Benzodiazepine use among physicians is an important public health issue related to physicians’ well-being and patient safety.

This study aimed to evaluate the patterns and correlates of benzodiazepine use in physicians by comparing the characteristics of heavy users with those of low-dose users.

We identified 4844 physicians with a history of benzodiazepine use as the benzodiazepine cohort from 32 080 physicians from the population-based Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database from 2014 to 2020. Benzodiazepine users were divided into low-dose, intermediate and heavy users based on their yearly equivalent dosage of <20, 20–150 and >150 defined daily dose (DDD) per year, respectively. Differences in demographic characteristics and specialities between the benzodiazepine and control cohorts were compared via univariate and multivariate logistic regression models. A generalised estimating equation was used to investigate the relationship between benzodiazepine use and comorbidities.

Among all of the physicians, 15.1% used benzodiazepine. Male physicians were more likely to use benzodiazepines and become heavy users. Older age, sleep disorders and depression were significantly associated with heavy benzodiazepine use. Regarding physician specialities, the highest prevalence of benzodiazepine use was observed in otorhinolaryngology (19.8%), followed by family medicine (19.1%). Odds of benzodiazepine use were 2.20 and 2.90 times greater in physicians with sleep disorders and depression, respectively.

Comorbidities of depression and sleep disorders are associated with increased probability of benzodiazepine use. Providing stress-coping strategies and appropriate treatment for mental disorders is recommended to support the overall well-being of physicians.

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a safe and effective treatment for several major psychiatric conditions, including treatment-resistant depression, mania, and schizophrenia; nevertheless, its use remains controversial. Despite its availability in some European countries, ECT is still rarely used in others. This study aims to investigate the experiences and attitudes of early career psychiatrists (ECPs) across Europe towards ECT and to examine how their exposure to ECT influences their perceptions.

In Europe, a cross-sectional survey was conducted among ECPs, including psychiatric trainees and recently fully qualified psychiatrists.

A total of 573 participants from 30 European countries were included in the study, of whom more than half (N = 312; 54.5%) received ECT training. Overall, ECPs had a positive attitude towards ECT, with the vast majority agreeing or strongly agreeing that ECT is an effective (N = 509; 88.8%) and safe (N = 464; 81.0%) treatment and disagreeing or strongly disagreeing that ECT was used as a form of control or punishment (N = 545; 95.1%). Those who had received ECT training during their psychiatry training were more likely to recommend ECT to their patients (p < 0.001, r = 0.34), and held more positive views on its safety (p < 0.001, r = 0.31) and effectiveness (p < 0.001, r = 0.33). Interest in further education about ECT was moderately high (modal rating on Likert scale: 4, agree), irrespective of prior training exposure.

ECT training is associated with more favorable perceptions of its safety and effectiveness among ECPs. There is a general willingness among ECPs to expand their knowledge and training on ECT, which could enhance patients’ access to this treatment.

To determine factors predicting emergency preparedness (EP) behaviors among Hawaii parents.

A cross-sectional online survey of parents of children (age 0-12 y) living in Honolulu, Hawaii, in March 2023 examined associations with (1) having an EP kit (supplies for use during emergencies) and (2) having a family emergency plan (what to do, where to go, how to communicate during emergencies) with demographics/household characteristics and theoretical constructs of the Health Belief Model. A multivariable regression model obtained odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals.

Participants (N = 278) were mainly female (84%), college-educated (68%), and were similar in diverse racial/ethnic composure (White; 13.3%) to the overall Honolulu County. Logistic regression determined participants with lower perceived susceptibility to disasters, greater time barriers, and those who needed help to prepare for emergencies were less likely to have an EP kit. Among participants without an EP kit, a website able to create personalized instructions for household EP would be useful. Participants who needed help to prepare for emergencies were less likely to have a family emergency plan.

Future interventions should focus on evidence-based strategies that improve self-efficacy associated with developing EP kits and family emergency plans.

While declarative learning is dependent on the hippocampus, procedural learning and repetition priming can operate independently from the hippocampus, making them potential targets for behavioral interventions that utilize non-declarative memory systems to compensate for the declarative learning deficits associated with hippocampal insult. Few studies have assessed procedural learning and repetition priming in individuals with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI).

This study offers an overview across declarative, conceptual repetition priming, and procedural learning tasks by providing between-group effect sizes and Bayes Factors (BFs) comparing individuals with aMCI and controls. Seventy-six individuals with aMCI and 83 cognitively unimpaired controls were assessed. We hypothesized to see the largest differences between individuals with aMCI and controls on declarative learning, followed by conceptual repetition priming, with the smallest differences on procedural learning.

Consistent with our hypotheses, we found large differences between groups with supporting BFs on declarative learning. For conceptual repetition priming, we found a small-to-moderate between-group effect size and a non-conclusive BF somewhat in favor of a difference between groups. We found more variable but overall trivial differences on procedural learning tasks, with inconclusive BFs, in line with expectations.

The current results suggest that conceptual repetition priming does not remain intact in individuals with aMCI while procedural learning may remain intact. While additional studies are needed, our results contribute to the evidence-base that suggests that procedural learning may remain spared in aMCI and helps inform behavioral interventions that aim to utilize procedural learning in this population.

To estimate the prevalence of vitamin A deficiency (VAD) in children and associated risk factors.

Analysis of data from a cross-sectional multicentre study performed in the primary care units of the municipalities from January to June 2015. The children’s legal guardians answered a socio-economic questionnaire, and the children’s blood samples were obtained by venipuncture. Plasma retinol was determined by HPLC. Plasma retinol values of <0·70 μmol/l were considered VDA. Poisson multiple regression with robust variance was used. Values of P < 0·05 were considered significant. The data were analysed in the SPSS software, 21.0.

Forty-eight poorest municipalities in the South Region of Brazil.

Children (n 1503) aged 12–59 months.

The prevalence of VAD in the sample was 1·9 % (95 % CI (0·5, 6·8)). The following risk factors were associated with the outcome in the final explanatory model: family received Bolsa Familia program benefits (PR = 3·19; 95 % CI (1·69, 6·02)), child was not being breastfed (PR = 5·22; 95 % CI (1·68, 16·18)) and stunting (PR = 4·75; 95 % CI (2·10, 10·73)).

VAD did not represent a public health problem for children living in socio-economically vulnerable municipalities in the South Region of Brazil, suggesting a new panorama of this nutritional deficiency even in regions of low socio-economic conditions in these three states. Thus, in view of the current nutritional transition scenario, it is necessary to continuously monitor and improve public policies related to vitamin A supplementation in the country.

To investigate the association between fruit and vegetable (F&V) intake with suicidal ideation.

Cross-sectional study using a Korean Community Health Survey.

F&V consumers were defined as individuals who had consumed fruits or vegetables more than once per day. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to identify factors associated with suicidal ideation including F&V consumption and to estimate the prevalence of having suicidal ideation after consideration of potential confounders.

221 081 Korea adults (nationally representative).

Approximately 55 % of participants were F&V consumers. They were more likely to be young, be women, attain high educational levels, be married and be healthier physically and psychologically than the F&V non-consumers. Non-consumers had an increased risk for suicidal ideation than consumers even when potential confounders were considered, and this trend was more remarkable with vegetable intake.

F&V intake is associated with low risk for suicidal ideation.

To examine the hypothesis that rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients are less likely than healthy individuals to adhere to the dietary approaches to stop hypertension (DASH) dietary pattern.

A multi-centre cross-sectional study involving a total of 300 eligible Iranian adults (aged >19 years; 93·0 % female) recruited during 2019–2020. Participants’ actual dietary intakes were measured via self-administered 3-d dietary records. The DASH score was computed based on the energy-adjusted intakes of eight major dietary components usually emphasised (i.e. fruits, vegetables, nuts and legumes, low-fat dairy products and whole grains) or minimised (i.e. sweets, red or processed meats and sodium) in the DASH diet. The higher the DASH score of subjects, the greater their adherence to the DASH pattern.

The outpatient clinics of major general hospitals in Shiraz, Iran.

100 incident cases with definite RA according to the 2010 American College of Rheumatology/European League Against Rheumatism Classification Criteria for RA and 200 apparently healthy controls frequency-matched by gender and age.

After adjusting for several potential covariates in the binary logistic regression analysis, RA cases were less likely than controls to have high adherence to the DASH pattern (OR = 0·08; 95 % CI 0·03, 0·20; P = 0·001).

Our findings in a sample of Iranian adults revealed that RA patients are less likely than healthy individuals to adhere to the DASH dietary pattern. However, the potential causal association of greater adherence to the DASH pattern and lower risk of RA needs to be confirmed by prospective studies of high methodological quality.

This study’s goal was to determine the perceived risks of infection as well as the perceived risks of hospitalization and death from COVID-19 in Ecuador and Kenya. It also assessed the factors associated with the risk-related perceptions.

Cross-sectional studies with samples from the adult populations in both countries were conducted to assess the perceived risks of contracting COVID-19. Data were collected online using the Qualtrics platform (Qualtrics, Provo, Utah, United States) from samples of 1050 heads of households, aged 18 years or older, in each country. A total of 3 statistical analyses were conducted: summary statistics, correlation, and linear regression.

The average perceived risks of COVID-19 infection, hospitalization, and death in the Kenyan sample were 27.1%, 43.2%, and 17.2%, respectively, and the values for the Ecuadorian sample were 34%, 32.8%, and 23.3%, respectively. The Pearson’s correlation coefficients between the risk measures in each country were less than 0.38. Risk measures were associated with several sociodemographic variables (e.g., income, gender, location), but not with age.

The perceived risks of COVID-19 infection, hospitalization, and death in Kenya and Ecuador were significantly higher relative to the statistics reported; however, no strong association existed between perceived risk and age, which is a key factor in adverse health outcomes, including death, among COVID-19 infected individuals.

To assess the factors associated with overweight and obesity among women of childbearing age in Brazil.

Cross-sectional study.

Using the National Health Survey (PNS) database, from the year 2013. The socio-economic and demographic factors analysed were age, race/skin colour, region, marital status, education level, employment and family income. Concerning health history, diagnoses of hypertension, diabetes mellitus, high cholesterol, heart attack, stroke, chronic kidney disease, menarche, parity and depression were evaluated. For lifestyle information, health status, alcoholic beverage consumption, smoking and physical activity were included. The outcomes were obesity and overweight. The association of excess weight with socio-economic and demographic factors, health history and lifestyle characteristics was investigated according to the appropriate theoretical–conceptual model for the topic.

The sample size was 17 109 women aged 18–49 years.

The prevalence of women with excess weight was 55·20 %, with 33·26 % being overweight and 21·94 % with obesity. The factors associated with excess weight were age, non-white skin colour, having a partner, family income of up to two minimum wages, menarche before the age of 12, multiparity, diabetes mellitus, depression, hypertension, high cholesterol, stroke and heart attack.

The results showed an association between excess weight and socio-demographic factors, both determinants of general and reproductive health history. Implementation of effective public health policies is necessary to prevent unfavourable outcomes related to the health of women of childbearing age with excess weight.

Iodine deficiency is a public health problem, especially in Peru, where it affects women of childbearing age and school-age children. The objective of the study was to conduct a household-level analysis of the factors associated with the consumption of table salt with inadequate amounts of iodine in Peru.

Analytical cross-sectional study using Peruvian household-level data from the Demographic and Family Health Survey. Table salt iodine concentrations were considered as the dependent variable (‘inadequate’ with iodine levels <30 PPM and ‘adequate’ with levels ≥30 PPM). The association between iodine concentrations in salt and independent variables was evaluated using crude and adjusted log-binomial regression models.

Peru.

A total of 25 007 households were included.

In Peru, 21·8 % households had inadequate table salt iodine concentrations. Belonging to the poorer and poorest wealth index, living in the Highlands natural region, and living with women of childbearing age with native mother tongue were identified as factors associated with inadequate iodine concentrations in table salt.

There is an urgent need to ensure that table salt with adequate iodine concentrations is available for poor populations, residents of the Highlands and households with ethnic presence. Likewise, it is necessary to promote good storage practices, greater regulation/law enforcement and better monitoring of the companies that manufacture or sell this product. Furthermore, the population needs to be informed of the disorders associated with iodine deficiency.