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BACKGROUND:Genome-wide association studies have identified novel genetic associations for asthma, but without taking into account the role of active tobacco smoking. This study aimed to identify novel genes that interact with ever active tobacco smoking in adult onset asthma. METHODS:We performed a genome-wide interaction analysis in six studies participating in the GABRIEL consortium following two meta-analyses approaches based on 1) the overall interaction effect and 2) the genetic effect in subjects with and without smoking exposure. We performed a discovery meta-analysis including 4,057 subjects of European descent and replicated our findings in an independent cohort (LifeLines Cohort Study), including 12,475 subjects. RESULTS:First approach: 50 SNPs were selected based on an overall interaction effect at p

The United Nations General Assembly has convened a Summit on non-communicable diseases (NCDs), an historic moment in the global combat of these disorders. Lifestyles in increasingly urban and globalised environments have led to a steep surge in NCD incidence in low and middle income countries, where two thirds of all NCD deaths occur (most importantly from cancer, cardiovascular and respiratory disease as well as diabetes). Treatment of NCDs is usually long term and expensive, thus threatening patients’ and nations’ budgets and putting them at high risk for poverty. The NCD Summit offers an opportunity for strengthening and shaping primary prevention, the most cost-effective instrument to fight major risk factors such as tobacco smoking, alcohol abuse, physical inactivity and unhealthy diet. From a Swiss perspective, we also emphasised the efforts for new laws on prevention and diagnosis registration, in accordance with the recommendations of the NCD summit in order to strengthen primary prevention and disease monitoring. In addition, the need for structural prevention across all policy sectors with leadership in environmental policy making to prevent NCDs as well as the need to adapt and strengthen primary health care are equally relevant for Switzerland. To compliment efforts in primary prevention, the field of NCDs requires special R&D platforms for affordable NCD drugs and diagnostics for neglected population segments in both Switzerland and low and middle income countries. Switzerland has a track record in research and development against diseases of poverty on a global scale that now needs to be applied to NCDs.

Previous mental health trajectory studies were mostly limited to the months before access to vaccination. They are not informing on whether public mental health has adapted to the pandemic. The aim of this analysis was to 1) investigate trajectories of monthly reported depressive symptoms from July 2020 to December 2021 in Switzerland, 2) compare average growth trajectories across regions with different stringency phases, and 3) explore the relative impact of self-reported worries related to health, economic and social domains as well as socio-economic indicators on growth trajectories. As part of the population-based Corona Immunitas program of regional, but harmonized, adult cohorts studying the pandemic course and impact, participants repeatedly reported online to the DASS-21 instrument on depressive symptomatology. Trajectories of depressive symptoms were estimated using a latent growth model, specified as a generalised linear mixed model. The time effect was modelled parametrically through a polynomial allowing to estimate trajectories for participants' missing time points. In all regions level and shape of the trajectories mirrored those of the KOF Stringency-Plus Index, which quantifies regional Covid-19 policy stringency. The higher level of average depression in trajectories of those expressing specific worries was most noticeable for the social domain. Younger age, female gender, and low household income went along with higher mean depression score trajectories throughout follow-up. Interventions to promote long-term resilience are an important part of pandemic preparedness, given the observed lack of an adaptation in mental health response to the pandemic even after the availability of vaccines in this high-income context.

Abstract Background Mental health problems have an adverse effect on the course of cardiac disease. The integration of their diagnosis and treatment into cardiology care is generally poor. It is particularly challenging in cultural environments where mental health problems are stigmatized. The objective of the current study was to investigate the proportion of cardiac patients with depression and anxiety as well as factors associated with the presence of these symptoms in a Palestinian population. Methods This cross-sectional hospital-based study was conducted on patients consecutively admitted with a new or existing cardiac diagnosis to one of the four main hospitals in Nablus, Palestine over an eight-month period. Data was obtained from hospital medical charts and an in-person interview, using a structured questionnaire with a sequence of validated instruments. All subjects were screened for depression and anxiety using the Cardiac Depression Scale (CDS) and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-42). Multivariate ordered logistic regression analyses were performed to identify factors among four categories (socio-demographic, clinical, psychosocial, lifestyle) independently associated with depression and anxiety. Results In total, 1053 patients with a confirmed cardiac diagnosis were included in the study with a participation rate of 96%. Based on the CDS and DASS-42, 54% met the criteria for severe depression (CDS > 100) and 19.2% for severe-to-very severe anxiety (DASS-anxiety > 15), respectively. Symptoms of depression and anxiety were more prevalent among females and less educated patients. Factors independently associated with both depressive and anxiety symptoms were post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms, low level of self-esteem, high somatic symptoms, low physical and mental health component scores, active smoking, physical inactivity, and longer disease duration. Patients with depressive and anxiety symptoms also reported poor social support and lower resilience. Conclusion There was a high level of depression and anxiety in this sample of cardiac patients. The results point to characteristics of patients in particular need for mental health screening and suggest possible targets for intervention such as strengthening of social support and of physical activity. The integration of mental health services into cardiac rehabilitation in Palestine and comparable cultural settings is warranted from the time of first diagnosis and onward.

Objective: Hypertension is a major risk factor of cardiovascular events. To identify potential sex specific differences in the association of prior blood pressure (BP) to arterial stiffness, we studies the relative change of lumen diameter for a given pulse pressure (distensibility) in participants of the SAPALDIA cohort study. Methods: In the first follow up in 2002 brachial systolic and diastolic BP were examined in 6456 participants. They were divided into five BP categories (systolicBP/diastolicBP mmHg): ‘optimal’

Background: The SOPHYA-cohort-study investigated whether the objectively characterized and perceived residential neighborhood of Swiss youth predict accelerometer-measured physical activity and activity in specific domains (participation in a sports club and cycling) five years later., Methods: At baseline in 2014, 1230 children and adolescents aged 6 to 16 years participated and wore accelerometers for 7 days. Of these children, 447 participated again in the follow-up study in 2019 and provided longitudinal accelerometer measurements. Sociodemographic factors and perceptions of the local neighbourhood were assessed by questionnaire. Specific objective environmental data (e.g. built environment or social environment) was modelled to the children's address at baseline. Multivariate linear and logistic regression models were applied to identify short- and long-term characteristics that are associated with accelerometer-based physical activity, cycling and participation in organised sport., Results: If the neighborhood-score as perceived by the parents in 2014 was in the middle or lowest tertile, children were significantly less active cross-sectionally in 2014 (-41.1 (-78.0;-4.2) and -52.4 (-88.6;-16.2) counts per minute, cpm), and five years later (-52.4 (-88.6;-16.2) and 48.1 (-86.6;-9.7) cpm). In addition, they were also less likely to accumulate active minutes above the median at both measuring points compared to peers of the same age and sex. Using objective environmental data modeled around the children's residential address, similar associations were found: In the tertile with the lowest proportion of green space children achieved less cpm in 2014, while a high main street density and a low socioeconomic environment, respectively, hindered physical activity tracking above the median longitudinally. Also for cycling and participation in a sport club, the associations with the perceived and objective environment were more pronounced in the longitudinal analyses., Conclusion: The results suggest that growing up in a physical activity friendly neighborhood increases the likelihood of remaining active during adolescence and early adulthood. Interventions should be implemented to ensure that children growing up in an unfavorable neighborhood do not fall behind at an early stage., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Schistosomiasis mekongi is endemic in a restricted area in Northern Cambodia and the Southern Lao People's Democratic Republic. Severe hepatobiliary morbidity is associated with chronic untreated S. mekongi infection. Since the 1980s extensive control efforts have been employed in endemic areas, resulting in substantial reduction of infection rates and disease burden. We report on a patient with a fatal course of clinically-assessed chronic schistosomiasis. This report underscores that patients with severe chronic Mekong schistosomiasis may still exist and may need treatment support., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Adopting policies that promote health for the entire biosphere (One Health) requires human societies to transition towards a more sustainable food supply as well as to deepen the understanding of the metabolic and health effects of evolving food habits. At the same time, life sciences are experiencing rapid and groundbreaking technological developments, in particular in laboratory analytics and biocomputing, placing nutrition research in an unprecedented position to produce knowledge that can be translated into practice in line with One Health policies. In this dynamic context, nutrition research needs to be strategically organised to respond to these societal expectations. One key element of this strategy is to integrate precision nutrition into epidemiological research. This position article therefore reviews the recent developments in nutrition research and proposes how they could be integrated into cohort studies, with a focus on the Swiss research landscape specifically.

Background: Steatotic liver disease (SLD) prevalence is rising worldwide, linked to insulin resistance and obesity. SLD prevalence can surpass 10% even among those with normal weight. In Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR), where Opisthorchis viverrini (OV) trematode infection and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are common, infection related liver morbidity such as cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is high, but data on SLD prevalence is lacking. The objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence and explore determinants of SLD in rural southern Lao PDR for lean and non-lean populations., Method: A cross-sectional community-based study assessed SLD prevalence using abdominal ultrasonography (US). Factors investigated for association with SLD were identified by interview, serological tests (Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg); lipids and HbA1c), anthropometrical measurements, and parasitological assessments (OV infection). Uni- and multivariable logistic regression analyses with SLD as endpoint were conducted separately for lean (body mass index (BMI) <23.0 kg/m 2 ) and non-lean (BMI ≥ 23.0 kg/m 2 ) participants., Result: 2,826 participants were included. SLD prevalence was 27.1% (95% confidence interval (95% CI) 24.0%-30.4%), higher among non-lean (39.8%) than lean individuals (17.4%). Lean individuals with OV infection had a statistically significant association with lower odds of SLD (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 0.49, 95% CI 0.33 - 0.73). T2DM showed a significant positive association with SLD in both lean (aOR 3.58, 95% CI 2.28 - 5.63) and non-lean individuals (aOR 3.31, 95% CI 2.31 - 4.74) while dyslipidemia was significantly associated only in the non-lean group (aOR 1.83, 95% CI 1.09 - 3.07). Females participants exhibited elevated odds of SLD in both lean (aOR 1.43, 95% CI 1.02 - 2.01) and non-lean SLD (aOR 1.50, 95% CI 1.12 - 2.01)., Conclusion: SLD prevalence is notably high among Laotian adults in rural areas, particularly in females and in non-lean individuals. Lean individuals with OV infection exhibited lower SLD prevalence. SLD was more prevalent in individuals with T2DM, independent of BMI. SLD adds to the burden of infection-related liver morbidity in Lao PDR.

Objectives: To assess the association between socioeconomic status (SES) and self-reported adherence to preventive measures in Switzerland during the COVID-19 pandemic., Methods: 4,299 participants from a digital cohort were followed between September 2020 and November 2021. Baseline equivalised disposable income and education were used as SES proxies. Adherence was assessed over time. We investigated the association between SES and adherence using multivariable mixed logistic regression, stratifying by age (below/above 65 years) and two periods (before/after June 2021, to account for changes in vaccine coverage and epidemiological situation)., Results: Adherence was high across all SES strata before June 2021. After, participants with higher equivalised disposable income were less likely to adhere to preventive measures compared to participants in the first (low) quartile [second (Adj.OR, 95% CI) (0.56, 0.37-0.85), third (0.38, 0.23-0.64), fourth (0.60, 0.36-0.98)]. We observed similar results for education., Conclusion: No differences by SES were found during the period with high SARS-CoV-2 incidence rates and stringent measures. Following the broad availability of vaccines, lower incidence, and eased measures, differences by SES started to emerge. Our study highlights the need for contextual interpretation when assessing SES impact on adherence to preventive measures., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they do not have any conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Tancredi, van der Linden, Chiolero, Cullati, Imboden, Probst-Hensch, Keidel, Witzig, Dratva, Michel, Harju, Frank, Lorthe, Baysson, Stringhini, Kahlert, Bardoczi, Haller, Chocano-Bedoya, Rodondi, Amati, Albanese, Corna, Crivelli, Kaufmann, Frei and von Wyl.)

To improve our understanding of the health impacts of high and low temperatures, epidemiological studies require spatiotemporally resolved ambient temperature (Ta) surfaces. Exposure assessment over various European cities for multi-cohort studies requires high resolution and harmonized exposures over larger spatiotemporal extents. Our aim was to develop daily mean, minimum and maximum ambient temperature surfaces with a 1 × 1 km resolution for Europe for the 2003-2020 period. We used a two-stage random forest modelling approach. Random forest was used to (1) impute missing satellite derived Land Surface Temperature (LST) using vegetation and weather variables and to (2) use the gap-filled LST together with land use and meteorological variables to model spatial and temporal variation in Ta measured at weather stations. To assess performance, we validated these models using random and block validation. In addition to global performance, and to assess model stability, we reported model performance at a higher granularity (local). Globally, our models explained on average more than 81 % and 93 % of the variability in the block validation sets for LST and Ta respectively. Average RMSE was 1.3, 1.9 and 1.7 °C for mean, min and max ambient temperature respectively, indicating a generally good performance. For Ta models, local performance was stable across most of the spatiotemporal extent, but showed lower performance in areas with low observation density. Overall, model stability and performance were lower when using block validation compared to random validation. The presented models will facilitate harmonized high-resolution exposure assignment for multi-cohort studies at a European scale., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Abstract: Chronic pain is a major global health problem. Untreated pain causes particular suffering in marginalized communities. Most studies investigating chronic pain in sub-Saharan Africa stem from South Africa and Nigeria. Pastoralists are particularly underrepresented in pain research. The main objective of this study is to investigate the burden of chronic pain in adult pastoralists in the Somali Regional State of Ethiopia. We conducted a cross-sectional household survey among adult pastoralists (aged 18 years or older, N = 299) by face-to-face interviews. To randomly select households, we applied GPS-based household localization and recruitment. Chronic pain was self-reported by 17.0% (95% CI: 10.8-25.7) of male and 34.7% (95% CI: 28.4-41.5) of female adult pastoralists. The prevalence of chronic pain increased with age from 5.4% (95% CI: 0.8-30.1; 18-34 years) to 27.1% (95% CI: 15.1-43.7; 35-54 years) to 69.1% (95% CI: 53.7-81.1; 55 years and older). The body sites most commonly affected among those with chronic pain were knees (37.2%), followed by lower back (33.7%) and head (23.3%). The data for the first time provide insights into the burden of chronic pain among Somali pastoralists and reveal associated risk factors. The results support the planning of locally adapted health interventions for pastoralist-specific pain management considering the effects of chronic pain on pastoralists' daily lives., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. on behalf of the International Association for the Study of Pain.)

Introduction: Physical activity (PA) promotion combined with multimicronutrient supplementation (MMNS) among school-age children may reduce fat mass accrual and increase muscle mass through different mechanisms and so benefit child health. This study determined the efficacy of combined interventions on body composition among South African schoolchildren and determined if micronutrients mediate these effects., Study Design: Longitudinal cluster randomized controlled trial of children followed from 2019 to 2021. Statistical analyses carried from 2022 to 2023., Setting/participants: A total of 1,304 children 6-12 years of age recruited from public schools in Gqeberha, South Africa., Intervention: Children were randomized by classes to either: (a) a physical activity group (PA); (b) a MMNS group; (c) a physical activity + multimicronutrient supplementation group (PA + MMNS); and (d) a placebo control group., Main Outcome Measures: Trajectories of overall and truncal fat free mass (FFM) and fat mass (FM) estimates in modeled at 9 and 21 months using latent growth curve models (LGCM). Changes in micronutrient concentrations at 9 months from baseline., Results: An increased FFM trajectory was found among children in the MMNS arm at 9 months (Beta 0.16, 95% CI = 0.12, 0.31). The PA and MMNS arms both had positive indirect effects on this trajectory at 9 months (Beta 0.66, 95% CI = 0.44, 0.88 and Beta 0.32 95% CI = 0.1 0.5, respectively) and similarly at 21 months when mediated by zinc concentration changes. A reduced FM trajectory was found among children in the PA promotion arm at 9 months when using this collection point as the referent intercept. This arm was inversely associated with the FM trajectory at 9 months when mediated by zinc changes., Conclusions: PA and MMNS promotion in school-based interventions directly contributed to reductions in FM and increased FFM among South African children and indirectly through changes in micronutrient status., Trial Registration: ISRCTN, ISRCTN29534081. Registered on August 9, 2018 Institutional review board: Ethikkommission Nordwest- und Zentralschweiz" (EKNZ, project number: Req-2018-00608). Date of approval: 2018., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Quality of life (QoL) is an important health indicator among children and adolescents. Evidence on the effect of physical activity (PA)-related behaviors on QoL among youth remains inconsistent. Conventional accelerometer-derived PA metrics and guidelines with a focus on whole weeks may not adequately characterize QoL relevant PA behavior., Objective: This study aims to a) identify clusters of accelerometer-derived PA profiles during weekend days among children and adolescents living in Switzerland, b) assess their cross-sectional and predictive association with overall QoL and its dimensions, and c) investigate whether the associations of QoL with the newly identified clusters persist upon adjustment for the commonly used PA metrics moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and time spent in sedentary behavior (SB)., Methods: The population-based Swiss children's Objectively measured PHYsical Activity (SOPHYA) cohort among children and adolescents aged 6 to 16 years was initiated at baseline in 2013. PA and QoL information was obtained twice over a five-year follow-up period. The primary endpoint is the overall QoL score and its six dimension scores obtained by KINDL® questionnaire. The primary predictor is the cluster membership of accelerometer-derived weekend PA profile. Clusters were obtained by applying the k-medoid algorithm to the distance matrix of profiles obtained by pairwise alignments of PA time series using the Dynamic Time Warping (DTW) algorithm. Secondary predictors are accelerometer-derived conventional PA metrics MVPA and SB from two combined weekend days. Linear regression models were applied to assess a) the cross-sectional association between PA cluster membership and QoL at baseline and b) the predictive association between PA cluster membership at baseline and QoL at follow-up, adjusting for baseline QoL., Results: The study sample for deriving PA profile clusters consisted of 51.4% girls and had an average age of 10.9 [SD 2.5] years). The elbow and silhouette methods indicated that weekend PA profiles are best classified in two or four clusters. The most differentiating characteristic for the two-clusters classification ("lower activity" and "high activity"), and the four-clusters classification ("inactive", "low activity", "medium activity", and "high activity"), respectively was the participant's mean counts per 15-seconds epoch. Participants assigned to high activity clusters were younger and more often male. Neither the clustered PA profiles nor MVPA or SB were cross-sectionally or predictively associated with overall QoL. The only association of a conventional PA metrics with QoL while adjusting for cluster membership was observed between MVPA during the weekend days and social well-being with a mean score difference of 2.4 (95%CI: 0.3 to 4.5; p = 0.025)., Conclusion: The absence of strong associations of PA metrics for the weekend with QoL, except for the positive association between MVPA during the weekend days and social well-being, is in line with results from two randomized studies not showing efficacy of PA interventions on youth QoL. But because PA decreases with age, its promotion and relevance to QoL remain important research topics. Larger longitudinal study samples with more than two follow-up time points of children and adolescents are needed to derive new novel accelerometer-derived PA profiles and to associate them with QoL dimensions., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 Darkhawaja et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Objectives: The study aimed to explore the experiences and perceptions of healthcare providers (HCPs) regarding the sexual and reproductive health (SRH) challenges of Eritrean refugee women in Ethiopia., Design: A qualitative exploratory design with the key informant approach., Setting and Participants: The study was conducted in the Afar regional state, North East, Ethiopia. The study participants were HCP responsible for providing SRH care for refugee women., Results: Eritrean refugee women have worse health outcomes than the host population. The SRH needs were found to be hindered at multiple layers of socioecological model (SEM). High turnover and shortage of HCP, restrictive laws, language issues, cultural inconsistencies and gender inequalities were among the main barriers reported. Complex multistructural factors are needed to improve SRH needs of Eritrean refugee women., Conclusions: A complex set of issues spanning individual needs, social norms, community resources, healthcare limitations and structural mismatches create significant barriers to fulfilling the SRH needs of Eritrean refugee women in Ethiopia. Factors like limited awareness, cultural taboos, lack of safe spaces, inadequate healthcare facilities and restrictive policies all contribute to the severe limitations on SRH services available in refugee settings. The overlap in findings underscores the importance of developing multilevel interventions that are culturally sensitive to the needs of refugee women across all SEM levels. A bilateral collaboration between Refugees and Returnees Service (RRS) structures and the Asayta district healthcare system is critically important., Competing Interests: Competing interests: The authors declare that they have no competing interests, (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2024. Re-use permitted under CC BY. Published by BMJ.)

Background: During the last two decades, Caesarean section rates (C-sections), overweight and obesity rates increased in rural Peru. We examined the association between pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) and C-section in the province of San Marcos, Northern Andes-Peru., Methods: This is a prospective cohort study. Participants were women receiving antenatal care in public health establishments from February 2020 to January 2022, who were recruited and interviewed during pregnancy or shortly after childbirth. They answered a questionnaire, underwent a physical examination and gave access to their antenatal care card information. BMI was calculated using maternal height, measured by the study team and self-reported pre-pregnancy weight measured at the first antenatal care visit. For 348/965 (36%) women, weight information was completed using self-reported data collected during the cohort baseline. Information about birth was obtained from the health centre's pregnancy surveillance system. Regression models were used to assess associations between C-section and BMI. Covariates that changed BMI estimates by at least 5% were included in the multivariable model., Results: This study found that 121/965 (12.5%) women gave birth by C-section. Out of 495 women with pre-pregnancy normal weight, 46 (9.3%) had C-sections. Among the 335 women with pre-pregnancy overweight, 53 (15.5%) underwent C-sections, while 23 (18.5%) of the 124 with pre-pregnancy obesity had C-sections. After adjusting for age, parity, altitude, food and participation in a cash transfer programme pre-pregnancy overweight and obesity increased the odds of C-section by more than 80% (aOR 1.82; 95% CI 1.16-2.87 and aOR 1.85; 95% CI 1.02-3.38) compared to women with a normal BMI., Conclusions: High pre-pregnancy BMI is associated with an increased odds of having a C-section. Furthermore, our results suggest that high BMI is a major risk factor for C-section in this population. The effect of obesity on C-section was partially mediated by the development of preeclampsia, suggesting that C-sections are being performed due to medical reasons., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Previous mental health trajectory studies were mostly limited to the months before access to vaccination. They are not informing on whether public mental health has adapted to the pandemic. The aim of this analysis was to 1) investigate trajectories of monthly reported depressive symptoms from July 2020 to December 2021 in Switzerland, 2) compare average growth trajectories across regions with different stringency phases, and 3) explore the relative impact of self-reported worries related to health, economic and social domains as well as socio-economic indicators on growth trajectories. As part of the population-based Corona Immunitas program of regional, but harmonized, adult cohorts studying the pandemic course and impact, participants repeatedly reported online to the DASS-21 instrument on depressive symptomatology. Trajectories of depressive symptoms were estimated using a latent growth model, specified as a generalised linear mixed model. The time effect was modelled parametrically through a polynomial allowing to estimate trajectories for participants' missing time points. In all regions level and shape of the trajectories mirrored those of the KOF Stringency-Plus Index, which quantifies regional Covid-19 policy stringency. The higher level of average depression in trajectories of those expressing specific worries was most noticeable for the social domain. Younger age, female gender, and low household income went along with higher mean depression score trajectories throughout follow-up. Interventions to promote long-term resilience are an important part of pandemic preparedness, given the observed lack of an adaptation in mental health response to the pandemic even after the availability of vaccines in this high-income context., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Most longitudinal studies found heightened feelings of loneliness in older people in spring 2020 compared to times before the pandemic. However, longer-term effects are more disputed. We, therefore, investigated changes in loneliness in older people throughout the first 21 months of the COVID-19 pandemic in Switzerland and examined the association between the stringency of COVID-19 measures and feelings of loneliness., Methods: We assessed loneliness (3-item University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) loneliness scale) in a nationally representative longitudinal observational online survey. Older people (65-79 years) were surveyed between March 2020 and December 2021. Proportions of people feeling lonely (UCLA loneliness scale >6) were compared in two stringent phases ('lockdown', Oxford University stringency index ≥55) and two less restricted phases. Additionally, we explored the situation of potentially more susceptible subgroups (living alone, women, chronic and mental diseases, low educational level and low income)., Results: Phases with stringent measures were associated with higher levels of loneliness in older people. People living alone, women, people with noncommunicable or mental disease diagnoses and lower income show consistently higher levels of loneliness. However, the differences are not accentuated in phases with more stringent measures. We found little differences between subgroups with varying educational levels., Conclusions: Even in a country with relatively less stringent COVID-19 measures like Switzerland, an increase in the proportion of older people that feel lonely could be found during phases with more stringent COVID-19 measures. Lockdown phases should, therefore, be accompanied by evidence-based interventions to relieve loneliness to avoid adverse short- and long-term consequences., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Geriatrics Society.)

Oral healthcare among the frail is an underestimated geriatric care element. While neglected oral health (OH) is a well-established risk factor for frailty, frailty can be a risk factor for subsequent OH problems. The cross-sectional investigation nested into the SAPALDIA sub-cohort of citizens aged 52 years and older, aims to stimulate longitudinal research into aspects that accelerate poor OH among frail individuals. The hypothesis investigated was that (pre-) frail individuals are more likely to have missing teeth replaced with removable dental prostheses (RDP) resulting in difficulties with chewing. The study included 1489 participants undergoing geriatric assessments and oral examination. The main predictor was frailty status (non-frail; pre-frail; frail), based on Fried's frailty phenotype. The main outcomes of interest were non-functional dentition (presence of ≤ 19 natural teeth), presence of any RDP and self-reported difficulties with chewing. Pre-frailty and frailty were not associated with the presence of ≤ 19 natural teeth, but were associated with a higher RDP prevalence. The presence of at least one complete denture (CD) had 1.71 fold and 2.54 folds higher odds among pre-frail and frail, respectively, compared to non-frail individuals. Frail individuals with CD reported chewing difficulties 7.8 times more often than non-frail individuals without CD. The results are in line with the hypothesis that (pre-) frail individuals may be more likely to have tooth loss restored by RDPs. Future longitudinal research needs to assess potential barriers to oral hygiene and fixed dental prostheses among (pre-) frail and to study their oral health-related quality of life., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no competing interests., (Copyright 2024 SWISS DENTAL JOURNAL SSO – Science and Clinical Topics. License: This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.)

Objectives: This study aims to quantify the cross-sectional and prospective associations between quality of life (QoL) and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). Methods: This study was based on the Swiss children's Objectively measured PHYsical Activity cohort. The primary endpoint is the overall QoL score and its six dimensions. The main predictor is the average time spent in MVPA per day. Linear mixed effects and linear regression models respectively were used to investigate the cross-sectional and prospective associations between MVPA and QoL. Results: There were 352 participants in the study with complete data from baseline (2013-2015) and follow-up (2019). MVPA was positively associated with overall QoL and physical wellbeing ( p = 0.023 and 0.002 respectively). The between-subject MVPA was positively associated with the overall QoL, physical wellbeing, and social wellbeing ( p = 0.030, 0.017, and 0.028 respectively). Within-subject MVPA was positively associated with physical wellbeing and functioning at school ( p = 0.039 and 0.013 respectively). Baseline MVPA was not associated with QoL 5 years later. Conclusion: Future longitudinal studies should employ shorter follow-up times and repeat measurements to assess the PA and QoL association., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they do not have any conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Darkhawaja, Hänggi, Schaffner, Kwiatkowski, Alkaiyat, Dössegger, Kayser, Suggs, Bringolf-Isler and Probst-Hensch.)

Background: Understanding the natural history of abnormal spirometric patterns at different stages of life is critical to identify and optimise preventive strategies. We aimed to describe characteristics and risk factors of restrictive and obstructive spirometric patterns occurring before 40 years (young onset) and between 40 and 61 years (mid-adult onset)., Methods: We used data from the population-based cohort of the European Community Respiratory Health Survey (ECRHS). Prebronchodilator forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV 1 ) and forced vital capacity (FVC) were assessed longitudinally at baseline (ECRHS1, 1993-1994) and again 20 years later (ECRHS3, 2010-2013). Spirometry patterns were defined as: restrictive if FEV 1 /FVC≥LLN and FVC<10th percentile, obstructive if FEV 1 /FVC

Introduction: Diabetes mellitus (DM) and its severe complications contribute significantly to disability and, hence, burden of disease. Poor mental health, a frequent DM consequence, may hinder successful diabetes control in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). Evidence suggests social support as a cost-effective tool to improve diabetes self-management, behaviour and mental health. However, its real-world application in LMICs has rarely been tested. We aim to investigate the effect of a social support intervention on disease control, mental health and health-related quality of life in people with diabetes from Côte d'Ivoire (SoDDiCo) through a randomised controlled trial., Methods and Analysis: The trial will take place in the Centre Antidiabétique d'Abidjan, Institut National de Santé Publique, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire. We will prospectively randomise up to 1500 people with newly diagnosed diabetes into two parallel arms: intervention (routine care+family supporter accompanying clinical management) and control (routine care), using gender-stratified blocked randomisation with random block sizes of 10, 16, 20 and 24. Participants will undergo baseline, 3-month and 12-month postrandomisation assessments. The primary study outcome will be glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c). Secondary outcomes will include glycaemic control (HbA1c<7.0%), presence at follow-up visits, mental health and quality of life scores. Using intention-to-treat framework, we will assess the impact of the family support intervention on these endpoints over the course of the 1-year follow-up. Effect modification by baseline social capital will be assessed., Ethics and Dissemination: The SoDDiCo trial was approved by the Ethikkommission Nordwest- und Zentralschweiz (ref: AO&#95;2021-00041; approved: 12 July 2021) and by Comité National d'Éthique des Sciences de la Vie et de la Santé (ref: 049-22/MSHPCMU/CNESVS-kp; approved: 20 April 2022). The randomised intervention trial will follow good clinical practice guidelines. All results will be made available to the public through abstracts at conferences as well as through peer-reviewed articles. International guidelines for authorship will be respected., Trial Registration Number: ISRCTN10901121, ISRCTN registry., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2024. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Background: Gaps exist along the high blood pressure (HBP) diagnosis-treatment-control pathway in high, low and middle-income countries., Objective: To determine the prevalence of HBP and to describe the levels of awareness, control and treatment of HBP in the rural Peruvian Andes., Methods: This cross-sectional study is embedded into a multigenerational cohort. We analysed data of all adult participants aged ≥ 30 years ( n  = 2752) who answered a baseline health and lifestyle questionnaire and underwent a physical examination, which included three blood pressure readings. HBP was defined as measured systolic or diastolic blood pressure (BP) ≥140 and/or 90 mm Hg and/or self-reported physician-diagnosed hypertension and/or self-reported antihypertensive intake. The determinants of the prevalence of HBP, unawareness of HBP and uncontrolled HBP were assessed using mixed-effect logistic regressions., Results: HBP was present in 18.9% of the participants. Of those with measured HBP, 72.2% were unaware of their HBP. Among those with a diagnosed or medically treated hypertension, 58.4% had uncontrolled HBP. The prevalence of HBP was higher in women (OR: 1.12, CI: 1.02-1.24), increased with age (OR: 1.01, CI: 1.01-1.01) and the presence of family history of hypertension (OR: 1.15, CI: 1.08-1.24), and decreased with healthier lifestyle score (OR: 0.93, CI: 0.91-0.95). Unawareness of HBP was lower among women (OR: 0.56, CI: 0.38-0.83), higher among participants living over 3000 m Above Sea Level (OR: 1.15, CI: 1.03-1.27) and decreased with age (OR: 0.99, CI: 0.98-0.99)., Conclusions: Unawareness of HBP was high, few HTN patients received treatment and BP remained high in the presence of antihypertensive treatment.

Pain is one of the most neglected areas of care in sub-Saharan Africa. Access to adequate pain management is important, especially in marginalised populations, such as pastoralists. Little is known about health professionals' perceptions of pain-related care for Somali pastoralists. This study seeks to understand health professionals' perceptions of Somali pastoralists in the context of pain management in Eastern Ethiopia. Within the scope of this qualitative multicentre study, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 17 health professionals (mainly nurses) experienced in treating Somali pastoralists with pain. Data analysis was based on the coding paradigm proposed by Strauss and Corbin within Grounded Theory methodology and resulted in a conceptual model of pastoralist-specific pain management. We gave voice to pastoralists in the study design, for example, through focus group discussions conducted prior to this study. Our study is part of a larger ongoing research project involving health professionals and pastoralist communities. The perspective of pastoralists is explored in a consecutive study. 'Patient-professional relationship' was the core category we identified within the conceptual model. This category was closely linked with issues of '(mis)trust' and 'communication (barriers)'. 'Patient-related conditions' (eg, (under)-reporting of pain, care preferences and beliefs) and 'health professional-related' conditions' (eg, insufficient training, (under)exposure to local culture) had an influence on the core category. Contextual factors proved to be relevant as well, such as age and gender. The study highlights the complexity of pain management among marginalised communities, such as pastoralists. Health professionals perceive Somali pastoralists to have distinct illness beliefs and pain concepts influencing their health-seeking behaviour. The study highlights the importance of reaching this patient group with culturally acceptable and comprehensive pain management strategies., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2023. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Introduction: Non-occupational sources of pesticide exposure may include domestic pesticide usage, diet, occupational exposure of household members, and agricultural activities in the residential area. We conducted a study with the ambition to characterize pesticide mixture patterns in a sample of the adult population of the Netherlands and Switzerland, using a suspect screening approach and to identify related exposure determinants., Methods: A total of 105 and 295 adults participated in the Dutch and Swiss studies, respectively. First morning void urine samples were collected and analyzed in the same laboratory. Harmonized questionnaires about personal characteristics, pesticide-related activities, and diet were administered. Detection rates and co-occurrence patterns were calculated to explore internal pesticide exposure patterns. Censored linear and logistic regression models were constructed to investigate the association between exposure and domestic pesticide usage, consumption of homegrown and organic foods, household members' exposure, and distance to agricultural and forest areas., Results: From the 37 detected biomarkers, 3 (acetamiprid (-CH2), chlorpropham (4-HSA), and flonicamid (-C2HN)) were detected in ≥40% of samples. The most frequent combination of biomarkers (acetamiprid-flonicamid) was detected in 22 (5.5%) samples. Regression models revealed an inverse association between high organic vegetable and fruit consumption and exposure to acetamiprid, chlorpropham, propamocarb (+O), and pyrimethanil (+O + SO3). Within-individual correlations in repeated samples (summer/winter) from the Netherlands were low (≤0.3), and no seasonal differences in average exposures were observed in Switzerland., Conclusion: High consumption of organic fruit and vegetables was associated with lower pesticide exposure. In the two countries, detection rates and co-occurrence were typically low, and within-person variability was high. Our study results provide an indication for target biomarkers to include in future studies aimed at quantifying urinary exposure levels in European adult populations., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Pain is a major public health problem in the Global South, particularly among marginalized communities, such as Somali pastoralists. Yet, the topic of chronic pain has not yet been comprehensively studied in Sub-Saharan Africa, specifically in the Somali region of Ethiopia. Therefore, this study aims to explore the perceptions and notions of chronic pain among Somali pastoralists in this context., Methods: This study used an explorative qualitative design. We performed semi-structured, face-to-face interviews with 20 purposively selected female and male Somali pastoralists with chronic pain. For data analysis, we applied the Framework Method by Gale et al. and explained patterns drawing on the Enactive Approach to Pain proposed by Stilwell and Harman., Findings: Six different themes emerged: (1) "Pain as a symptom of harsh daily life", (2) "Pain descriptions and dimensions", (3) "Temporality of pain", (4) "Pain-related stigma and stoicism" (5) "Mediating role of spirituality", and (6) "Impact of pain on daily life activities"., Conclusions: Somali pastoralists described their chronic pain as a multicausal and relational experience. Pastoralists (especially women) commonly refrained from communicating their pain and represented aspects of social stigma and stoicism. The mediating role of spirituality aided pastoralists to make sense of their pain and to ease its impact on their harsh daily life. The findings of this study can contribute to raise awareness of chronic pain issues among pastoralists. They highlight the need for policymakers to prioritize the improvement of pastoralist-specific pain management. Necessary resources and skills should be available within health care facilities. Pain management should be accessible, affordable and culturally acceptable for this population., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2023 Baum et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Objectives: This study developed an Air Quality Health Index (AQHI) based on global scientific evidence and applied it to data from Cape Town, South Africa. Methods: Effect estimates from two global systematic reviews and meta-analyses were used to derive the excess risk (ER) for PM 2.5 , PM 10 , NO 2 , SO 2 and O 3 . Single pollutant AQHIs were developed and scaled using the ERs at the WHO 2021 long-term Air Quality Guideline (AQG) values to define the upper level of the "low risk" range. An overall daily AQHI was defined as weighted average of the single AQHIs. Results: Between 2006 and 2015, 87% of the days posed "moderate to high risk" to Cape Town's population, mainly due to PM 10 and NO 2 levels. The seasonal pattern of air quality shows "high risk" occurring mostly during the colder months of July-September. Conclusion: The AQHI, with its reference to the WHO 2021 long-term AQG provides a global application and can assist countries in communicating risks in relation to their daily air quality., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they do not have any conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Adebayo-Ojo, Wichmann, Arowosegbe, Probst-Hensch, Schindler and Künzli.)

Background: Prevalent physical inactivity and poor nutrition contribute to high non-communicable disease (NCD) morbidity and mortality in Kosovo. To improve health services for patients with NCD the Accessible Quality Healthcare project developed behaviour change interventions following the principles of the WHO Package of Essential NCD (PEN) protocol. They were implemented into the public primary healthcare (PHC) system of five early-stage implementation municipalities (ESIM, 2018) and seven late-stage implementation municipalities (2020)., Objective: To assess the effect of the behaviour change interventions; motivational stages of behaviour change for physical activity and nutrition; and body mass index (BMI)., Design: Prospective cohort study., Data Collection and Analysis: We included 891 public PHC users aged 40 years and above, who were enrolled in the KOSCO (Kosovo Non-Communicable Disease Cohort) cohort in 2019 and followed-up biannually until February 2021. The PHC users who consulted for themselves any health service were approached and recruited for cohort participation. Each participant contributed up to four self-reports of nutrition and physical activity, and up to three reports of motivation to change for a better lifestyle. These outcomes were modelled prospectively with robust mixed-effects Poisson regressions. The association between behaviour change interventions and BMI was quantified using linear regression., Results: There was a high rate of smokers 20.5% and obesity 53.1%, and high rates of self-reported diagnoses of diabetes: 57.1%; hypertension 62.6%. We found no effect of residing in an ESIM, but adherence to both guidelines was higher in ESIM at the latest follow-up time point. ESIM residence was also associated with a twofold increase in the probability of reporting a high motivation for a better lifestyle and with a statistically non-significant decrease in BMI of -0.14 kg/m 2 (95% CI: -0.46 to 0.19) at the latest follow-up., Conclusion: The longitudinal results extend evidence on the effect of WHO PEN protocol in promoting physical activity and nutritional behaviour in the Kosovo context., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2023. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a common inflammatory skin condition and prior genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified 71 associated loci. In the current study we conducted the largest AD GWAS to date (discovery N = 1,086,394, replication N = 3,604,027), combining previously reported cohorts with additional available data. We identified 81 loci (29 novel) in the European-only analysis (which all replicated in a separate European analysis) and 10 additional loci in the multi-ancestry analysis (3 novel). Eight variants from the multi-ancestry analysis replicated in at least one of the populations tested (European, Latino or African), while two may be specific to individuals of Japanese ancestry. AD loci showed enrichment for DNAse I hypersensitivity and eQTL associations in blood. At each locus we prioritised candidate genes by integrating multi-omic data. The implicated genes are predominantly in immune pathways of relevance to atopic inflammation and some offer drug repurposing opportunities., (© 2023. Springer Nature Limited.)

Purpose: We aimed to assess the seroprevalence trends of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in several Swiss cantons between May 2020 and September 2021 and investigate risk factors for seropositivity and their changes over time., Methods: We conducted repeated population-based serological studies in different Swiss regions using a common methodology. We defined three study periods: May-October 2020 (period 1, prior to vaccination), November 2020-mid-May 2021 (period 2, first months of the vaccination campaign), and mid-May-September 2021 (period 3, a large share of the population vaccinated). We measured anti-spike IgG. Participants provided information on sociodemographic and socioeconomic characteristics, health status, and adherence to preventive measures. We estimated seroprevalence with a Bayesian logistic regression model and the association between risk factors and seropositivity with Poisson models., Results: We included 13,291 participants aged 20 and older from 11 Swiss cantons. Seroprevalence was 3.7% (95% CI 2.1-4.9) in period 1, 16.2% (95% CI 14.4-17.5) in period 2, and 72.0% (95% CI 70.3-73.8) in period 3, with regional variations. In period 1, younger age (20-64) was the only factor associated with higher seropositivity. In period 3, being aged ≥ 65 years, with a high income, retired, overweight or obese or with other comorbidities, was associated with higher seropositivity. These associations disappeared after adjusting for vaccination status. Seropositivity was lower in participants with lower adherence to preventive measures, due to a lower vaccination uptake., Conclusions: Seroprevalence sharply increased over time, also thanks to vaccination, with some regional variations. After the vaccination campaign, no differences between subgroups were observed., (© 2023. The Author(s).)