Background: Urolithiasis is one of the most prevalent urological diseases and is associated with a substantial economic burden. Its prevalence varies according to geographical location. Qatar is a Middle Eastern country located in the Afro-Asian Stone Belt. It has a dry and hot climate, which may predispose individuals working in these environments to form kidney stones (KSs).
Methods: A population sample of 4204 patients was categorized into five occupational classes. The frequencies and correlations of these occupations with KS formation were calculated.
Results: Among the total cases, 2000 presented with KSs, with the majority being of Asian descent (49%), followed by individuals of Middle Eastern descent (35.1%). Technicians accounted for 35.15% of KS cases followed by clerks (29.2%) and executives (14.6%). Among KS cases, 44% had a single stone, 30% had multiple stones, and 26% had two stones. In comparing both KS and non-KS groups, age, gender, occupation, and race were significantly associated with KS formation (p<0.05), while BMI did not show any significant correlation (p>0.05). Asian males aged 31-40, working as technicians, were significantly more prone to urolithiasis. In comparing age, BMI, and gender with stone characteristics, only age was found significantly associated with stone size (p<0.05). Occupation showed an impact on all studied stone characteristics. Clerks and technicians presented more frequently with stones within the 11-15 mm range, while executives more frequently presented with smaller stones (p<0.001). Stone density was more frequently <500 HU in workers, technicians and housewives and >500 HU in executives and clerks (p<0.001).
Conclusions: Our findings revealed an elevated risk of urolithiasis among certain occupational groups, particularly technicians, who frequently work outdoors in high-temperature environments. Alternatively, the sedentary nature of clerical and executive positions can also contribute to the risk of urolithiasis.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.4081/aiua.2024.12022 | DOI Listing |
J Family Med Prim Care
November 2024
Department of Medical Informatics, University of Geneva, Switzerland.
Background: Telemedicine provides a means to deliver healthcare across distances, enhancing efficiency and accessibility, especially in low- and middle-income countries. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted its importance by reducing the risk of virus transmission while maintaining healthcare delivery. This study evaluates the telemedicine program implemented at B.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFront Public Health
December 2024
Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States.
The unprecedented availability of increasingly complex, voluminous, and multi-dimensional data as well as the emergence of data science as an evolving field provide ideal opportunities to address the multi-faceted public health challenges faced by low and middle income countries (LMIC), especially those in sub-Saharan Africa. However, there is a severe lack of well-trained data scientists and home-grown educational programs to enable context-specific training. The lack of human capacity and resources for public health data analysis as well as the dire need to use modern technology for better understanding and possible intervention cannot be dealt with currently available educational programs and computing infrastructure, demanding a great deal of collaboration and investments within Africa and with the Global North This paper describes processes undertaken to establish sustainable research training programs and to train a new generation of data scientists with knowledge, mentoring, professional skills, and research immersion.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFront Public Health
December 2024
School of Marxism, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
Background: In the context of China, where the demographic trend of population aging intertwines with the rapid advancement of information digitalization, rural older adult individuals, who are part of a vulnerable population, are witnessing a deteriorating depression status. The proliferation of rural e-commerce, which fuels the digital economic revolution in rural areas, is concurrently affecting the depressive symptoms among rural older adult individuals.
Methods: This study uses longitudinal data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) and applies a multi-period Difference-in-Differences (DID) model to explore how rural e-commerce affects the depressive symptoms among rural older adult individuals.
Drug Des Devel Ther
December 2024
Department of Pharmacology, College of Clinical Pharmacy, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, 31441, Saudi Arabia.
Background And Objective: Vancomycin is commonly prescribed in treatment of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections. While, vancomycins' pharmacokinetic vary among older patients, there is a paucity of data regarding specific characteristics influencing pharmacokinetics in Saudi adult patients. This study aims to establish a population-pharmacokinetic (Pop-PK) model for vancomycin in patients admitted to medical wards, with the focus on identification of patient characteristics influencing vancomycin trough concentrations.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEast Mediterr Health J
December 2024
Universal Health Coverage/Noncommunicable Diseases and Mental Health, WHO Office for the Eastern Mediterranean Region, Cairo, Egypt.
Background: Tobacco use remains a significant challenge to public health in the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR), particularly among adolescents, despite various control measures implemented by countries.
Aim: To evaluate the effectiveness of tobacco taxation policies in reducing consumption among adolescents in the EMR and identify optimal tax structures and enforcement strategies.
Methods: We analysed data from the Global Youth Tobacco Survey and the Global Tobacco Control Report up to 2023 to assess prevalence of tobacco use among adolescents, access to tobacco products, and types of taxes imposed by EMR countries.
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