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Cardiovascular diseases remain the leading global cause of mortality. Age is an important covariate whose effect is most easily investigated in a healthy cohort to properly distinguish the former from disease-related changes. Traditionally, most of such insights have been drawn from the analysis of electrocardiogram (ECG) feature changes in individuals as they age. However, these features, while informative, may potentially obscure underlying data relationships. In this paper we present the following contributions: (1) We employ a deep-learning model and a tree-based model to analyze ECG data from a robust dataset of healthy individuals across varying ages in both raw signals and ECG feature format. (2) We use explainable AI methods to identify the most discriminative ECG features across age groups.(3) Our analysis with tree-based classifiers reveals age-related declines in inferred breathing rates and identifies notably high SDANN values as indicative of elderly individuals, distinguishing them from younger adults. (4) Furthermore, the deep-learning model underscores the pivotal role of the P-wave in age predictions across all age groups, suggesting potential changes in the distribution of different P-wave types with age. These findings shed new light on age-related ECG changes, offering insights that transcend traditional feature-based approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human-to-human contact plays a leading role in the transmission of infectious diseases, and the contact pattern between individuals has an important influence on the intensity and trend of disease transmission. In this paper, we define regular contacts and random contacts. Then, taking the COVID-19 outbreak in Yangzhou City, China as an example, we consider age heterogeneity, household structure and two contact patterns to establish discrete dynamic models with switching between daytime and nighttime to depict the transmission mechanism of COVID-19 in population. We studied the changes in the reproduction number with different age groups and household sizes at different stages. The effects of the proportion of two contacts patterns on reproduction number were also studied. Furthermore, taking the final size, the peak value of infected individuals in community and the peak value of quarantine infected individuals and nucleic acid test positive individuals as indicators, we evaluate the impact of the number of random contacts, the duration of the free transmission stage and summer vacation on the spread of the disease. The results show that a series of prevention and control measures taken by the Chinese government in response to the epidemic situation are reasonable and effective, and the young and middle-aged adults (aged 18-59) with household size of 6 have the strongest transmission ability. In addition, the results also indicate that increasing the proportion of random contact is beneficial to the control of the infectious disease in the phase with interventions. This work enriches the content of infectious disease modeling and provides theoretical guidance for the prevention and control of follow-up major infectious diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The neural processes underpinning cognition and language development in infancy are of great interest. We investigated EEG power and coherence in infancy, as a reflection of underlying cortical function of single brain region and cross-region connectivity, and their relations to cognition and early precursors of speech and language development. EEG recordings were longitudinally collected from 21 infants with typical development between approximately 1 and 7 months. We investigated relative band power at 3-6Hz and 6-9Hz and EEG coherence of these frequency ranges at 25 electrode pairs that cover key brain regions. A correlation analysis was performed to assess the relationship between EEG measurements across frequency bands and brain regions and raw Bayley cognitive and language developmental scores. In the first months of life, relative band power is not correlated with cognitive and language scales. However, 3-6Hz coherence is negatively correlated with receptive language scores between frontoparietal regions, and 6-9Hz coherence is negatively correlated with expressive language scores between frontoparietal regions. The results from this preliminary study contribute to the existing literature on the relationship between electrophysiological development, cognition, and early speech precursors in this age group. Future work should create norm references of early development in these domains that can be compared with infants at risk for neurodevelopmental disabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In the global aging, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic may have affected the place of death (PoD) in Japan, where hospital deaths have dominated for decades. We analyzed the PoD trends before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan. Methods: This nationwide observational study used vital statistics based on death certificates from Japan between 1951 and 2021. The proportion of PoD; deaths at home, hospitals, and nursing homes; and annual percentage change (APC) were estimated using joinpoint regression analysis. Analyses were stratified by age groups and causes of death. Results: After 2019, home deaths exhibited upward trends, while hospital death turned into downward trends. By age, no significant trend change was seen in the 0–19 age group, while hospital deaths decreased in the 20–64 age group in 2019. The trend change in home death in the ≥65 age group significantly increased since 2019 with an APC of 12.3% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 9.0 to 15.7), while their hospital death trends decreased by −4.0% (95% CI: −4.9 to −3.1) in 2019−2021. By cause of death, home death due to cancer and the old age increased since 2019 with an APC of 29.3% (95% CI: 25.4 to 33.2) and 8.8% (95% CI: 5.5 to 12.2), respectively. Conclusion: PoD has shifted from hospital to home during the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan. The majority of whom were older population with cancer or old age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Adults living alone represent a growing population group in China. Understanding the prevalence of body mass index (BMI) categories and their associations with demographic and lifestyle factors among this group is essential for informing targeted interventions and public health policies. Methods: In this population-based cross-sectional study, we used individual-level data from the 2011–2021 China General Social Survey. Main outcomes were prevalence of BMI categories adjusted for gender and age, using logistic regression and model-predicted marginal prevalence to estimate BMI categories prevalence. Results: We analyzed 9,077 single-living Chinese adult participants. The primary-adjusted prevalence of BMI categories varied across different genders and age groups. Underweight was more prevalent in females (12.73%; 95% CI: 12.31% - 13.14%) than in males (7.54%; 95% CI: 7.19% - 7.88%), while overweight and obesity were higher in males. Primary-adjusted underweight prevalence was highest among the 18–24 years age group (22.09%; 95% CI: 20.17% - 24.01%) and decreased with age. Primary-adjusted overweight prevalence increased with age, peaking in the 45–54 years age group (41.94%; 95% CI: 40.96% - 42.93%). Primary-adjusted obesity prevalence exhibited a fluctuating pattern across age groups, with the highest prevalence observed in the 45–54 years age group (9.81%; 95% CI: 9.19% - 10.44%). Conclusion: Our findings reveal significant associations between BMI categories and demographic and lifestyle factors among adults living alone in China. These results can inform targeted interventions and public health policies aimed at promoting healthy weight management and addressing the unique health challenges faced by single-living individuals in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Classifying athletes based on estimates of biological maturation (i.e., bio-banding) as a supplement to traditional age grouping has been shown to be a potential tool for enriching player development in team sports; however, bio-banding has not yet been evaluated in ice hockey. The primary aim was to investigate player experiences and coaches' selection preferences in bio-banding versus age-banding in a group of 12-13-year-old (early growth spurt) male elite players (n = 69). We also examined the relationship between somatic maturity, expressed as a % predicted adult height (%PAH), and fitness performance. Bio-banding was assessed using a questionnaire and 29 coaches selected their top players in each game based on age or bio-bands. %PAH correlated with grip strength (r =.57, p>0.001) and jumping power (r =.63, p<0.001), but not with vertical jump height, sprint time or endurance. Players who played against more mature players in bio-bands than in age groups experienced higher demands, while players who played against less mature players were able to utilize their skills to a greater extent. Coaches generally favored later-than-average maturing players who performed better on performance tests and chronologically older players in bio-banding. We conclude that bio-banding in youth ice hockey has some promising effects and warrants further evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Meningitis poses a significant challenge to public health in low-income nations, such as Ethiopia, with a particular impact on newborns. The magnitude and etiologies of meningitis vary based on geographic location and age of patients. There is limited data regarding the magnitude and etiology of meningitis from Sidama Regional State, Ethiopia. This study aimed to determine the magnitude and bacterial profile of meningitis among newborns aged less than 90 days at Hawassa University Comprehensive Specialized Hospital (HUCSH). Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted among newborns under 90 days who were suspected of meningitis at HUCSH from January 2019 to July 2023, and for whom Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) culture was performed. At HUCSH, bacteria are isolated and identified using standard microbiological techniques. Socio-demographic characteristics and culture results were extracted from the laboratory register. Data were entered into Excel and exported it to SPSS version 20 for analysis. Results: Overall 1061 newborns suspected of meningitis were included in the study. Among the participants, 767 individuals (72.3%) fell within the age range of 8 to 90 days. Of the total participants, 437 (41.2%) were females. The magnitude of culture-confirmed meningitis was 90(8.5%) 95% CI: 6.8%−10.1%. The magnitude of culture-confirmed meningitis among newborns aged 0−7 days and 8−90 days were 1.6% and 6.9% respectively. The proportion of bacteria among newborns aged 0−7 days and 8−90 days were 18.9% and 81.1% respectively. Coagulase-negative Staphylococci (CONS) were the most common bacteria (n = 26; 28.9%) recovered followed by Acinetobacter species (n = 12, 13.3%), Escherichia coli (n = 9; 10%), and Klebsiella pneumoniae (n = 7; 7.8%). K. pneumoniae was the predominant bacteria among newborns within the age group of 0 to 7 days while Acinetobacter species was the most common among newborns within the 8 to 90 days age group. The prevalence of culture-confirmed neonatal meningitis was found to be greater in male newborns (x2 = 1.74, p = 0.18), newborns aged between 8 to 90 days (x2 = 0.07, p = 3.4), and newborns admitted in 2022 (x2 = 2.4, p = 0.66), Conclusions: In this study, the overall magnitude of culture-confirmed meningitis was relatively high. Culture-confirmed meningitis was high in newborns within the age range of 8 to 90 days. The most common bacteria were CONS in both age groups followed by Acinetobacter species, E. coli, and K. pneumoniae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the study was to determine whether running is associated with greater bone mineral density (BMD) by comparing the BMD of regularly active male runners (AR) with inactive nonrunner male controls (INC). This cross-sectional study recruited 327 male AR and 212 male INC (aged 18–65) via a stratified recruitment strategy. BMD of the whole body (WB) and partial segments (spine, lumbar spine (LS), leg, hip, femoral neck (FN), and arm for each side) were measured by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and lower leg dominance (dominant-D/nondominant-ND) was established by functional testing. An ANCOVA was used to compare AR and INC. The AR had greater BMD for all segments of the lower limb (p<0.05), but similar BMD for all segments of the upper limb (p>0.05) compared with INC. Based on the pairwise comparison of age groups, AR had greater BMD of the ND leg in every age group compared with INC (p<0.05). AR had grater BMD of the D leg in every age group except for (26–35 and 56–65) compare with INC (p<0.05). In the youngest age group (18–25), AR had greater BMD in every measured part of lower extremities (legs, hips, femoral necks) compared with INC (p<0.05). In the 46–55 age group AR had greater BMD than INC (p < 0.05) only in the WB, D Leg, D neck, and ND leg. In the 56–65 age group AR had greater BMD than INC (p<0.05) only in the ND leg. Overall, AR had greater BMD compared with INC in all examined sites except for the upper limbs, supporting the notion that running may positively affect bone parameters. However, the benefits differ in the skeletal sites specifically, as the legs had the highest BMD difference between AR and INC. Moreover, the increase in BMD from running decreased with age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The first stage of diagnosing autism spectrum disorders usually involves population screening to detect children at risk. This study aims to assess the predictive convergent validity of the Polish version of the Communication and Symbolic Behavior Scales-Developmental Profile Infant-Toddler Checklist (CSBS-DP ITC) with the Autism Spectrum Rating Scales (ASRS), evaluate its sensitivity and specificity and assess the cut-off points for the possibility of using this questionnaire in population screening among children aged 6 to 24 months. Method: The study was conducted among 602 children from the general population who had previously participated in the earlier phase of validation of the questionnaire for Polish conditions. The collected data were statistically processed to calculate the accuracy (i.e. sensitivity, specificity) of the questionnaire. Results: In individual age groups, the sensitivity of the questionnaire varies from 0.667 to 0.750, specificity from 0.854 to 0.939, positive predictive value from 0.261 to 0.4 and negative predictive value—from 0.979 to 0.981. Screening accuracy ranges from 0.847 to 0.923 depending on the age group. The adopted cut-off points are 21 points for children aged 9–12 months, 36 for children aged 13–18 months, 39 for children aged 19–24 months. Cut-off points could not be established for children aged 6–8 months. The convergent validity values with the ASRS ranged from -0.28 to -0.431 and were highest in the group of the oldest children. Conclusions: These results indicate that the Polish version of the CSBS-DP ITC can be used as an effective tool for ASD universal screening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the association between protected characteristics and inequalities in mental health care in the UK. Multinomial regression was used to model the association between protected characteristics and self-reported distress. Data was extracted from waves 6–10 (2014–2019) of the UK Household Longitudinal Study. Two risk categories were constructed: "undiagnosed distress" referred to a General Health Questionnaire-12 (GHQ-12) score above "caseness" along with no history of mental health diagnosis; "diagnosis without self-report symptoms" referred to a GHQ-12 score consistently below "caseness" within the study time frame but having received a mental health diagnosis. Compared to people without a disability, people with a disability are at considerably greater risk of both undiagnosed distress (Relative risk ratios (RRR) 2.76; Confidence Interval (CI): 2.55, 2.99) and diagnosis without self-reported symptoms (RRR 3.61; CI: 2.80, 4.66). Likewise, women were more likely than men to report undiagnosed distress (RRR = 1.49; CI: 1.38,1.61) or a diagnosis without self-reported symptoms (RRR = 1.38; CI: 1.08, 1.76. Lesbian, gay, and bisexual people are at greater risk of undiagnosed distress compared with heterosexual people (RRR 1.42; CI: 1.19, 1.70). Adults aged 16–24 years were at greatest risk compared to all other age groups. People from a minority ethnic background had a reduced risk of diagnosis without self-report symptoms compared with people from a White ethnic background (RRR 0.34; CI: 0.20, 0.61). Education, employment and income variables moderated some of these associations. This is the first study to examine diagnosis without self-report symptoms alongside undiagnosed distress. Findings suggest that addressing inequality in mental health care requires increased understanding of the needs and strengths within different groups and to provide appropriate forms of social, medical or psychosocial intervention rather than a singular focus on increasing detection, diagnosis and treatment. People with a disability appear to be at greatest disadvantage, requiring greater attention in policy and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Suicide is the leading cause of death of children and young people under 35 in the UK, and suicide rates are rising in this age group. Schools are considered an appropriate and logical setting for youth suicide prevention activities, with universal, selective, and indicated approaches all demonstrating efficacy. Given that international best practice recommends suicide prevention programmes combine these approaches, and that to date this has not been done in school settings in the UK, this study aims to evaluate the feasibility of delivering a suicide prevention programme incorporating universal, selective, and indicated components in UK schools. Methods: This study is a feasibility cluster-randomised controlled trial (RCT) of an adapted version of the Multimodal Approach to Preventing Suicide in Schools (MAPSS) programme. The programme, initially developed in Australia, involves delivering universal psychoeducation to all pupils, screening them for suicide risk, and delivering Internet-based Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (Reframe IT-UK) to those students identified as being at high-risk for suicide. The programme will be trialled in six secondary schools in Northwest England and will target Year 10 students (14- and 15-year-olds). The primary aims are to assess: 1) the acceptability and safety of delivering MAPSS in a school setting in the UK; 2) the social validity of the MAPSS programme; and 3) the feasibility of delivering a large-scale, appropriately powered, cluster-RCT and economic evaluation of this intervention in the future. Secondary aims are to assess changes over time in mental health and wellbeing outcomes. Discussion: This study is the first to evaluate a suicide prevention programme comprising universal, selective, and indicated components in UK schools. If the programme is found to be feasible, it could be more widely tested in schools and may ultimately lead to reduced rates of suicide and suicidal behaviour in young people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a global public health problem, disproportionally affecting sub-Saharan African countries including Mozambique. In 2019, of 150,000 estimated HIV-infected children in Mozambique, only 95,080 were on antiretroviral treatment and 73% virally suppressed. The objective of this study was to determine the characteristics associated with viral suppression in children. A cross-sectional study was carried out using records of viral load samples from children aged 0 to 14 years old who underwent viral load tests in 2019 in Mozambique. Secondary analyses were conducted on data obtained from Data Intensive Systems and Applications (DISA) of children enrolled in health facilities who had viral load tests registered. Viral suppression was defined as the presence of less than 1,000 copies/ml of blood. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the characteristics associated with viral suppression. Of the 33,559 viral load sample records analyzed, 53% (17,794/33,559) were female. The average patient age was 8 (sd ± 4) years old. About 44% (14,888/33,559) of the children had a suppressed viral load, with 55% (8,258/14,888) being female and 16% (2,319/14,888) belonging to the 1–4 years old age group. Characteristics associated with viral suppression were the age groups of 5–9 years [AOR = 1.73; 95% CI 1.34–2.23; p<0.001] and 10–14 years old [AOR = 1.92; 95% CI 1.50–2.48; p<0.001] versus < 1 year. Other factors such as living in Maputo City [AOR = 1.61; 95% CI 1.26–2.05; p <0.001] versus Tete Province were also associated with viral suppression. Factors such as being male [AOR = 0.83; 95% CI 0.80–0.87; p <0.001)], living in the provinces of Niassa [AOR = 0.75; 95% CI 0.56–0.99; p <0.003], Cabo Delgado [AOR = 0.77; 95% CI 0.60–0.99; p <0.045] and Zambezia [AOR = 0.72 (95% CI: 0.56–0.92, p<0.008)] versus Tete Province, or being on ART for 2–5 years [AOR = 0.72 (95% CI: 0.61–0.85, p<0.001)] versus 11–14 years were associated with not being virally suppressed. More than half of children did not achieve viral suppression. The odds of viral suppression were highest among children aged 5–14 years and among children living in Maputo city. Further research is needed to better understand the challenges in achieving viral suppression in children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Both diabetes mellitus (DM) and hypertension (HTN) have been on the rise in recent decades all over the world more remarkably in developing countries like India. We intend to measure the prevalence of DM and HTN in the Indian population and to compare the trends and various correlates of these diseases in NFHS (National Family Health Survey)-4 and 5. Data of NFHS-4 and 5 were accessed from dhs program website. All statistical analyses were done in SAS (version 9.4). Mixed effects survey logistic regression models were used for estimating odds ratio (OR).p-values <0.05 were considered significant.1,637,762 individual case entries were evaluated. Both the diseases showed an increasing trend as per the advancing age in both sexes. The highest prevalence of DM is seen in the age group of 45–49 years (7.8%) in females and > 50 years (11.9%) in males as per NFHS-5. Similarly, the highest prevalence of HTN was seen in the age group of45–49 years (31.2%) in females and > 50 years (41.4%) in males as per NFHS-5. The OR (95% CI) of prevalence of DM, HTN and both the diseases in age group >50 years was 14.46 (13.14–15.7), 16.65 (15.78–17.6), 79.5 (64.76–97.73) respectively when compared to reference age group15-19 years. Highest odds for having both DM, HTN concurrently was in age >50 years with aOR(95% CI) 65.32 (52.26–72.63) in NFHS 4 and 35.57 (97.47–45.53) in NFHS 5.Rise in prevalence of DM, HTN and concurrent presence is noted with an apparent increase in cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Being able to adapt our movements to changing circumstances allows people to maintain performance across a wide range of tasks throughout life, but it is unclear whether visuomotor learning abilities are fully developed in young children and, if so, whether they remain stable in the elderly. There is limited evidence of changes in motor adaptation ability throughout life, and the findings are inconsistent. Therefore, our goal was to compare visuomotor learning abilities throughout the lifespan. We used a shorter, gamified experimental task and collected data from participants in 5 age groups. Young children (M = 7 years), older children (M = 11 years), young adults (M = 20 years), adults (M = 40 years) and older adults (M = 67 years) adapted to a 45° visuomotor rotation in a centre-out reaching task. Across measures of rate of adaptation, extent of learning, rate of unlearning, generalization, and savings, we found that all groups performed similarly. That is, at least for short bouts of gamified learning, children and older adults perform just as well as young adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impact of ill-health on labour force participation is a well-recognized concern in both developed and developing countries. However, previous studies have often overlooked age differentials in this relationship, assuming uniform effects across age groups. This study aims to fill this gap by examining how ill-health affects labour outcomes among different age segments in India. Utilizing data from the Longitudinal Ageing Study in India (LASI) Wave 1, which covers over 72,000 individuals aged 45 and above, this research investigates the linkage between health and labour force outcomes. The labour outcomes in this study includes labour force participation, labour earnings and hours worked. Present study used instrumental variable approach to mitigate endogeneity issues and establish causal relationships between health and labour outcomes. The Heckman selection model is utilized to address selection bias in analysing wage and hours worked. The study reveals several key findings. Firstly, ill-health consistently leads to a decline in labour force participation among both middle-aged (28 percent) and elderly (36 percent) individuals in India. This underscores the pervasive impact of health on workforce engagement, particularly in a context with limited social security measures. Secondly, the research identifies significant variations in the effects of ill-health on wages and hours worked based on age. Among elderly individuals, there is a pronounced reduction in both wages and hours worked due to ill-health. However, this effect is less pronounced among middle-aged adults. Furthermore, socioeconomic factors play a pivotal role in shaping how ill-health influences labour outcomes among different age groups. This study underscores the importance of considering age differentials in the impact of ill-health on labour outcomes, offering valuable insights for policymakers, practitioners, and researchers seeking to address this critical issue in India's dynamic socio-economic landscape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Modern contraceptive methods are a scientifically effective method to control the fertility of reproductive-aged groups of people. The women's use of contraceptive methods creates a birth gap and limits the number of their children. The main objective of this study is to identify the significant determinant of modern contraceptive use of reproductive-aged women in Ethiopia. Methods: We used data from 2019 Ethiopian Mini Demographic and Health Survey. This data was multi-level, taking into account factors at the individual and community levels. In order to capture the multi-level structure of this data and make more reliable and broadly applicable conclusions about the variables influencing the use of modern contraceptives at the individual and community levels, we employed a two-level mixed-effects logistic regression model. In addition, we used cross-tabulation analysis to know the percentage of modern contraception users (reproductive-aged women) across their socio-economic, demographic, and health characteristics. A total of 8196 reproductive aged (15–49) women were included in this study. Results: From a total of 8196 reproductive-aged women, 2495(30.4%) were using modern contraceptive method and the rest 5701(69.6%) did not use any modern contraceptive methods. Among 2495 contraceptive users, 1657 (67.3%) used injections and 533 (21.7%) used implants/Norplant. At a 5% level of significance, the result from the two-level binary logistic regression model revealed that the predictors; Age of women, education level, religion, wealth index, knowledge of modern contraception method, number of died children, number of living children, family size, total children ever born and contextual region have significant effect on the use of modern contraception method. Conclusion: Reproductive-aged women in Ethiopia with more living children, residing in urban/agrarian region, younger, wealthier, married, and more educated, were more likely to be modern contraceptive users. The concerned bodies in Ethiopia should bring forward the intervention strategy and should expand the existed programs to improve the use of modern contraception methods among reproductive-aged women in Ethiopia. Especially, they should give special attention to reproductive-aged women of less income, resident in pastoralist region, less educated, unmarried, and haven't living child. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the overwhelming evidence of climate change and its effects on future generations, most individuals are still hesitant to make environmental changes that would especially benefit future generations. In this study, we investigate whether dialogue can influence people's altruistic behavior toward future generations of humans, and how it may be affected by participant age and the appearance of the conversation partner. We used a human, an android robot called Telenoid, and a speaker as representatives of future generations. Participants were split among an old age group and a young age group and were randomly assigned to converse with one of the aforementioned representatives. We asked the participants to play a round of the Dictator Game with the representative they were assigned, followed by an interactive conversation and another round of the Dictator Game in order to gauge their level of altruism. The results show that, on average, participants gave more money after having an interactive conversation, and that older adults tend to give more money than young adults. There were no significant differences between the three representatives. The results show that empathy might have been the most important factor in the increase in altruistic behavior for all participants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

"Exercise is the best medicine" is well known, but the optimal dose of physical activity (PA) for males and females across different age groups is still unknown. This study, using data from the four waves of CHARLS, aimed to determine the optimal PA dose that reduces frailty risks among older adults across various age groups and both sexes. We created a frailty index score using 63 health-related variables and used 0.21 as the frailty cut point. Binary logistic regression was used to compare the effect of vigorous, moderate, and light intensity PA under IPAQ criteria on frailty risk. The study found that regardless of whether males or females, the optimal effect of vigorous-intensity PA in reducing the risk of frailty is consistently observed throughout the entire old age career. Moreover, the age groups at which moderate-intensity PA reduces the risk of frailty were from age 70 for males and from age 80 for females. And light-intensity PA had no effect on reducing the risk of frailty. Moderate and vigorous intensity of PA in older adults should be promoted, but guidelines and recommendations must account for optimal associations with PA dose across genders and age groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Economic evaluation of healthcare typically assumes that an identical health gain to different patients has the same social value. There is some evidence that the public may give greater value to gains for children and young people, although this evidence is not always consistent. We present a mixed methods study protocol where we aim to explore public preferences regarding health gains to children and young people relative to adults, in an Australian setting. Methods: This study is a Person Trade Off (PTO) choice experiment that incorporates qualitative components. Within the PTO questions, respondents will be asked to choose between treating different groups of patients that may differ in terms of patient characteristics and group size. PTO questions will be included in an online survey to explore respondent views on the relative value of health gains to different age groups in terms of extending life and improving different aspects of quality of life. The survey will also contain attitudinal questions to help understand the impact of question style upon reported preferences. Additionally, the study will test the impact of forcing respondents to express a preference between two groups compared with allowing them to report that the two groups are equivalent. One-to-one 'think aloud', semi-structured interviews will be conducted to explore a sub-sample of respondents' motivations and views in more detail. Focus groups will be conducted with members of the public to discuss the study findings and explore their views on the role of public preferences in health care prioritisation based on patient age. Discussion: Our planned study will provide valuable information to healthcare decision makers in Australia who may need to decide whether to pay more for health gains for children and young people compared with adults. Additionally, the methodological test of forcing respondent choice or allowing them to express equivalence will contribute towards developing best practice methods in PTO studies. The rationale for and advantages of the study approach and potential limitations are discussed in the protocol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) may influence the risk of atrial fibrillation (AF). We investigated the association between symptoms of GERD and AF in the Trøndelag Health Study (HUNT). Methods: The study cohort comprised 34,120 adult men and women initially free of AF with information on GERD symptoms. Participants were followed from the baseline clinical examination (1 October 2006 to 30 June 2008) to March 31, 2018. Results: During a median follow-up of 8.9 years, 1,221 cases of AF were diagnosed. When looking at the whole population, participants with much GERD symptoms did not have an increased risk of AF (HR: 1.01; CI: 95%, 0.82 to 1.24) while participants with little GERD symptoms had a 14% lower risk of AF compared those with no GERD symptoms (HR: 0.86; CI: 95%, 0.76 to 0.97). Among younger participants (<40 years of age), the risk of AF had a trend towards increased risk with increasing symptom load of GERD (little GERD symptoms, HR: 3.09; CI: 95%, 0.74 to 12.94 and much GERD symptoms, HR: 5.40; 95% CI: 0.82 to 35.58). Among older participants (≥65 years of age), we saw a slightly reduced risk of AF in participants with little symptoms (HR: 0.84; CI: 0.72 to 0.97) and no association among those with much GERD symptoms (HR: 1.06; 95% CI: 0.82 to 1.36). Conclusion: We did not find support for a clinically important association between symptoms of GERD and AF across all age groups but for some younger people, GERD might play a role in the development of AF. However, our estimates for this age group were very imprecise and larger studies including younger individuals are warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: With the appearance and aggravation of the aging society, cancer has become one of the major problems that threaten the life and health of Chinese residents seriously. Objective: To explore the cancer epidemiological characteristics among the elderly in China from 2005 to 2016, and to provide strategies for cancer prevention and treatment. Methods: Stratified analysis was conducted on the cancer mortality data of the elderly aged ≥60 years in China, which were selected from the Chinese Cancer Registry Annual Report. Joinpoint regression model was used to calculted average annual percentage change (AAPC) to estimate the time trends. Age-period-cohort (APC) model was used to explore the age, period and birth cohort effect on the risk of cancer death. Bayesian age-period-cohort (BAPC) model was used to predict trends in cancer mortality among elderly by gender and region to 2035. Results: 2005–2016, cancer mortality in the elderly in China showed a decreasing trend (AAPC = -1.2%, P<0.001). Cancer mortality in rural areas was higher than that in urban areas, but the urban-rural difference gradually narrowed (t = 6.1, P<0.01). The APC model showed that cancer mortality increased with age. The relative risk (RR) for the period effect decreased. RR was lower for the later- born cohort than that for the earlier-born cohort in rural areas. Lung cancer mortality ranked first in both male and female, and showed an increasing trend among female in the 60–64, 80–84 and ≥85 age groups (AAPC60-64 = 1.0%, AAPC80-84 = 0.8%, AAPC≥85 = 2.0%, all P<0.05). By 2035, cancer mortality for the elderly was predicted to decline nationally, by sex and in rural areas, while rising in urban areas. Conclusion: Cancer mortality in the elderly in China showed a decreasing trend from 2005 to 2016, but it was still higher than the world average. Early cancer screening is important, especially in the elderly male and in rural areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Community mixing patterns by sociodemographic traits can inform the risk of epidemic spread among groups, and the balance of in- and out-group mixing affects epidemic potential. Understanding mixing patterns can provide insight about potential transmission pathways throughout a community. We used a snowball sampling design to enroll people recently diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 in an ethnically and racially diverse county and asked them to describe their close contacts and recruit some contacts to enroll in the study. We constructed egocentric networks of the participants and their contacts and assessed age-mixing, ethnic/racial homophily, and gender homophily. The total size of the egocentric networks was 2,544 people (n = 384 index cases + n = 2,160 recruited peers or other contacts). We observed high rates of in-group mixing among ethnic/racial groups compared to the ethnic/racial proportions of the background population. Black or African-American respondents interacted with a wider range of ages than other ethnic/racial groups, largely due to familial relationships. The egocentric networks of non-binary contacts had little age diversity. Black or African-American respondents in particular reported mixing with older or younger family members, which could increase the risk of transmission to vulnerable age groups. Understanding community mixing patterns can inform infectious disease risk, support analyses to predict epidemic size, or be used to design campaigns such as vaccination strategies so that community members who have vulnerable contacts are prioritized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Streptococcus pneumoniae is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality globally, causing bacteremic pneumonia, meningitis, sepsis, and other invasive pneumococcal diseases. Evidence supports nasopharyngeal pneumococcal carriage as a reservoir for transmission and precursor of pneumococcal disease. Objectives: To estimate the pneumococcal nasopharyngeal burden in all age groups in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) before, during, and after the introduction of pneumococcal vaccine conjugate (PVC). Methods: Systematic literature review of international, regional, and country-published and unpublished data, together with reports including data from serotype distribution in nasopharyngeal carriage in children and adults from LAC countries following Cochrane methods. The protocol was registered in PROSPERO database (ID: CRD42023392097). Results: We included 54 studies with data on nasopharyngeal pneumococcal carriage and serotypes from 31,803 patients. In children under five years old, carriage was found in 41% and in adults over 65, it was 26%. During the study period, children under five showed a colonization proportion of 34% with PCV10 serotypes and 45% with PCV13 serotypes. When we analyze the carriage prevalence of PCV serotypes in all age groups between 1995 and 2019, serotypes included in PCV10 and those included in PCV13, both showed a decreasing trend along analysis by lustrum. Conclusion: The data presented in this study highlights the need to establish national surveillance programs to monitor pneumococcal nasopharyngeal carriage to monitor serotype prevalence and replacement before and after including new pneumococcal vaccines in the region. In addition, to analyze differences in the prevalence of serotypes between countries, emphasize the importance of approaches to local realities to reduce IPD effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: In Senegal, the widespread use of vector control measures has resulted in a significant reduction in the malaria burden and led the country to consider the possibility of elimination. Given this shift and changing context, it is important to characterize the malaria burden across all age groups to guide decision-making on programmatic interventions to interrupt transmission and ultimately eradicate the disease. In Senegal, there is a lack of information on malaria prevalence among certain populations, particularly among adolescents and adults. This study sought to assess the magnitude of malaria infections in all age groups, as well as malaria associated factors in an area of persistent transmission in Senegal. Methods: A cross-sectional household survey was conducted in four health posts (Khossanto, Mamakhona, Diakhaling and Sambrambougou), of the health district of Saraya, in November 2021, among individuals over 6 months of age. Households were selected using multistage sampling. Consented participants were screened for malaria parasites by microscopic examination of blood smears, and hemoglobin levels were measured using the Hemocue HB 301TM analyzer. Socio-demographic information of the participants, household heads, household assets, and information on ownership and use of preventive measures were collected using a structured questionnaire. Weighted generalized mixed effects logistic regression model was used to identify factors associated with microscopically confirmed malaria infection. Results: A total of 1759 participants were enrolled in the study. Overall, about 21% of participants were classified as having Plasmodium infection; children aged 5–10 years old (26.6%), adolescents aged 10–19 years old (24.7%), and children under five years of age (20.5%) had higher rates of infection compared to adults (13.5%). Plasmodium falciparum accounted for 99.2% of the malaria infections, and most infections (69%) were asymptomatic. Around one-third of study participants had anemia (hemoglobin level <11.0 g/dl), with under five children bearing the highest burden (67.3%). Multivariate analysis showed that the odds of having a malaria infection were around 2 times higher among participants in Khossanto compared to Diakhaling (aOR = 1.84, 95% CI:1.06–3.20). Participants aged 5–9 years were more likely to have malaria infection compared to under five children (aOR = 1.40, 95% CI:1.02–1.91). Factors associated with anemia were P. falciparum infection (aOR = 1.36, p = 0.027), females (aOR = 2.16, p = 0.000), under-five age group (aOR = 13.01, p = 0.000). Conclusion: Malaria burden was considerable among adolescents and under ten children living in an area of persistent transmission, with adolescents more commonly presenting as asymptomatic. Interventions tailored to this specific group of the population are needed to better control the disease and reduce its burden. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The larynx undergoes significant age and sex-related changes in structure and function across the lifespan. Emerging evidence suggests that laryngeal microbiota influences immunological processes. Thus, there is a critical need to delineate microbial mechanisms that may underlie laryngeal physiological and immunological changes. As a first step, the present study explored potential age and sex-related changes in the laryngeal microbiota across the lifespan in a murine model. We compared laryngeal microbial profiles of mice across the lifespan (adolescents, young adults, older adults and elderly) to determine age and sex-related microbial variation on 16s rRNA gene sequencing. Measures of alpha diversity and beta diversity were obtained, along with differentially abundant taxa across age groups and biological sexes. There was relative stability of the laryngeal microbiota within each age group and no significant bacterial compositional shift in the laryngeal microbiome across the lifespan. There was an abundance of short-chain fatty acid producing bacteria in the adolescent group, unique to the laryngeal microbiota; taxonomic changes in the elderly resembled that of the aged gut microbiome. There were no significant changes in the laryngeal microbiota relating to biological sex. This is the first study to report age and sex-related variation in laryngeal microbiota. This data lays the groundwork for defining how age-related microbial mechanisms may govern laryngeal health and disease. Bacterial compositional changes, as a result of environmental or systemic stimuli, may not only be indicative of laryngeal-specific metabolic and immunoregulatory processes, but may precede structural and functional age-related changes in laryngeal physiology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic posed significant risks to children worldwide. This study aimed to assess the COVID-19 protection status of children and explored the relationship between household socio-economic status and COVID-19 morbidity and preventive measures, including vaccination and mask-wearing, in two cities in Iran. Method: A population-based cross-sectional study was conducted from July to October 2022 among 7 to 18-year-old children and their families in Tehran and Karaj. A total of 3,022 samples were selected using stratified multistage cluster sampling. Data were collected through interviews with children and adults, using questionnaires and was analyzed with Stata software version 14. Results: The analysis focused on 2,878 children with a median age of 12. Over half (54%) reported that the pandemic negatively affected their family's financial status, with 45% describing its impact on children's needs as negative or very negative. Just under 50% of respondents consistently wore masks during the study period, and around 54% had received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Reasons for not getting vaccinated included concerns about side effects, ineligibility for the target age group, and overcrowding at vaccination sites. The odds of not getting vaccinated were significantly lower for children aged 15–18, with boys more likely to refuse vaccination than girls. Conclusion: The financial impact of the pandemic in Iran affected families' ability to meet their children's needs. Moreover, low vaccination acceptance rates increased children's vulnerability to health problems and contributed to COVID-19 infections. Efforts should be made to increase vaccination acceptance, particularly among immigrant populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Tanzania, the One by One: Target COVID-19 campaign was launched nationally in July 2022 to address the prevalent vaccine hesitancy and lack of confidence in COVID-19 vaccines. The campaign mobilized social media influencers and viral content with the ultimate goal of increasing COVID-19 vaccine uptake in the country. The objective of this study was to empirically assess the impact of the campaign on three outcomes: vaccine confidence, vaccine hesitancy, and vaccination status. Using programmatic data collected through an online survey before and after the campaign, we conducted a difference-in-difference (DiD) analysis and performed a crude, adjusted, and propensity score-matched analysis for each study outcome. Lastly, to observe whether there was any differential impact of the campaign across age groups, we repeated the analyses on age-stratified subgroups. Data included 5,804 survey responses, with 3,442 and 2,362 responses collected before and after the campaign, respectively. Although there was only weak evidence of increased COVID-19 vaccine confidence in the campaign-exposed group compared to the control group across all age groups, we observed a differential impact among different age groups. While no significant change was observed among young adults aged 18–24 years, the campaign exposure led to a statistically significant increase in vaccine confidence (weighted/adjusted DiD coefficient = 0.76; 95% CI: 0.06, 1.5; p-value = 0.034) and vaccination uptake (weighted/adjusted DiD coefficient = 1.69.; 95% CI: 1.02, 2.81; p-value = 0.023) among young adults aged 25–34 years. Among adults aged 35 years and above, the campaign exposure led to a significant decrease in vaccine hesitancy (weighted/adjusted DiD coefficient = -15; 95% CI: -21, -8.3; p-value<0.001). The social media campaign successfully improved vaccine hesitancy, confidence, and uptake in the Tanzanian population, albeit to varying degrees across age groups. Our study provides valuable insights for the planning and evaluation of similar social media communication campaigns aiming to bolster vaccination efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study identifies the health effect of rising housing prices on individual physical health using the Chinese General Social Survey (CGSS) data. Exploiting exogenous housing prices, I find that rising housing prices adversely affect physical health status. Heterogeneity analyses yield interesting findings. First, the adverse effects of high housing prices are pronounced in the group owning only one house. Second, significant effects of housing prices on health for the group aged 20 to 45 are observed, with no effects for the elderly group above 45. Third, males are more sensitive to high housing prices due to the intensified competition and traditional gender norm in marriage markets. I also further investigate the channel through which housing prices affect individual physical health. The findings indicate that rising housing prices can damage individual physical health via lowering social status, reducing physical exercise time and increasing mental health risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To analyse trends in urinary tract infection (UTIs) hospitalisation among patients adults 18–65 aged in Spain from 2000–2015. Methods: Retrospective observational study using the Spanish Hospitalisation Minimum Data Set (CMBD), with codifications by the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-9). Variables: Type of UTIs (pyelonephritis, prostatitis, cystitis and non-specific-UTIs), sex, age (in 5 categories: 18–49 and 50–64 years in men, and 18–44, 45–55 and 56–64 years in women), comorbidity, length of stay, costs and mortality associated with admission. The incidence of hospitalisation was studied according to sex, age group and type of UTIs per 100,000. Trends were identified using Joinpoint regression. Results: From 2000–2015, we found 259,804 hospitalisations for UTIs (51.6% pyelonephritis, 7.5% prostatitis, 0.6% cystitis and 40.3% non-specific UTIs). Pyelonephritis predominated in women and non-specific UTIs in men. The hospital stay and the average cost (2,160 EUR (IQR 1,7872,540 were greater in men. Overall mortality (0.4%) was greater in non-specific UTIs. More women were admitted (rates of 79.4 to 81.7) than in men (30.2 to 41). The greatest increase was found in men aged 50–64 years (from 59.3 to 87). In the Joinpoint analysis, the incidence of pyelonephritis increased in women [AAPC 2.5(CI 95% 1.6;3.4)], and non-specific UTIs decreased [AAPC −2.2(CI 95% −3.3;-1.2)]. Pyelonephritis decreased in men [AAPC −0.5 (CI 95% −1.5;0.5)] and non-specific UTIs increased [AAPC 2.3 (CI 95% 1.9;2.6)] and prostatitis increased [AAPC 2.6 (CI 95% 1.4;3.7)]. Conclusions: The urinary infection-related hospitalisation rate in adults in Spain increased during the period 2000–2015. Pyelonephritis predominated in women and non-specific UTIs in men. The highest hospitalisation rates occurred in the women but the greatest increase was found in men aged 65–74. The lenght of stay and cost were higher in men. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To estimate the prevalence of Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) in urban and rural settings and identify the specific risk factors for each location. Method: We conducted this study using data from the 2017–18 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey (BDHS), sourced from the DHS website. The survey employed a stratified two-stage sampling method, which included 7,658 women and 7,048 men aged 18 and older who had their blood glucose levels measured. We utilized chi-square tests and ordinal logistic regression to analyze the association between various selected variables in both urban and rural settings and their relationship with diabetes and prediabetes. Results: The prevalence of T2D was 10.8% in urban areas and 7.4% in rural areas, while pre-diabetes affected 31.4% and 27% of the populations in these respective settings. The study found significant factors influencing diabetes in both urban and rural regions, particularly in the 55–64 age group (Urban: AOR = 1.88, 95% CI [1.46, 2.42]; Rural: AOR = 1.87, 95% CI [1.54, 2.27]). Highly educated individuals had lower odds of T2D, while wealthier and overweight participants had higher odds in both areas. In rural regions, T2D risk was higher among caffeinated drink consumers and those not engaged in occupation-related physical activity, while these factors did not show significant influence in urban areas. Furthermore, urban participants displayed a significant association between T2D and hypertension. Conclusion: Our study outlines a comprehensive strategy to combat the increasing prevalence of T2D in both urban and rural areas. It includes promoting healthier diets to control BMI level, encouraging regular physical activity, early detection through health check-ups, tailored awareness campaigns, improving healthcare access in rural regions, stress management in urban areas, community involvement, healthcare professional training, policy advocacy like sugary drink taxation, research, and monitoring interventions. These measures collectively address the T2D challenge while accommodating the distinct features of urban and rural settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The Government of Tamil Nadu, India, mandated wearing face masks in public places to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. We established face mask surveillance and estimated the prevalence of appropriate mask use (covering the nose, mouth, and chin) in the slums and non-slums of Chennai at different time points in 2021. Methods: We conducted three serial cross-sectional surveys in the outdoors and indoors of Chennai in March, July, and October 2021. We observed the mask wearing among 3200 individuals in the outdoors and 1280 in the indoors. We divided the outdoor and indoor locations into slums and non-slums. In October 2021, we also surveyed 150 individuals from each of the 11 shopping malls in the city. We calculated the proportions and 95% confidence interval (95%CI) for the appropriate mask use in the outdoor, indoor, and malls by age, gender, region, and setting (slum and non-slum). Results: We observed 3200 individuals in the outdoor and 1280 individuals in the indoor setting, each from a slum and non-slum, during the three rounds of the study. In outdoor and indoors, males comprised three-fourths and middle-aged individuals were half the study population. Mask compliance changed significantly with time (p-value <0.001). Males consistently demonstrated better compliance in all rounds. The south region had the highest mask compliance in slums indoors and outdoors in rounds 4 and 5. Young adults had the highest mask compliance in both outdoor slums and non-slums in all rounds. Overall mask compliance in shopping malls was 57% (95% CI: 48–65). Conclusion: The mask compliance in Chennai outdoors during the COVID-19 pandemic was less than 50%, with variations across time points by gender, age groups, and geographical locations. We must develop more effective communication strategies for older age groups and crowded indoor settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study seeks to investigate digital inequality among older adults in China, specifically examining two socially defined age groups: young-old adults (aged 60–74) and old-old adults (aged 75+). Descriptive statistics and multiple regression were used to examine the prevalence of and identify the factors associated with Internet access, usage (frequency and breadth containing 11 activities), skills, and social support. The study used data from the 2018 China Longitudinal Ageing Social Survey (CLASS) which consisted of 11,419 respondents aged 60 years and older. We found that 40.22% of older adults had access to the Internet, and 18.27% used it regularly. Socioeconomic factors played a crucial role in determining Internet access and usage, with young-old adults with higher education using the Internet more frequently, deliberately, and competently. Those with higher economic status had greater social support to use it, and the old-old adults with higher socioeconomic status were more likely to have Internet access. This study has implications for prioritizing targeted policies and interventions aimed at supporting socioeconomically disadvantaged older adults and ensuring equal opportunities for all to access and benefit from the digital world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Accurate estimates of the COVID-19 pandemic's indirect impacts are crucial, especially in low- and middle-income countries. This study aims to update estimates of excess maternal deaths in Brazil during the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: This was an exploratory mixed ecological study using the counterfactual approach. The observed maternal deaths were gathered from the Mortality Information System (SIM) for the period between March 2015 and February 2022. Expected deaths from March 2020 to February 2022 were estimated using quasipoisson generalized additive models, considering quadrimester, age group, and their interaction as predictor variables. Analyses were performed in R version 4.1.2, RStudio, version 2023.03.1+446 and carried out with support from the "mgcv" and "plot_model" libraries. Results: A total of 5,040 maternal deaths were reported, with varying excess mortality across regions and age groups, resulting in 69% excess maternal mortality throughout Brazil during the first two years of the pandemic. The Southeast region had 50% excess mortality throughout the first two years and 76% excess in the second year. The North region had 69% excess mortality, increasing in the second year, particularly among women aged 20–34. The Northeast region showed 80% excess mortality, with a significant increase in the second year, especially among women aged 35–49. The Central-West region had 75% excess mortality, higher in the second year and statistically significant among women aged 35–49. The South region showed 117% excess mortality, reaching 203% in the second year among women aged 20–34, but no excess mortality in the 10–19 age category. Conclusions: Over two years, Brazil saw a significant impact on maternal excess deaths, regardless of region and pandemic year. The highest peak occurred between March and June 2021, emphasizing the importance of timely and effective epidemic responses to prevent avoidable deaths and prepare for new crises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Visuo-spatial working memory (VSWM) for sequences is thought to be crucial for daily behaviors. Decades of research indicate that oscillations in the gamma and theta bands play important functional roles in the support of visuo-spatial working memory, but the vast majority of that research emphasizes measures of neural activity during memory retention. The primary aims of the present study were (1) to determine whether oscillatory dynamics in the Theta and Gamma ranges would reflect item-level sequence encoding during a computerized spatial span task, (2) to determine whether item-level sequence recall is also related to these neural oscillations, and (3) to determine the nature of potential changes to these processes in healthy cognitive aging. Results indicate that VSWM sequence encoding is related to later (∼700 ms) gamma band oscillatory dynamics and may be preserved in healthy older adults; high gamma power over midline frontal and posterior sites increased monotonically as items were added to the spatial sequence in both age groups. Item-level oscillatory dynamics during the recall of VSWM sequences were related only to theta-gamma phase amplitude coupling (PAC), which increased monotonically with serial position in both age groups. Results suggest that, despite a general decrease in frontal theta power during VSWM sequence recall in older adults, gamma band dynamics during encoding and theta-gamma PAC during retrieval play unique roles in VSWM and that the processes they reflect may be spared in healthy aging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aggregate-level age-crime distributions in Western countries are predominantly right-skewed and adolescent-spiked. Based on Western data, Hirschi and Gottfredson (1983) asserted that this age-crime pattern is universally invariant across time and places. This study's overall goal is to rigorously examine Hirschi and Gottfredson's invariant premise within a non-Western country, focusing on the stability and change in the age-crime patterns of South Korea from 1980 to 2019. Specifically, two research questions are addressed: (1) whether the average age-arrest curves in South Korea diverge from the invariant premise after adjusting for period and cohort effects; (2) how period and cohort effects modify the age-arrest curves. To examine these questions, I applied the age-period-cohort-interaction model (APC-I) to analyze the official age-specific arrest statistics for various offense types from 1980 to 2019 in South Korea. Findings suggested that the age-crime patterns of homicide, assault, and fraud are characterized by spread-out distributions and advanced peak ages. After adjusting for period and cohort effects, most of the age-crime curves are still robustly divergent from the age-crime distributions found in Western countries. Cohort and period effects have modified the age-crime patterns, but arrests in South Korea are largely concentrated among midlife age groups older than 30. These results provide additional compelling evidence contesting Hirschi and Gottfredson's invariance thesis, underscoring the substantial impact of country-specific processes, historical context, and cultural factors on the age-crime relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Subacromial spurs are considered the one of the pathology underlying shoulder impingement syndrome. Furthermore, few studies have focused on the morphology of the subacromial spurs in normal Chinese people. This study aimed to study the spur distribution and to illustrate the morphology of spurs, which may help guide the extent of acromioplasty. Methods: A total of 93 normal individuals were enrolled, and both shoulders of all enrolled individuals were analyzed. The subjects were divided and classified into three different groups by ages: group I = 18–40 years, group II = 41–60 years, and group III ≥ 61 years. The osteophyte distribution, osteophyte area, subacromial surface area and osteophyte area/subacromial surface area ratio were measured and illustrated using Mimics and 3-matic software. The shape of the acromion was classified according to the Bigliani and Morrison classification system. The acromial angle was also classified. Then, the relationship between osteophytes, acromial classification and acromial angle was analyzed. Results: Type II (curved shape) was the most common type of acromion, and the hooked shape was a rare form. A significant increase in the left subacromial surface area in males was observed in group III compared with group I (P < 0.001) and group II (P = 0.004). The total spur/subacromial area ratio was significantly higher in group II than I. An obvious increase in the right subacromial area was observed in group III compared with group I (P = 0.004). Furthermore, there was a significant increase in the right spur area (P = 0.021) and total spur/subacromial area ratio (P = 0.006) in females in group II compared with group I. Fewer spurs were observed on the left than on the right side (p = 0.0482). One spur was most common among type II acromions (29/36) (80.56%) on the left side and the right side (34/52, 65.38%). Conclusions: Spurs osteophytes are mainly distributed with an irregular shape and mostly run through the medial and lateral sides of the subacromial surface in normal subjects. The characteristics of subacromial spurs are so diverse that a surgeon must conduct subacromial decompression completely based on the morphology of individual spurs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This cross-sectional study investigated the effects of value-based leadership and growth mindset on the intrinsic work motivation of Chinese lecturers. In addition, this study used age as a categorical moderator to investigate generational differences between the effects of Millennials and their predecessors. A sample of 518 lecturers from various Chinese universities was used to collect data, and SEM-PLS was used to analyse the data. The results showed that value-based leadership and growth mindset had a significant positive impact on both younger and older lecturers' intrinsic work motivation, with the effect of value-based leadership on younger lecturers' intrinsic motivation being significantly stronger than on older lecturers' intrinsic motivation, whereas the effect of growth mindset on intrinsic work motivation did not differ significantly between the younger and older groups. This study contributes to the existing research literature by contrasting the value-based leadership and growth mindset in relation to lecturers' intrinsic work motivation across younger and older groups in Chinese higher education settings, where greater heterogeneity between age groups was identified. The findings also provided university administrators with recommendations for boosting the intrinsic work motivation of lecturers, influencing future education policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSDs) are the leading cause of disability worldwide. Shopkeepers are prone to developing work-related musculoskeletal disorders, but they are largely overlooked in research and policy actions, particularly in developing countries. So far, there is a lack of data on the magnitude and factors influencing work-related musculoskeletal disorders among shopkeepers in Ethiopia. Therefore, the current study aimed to explore the prevalence and risk factors of work-related musculoskeletal disorders among shopkeepers in Gondar City, Ethiopia. Methods: A workplace-based cross-sectional study was conducted from July to August 2022, in Gondar city, Northwest Ethiopia. A multistage sampling technique was used to select 625 shopkeepers. The data were collected using an interviewer-administered standardized Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire. Analysis was made using Stata version 14. Factors associated with the prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders were identified using the multivariable Poisson regression model. The adjusted prevalence ratio with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) and p-value < 0.05 were applied to establish the significance of associations. Results: The overall prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders among shopkeepers in the past 12 months was found to be 81.1% (N = 507). The most frequently affected body part was the lower back (46.6%), followed by the upper back (43.8%) and shoulder (35.4%). Being female (p = 0.043), being in the age group of ≥40 years (p = 0.028), being overweight (p = 0.035), experiencing job stress (p = 0.006) and prolonged sitting (p = 0.045) were significant factors for the prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders among shopkeepers. Conclusion: This study revealed that shopkeepers face an alarmingly high prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders. Female, older, overweight, stressed and shopkeepers who sit in the same position for long periods of time were identified as particularly vulnerable groups. These findings call for the urgent development and implementation of preventive measures, including ergonomic adjustments, education and training programs, stress management techniques and the promotion of physical activity, to protect this vulnerable workforce from the debilitating effects of work-related musculoskeletal disorders and to ensure their long-term health and well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: We describe health-related quality of life during the COVID-19 pandemic in the general Dutch population and correlations with restrictive measures. Methods: Data were obtained from 18–85 year-old participants of two population-based cohort studies (February 2021-July 2022): PIENTER Corona (n = 8,019) and VASCO (n = 45,413). Per cohort, mean scores of mental and physical health and health utility from the SF-12 were calculated by age group, sex and presence of a medical risk condition. Spearman correlations with stringency of measures were calculated. Results: Both cohorts showed comparable results. Participants <30 years had lowest health utility and mental health score, and highest physical health score. Health utility and mental health score increased with age (up to 79 years), while physical health score decreased with age. Women and participants with a medical risk condition scored lower than their counterparts. Fluctuations were small over time but most pronounced among participants <60 years, and correlated weakly, but mostly positively with measure stringency. Conclusions: During the Dutch COVID-19 epidemic, health utility and mental health scores were lower and fluctuated strongest among young adults compared to older adults. In our study population, age, sex and presence of a medical risk condition seemed to have more impact on health scores than stringency of COVID-19 non-pharmaceutical interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Globally, hypertension is among the leading causes of premature mortality. It is a noncommunicable disease characterized by a persistent state of raised blood pressure that increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases and medical conditions affecting the brain and kidneys. There is a paucity of thorough hypertension knowledge assessment among hypertensive patients in the Jazan region of Saudi Arabia. Thus, this study aimed to assess overall and specific knowledge about hypertension and to identify predictors of inadequate knowledge. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in the Jazan region of Saudi Arabia between February and April 2023. Data were collected using an online, self-administered questionnaire divided into two sections. In the first section, the characteristics of the participants were collected. In the second section, the Hypertension Knowledge-Level Scale was used to measure overall and specific knowledge areas (subdimensions). The overall and subdimensional means were tested using Mann–Whitney U and Kruskal–Wallis H tests. Furthermore, the binary logistic regression was conducted to determine inadequate knowledge predictors. Results: In all 253 hypertensive patients were eligible for participation; almost 70% of whom were male. The mean age of the participants was 45 years (±14.7), and their mean overall knowledge score was 17.60 (±5.09), which was equivalent to 67.7% of the maximum score. In addition, 40.7% of participants had an adequate level of hypertension knowledge. The complications subdimension level of knowledge was borderline optimal. At the same time, an adequate knowledge level was detected only in the lifestyle subdimension. Conclusion: Most patients showed inadequate levels of knowledge related to hypertension management. Diet, medical treatment, disease definition, drug compliance, and complications were subsequently the least knowledgeable subdimensions among the study population. Therefore, these subdimensions should be prioritized when planning hypertension educational interventions and during follow-up sessions, especially for patients of younger age groups and those with lower educational levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Falls are a leading cause of injury-related deaths and hospitalizations among Canadians. Falls risk has been reported to be increased in individuals who are older and with certain health conditions. It is unclear whether rurality is a risk factor for falls. This study aimed to investigate: 1) fall profiles by age group e.g., 45 to 54 years, 55 to 64 years, 65 to 74 years, 75 to 85 years; and 2) falls profiles of individuals, by age group, living in rural versus urban areas of Canada. Data (N = 51,338) from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging was used to examine the relationship between falls and age, rurality, chronic conditions, need for medical attention, and fall characteristics (manner, location, injury). Self-reported falls within a twelve-month period occurred in only 4.8% (single fall) and 0.8% (multiple falls) of adults. Falls were not related to rural residence or age, but those with memory impairment, multiple sclerosis, as well as other chronic conditions such as mood disorder, anxiety disorder, and hyperthyroidism not often thought to be associated with falls, were also more likely to fall. Older individuals were more likely to fall indoors or fall while standing or walking. In contrast, middle-aged individuals were more likely to fall outdoors or while exercising. Type of injury was not associated with age, but older individuals were more likely to report hospitalization after a fall. This study shows that falls occur with a similar frequency in individuals regardless of age or urban/rural residence. Age was associated with fall location and activity. A more universally applicable multi-facted approach, rather than one solely based on older age considerations, to screening, primary prevention and management may reduce the personal, social, and economic burden of falls and fall-related injuries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate assessment of kidney function in children requires age and gender-specific reference ranges for serum creatinine. Traditional reference values, often derived from adult populations and different ethnic backgrounds, may not be suitable for children. This study aims to establish specific reference ranges for serum creatinine in the Thai pediatric population, addressing the gap in localized and age-appropriate diagnostic criteria. This retrospective study analyzed serum creatinine levels from Thai children aged newborn to 18 years, collected from the Laboratory Information System of the Queen Sirikit National Institute of Child Health from January 2017 to December 2021. The Bhattacharya method was employed to establish reference ranges, considering different age groups and genders. The study compared these newly established reference values with international studies, including those of Schlebusch H., Pottel H., and Chuang GT., to validate their relevance and accuracy. A total of 27,642 data entries (15,396 males and 12,246 females) were analyzed. The study established distinct reference ranges for serum creatinine, which varied significantly across different age groups and between genders. These ranges were found to gradually increase with age from 2 months to 18 years. The study also highlighted notable differences in reference values when compared with other ethnic populations. The study successfully establishes tailored reference ranges for serum creatinine in Thai children, providing a valuable tool for more accurate diagnosis and monitoring of kidney health in this demographic. This initiative marks a significant advancement in pediatric nephrology in Thailand and suggests a need for continuous refinement of these ranges and further research in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The role of age and sex in the presentation and outcome of endemic Burkitt lymphoma (BL) has not been studied recently. This study analysed these factors in 934 patients with BL who had received cyclophosphamide and intrathecal methotrexate as treatment. Methods: Records of 934 children diagnosed with BL from 2004 to 2015 were obtained from our Paediatric Oncology Networked Database (POND) cancer registry. Age at diagnosis, sex, disease stage, time to diagnosis, delay in diagnosis, completion of treatment, rate of abandonment, and one-year survival rates were recorded and statistically analysed. Results: The male to female ratio of 1.41 for the study population of 934. The median delay from onset of symptoms to diagnosis was 31 days. The St Jude stage distribution was I = 6.4%, II = 5.9%, III = 71.5% and IV = 16.2%. Significantly more patients presented with stage III disease in age groups 5–9 and 10–14 years than 0–4 years. The overall 1-year survival rate was 53.45%, respectively 77.1% for stage I, 67.9% for stage II, 55.1% for stage III and 32.4% for stage IV disease (p<0.001). There was no significant difference in survival by sex and age group. Conclusion: Patients aged under 5 years presented with less-advanced disease, but survival was not affected by age. Sex did not influence delay to diagnosis and overall survival. The long delay between the onset of symptoms and diagnosis emphasises the need for interventions to achieve an earlier diagnosis and a better survival rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social prescribing is suited to all age groups, but it is especially important for children and youth, as it is well understood that this population is particularly vulnerable to the effects of the social determinants of health and health inequities, and that intervening at this stage of life has the greatest impact on health and wellbeing over the life course. While this population has largely been neglected in social prescribing research, policy, and practice, several evaluations of social prescribing for children and youth have emerged in recent years, which calls for a review of the evidence on this topic. Thus, the objective of this scoping review is to map the evidence on the use of social prescribing for children and youth. This review will be conducted in accordance with the JBI methodology for scoping reviews and will be reported in line with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR). The search strategy will aim to locate both published and unpublished literature. No language or date restrictions will be placed on the search. The databases to be searched include MEDLINE (Ovid), CINAHL (EBSCO), Embase (Ovid), PsycINFO (Ovid), AMED (Ovid), ASSIA (ProQuest), Sociological Abstracts (ProQuest), Global Health (Ovid), Web of Science (Clarivate), Epistemonikos, JBI EBP Database (Ovid), and Cochrane Library. Sources of gray literature to be searched include Google, Google Scholar, Social Care Online (Social Care Institute for Excellence), SIREN Evidence and Resource Library (Social Interventions Research and Evaluation Network), and websites of social prescribing organizations and networks. Additionally, a request for evidence sources will be sent out to members of the Global Social Prescribing Alliance. Two independent reviewers will perform title and abstract screening, retrieval and assessment of full-text evidence sources, and data extraction. Data analysis will consist of basic descriptive analysis. Results will be presented in tabular and/or diagrammatic format alongside a narrative summary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cervical cancer is a major health problem in Latin America. In 2019, the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (La Paz regional site) conducted a pilot study to estimate the prevalence of high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) and the feasibility of HPV screening in Bolivia through self-sampling and portable and transportable laboratory instruments for HPV testing in urban and rural areas. Methods: Women aged 20–65 years from La Paz (urban area), Toro Toro (rural area), and Acasio (rural area) were enrolled in local public health centers between Dec 1, 2019, and June 30, 2021. Self-sampling was carried out with the Viba-Brush system (Rovers, Oss, Netherlands) and samples were preserved in ThinPrep containers (Hologic Corporation, San Diego, CA, USA). The GeneXpert system (Cepheid, Sunnyvale, CA, USA) for high-risk HPV testing detects HPV E6 and E7 DNA via real-time PCR in a mobile system of easy execution requiring minimal manual intervention. The system provides results in about 1 h. The hr- HPV prevalence data, overall and partial genotyping, were analyzed considering the following age groups: 20–34, 35–44, and 45–65 years old. Findings: 2168 women were enrolled: 614 (28.3%) in La Paz, 743 (34.3%) in Toro Toro, and 811 (37.4%) in Acasio. Only one sample was collected from each participant. 2043 (94.2%) of 2168 samples were adequate for HPV testing. 255 (12.5%) samples were positive for high-risk HPV. Comparing the urban area (La Paz) versus rural combined areas (Acasio+Toro Toro), using a logistic model, the HPV total rate was statistically significantly higher in the city of La Paz (15.0% vs 11.4%; OR:1.37;95% CI: 1.04–1.80). Furthermore, the HPV prevalence was declining by age, and the urban/rural odds ratio was 1.50; (95% IC 1.13–19). The overall HPV 16 positivity was 2.7% (55/2043) and for HPV 18/45 was 1.8% (37/2043) without any statistically significant differences between the three BHU enrolling centers. Only the prevalence of HPV group '39/56/66/68' was significantly higher in La Paz (p<0,001) in comparison to Acasio and Toro Toro. Interpretation: The total and age-adjusted prevalence of high-risk HPV infection in rural and urban areas in Bolivia, as measured with a validated test for screening, is similar to that observed in Europe and the USA. Our study shows that a screening protocol for HPV testing with self-sampling would be feasible in urban and rural areas in Bolivia, and that the reported high occurrence of cervical cancer in Bolivia is not related to a higher rate of high-risk HPV infections. Carrying out HPV tests locally avoids the issues associated with transportation and storage of the collected material and allows the participant to wait in the clinic for the test result, overcoming the very long response time for screening test in Bolivia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cash transfers are a promising but understudied intervention that may protect cognitive function in adults. Although South Africa has a rapidly ageing population, little is known about the nature of association between cash transfers and cognitive function in this setting. Objectives: We leveraged age-eligibility expansions to South Africa's Child Support Grant (CSG) to investigate the association between duration of CSG eligibility and cognitive function of biological mothers of child beneficiaries in South Africa. Methods: We analysed 2014/2015 baseline data from 944 women, aged 40–59 years with at least one CSG-eligible child, enrolled in the population-representative HAALSI cohort in Agincourt, South Africa. Duration of CSG eligibility for each mother was calculated based on the birth dates of all their children and the CSG age-eligibility expansion years (2003–2012). Cognitive function was measured using a cognitive battery administered at the HAALSI baseline interview. Linear regression was used to estimate the association between duration of CSG eligibility, dichotomized as low (≤10 years) and high (>10 years) eligibility, and cognitive function z-scores of the mothers. Results: High vs. low duration of CSG eligibility, was associated with higher cognitive function z-scores in the full sample [β: 0.15 SD units; 95% CI: 0.04, 0.26; p-value = 0.01]. In mothers with one to four lifetime children, but not five or more, high vs. low duration of CSG eligibility, was associated with higher cognitive function z-scores [β: 0.19 SD units; 95% CI: 0.05, 0.34, p-value = 0.02]. Conclusion: Government cash transfers given to support raising children may confer substantial protective effects on the subsequent cognitive function of mothers. Further studies are needed to understand how parity may influence this relationship. Our findings bring evidence to policymakers for designing income supplementation programmes to promote healthy cognitive ageing in low-income settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has caused a lot of havoc since the early 1970s, affecting 37.6 million people worldwide. The 90-90-90 treatment policy was adopted in Ghana in 2015 with the overall aim to end new infections by 2030, and to improve the life expectancy of HIV seropositive individuals. With the scale-up of Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy, the lifespan of People Living with HIV (PLWH) on antiretrovirals (ARVs) is expected to improve. In rural districts in Ghana, little is known about the survival probabilities of PLWH on ARVs. Hence, this study was conducted to estimate the survival trends of PLWH on ARVs. Methods: A retrospective evaluation of data gathered across ARV centres within Tatale and Zabzugu districts in Ghana from 2016 to 2020 among PLWH on ARVs. A total of 261 participants were recruited for the study. The data was analyzed using STATA software version 16.0. Lifetable analysis and Kaplan-Meier graph were used to assess the survival probabilities. "Stptime" per 1000 person-years and the competing risk regression were used to evaluate mortality rates and risk. Results: The cumulative survival probability was 0.8847 (95% CI: 0.8334–0.9209). The overall mortality rate was 51.89 (95% CI: 36.89–72.97) per 1000 person-years. WHO stage III and IV [AHR: 4.25 (95%CI: 1.6–9.71) p = 0.001] as well as age group (50+ years) [AHR: 5.02 (95% CI: 1.78–14.13) p = 0.002] were associated with mortality. Conclusion: Survival probabilities were high among the population of PLWH in Tatale and Zabzugu with declining mortality rates. Clinicians should provide critical attention and care to patients at HIV WHO stages III and IV and intensify HIV screening at all entry points since early diagnosis is associated with high survival probabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined children's adherence to the Singapore Integrated 24-Hour Activity Guidelines for Early Childhood in infants, toddlers and preschoolers aged 0–6 years. A total of 901 caregivers, comprising 219 infants, 379 toddlers, and 303 preschoolers, provided information regarding their children's physical activity (PA), screen viewing time (SVT), and sleep durations on both weekdays and weekends. Meeting the 24-hour integrated activity guidelines was defined as follows: for infants ≥ 30 minutes per day of tummy time or floor-based play; zero SVT; total sleep of 14–17 hours per day for ages 0–3 months, 12–16 hours per day for ages 4–11 months; for toddlers ≥ 180 minutes of total PA per day; zero SVT under 2 years; <1 hour for ages 2 to less than 3 years; and a total sleep of 11–14 hours per day; for preschoolers ≥ 180 minutes of total PA per day; SVT <1 hour per day; total sleep of 10–13 hours per day for those aged 3–5 years, and 10–11 hours per day for 6-year-olds. Chi-squared tests were used to examine the differences in guideline adherence between weekdays and weekends. Compared to weekdays, during weekends there was a higher proportion of toddlers and preschoolers adhering to the PA guidelines (68.9% vs 50.1%; 78.9% vs 55.4%, respectively, p<0.05), and a lower proportion of toddlers adhering to SVT (38.8% vs 21.8%; p = 0.001). There was a declining adherence to all three activity guidelines as age groups progressed from infants (44.7%) to toddlers (15.8%) and then to preschoolers (9.4%). Concurrently, there was a decrease in adherence to SVT recommendations across the age groups, with adherence rates being highest among infants (83.1%), followed by toddlers (15.8%), and preschoolers (9.4%). Decreasing compliance with all three guidelines, coupled with a corresponding decline in adherence to SVT guidelines as children transition from toddlerhood to preschool age, is a cause for concern. This underscores the need for proactive efforts to educate caregivers about reducing or eliminating SVT among infants and young children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: In a high-income country, Australia, it is unclear how raised systolic blood pressure (SBP) ranks among other risk factors regarding the overall and cardiovascular disease (CVD) burden, and whether the situation has changed over time. Methods: We analysed the 2019 Global Burden of Disease (GBD) data, with focus on Australia. We assessed ten leading risk factors for all-cause and CVD deaths and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) and compared findings with the Australian Burden of Diseases Study. Results: From 1990 to 2019, raised SBP remained the leading risk factor for attributable all-cause deaths (followed by dietary risks and tobacco use), accounting for 29,056/75,235 (95% Uncertainty Interval (UI) [24,863 to 32,915]) deaths in 1990; 21,845/76,893 [17,678 to 26,044] in 2010; and 25,498/90,393 [20,152 to 30,851] in 2019. Contributions of raised SBP to cardiovascular deaths for both sexes were 54.0% [45.8 to 61.5] in 1990, 44.0% [36.7 to 51.3] in 2010 and 43.7% [36.2 to 51.6] in 2019, respectively. The contribution of raised SBP to cardiovascular deaths declined between 1990 and 2010 but exhibited an increase in males from 2010 onwards, with figures of 52.6% [44.7 to 60.0] in 1990, 43.1% [36.0 to 50.5] in 2010 and 43.5% [35.7 to 51.4] in 2019. The contribution of raised SBP to stroke deaths and DALYs in males aged 25–49 years were higher than other age groups, in excess of 60% and increasing steeply between 2010 and 2019. Conclusion: Raised SBP continues to be the leading risk factor for all-cause and cardiovascular deaths in Australia. We urge cross-disciplinary stakeholder engagement to implement effective strategies to detect, treat and control raised blood pressure as a central priority to mitigate the CVD burden. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate the dynamic characteristics of Covid-19 daily infection rates in Taiwan during its initial surge period, focusing on 79 districts within the seven largest cities. By employing computational techniques, we extract 18 features from each district-specific curve, transforming unstructured data into structured data. Our analysis reveals distinct patterns of asymmetric growth and decline among the curves. Utilizing theoretical information measurements such as conditional entropy and mutual information, we identify major factors of order-1 and order-2 that influence the peak value and curvature at the peak of the curves, crucial features characterizing the infection rates. Additionally, we examine the impact of geographic and socioeconomic factors on the curves by encoding each of the 79 districts with two binary characteristics: North-vs-South and Urban-vs-Suburban. Furthermore, leveraging this data-driven understanding at the district level, we explore the fine-scale behavioral effects on disease spread by examining the similarity among 96 age-group-specific curves within urban districts of Taipei and suburban districts of New Taipei City, which collectively represent a substantial portion of the nation's population. Our findings highlight the implicit influence of human behaviors related to living, traveling, and working on the dynamics of Covid-19 transmission in Taiwan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]