Public Health Commons^™

Benchmarking Machine Learning Models To Predict Low Birthweight Baby Outcomes And Identify Associated Risk Factors From An Extremely Unbalanced Large-Scale Dataset, Yang Ren, Dezhi Wu, Yan Tong Ph.D., Ana Lopez-De Fede Ph.D., Sarah J. Gareau

Publications

Background: Low birthweight (LBW) is one of the leading causes of neonatal mortality in the United States (US), and also is a major causative factor of short- and long-term adverse health effects in newborns. To prevent adverse birth outcomes, it is critical to precisely predict and identify which mothers are at high risk of bearing LBW babies in the early stage of their pregnancy. Previous studies proposed various LBW prediction models from different ML algorithms primarily on small datasets. However, their model performance is significantly limited by data access barriers and data quality issues with one major technical challenge of …

Kratom: A Narrative Review Of The Possible Clinical Uses And Dangers Of This Opioid-Like Plant, Amber N. Edinoff, Sarah E. Kaufman, Taylor C. Mahoney, William C. Upshaw, Jay Gong, Elyse M. Cornett, Kevin S. Murnane, Adam M. Kaye, Giustino Varrassi, Sahar Shekoohi, Alan D. Kaye

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

The term "kratom" refers to a plant species formally known as Mitragyna speciosa. Kratom is composed of over 40 alkaloids, a type of organic compound that contains nitrogen. These compounds work primarily via binding to opioid receptors expressed on neurons, where they stimulate signal transduction mechanisms involving the activation of G proteins. Kratom has been shown to cause both a stimulant-like effect and a sedative effect in humans. These studies have shown that use is highest among European-American, middle-class men living in suburban areas. Additionally, individuals who have a history of opioid misuse are also more likely to take kratom. …

Activation Of A Gpcr, Orl1 Receptor: A Novel Therapy To Prevent Heart Failure Progression, Saliha S Pathan, Aarthi Pugazenthi, Beverly R E A Dixon, Theodore G Wensel, Todd K Rosengart, Megumi Mathison

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The number of ischemic heart failure (HF) patients is growing dramatically worldwide. However, there are at present no preventive treatments for HF. Our previous study showed that Gata4 overexpression improved cardiac function after myocardial infarction in rat hearts. We also found that Gata4 overexpression significantly increased the expression of a Pnoc gene, an endogenous ligand for the cell membrane receptor ORL1. We hypothesized that the activation of the ORL1 receptor would suppress HF in a rat ischemic heart model. Adult Sprague Dawley rats (8 weeks old, six males and six females) underwent left anterior descending coronary artery ligation. Three weeks …

Interactive Virtual Presence: A New Tool For Remote Healthcare, David C. Schwebel

Advances in Clinical Medical Research and Healthcare Delivery

The COVID-19 pandemic transformed use of telemedicine for healthcare. Many healthcare objectives can be successfully delivered through traditional telemedicine platforms, and others must be delivered in person. Lying between those extremes is a subset of healthcare objectives that might benefit from use of interactive virtual presence, a form of augmented reality that can be delivered on standard smartphones to offer immersive presence as well as simultaneous voice and visual stimuli. Using interactive virtual presence, a healthcare provider can communicate both verbally and visually with a remotely-located patient, but also can interact with that patient through merged reality by pointing with …

Health Outcomes Reported By Healthcare Providers And Clients Of A Community-Based Medically Tailored Meal Program, Jessica M Sautter, Jule Anne Henstenburg, Adrian Glass Crafford, Ian Rowe-Nicholls, Victor S Diaz, Kaitlyn Ann Bartholomew, Julia S Evans, Maria R Johnson, Jeffrey Zhou, Deeksha Ajeya

Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine Departmental Research

BACKGROUND: Medically tailored meal (MTM) programs provide home-delivered meals to people living with serious illness and poor nutritional status. Client outcome studies have found evidence of decreased healthcare utilization and cost savings associated with MTM program participation, and inconclusive evidence of change in health measures. The purpose of this study was to use a novel observational framework to describe the client profile and change in health outcomes using routinely collected health and program data from a community-based MTM program at MANNA (Philadelphia, PA).

METHODS: Clients reported their self-rated health and experiences of food insecurity and malnutrition. Healthcare providers reported clients' …

Guidelines For The Prevention, Diagnosis, And Management Of Urinary Tract Infections In Pediatrics And Adults: A Wikiguidelines Group Consensus Statement, Zachary Nelson, Abdullah Tarik Aslan, Nathan P. Beahm, Michelle Blyth, Matthew Cappiello, Danielle Casaus, Fernando Dominguez, Susan Egbert, Alexandra Hanretty, Tina Khadem, Katie Olney, Ahmed Abdul-Azim, Gloria Aggrey, Daniel T. Anderson, Mariana Barosa, Michael Bosco, Elias B. Chahine, Souradeep Chowdhury, Alyssa Christensen, Daniela De Lima Corvino, Margaret Fitzpatrick, Molly Fleece, Brent Footer, Emily Fox, Bassam Ghanem, Fergus Hamilton, Justin Hayes, Boris Jegorovic, Philipp Jent, Et Al

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

IMPORTANCE: Traditional approaches to practice guidelines frequently result in dissociation between strength of recommendation and quality of evidence. OBJECTIVE: To create a clinical guideline for the diagnosis and management of urinary tract infections that addresses the gap between the evidence and recommendation strength. EVIDENCE REVIEW: This consensus statement and systematic review applied an approach previously established by the WikiGuidelines Group to construct collaborative clinical guidelines. In May 2023, new and existing members were solicited for questions on urinary tract infection prevention, diagnosis, and management. For each topic, literature searches were conducted up until early 2024 in any language. Evidence was …

Health Outcomes Reported By Healthcare Providers And Clients Of A Community-Based Medically Tailored Meal Program, Jessica M. Sautter, Jule Anne Henstenburg, Adrian Glass Crafford, Ian Rowe-Nicholls, Victor S. Diaz, Kaitlyn Ann Bartholomew, Julia S. Evans, Maria R. Johnson, Jeffrey Zhou, Deeksha Ajeya

Department of Family & Community Medicine Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Medically tailored meal (MTM) programs provide home-delivered meals to people living with serious illness and poor nutritional status. Client outcome studies have found evidence of decreased healthcare utilization and cost savings associated with MTM program participation, and inconclusive evidence of change in health measures. The purpose of this study was to use a novel observational framework to describe the client profile and change in health outcomes using routinely collected health and program data from a community-based MTM program at MANNA (Philadelphia, PA).

METHODS: Clients reported their self-rated health and experiences of food insecurity and malnutrition. Healthcare providers reported clients' …

Federally Qualified Health Centers And Performance Of Medicare Accountable Care Organizations, Kun Li, Yucheng Hou, Frank Mcstay, Jonathan Gonzalez-Smith, Robert S Saunders

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

IMPORTANCE: Federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) have increasingly participated in the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) accountable care organizations (ACOs), one of the most widespread value-based programs. Although FQHCs may strengthen ACOs' ability to provide affordable care to diverse Medicare beneficiaries, evidence on ACOs' performance by FQHC participation is limited.

OBJECTIVES: To compare beneficiary characteristics, utilization, expenditure, and quality between ACOs with and without FQHC participation and assess changes in ACO performance after including first FQHCs.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Using MSSP public use files, this cross-sectional study compared performance of ACOs that always had FQHC participation with ACOs that …

Expansion And Evaluation Of Level Ii And Iii Recovery Residences For People Taking Medications For An Opioid Use Disorder: Project Homes (Housing For Mar Expanded Services) Study Protocol, J M Wilkerson, Kathryn R Gallardo, Serena Rodriguez, Henry Shelton Brown, Cecilia M Ganduglia Cazaban, James J Yang, Estevan R Herrera, Isaiah Niles Zoschke, Hannah L N Stewart, Sheryl A Mccurdy

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Introduction: As the US continues to battle the opioid epidemic, recovery residences remain valuable services for people in recovery. While there is a growing body of literature describing positive outcomes experienced by people who live in recovery residences, little is known about the experience of people who live in these residences while taking medications for an opioid use disorder (MOUD) as part of their recovery. Thus, this study has three aims: (1) expand the availability of recovery residences that meet the National Alliance for Recovery Residences standards in Texas and serve individuals taking medications for an opioid use disorder as …

Genetic Risk Factors Underlying White Matter Hyperintensities And Cortical Atrophy, Yash Patel, Jean Shin, Eeva Sliz, Ariana Tang, Aniket Mishra, Rui Xia, Edith Hofer, Hema Sekhar Reddy Rajula, Ruiqi Wang, Frauke Beyer, Katrin Horn, Max Riedl, Jing Yu, Henry Völzke, Robin Bülow, Uwe Völker, Stefan Frenzel, Katharina Wittfeld, Sandra Van Der Auwera, Thomas H Mosley, Vincent Bouteloup, Jean-Charles Lambert, Geneviève Chêne, Carole Dufouil, Christophe Tzourio, Jean-François Mangin, Rebecca F Gottesman, Myriam Fornage, Reinhold Schmidt, Qiong Yang, Veronica Witte, Markus Scholz, Markus Loeffler, Gennady V Roshchupkin, M Arfan Ikram, Hans J Grabe, Sudha Seshadri, Stephanie Debette, Tomas Paus, Zdenka Pausova

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

White matter hyperintensities index structural abnormalities in the cerebral white matter, including axonal damage. The latter may promote atrophy of the cerebral cortex, a key feature of dementia. Here, we report a study of 51,065 individuals from 10 cohorts demonstrating that higher white matter hyperintensity volume associates with lower cortical thickness. The meta-GWAS of white matter hyperintensities-associated cortical 'atrophy' identifies 20 genome-wide significant loci, and enrichment in genes specific to vascular cell types, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes. White matter hyperintensities-associated cortical 'atrophy' showed positive genetic correlations with vascular-risk traits and plasma biomarkers of neurodegeneration, and negative genetic correlations with cognitive functioning. …

Understanding The Demographic And Health Factors Associated With The Incidence Of Stroke In Jamaica, Zandy Elliott

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Stroke, the leading cause of death and disability worldwide, is a significant public health issue in Jamaica, affecting individuals, families, and the healthcare system. This study identified demographic and health factors associated with stroke, enabling medical professionals to better understand high-risk factors and implement preventative care strategies in Jamaica—filling a significant gap in public health knowledge. The quantitative cross-sectional study examined Jamaican demographics, health, and stroke rates. Secondary data from the Office of the Consultant Neurologist (OCN) from 2000-2023 was integrated into the Social Ecological Model (SEM). The study included 291 stroke patients aged 18 and older, excluding those under …

Patient-Reported Convenience And Effectiveness Of Telehealth For Breast Cancer Management, Akshara Singareeka Raghavendra, Kristofer Jennings, Gil Guerra, Debu Tripathy, Meghan S Karuturi

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Before the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, telehealth was rarely used for breast cancer management at tertiary care centers. We sought to examine patient satisfaction, experiences, preferences, and perceived effectiveness and technical quality of telehealth visits in follow-up patients receiving routine outpatient care in the breast medical oncology practice at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

Methods: We administered a survey to 60 follow-up patients for a duration of 9 months (January 5, 2021 to October 27, 2021) who had at least one telehealth consultation during the COVID-19 pandemic, from April 10, 2020 to October 21, 2021. …

Bridging The Gap: Addressing The Rural-Urban Imbalance In Health Care Through The Nhsc, Kelley Arredondo, Hilary N Touchett

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

No abstract provided.

Post-Artesunate Delayed Hemolysis In Pediatric Malaria Patients In The United States, Sesh A Sundararaman, Karen L Hanze Villavicencio, Brianne Roper, Ziyi Wang, Amy K F Davis, Jonathan A Mayhew, Michelle L Wang, Nina L Tang, Vijaya L Soma, Gail F Shust, Margaret E Feeney, Indi Trehan, Jill E Weatherhead, Chandy C John, Jeffrey S Gerber, Audrey R Odom John

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Post-artesunate delayed hemolysis (PADH) occurred in 6 of 24 children treated with artesunate for severe malaria in the United States; however, severe hemolysis requiring hospitalization or transfusion was rare. In children in the United States treated with artesunate, counseling, and symptom monitoring may be preferred to weekly laboratory surveillance for PADH.

The Effect Of Smoking On Occurrence Of Parotid Gland Tumors In Nineveh: Case-Control Study, Moayad Aziz Alabdaly, Shahbaa Al Bayati, Taha Hassan Taha

BioMed Visions Journal

Background: The parotid gland is the most common site of salivary gland tumors, the majority of these tumors are not malignant, Warthin tumors are the second most common type of cancer after pleomorphic adenomas. At present, tobacco is not classified as carcinogenic for the salivary gland due to inadequate research on the association between smoking and salivary gland tumors. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the connection between smoking and parotid gland tumors (PTG) in a state-scale study.

Materials and Methods: A group of (438) population-based controls that are individually matched and 200 incident PGT patients who were …

Burnout And Employee Satisfaction Of Mental Health Clinicians In Corrections, Jeremy C. Capuyon, Lindsay Gietzen

Pacific Journal of Health

Approximately 1.9 million individuals are currently incarcerated within the United States. Rehabilitation and preparation for parole back into the community is common goal amongst correctional facilities. Mental health clinicians (social workers and psychologists) within the correctional facilities are providers who assist in the rehabilitation of inmates. Unfortunately, mental health clinicians in correctional facilities experience high rates of burnout and low levels of job satisfaction, resulting in an increase in turnover rates. This research project looks to investigate the impact burnout and employee satisfaction has on mental health clinicians who work in correctional settings. Furthermore, this research project compares burnout and …

Successful Application Of Craniosacral Therapy In A Case Of Colic In An 8-Week-Old Baby, Caro O’Neill, Angie Butterfield

Journal of Transformative Touch

This case study reports on the effectiveness of CranioSacral Therapy (CST) for an eight-week-old baby boy experiencing colic. A CST pediatric protocol was utilized during two sessions, a week apart, in May 2023. An improvement in symptoms was recorded after the first treatment. After the second treatment the baby was no longer presenting with symptoms related to infant colic. This case suggests that CST can be an effective support for babies experiencing infant colic.

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Peptide Receptor Radionuclide Therapy And Clinical Associations With Renal And Hematological Toxicities And Survival In Patients With Neuroendocrine Tumors: An Analysis From Two U.S. Medical Centers, Tao Xu, Joseph S. Dillon, Mary A. Maluccio, Dawn E. Quelle, Sarah H. Nash, Hyunkeun Cho, Kristen E. Limbach, Nicholas J. Skill, Yvette Bren-Mattison, Michael A. O’Rorke

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Purpose: Renal and hematological toxicity are side effects and dose-limiting factors of Peptide Receptor Radionuclide Therapy (PRRT). We aimed to assess the changes in renal and hematological function and associations with survival in neuroendocrine tumor (NET) patients treated with PRRT. Methods: A retrospective cohort of 448 NET patients treated with either 177Lu-DOTATATE or 90Y-DOTATOC were followed for changes of renal and hematological function. Renal function was assessed by monitoring changes in serum creatinine, blood urea nitrogen and estimated glomerular filtration rate. Hematological function was determined by examining changes in white blood cell counts (WBC), platelet counts, and hemoglobin levels over …

Protein Consumption And Risk Of Cvd Among Us Adults: The Multi-Ethnic Study Of Atherosclerosis (Mesa), Ji Yun Tark, Ruosha Li, Bing Yu, Alexis C Wood, Nikhil S Padhye, Marcia C De Oliveira Otto

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Although some randomized trials have reported beneficial effects of protein intake on cardiometabolic risk factors, evidence from prospective studies have not supported a strong link between protein intake and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. It is also unclear whether diversity in protein intake plays a role in CVD risk.

OBJECTIVE: We investigated prospective associations of (1) protein intake, overall and by food source and (2) diversity of protein sources with risk of CVD, coronary heart disease (CHD), and stroke.

METHODS: In a multi-ethnic cohort of 5879 U.S. adults (45-84 years), who were free of CVD at baseline, protein intake was …

Encouraging Movement Opportunities Through Theory-Informed Video Education Among Undergraduate Students: The Move Study, Carmen Labadie, Nia Contini, Varsha Vasudevan, Matthew Bourke, Shauna Burke, Patricia Tucker, Jennifer Irwin

Health Studies Publications

Objective: To explore the impact of a theory-informed educational video on undergraduates’: motivational readiness, self-efficacy, and decisional balance about changing sedentary time; sedentary time; and perceptions of sedentarism over time and compared to a control. Participants: Undergraduates (N = 160) from a Canadian institution. Methods: A single-blind randomized controlled trial using an intervention (sedentary video) and control (sleep video) group. Participants completed two validated questionnaires at baseline, immediate post-intervention, and one-month follow-up plus open-ended questions. Linear mixed models and content analysis were used. Results: No significant differences were observed between groups. Increases in self-efficacy (p = .016; d = 0.27) …

Mccormack, Joseph Nathaniel, 1847-1922 And Arthur Thomas Mccormack, 1872-1943, Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Manuscript Collection Finding Aids

Finding aid and scans (Click on "Additional Files" below) for Manuscripts Small Collection 3738. Arrest warrants issued by the Bowling Green, Kentucky Police Court charging Dr. J. N. McCormack, then Secretary of the State Board of Health, and Dr. A. T. McCormack with permitting a “nuisance, source of filth & cause of sickness” by erecting a privy over an open drain or sewer to serve the McCormack Building on State Street. Includes a letter, 29 September 1907, from Dr. J. N. McCormack to Governor J. C. W. Beckham requesting a pardon and describing his ongoing efforts to dispose of waste …

The Hockey Fans In Training Intervention For Men With Overweight Or Obesity: A Pragmatic Cluster Randomised Trial, Robert Petrella, Dawn Gill, Nárlon C. Boa Sorte Silva, Brendan Riggin, Wendy Blunt, Marisa Kfrerer, Melissa Majoni, Jacquelyn Marsh, Jennifer Irwin, Saverio Stranges, Merrick Zwarenstein, Guangyong Zou

Health Studies Publications

Background: Obesity disproportionately impacts men’s health yet fewer men engage in preventive healthcare. We examined the effectiveness of Hockey Fans in Training (Hockey FIT), a gender-sensitised lifestyle intervention that engages men with overweight/obesity through their passion as fans of a local sports team, on weight change and other health indicators.Methods: Pragmatic, cluster randomised trial (aged 35–65 years, body mass index ≥ 27 kg/m2 ) within 42 community-based sites in Canada and the United States, randomly assigned (1:1) to intervention (Hockey FIT) or control (waitlist) and stratified by region. Sites were selected based on partnerships with local major junior/professional hockey teams …

Using Causal Diagrams Within The Grading Of Recommendations, Assessment, Development And Evaluation Framework To Evaluate Confounding Adjustment In Observational Studies, Kevin Mcintyre, Karina N Tassiopoulos, Curtis Jeffrey, Saverio Stranges, Janet Martin

Epidemiology and Biostatistics Publications

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The current Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) system instructs appraisers to evaluate whether individual observational studies have sufficiently adjusted for confounding. However, it does not provide an explicit, transparent, or reproducible method for doing so. This article explores how implementing causal graphs into the GRADE framework can help appraisers and end-users of GRADE products to evaluate the adequacy of confounding control from observational studies.

METHODS: Using modern epidemiological theory, we propose a system for incorporating causal diagrams into the GRADE process to assess confounding control.

RESULTS: Integrating causal graphs into the GRADE framework enables …

A Time-Stratified, Case–Crossover Study Of Heat Exposure And Perinatal Mortality From 16 Hospitals In Sub-Saharan Africa, Claudia Hanson, Jeroen De Bont, Kristi Sidney Annerstedt, Maria Del Rosario Alsina, Federica Nobile, Nathalie Roos, Peter Waiswa, Andrea Pembe, Jean-Paul Dossou, Claudia Hanson, Hussein Kidanto

Brain and Mind Institute

Growing evidence suggests that extreme heat events affect both pregnant women and their infants, but few studies are available from sub-Saharan Africa. Using data from 138,015 singleton births in 16 hospitals in Benin, Malawi, Tanzania and Uganda, we investigated the association between extreme heat and early perinatal deaths, including antepartum and intrapartum stillbirths, and deaths within 24 h after birth using a time-stratified case–crossover design. We observed an association between an increase from the 75th to the 99th percentile in mean temperature 1 week (lag 0–6 d) before childbirth and perinatal mortality (odds ratio (OR) = 1.34 (95% confidence interval …

Act With Cf: A Randomized Trial Of Acceptance And Commitment Therapy Vs Supportive Psychotherapy For Adults With Cystic Fibrosis, C. Virginia O'Hayer, Patrick J. Smith, Christopher F. Drescher, Heather Bruschwein, Chelsi N. Nurse, Hallie M. Kushner, Krista Ingle, Michael J. Stephen, Jeffrey B. Hoag

Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior Faculty Papers

PURPOSE: Psychological distress, including anxiety and depression, is common among adults with CF, associating with poor quality of life, lung function, and healthcare utilization. This 3-year, multi-site, telehealth-delivered randomized trial sought to determine whether Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT with CF) is superior to supportive psychotherapy (SP), in improving psychological functioning for adults with CF.

METHODS: One hundred twenty-four adults with CF and elevated anxiety and/or depressive symptoms were recruited coincident with the first COVID lockdown, from Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals, University of Virginia, Augusta University, Duke University Medical Center, and social media. Participants were randomized to 6 weeks of …

Disparities In Cognitive Decline Along The Texas-Mexico Border: Insights From The 2021 Brfss, Bianca D. Valenzuela

Health and Kinesiology Theses

The aging global population has brought increased attention to cognitive health and early detection of cognitive decline. Subjective Cognitive Decline (SCD), defined as self-reported memory or thinking problems, is an early marker of neurodegenerative diseases. Despite growing research, gaps remain in understanding how geographic disparities influence SCD prevalence and contributing factors. The Texas-Mexico border region, predominantly Hispanic and facing unique socioeconomic and health care challenges, offers a unique context to explore these influences. The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence of SCD and related functional limitations in Texas-Mexico border counties versus non-border counties, using 2021 Behavioral Risk …

Association Of Chronic Malnutrition, And Not Anemia, With Cognitive Development In Ethiopian Schoolchildren: A Cross-Sectional Study, Befikadu Tariku Gutema, Muluken Bekele Sorrie, Sifray Batire, Tadiwos Hailu Zewdie, Bruno Levecke, Amina Abubakar, Stefaan De Henauw, Souheila Abbeddou

Institute for Human Development, East Africa

This study assesses the associations between nutritional statusand cognitive development of schoolchildren. A unit increase inheight-for-age Z-score was associated with 0.12 SD, 0.08 SD and0.12 SD increase in standardized digit span, Raven’s coloredprogressive metrics, and performance index of visual searchtask, respectively. A unit increase in body-mass-index-for-ageZ-score was associated with 0.11 SD increase in standardizeddigit span. Hemoglobin concentration was not associated withany of the cognitive outcomes. Chronic malnutrition was asso-ciated with cognitive development in schoolchildren while thin-ness and hemoglobin concentrations were associated withselected or no cognitive outcomes, respectively.

Identifying Ordinal Categories For The Water Insecurity Experiences Scales, Edward A. Frongillo Jr., Hilary J. Bethancourt, Joshua D. Miller, Sera L. Young, The Household Water Insecurity Experiences Scales (Hwise)-Research Coordination Network (Rcn)

Faculty Publications

The Household Water Insecurity Experiences (HWISE) and Individual Water Insecurity Experiences (IWISE) Scales are globally suitable tools for comparably measuring water insecurity experiences among households and adults, respectively. The potential range for HWISE and IWISE scores is 0–36. When the WISE Scales were first published, scores of 12 and higher were considered indicative of water insecurity, but additional cut-points are needed to provide more nuanced insights. We therefore sought to develop a practical set of cut-points for the WISE Scales using HWISE data from 13 sites across 12 countries (n = 3,293) and nationally representative samples of IWISE data …

Community Perspectives Of Heat And Weather Warnings For Pregnant And Postpartum Women In Kilifi, Kenya, Adelaide Lusambili, Veronique Filippi, Britt Nakstad, Julian Natukunda, Cathryn Birch, John Marsham, Nathalie Roos, Peter Khaemba, Sari Kovats

Institute for Human Development, East Africa

Background: Extreme weather is a recognised risk factor for stillbirth and preterm birth, disrupts women’s access to healthcare during pregnancy and childbirth, and negatively affects the care of newborns. Reliable and accessible heat and weather warning systems are key in alerting individuals to undertake protective measures. There is a notable gap in understanding how women and caregivers in rural East Africa perceive and utilize weather information. We investigated community members’ heat and weather warning information-seeking behaviour, identified available sources, assessed their reliability and utility, and examined their influence on behaviour.

Settings: Our research was conducted in rural Kilifi County in …

Dementia Risk Reduction In The African Context: Multi-National Implementation Of Multimodal Strategies To Promote Healthy Brain Aging In Africa (The Africa-Fingers Project), Chinedu Momoh, Rachel Maina, Lukoye Atwoli, Karen Blackmon, Edna Bosire, Gloria Chemutai, Linda Khakali, Sylvia Mbugua, Zul Merali, Olivera Nesic Taylor,, Anthony Ngugi, Cyprian Mostert, Eunice Muthoni, Roselyter Riang’A, Mansoor Saleh, Shahin Sayed, Jasmit Shah

Brain and Mind Institute

Dementia prevention in Africa is critically underexplored, despite the continent's high prevalence of modifiable risk factors. With a predominantly young and middle-aged population, Africa presents a prime opportunity to implement evidence-based strategies that could significantly reduce future dementia cases and mitigate its economic impact. The multinational Africa-FINGERS program offers an innovative solution, pioneering culturally sensitive, multidomain interventions tailored to the unique challenges of the region. Leveraging insights from landmark global studies such as Worldwide-FINGERS and Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative, the program employs a multideterminant precision prevention framework, grounded in community based systems dynamics. Africa-FINGERS further integrates cutting-edge state-of-the-art multimodal biomarker …