Definitions and factors associated with subthreshold depressive conditions: a systematic review.

Background: Subthreshold depressive disorders (minor and subthrehold depression) have been defined in a wide range of forms, varying on the number of symptoms and duration required. Disability associated with these conditions has also been reported. Our aim was to review the different definitions and to determine factors associated with these conditions in order to clarify the nosological implications of these disorders.

Socioeconomic inequalities in risk factors for non communicable diseases in low-income and middle-income countries: results from the World Health Survey.

Background: Monitoring inequalities in non communicable disease risk factor prevalence can help to inform and target effective interventions. The prevalence of current daily smoking, low fruit and vegetable consumption, physical inactivity, and heavy episodic alcohol drinking were quantified and compared across wealth and education levels in low- and middle-income country groups.

Methods: This study included self-reported data from 232,056 adult participants in 48 countries, derived from the 2002-2004 World Health Survey.

Social determinants of sex differences in disability among older adults: a multi-country decomposition analysis using the World Health Survey.

Introduction: Women represent a growing proportion of older people and experience increasing disability in their longer lives. Using a universally agreed definition of disability based on the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health, this paper examines how, apart from age, social and economic factors contribute to disability differences between older men and women.

Methods: World Health Survey data were analyzed from 57 countries drawn from all income groups defined by the World Bank.

Validation of a measure of subjective well-being: an abbreviated version of the day reconstruction method.

Background: The study of well-being is becoming a priority in social sciences. The Day Reconstruction Method (DRM) was developed to assess affective states. The aim of the present study was to validate an abbreviated version of the DRM designed for administration in population studies, and to assess its test-retest properties.

Socioeconomic inequality in smoking in low-income and middle-income countries: results from the World Health Survey.

Objectives: To assess the magnitude and pattern of socioeconomic inequality in current smoking in low and middle income countries.

Methods: We used data from the World Health Survey [WHS] in 48 low-income and middle-income countries to estimate the crude prevalence of current smoking according to household wealth quintile. A Poisson regression model with a robust variance was used to generate the Relative Index of Inequality [RII] according to wealth within each of the countries studied.

Evidence for the early clinical relevance of hallucinatory-delusional states in the general population.

Objective: To analyze, in a general population sample, clustering of delusional and hallucinatory experiences in relation to environmental exposures and clinical parameters.

Method: General population-based household surveys of randomly selected adults between 18 and 65 years of age were carried out.

Setting: 52 countries participating in the World Health Organization's World Health Survey were included.

Cross-national differences in the prevalence and correlates of burden among older family caregivers in the World Health Organization World Mental Health (WMH) Surveys.

Background: Current trends in population aging affect both recipients and providers of informal family caregiving, as the pool of family caregivers is shrinking while demand is increasing. Epidemiological research has not yet examined the implications of these trends for burdens experienced by aging family caregivers. Method Cross-sectional community surveys in 20 countries asked 13 892 respondents aged 50+ years about the objective (time, financial) and subjective (distress, embarrassment) burdens they experience in providing care to first-degree relatives with 12 broadly defined serious physical and mental conditions.

Socioeconomic inequality in the prevalence of noncommunicable diseases in low- and middle-income countries: results from the World Health Survey.

Background: Noncommunicable diseases are an increasing health concern worldwide, but particularly in low- and middle-income countries. This study quantified and compared education- and wealth-based inequalities in the prevalence of five noncommunicable diseases (angina, arthritis, asthma, depression and diabetes) and comorbidity in low- and middle-income country groups.

Methods: Using 2002-04 World Health Survey data from 41 low- and middle-income countries, the prevalence estimates of angina, arthritis, asthma, depression, diabetes and comorbidity in adults aged 18 years or above are presented for wealth quintiles and five education levels, by sex and country income group.

Social determinants of self-reported health in women and men: understanding the role of gender in population health.

Background: Women and men share similar health challenges yet women report poorer health. The study investigates the social determinants of self-reported health in women and men, and male-female differences in health.

Methods: Data on 103154 men and 125728 women were analysed from 57 countries in the World Health Survey 2002-2004.

Searching for an operational definition of frailty: a Delphi method based consensus statement: the frailty operative definition-consensus conference project.

Background: There is no consensus regarding the definition of frailty for clinical uses.

Methods: A modified Delphi process was used to attempt to achieve consensus definition. Experts were selected from different fields and organized into five Focus Groups.

An investigation of factors associated with the health and well-being of HIV-infected or HIV-affected older people in rural South Africa.

Background: Despite the severe impact of HIV in sub-Saharan Africa, the health of older people aged 50+ is often overlooked owing to the dearth of data on the direct and indirect effects of HIV on older people's health status and well-being. The aim of this study was to examine correlates of health and well-being of HIV-infected older people relative to HIV-affected people in rural South Africa, defined as participants with an HIV-infected or death of an adult child due to HIV-related cause.

Methods: Data were collected within the Africa Centre surveillance area using instruments adapted from the World Health Organization (WHO) Study on global AGEing and adult health (SAGE).

The prevalence and correlates of intermittent explosive disorder in Iraq.

Objective: Intermittent explosive disorder is common, begins early in life, and is associated with considerable impairment in the United States. The epidemiology of IED outside the United States is unknown. We examined the prevalence and correlates of IED in Iraq, where exposure to violence has been widespread during the last three decades.

Socioeconomic inequality in domains of health: results from the World Health Surveys.

Background: In all countries people of lower socioeconomic status evaluate their health more poorly. Yet in reporting overall health, individuals consider multiple domains that comprise their perceived health state. Considered alone, overall measures of self-reported health mask differences in the domains of health.

Accounting for alignment uncertainty in phylogenomics.

Uncertainty in multiple sequence alignments has a large impact on phylogenetic analyses. Little has been done to evaluate the quality of individual positions in protein sequence alignments, which directly impact the accuracy of phylogenetic trees. Here we describe ZORRO, a probabilistic masking program that accounts for alignment uncertainty by assigning confidence scores to each alignment position.

Increased risk of diabetes mellitus among persons with psychotic symptoms: results from the WHO World Health Survey.

Objective: To analyze with a symptom-based approach the relationship between psychosis and diabetes mellitus in the general population.

Method: Nationally representative samples from the World Health Organization (WHO) World Health Survey, totaling 224,743 randomly selected adults 18 years and older from 52 countries worldwide, were interviewed to establish the presence of psychotic symptoms and diabetes mellitus. Presence of psychotic symptoms was established using questions pertaining to positive symptoms from the psychosis screening module of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview.

Lectin-based estimation of glycated hemoglobin in diabetes mellitus.

This study was undertaken to distinguish between normal and diabetic subjects by lectin-glycated hemoglobin interaction. The quantitative precipitin method was performed for the interaction between glucose-specific lectin Concanavalin A (Con A) and the glucose-containing RBC-lysate for the estimation of calculated HbA1c% from a standard curve. The standard curve was prepared by plotting the optical density of the precipitin for the interaction of standard HbA1c concentration with Con A against HbA1c reference standard.

Work disability and depressive disorders: impact on the European population.

Objective: Our aim was to study the impact of depressive disorders on work disability to discover the determinants of depression for work disability in the European countries.

Design: The sample was composed of 31,126 individuals from 29 countries included in the 2002 World Health Survey of the World Health Organization. National representative samples of countries from all regions of Europe and with different levels of economic development and health coverage were selected.

Health and functional status among older people with HIV/AIDS in Uganda.

Background: In sub-Saharan Africa, little is known about the health and functional status of older people who either themselves are HIV infected or are affected by HIV and AIDS in the family. This aim of this study was to describe health among older people in association with the HIV epidemic.

Methods: The cross-sectional survey consisted of 510 participants aged 50 years and older, equally divided into five study groups including; 1) HIV infected and on antiretroviral therapy (ART) for at least 1 year; 2) HIV infected and not yet eligible for ART; 3) older people who had lost a child due to HIV/AIDS; 4) older people who have an adult child with HIV/AIDS; 5) older people not known to be infected or affected by HIV in the family.

Development of short versions for the WHOQOL-OLD module.

Purpose Of The Study: To explore short-form versions of World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL-OLD) with acceptable psychometric properties, which was developed for older adults by the WHOQOL research group, containing 24 items initially.

Design And Methods: We randomly sampled two-thirds of respondents from the data of WHOQOL-OLD field study (N = 5,566), as a developmental sample, and the remaining third as a validation sample. Three approaches (item response theory [IRT] and regression analysis [REG], classical test theory [CTT] and REG, and CTT and IRT and REG) were performed to develop three short-form scales with six items each using the developmental sample.

The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health: development of capacity and performance scales.

Objective: There has been no attempt to obtain a continuous summary measure of disability from the checklist of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF). Our objective was to assess whether valid scales of Capacity and Performance could be developed from the "Activities and Participation" domain of the ICF checklist.

Study Design And Setting: A multicenter, observational study of 1,092 patients with 12 different chronic conditions from five European countries was conducted.

Social determinants of smoking in low- and middle-income countries: results from the World Health Survey.

Introduction: Tobacco smoking is a leading cause of premature death and disability, and over 80% of the world's smokers live in low- or middle-income countries. The objective of this study is to assess demographic and socioeconomic determinants of current smoking in low- and middle-income countries.

Methods: We used data, from the World Health Survey in 48 low-income and middle-income countries, to explore the impact of demographic and socioeconomic factors on the current smoking status of respondents.

Chronic diseases and injuries in India.

Chronic diseases (eg, cardiovascular diseases, mental health disorders, diabetes, and cancer) and injuries are the leading causes of death and disability in India, and we project pronounced increases in their contribution to the burden of disease during the next 25 years. Most chronic diseases are equally prevalent in poor and rural populations and often occur together. Although a wide range of cost-effective primary and secondary prevention strategies are available, their coverage is generally low, especially in poor and rural populations.