2671 research outputs found
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Host-microbial interactions at the nasal mucosa in young children and adults
No full textRespiratory tract infections are an important global cause of morbidity and mortality. Young children are at increased risk for these infections and are frequently colonised with pathogens that can cause such infections. However, how the mucosal immune system differs between children and adults is still relatively unknown. Here, we collected nasal samples from 50 young children and 318 young adults to study how the mucosal immune system and host-microbe interactions differ with age. We used multi-omics data integration techniques to combine host (immunophenotyping, transcriptomic and cytokines) and microbial (16S-rRNA sequencing, viral PCRs and pneumococcal culture) datasets. The mucosa of young children had a paucity of granulocytes, while B cells and CD8+ and CD8-CD4- T cell subsets were increased relative to adults. The nasal mucosa of children also showed higher levels of immune activation and inflammation than those of adults, which associated with the presence of Haemophilus spp. and pneumococcus. In adults, Haemophilus spp. presence was associated with T cell and monocyte recruitment. Pneumococcal colonization in children was also linked to T cells activation, in particular CD8+ T cells. In contrast, colonization with commensals Corynebacterium and Dolosigranulum was associated with reduced T cell activation and gene modules of nasal γδ T cells in children. In adults, a correlation between neutrophil degranulation and Dolosigranulum abundance was observed. Thus, young children demonstrate alterations in the nasal immune compartment compared to adults. Moreover, nasal immune responses in relationship to microbial pathogens differed between children and adults
gasparrini/UKB-confounding
No full textAn theoretical and empirical evaluation of confounding mechanisms in the analysis of the health effects associated with long-term exposure to air pollution, with a case-study example using the UK Biobank cohort. This repository stores the updated R code to reproduce the analysis presented in the article: Vanoli J, et al. Confounding issues in air pollution epidemiology: an empirical assessment with the UK Biobank cohort. International Journal of Epidemiology. 2025;54(5):dyaf163. DOI: 10.1093/ije/dyaf163
ciarajudge/EpiFusionUtilities
No full textEpiFusionUtilities is an R package with useful tools for using the EpiFusion joint phylodynamic and epidemiological inference software. The EpiFusionUtilities package can be used to employ the EpiFusion Analysis Framework, a start to finish workflow from data preparation to result parsing, analysis and plotting. The repository contains the package source code, and information on usage
Source and properties of locally-derived and international EPEC genomes
No full textSource and properties of locally-derived and international EPEC genomes
Analysis of the decline in HIV prevalence among female sex workers in Zimbabwe (2013-2023)
No full textR script produced as part of an analysis of the decline in HIV prevalence among female sex workers in Zimbabwe
Rapid Assessment of Avoidable Blindness Report: Zambia, Southern (2023)
No full textA report including output of standardised analysis of vision and eye health survey data including tables of vision impairment prevalence and service coverage estimates
Birth companionship and mistreatment
No full textBirth companionship during facility-based childbirth has been recommended by the World Health Organization to improve maternal and newborn outcomes. However, limited evidence exists on how companionship affects women's experiences of mistreatment during childbirth and their mental health. To assess the characteristics of birth companionship during intrapartum care and examine its associations with women's experiences of mistreatment and postpartum anxiety and depression. We analysed cross-sectional data on 314 women who gave birth in six public health facilities in rural Sindh, Pakistan. Women were interviewed 42 days postpartum about their childbirth experiences and postpartum anxiety and depression. Multivariable regression models were used to examine associations between birth companionship, mistreatment, and postpartum anxiety/depression. Path analysis explored whether mistreatment mediated the relationship between companionship and postpartum anxiety and depression. Most women (83.1%) had a full-time companion in the labor room, with in-laws (44.6%) being the most common, followed by family members (26.1%) and friends (15.0%). Higher levels of companion support were associated with lower levels of mistreatment, particularly regarding non-confidential care, lack of supportive care, and ineffective communication. Women receiving low companion support were 2.86 times more likely to experience postpartum anxiety and depression compared to those receiving high support. Informational support emerged as the strongest protective factor against both mistreatment and postpartum anxiety/depression. Path analysis revealed that the effect of companion support on postpartum mental health was mediated by experiences of mistreatment during childbirth. Birth companionship, especially informational support, plays a crucial role in reducing mistreatment during childbirth and improving maternal mental health outcomes. These findings underscore the need for supportive policies and health system interventions that actively encourage the engagement of companions from a woman's personal network during labor and childbirth. Future research should explore strategies to optimize the role of birth companions in promoting respectful maternity care and maternal well-being
francescochecchi/sdn_mortality_2024
No full textInput dataset and R scripts to replicate a capture-recapture analysis of population mortality in Sudan, 2023-2024. This supports the publication, "War-time mortality in Sudan: a multiple systems estimation analysis"
Data and code for "Gender differences in the perception of leptospirosis severity, behaviours, and Leptospira exposure risk in urban Brazil: a cross-sectional study."
No full textVulnerability to climate hazards and infectious diseases is not gender-neutral, meaning that men, women, and other gender identities experience different risks. Leptospirosis is a zoonotic climate-sensitive infectious disease caused by the bacteria Leptospira and is transmitted to humans through contact with infected animals or contaminated environments, particularly soil and floodwater. Globally, studies report a higher risk of leptospiral infection among men than women, a trend also observed in Salvador, Brazil; however, the factors driving this difference are poorly understood. This study aimed to investigate how Leptospira exposure differs between men and women living in urban informal settlements in Salvador. We conducted a cross-sectional serosurvey among 761 adults (280 men and 481 women) in four communities previously identified as high-risk by surveillance data. Using a causal inference approach and a two-part sex-disaggregated analysis, we applied logistic regression models to examine: (1) the association between perceived severity and high-risk behaviours with Leptospira seropositivity, and (2) the association between perceived severity with high-risk behaviours. Seroprevalence was 14.6% (95% CI: 10.5%-18.8%) in men and 9.4% (95% CI: 6.7%-12.0%) in women. Men who perceived leptospirosis as extremely serious had lower odds of being seropositive (OR: 0.38, 95% CI: 0.15-0.99), walking through sewage (OR: 0.41, 95% CI: 0.17-1.00), and walking barefoot outside (OR: 0.24, 95% CI: 0.08-0.76) compared with men who perceived leptospirosis as less serious. These associations were not observed in women and differed across age groups in men. Behaviours were not associated with seropositivity in either gender. Our results identify perceived severity as a potential driver of high-risk behaviours and exposure in men, indicating perceptions as targets for health promotion programs, while also highlighting evidence gaps in understanding exposure risks among women. As the first sex-disaggregated study investigating Leptospira exposure risks, we advocate for a gendered lens in future studies to understand gender-specific risks
Complete list of included indicators
No full textChildren and young people are disproportionately vulnerable to harm during crises, yet child public health expertise is limited in humanitarian settings and outcomes and impact data are lacking. This review characterises child public health indicators that are routinely collected, required by donors, and recommended for use in fragile, conflict-affected, and vulnerable (FCV) settings. We conducted database and grey literature searches and collected indicators from technical agencies, partnerships, donors, and nongovernmental organisations providing child public health services in FCV settings. Indicators were included if they were child-specific or disaggregated for ≤18 years. Indicators were coded into domains of health status, health service, social determinants, and health behaviours and analysed for trends in thematic focus and clarity. A total of 668 indicators were included. Routinely collected indicators (N = 152) focused on health status and health services. Donors required only 14 indicators. Technical bodies and academics recommended 502 indicators for routine measurement. Prioritised topics included nutrition, paediatrics, infectious diseases, mortality, and maternal-newborn care. There were notable gaps in indicators for child development and disability. Child protection indicators were not routinely collected, despite being the focus of 39% of recommended indicators. There were overlaps and duplications, varied age disaggregations, and 49% of indicators required interpretation to measure. The review demonstrates that it is feasible to routinely measure child public health outcomes in FCV settings. Recommendations from technical agencies and partnerships are characterised by numerous indicators with duplication, poor definitions, and siloed sector-specific focus. There are gaps in measurement of critical child public health topics. To improve safety and effectiveness of interventions for child public health, consensus is needed on priority topics and a shortlist of quality, standardised indicators that governmental and nongovernmental actors can be reasonably expected to measure. Indicators should be prioritised to support decision-making and include proxy indicators for periods when routine measurement is hampered