Project description:ObjectivesThis paper presents the results of the consultations conducted with various stakeholders in Africa and other experts to document community perspectives on the types of research to be prioritised in outbreak conditions. The Delphi method was used to distill consensus.ResultsOur consultations highlighted as key, the notion that in an infectious disease outbreak situation, the need to establish an evidence base on how to reduce morbidity and mortality in real time takes precedence over the production of generalizable knowledge. Research studies that foster understanding of how disease transmission could be prevented in the future remain important, implementation research that explores how to mitigate the impact of outbreaks in the present should be prioritized. Clinical trials aiming to establish the safety profile of therapeutic interventions should be limited during the acute phase of an epidemic with high fatality-and should preferably use adaptive designs. We concluded that community members have valuable perspectives to share about research priorities during infectious disease emergencies. Well designed consultative processes could help identify these opinions.
Project description:BackgroundSchool-located influenza vaccination (SLV) programs can efficiently immunize large numbers of school-aged children. We evaluated the impact of SLV on laboratory-confirmed influenza and absenteeism.MethodsActive surveillance for influenza-like illness (ILI) was conducted on 4455 children in 4 SLV intervention and 4 control elementary schools (grades K-6) matched for sociodemographic characteristics during the 2010-2011 influenza season in Los Angeles County, California. Combined nose/throat swabs were collected from febrile children with ILI at presentation to the school nurse or during absenteeism.ResultsIn SLV schools, 26.9%-46.6% of enrolled students received at least 1 dose of either inactivated or live attenuated influenza vaccine compared with 0.8%-4.3% in control schools. Polymerase chain reaction for respiratory viruses (PCR) was performed on 1021 specimens obtained from 898 children. Specimens were positive for influenza in 217 (21.3%), including 2009 H1N1 (30.9%), H3 (9.2%), and B (59.9%). Children attending SLV schools, regardless of vaccination status, were 30.8% (95% confidence interval, 10.1%-46.8%) less likely to acquire influenza compared with children at control schools. Unvaccinated children were indirectly protected in the school with nearly 50% vaccination coverage compared with control schools (influenza rate, 27.1 vs 60.0 per 1000 children; P = .023). Unvaccinated children missed more school days than vaccinated children (4.3 vs 2.8 days per 100 school days; P < .001).ConclusionsVaccination of at least a quarter of the school population resulted in decreased influenza rates and improved school attendance. Herd immunity for unvaccinated children may occur in schools with vaccination coverage approaching 50%.
Project description:Background: School bullying is a problem that has been considered from various different perspectives in the academic literature. The present work seeks to increase knowledge on the influence of the climate established at the school in order to determine if contextual factors can be used as a reference from which to plan interventions directed towards prevention. Methods: An ad hoc validated questionnaire was administered to 554 pupils in secondary education (compulsory and A Level) who were aged between 12 and 18 years. Results: Descriptive bivariate analysis showed the quality of the relationship established by the individual with their environment to be a key indicator of their susceptibility to school bullying. In the same way, acceptance in school is a protective factor against victimization. Conclusions: The most effective interventions are those which focus on the center of education and involve all of the educational community, taking a transversal approach that transforms the cultural system within which students develop.
Project description:ObjectiveTo estimate self-reported musculoskeletal disorders among Indian population in work from home COVID-19 lockdown and its association on various socio-demographic and occupational factors among them.MethodsThe present cross-sectional study was conducted on working Indian professionals, through an online self-reported survey during the COVID-19 work from the home situation. Details about the perceived musculoskeletal discomforts, weight gain or loss, physical activity profile, number of working hours, total sedentary time, and satisfaction perceived with working from home were recorded from the participant responses and thereafter analyzed.ResultsA total of 281 responses were analyzed. 47.6% of respondents reported musculoskeletal disorders before lockdown, whereas 53.6% reported them during the lockdown period. 10% of respondents reported declination in physical activity. Finding of the chi-square for association and Spearman's rho correlation analysis suggested that gender, pre-existing musculoskeletal discomforts, current sedentary time, and long working hours are significantly associated with musculoskeletal discomforts during work from home COVID-19 lockdown.ConclusionThis study concluded the increment in the self-reported musculoskeletal disorders among working Indian professionals during work from home COVID-19 lockdown. The study also found the significant association between MSD and gender, working hours, sedentary time and pre-existing musculoskeletal discomforts.
Project description:School staff have an important role to play in identifying and assisting pupils who require additional support to regularly attend school, but their beliefs about risk factors might influence their decisions regarding intervention. This qualitative study investigated educational practitioners' beliefs about risk factors for attendance problems. Sixteen practitioners from three secondary schools were interviewed via focus groups. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. Practitioners identified risk factors related to the individual, their family, peers and school. Poor mental health was identified as a risk factor, but practitioners primarily focused on anxiety rather than other mental health problems like depression or behavioural disorders. The overall perception was that school factors were less important than individual, family and peer factors. Implications include a need for increased awareness of the role of school factors in attendance problems, focus on promoting positive peer and pupil-teacher relationships, and collaborative working between young people, families and schools.
Project description:BackgroundManaging school nonattendance is a priority worldwide. Frequent school nonattendance in early school years has immediate and long-term negative effects. Although strategies to address nonattendance are being developed and implemented, the number of students with school nonattendance issues is increasing. In this study, we explored students' feelings and perceptions about attending school and the potential determinants of a positive attitude towards attending school.MethodsWe hypothesized that a positive perception towards attending school was influenced by relationships, perceptions of current circumstances, subjective health, and having someone to share experiences and thoughts with. For examining the hypothesized model, an original questionnaire with 14 items was developed, including perceptions towards school attendance (an item), relationships with friends and school teachers (5 items), current circumstances (4 items), subjective health (3 items), and the individuals available to share experiences and thoughts with (1 item). In total, 6860 children submitted the questionnaire (85.3% response rate) and 6841 responses were included to examine the model. Children were 10 or 11 years old, and selected from 111 state-run schools in 8 randomly selected school districts.ResultsThe final model demonstrated good fit and showed that the latent variable of relationships with friends and school teachers directly impacted on how children felt about attending school. The latent variable of subjective health also directly impacted on how children felt about attending school but not strongly. Other latent variables were not significant.ConclusionsThe importance of positive relationships with friends and teachers in overcoming school nonattendance has been emphasized in previous studies. This study has provided evidence that these relationships impacted children's positive perception about attending school in a large sample of students aged 10-11 years. The latent variable of subjective health may require more items to capture mental health.
Project description:This study examines the relationship between parental time poverty, child work, and school attendance in Ghana using data from the sixth and seventh rounds of the Ghana Living Standard Survey (GLSS6 and GLSS7). Results of the analysis indicate an increasing decline in child enrolment in public schools (from 9% to 6%) among time poor household heads. In addition, parental time poverty increases children's walking hours to and from school and private school enrolment. We observed heterogeneity of parental time poverty on child work in relation to the location of households and gender disaggregation. Child work and school attendance-reducing effect of parental time poverty is mainly prevalent among male children but mixed for location. Our result is robust to the alternative estimation method of addressing endogeneity and further shows that household income is the primary channel through which time poverty influences child work and school attendance.Supplementary informationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12187-022-09926-4 10.1007/s12187-022-09926-4.
Project description:BackgroundThe Covid-19 pandemic has brought into sharp focus a school attendance crisis in many countries, although this likely pre-dates the pandemic. Children and young people (CYP) struggling to attend school often display extreme emotional distress before/during/after school. We term this School Distress. Here we sought to elucidate the characteristics of the CYP struggling to attend school in the United Kingdom.MethodsUsing a case-control, concurrent embedded mixed-method research design, 947 parents of CYP with experience of School Distress completed a bespoke online questionnaire (February/March 2022), alongside an age-matched control group (n = 149) and a smaller group of parents who electively home-educate (n = 25).ResultsIn 94.3% of cases, school attendance problems were underpinned by significant emotional distress, with often harrowing accounts of this distress provided by parents. While the mean age of the CYP in this sample was 11.6 years (StDev 3.1 years), their School Distress was evident to parents from a much younger age (7.9 years). Notably, 92.1% of CYP currently experiencing School Distress were described as neurodivergent (ND) and 83.4% as autistic. The Odds Ratio of autistic CYP experiencing School Distress was 46.61 [95% CI (24.67, 88.07)]. Autistic CYP displayed School Distress at a significantly earlier age, and it was significantly more enduring. Multi-modal sensory processing difficulties and ADHD (among other neurodivergent conditions) were also commonly associated with School Distress; with School Distress CYP having an average of 3.62 NDs (StDev 2.68). In addition, clinically significant anxiety symptomology (92.5%) and elevated demand avoidance were also pervasive. Mental health difficulties in the absence of a neurodivergent profile were, however, relatively rare (6.17%). Concerningly, despite the striking levels of emotional distress and disability reported by parents, parents also reported a dearth of meaningful support for their CYP at school.ConclusionWhile not a story of exclusivity relating solely to autism, School Distress is a story dominated by complex neurodivergence and a seemingly systemic failure to meet the needs of these CYP. Given the disproportionate number of disabled CYP impacted, we ask whether the United Kingdom is upholding its responsibility to ensure the "right to an education" for all CYP (Human Rights Act 1998).
Project description:A pressing clinical challenge is identifying the etiologic basis of acute respiratory illness. Without reliable diagnostics, the uncertainty associated with this clinical entity leads to a significant, inappropriate use of antibacterials. Use of host peripheral blood gene expression data to classify individuals with bacterial infection, viral infection, or non-infection represents a complementary diagnostic approach. Patients with respiratory tract infection along with ill, non-infected controls were enrolled through the emergency department or undergraduate student health services. Whole blood was obtained to generate gene expression profiles. These profiles were then used to generate signatures of bacterial acute respiratory infection, viral acute respiratory infection, and non-infectious illness.
Project description:A pressing clinical challenge is identifying the etiologic basis of acute respiratory illness. Without reliable diagnostics, the uncertainty associated with this clinical entity leads to a significant, inappropriate use of antibacterials. Use of host peripheral blood gene expression data to classify individuals with bacterial infection, viral infection, or non-infection represents a complementary diagnostic approach. Patients with respiratory tract infection along with ill, non-infected controls were enrolled through the emergency department or undergraduate student health services. Whole blood was obtained to generate gene expression profiles. These profiles were then used to generate signatures of bacterial acute respiratory infection, viral acute respiratory infection, and non-infectious illness. 273 subjects were ascertained for this analysis. This included 88 patients with non-infectious illness, 115 with viral acute respiratory infection, and 70 with bacterial acute respiratory infection. Samples were obtained at the time of enrollment, which was at initial clinical presentation. Total RNA was extracted from human blood using the PAXgene Blood RNA Kit. Microarray data were generated using the GeneChip Human Genome U133A 2.0 Array. Microarrays were generated in two microarray batches with seven overlapping samples giving rise to 280 total microarray experiments.