Constructing comparable intimate partner violence indicators across the DHS, MICS, and PMA health surveys.

We construct comparable indicators that measure the prevalence of recent intimate partner violence (IPV) using publicly available, integrated microdata within the IPUMS data collections across many countries. The objective of this work is to increase opportunities for comparative research by leveraging vast quantities of harmonized data. We use consistent and comparable variables that measure domestic violence in international health surveys.

Usability validation of the Sensoready pen in patients with relapsing multiple sclerosis.

The Sensoready pen is intended for self-administration of subcutaneous 20 mg ofatumumab at home. This human factors summative study assessed the usability of the Sensoready pen in relapsing multiple sclerosis patients. 32 patients (injection-experienced [n = 17] and injection-naive [n = 15]) across five locations in the USA were asked to complete two simulated injections using the Sensoready pen.

Measuring Fatigue in Multiple Sclerosis: There may be Trouble Ahead.

Introduction: Poorly developed patient-reported outcome measures (PROs) risk type-II errors (i.e. false negatives) in clinical trials, resulting in erroneous failure to achieve trial endpoints.

Do clinical trials prepare to fail by failing to prepare? An examination of MS trials and recommendations for patient-reported outcome measure selection.

Background: Many clinical trials use patient-reported outcome (PRO) measures, which can influence treatment decision-making, drug approval and label claims. Given that many PRO measure options exist, and there are conceptual and contextual complexities with PRO measurement, we aimed to evaluate how and why specific PRO measures have been selected for pivotal multiple sclerosis (MS) clinical trials. Specifically, we aimed to identify the reasons documented for PRO measure selection in contemporary phase III MS disease-modifying treatment (DMT) clinical trials.

How to Use Simplified Reproductive Calendar Data from the Demographic and Health Survey.

IPUMS Demographic and Health Surveys (IPUMS DHS), through its intuitive website (http://dhs.ipums.org/), eliminate barriers to overtime and cross-national analyses with the DHS.

Physical Activity Coaching via Telehealth for People With Parkinson Disease: A Cohort Study.

Background And Purpose: Physical activity (PA) has many known benefits for people with Parkinson disease (PD); however, many people do not meet recommended levels of frequency or intensity. We designed Engage-PD, a PA coaching program delivered via telehealth and grounded in self-determination theory to promote PA uptake and facilitate exercise self-efficacy in people with Parkinson disease. This study aimed to determine the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of Engage-PD, and to explore whether baseline characteristics were associated with outcomes.

Dance interventions for individuals post-stroke - a scoping review.

Background: There is a growing body of literature assessing the potential benefits of dance for individuals post-stroke.

Objectives: We conducted a scoping review mapping the state of the literature on feasibility, intervention procedures, and efficacy of dance to improve health-related outcomes for individuals post-stroke.

Eligibility Criteria: Included studies were original research that described the use of a dance intervention for individuals post-stroke, included any health-related outcome, and were written in English.

Patient-reported outcome measures in MS: Do development processes and patient involvement support valid quantification of clinically important variables?

Background: Patient-reported outcomes (PROs) are widely measured in multiple sclerosis (MS) studies. However, the quality of instrument development processes varies, raising concerns about the meaningfulness of associated data.

Objectives: To review the development of selected PROs commonly used in MS studies, including definitions of the concepts measured, use of conceptual frameworks, and degree of input from people living with MS (PlwMS).

Symptom Interconnectivity in Multiple Sclerosis: A Narrative Review of Potential Underlying Biological Disease Processes.

Introduction: Fatigue, cognitive impairment, depression, and pain are highly prevalent symptoms in multiple sclerosis (MS). These often co-occur and may be explained by a common etiology. By reviewing existing literature, we aimed to identify potential underlying biological processes implicated in the interconnectivity between these symptoms.

Contextual Data in IPUMS DHS: Physical and Social Environment Variables linked to the Demographic and Health Surveys.

The Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) are the most important source of comparative information on the health of women and young children in low- and middle-income countries and are well-suited for studies of the relationship between environmental factors and health. However, barriers have limited the use of the DHS for these purposes. IPUMS DHS, an online data dissemination tool, overcomes these barriers, simplifying comparative analyses with DHS.

Use of the integrated health interview series: trends in medical provider utilization (1972-2008).

The Integrated Health Interview Series (IHIS) is a public data repository that harmonizes four decades of the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS). The NHIS is the premier source of information on the health of the U.S.

Big Data: Large-Scale Historical Infrastructure from the Minnesota Population Center.

The Minnesota Population Center (MPC) provides aggregate data and microdata that have been integrated and harmonized to maximize crosstemporal and cross-spatial comparability. All MPC data products are distributed free of charge through an interactive Web interface that enables users to limit the data and metadata being analyzed to samples and variables of interest to their research. In this article, the authors describe the integrated databases available from the MPC, report on recent additions and enhancements to these data sets, and summarize new online tools and resources that help users to analyze the data over time.

A Half Century of Health Data for the U.S. Population: The Integrated Health Interview Series.

The U.S. National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) is the world's longest survey time series of health data and a rich source of information on health conditions, behaviors, and care from the 1960s to the present.

Four decades of population health data: the integrated health interview series as an epidemiologic resource.

The National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) is a primary source of information on the changing health of the US population over the past 4 decades. The full potential of NHIS data for analyzing long-term change, however, has rarely been exploited. Time series analysis is complicated by several factors: large numbers of data files and voluminous documentation; complexity of file structures; and changing sample designs, questionnaires, and variable-coding schemes.