Is COVID-19 Still a Threat? An Expert Opinion Review on the Continued Healthcare Burden in Immunocompromised Individuals.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has had a profound global impact. The emergence of several variants during the pandemic has presented numerous challenges in preventing and managing this disease. The development of vaccines has played a pivotal role in controlling the pandemic, with a significant portion of the global population being vaccinated.

Life after Lockdown: An Exploratory Qualitative Study of Behaviors and Impacts of Avoiding COVID-19 in Individuals at High Risk of Severe COVID-19 and Their Caregivers.

This exploratory qualitative study involved semi-structured interviews with adults and caregivers of adults at high risk of severe COVID-19, addressing current COVID-19 avoidance and protective behaviors and how these behaviors impacted their lives. Results were interpreted in a separate think tank session. Insights were developed into a conceptual model of COVID-19 avoidance and protective behaviors and the associated impacts on health-related quality of life and overall functioning.

Corrigendum to 'Impact of COVID-19 on immunocompromised populations during the Omicron era: insights from the observational population-based INFORM study' [The Lancet Regional Health - Europe 35 (2023) 100747].

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1016/j.lanepe.

The Association Between Physical Distancing Behaviors to Avoid COVID-19 and Health-Related Quality of Life in Immunocompromised and Nonimmunocompromised Individuals: Patient-Informed Protocol for the Observational, Cross-Sectional EAGLE Study.

Background: Immunocompromised individuals are known to respond inadequately to SARS-CoV-2 vaccines, placing them at high risk of severe or fatal COVID-19. Thus, immunocompromised individuals and their caregivers may still practice varying degrees of social or physical distancing to avoid COVID-19. However, the association between physical distancing to avoid COVID-19 and quality of life has not been comprehensively evaluated in any study.

Impact of COVID-19 on immunocompromised populations during the Omicron era: insights from the observational population-based INFORM study.

Background: Immunocompromised individuals are not optimally protected by COVID-19 vaccines and potentially require additional preventive interventions to mitigate the risk of severe COVID-19. We aimed to characterise and describe the risk of severe COVID-19 across immunocompromised groups as the pandemic began to transition to an endemic phase.

Methods: COVID-19-related hospitalisations, intensive care unit (ICU) admissions, and deaths (01/01/2022-31/12/2022) were compared among different groups of immunocompromised individuals the general population, using a retrospective cohort design and electronic health data from a random 25% sample of the English population aged ≥12 years (Registration number: ISRCTN53375662).

Belgian population norms for the EQ-5D-5L, 2018.

Purpose: Health-related quality of life outcomes are increasingly used to monitor population health and health inequalities and to assess the (cost-) effectiveness of health interventions. The EQ-5D-5L has been included in the Belgian Health Interview Survey, providing a new source of population-based self-perceived health status information. This study aims to estimate Belgian population norms for the EQ-5D-5L by sex, age, and region and to analyze its association with educational attainment.

Potential impact of reduced tobacco use on life and health expectancies in Belgium.

Objectives: We investigated the potential impact of reduced tobacco use scenarios on total life expectancy and health expectancies, i.e., healthy life years and unhealthy life years.

Women's excess unhealthy life years: disentangling the unhealthy life years gap.

Background: Compared to men, women live longer but have more years with disability. We assessed the contribution of gender differences in mortality and disability, total and by cause, to women's excess unhealthy life years (ULYs).

Methods: We used mortality data for France 2008 from Eurostat, causes of death from the CépiDc-INSERM-database; and disability and chronic conditions data from the French Disability Health Survey 2008-09.

Contribution of chronic diseases to educational disparity in disability in France: results from the cross-sectional "disability-health" survey.

Background: This study aimed 1) to assess whether the contribution of chronic conditions to disability varies according to the educational attainment, 2) to disentangle the contributions of the prevalence and of the disabling impact of chronic conditions to educational disparities.

Methods: Data of the 2008-09 Disability Health Survey were examined ( = 23,348). The disability indicator was the Global Activity Limitation Indicator (GALI).

Methods to assess the contribution of diseases to disability using cross-sectional studies: comparison of different versions of the attributable fraction and the attribution method.

Background: This study aims to illustrate the differences between approaches proposed for apportioning disability to different diseases in a multicausal situation, i.e. the unadjusted attributable fraction (AF), the adjusted AF, the average AF and the attribution method (AM).

Contribution of chronic conditions to disability in men and women in France.

Background: Women report more disability than men perhaps due to gender differences in the prevalence of diseases and/or in their disabling impact. We compare the contribution of chronic diseases to disability in men and women in France, using a disability survey conducted in both private households and institutions, and we also examine the effect of excluding the institutionalized population.

Methods: Data comprised 17 549 individuals age 50+, who participated in the 2008-09 French Disability Health Survey including people living in institutions.

Contribution of chronic conditions to gender disparities in health expectancies in Belgium, 2001, 2004 and 2008.

Background: We aimed to investigate the contribution of chronic conditions to gender differences in disability-free life expectancy (DFLE) and life expectancy with disability (LED) in Belgium in 2001, 2004 and 2008.

Methods: Data on disability and chronic conditions from participants of the 2001, 2004 and 2008 Health Interview Surveys in Belgium were used to estimate disability prevalence by cause using the attribution method. Disability prevalence was applied to life tables to estimate DFLE and LED using the Sullivan method.

Contribution of chronic conditions to smoking differences in life expectancy with and without disability in Belgium.

Background: Smoking is the leading cause of premature mortality and morbidity. This study aimed at assessing the impact of smoking on life expectancy (LE) and LE with (LED) and without disability (DFLE). We further estimated the contribution of disability and mortality and their causes to differences in LED and DFLE by smoking.

Measuring disability: a systematic review of the validity and reliability of the Global Activity Limitations Indicator (GALI).

Background: GALI or Global Activity Limitation Indicator is a global survey instrument measuring participation restriction. GALI is the measure underlying the European indicator Healthy Life Years (HLY). Gali has a substantial policy use within the EU and its Member States.

Contribution of chronic conditions to functional limitations using a multinomial outcome: results for the older population in Belgium and Brazil.

Background: The global phenomenon of population ageing is creating new challenges in both high and middle income countries, as functional limitations are expected to increase with age. The attribution method has been proposed to identify which conditions contribute most to disability using cross-sectional data. Although the original method was based on binary outcomes, we recently proposed an extension to multinomial responses, since different disability levels are often investigated in surveys.

Applying the ICF linking rules to compare population-based data from different sources: an exemplary analysis of tools used to collect information on disability.

Background: Data on disability are regularly collected by different institutions or ministries using specific tools for different purposes, for instance to estimate the prevalence of disability or eligibility of specific populations for social benefits. The interoperability of disability data collected in countries is essential for policy making and to monitor the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The first objective of this paper is to map and compare tools that collect data on disability for different purposes, more specifically the Brazilian National Health Survey and the Brazilian Functioning Index to the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Bank Model Disability Survey (MDS), currently recommended as a standard tool for disability measurement.

Multinomial additive hazard model to assess the disability burden using cross-sectional data.

Population aging is accompanied by the burden of chronic diseases and disability. Chronic diseases are among the main causes of disability, which is associated with poor quality of life and high health care costs in the elderly. The identification of which chronic diseases contribute most to the disability prevalence is important to reduce the burden.

Contribution of chronic conditions to gender disparities in disability in the older population in Brazil, 2013.

Objectives: To assess the contribution of chronic conditions to the disability burden in the older men and women in Brazil.

Methods: Data from 10,290 participants of the Brazilian National Health Survey in 2013 aged 60 years or older were used. Disability was defined based on limitations in activities of daily living (ADL) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL).

Contribution of Chronic Conditions to the Disability Burden across Smoking Categories in Middle-Aged Adults, Belgium.

Introduction: Smoking is considered the single most important preventable cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, contributing to increased incidence and severity of disabling conditions. The aim of this study was to assess the contribution of chronic conditions to the disability burden across smoking categories in middle-aged adults in Belgium.

Methods: Data from 10,224 individuals aged 40 to 60 years who participated in the 1997, 2001, 2004, or 2008 Health Interview Surveys in Belgium were used.

Impact of Chronic Conditions and Multimorbidity on the Disability Burden in the Older Population in Belgium.

Background: The increase in longevity along with a high prevalence of chronic conditions contribute to increased disability burden. Despite the high occurrence of multimorbidity observed in advanced ages, most studies are restricted to the investigation of individual diseases. In this study, we assessed the impact of chronic conditions and multimorbidity on the disability burden in the older population in Belgium.

Contribution of chronic diseases to the mild and severe disability burden in Belgium.

Background: Population aging accompanied by an increased longevity with disability has raised international concern, especially due to its costs to the health care systems. Chronic diseases are the main causes of physical disability and their simultaneous occurrence in the population can impact the disablement process, resulting in different severity levels. In this study, the contribution of chronic diseases to both mild and severe disability burden in Belgium was investigated.

Contribution of chronic diseases to the disability burden in a population 15 years and older, Belgium, 1997-2008.

Background: Age-associated disability reduces quality of life in older populations and leads to wide-range implications for social and health policy. The identification of diseases that contribute to the disability burden is crucial to the development of prevention and intervention strategies to reduce disability. In this study, we assessed the contribution of chronic diseases to the prevalence of disability in Belgium.

[Trends in tobacco consumption from 2006 to 2011 in Brazilian capitals according to the VIGITEL survey].

The aim of this study was to analyze trends in indicators of smoking in Brazilian State capitals, according to the Surveillance System for Risk and Protective Factors for Chronic Illnesses Using a Telephone Survey (VIGITEL) in adults, from 2006 to 2011. A simple linear regression model was used (a = 5%). There was a decrease in the prevalence of smokers and heavy smokers among men and in individuals 35 to 54 years of age.

[Trends in frequency of consumption of beans assessed by means of a telephone survey in Brazilian state capitals between 2006 and 2009].

The scope of this paper was to analyze the trends of frequency of consumption of beans between the years 2006 and 2009 in the Brazilian capitals. This is a historical series using the Vigitel database for all Brazilian state capitals. Consumption of beans was described in terms of relative frequency and the trend was assessed using Poisson regression.