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Background: The COVID‐19 pandemic has generated many mental health problems worldwide. People living with HIV (henceforth known as PLHIV) bear a higher mental health burden in comparison with the general population. Therefore, their risk of mental health problems may be elevated during the pandemic. Methods: We conducted a systematic review and meta‐analysis to assess the prevalence of depression, anxiety, psychological stress, insomnia and loneliness among PLHIV during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Observational studies in four databases published from 1 January 2020 to 30 April 2021 investigating the prevalence of mental health conditions during the COVID‐19 pandemic were searched, and 197 articles were retrieved. After the processes of duplication removal, eligibility screening and full‐text assessment, 10 articles were included in the systematic review and six articles for meta‐analyses. A random‐effects model was applied to derive the pooled prevalence of mental health conditions. The risk of bias was assessed using the STROBE checklist. Results: Overall, the pooled prevalence rates of (moderate‐to‐severe) depression and anxiety among PLHIV were 16.9% [95% confidence interval (CI): 3.8%–30.0%] and 23.0% (95% CI: 12.0%–34.0%), respectively. Conclusions: More research is needed to investigate the mechanism by which the pandemic affects the mental health of PLHIV. Support and programmes are needed to ameliorate the mental health problems in this marginalized population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To develop and validate a Mandarin version of the Leeds Dyspepsia Questionnaire (M-LDQ) in Asian patients with dyspepsia. Methods The M-LDQ was developed according to standardized methods. The validity, internal consistency, test-retest reliability and responsiveness of the instrument were evaluated in both primary and secondary care patients. Results A total of 184 patients (mean age 54.0 ± 15.8 years, of whom 59% were women and 72.3% of whom had at least secondary level education) were recruited between August 2012 and March 2013, from both primary ( n = 100) and secondary care clinics ( n = 84). Both the internal consistency of all components of the M- LDQ (Cronbach's α 0.79) and test-retest reliability ( Spearman's correlation coefficient 0.78) were good. The M- LDQ was valid in diagnosing dyspepsia in primary care (area under the receiver operating characteristics curve 0.84) and was able to discriminate between secondary and primary care patients (median cumulative LDQ score 13.0 vs 3.0, P < 0.0001). Among eight patients with organic dyspepsia, the median M- LDQ score reduced significantly from 21.0 (pretreatment) to 9.5 (4 weeks post-treatment) ( P < 0.0001). Conclusion The M-LDQ is a valid and responsive instrument for assessing ethnic Chinese adults with dyspepsia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and objective Early diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease ( COPD) in primary care settings is difficult to achieve chiefly due to lack of availability of spirometry. This study estimated the prevalence of airflow limitation among chronic smokers using a handheld spirometer in this setting. Methods This is a cross-sectional study performed on consecutive patients who were ≥40 years old with ≥10 pack-years smoking history. Face-to-face interviews were carried out to obtain demographic data and relevant information. Handheld spirometry was performed according to a standard protocol using the COPd-6 device ( Model 4000, Vitalograph, Ennis, Ireland) in addition to standard spirometry. Airflow limitation was defined as ratio of forced expiratory volume in 1 s ( FEV1)/forced expiratory volume in 6 s <0.75 ( COPd-6) or FEV1/forced vital capacity <0.7. Multiple logistic regression analyses were used to determine predictors of airflow limitation. Results A total of 416 patients were recruited with mean age of 53 years old. The prevalence of airflow limitation was 10.6% ( n = 44) with COPd-6 versus 6% as gauged using standard spirometry. Risk factors for airflow limitation were age >65 years (odds ratio ( OR) 3.732 95% confidence interval ( CI): 1.100-1.280), a history of 'bad health' ( OR 2.524, 95% CI: 1.037-6.142) and low to normal body mass index ( OR 2.914, 95% CI: 1.191-7.190). Conclusions In a primary care setting, handheld spirometry ( COPd-6) found a prevalence of airflow limitation of ∼10% in smokers. Patients were older, not overweight and had an ill-defined history of health problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]