statistical Intervals for Small Area Estimates Based on Generalized Linear Mixed Model in Health Surveys

Generalized Linear Mixed Model (GLMM) has been widely used in small area estimation for health indicators. Bayesian estimation is usually used to construct statistical intervals, however, its computational intensity is a big challenge for large complex surveys. Frequentist approaches, such as bootstrapping, and Monte Carlo (MC) simulation, are also applied but not evaluated in terms of the interval magnitude, width, and the computational time consumed. The 2013 Florida Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data was used as a case study. County-level estimated prevalence of three health-related outcomes was obtained through a GLMM;and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were generated from bootstrapping and MC simulation. The intervals were compared to 95% credential intervals through a hierarchial Bayesian model. The results showed that 95% CIs for county-level estimates of each outcome by using MC simulation were similar to the 95% credible intervals generated by Bayesian estimation and were the most computationally efficient. It could be a viable option for constructing statistical intervals for small area estimation in public health practice.

HIV incidence among men who have sex with men using geosocial networking smartphone application in Beijing, China: an open cohort study

Background:Sexual transmission among men who have sex with men(MSM)is the dominant route of HIV transmission in China.Extensive use of geosocial networking(GSN)smartphone application(app)has dramatically changed the pattern of sexual behaviors and HIV risk among MSM;but data on HIV incidence and the changing risk behaviors of GSN app-using MSM are limited.We aims to assess the HIV incidence and its correlates among gay GSN app-using MSM in China.Methods:We constructed an open cohort which was initiated and maintained using a GSN app to assess the HIV incidence among app-using MSM,recruited from June 2017 to December 2018.MSM completed an online questionnaire on their sociodemographic characteristics,sexual behaviors,recreational drug use and sexually transmitted infections status.Then each man had an HIV test,and those tested negatives were enrolled into the cohort.Participants completed follow-ups with additional HIV tests though the app during the study period,and were censored at HIV seroconversion or study end date.HIV incidence was calculated by dividing the sum of observed HIV seroconversions by the observed person-time.Univariate(Chi-square test and Fisher's exact test)and multivariate(proportional hazards regression)analyses were used to examine correlates of HIV incidence.Results:A total of 6957 HIV negative MSM were enrolled in the open cohort,37 seroconversions occurred among 1937 men contributing 1065 observed person-years:HIV incidence was 3.47 per 100 person-years[95%confidence interval(Cl):2.37-4.57].More than five sexual partners[hazard ratio(HR)=2.65,95%Cl:1.04-6.67],and sex with HIV positive partners(HR=3.82,95%Cl:1.16-12.64)in the preceding six months were positively associated with HIV seroconversion.Consistent condom use for anal sex(HR=0.27,95%Cl:0.07-0.96),and reporting insertive anal sex only(HR=0.23,95%Cl:0.08-0.62)in the preceding six months were protective factors for HIV seroconversion.Conclusions:Tailored interventions targeting app-using MSM are urgently needed given their high risk of HIV.As a new tool for accessing MSM at higher HIV risk,GSN smartphone app could play an important role in HIV research among MSM.

Can Health Savings Accounts Reduce Health Spending?Evidence from China

Health care costs are high and continue to rise in most major economies,and the health savings account(HSA)is often viewed as an appealing way to contain health care costs because it can potentially solve the moral hazard spending caused by traditional health insurance.This study uses data from the China Household Finance Survey(CHFS)to empirically examine the effectiveness of HSAs in containing medical expenses and reducing moral hazard.The findings show that HSAs that restrict the use of funds may lead enrollees to discount the value and thus spend more on health care.In addition,the positive effect of HSAs on medical expenses is larger for the relatively healthier group,which may suggest that moral hazard exists regarding the use of HSA funds.The empirical estimates of the HSA effect on medical expenses are robust when a set of covariates are controlled,and HSA balances are instrumented using housing savings account balances.

Sedentary lifestyle among adults in Jordan,2007

Objective:Sedentary lifestyle is a major risk factor for physical and mental problems,such as cardiovascular,musculoskeletal diseases,and psychological stress.About 60% of the world’s population is not sufficiently physically active in leisure time or during work and social activities.This study aimed to determine the prevalence of inactive Jordanian adults and describe their demo-graphic and behavioral characteristics.Methods:The study used data from the behavioral risk factors surveillance survey conducted in Jordan in 2007.The sample size was 3654.Respondents who were physically inactive for more than 240 min daily(sleep time not included)were considered to have a sedentary lifestyle.Data were analyzed with the program SPSS.Results:The prevalence of a sedentary lifestyle was 82.8%(2965 respondents),with a mean sedentary time of 587 min(95%confidence interval 581-594 min).Among the physically inactive adults,52.6% were men,one third of them aged 35-44 years.Sedentary lifestyle was reported by 30% of those with a secondary level of education or above.Of those with a sedentary lifestyle,37.6% were housewives and 37.5% were employees;66% of them were overweight and obese.Of the physically inactive people,2.5%had a history of heart failure and 1.3%had a history of cer-ebrovascular accidents;57.2% of them tried to engage more in physical activity and almost three quarters of them were interested in improving their dietary habits.Conclusion:Most Jordanian adults have a sedentary lifestyle,which emphasizes that there is a public health problem.Many of them are attempting to lead a healthier lifestyle.Therefore,there is an urgent need to launch an applicable national plan that enables people to practice a healthier lifestyle.