Reducing children’s exposure to unhealthy food marketing is crucial to combat childhood obesity. We aimed to estimate the reduction of children’s exposure to food marketing under different policy scenarios and assess exposure differences by socio-economic status.

Data on children’s exposure to unhealthy food marketing were compiled from a previous cross-sectional study in which children (n 168) wore wearable cameras and Global Positioning System (GPS) units for 4 consecutive days. For each exposure, we identified the setting, the marketing medium and food/beverage product category. We analysed the percentage reduction in food marketing exposure for ten policy scenarios and by socio-economic deprivation: (1) no product packaging, (2) no merchandise marketing, (3) no sugary drink marketing, (4) no confectionary marketing in schools, (5) no sugary drink marketing in schools, (6) no marketing in public spaces, (7) no marketing within 400 m of schools, (8) no marketing within 400 m of recreation venues, (9) no marketing within 400 m of bus stops and (10) no marketing within 400 m of major roads.

Wellington region of New Zealand.

168 children aged 11–14 years.

Exposure to food marketing varied by setting, marketing medium and product category. Among the ten policy scenarios, the largest reductions were for plain packaging (60·3 %), no sugary drink marketing (28·8 %) and no marketing in public spaces (22·2 %). There were no differences by socio-economic deprivation.

The results suggest that plain packaging would result in the greatest decrease in children’s exposure to food marketing. However, given that children are regularly exposed to unhealthy food marketing in multiple settings through a range of marketing mediums, comprehensive bans are needed to protect children’s health.

To examine the association of co-morbidity with home-time after acute stroke and whether the association is influenced by age.

We conducted a province-wide study using linked administrative databases to identify all admissions for first acute ischemic stroke or intracerebral hemorrhage between 2007 and 2018 in Alberta, Canada. We used ischemic stroke-weighted Charlson Co-morbidity Index of 3 or more to identify those with severe co-morbidity. We used zero-inflated negative binomial models to determine the association of severe co-morbidity with 90-day and 1-year home-time, and logistic models for achieving ≥ 80 out of 90 days of home-time, assessing for effect modification by age and adjusting for sex, stroke type, comprehensive stroke center care, hypertension, atrial fibrillation, year of study, and separately adjusting for estimated stroke severity. We also evaluated individual co-morbidities.

Among 28,672 patients in our final cohort, severe co-morbidity was present in 27.7% and was associated with lower home-time, with a greater number of days lost at younger age (−13 days at age < 60 compared to −7 days at age 80+ years for 90-day home-time; −69 days at age < 60 compared to −51 days at age 80+ years for 1-year home-time). The reduction in probability of achieving ≥ 80 days of home-time was also greater at younger age (−22.7% at age < 60 years compared to −9.0% at age 80+ years). Results were attenuated but remained significant after adjusting for estimated stroke severity and excluding those who died. Myocardial infarction, diabetes, and cancer/metastases had a greater association with lower home-time at younger age, and those with dementia had the greatest reduction in home time.

Severe co-morbidity in acute stroke is associated with lower home-time, more strongly at younger age.

To systematically identify and review food taxation policy changes in Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs).

Food taxation polices, regarding excise taxes and tariffs applied from 2000 to 2020 in twenty-two PICTs, and their key characteristics were reviewed. The search was conducted using databases, government legal repositories and broad-based search engines. Identified documents for screening included legislation, reports, academic literature, news articles and grey literature. Key informants were contacted from each PICT to retrieve further data and confirm results. Results were analysed by narrative synthesis.

Noncommunicable diseases (NCD) are the leading cause of premature death in PICTs and in many jurisdictions globally. An NCD crisis has been declared in the Pacific, and food taxation policy has been recommended to address the dietary risk factors associated with. Progress is unclear.

Of the twenty-two PICTs included in the study, fourteen had food taxation policies and five introduced excise taxes. Processed foods, sugar and salt were the main target of excise taxes. A total of eighty-four food taxation policy changes were identified across all food groups. There was a total of 279 taxes identified by food group, of which 85 % were tariffs and 15 % were excise taxes. Individual tax rates varied substantially. The predominant tax design was ad valorem, and this was followed by volumetric.

A quarter of PICTs have introduced food excise taxes from 2000 to 2020. Further excise taxes, specifically tiered or nutrient-specific designs, could be introduced and more systematically applied to a broader range of unhealthy foods.

The Passive Surveillance Stroke Severity (PaSSV) Indicator was derived to estimate stroke severity from variables in administrative datasets but has not been externally validated.

We used linked administrative datasets to identify patients with first hospitalization for acute stroke between 2007-2018 in Alberta, Canada. We used the PaSSV indicator to estimate stroke severity. We used Cox proportional hazard models and evaluated the change in hazard ratios and model discrimination for 30-day and 1-year case fatality with and without PaSSV. Similar comparisons were made for 90-day home time thresholds using logistic regression. We also linked with a clinical registry to obtain National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) and compared estimates from models without stroke severity, with PaSSV, and with NIHSS.

There were 28,672 patients with acute stroke in the full sample. In comparison to no stroke severity, addition of PaSSV to the 30-day case fatality models resulted in improvement in model discrimination (C-statistic 0.72 [95%CI 0.71–0.73] to 0.80 [0.79–0.80]). After adjustment for PaSSV, admission to a comprehensive stroke center was associated with lower 30-day case fatality (adjusted hazard ratio changed from 1.03 [0.96–1.10] to 0.72 [0.67–0.77]). In the registry sample (N = 1328), model discrimination for 30-day case fatality improved with the inclusion of stroke severity. Results were similar for 1-year case fatality and home time outcomes.

Addition of PaSSV improved model discrimination for case fatality and home time outcomes. The validity of PASSV in two Canadian provinces suggests that it is a useful tool for baseline risk adjustment in acute stroke.

As the understanding of health care worker lived experience during coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) grows, the experiences of those utilizing emergency health care services (EHS) during the pandemic are yet to be fully appreciated.

The objective of this research was to explore lived experience of EHS utilization in Victoria, Australia during the COVID-19 pandemic from March 2020 through March 2021.

An explorative qualitative design underpinned by a phenomenological approach was applied. Data were collected through semi-structured, in-depth interviews, which were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using Colaizzi’s approach.

Qualitative data were collected from 67 participants aged from 32 to 78-years-of-age (average age of 52). Just over one-half of the research participants were male (54%) and three-quarters lived in metropolitan regions (75%). Four key themes emerged from data analysis: (1) Concerns regarding exposure and infection delayed EHS utilization among participants with chronic health conditions; (2) Participants with acute health conditions expressed concern regarding the impact of COVID-19 on their care, but continued to access services as required; (3) Participants caring for people with sensory and developmental disabilities identified unique communication needs during interactions with EHS during the COVID-19 pandemic; communicating with emergency health care workers wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) was identified as a key challenge, with face masks reported as especially problematic for people who are deaf or hard-of-hearing; and (4) Children and older people also experienced communication challenges associated with PPE, and the need for connection with emergency health care workers was important for positive lived experience during interactions with EHS throughout the pandemic.

This research provides an important insight into the lived experience of EHS utilization during the COVID-19 pandemic, a perspective currently lacking in the published peer-reviewed literature.

Contemporary data on temporal trends in acute stroke incidence, specific to stroke type and age, are lacking. We sought to evaluate temporal trends in incidence of ischemic stroke and intracerebral hemorrhage over 15 years in a large population.

We used linked administrative data to identify all emergency department visits and hospital admissions for first-ever ischemic stroke or intracerebral hemorrhage in Ontario, Canada from 2003–2017. We evaluated annual age-/sex-standardized incidence per 100,000 person-years for ischemic stroke and intracerebral hemorrhage across the study period. We used negative binomial regression to determine incidence rate ratios for each year compared to 2003, with assessment of modification by age, sex, or stroke type.

Our cohort had 163,574 people with stroke (88% ischemic stroke). For ischemic stroke and intracerebral hemorrhage combined, age-/sex-standardized incidence decreased between 2003 and 2011 (standardized rate 109.4 to 85.8 per 100,000; 22%), then increased until 2017 (standardized rate 96.8 per 100,000; 13%). The pattern of change was similar for ischemic stroke and intracerebral hemorrhage, and for men and women, but was modified by age. For those aged 60 and above, adjusted incidence rate ratios decreased from 2003 to 2011 then subsequently increased, whereas for those aged <60 years incidence rate ratios increased throughout the entire study time period, particularly after 2011.

Acute stroke incidence decreased from 2003 to 2011 but subsequently increased until 2017. Among those aged <60, incidence increased continuously from 2003 to 2017 but especially after 2011. The underlying reasons for these changes should be determined.

Poor physical health in severe mental illness (SMI) remains a major issue for clinical practice.

To use electronic health records of routinely collected clinical data to determine levels of screening for cardiometabolic disease and adverse health outcomes in a large sample (n = 7718) of patients with SMI, predominantly schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

We linked data from the Glasgow Psychosis Clinical Information System (PsyCIS) to morbidity records, routine blood results and prescribing data.

There was no record of routine blood monitoring during the preceding 2 years for 16.9% of the cohort. However, monitoring was poorer for male patients, younger patients aged 16–44, those with schizophrenia, and for tests of cholesterol, triglyceride and glycosylated haemoglobin. We estimated that 8.0% of participants had diabetes and that lipids levels, and use of lipid-lowering medication, was generally high.

Electronic record linkage identified poor health screening and adverse health outcomes in this vulnerable patient group. This approach can inform the design of future interventions and health policy.

Influenza A (H1N1) pdm09 became the predominant circulating strain in the United States during the 2013–2014 influenza season. Little is known about the epidemiology of severe influenza during this season.

A retrospective cohort study of severely ill patients with influenza infection in intensive care units in 33 US hospitals from September 1, 2013, through April 1, 2014, was conducted to determine risk factors for mortality present on intensive care unit admission and to describe patient characteristics, spectrum of disease, management, and outcomes.

A total of 444 adults and 63 children were admitted to an intensive care unit in a study hospital; 93 adults (20.9%) and 4 children (6.3%) died. By logistic regression analysis, the following factors were significantly associated with mortality among adult patients: older age (>65 years, odds ratio, 3.1 [95% CI, 1.4–6.9], P=.006 and 50–64 years, 2.5 [1.3–4.9], P=.007; reference age 18–49 years), male sex (1.9 [1.1–3.3], P=.031), history of malignant tumor with chemotherapy administered within the prior 6 months (12.1 [3.9–37.0], P<.001), and a higher Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score (for each increase by 1 in score, 1.3 [1.2–1.4], P<.001).

Risk factors for death among US patients with severe influenza during the 2013–2014 season, when influenza A (H1N1) pdm09 was the predominant circulating strain type, shifted in the first postpandemic season in which it predominated toward those of a more typical epidemic influenza season.

Infect. Control Hosp. Epidemiol. 2015;36(11):1251–1260

To investigate whether socioeconomic status influenced rates of depot medication prescribing, polypharmacy (more than two psychotropic medications), newer (second-generation) antipsychotic prescribing and clozapine therapy. Postcodes, Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD) categories and current medication status were ascertained. Patients in the most deprived SIMD groups (8–10 combined) were compared with those in the most affluent SIMD groups (1–3 combined).

Overall, 3200 patients with ICD-10 schizophrenia were identified. No clear relationship between socioeconomic status and any of the four prescribing areas was identified, although rates of depot medication use in deprived areas were slightly higher.

Contrary to our hypothesis, there was no evidence that patients with schizophrenia within NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde who live in more deprived communities had different prescribing experiences from patients living in more affluent areas.

High rates of osteoporosis in schizophrenia may result from the prolactin-raising effects of some antipsychotic medication.

To examine bone mineral density in relation to relevant endocrine variables in patients with schizophrenia taking prolactin-raising antipsychotics.

Fifty-five patients who had been receiving prolactin-raising antipsychotic medication for > 10 years underwent dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry of their lumbar and hip bones. Among the endocrine variables assessed were plasma prolactin and sex hormones.

Age-related reduced bone mineral density measures were found in 17 (57%) of the male and 8 (32%) of the female patients. Higher doses of medication were associated with increased rates of both hyperprolactinaemia and bone mineral density loss. Bone loss for the whole group was correlated with medication dose, and for men was inversely correlated with testosterone values.

These results suggestthat patients with schizophrenia on long-term prolactin-raising antipsychotic medication are at high risk of developing reduced bone mineral density as a consequence of hyperprolactinaemia-induced hypogonadism.