The development trend of poor vision among students aged 4-18 in Xuhui District, Shanghai from 2015 to 2019 / 公共卫生与预防医学

Objective To analyze the prevalence of visual acuity disorder among children aged 4-18 in Xuhui District of Shanghai from 2015 to 2019, and analyze its influencing factors, and to provide a scientific basis for the prevention and control of visual acuity disorder in Xuhui District of Shanghai. Methods Using random cluster sampling, students from 10 kindergartens, 3 primary schools and 2 middle schools were randomly selected as the investigation subjects. Visual acuity examinations and demographic survey were conducted, and chi-square test was used to describe the development trend of poor visual acuity. Results A total of 29 613 people were screened in five years, and the detection rate of poor vision in Xuhui District of Shanghai from 2015 to 2019 was 41.08% in 2015 and 50.59% in 2018, showing an increasing trend year by year (χ2=127.45, P2=7237.84, P2=80.93, P2=12.91, P<0.05). Conclusion In Xuhui District, the detection rate of poor vision among children and adolescents aged 4-18 years old was relatively high, and the development trend of visual problems was severe. In order to prevent the occurrence and development of poor eyesight, education departments, health departments and parents should strengthen the cultivation of good eye use habits and awareness among students, and take reasonable measures to control the development of poor vision.

Potential Relationship between Season of Birth and Clinical Characteristics in Major Depressive Disorder in Koreans: Results from the CRESCEND Study

We aimed to examine the potential relationship between season of birth (SOB) and clinical characteristics in Korean patients with unipolar non-psychotic major depressive disorder (MDD). Using data from the Clinical Research Center for Depression (CRESCEND) study in South Korea, 891 MDD patients were divided into two groups, those born in spring/summer (n=457) and those born in autumn/winter (n=434). Measurement tools comprising the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale, Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale, Scale for Suicidal Ideation, Clinical Global Impression of severity, Social and Occupation Functional Assessment Scale, WHO Quality of Life assessment instrument-abbreviated version, Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test, and Temperament and Character Inventory were used to evaluate depression, anxiety, overall symptoms, suicidal ideation, global severity, social function, quality of life, drinking, and temperament and character, respectively. Using independent t-tests for continuous variables and χ2 tests for discrete variables, the clinical characteristics of the two groups were compared. MDD patients born in spring/summer were on average younger at onset of first depressive episode (t=2.084, p=0.038), had greater loss of concentration (χ2=4.589, p=0.032), and were more self-directed (t=2.256, p=0.025) than those born in autumn/winter. Clinically, there was a trend for the MDD patients born in spring/summer to display the contradictory characteristics of more severe clinical course and less illness burden; this may have been partly due to a paradoxical effect of the 5-HT system.

Female gender but not season of birth is associated with mood seasonality in a near-equatorial Brazilian city / Sexo feminino, mas não época de nascimento, está associado com alterações sazonais do humor em uma cidade brasileira próxima ao Equador

OBJECTIVE: Studies conducted mainly in countries located in the Northern Hemisphere have shown that season of birth influences mood seasonality. Greater mood seasonality has been observed for individuals born during spring/summer months than those born during autumn/winter months. Expanding past research to the Southern Hemisphere, in this study we examine the influence of season of birth on mood seasonality in a sample of 1,247 healthy young Brazilians. METHOD: The Seasonal Pattern Assessment Questionnaire was used to compute a global seasonality score as a measure of mood seasonality in a cross-sectional study. RESULTS: Analysis of covariance was conducted to examine the effects of month of birth and gender on mood seasonality, with age entered as a covariate. A main effect of gender was observed, F (1, 1197) = 17.86, p < .01; partial Eta-squared = .02, with mood seasonality being higher for females (M = 8) than for males (M = 7). Contradicting previous findings, no significant main effect for month of birth was observed, F (1, 1197) = 0.65, p > .05. CONCLUSION: The unexpected finding is tentatively explained by differences in geographic location and weather fluctuations between the sampling location in Brazil and other countries where season of birth has been found to influence mood seasonality. Additional studies with larger samples from the Southern Hemisphere are necessary to shed additional light on the possible significant influence of season of birth on mood.

OBJETIVO: Estudos realizados principalmente em países do Hemisfério Norte têm demonstrado que indivíduos nascidos durante os meses de primavera/verão tendem a apresentar maiores alterações sazonais do humor do que aqueles nascidos durante os meses de outono/inverno. Expandindo essas pesquisas para o Hemisfério Sul, o presente estudo examinou a relação entre época do nascimento e a flutuação sazonal do humor em uma amostra de 1.247 jovens brasileiros saudáveis de João Pessoa, Paraíba. MÉTODO: Uma versão traduzida do Seasonal Pattern Assessment Questionnaire (SPAQ) foi utilizada para calcular uma pontuação global de alterações sazonais do humor em um estudo transversal. RESULTADOS: Análise de covariância foi utilizada para examinar os efeitos de mês de nascimento e do sexo sobre o humor sazonal, com idade como covariável. Alterações de humor sazonal foram maiores para mulheres (M = 8) do que homens (M = 7), F (1, 1197) = 17,86, p < ,01; parcial Eta-quadrado = 0,02. Contrariando achados anteriores, nenhum efeito significativo foi observado entre mês de nascimento e humor sasonal, F (1, 1197) = 0,65, p > ,05. CONCLUSÃO: Este achado inesperado é tentativamente explicado pelas diferenças na localização geográfica e nas flutuações climáticas entre o Brasil e os outros países descritos na literatura. Estudos adicionais com amostras maiores do Hemisfério Sul são necessários para lançar luz sobre a possível influência significativa da época de nascimento no humor.

Correlation between schizophrenia and seasonality of birth in a tropical region

OBJETIVO: Investigar estatisticamente a relação da sazonalidade com o período de nascimento, em 461 pacientes que apresentam esquizofrenia internados em três instituições de psiquiatria nas cidades de Araras, Itapira e Espírito Santo do Pinhal, localizadas no interior do Estado de São Paulo, região sudeste do Brasil. MÉTODO: Os dados coletados constam de datas e locais de nascimento dos referidos indivíduos, através dos quais se obteve os períodos estacionais dos nascimentos. Esses dados foram analisados através do teste Qui-quadrado. Também foram obtidos os dados de temperatura e precipitação pluvial nos anos de 1952 a 1986, correspondente aos anos de nascimento dos pacientes estudados. RESULTADOS: Estes mostraram uma maior prevalência de nascimentos nos meses de inverno (p = 0,0044) caracterizado nessa região por queda na temperatura e na precipitação pluviométrica. CONCLUSÃO: Os achados indicam uma possível influência da sazonalidade na patogênese de esquizofrenia e sugerem que o período de inverno nesta região poderia, juntamente com outros fatores, contribuir para o desenvolvimento tardio da esquizofrenia.