Showing papers by "Liliana Minelli published in 2018"
TL;DR: Even though some studies have shown the feasibility of utilizing NDS as an effective tool for predicting epidemic outbreaks and disseminating accurate, high-quality information concerning neglected tropical diseases, some gaps should be properly underlined and further research in the field is needed.
Abstract: AIM: According to the World Health Organization (WHO), communicable tropical and sub-tropical diseases occur solely, or mainly in the tropics, thriving in hot, humid conditions. Some of these disorders termed as neglected tropical diseases are particularly overlooked. Communicable Tropical/sub-tropical diseases represent a diverse group of communicable disorders occurring in 149 countries, favored by tropical and sub-tropical conditions, affecting more than one billion people and imposing a dramatic societal and economic burden. METHODS: A systematic review of the extant scholarly literature was carried out, searching in PubMed/MEDLINE and Scopus. The search string used included proper keywords, like big data, nontraditional data sources, social media, social networks, infodemiology, infoveillance, novel data streams, digital epidemiology, digital behavior, Google Trends, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Pinterest, Ebola, Zika, Dengue, Chikungunya, Chagas and the other neglected tropical diseases. RESULTS: 47 original, observational studies were included in the current systematic review: 1 focused on Chikungunya, 6 on Dengue, 19 on Ebola, 2 on Malaria, 1 on Mayaro virus, 2 on West Nile virus and 16 on Zika. Fifteen were dedicated on developing and validating forecasting techniques for real-time monitoring of neglected tropical diseases, while the remaining studies investigated public reaction to infectious outbreaks. Most studies explored a single nontraditional data source, with Twitter being the most exploited tool (25 studies). CONCLUSION: Even though some studies have shown the feasibility of utilizing novel data streams as an effective tool for predicting epidemic outbreaks and disseminating accurate, high-quality information concerning neglected tropical diseases, some gaps should be properly underlined. Out of the 47 articles included, only 7 were focusing on neglected tropical diseases, whilst all the other covered communicable tropical/sub-tropical diseases, and the main determinant of this unbalanced coverage seems to be the media impact and resonance. Furthermore, efforts in integrating diverse novel data streams should be made. As such, taking into account these limitations, further research in the field is needed.
35 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors analyzed the joint effects of pre-pregnancy body mass index and inadequate gestational weight gain on birth weight and gestational age in an Italian sample of pregnant women.
Abstract: Background Overweight and obese women present an increased risk of poor maternal and child health outcomes. The aim of this paper is to analyze the joint effects of pre-pregnancy body mass index and inadequate gestational weight gain on birth weight and gestational age in an Italian sample of pregnant women. Methods Data were obtained from a sample of about 2,000 pregnant women at the University Teaching Hospital of Perugia University (Italy) in 2013. We used the revised classification proposed by Institute of Medicine to identify gestational weight gains considered as appropriate. Logistic regression models were used to estimate the adjusted odds-ratios of women belonging to any BMI class different from normal (used as the reference category) and of women who increased their weight by an amount smaller or greater than normal, controlling for a large set of observable confounders. Results Higher probability of low birth weight was associated with both obesity (OR = 1.9124, s.e. = 0.526) and less than normal weight gains (OR = 2.3614, s.e. = 0.388). The probability of fetal macrosomia was found to be positively associated with more than normal weight increases (OR = 2.6232, s.e. = 0.465). Pre-term deliveries were associated with less than normal gestational weight gains (OR 1.7338, s.e. = 0.320). Conclusion Overweight and obesity represent a big issue for public health. In particular, weight management during pregnancy and pre-pregnancy could determine negative health outcomes in newborns. In our study we found that inadequate weight variations during pregnancy, according to the Classification of the Institute of Medicine, negatively influence health conditions at birth. Stronger initiatives, especially in terms of midwifery, nurse training and informative policies should be adopted by policy makers.
14 citations
TL;DR: It was showed that some groups, such as Eastern European immigrants, have higher probabilities of health deterioration in terms of SRH, and those immigrants who arrived in the host country during adulthood experienced relatively fast health decline.
Abstract: The purpose of this study was to determine the differences between natives and immigrants in regard to transition probabilities among health states in self-rated health (SRH), depression, and activities of daily living for middle-aged and older adults in Europe. The Survey of Health, Aging, and Retirement allows us to investigate how successfully the immigrants have aged from 2004 to 2011 compared to natives, according to country of origin and age at migration. We showed that some groups, such as Eastern European immigrants, have higher probabilities of health deterioration in terms of SRH. Moreover, those immigrants who arrived in the host country during adulthood experienced relatively fast health decline.
12 citations
TL;DR: A mini-review of population studies focused on the association between alcohol consumption and risk of Barrett’s Esophagus has shown no association between the consumption of alcohol and BE.
Abstract: Alcohol consumption has a substantial importance in the causation of cancer of the oral cavity, pharynx, liver, colon, rectum; and in women, breast. It is also recognized as an independent risk factor for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Nevertheless, the association with esophagus adenocarcinoma (EAC) is still not completely defined; as well as the association between alcohol intake and Barrett’s Esophagus (BE). The aim of this mini-review is to summarize recent findings from population studies focused on the association between alcohol consumption and risk of BE. The research was carried out in PubMed, filtering for studies conducted in the period 2009-2015. Our mini-review has shown no association between the consumption of alcohol and BE. Some type of alcoholic beverages has shown an inverse association. Direct public health applications of these findings are limited, considering the causal link between moderate-to-heavy alcohol consumption with increased risks of several cancers. Given the rising incidence of BE and EAC, it is important to understand the interplay of dietary and lifestyle factors that influence the development of these conditions.
1 citations