110023 research outputs found
Sort by
Which Factors Determine CO2 Emissions in China? Trade Openness, Financial Development, Coal Consumption, Economic Growth or Urbanization: Quantile Granger Causality Test
No full text[[abstract]]The current study employs a Granger causality test within a Quantile approach investigating CO2 emission determinants in China. Results show urbanization, financial development and openness to trade are leading determinants of CO2 emissions in China. These results highlight climate change issues while taking advantage of a new methodology to fill a gap in the current literature. Our findings show key implications for PRC government policy related to pollutant reduction policy
Association between young onset dementia and the risk of hospitalization for motor vehicle Crash injury in Taiwan
No full text[[abstract]]Importance: Several studies have suggested that older-onset dementia is associated with an increased risk of motor vehicle crash injury (MVCI). However, evidence of an association between young-onset dementia and the risk of MVCI is insufficient, particularly in Asia.
Objective: To investigate the association between young-onset dementia and MVCI-related hospitalization in Taiwan.
Design, setting, and participants: In this nationwide, population-based cohort study in Taiwan, a cohort of 39 344 patients aged 40 to 64 years with incident dementia diagnosed between 2006 and 2012 was matched 1:1 with a cohort of participants without dementia by age, sex, and index year (initial diagnosis of dementia). Participants were identified from Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD). Data were analyzed between March 25 and October 22, 2021.
Exposures: Dementia, defined by International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification codes.
Main outcomes and measures: Hospitalization for MVCI, determined using linked data from Taiwan's Police-Reported Traffic Accident Registry and the NHIRD from January 1, 2003, to December 31, 2015. Hazard ratios (HRs) for MVCI-related hospitalization were estimated using Cox proportional hazards regression models adjusted for sex, age, salary-based insurance premium, urbanization level, and comorbidities.
Results: Of the 78 688 participants, 47 034 (59.8%) were male; the mean (SD) age was 54.5 (7.4) years. During the 10-year follow-up period, the incidence density of MVCI-related hospitalization was 45.58 per 10 000 person-years (95% CI, 42.77-48.39 per 10 000 person-years) among participants with dementia and 24.10 per 10 000 person-years (95% CI, 22.22-25.99 per 10 000 person-years) among participants without dementia. Compared with participants without dementia, patients with young-onset dementia were at higher risk of MVCI-related hospitalization (adjusted HR [aHR], 1.83; 95% CI, 1.63-2.06), especially those in younger age groups (aged 40-44 years: aHR, 3.54; 95% CI, 2.48-5.07) and within a shorter period (within 1 year of follow-up: aHR, 3.53; 95% CI, 2.50-4.98) after dementia was diagnosed. Patients with young-onset dementia also had a higher risk of being a pedestrian when the crash occurred (aHR, 2.89; 95% CI, 2.04-4.11), having an intracranial or internal injury (aHR, 2.44; 95% CI, 2.02-2.94), and having a severe injury (aHR, 2.90; 95% CI, 2.16-3.89).
Conclusions and relevance: In this retrospective cohort study, patients in Taiwan with a diagnosis of young-onset dementia had a higher risk of MVCI-related hospitalization than did individuals without dementia and the risk varied by age, disease duration, transport mode, injury type, and injury severity. These findings suggest a need for the planning of strategies to prevent transportation crashes among patients with young-onset dementia
Community curiosity on COVID-19 based on Google Trends in Indonesia: An Infodemic Study
No full text[[abstract]]This study estimated real-time responsiveness in the early days of the COVID-19 outbreak in Indonesia using Google Trends. Twenty-eight keywords were checked between January 1 and May 4, 2020, and categorized into basic information, prevention, government role, conspiracy, and other issues related to COVID-19. Before the first case, the popular search topics were basic information and conspiracy. In the first month, basic information, prevention, and government role topics experienced the maximum value. In the subsequent phase, government roles and other issues got more attention. Most correlation coefficients between the keywords in basic information or prevention and the new case numbers were ?0.7
Comparison of the Clinical Outcomes and Efficiencies of HIFU(High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound), Da Vinci Robotic Surgery andLaparoscopic Surgery for Uterine Fibroids: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
No full text[[abstract]]Background: Uterine fibroids are common benign tumors among premenopausal women. High- intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) is an emerging non-invasive intervention which uses the high-intensity ultrasound waves from ultrasound probes to focus on the targeted fibroids. However, the efficacy of HIFU in comparison with that of other common treatment types in clinical procedure remains unclear.
Objective: To investigate the comparative effectiveness and safety of HIFU with other techniques which have been widely used in clinical settings.
Methods: We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, PubMed, EMBASE, Cumulative Index to Nursing & Allied Health Literature, Web of Science, ProQuest Nursing & Allied Health Database, and three Chinese academic databases, including randomized controlled trials (RCTs), non-RCTs, and cohort studies. The primary outcome was the rate of re-intervention, and the GRADE approach was used to interpret the findings.
Results: About 18 studies met the inclusion criteria. HIFU was associated with an increased risk of re-intervention rate in comparison with myomectomy (MYO) [pooled odds ratio (OR): 4.05, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.82–8.9]. The results favored HIFU in comparison with hysterectomy (HYS) on the change of follicle-stimulating hormone [pooled mean difference (MD): ?7.95, 95% CI: ?8.92–6.98), luteinizing hormone (MD: ?4.38, 95% CI: ?5.17?3.59), and estradiol (pooled MD: 43.82, 95% CI: 36.92–50.72)]. HIFU had a shorter duration of hospital stay in comparison with MYO (pooled MD: ?4.70, 95% CI: ?7.46?1.94, p < 0.01). It had a lower incidence of fever (pooled OR: 0.15, 95% CI: 0.06–0.39, p < 0.01) and a lower incidence of major adverse events (pooled OR: 0.04, 95% CI: 0.00–0.30, p < 0.01) in comparison with HYS.
Conclusions: High-intensity focused ultrasound may help maintain feminity and shorten the duration of hospital stay. High-quality clinical studies with a large sample size, a long-term follow-up, and the newest HIFU treatment protocol for evaluating the re-intervention rate are suggested to be carried out. Clinical decision should be based on the specific situation of the patients and individual values
Suicide Ideation among Outpatients with Alcohol Use Disorder
No full text[[abstract]]Introduction: Individuals with substance use disorders, particularly those with alcohol use disorder (AUD), have a high risk of suicide. Therefore, identifying risk factors for suicide in these individuals is crucial.
Methods: This retrospective study reviewed the medical records of individuals with AUD who participated in an alcohol treatment program in central Taiwan during 2019-2020. We collected data using the Cut down, Annoyed, Guilty, and Eye-opener questionnaire, Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), Brief Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test (MAST), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), and a suicidal ideation question. Furthermore, we collected information on several related variables, namely, sex, age, marital status, years in school, employment status, family history of alcohol problems, age at first exposure to alcohol, duration of alcohol use, history of alcohol cessation, history of domestic violence, and history of drunk driving. In total, 136 individuals were recruited to participate in this study.
Results: The suicidal ideation group had significantly younger participants, a higher proportion of women, a higher proportion of participants with a history of domestic violence, a greater severity of alcohol addiction (based on both AUDIT and MAST scores), higher depression scores, higher anxiety scores, less social support, a lower quality of life (World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL)), and poorer sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, PSQI) compared with the nonsuicidal ideation group. The suicidal ideation score was correlated with the AUDIT score after age, and BDI, BAI, WHOQOL, and PSQI scores were controlled for (P = 0.034).
Conclusion: Individuals with higher AUDIT scores visiting a clinic for alcohol treatment might have a higher risk of suicidal ideation. Therefore, clinicians should pay close attention to the suicidal ideation problem in this population. Furthermore, appropriate medication or management programs for suicide prevention should be considered
Does Smartphone Addiction, Social Media Addiction, and/or Internet game Addiction Affect Adolescents’ Interpersonal Interactions?
No full text[[abstract]]The purpose of this study is to investigate the correlations that levels of addiction to smartphones, social media, and online games have with levels of real-life and online interpersonal interactions among adolescents. In this cross-sectional study of adolescents in a college in Taiwan, structured questionnaire surveys were used to collect information. The questionnaire included the following: demographic background, Real Interpersonal Interaction Scale (RIIS), Internet Interpersonal Interaction Scale (IIIS), Smartphone Application-Based Addiction Scale (SABAS), Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale (BSMAS), and Internet Gaming Disorder Scale-Short Form (IGDS9-SF). Multiple regression analyses were carried out to investigate the correlations between SABAS, BSMAS, IGDS9-SF, and RIIS/IIIS. We recruited 998 students (413 boys). The average age was 17.18 ± 1.46. The study results show that adolescents with higher levels of addiction to smartphones and social media may have greater interpersonal interaction with friends in real life, but adolescents with high levels of addiction to online games may have less interpersonal interactions with friends in real life. Adolescents with high levels of addiction to smartphones, social media, and online games may have greater interpersonal interactions with friends online
台灣中高齡父母的孝道信念、知覺媳婦的孝行與自身心理適應三者關係探究
No full text[[abstract]]This study explores the relationships among the filial beliefs of middle-aged and elderly people, perceived filial behavior of their daughters-in-law, and their own depression and happiness. This research adopted a self-reported questionnaire survey method. The valid sample size is 233 with 50-69 years old middle-aged and elderly people. The research measures include the "Chinese happiness scale (very short version)", "TLSA short CES-D mental depression scale", "dual filial piety scale" and "perceived daughter-in-law's filial behavior scale" adapted from "dual filial piety scale". The statistical methods of data analyses include Pearson's correlation, independent sample t-test, and multiple regression analysis by controlling for demongraphic variables. The main findings of this study are shown as follows： (1) Middle-aged and elderly people still generally value filial piety (no matter reciprocal or authoritarian filial piety), and the importance of reciprocal filial piety is still significantly higher than that of authortarian filial piety. The authortarian filial piety beliefs of middle-aged and elderly people are positively correlated with their sense of depression; The reciprocal filial piety beliefs are positively correlated with their sense of happiness. (2) The more middle-aged and elderly people (in-laws) perceive the reciprocal and authortarian filial behavior of their daughter-in-law, the lower their sense of depression and the higher their sense of happiness. (3) The scores on authortarian filial beliefs are significantly higher for those who are older, have not received higher education, and live with the designated daughter-in-law; at present, those who have children living with them, and have the designated daughter-in-law living with them have significantly higher scores on perceived daughter-in-law's dual filial behavior; those with poor self-assessed physical health had a significantly higher score on depression and a significantly lower score on happiness. (4) The two kinds of filial behavior (reciprocal and authoritarian) enacted from their daughter-in-law perceived by middle-aged and elderly people (in-laws) can help their personal psychological adaptation. On the one hand, they can increase their happiness, and on the other hand, they can reduce their depression. (5) The moderating effect of the authortarian filial belief of the middle-aged and elderly people in each mentioned model has reached a significant level; this result implys that authoritarian filial belief plays an important role of the interaction between Taiwanes parents-in-laws and daughters-in-laws. The results of this study can be used as a reference for the interaction between the parents-in-laws and the daughters-in-laws
Low mean HbA1c does not increase all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in patients with diabetes: Effect-modifications by anemia and chronic kidney disease stages
No full text[[abstract]]Background: Previous studies reported that low levels of glycated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) were associated with increased mortality. We investigated rates and risks of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in association with mean HbA1c levels with stratification of anemia and chronic kidney disease (CKD) stages, major causes of low HbA1c.
Methods: 47,145 patients with prescription of antidiabetic agents >6 months in the outpatient visits (2003-2018) were linked to Taiwan's National Death Registry to identify all-cause and cardiovascular mortality. Poisson assumption was used to estimate the mortality rates, and the Cox proportional hazard regression model was used to evaluate the relative hazards of respective mortality in relation to mean HbA1c in different statuses of anemia and CKD stages.
Results: All-cause and cardiovascular mortality rates were the lowest in non-anemic stages 1-2 CKD patients, and the highest in anemic stages 3-5 CKD patients. In stages 1-2 CKD, excessive HRs observed in those with mean HbA1c <6.0% (Hazard Ratio [HR]) 1.58; 95% Confidence Interval [CI] 1.18-2.12) became inconsequential after adjustment of medications and laboratory results (HR: 1.26; 95% CI 0.89-1.79). The similar patterns were observed in anemic stages 1-2 CKD, anemic or non-anemic stages 3-5 CKD. Low HbA1c was not related to cardiovascular mortality in any anemia status or CKD staging.
Conclusions: Higher risks associated with low mean HbA1c and all-cause mortality were attenuated by adjustment of medications and comorbidities. It is imperative for the diabetologists to consider confounding effects of underlying illness before concluding low HbA1c associated higher mortality
Risk of motorcycle collisions among patients with type 2 diabetes: A population-based cohort study with age and sex stratifications in Taiwan
No full text[[abstract]]Aims: To investigate the overall and sex-age-specific absolute and relative risks of motorcycle collisions at road traffic accidents among patients with type 2 diabetes.
Methods: A cohort study in Taiwan was conducted by following 989,495 patients with type 2 diabetes and the same number of matched controls recruited between 2010 and 2012 to the end of 2016. Collision events by motorcycle driver victims were identified from the Police-reported Traffic Accident Registry. Overall and sex-age-specific incidence rates of collision involving motorcycle driver victims were estimated under Poisson assumption. The Cox proportional hazard regression models were performed to estimate the hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of collision in association with type 2 diabetes.
Results: Over an up to 7 years of follow-up, patients with type 2 diabetes had a higher incidence rate of motorcycle collision than controls at 1.16 and 0.89 per 100 person-years, respectively, which represented a significantly elevated HR of 1.28 (95% CI 1.27-1.30) after adjusting for potential confounders including various diabetic complications. The elevated HR was similarly seen in both men and women patients, and was significantly decreasing with increasing age regardless of sex. Little evidence supported the dose-response relationship between duration of type 2 diabetes and motorcycle collision risk.
Conclusions: After adjustment for common diabetic complications and comorbidities that could impair driving performance, patients with type 2 diabetes still suffered from increased risk of motorcycle collisions, regardless of sex, but was more evident in younger than in older patients
臺灣青年COVID-19期間電子煙使用易感之調查與防制
No full text[[abstract]]現階段臺灣正處疫情期間，我們對於臺灣青年的電子菸使用動機及易感知之甚少。透過社會學習理論與結果預期模型文獻，本研究假設疫情期間社群媒體菸品曝光度（媒體影響、社群影響）、正向結果預期（社交誘因、情感誘因、感官誘因）、負向結果預期（健康疑慮與成癮疑慮）與紙菸使用經驗對臺灣青年電子菸使用易感可能存在影響。本研究共蒐集到267位臺灣青年的有效樣本數據，並以結構方程模型檢驗數據有效性及驗證研究假設。結果顯示，僅有情感誘因、感官誘因與使用經驗會影響臺灣青年使用電子菸的易感程度。本研究實證結果將有助於政府菸害防制相關單[[abstract]]While the COVID-20 pandemic prevention, increasingly isolation may result in psychosocial stress, which is a risk factor for e-cigarettes. There is sparse evidence for the intention behind using e-cigarette among young Taiwanese. Based to social learningeory and outcome expectancy, this study provides empirical support for a motivation behind using e-cigarettes by testing the impacted variables derived from the integrated model of smoking on social media (social media and social effect), positive outcome expectation (social, emotion, sensation), negative out-come expectation (harm for health and addiction), and experience with conventional cigarettes. A cross-sectional e-survey was conducted among Taiwanese youths. A total of 266 smokers aged 19-25 years were recruited through an access panel. Findings indicated that in the COVID-19 context, the influences of emotional, sensational stimulations, and experience with conventional cigarettes positively predicts the level of intention for using e-cigarettes. The current study identified the psychosocial mechanisms of intention of e-cigarettes Taiwanese's user during the COVID-19 pandemic, which could be used as an empirical basis for the development of interventions to prevent tobacco. These efforts can help health promotion and reduce the costs of tobacco harm actually outweigh any financial benefits.