Background: In fall of 2004, the authors began an investigation to characterize the correlations between the storage of Household Hazardous Materials and the associated health risks, particularly to children. The study area selected was Genesee County, Michigan, near Flint, with data to be collected by a phone survey of residents and through the acquisition of county hospital records containing procedure codes indicating treatment for poison emergencies, and review of poison control center data.
Methods: A focus group was used to identify key topics and relationships within these data for improving the phone survey questionnaire and its analysis.
Results: The focus group was successful in identifying the key issues with respect to all the data collection objectives, resulting in a significantly shorter and more topically focused survey questionnaire. Execution time of the phone survey decreased from 30 to 12 minutes, and useful relationships between the data were revealed, e.g., the linkage between reading food labels and reading labels on containers containing potentially harmful substances.
Conclusion: Focus groups and their preparatory planning can help reveal data interrelationships before larger surveys are undertaken. Even where time and budget constraints prevent the ability to conduct a series of focus groups, one successful focus group session can improve survey performance and reduce costs.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1476-069X-4-16 | DOI Listing |
J Biochem Mol Toxicol
January 2025
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China.
This study investigates the metabolic disruptions caused by nicotine (NIC) exposure, with a particular focus on amino acid and lipid metabolism, and evaluates resveratrol (RSV) as a potential protective agent. Mice were divided into four groups: control (CON), NIC-exposed, NIC + RSV-treated, and RSV-only. NIC exposure resulted in significant weight loss, elevated glucose levels, altered lipid profiles, and organ damage, particularly in the liver and kidneys.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAfr J Reprod Health
November 2024
SAMRC/Wits Developmental Pathways for Health Research Unit, Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Clinical Medicine, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
Although South Africa is among the countries with lower under-five mortality rates in sub-Saharan Africa, the country has failed to meet the national targets set to achieve the Millennium Development Goals. The study aimed to examine multilevel determinants of deaths of children under five in South Africa. Secondary data from the 2016 South Africa Demographic Health Survey was used to conduct bivariate and multilevel logistic regression analyses.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEur J Epidemiol
January 2025
Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Division of Family Medicine and Primary Care, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
The Stockholm Early Detection of Cancer Study (STEADY-CAN) cohort was established to investigate strategies for early cancer detection in a population-based context within Stockholm County, the capital region of Sweden. Utilising real-world data to explore cancer-related healthcare patterns and outcomes, the cohort links extensive clinical and laboratory data from both inpatient and outpatient care in the region. The dataset includes demographic information, detailed diagnostic codes, laboratory results, prescribed medications, and healthcare utilisation data.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNeurol Ther
January 2025
InterHealth Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Introduction: The emergence of high-efficacy disease-modifying therapies (HE DMT) for multiple sclerosis (MS) may pose challenges to the administration and monitoring burden of the therapies. This article presents the results of the Delphi consensus method to generate insights from experts on the administration and monitoring burden of HE DMT in Saudi Arabia with a special focus on cladribine.
Methods: Between January and March 2023, a two-round modified Delphi method was used to establish consensus regarding the administration and monitoring burden of HE DMTs used for MS.
Ann Surg Oncol
January 2025
Department Woman and Child Health and Public Health, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli, IRCCS, Rome, Italy.
Background: Anastomotic leakage (AL) is a major complication in colorectal surgery, particularly following rectal cancer surgery, necessitating effective prevention strategies. The increasing frequency of colorectal resections and anastomoses during cytoreductive surgery (CRS) for peritoneal carcinomatosis further complicates this issue owing to the diverse patient populations with varied tumor distributions and surgical complexities. This study aims to assess and compare AL incidence and associated risk factors across conventional colorectal cancer surgery (CRC), gastrointestinal CRS (GI-CRS), and ovarian CRS (OC-CRS), with a secondary focus on evaluating the role of protective ostomies.
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