Prevalence of Functional Disabilities and Associations Among Disabilities, Violence, and HIV Among Adolescents and Young Adults in Lesotho.

Introduction: Lesotho has the second-highest prevalence of HIV. Despite progress in achieving HIV epidemic control targets, inequities persist among certain groups, particularly associations between disability, HIV, and violence. We assessed the prevalence of disability and examined associations between disability and HIV and violence using data from the 2018 Lesotho Violence Against Children and Youth Survey (VACS).

The Utility of the Behavior Assessment System for Children-2 Behavioral and Emotional Screening System and Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire in Predicting Mental Disorders in the Project to Learn About Youth-Mental Health.

We examined the predictive utility of the Behavior Assessment System for Children-2 Behavioral and Emotional Screening System (BASC-2-BESS) and Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) in identifying students with a mental disorder. Data were collected in a two-stage study over 34 months with kindergarten-12 grade (K-12) students (aged 5-19 years) in four U.S.

Clinical Characteristics of Children With Tourette Syndrome With and Without Sleep Disorder.

Background: Sleep problems are common in children with Tourette Syndrome (TS). However, research regarding their demographic and clinical profile is limited.

Methods: We examined characteristics of 114 children aged five to 17 years with a lifetime diagnosis of TS and compared children with sleep disorder (n = 32) and without sleep disorder (n = 82).

State-Level Estimates of the Prevalence of Parent-Reported ADHD Diagnosis and Treatment Among U.S. Children and Adolescents, 2016 to 2019.

Objective: To provide state-level estimates of diagnosed ADHD and associated treatment among children in the United States in 2016 to 2019.

Method: This study used the National Survey of Children's Health to produce national and state-level estimates of lifetime diagnosis and current ADHD among all children aged 3 to 17 years (=114,476), and national and state-level estimates of medication and behavioral treatment use among children with current ADHD.

Results: The state-level estimates of diagnosed ADHD ranged from 6.

Assessing Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Receipt and Timeliness of Newborn Hearing Screening and Diagnostic Services Among Infants Born in Four States.

The study compares receipt and timeliness of newborn hearing screening and follow-up diagnostic services between the pre-pandemic birth cohort and the pandemic birth cohort in four participating states. Findings from this study will help inform state Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) programs in the future should a major public health event occur again.

Psychometric Assessment of Pilot Language and Communication Items on the 2018 and 2019 National Survey of Children's Health.

Objective: Until recently, normative data on language and communication development among children in the United States have not been available to inform critical efforts to promote language development and prevent impairments. This study represents the first psychometric assessment of nationally representative data derived from a National Survey of Children's Health (NSCH) pilot measure of language and communication development among children ages 1 to 5 years.

Methods: We analyzed 14,573 parent responses to language and communication items on the 2018 and 2019 NSCH to evaluate whether the newly added 11 items represent a single latent trait for language and communication development and to determine normative age of success on each item.

Coronavirus Disease Case Definitions, Diagnostic Testing Criteria, and Surveillance in 25 Countries with Highest Reported Case Counts.

We compared case definitions for suspected, probable, and confirmed coronavirus disease (COVID-19), as well as diagnostic testing criteria, used in the 25 countries with the highest reported case counts as of October 1, 2020. Of the identified countries, 56% followed World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations for using a combination of clinical and epidemiologic criteria as part of the suspected case definition. A total of 75% of identified countries followed WHO recommendations on using clinical, epidemiologic, and diagnostic criteria for probable cases; 72% followed WHO recommendations to use PCR testing to confirm COVID-19.

How Medicaid and States Could Better Meet Health Needs of Persons Experiencing Homelessness.

An estimated 580 000 people experienced homelessness on any single night in the United States in 2020. This article argues that, to address these persons' unmet needs, Medicaid should collaborate with clinicians and state programs to provide permanent supportive housing and housing support services to individuals experiencing homelessness. Access to shelter can improve health outcomes for individuals experiencing homelessness and reduce overall health care costs.

Bullying Victimization and Perpetration Among US Children with and Without Tourette Syndrome.

Objective: Tourette syndrome (TS) and co-occurring mental, behavioral, and developmental disorders (MBDDs) have been shown to affect peer relationships. This study provides nationally representative estimates of diagnosed TS prevalence and the prevalence of parent-reported bullying victimization and perpetration among US children with and without TS.

Methods: This study included 2016-2017 National Survey of Children's Health data on children aged 6 to 17 years (N = 51,001) with parent-reported responses about TS diagnosis and their child's experiences with bullying victimization and perpetration.

Factors Associated with Self-regulation in a Nationally Representative Sample of Children Ages 3-5 Years: United States, 2016.

Objective: The aim of the present study was to describe self-regulation (the ability to influence or control one's thoughts or behavior in response to situational demands and social norms) in children ages 3-5 years using a nationally representative sample and examine risk and protective factors to identify opportunities to support children and families.

Methods: Using a cross-sectional design, we examined data from a parent-reported pilot measure of self-regulation from the 2016 National Survey of Children's Health (NSCH). We compared U.

Community-Based Prevalence of Externalizing and Internalizing Disorders among School-Aged Children and Adolescents in Four Geographically Dispersed School Districts in the United States.

The Project to Learn About Youth-Mental Health (PLAY-MH; 2014-2018) is a school-based, two-stage study designed to estimate the prevalence of selected mental disorders among K-12 students in four U.S.-based sites (Colorado, Florida, Ohio, and South Carolina).

Personal exposure to NO and benzene in the Cape Town region of South Africa is associated with shorter leukocyte telomere length in women.

Air pollution exposure is a major global health concern and has been associated with molecular aging. Unfortunately, the situation has not received much attention in the African region. The aim of this study was to investigate whether current personal ambient NO and benzene, toluene, ethyl-benzene and xylenes (ortho (o)-, meta (m)- and para (p)-xylene (BTEX) exposure is associated with leukocyte telomere length (LTL), a marker of molecular ageing, in apparently healthy women (mean ± SD age: 42.

Personal NO and Volatile Organic Compounds Exposure Levels are Associated with Markers of Cardiovascular Risk in Women in the Cape Town Region of South Africa.

Exposure to ambient NO and benzene, toluene ethyl-benzene and m+p- and o-xylenes (BTEX) is associated with adverse cardiovascular effects, but limited information is available on the effects of personal exposure to these compounds in South African populations. This 6-month follow-up study aims to determine 7-day personal ambient NO and BTEX exposure levels via compact passive diffusion samplers in female participants from Cape Town, and investigate whether exposure levels are associated with cardiovascular risk markers. Overall, the measured air pollutant exposure levels were lower compared to international standards.

Cost-effectiveness of HIV Prevention Interventions in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Systematic Review.

Background: Sub-Saharan Africa carries the highest HIV burden globally. It is important to understand how interventions cost-effectively fit within guidelines and implementation plans, especially in low- and middle-income settings. We reviewed the evidence from economic evaluations of HIV prevention interventions in sub-Saharan Africa to help inform the allocation of limited resources.

Measuring hospital-specific disparities by dual eligibility and race to reduce health inequities.

Objective: To propose and evaluate a metric for quantifying hospital-specific disparities in health outcomes that can be used by patients and hospitals.

Data Sources/study Setting: Inpatient admissions for Medicare patients with acute myocardial infarction, heart failure, or pneumonia to all non-federal, short-term, acute care hospitals during 2012-2015.

Study Design: Building on the current Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services methodology for calculating risk-standardized readmission rates, we developed models that include a hospital-specific random coefficient for either patient dual eligibility status or African American race.