Understanding the important characteristics of neighbourhoods to facilitate ageing in place and longevity.

OBJECTIVES: This study investigates which local area characteristics, included in the Healthy Ageing/Vulnerable ENvironment (HAVEN) Index, are the strongest factors predicting transition into permanent residential aged care (PRAC) and mortality, and the geographic distribution of these factors. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study of older individuals living in the community in Adelaide who received their first eligibility assessment for age care services between 2013 and 2015 (n = 16,939) was conducted. The study cohort, from the Registry of Senior Australians (ROSA), was linked by postcode to HAVEN Index items, selected following item response theory (IRT) analysis to determine the strongest local area factors associated with PRAC and mortality. Geospatial mapping of the factors determined the geographic distribution of these significant factors. RESULTS: Fourteen HAVEN Index items were associated with entry into PRAC and mortality. Three area-level items, lower educational attainment, financial housing stress and low levels of volunteering by older people, were risk factors for entry into PRAC and mortality while the remainder of the items identified were different for each outcome. The mapped local area risk factors for each outcome highlighted similar geographical areas of vulnerability. CONCLUSIONS: Local area characteristics are associated with entering PRAC and mortality. Our findings can inform area-level responses to make neighbourhoods more age-friendly, potentially allowing more people to age longer in place. Similar analyses, conducted for other areas, could provide evidence to support the widespread development of age-friendly neighbourhoods reducing area-level inequalities in ageing.

Molecular Mechanism Biomarkers Predict Diagnosis in Schizophrenia and Schizoaffective Psychosis, with Implications for Treatment.

Diagnostic uncertainty and relapse rates in schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder are relatively high, indicating the potential involvement of other pathological mechanisms that could serve as diagnostic indicators to be targeted for adjunctive treatment. This study aimed to seek objective evidence of methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase MTHFR C677T genotype-related bio markers in blood and urine. Vitamin and mineral cofactors related to methylation and indolamine-catecholamine metabolism were investigated. Biomarker status for 67 symptomatically well-defined cases and 67 asymptomatic control participants was determined using receiver operating characteristics, Spearman's correlation, and logistic regression. The 5.2%-prevalent MTHFR 677 TT genotype demonstrated a 100% sensitive and specific case-predictive biomarkers of increased riboflavin (vitamin B2) excretion. This was accompanied by low plasma zinc and indicators of a shift from low methylation to high methylation state. The 48.5% prevalent MTHFR 677 CC genotype model demonstrated a low-methylation phenotype with 93% sensitivity and 92% specificity and a negative predictive value of 100%. This model related to lower vitamin cofactors, high histamine, and HPLC urine indicators of lower vitamin B2 and restricted indole-catecholamine metabolism. The 46.3%-prevalent CT genotype achieved high predictive strength for a mixed methylation phenotype. Determination of MTHFR C677T genotype dependent functional biomarker phenotypes can advance diagnostic certainty and inform therapeutic intervention.

Does CGA Improve Health Outcomes in the Community? An Umbrella Review.

OBJECTIVES: To perform an umbrella review of systematic reviews with meta-analyses (MAs) examining the effectiveness of comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) delivered within community settings to general populations of community-dwelling older people against various health outcomes. DESIGN: Umbrella review of MAs of randomized controlled trials (RCTs). SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Systematic reviews with MAs examining associations between CGA conducted within the community and any health outcome, where participants were community-dwelling older people with a minimum mean age of 60 years or where at least 50% of study participants were aged ≥60 years. Studies focusing on residential care, hospitals, post-hospital care, outpatient clinics, emergency department, or patients with specific conditions were excluded. METHODS: We examined CGA effectiveness against 12 outcomes: not living at home, nursing home admission, activities of daily living (ADLs) and instrumental ADLs (IADLs), physical function, falls, self-reported health status, quality of life, frailty, mental health, hospital admission, and mortality, searching the MEDLINE/PubMed, Cochrane Library, CINAHL, Embase databases from January 1, 1999, to August 10, 2022. AMSTAR-2 was used to assess the quality of included systematic reviews, including risk of bias. RESULTS: We identified 10 MAs. Only not living at home (combined mortality and nursing home admission) demonstrated concordance between effect direction, significance, and magnitude. Significant effects were more typically observed in earlier rather than later studies. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS: Given the widespread adoption of CGA as a component of usual care within geriatric medicine, the lack of strong evidence demonstrating the protective effects of CGA may be indicative of a cohort effect. If so, future RCTs examining CGA effectiveness are unlikely to demonstrate significant findings. Future studies of CGA in the community should focus on implementation and adherence to key components. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Study protocol registered in PROSPERO 2020 CRD42020169680.

Daytime Sleepiness Predicts Mortality in Nursing Home Residents: Findings from the Frailty in Residential Aged Care Sector Over Time (FIRST) Study.

OBJECTIVES: Excessive daytime sleepiness is an increasingly frequent condition among older adults with comorbidities and living in nursing homes (NHs). This study investigated associations between participants' characteristics and excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS); the ability of the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) scores, EDS, and EDS severity levels to predict mortality at 12 months of follow-up; and the optimal cut-off for ESS to predict mortality among NH residents. DESIGN: Prospective and cross-sectional analysis in a prospective study. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Older adults permanently residing in 12 NHs from South Australia. METHODS: Baseline characteristics including the ESS were collected and mortality at 12 months was assessed. Logistic regression analyzed associations between participants' characteristics and EDS (ESS >10). Kaplan-Meier cumulative survival estimates followed by log-rank and adjusted Cox proportional hazards models explored associations of ESS scores, EDS, and EDS severity levels with time-to-incident death. Receiver operator curve analysis assessed the best cut-off for ESS to predict mortality risk. RESULTS: A total of 550 participants [mean (SD) age, 87.7 (7.2) years; 968 (50.9%) female]. Malnutrition [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 2.02, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.13‒3.61], myocardial infarction (aOR 1.91, 95% CI 1.20‒3.03), heart failure (aOR 2.85, 95% CI 1.68‒4.83), Parkinson's disease (aOR 2.16, 95% CI 1.04‒4.47) and severe dementia (aOR 8.57, 95% CI 5.25‒14.0) were associated with EDS. Kaplan-Meier analyses showed reduced survival among participants with EDS (log-rank test: χ2 = 25.25, P < .001). EDS predicted increased mortality risk (HR 1.63, 95% CI 1.07-2.51, P = .023). ESS score of 10.5 (>10) was the best cut point predicting mortality risk (area under the curve = 0.62). CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: EDS predicts mortality risk and is associated with age-related comorbidities in NH residents. Screening for EDS is a simple strategy to identify NH residents at higher risk of adverse outcomes, triggering an assessment for reversibility or conversations about end-of-life care.

Effects of an outpatient exercise programme for Australians with cancer-related fatigue: an unmet need.

BACKGROUND: Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) is a common debilitating condition. International evidence supports an exercise prescription for CRF. The majority of Australians with cancer do not meet recommended exercise targets. AIMS: To analyse the effects of a guideline-based supervised exercise programme on CRF among a representative private hospital cancer patient sample (n = 268). METHODS: We collected data from 268 patients recruited from haematology and oncology over a 5-year period. Participants underwent a 3-month CRF exercise programme based on internationally recognised exercise guidelines. The programme, conducted by a multidisciplinary team, operated twice weekly sessions of 2 h duration comprising aerobic, resistance and balance exercises; hydrotherapy and condition counselling; fatigue management; and dietetic, speech pathology and swallowing education (head and neck cancers). The effect of the programme was measured in relation to the following outcomes: Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy, Fatigue (self-reported fatigue); Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy, general quality of life (health-related quality of life in cancer); six-minute walk test; and Lawton's Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Scale. RESULTS: Multivariate outcomes showed statistically significant improvements in all four major outcome measures, plus a programme effect of greater than 0.7 for each outcome variable. The programme treatment outcomes were consistent over the 5 years of the programme. CONCLUSIONS: The outcomes of this programme contribute to exercise guidelines in Australia. Currently only position statements exist on the subject, but there are no programme guidelines. An exercise prescription is critical to cancer outcomes. This programme is likely to benefit cancer survivors experiencing CRF across private and public hospitals in Australia.

Frailty change based on minimally important difference in nursing home residents: FIRST cohort study findings.

BACKGROUND: Frailty is common among residential aged care services (RACS) residents; however, little is known about how frailty changes over time in this population. This study aimed to estimate minimally important difference (MID) in frailty to then describe: frailty change over 12 months; and factors associated with worsening frailty. METHODS: Prospective cohort study across 12 RACS sites of a single aged care organisation in South Australia (n = 548 residents, mean age 87.7 ± 7.2 years, 72.6% female). Frailty was measured using a frailty index (FI) with 12 months between baseline and follow-up. MID was calculated cross-sectionally (anchor-based using self-reported health, and ½SD for distribution-based). RESULTS: Between-person MID for the FI was identified as 0.037 (anchor-based) and 0.063 (distribution-based). Using the conservative value of 0.063 as the basis for change, 32.3% (n = 177) of residents remained stable, 13.7% (n = 75) improved, 33.0% (n = 181) worsened and 21.0% (n = 115) died over 12 months. In a multivariable analysis, significant predictors of the dichotomous outcome of worsening and death at 12 months were: being malnourished (odds ratio (OR) = 2.15, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.23, 3.75), at risk of malnutrition (OR = 1.98, 95%CI = 1.34, 2.91) and diabetes (OR = 1.61, 95%CI = 1.06, 2.42) compared to those who remained stable or improved. CONCLUSIONS: A 6.3% change in frailty for RACS residents is a conservative MID. Frailty is dynamic in RACS residents, and stability or improvement was possible even for the most-frail. Treatments such as nutritional interventions, exercise and diabetes management are likely to benefit frailty.

Associations of indicators of sleep impairment and disorders with low muscle strength in middle-aged and older adults: The HypnoLaus cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: Investigate associations of objective and subjective indicators of sleep impairment and disorders with low muscle strength (LMS) in different age groups and genders using data from a population-based cohort study. METHODS: Polysomnographic and subjective sleep data from participants (aged 40-80 years) of the HypnoLaus study (Lausanne, Switzerland) were cross-sectionally analyzed. Indicators of sleep impairment and disorders were based on pre-defined cutoffs. LMS was defined according to the diagnosis of sarcopenia (grip strength <27 kg for men and <16 kg for women). Results obtained by multivariate logistic regression were controlled for confounders. RESULTS: 1902 participants (mean [SD] age, 57.4 [10.5] years; 968 [50.9 %] female) were enrolled. Objective short (<6.2 h) and long sleep durations (>8.5 h) were associated with LMS (OR = 1.74, 95 % CI = 1.07-2.82; OR = 6.66, 95 % CI = 3.45-12.87, respectively). Increased nighttime wakefulness >90 min and severe obstructive apnea (OSA) (AHI > 30) were associated with LMS (OR = 1.60, 95 % CI = 1.01-2.56; OR = 2.36, 95 % CI = 1.29-4.31, respectively). In adults aged over 60 years, these associations persisted, and reduced sleep efficiency was associated with LMS (aOR = 1.81, 95 % CI 1.05-3.13). Objective long sleep duration was associated with LMS in both genders and severe OSA predicted LMS among women (aOR = 2.64, 95 % CI 1.11-6.24). CONCLUSIONS: Markers of early sarcopenia are affected by long sleep duration from middle age onwards in both genders. Older adults are more susceptible to the effects of other indicators of inappropriate sleep duration and quality. The findings support a potential role of sarcopenia in age-related OSA. The intricate relationships between sleep and muscle health are potential targets of public health interventions and clinical research on preventive and therapeutic strategies against the increasing morbimortality observed with ageing.

A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Efficacy of Botulinum Toxin A for Neuropathic Pain.

We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) conducted from January 2005 to June 2021 to update the evidence of Botulinum toxin A (BoNT-A) in neuropathic pain (NP) in addition to quality of life (QOL), mental health, and sleep outcomes. We conducted a Cochrane Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) criteria analysis of RCTs from the following data sources: EMBASE, CINAHL, WHO International Clinical Trial Registry Platform, ClinicalTrials.gov, Cochrane database, Cochrane Clinical Trial Register, Australia New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry, and EU Clinical Trials Register. Meta-analysis of 17 studies showed a mean final VAS reduction in pain in the intervention group of 2.59 units (95% confidence interval: 1.79, 3.38) greater than the mean for the placebo group. The overall mean difference for sleep, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) anxiety, HADS depression, and QOL mental and physical sub-scales were, respectively, 1.10 (95% CI: -1.71, 3.90), 1.41 (95% CI: -0.61, 3.43), -0.16 (95% CI: -1.95, 1.63), 0.85 (95% CI: -1.85, 3.56), and -0.71 (95% CI: -3.39, 1.97), indicating no significance. BoNT-A is effective for NP; however, small-scale RCTs to date have been limited in evidence. The reasons for this are discussed, and methods for future RCTs are developed to establish BoNT-A as the first-line agent.

Sarcopenia risk in nursing home residents using SARC-F: FIRST study findings.

AIM: Sarcopenia is a common disorder of loss of muscle mass and function among older adults; however, few studies have examined screening instruments for sarcopenia risk in residential aged care services (RACS). The aims of this study were to measure sarcopenia risk in RACS residents using the SARC-F, describe factors associated with sarcopenia risk and examine the predictive validity of the SARC-F for 12-month mortality. METHODS: This was a prospective cohort study carried out in South Australian RACS across 12 sites. In total, 541 residents (mean age 87.7 [7.3] years, 72.6% women) were included in the study. Sarcopenia risk was measured using a modified SARC-F (≥4 point cut point). RESULTS: We identified 89.5% (n = 484) of residents at risk of sarcopenia. Significant (P > 0.05) predictors of sarcopenia risk in multivariable analysis included the presence of diabetes (relative risk [RR] = 1.08), classification as most-frail (RR = 1.06) and smaller Nursing Home Life Space Diameter (NHLSD) score (RR = 0.99). Mortality was observed in 20.9% (n = 113) of residents over a 12-month follow-up. Classification as at-risk of sarcopenia was a significant predictor of 12-month mortality; however, it had a poor area under the receiver operator curve (0.56), and a low positive predictive value (23.1%). The best performing cut-point of ≥7 also had poor discriminative ability (under the receiver operator curve = 0.66, positive predictive value = 30.8%). CONCLUSIONS: Sarcopenia risk is extremely common among RACS residents and its presence is a significant contributor to 12-month mortality. Low discriminative ability for the SARC-F was noted across multiple cut-off scores for predicting mortality at 12 months. Diabetes management and promoting physical activity and nutrition among RACS residents are likely to influence sarcopenia risk positively. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2022; 22: 206-212.

Frailty and sarcopenia in combination are more predictive of mortality than either condition alone.

BACKGROUND: Frailty and sarcopenia are age-related conditions with shared features and are both associated with adverse health outcomes. Relatively little is known about outcomes of these conditions in combination. The aim of this study was to examine the predictive ability of combined frailty and sarcopenia classification on mortality. METHODS: Frailty was measured in 716 community-dwelling adults aged ≥65 years from the North West Adelaide Health Study (mean age 74.1(6.1) years, 55.5 % female) using the frailty phenotype (FP) and sarcopenia using the revised consensus definition from the European Working Group on Sarcopenia. Participants were classified as: neither frail nor sarcopenic, frail-only, sarcopenic-only, or both frail and sarcopenic. All participants had a minimum of 10 years of mortality follow-up. RESULTS: We identified 2.8 % of participants as both frail and sarcopenic, 15.5 % as frail-only, and 3.5 % as sarcopenic-only. Classification as both frail and sarcopenic, in a multivariable model, resulted in significantly elevated mortality risk (HR = 3.52, p < .001), which was over three times that of those neither frail nor sarcopenic. Frail-only was also a significant mortality predictor (HR = 2.03, p = .001), while classification as sarcopenic-only was not a significant predictor of mortality (HR = 1.65, p = .141). There was no significant difference in severity of frailty (mean number of characteristics) or grip strength between frail-only and those with both conditions when stratified by sex. CONCLUSIONS: Individuals identified as frail would benefit from screening and assessment for sarcopenia, and vice versa for those identified as sarcopenic, as the mortality risk for individuals with these conditions in combination is nearly double that of each separately.

Frailty state utility and minimally important difference: findings from the North West Adelaide Health Study.

BACKGROUND: frailty is a dynamic condition for which a range of interventions are available. Health state utilities are values that represent the strength of an individual's preference for specific health states, and are used in economic evaluation. This is a topic yet to be examined in detail for frailty. Likewise, little has been reported on minimally important difference (MID), the extent of change in frailty status that individuals consider to be important. OBJECTIVES: to examine the relationship between frailty status, for both the frailty phenotype (FP) and frailty index (FI), and utility (preference-based health state), and to determine a MID for both frailty measures. DESIGN AND SETTING: population-based cohort of community-dwelling Australians. PARTICIPANT: in total, 874 adults aged ≥65 years (54% female), mean age 74.4 (6.2) years. MEASUREMENTS: frailty was measured using the FP and FI. Utilities were calculated using the short-form 6D health survey, with Australian and UK weighting applied. MID was calculated cross-sectionally. RESULTS: for both the FP and FI, frailty was significantly statistically associated (P < 0.001) with lower utility in an adjusted analysis using both Australian and UK weighting. Between-person MID for the FP was identified as 0.59 [standard deviation (SD) 0.31] (anchor-based) and 0.59 (distribution-based), whereas for the FI, MID was 0.11 (SD 0.05) (anchor-based) and 0.07 (distribution-based). CONCLUSIONS: frailty is significantly associated with lower preference-based health state utility. Frailty MID can be used to inform design of clinical trials and economic evaluations, as well as providing useful clinical information on frailty differences that patients consider important.

Shoulder range of movement in the general population: age and gender stratified normative data using a community-based cohort.

BACKGROUND: An understanding of the average range of movement of the shoulder that is normally achievable is an important part of treatment for shoulder disorders. The average range of active shoulder flexion, abduction and external rotation was measured in a population cohort aged 20 years and over without shoulder pain and/or stiffness in order to provide normative shoulder range data. METHODS: Cross-sectional analysis using participants in a community-based longitudinal cohort study. There have been three stages of data collection - Stage 1 (1999-2003), Stage 2 (2004-2006) and Stage 3 (2008-2010). Each stage has consisted a of broad ranging computer assisted telephone interview, a self-complete questionnaire and a clinic assessment. Participants in this study are those who undertook assessments in Stage 2. The main outcome measures were active shoulder range of movement (flexion, abduction and external rotation) measured as part of the clinic assessment using a Plurimeter V inclinometer. Mean values were determined and analyses to examine differences between groups (sex and age) were undertaken using non-parametric tests. RESULTS: There were 2404 participants (51.5% male), mean age 45.8 years (SD 17.3, range 20-91). The average range of active right shoulder flexion was 161.5° for males and 158.5° for females, and active right shoulder abduction was 151.5° and 149.7° for males and females respectively. Shoulder range of movement declined with age, with mean right active shoulder flexion decreasing by 43° in males and 40.6° in females and right active shoulder abduction by 39.5° and 36.9° respectively. External rotation range also declined, particularly among females. CONCLUSION: To our knowledge this is the largest community-based study providing normative data for active shoulder range of movement. This information can be used to set realistic goals for both clinical practice and clinical trials.

FRAIL scale: Predictive validity and diagnostic test accuracy.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the predictive validity of the FRAIL scale for mortality, and diagnostic test accuracy (DTA) against the frailty phenotype (FP). MEASUREMENT: Frailty was measured in 846 community-dwelling adults (mean age 74.3 [SD 6.3] years, 54.8% female) using a modified FRAIL scale and modified FP. Mortality was matched to death records. RESULTS: The FRAIL scale demonstrated significant predictive validity for mortality up to 10 years (Frail adjHR: 2.60, P < .001). DTA findings were acceptable for specificity (86.8%) and Youden index (0.50), but not sensitivity (63.6%), or area under the receiver operator curve (auROC) (0.75). DTA estimates were more acceptable when a cut-point of ≥2 characteristics was used rather than ≥3 in the primary DTA analysis. CONCLUSION: The FRAIL scale is a valid predictor of mortality. DTA estimates depend on FRAIL scale cut-point used. This instrument is a potentially useful frailty screening tool.

Determining the Influence of Psychiatric Comorbidity on Hospital Admissions in Cardiac Patients Through Multilevel Modelling of a Large Hospital Activity Data Set.

BACKGROUND: Increasingly, big data derived from administrative hospital records can be subject to analytics to provide clinical insights. The aim of this study was to determine the impact of psychiatric comorbidity on length of hospital stay and number of hospital admissions in cardiac patients utilising routinely collected hospitalisation records. METHODS: We routinely collected clinical and socio-demographic variables extracted from 37,580 cardiac patients, between 18 and 65 years old, admitted to South Australian hospitals between 2001/02 to 2010/11 financial years with cardiac diagnoses used to derive patient level and separation level variables used in the modelling. Multi-level models were constructed to analyse the impact of psychiatric comorbidity on both length of stay and the total number of hospitalisations, allowing for interactions between socioeconomic status and the burden of disease. Possible confounders for these models were, sex, age, indigenous status, country of birth, and rural status. RESULTS: For cardiac patients a mental health diagnosis was associated with an increase of 12.5% in the length of stay, and an increase in the number of stays by 20.0%. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates the potential utility of routinely collected hospitalisation records to demonstrate the impact of psychiatric comorbidity on health service utilisation.

Recurrent Measurement of Frailty Is Important for Mortality Prediction: Findings from the North West Adelaide Health Study.

OBJECTIVES: Frailty places individuals at greater risk of adverse health outcomes. However, it is a dynamic condition and may not always lead to decline. Our objective was to determine the relationship between frailty status (at baseline and follow-up) and mortality using both the frailty phenotype (FP) and frailty index (FI). DESIGN: Population-based cohort. SETTING: Community-dwelling older adults. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 909 individuals aged 65 years or older (55% female), mean age 74.4 (SD 6.2) years, had frailty measurement at baseline. Overall, 549 participants had frailty measurement at two time points. MEASUREMENTS: Frailty was measured using the FP and FI, with a mean 4.5 years between baseline and follow-up. Mortality was matched to official death records with a minimum of 10 years of follow-up. RESULTS: For both measures, baseline frailty was a significant predictor of mortality up to 10 years, with initially good predictive ability (area under the curve [AUC] = .8-.9) decreasing over time. Repeated measurement at follow-up resulted in good prediction compared with lower (AUC = .6-.7) discrimination of equivalent baseline frailty status. In a multivariable model, frailty measurement at follow-up was a stronger predictor of mortality compared with baseline. Frailty change for the Continuous FI was a significant predictor of decreased or increased mortality risk based on corresponding improvement or worsening of score (hazard ratio = 1.04; 95% confidence interval = 1.02-1.07; P = .001). CONCLUSIONS: Frailty measurement is a good predictor of mortality up to 10 years; however, recency of frailty measurement is important for improved prediction. A regular review of frailty status is required in older adults. J Am Geriatr Soc 67:2311-2317, 2019.

Clusters of alcohol abstainers and drinkers incorporating motives against drinking: a random survey of 18 to 30 year olds in four cities in four different continents.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this analysis was to identify alcohol consumption clusters for adolescents and early adults according to attitudes to drinking, motivations against drinking and perceptions associated with alcohol. METHOD: Interviews were undertaken with people aged 18-34 years old living in four cities in different regions of the world. Multistage random sampling was consistent across the four cities (Ilorin (Nigeria), Wuhan (China), Montevideo (Uruguay) and Moscow (Russia)). The questionnaire was forward and back translated into relevant languages and face-to-face interviewing undertaken. The data were weighted to the population of each city. In total 6235 structured interviews were undertaken (1391 in Ilorin, 1600 in Montevideo, 1604 in Moscow and 1640 in Wuhan). Questions regarding motivation against alcohol consumption (14 items), assessing perceptions (3 items) and attitudes to drinking in certain situations (8 items) were asked of all respondents including abstainers. Factor analysis was initially undertaken to identify highly related correlated variables. RESULTS: Cluster analysis provided a variety of clusters (Ilorin (3 clusters), Montevideo (5), Moscow (4) and Wuhan (4)). At least one cluster in each city was dominated by abstainers and another by heavy episodic drinkers. Variations by city and alcohol consumption patterns existed in regards to variables included. CONCLUSION: This analysis detailed the city specific motivations against drinking alcohol, and the attitudes towards alcohol consumption. Differences highlight the influence of country/city specific culture, customs, laws, societal norms and traditions.

Assessing Heavy Episodic Drinking: A Random Survey of 18 to 34-Year-Olds in Four Cities in Four Different Continents.

BACKGROUND: Heavy episodic drinking (HED) can have health and social consequences. This study assesses the associations between HED and demographic, socioeconomic, motivation and effects indicators for people aged 18⁻34 years old living in four cities in different regions of the world. METHOD: Multistage random sampling was consistent across the four cities (Ilorin (Nigeria), Wuhan (China), Montevideo (Uruguay) and Moscow (Russia)). The questionnaire was forward/back translated and face-to-face interviewing was undertaken. A total of 6235 interviews were undertaken in 2014. Separate univariable and multivariable modelling was undertaken to determine the best predictors of HED. RESULTS: HED prevalence was 9.0%. The best predictors differed for each city. The higher probability of HED in the final models included beliefs that they have reached adulthood, feeling relaxed as an effect of drinking alcohol, and forgetting problems as an effect of drinking alcohol. Lower probability of HED was associated with not being interested in alcohol as a reason for limiting alcohol, and the belief that drinking alcohol is too expensive or a waste of money. CONCLUSION: Although some indicators were common across the four cities, the variables included in the final models predominantly differed from city to city. The need for country-specific prevention and early intervention programs are warranted.

Validating the Short Form-12 and the development of disease-specific norms in a cohort of Australian private health insurance members.

Despite the large number of Australians with private health insurance (PHI), normative quality-of-life data are not available for this population. The Short Form (SF)-12 has been used to characterise the health-related quality of life of Australians in the general population, but there is debate concerning the appropriate algorithm that should be used to calculate its physical and mental component summary scores. The standard (orthogonal method) approach assumes that the mental and physical components are unrelated, whereas an alternate approach (the correlated method) assumes that the two components are related. A consecutive sample of 24957 PHI members with four major initial disease conditions were administered the SF-12 via phone and 4330 participants were followed up at a mean of 16 months after the first survey. The SF-12 was scored using both the orthogonal and correlated methods, and both scoring models were assessed for model fit and ability to discriminate between the four major disease conditions. Confirmatory factor analysis demonstrated superior model fit and improved discriminative validity when the SF-12 was scored using the correlated method instead of the default orthogonal method. Further, the correlated method demonstrated utility by producing scores that were responsive to change over time.

Spatiotemporal Gait Analysis and Lower Limb Functioning in Foot Dystonia Treated with Botulinum Toxin.

Foot dystonia (FD) is a disabling condition causing pain, spasm and difficulty in walking. We treated fourteen (14) adult patients experiencing FD with onabotulinum toxin A injection into the dystonic foot muscles. We analyzed the spatiotemporal gait utilizing the GaitRite system pre- and 3 weeks post-botulinum toxin injection along with measuring dystonia by the Fahn⁻Marsden Dystonia Scale (FMDS), pain by the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and other lower limb functional outcomes such as gait velocity, the Berg Balance Scale (BBS), the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale⁻Lower Limb Score (UPDRS⁻LL), the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test and the Goal Attainment Scale (GAS). We found that stride length increased significantly in both the affected (p = 0.02) and unaffected leg (p = 0.01) after treatment, and the improvement in stride length was roughly the same in each leg. Similar results were found for step length (p = 0.02) with improvement in the step length differential (p = 0.01). The improvements in the lower limb functional outcomes were also significant-FMDS, VAS, TUG, and UPDRS⁻LL decreased significantly after treatment (all p < 0.001), and BBS (p = 0.001), GAS (p < 0.001) except cadence (p = 0.37). BT injection improved walking in foot dystonia as evidenced through gait analysis, pain and lower limb functional outcomes. Main study limitations were small sample size and lack of control.