OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to investigate the determinants linked to stunting among infants and young children aged 0-23 months in the Fourth District of Camarines Sur.

An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted among 628 primary caregivers with infants and young children aged 0-23 months in four municipalities of the Fourth District of Camarines Sur, Philippines, using a two stage stratified random sampling design. Data on sociodemographic and economic factors were collected through face-to-face interviews. Infant and young child feeding (IYCF) indicators were assessed using a list-based approach, while weight and length were evaluated using the World Health Organization Anthro Plus software. Descriptive statistics and multiple logistic regression were done using R statistical software version 4.3.1.

The study revealed that the prevalence of stunting was of significant public health concern, reaching 42.8%. Holding other variables constant, age of the child (OR=0.77; 95% CI: 0.63-0.94), having college undergraduate mothers (OR=0.26; 95% CI: 0.05-1.28), and belonging to a poor income household (OR=0.40; 95% CI: 0.14-0.88) were associated with stunting among infants aged 0.01-6.00 months. Moreover, after controlling for the confounding effects of other variables, age (OR=1.09; 95% CI: 1.05-1.14) and sex of the child (OR=1.55; 95% CI: 1.05-2.28) were associated with stunting among older children aged 6.00-23.99 months.

This study emphasizes the challenge of stunting in the Fourth District of Camarines Sur. None of the IYCF indicators were associated with stunting; however, maternal education, the child’s age, sex, and socioeconomic status were identified as significant factors influencing stunting. Addressing these determinants through targeted interventions focusing on improving maternal education and enhancing socio-economic conditions were crucial to reducing stunting in the study areas.

: This study aimed to identify risk factors associated with problematic mealtime behaviors in Filipino children aged 3-11 years diagnosed with ASD and to validate the Filipino-translated Brief Autism Mealtime Behavior Inventory (BAMBI) for clinical use. The study examined demographics, socioeconomic status, and clinical characteristics of children with ASD in relation to feeding difficulties. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 166 caregivers of Filipino children with ASD at the Philippine Children’s Medical Center. The BAMBI questionnaire, translated and validated into Filipino, was administered among patients evaluated under the Section of Neurodevelopmental Pediatrics. Content validity was established through neurodevelopmental pediatric experts, while face validity was achieved with feedback from 17 caregivers during the pilot test. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression were performed to identify the factors. RESULTS: The Filipino-translated BAMBI demonstrated good content and face va- lidity based on reviews and pilot testing. The tool showed acceptable internal consistency with a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.75, indicating good reliability. Seventy-seven percent (77%) of participants scored above the threshold for problematic mealtime behaviors, with multivariate analysis revealing a significant association between these behaviors and sensory sensitivities (OR = 3.0, 95% CI: 1.2 to 7.3, p = 0.0150). Additional factors, such as dietary habits and family structure, also showed trends toward significance but did not reach statistical significance. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS This study validates the Filipino BAMBI as a reliable tool for assessing mealtime behaviors in children with ASD, highlighting the high prevalence of feeding problems in this population. Sensory sensitivities emerged as a significant factor contributing to problematic mealtime behaviors, underscoring the importance of incorporating sensory processing strategies in interventions. Further research should explore other contributing factors, such as dietary habits and family dynamics, to develop more comprehensive, tailored interventions for children with ASD and their families.
Autism spectrum disorder ; mealtime behaviors ; feeding difficulties ; BAMBI ; parent questionnaire ; risk factors

INTRODUCTION

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are a leading global health concern. Modifiable behavioral risk factors are increasingly recognized in young adults, especially among medical students who often live independently. This study investigated the association between living alone and modifiable cardiovascular risk factors—sleep quality, sodium intake, physical activity, and body mass index (BMI)—among medical students at UERMMMCI during the 2022-2023 academic year.

Researchers conducted an analytical cross-sectional study among 220 medical students. Validated tools were used: Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Scored Sodium Questionnaire, International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), and BMI classification. Researchers performed statistical analyses using Chi-square tests and calculated relative risks (RR) with 95% confidence intervals.

A significant positive association was found between living alone and poor sleep quality (RR 2.132 p = 0.047). No significant associations were observed between living alone and sodium intake (RR 0.96 p = 0.6868), physical activity (RR 1.18 p = 0.2239), or BMI (RR 1.03 p = 0.7367).

Among the studied cardiovascular risk factors, only poor sleep quality was significantly more prevalent among students living alone. These findings highlight the importance of interventions targeting sleep hygiene in this demographic.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

The drug problem in the Philippines is influenced by various factors, but research on the specific risk factors and onset of drug use—an early predictor of severe drug abuse—is limited. This crosssectional study aims to identify factors associated with the onset of illicit drug use, focusing on variables such as sex, perceived socioeconomic status, adverse life events (including physical, verbal, and sexual abuse, and bullying), adverse home environments (like family substance abuse and parental separation), and premorbidities (such as anxiety and depression). Understanding these factors is crucial since early drug use often predicts more severe abuse later.

This cross-sectional study involved 354 participants aged 7 to 34 years, all undergoing rehabilitation for at least three months. Data were collected through self-administered questionnaires at their rehabilitation centers. Regression analysis was used to examine the relationship between the onset of drug use and the identified risk factors.

Regression analysis revealed that, apart from premorbidities, all the examined factors were significantly correlated with the onset of drug use. Specifically, being male, having higher affluence, experiencing more adverse life events, and living in a more adverse home environment were associated with an earlier onset of drug use. Among these factors, adverse life events and home environment were the strongest predictors of the onset of illicit drug use, while premorbidities did not show a significant relationship with drug use onset.

The study highlights that sex, socioeconomic status, adverse life events, and home environment are significant in the early onset of drug use, while premorbidities are not. Early intervention should focus on these key risk factors. A risk-focused approach, guided by biopsychosocial perspectives, is recommended. Targeted interventions should address adverse life events and home environments to prevent early drug use and subsequent abuse effectively.

Humans ; Early Detection of Cancer ; Endoscopy ; Esophageal Neoplasms/epidemiology* ; Risk Factors ; Mass Screening

Humans ; Albumins ; Albuminuria/urine* ; Blood Pressure ; China/epidemiology* ; Creatinine ; Risk Factors ; Aged

Cardiovascular risk assessment is a basic tenet of the prevention of cardiovascular disease. Conventional risk assessment models require measurements of blood pressure, blood lipids, and other health-related information prior to assessment of risk via regression models. Compared with traditional approaches, fundus photograph-based cardiovascular risk assessment using artificial intelligence (AI) technology is novel, and has the advantages of immediacy, non-invasiveness, easy performance, and low cost. The Health Risk Assessment and Control Committee of the Chinese Preventive Medicine Association, in collaboration with the Chinese Society of Cardiology and the Society of Health Examination, invited multi-disciplinary experts to form a panel to develop the present consensus, which includes relevant theories, progress in research, and requirements for AI model development, as well as applicable scenarios, applicable subjects, assessment processes, and other issues associated with applying AI technology to assess cardiovascular risk based on fundus photographs. A consensus was reached after multiple careful discussions on the relevant research, and the needs of the health management industry in China and abroad, in order to guide the development and promotion of this new technology.
Humans ; Cardiovascular Diseases/prevention & control* ; Artificial Intelligence ; Consensus ; Risk Factors ; Heart Disease Risk Factors

Humans ; Vascular Stiffness ; Coal Mining ; Occupational Diseases/epidemiology* ; Risk Factors ; Coal ; Miners

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Remnant cholesterol (remnant-C) mediates the progression of major adverse cardiovascular events. It is unclear whether remnant-C, and particularly cumulative exposure to remnant-C, is associated with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). This study aimed to explore whether remnant-C, not only baseline but cumulative exposure, can be used to independently evaluate the risk of NAFLD. METHODS: This study included 1 cohort totaling 21,958 subjects without NAFLD at baseline who underwent at least 2 repeated health checkups and 1 sub-cohort totaling 2,649 subjects restricted to those individuals with at least 4 examinations and no history of NAFLD until Exam 3. Cumulative remnant-C was calculated as a timeweighted model for each examination multiplied by the time between the 2 examinations divided the whole duration. Cox regression models were performed to estimate the association between baseline and cumulative exposure to remnant-C and incident NAFLD. RESULTS: After multivariable adjustment, compared with the quintile 1 of baseline remnant-C, individuals with higher quintiles demonstrated significantly higher risks for NAFLD (hazard ratio [HR] 1.48, 95%CI 1.31-1.67 for quintile 2; HR 2.07, 95%CI 1.85-2.33 for quintile 3; HR 2.55, 95%CI 2.27-2.88 for quintile 4). Similarly, high cumulative remnant-C quintiles were significantly associated with higher risks for NAFLD (HR 3.43, 95%CI 1.95-6.05 for quintile 2; HR 4.25, 95%CI 2.44-7.40 for quintile 3; HR 6.29, 95%CI 3.59-10.99 for quintile 4), compared with the quintile 1. CONCLUSION Elevated levels of baseline and cumulative remnant-C were independently associated with incident NAFLD. Monitoring immediate levels and longitudinal trends of remnant-C may need to be emphasized in adults as part of NAFLD prevention strategy.
Adult ; Humans ; Cohort Studies ; Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease/etiology* ; Cholesterol ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Risk Factors

Background and Objectives: Patients on dialysis are twice as likely to have early readmissions. This study aimed to identify risk factors for 30-day unplanned readmission among patients on maintenance dialysis in a tertiary hospital. Methods: We conducted a retrospective, unmatched, case-control study. Data were taken from patients on maintenance hemodialysis admitted in the University of the Philippines–Philippine General Hospital (UP-PGH) between January 2018 and December 2020. Patients with 30-day readmission were included as cases and patients with >30-day readmissions were taken as controls. Multivariable regression with 30-day readmission as the outcome was used to identify significant predictors of early readmission. Results: The prevalence of 30-day unplanned readmission among patients on dialysis is 36.96%, 95%CI [31.67, 42.48]. In total, 119 cases and 203 controls were analyzed. Two factors were significantly associated with early readmission: the presence of chronic glomerulonephritis [OR 2.35, 95% CI 1.36 to 4.07, p-value=0.002] and number of comorbidities [OR 1.34, 95% CI 1.12 to 1.61, p-value=0.002]. The most common reasons for early readmission are infection, anemia, and uremia/underdialysis. Conclusion Patients with chronic glomerulonephritis and multiple comorbidities have significantly increased odds of early readmission. Careful discharge planning and close follow up of these patients may reduce early readmissions.
Patient Readmission ; Dialysis ; Risk Factors