Territorial and social inequalities in mental distress and self-perceived health among schooled adolescents: a cross-sectional study in central Catalonia and Barcelona.

Background: Despite being generally considered healthy, adolescence is a crucial period where health behaviours are established, which can impact future well-being. Factors such as social determinants, psychosocial variables, and risk behaviours play significant roles in determining general and mental health, with important gender differences. This article aims to study social inequalities in the prevalence of mental distress and poor self-perceived health of 14 to 18-year-old students schooled in Central Catalonia and Barcelona in the 2021-2022 academic year, separately for boys and girls.

Blood-based biomarkers in centenarians and non-centenarians: a matched, population-based retrospective cohort study using primary care records in Catalonia, Spain.

The global increase in life expectancy has sparked growing interest in the factors that contribute to exceptional longevity. Between 1990 and 2015, the number of centenarians worldwide more than quadrupled. This study aimed to analyse the relationship between blood-based biomarkers and the likelihood of reaching 100 years of age in Catalonia (2015-2022), and to examine how biomarker variations during COVID-19 affected longevity.

Comparing temporal changes and predictors of different types of mental health and socio-emotional wellbeing outcomes during COVID-19: an overlapping panel study of Spanish residents.

Objectives: Few panel studies have investigated how different types of mental health (MH) and socio-emotional wellbeing (SEW) outcomes have changed during the pandemic and if their burden has been equally distributed at the population-level. We aimed to examine temporal changes in these outcomes and their socio-ecological predictors using panel data.

Study Design: Longitudinal population-based survey with overlapping panels.

Air pollution and children's mental health in rural areas: compositional spatio-temporal model.

Air pollution stands as an environmental risk to child mental health, with proven relationships hitherto observed only in urban areas. Understanding the impact of pollution in rural settings is equally crucial. The novelty of this article lies in the study of the relationship between air pollution and behavioural and developmental disorders, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), anxiety, and eating disorders in children below 15 living in a rural area.

Impacts of COVID-19 on clinical indicators and mortality in patients with chronic conditions in Catalonia, Spain: A retrospective population-based cohort study.

Background: The reallocation of health care services during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic disrupted the continuity of primary care. This study examines the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic on clinical indicators within the Catalan population, emphasising individuals with chronic conditions. It provides insights into mortality and transfer rates considering intersectional perspectives.

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Socioeconomic Inequalities in Mortality in Spanish Provinces.

Background: Although many studies have assessed the socioeconomic inequalities caused by COVID-19 in several health outcomes, there are numerous issues that have been poorly addressed. For instance, have socioeconomic inequalities in mortality from COVID-19 increased? What impact has the pandemic had on inequalities in specific causes of mortality other than COVID-19? Are the inequalities in COVID-19 mortality different from other causes? In this paper we have attempted to answer these questions for the case of Spain.

Methods: We used a mixed longitudinal ecological design in which we observed mortality from 2005 to 2020 in the 54 provinces into which Spain is divided.

PandemonCAT: Monitoring the COVID-19 Pandemic in Catalonia, Spain.

Background: The principal objective of this paper is to introduce an online interactive application that helps in real-time monitoring of the COVID-19 pandemic in Catalonia, Spain (PandemonCAT).

Methods: This application is designed as a collection of user-friendly dashboards using open-source R software supported by the Shiny package.

Results: PandemonCAT reports accumulated weekly updates of COVID-19 dynamics in a geospatial interactive platform for individual basic health areas (ABSs) of Catalonia.

Prenatal exposure to antibiotics and risk of childhood overweight or obesity: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Infant antibiotic use has been modestly associated with childhood overweight, while evidence on prenatal exposures remains less clear. A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted to examine associations between maternal antibiotic exposure and subsequent risk of childhood overweight/obesity. Publications were retrieved from PubMed and Web of Science databases up to December 2019.

Methodological limitations in studies assessing the effects of environmental and socioeconomic variables on the spread of COVID-19: a systematic review.

Background: While numerous studies have assessed the effects of environmental (meteorological variables and air pollutants) and socioeconomic variables on the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, many of them, however, have significant methodological limitations and errors that could call their results into question. Our main objective in this paper is to assess the methodological limitations in studies that evaluated the effects of environmental and socioeconomic variables on the spread of COVID-19.

Main Body: We carried out a systematic review by conducting searches in the online databases PubMed, Web of Science and Scopus up to December 31, 2020.

Paediatric teams in front of childhood obesity: A qualitative study within the STOP project.

Introduction: Understanding the underlying factors that influence the approach to overweight and obesity in children is basic to best support families searching a solution to this important public health problem.

Objective: To assess attitudes and feelings of paediatric staff in addressing overweight and childhood obesity to parents, exploring perceived barriers and facilitators, for an effective care.

Participants And Method: Qualitative study by means of individual semi-structured questionnaires of paediatric staff (paediatricians and paediatrician nurses; n = 57; 68% female) of primary health care centres and hospitals in Mallorca.

Impact of COVID-19 on the Health of the General and More Vulnerable Population and Its Determinants: Health Care and Social Survey-ESSOC, Study Protocol.

This manuscript describes the rationale and protocol of a real-world data (RWD) study entitled Health Care and Social Survey (ESSOC, Encuesta Sanitaria y Social). The study's objective is to determine the magnitude, characteristics, and evolution of the COVID-19 impact on overall health as well as the socioeconomic, psychosocial, behavioural, occupational, environmental, and clinical determinants of both the general and more vulnerable population. The study integrates observational data collected through a survey using a probabilistic, overlapping panel design, and data from clinical, epidemiological, demographic, and environmental registries.

Estimation of the prevalence and incidence of motor neuron diseases in two Spanish regions: Catalonia and Valencia.

According to the degree of upper and lower motor neuron degeneration, motor neuron diseases (MND) can be categorized into amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), primary lateral sclerosis (PLS) or progressive muscular atrophy (PMA). Although several studies have addressed the prevalence and incidence of ALS, there is a high heterogeneity in their results. Besides this, neither concept has been previously studied in PLS or PMA.

Comparative effectiveness of school-based interventions targeting physical activity, physical fitness or sedentary behaviour on obesity prevention in 6- to 12-year-old children: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

A systematic search of the literature was performed to compare the effects of interventions that targeted sedentary behaviours or physical activity (PA) or physical fitness on primary prevention of obesity in 6- to 12-year-old children. The search identified 146 reports that provided relevant data for meta-analysis. Point estimates in % body fat were higher for fitness interventions compared with PA interventions (standardized mean difference = -0.

Effects of long-term exposure to air pollutants on the spatial spread of COVID-19 in Catalonia, Spain.

Background: The risk of infection and death by COVID-19 could be associated with a heterogeneous distribution at a small area level of environmental, socioeconomic and demographic factors. Our objective was to investigate, at a small area level, whether long-term exposure to air pollutants increased the risk of COVID-19 incidence and death in Catalonia, Spain, controlling for socioeconomic and demographic factors.

Methods: We used a mixed longitudinal ecological design with the study population consisting of small areas in Catalonia for the period February 25 to May 16, 2020.

Evaluation of Dysphagia in Motor Neuron Disease. Review of Available Diagnostic Tools and New Perspectives.

Oropharyngeal dysphagia (OD) is highly prevalent (up to 80%) in patients with motor neuron disease (MND), influencing the prognosis of the disease. The clinical assessment of dysphagia is complex. There are assessment scales and screening questionnaires, but they have not been tested in patients with MND.

Effectiveness of the measures to flatten the epidemic curve of COVID-19. The case of Spain.

After the cases of COVID-19 skyrocketed, showing that it was no longer possible to contain the spread of the disease, the governments of many countries launched mitigation strategies, trying to slow the spread of the epidemic and flatten its curve. The Spanish Government adopted physical distancing measures on March 14; 13 days after the epidemic outbreak started its exponential growth. Our objective in this paper was to evaluate ex-ante (before the flattening of the curve) the effectiveness of the measures adopted by the Spanish Government to mitigate the COVID-19 epidemic.

The Role First-Day Readings Play in a 3-Day Schedule of Self-Monitoring Home Blood Pressure Based on Prognostic Data. VAMPAHICA Study.

Background: The optimal schedule for self-monitoring home BP (SMHBP) readings is enormously important in the diagnosis of different phenotypes related to hypertension. The aim of this study was to determine the prognostic capacity of a 3-day SMHBP schedule when using or suppressing the first-day measurements in compiling the results.

Methods: A total of 767 newly diagnosed, nontreated patients with no history of cardiovascular disease (CVD) were followed for 6.

Analysis of the location of retinal lesions in central retinographies of patients with Type 2 diabetes.

Purpose: To describe the distribution of Type 2 DM retinal lesions and determine whether it is symmetrical between the two eyes, is random or follows a certain pattern.

Methods: Cross-sectional study of Type 2 DM patients who had been referred for an outpatients' ophthalmology visit for diabetic retinopathy screening in primary health care. Retinal photographic images were taken using central projection non-mydriatic retinography.

Evaluation of the Biases in the Studies that Assess the Effects of the Great Recession on Health. A Systematic Review.

Background: Our main objective was to evaluate the fundamental biases detected in studies assessing the effects the Great Recession had on health for the case of Spain. As secondary objectives we presented methods to control these biases and to discuss the results of the studies in question if they had controlled for them.

Methods: We carried out a systematic review of the literature published up to June 2018.

Duration and dosing of Proton Pump Inhibitors associated with high incidence of chronic kidney disease in population-based cohort.

Background: Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPIs) have been associated with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Our objective was to quantify the association between PPI use and incident CKD in a population-based cohort.

Methods And Findings: We used a population-based retrospective cohort, including people aged 15 years or over, between January 1, 2005 and December 31, 2012.

Prediabetes is associated with glomerular hyperfiltration in a European Mediterranean cohort study.

Background: Glomerular hyperfiltration is well recognized as an early renal alteration in subjects with diabetes mellitus. However, what is not well-known is whether hyperfiltration also occurs in the early stages of hyperglycaemia, for instance in prediabetes. Identifying subjects with glomerular hyperfiltration from among those with prediabetes might be helpful to implement preventive and therapeutic strategies.

The association between exposure to environmental factors and the occurrence of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). A population-based retrospective cohort study.

Background: A number of factors contribute to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and although they are not fully known, the occurrence of ADHD seems to be a consequence of an interaction between multiple genetic and environmental factors. However, apart from pesticides, the evidence is inadequate and inconsistent as it differs not only in the population and time period analysed, but also in the type of study, the control of the confounding variables and the statistical methods used. In the latter case, the studies also differ in the adjustment of spatial and temporal variability.