2016 ESC Guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of acute and chronic heart failure: The Task Force for the diagnosis and treatment of acute and chronic heart failure of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC). Developed with the special contribution of the Heart Failure Association (HFA) of the ESC.

https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/preview/1797952/1-s2.0-S0140673618322797-main.pdf

Global, regional, and national incidence, prevalence, and years lived with disability for 328 diseases and injuries for 195 countries, 1990–2016: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016

https://openresearch-repository.anu.edu.au/bitstream/1885/164632/2/01_Bin%2bSayeed_Global%252C_regional%252C_and_national_2018.pdf

Global, regional, and national incidence, prevalence, andyears lived with disability for 354 diseases and injuries for195 countries and territories, 1990–2017: a systematicanalysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017

WRITING GROUP MEMBERS Emelia J. Benjamin, MD, SCM, FAHA Michael J. Blaha, MD, MPH Stephanie E. Chiuve, ScD Mary Cushman, MD, MSc, FAHA Sandeep R. Das, MD, MPH, FAHA Rajat Deo, MD, MTR Sarah D. de Ferranti, MD, MPH James Floyd, MD, MS Myriam Fornage, PhD, FAHA Cathleen Gillespie, MS Carmen R. Isasi, MD, PhD, FAHA Monik C. Jiménez, ScD, SM Lori Chaffin Jordan, MD, PhD Suzanne E. Judd, PhD Daniel Lackland, DrPH, FAHA Judith H. Lichtman, PhD, MPH, FAHA Lynda Lisabeth, PhD, MPH, FAHA Simin Liu, MD, ScD, FAHA Chris T. Longenecker, MD Rachel H. Mackey, PhD, MPH, FAHA Kunihiro Matsushita, MD, PhD, FAHA Dariush Mozaffarian, MD, DrPH, FAHA Michael E. Mussolino, PhD, FAHA Khurram Nasir, MD, MPH, FAHA Robert W. Neumar, MD, PhD, FAHA Latha Palaniappan, MD, MS, FAHA Dilip K. Pandey, MBBS, MS, PhD, FAHA Ravi R. Thiagarajan, MD, MPH Mathew J. Reeves, PhD Matthew Ritchey, PT, DPT, OCS, MPH Carlos J. Rodriguez, MD, MPH, FAHA Gregory A. Roth, MD, MPH Wayne D. Rosamond, PhD, FAHA Comilla Sasson, MD, PhD, FAHA Amytis Towfighi, MD Connie W. Tsao, MD, MPH Melanie B. Turner, MPH Salim S. Virani, MD, PhD, FAHA Jenifer H. Voeks, PhD Joshua Z. Willey, MD, MS John T. Wilkins, MD Jason HY. Wu, MSc, PhD, FAHA Heather M. Alger, PhD Sally S. Wong, PhD, RD, CDN, FAHA Paul Muntner, PhD, MHSc On behalf of the American Heart Association Statistics Committee and Stroke Statistics Subcommittee Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics—2017 Update

Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics—2017 Update: A Report From the American Heart Association

Author(s): Writing Group Members; Mozaffarian, Dariush; Benjamin, Emelia J; Go, Alan S; Arnett, Donna K; Blaha, Michael J; Cushman, Mary; Das, Sandeep R; de Ferranti, Sarah; Despres, Jean-Pierre; Fullerton, Heather J; Howard, Virginia J; Huffman, Mark D; Isasi, Carmen R; Jimenez, Monik C; Judd, Suzanne E; Kissela, Brett M; Lichtman, Judith H; Lisabeth, Lynda D; Liu, Simin; Mackey, Rachel H; Magid, David J; McGuire, Darren K; Mohler, Emile R; Moy, Claudia S; Muntner, Paul; Mussolino, Michael E; Nasir, Khurram; Neumar, Robert W; Nichol, Graham; Palaniappan, Latha; Pandey, Dilip K; Reeves, Mathew J; Rodriguez, Carlos J; Rosamond, Wayne; Sorlie, Paul D; Stein, Joel; Towfighi, Amytis; Turan, Tanya N; Virani, Salim S; Woo, Daniel; Yeh, Robert W; Turner, Melanie B; American Heart Association Statistics Committee; Stroke Statistics Subcommittee

Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics—2016 Update: A Report From the American Heart Association

Retrospective and prospective data collected in Cameroon were used to reassess hypotheses about how infant and early childhood mortality is affected by birth spacing and breast-feeding. These data show that: (a) a short preceding birth interval is detrimental for child survival in the first 4 months of life; (b) full and partial breast-feeding have direct protective effects on child survival in the first 4-6 months of life, with the effects of the former stronger than those of the latter; (c) early subsequent conception significantly increases mortality risks in the first 16 months of life of the index child. These findings are robust to various controls, e.g. study design, data defects, child's health conditions at/around birth, postnatal maternal and child recurrent illnesses, patterns of utilisation of health care services, and immunisation status of the child.

https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0021932097003039

Effects of infant feeding practices and birth spacing on infant and child survival: a reassessment from retrospective and prospective data

This paper considers the impact of sample-attrition through dropouts on mortality analyses, using the pioneering IFORD survey of Yaounde (Cameroon). The essential issue in the IFORD surveys is the possibility that mortality of members of the cohort may differentially select some children, with specific underlying characteristics. The paper implements a method to assess the following three distinct concerns that may arise in the analysis of the IFORD data: (a) the estimation of the relationship between the covariates and the rate of occurrence of mortality or attrition over time; (b) the study of the interrelation between processes under a specific set of conditions during intervals between rounds for those children still alive and in the survey at the beginning of each interval; and (c) the issue of whether mortality and mortality differentials are affected when attrition is ignored. This approach accounts for sample-selection bias that may have resulted in the attrition process. The analyses provide insi...

Mortality and Attrition Processes in Longitudinal Studies in Africa: An Appraisal of the Iford Surveys

There is no research on the timing, sequencing and number of changes in family environment and their influences on sexual and reproductive health outcomes in Africa. Using a population-based survey with data on family structure at three points in the life course, this paper examines the influences of these family structure dynamics on the timing of first sex among unmarried males and females aged 12-24 years in Cameroon. The number and timing of family transitions significantly impacted the timing of sexual debut for both males and females. The median age at first sex (18.7 years) is higher among young people without family transition than among those with one transition (18.2 years) or two transitions (17.7 years). Family transitions occurring during childhood were significantly associated with premature sexual initiation for females but not for males. Reproductive health and social development interventions for young people in Africa should integrate the changing contexts and transitions in family structure.
Il n'existe pas des recherches sur l'occurrence, les sequences et le nombre de modifications des structures familiales ainsi que leurs influences sur la sante sexuelle et de reproduction en Afrique. A partir des donnees d'une enquete basee sur la population ayant collecte des informations sur les structures familiales a trois differents moments au cours de la vie chez les celibataires des deux sexes âges de 12 a 24 ans au Cameroun, cette etude examine les effets de la dynamique des structures familiales sur le debut de l'activite sexuelle. Le nombre de transitions familiales et leur occurrence sont significativement associes a l'âge au premier rapport sexuel tant chez les filles que chez les garcons. L'âge moyen au premier rapport sexuel est plus eleve chez les repondants n'ayant vecue aucune transition familiale (18,7 ans) que ceux qui ont connu une transition (18,2 ans) ou deux transitions familiales (17,7 ans). Une transition familiale survenue durant l'enfance influence l'entree en sexualite des familles, mais pas celles des garcons. Les activites d'intervention en sante de reproduction et developpement social des jeunes en Afrique doivent integrer les changements des contextes et transitions des structures familiales.

Influences of family structure dynamics on sexual debut in Africa : implications for research, practice and policies in reproductive health and social development : original research article

Family environment is one of the most influential factors on youth sexual behavior but has received little investigation in sub-Saharan Africa. Yet, a comprehensive understanding of family influences could improve the efficiency of reproductive health (RH) interventions. Using retrospective data from a population-based survey, life-table analysis was utilized to compute the median age at premarital intercourse among 1,182 youth aged 12–24 years. Discrete-time hazard models were used in multivariate analysis to estimate the effects of family structures and parent–child interactions on premarital intercourse. Overall, 42% of participants had a premarital intercourse, and the median age at first sex was 16.9 years. Participants in nuclear two-parent families had the highest median (17.7) compared with those in nuclear one-(16.7), extended one-(16.5), extended two-parent families (16.9) or other relatives (16.8). Youth from monogamous families had the highest median (16.9) compared to those from polygamous (16.3) and other families (16.0). Orphans and youth reporting family transitions were more likely to initiate first sex at an earlier age compared with non-orphans and non-movers, with a median of 16.1 and 16.9 years, respectively. Multivariate results showed that living in extended families, being orphaned, and family transitions significantly increased the risk of premarital intercourse. Polygamy showed marginal effects. Stronger parent–child relationships and higher levels of parental control decreased the risk of premarital intercourse. Unexpectedly, parent–child communication was significantly associated with a higher risk of sexual debut. Programmatically, family environment is an important resource that needs to be promoted when designing RH interventions in sub-Saharan Africa.

Family Environment and Premarital Intercourse in Bandjoun (West Cameroon)

Scientists compared 1978-1981 data on 9774 births in Yaounde Cameroon with 1985 data on 9863 births in the US (except California Texas and Washington) to determine cross-national risk factors for low birth weight (LBW) and whether there are risk factors that are common only in one country. Even though the modal birth weight was greater in the US than in Cameroon (3250-3499 gm vs. 3000-3249 gm) the US had higher percentages of births at the lowest and highest extremes of the birth weight curve (2.5% for 4250 gm infants vs. 1.5% and 1% respectively). Prematurity and intrauterine growth retardation accounted for the same percentage of infants who were of LBW in both countries (58% and 42% respectively). Significant determinants of LBW in both countries were female sex multiple births single motherhood and premature births (p < .01). Prenatal care reduced the risk of LBW in both countries (at least 6 visits; p < .01). Mothers education reduced the risk only in the US (p < .01). Birth order of 2 or more increased the likelihood of not having an LBW infant in Cameroon only (p < .01). Negative outcome of previous pregnancy significantly affected the likelihood of LBW in just the US (p < .01). The different social economic and environmental settings in the US and Cameroon most likely accounted for the differences in risk factors of LBW for these countries.

Barthelemy Kuate Defo

Papers

Effects of infant feeding practices and birth spacing on infant and child survival: a reassessment from retrospective and prospective data

Mortality and Attrition Processes in Longitudinal Studies in Africa: An Appraisal of the Iford Surveys

Influences of family structure dynamics on sexual debut in Africa : implications for research, practice and policies in reproductive health and social development : original research article

Family Environment and Premarital Intercourse in Bandjoun (West Cameroon)

Determinants of Low Birthweight: A Comparative Study