Dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 variants in West Africa: Insights into genomic surveillance in resource-constrained settings.

SARS-CoV-2 geno-surveillance has been challenging in West Africa. Despite the multiple challenges encountered, particularly in West Africa during the COVID-19 pandemic, efforts were made to circumscribe the spread of the disease and to provide methods and resources for surveillance. We aim to describe the dynamic of SARS-CoV-2 variants and highlight the efforts made in genomic surveillance in West Africa.

Effect of a digital school-based intervention on adolescent family planning and reproductive health in Rwanda: a cluster-randomized trial.

We conducted a cluster-randomized hybrid effectiveness-implementation study of CyberRwanda, a digital family planning and reproductive health intervention for Rwandan adolescents. Sixty schools were randomized 1:1:1 to control or to one of two implementation models-self-service (self-guided access on tablets) or facilitated (peer-led clubs plus tablet access) with no masking. Eligible participants were aged 12-19 years, in secondary school levels 1 or 2, and willing to provide consent or assent/parental consent and contact information for follow-up.

Unlocking the power of tobacco taxation to mitigate the social costs of smoking in Mexico: a microsimulation model.

Despite being the most cost-effective tobacco control policy, tobacco taxation is the least implemented component of the World Health Organization MPOWER package to reduce smoking worldwide. In Mexico, both smoking prevalence and taxation have remained stable for more than a decade. This study aims to provide evidence about the potential effects of taxation to reduce the burden of tobacco-related diseases and the main attributable social costs in Mexico, including informal (unpaid) care costs, which are frequently ignored.

Associations between psychosocial stress, child's anxiety, and lung function in mid-childhood.

Background: Reducing the risk of respiratory disease during the plastic stages of lung development could have long-term health impacts. Psychosocial stress has been previously linked to adverse childhood respiratory outcomes, but the influence of child's anxiety and sex differences has not been completely elucidated.

Objective: To evaluate the association among maternal stress, child anxiety, and lung function in children and to explore differences by sex.

Amenable Mortality in Children under 5: An Indicator for Identifying Inequalities in Healthcare Delivery: A Review.

Universal health coverage has been proposed as a strategy to improve health in low- and middle-income countries, but this depends on a good provision of health services. Under-5 mortality (U5M) reflects the quality of health services, and its reduction has been a milestone in modern society, reducing global mortality rates by more than two-thirds between 1990 and 2020. However, despite these impressive achievements, they are still insufficient, and most deaths in children under 5 can be prevented with the provision of timely and high-quality health services.

Incentivizing adherence to pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV prevention: a randomized pilot trial among male sex workers in Mexico.

Low adherence to preventative medications against life-long health conditions is a major contributor to global morbidity and mortality. We implemented a pilot randomized controlled trial in Mexico to measure the extent to which conditional economic incentives help male sex workers increase their adherence to pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV prevention. We followed n = 110 male sex workers over 6 months.

Performance of two SARS-CoV-2 rapid antigen detection tests in resource limited settings, the case of Mali.

Introduction: While real-time reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR) is the recommended laboratory method to diagnose severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, its use in resource limited settings can be difficult to maintain due to high testing demand and shortage of reagents. The aim of this study was to evaluate the performances of Realy Tech™ and Standard Q™ in comparison to RT-PCR in a relatively low COVID-19 prevalence setting, Mali.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study between January and April 2021 in Bamako and Kati regions to evaluate both rapid tests during a large SARS-CoV-2 prevalence study in Mali.

Frailty Was Associated With Atmospheric NO2 Levels: A Geospatial Approach.

Background: Recent evidence has linked air pollution with frailty, yet little is known about the role of NO2 in this association. Our aim was to assess the association between frailty and NO2 air concentrations in Mexican older adults.

Methods: We used georeferenced data from the population-based Nutrition and Health Survey in Mexico (NHNS) 2021, representative of national and subnational regions, to measure a frailty index based on 31 health deficits in adults aged 50 and older.

Identification of methodological issues regarding direct impact indicators of COVID-19: a rapid scoping review on morbidity, severity and mortality.

Background: During the first epidemic wave, COVID-19 surveillance focused on quantifying the magnitude and the escalation of a growing global health crisis. The scientific community first assessed risk through basic indicators, such as the number of cases or rates of new cases and deaths, and later began using other direct impact indicators to conduct more detailed analyses. We aimed at synthesizing the scientific community's contribution to assessing the direct impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on population health through indicators reported in research papers.

Effectiveness of mHealth Interventions to Improve Pain Intensity and Functional Disability in Individuals With Hip or Knee Osteoarthritis: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Objective: This review aimed to investigate the effectiveness of mHealth-supported active exercise interventions to reduce pain intensity and disability level in persons with hip or knee osteoarthritis (OA).

Data Sources: Three databases (PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science) were systematically searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published between January 1, 2012 and July 31, 2023. PROSPERO registration number of this review was CRD42023394119.

Associations of prenatal exposure to phthalates and their mixture with lung function in Mexican children.

Early life phthalates exposure has been associated with adverse respiratory outcomes. However, evidence linking prenatal phthalates exposure and childhood lung function has been inconclusive. Additionally, few studies have examined phthalates exposure as a mixture and explored sexually dimorphic associations.

Associations between prenatal metal and metalloid mixtures in teeth and reductions in childhood lung function.

Background: Metal(oid)s have been cross-sectionally associated with lung function outcomes in childhood but there is limited data on their combined effects starting in utero. Child sex may further modify these effects.

Objective: Examine associations between in utero and early life exposure to metals assessed via novel dentine biomarkers and childhood lung function and explore effect modification by child sex.

Association Between Changes in Sleep, Nap Duration and Bone Mineral Density in Mexican Adults.

Studies have found associations between sleep, nap duration, and bone mineral density (BMD). However, the longitudinal relationship between sleep, nap duration, and BMD has not been explored. We evaluated the association between the change in sleep and nap duration and BMD in Mexican adults.

Impact of Fee For Service on the Efficiency and Survival of Seguro Popular's Patients With Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in Mexico.

Purpose: Cost containment and efficiency in the provision of health care are primary concerns for health systems that aim to provide affordable, high-quality care. Between 2005 and 2015, Seguro Poplar's Fund against Catastrophic Expenditures (FPGC) funded ALL treatment in Mexico. Before January 1, 2011, FPGC reimbursed a fixed amount per patient according to risk.

Hospital care direct costs due to ambulatory care sensitive conditions related to diabetes mellitus in the Mexican public healthcare system.

Background: Hospitalizations for ambulatory care sensitive conditions (ACSC) incur substantial costs on the health system that could be partially avoided with adequate outpatient care. Complications of chronic diseases, such as diabetes mellitus (DM), are considered ACSC. Previous studies have shown that hospitalizations due to diabetes have a significant financial burden.

Technical Efficiency of Mexico's Public Health System in the Delivery of Obstetric Care, during 2012-2018.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the technical efficiency of Mexico's public health system in the delivery of obstetric care from 2012 to 2018. A multi-stage quantitative study of the public health institutions responsible for 95% of the system's obstetric services was conducted using data envelopment analysis. The efficiency of state-level productive units (decision-making units, or DMUs) was calculated and juxtaposed with the DMUs' maximum (0.

Management practices in facilities providing HIV services to key populations in Kenya and Malawi: A descriptive analysis of management in community-based organizations.

HIV services for key populations (KP) at higher risk of HIV infection are often delivered by community-based organizations. To achieve HIV epidemic control, countries need to scale up HIV services for KP. Little is known about the management practices of community-based organizations delivering health services.

Development of a crowdsourcing- and gamification-based mobile application to collect epidemiological information and promote healthy lifestyles in Mexico.

We developed a mobile application to promote healthy lifestyles and collect non-communicable disease (NCD) data in Mexico. Its theoretical foundations are supported by a framework-guided literature review. With design sprints, Scrum, Model-View-Controller, and Representational State Transfer architecture, we operationalized evidence-based nutrition/physical activity information into a crowdsourcing- and gamification-based application.

Prenatal care utilization and perinatal outcomes among pregnant adolescents in Mexico, 2008-2019.

Objective: To describe utilization of prenatal care and outcomes of low birth weight and preterm birth among adolescent births in Mexico.

Methods: We used birth certificate data and included live births to individuals 10-24 years, 2008-2019. Our outcomes were binary measures of adequate prenatal care, low birth weight, and preterm birth.

Understanding the social determinants of child mortality in Latin America over the last two decades: a machine learning approach.

The reduction of child mortality rates remains a significant global public health challenge, particularly in regions with high levels of inequality such as Latin America. We used machine learning (ML) algorithms to explore the relationship between social determinants and child under-5 mortality rates (U5MR) in Brazil, Ecuador, and Mexico over two decades. We created a municipal-level cohort from 2000 to 2019 and trained a random forest model (RF) to estimate the relative importance of social determinants in predicting U5MR.

Awareness of the public charge, confidence in knowledge, and the use of public healthcare programs among Mexican-origin Oregon Latino/as.

Objective: We describe awareness about the modified "public charge" rule among Oregon's Mexican-origin Latino/a population and whether concerns about the rule influenced disenrollment from state-funded programs, which do not fall under the public charge.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey of adults (ages 18-59) recruited at the Mexican consulate and living in the state of Oregon. Our outcomes were awareness (of the public charge, source of knowledge, and confidence in knowledge of the public charge) and disenrolling self or family members from state-funded public healthcare programs due to concerns about the rule.

Associations Among Menstrual Cycle Length, Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), and Vaccination.

Objective: To assess whether coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is associated with menstrual cycle length changes and, if so, how that compares with those undergoing vaccination or no event (control).

Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort analysis in which we analyzed prospectively tracked cycle-length data from users of a period tracker application who also responded to a survey regarding COVID-19 symptoms and vaccination. We restricted our sample to users aged 16-45 years, with normal cycle lengths (24-38 days) and regular tracking behavior during the five cycles around COVID-19 symptoms or vaccination or a similar time period for those experiencing no event (control group).

Late puberty onset and lack of acne during adolescence reduce high-grade prostate cancer at adulthood.

Background: The interplay between pubertal events patterns (PEP) and prostate cancer (PCa) remains poorly understood. Therefore, we investigated the association of PEP with the odds of PCa, and PCa histological differentiation in men residents of Mexico city.

Methods: In this case-control study, we analyzed the information of 371 incident prostate cancer cases and 775 controls matched on age (±5 years).