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BACKGROUND Lung cancer is the fourth most common cancer in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries among males and the third among females. It is the commonest cancer among Bahraini males accounting for 16.9% of all cancers and the third... more
BACKGROUND Lung cancer is the fourth most common cancer in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries among males and the third among females. It is the commonest cancer among Bahraini males accounting for 16.9% of all cancers and the third in Bahraini females contributing to 5.8 % of all female cancers. The aim of this study was to describe the epidemiology of lung cancer among the Bahraini population during the period 1998-2011. METHODS All Bahraini registered lung cancer cases in the national cancer registry from 1 January 1998 to 31 December 2011 were included in the study. Incidence rates were calculated using the CANREG software, in which the annual crude incidence rates, age specific incidence rates and the age standardized incidence rate (ASR) were computed. RESULTS Six hundred sixty-four lung cancer cases (72.4%, males and 27.6% females) were diagnosed during the study period. The annual average number of cases was 47.5 per year. The mean age at diagnosis during the study perio...
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ObjectivesThis study provides an overview of the influence of occupational risk factors on the global burden of disease as estimated by the occupational component of the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2016 study.MethodsThe GBD 2016 study... more
ObjectivesThis study provides an overview of the influence of occupational risk factors on the global burden of disease as estimated by the occupational component of the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2016 study.MethodsThe GBD 2016 study estimated the burden in terms of deaths and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) arising from the effects of occupational risk factors (carcinogens; asthmagens; particulate matter, gases and fumes (PMGF); secondhand smoke (SHS); noise; ergonomic risk factors for low back pain; risk factors for injury). A population attributable fraction (PAF) approach was used for most risk factors.ResultsIn 2016, globally, an estimated 1.53 (95% uncertainty interval 1.39–1.68) million deaths and 76.1 (66.3–86.3) million DALYs were attributable to the included occupational risk factors, accounting for 2.8% of deaths and 3.2% of DALYs from all causes. Most deaths were attributable to PMGF, carcinogens (particularly asbestos), injury risk factors and SHS. Most DALYs...
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Todetermine the prevalence of smoking among male secondary school students in Bahrain and to identify their risk factors for smoking, we surveyed a random sample of students by questionnaire. The prevalence of smoking was 26.6%, 25.5% and... more
Todetermine the prevalence of smoking among male secondary school students in Bahrain and to identify their risk factors for smoking, we surveyed a random sample of students by questionnaire. The prevalence of smoking was 26.6%, 25.5% and 25.4% among first-year, second-year and third-year students respectively. Cigarettes [21.0%], water-pipes [13.0%] and cigars [1.6%] were popular. Smokers and non-smokers had similar socioeconomic profiles, but differed in degree of disapproval of smoking shown by close contacts and whether close contacts were smokers. The prevalence of smoking among male secondary-school students in Bahrain did not decline despite intense anti-smoking efforts in the last decade, perhaps indicating the effectiveness of tobacco advertising and promotions that target youth
Research Interests: Demography, Environmental Health, Adolescent, Medicine, Bahrain, and 15 moreHumans, Male, Peer group, Prevalence, Parents, Questionnaires, Educational Status, Eastern Mediterranean, Risk Factors, Occupations, Cross Sectional Studies, Friends, Case Control Studies, attitude to health, and Population surveillance
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Established in 2000, Millennium Development Goal 4 (MDG4) catalysed extraordinary political, financial, and social commitments to reduce under-5 mortality by two-thirds between 1990 and 2015. At the country level, the pace of progress in... more
Established in 2000, Millennium Development Goal 4 (MDG4) catalysed extraordinary political, financial, and social commitments to reduce under-5 mortality by two-thirds between 1990 and 2015. At the country level, the pace of progress in improving child survival has varied markedly, highlighting a crucial need to further examine potential drivers of accelerated or slowed decreases in child mortality. The Global Burden of Disease 2015 Study (GBD 2015) provides an analytical framework to comprehensively assess these trends for under-5 mortality, age-specific and cause-specific mortality among children under 5 years, and stillbirths by geography over time. Drawing from analytical approaches developed and refined in previous iterations of the GBD study, we generated updated estimates of child mortality by age group (neonatal, post-neonatal, ages 1-4 years, and under 5) for 195 countries and territories and selected subnational geographies, from 1980-2015. We also estimated numbers and r...
Research Interests: Geography, Demography, Health Sciences, Global Health, Malaria, and 15 moreCommunicable Diseases, Medicine, Humans, Child, Disease, Pediatrics and Child Health, Infant, Burden of Disease, Lancet, Infant Mortality, Neonatal Mortality, Infant and child Mortality, Child mortality, Global burden of disease, and Medical and Health Sciences
6 Joint FAO/WHO expert Committee on Food Additives . Thirteenth Report. Specifications for the identity and purity of food additives and their toxicological evaluation: some food colours, emulsifiers, stabilizers, anticaking agents and... more
6 Joint FAO/WHO expert Committee on Food Additives . Thirteenth Report. Specifications for the identity and purity of food additives and their toxicological evaluation: some food colours, emulsifiers, stabilizers, anticaking agents and certain other substances. WHO Tech Rep ...
Research Interests: Medicine, Bahrain, Humans, Child, Animal Feed, and 12 moreFemale, Animals, Male, Infant, Gynecomastia, Milk, Lancet, Cattle, Estrogens, Child preschool, The Lancet, and Medical and Health Sciences
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Background More than 3 billion people do not have access to clean energy and primarily use solid fuels to cook. Use of solid fuels generates household air pollution, which was associated with more than 2 million deaths in 2019. Although... more
Background More than 3 billion people do not have access to clean energy and primarily use solid fuels to cook. Use of solid fuels generates household air pollution, which was associated with more than 2 million deaths in 2019. Although local patterns in cooking vary systematically, subnational trends in use of solid fuels have yet to be comprehensively analysed. We estimated the prevalence of solid-fuel use with high spatial resolution to explore subnational inequalities, assess local progress, and assess the effects on health in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) without universal access to clean fuels. Methods We did a geospatial modelling study to map the prevalence of solid-fuel use for cooking at a 5 km × 5 km resolution in 98 LMICs based on 2•1 million household observations of the primary cooking fuel used from 663 population-based household surveys over the years 2000 to 2018. We use observed temporal patterns to forecast household air pollution in 2030 and to assess the probability of attaining the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target indicator for clean cooking. We aligned our estimates of household air pollution to geospatial estimates of ambient air pollution to establish the risk transition occurring in LMICs. Finally, we quantified the effect of residual primary solid-fuel use for cooking on child health by doing a counterfactual risk assessment to estimate the proportion of deaths from lower respiratory tract infections in children younger than 5 years that could be associated with household air pollution. Findings Although primary reliance on solid-fuel use for cooking has declined globally, it remains widespread. 593 million people live in districts where the prevalence of solid-fuel use for cooking exceeds 95%. 66% of people in LMICs live in districts that are not on track to meet the SDG target for universal access to clean energy by 2030. Household air pollution continues to be a major contributor to particulate exposure in LMICs, and rising ambient air pollution is undermining potential gains from reductions in the prevalence of solid-fuel use for cooking in many countries. We estimated that, in 2018, 205 000 (95% uncertainty interval 147 000-257 000) children younger than 5 years died from lower respiratory tract infections that could be attributed to household air pollution. Interpretation Efforts to accelerate the adoption of clean cooking fuels need to be substantially increased and recalibrated to account for subnational inequalities, because there are substantial opportunities to improve air quality and avert child mortality associated with household air pollution.
Research Interests: Epidemiology, Indoor Air Quality, Public Health Policy, Environmental Health, Air pollution, and 13 moreAir Pollution and Health Effects, Public Health, Health Policy, Cooking, Clean energy technologies, Burden of Disease, Air Pollution Modelling, Geospatial Analysis, Public health systems and services research, Low Income, Geospatial Analysis of Population and Health, Solid Fuel, and Household Air Pollution
Background Experimental and epidemiological studies indicate an association between exposure to particulate matter (PM) air pollution and increased risk of type 2 diabetes. In view of the high and increasing prevalence of diabetes, we... more
Background Experimental and epidemiological studies indicate an association between exposure to particulate matter (PM) air pollution and increased risk of type 2 diabetes. In view of the high and increasing prevalence of diabetes, we aimed to quantify the burden of type 2 diabetes attributable to PM 2•5 originating from ambient and household air pollution. Methods We systematically compiled all relevant cohort and case-control studies assessing the effect of exposure to household and ambient fine particulate matter (PM 2•5) air pollution on type 2 diabetes incidence and mortality. We derived an exposure-response curve from the extracted relative risk estimates using the MR-BRT (meta-regression-Bayesian, regularised, trimmed) tool. The estimated curve was linked to ambient and household PM 2•5 exposures from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2019, and estimates of the attributable burden (population attributable fractions and rates per 100 000 population of deaths and disability-adjusted life-years) for 204 countries from 1990 to 2019 were calculated. We also assessed the role of changes in exposure, population size, age, and type 2 diabetes incidence in the observed trend in PM 2•5-attributable type 2 diabetes burden. All estimates are presented with 95% uncertainty intervals. Findings In 2019, approximately a fifth of the global burden of type 2 diabetes was attributable to PM 2•5 exposure, with an estimated 3•78 (95% uncertainty interval 2•68-4•83) deaths per 100 000 population and 167 (117-223) disabilityadjusted life-years (DALYs) per 100 000 population. Approximately 13•4% (9•49-17•5) of deaths and 13•6% (9•73-17•9) of DALYs due to type 2 diabetes were contributed by ambient PM 2•5 , and 6•50% (4•22-9•53) of deaths and 5•92% (3•81-8•64) of DALYs by household air pollution. High burdens, in terms of numbers as well as rates, were estimated in Asia, sub-Saharan Africa, and South America. Since 1990, the attributable burden has increased by 50%, driven largely by population growth and ageing. Globally, the impact of reductions in household air pollution was largely offset by increased ambient PM 2•5. Interpretation Air pollution is a major risk factor for diabetes. We estimated that about a fifth of the global burden of type 2 diabetes is attributable PM 2•5 pollution. Air pollution mitigation therefore might have an essential role in reducing the global disease burden resulting from type 2 diabetes. Funding Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
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Background Globally, transport and unintentional injuries persist as leading preventable causes of mortality and morbidity for adolescents. We sought to report comprehensive trends in injury-related mortality and morbidity for adolescents... more
Background Globally, transport and unintentional injuries persist as leading preventable causes of mortality and morbidity for adolescents. We sought to report comprehensive trends in injury-related mortality and morbidity for adolescents aged 10-24 years during the past three decades. Methods Using the Global Burden of Disease, Injuries, and Risk Factors 2019 Study, we analysed mortality and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) attributed to transport and unintentional injuries for adolescents in 204 countries. Burden is reported in absolute numbers and age-standardised rates per 100 000 population by sex, age group (10-14, 15-19, and 20-24 years), and sociodemographic index (SDI) with 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs). We report percentage changes in deaths and DALYs between 1990 and 2019. Findings In 2019, 369 061 deaths (of which 214 337 [58%] were transport related) and 31•1 million DALYs (of which 16•2 million [52%] were transport related) among adolescents aged 10-24 years were caused by transport and unintentional injuries combined. If compared with other causes, transport and unintentional injuries combined accounted for 25% of deaths and 14% of DALYs in 2019, and showed little improvement from 1990 when such injuries accounted for 26% of adolescent deaths and 17% of adolescent DALYs. Throughout adolescence, transport and unintentional injury fatality rates increased by age group. The unintentional injury burden was higher among males than females for all injury types, except for injuries related to fire, heat, and hot substances, or to adverse effects of medical treatment. From 1990 to 2019, global mortality rates declined by 34•4% (from 17•5 to 11•5 per 100 000) for transport injuries, and by 47•7% (from 15•9 to 8•3 per 100 000) for unintentional injuries. However, in low-SDI nations the absolute number of deaths increased (by 80•5% to 42 774 for transport injuries and by 39•4% to 31 961 for unintentional injuries). In the high-SDI quintile in 2010-19, the rate per 100 000 of transport injury DALYs was reduced by 16•7%, from 838 in 2010 to 699 in 2019. This was a substantially slower pace of reduction compared with the 48•5% reduction between 1990 and 2010, from 1626 per 100 000 in 1990 to 838 per 100 000 in 2010. Between 2010 and 2019, the rate of unintentional injury DALYs per 100 000 also remained largely unchanged in high-SDI countries (555 in 2010 vs 554 in 2019; 0•2% reduction). The number and rate of adolescent deaths and DALYs owing to environmental heat and cold exposure increased for the high-SDI quintile during 2010-19. Interpretation As other causes of mortality are addressed, inadequate progress in reducing transport and unintentional injury mortality as a proportion of adolescent deaths becomes apparent. The relative shift in the burden of injury from high-SDI countries to low and low-middle-SDI countries necessitates focused action, including global donor, government, and industry investment in injury prevention. The persisting burden of DALYs related to transport and unintentional injuries indicates a need to prioritise innovative measures for the primary prevention of adolescent injury. Funding Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Research Interests: Epidemiology, Transportation Studies, Traumatic Brain Injury, Environmental Health, Clinical Epidemiology, and 12 moreInjury Prevention, Public Health, Adolescent, Medicine, Trauma, Population, Unintentional Injuries, Occupational Safety and Health, Burden of Disease, Accident analysis and prevention, Poison Control, and Global Burden of Diseases
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Cancer research is needed in the Arab world to provide evidence to healthcare workers and health policy makers. This chapter examines the literature on cancer research productivity in the Arab world, and the output of the 22 countries... more
Cancer research is needed in the Arab world to provide evidence to healthcare workers and health policy makers. This chapter examines the literature on cancer research productivity in the Arab world, and the output of the 22 countries with respect to the number of publications, main types of cancers studied and top journals that researchers aim to publish their findings in. Although the Arab region is lagging in its cancer research output, it is reassuring that productivity has been on the rise in the last decade. There are great variations between countries in their contribution to cancer research, with Egypt and Saudi Arabia contributing the most and sub-Saharan Arab countries the least. Breast cancer is the most researched cancer in the Arab countries, overshadowing other leading cancers. The top journals that researchers published their work in are the Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention, Pan African Medical Journal, Saudi Medical Journal, Tunisie Medicale, the Gulf Journ...
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Background: An increase in the prevalence of eating disorders (EDs), sleep problems, and stress in the general population and medical students is becoming an area of concern. This study was designed to determine the incidence of sleep and... more
Background: An increase in the prevalence of eating disorders (EDs), sleep problems, and stress in the general population and medical students is becoming an area of concern. This study was designed to determine the incidence of sleep and EDs in medical students and to assess the relationship between these factors and stress levels.Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional study was performed, and the data were collected using a self-administered, structured questionnaire via instant chat groups and social media advertisements between September and December 2019. Medical students (years 1–6) (n = 1100) enrolled at the College of Medicine and Medical Science, Arabian Gulf University, Bahrain, were recruited in the study. The electronic survey included questions on the participants’ demographic characteristics. The tools utilized were the Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), the 26-Item Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26), and the 10-Item Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10). The data were analy...
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Background: Three global reports issued by the World Health Organization (WHO) track and report on trends in the prevalence of tobacco smoking from 2000 to 2025 based on data from national surveys. Aims: This review aimed to compare... more
Background: Three global reports issued by the World Health Organization (WHO) track and report on trends in the prevalence of tobacco smoking from 2000 to 2025 based on data from national surveys. Aims: This review aimed to compare regional and country-level projections for current tobacco smoking as presented in the WHO trend reports. These changes were considered in the context of improved monitoring and tobacco control policies. Methods: Regional and country-level results in the WHO trend reports were considered in terms of the projected percentage point increase of current tobacco smoking between 2000 and 2025. Data on national surveys and policy implementation came from the relevant WHO reports. Results: In the 2019 trend report, the prevalence of current tobacco smoking among males is projected to decrease by less than 2 percentage points by 2025. Eight countries featured in both the 2015 and 2019 WHO trend reports. Seven of these countries indicated a more encouraging projec...
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BackgroundChild and adolescent injury is one of the leading causes of child death globally with a large proportion occurring in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs). Similarly, the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR) countries borne a... more
BackgroundChild and adolescent injury is one of the leading causes of child death globally with a large proportion occurring in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs). Similarly, the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR) countries borne a heavy burden that largely impact child and adolescent safety and health in the region. We aim to assess child and adolescent injury morbidity and mortality and estimate its burden in the Eastern Mediterranean Region based on findings from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD), Injuries and Risk Factors study 2017.MethodsData from the Global Burden of Disease GBD 2017 were used to estimate injury mortality for children aged 0–19, Years of Life Lost (YLLs), Years lived with Disability (YLDs) and Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) by age and sex from 1990 to 2017.ResultsIn 2017, an estimated 133,117 (95% UI 122,587-143,361) children died in EMR compared to 707,755 (95% UI 674401.6–738,166.6) globally. The highest rate of injury deaths was reported in ...
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Research Interests: Demography, Epistemology, Epidemiology, Disability Studies, Child and adolescent mental health, and 15 moreGlobal Health, Environmental Health, Communicable Diseases, Health, Disability, Epidemiological Transition, Cost Effectiveness Analysis, Health and Social Care, Chronic Disease, Female, Burden of Disease, Aged, Child and Adolescent Mental Health, Elsevier, and Global burden of disease
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Erratum: Global, regional, and national comparative risk assessment of 84 behavioural, environmental and occupational, and metabolic risks or clusters of risks for 195 countries and territories, 1990–2017: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017 (The Lancet (2018) 392(10...more
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Research Interests: Epidemiology, Nutrition, Cancer, Breast Cancer, Environmental Health, and 15 moreCancer Biology, Public Health, Health Care Management, Cancer Research, Brain cancer, Medicine, Colorectal cancer, Health and Social Care, Chronic Disease, Burden of Disease, Lancet, Community and Public Health Nursing, Global Burden of Diseases, Disease Burden, and Medical and Health Sciences
Research Interests: Demography, Global Health, Incidence Geometry, Medicine, Population, and 13 moreHumans, HIV / AIDS treatment, HIV Prevention, Young Adult, Incidence, Prevalence, Hiv Aids, Time Factors, Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy, Global burden of disease, Mortality rate, Disease Burden, and HIV infections
PurposeThe study will inform relevant workplace gendered policies at the university and other academic institutions.Design/methodology/approachA cross -sectional study was conducted on all the Arabian Gulf University full-time employees... more
PurposeThe study will inform relevant workplace gendered policies at the university and other academic institutions.Design/methodology/approachA cross -sectional study was conducted on all the Arabian Gulf University full-time employees during the COVID-19 pandemic, in June 2021. A questionnaire was sent to the employees requesting data that included sociodemographic data, living conditions, psychological status, social aspects, work productivity and satisfaction. The generalized anxiety disorder questionnaire (GAD-7) was used to screen for anxiety.FindingsGender disparity was noted in the increase of responsibilities at home and towards young children, and in stress and anxiety. Women’s reductions in peer (90.7%) and social (88%) interactions were higher than among males (81.8%, 73%, respectively). There was a narrow gender gap in work productivity and workload. More males reported that the university was concerned about its employees during COVID-19 and were satisfied with the mea...
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Objective: to perform a multidimensional health assessment for Bahraini elderly and identify areas of need. Design: Cross sectional study. Setting: Elderly 60 years and more who are attending elderly daycare centers in Bahrain. Method: A... more
Objective: to perform a multidimensional health assessment for Bahraini elderly and identify areas of need. Design: Cross sectional study. Setting: Elderly 60 years and more who are attending elderly daycare centers in Bahrain. Method: A total of four hundred and fifteen men and women attending elderly daycare centers were interviewed. Mini mental state examination, depression scale, activities of daily living and instrumental activities of daily living were assessed through a questionnaire designed for the purpose of this study. Furthermore, body mass index (BMI), blood pressure and random blood sugar were measured. Results: 76.8% of the women and 57.3% of the men were hypertensive. The prevalence of diabetes was 58.8% in women and 57.4% in men. Overweight was present among 22.4% of elderly. Three quarters of the elderly had an unremarkable mental status based on the mental and functional assessment scale. Conclusion: Attendees of elderly daycare centers in Bahrain were generally i...
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BACKGROUND Transport-related injuries (TIs) are a substantial public health concern for all regions of the world. The present study quantified the burden of TIs and deaths in the Eastern Mediterranean region (EMR) in 2017 by sex and age.... more
BACKGROUND Transport-related injuries (TIs) are a substantial public health concern for all regions of the world. The present study quantified the burden of TIs and deaths in the Eastern Mediterranean region (EMR) in 2017 by sex and age. METHODS TIs and deaths were estimated by age, sex, country, and year using Cause of Death Ensemble modelling (CODEm) and DisMod-MR 2.1. Disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), which quantify the total burden of years lost due to premature death or disability, were also estimated per 100000 population. All estimates were reported along with their corresponding 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs). RESULTS In 2017, there were 5.5 million (UI 4.9-6.2) transport-related incident cases in the EMR - a substantial increase from 1990 (2.8 million; UI 2.5-3.1). The age-standardized incidence rate for the EMR in 2017 was 787 (UI 705.5-876.2) per 100000, which has not changed significantly since 1990 (-0.9%; UI -4.7 to 3). These rates differed remarkably between co...
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Educational attainment is an important social determinant of maternal, newborn, and child health1–3. As a tool for promoting gender equity, it has gained increasing traction in popular media, international aid strategies, and global... more
Educational attainment is an important social determinant of maternal, newborn, and child health1–3. As a tool for promoting gender equity, it has gained increasing traction in popular media, international aid strategies, and global agenda-setting4–6. The global health agenda is increasingly focused on evidence of precision public health, which illustrates the subnational distribution of disease and illness7,8; however, an agenda focused on future equity must integrate comparable evidence on the distribution of social determinants of health9–11. Here we expand on the available precision SDG evidence by estimating the subnational distribution of educational attainment, including the proportions of individuals who have completed key levels of schooling, across all low- and middle-income countries from 2000 to 2017. Previous analyses have focused on geographical disparities in average attainment across Africa or for specific countries, but—to our knowledge—no analysis has examined the ...
Research Interests: European Studies, Health Sciences, Education, Epidemiology, Children and Families, and 15 moreEarly Childhood Education, Africa, Child Development, Health Inequalities, Global Health, Clinical Epidemiology, Developing Countries, Health, Health Services Research, Health Policy, Humans, Female, Attainment, Health Status, and Bayes Theorem
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To report the estimated trend in prevalence and years lived with disability (YLDs) due to vision loss (VL) in the Eastern Mediterranean region (EMR) from 1990 to 2015. The estimated trends in age-standardized prevalence and the YLDs rate... more
To report the estimated trend in prevalence and years lived with disability (YLDs) due to vision loss (VL) in the Eastern Mediterranean region (EMR) from 1990 to 2015. The estimated trends in age-standardized prevalence and the YLDs rate due to VL in 22 EMR countries were extracted from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2015 study. The association of Socio-demographic Index (SDI) with changes in prevalence and YLDs of VL was evaluated using a multilevel mixed model. The age-standardized prevalence of VL in the EMR was 18.2% in 1990 and 15.5% in 2015. The total age-standardized YLDs rate attributed to all-cause VL in EMR was 536.9 per 100,000 population in 1990 and 482.3 per 100,000 population in 2015. For each 0.1 unit increase in SDI, the age-standardized prevalence and YLDs rate of VL showed a reduction of 1.5% (p < 0.001) and 23.9 per 100,000 population (p < 0.001), respectively. The burden of VL is high in the EMR; however, it shows a descending trend over the past 25 yea...
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The UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are grounded in the global ambition of "leaving no one behind". Understanding today's gains and gaps for the health-related SDGs is essential for decision makers as they aim... more
The UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are grounded in the global ambition of "leaving no one behind". Understanding today's gains and gaps for the health-related SDGs is essential for decision makers as they aim to improve the health of populations. As part of the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2016 (GBD 2016), we measured 37 of the 50 health-related SDG indicators over the period 1990-2016 for 188 countries, and then on the basis of these past trends, we projected indicators to 2030. We used standardised GBD 2016 methods to measure 37 health-related indicators from 1990 to 2016, an increase of four indicators since GBD 2015. We substantially revised the universal health coverage (UHC) measure, which focuses on coverage of essential health services, to also represent personal health-care access and quality for several non-communicable diseases. We transformed each indicator on a scale of 0-100, with 0 as the 2·5th percentile est...
Research Interests: Epidemiology, Government, Global Health, General Internal Medicine, China, and 15 moreHealth Care Management, Adolescent, Cardiovascular disease, Child, Chronic Disease, Female, Communicable Disease Epidemiology and its Control, Care, Burden of Disease, Development assistance, Adult, Coverage, Conservation of Natural Resources, Global burden of disease, and Child preschool
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Childhood physical activity (PA) is an important determinant of health in adults which is influenced by the environment in and outside of home. We aimed to determine the contribution of parental and school factors on student's PA in... more
Childhood physical activity (PA) is an important determinant of health in adults which is influenced by the environment in and outside of home. We aimed to determine the contribution of parental and school factors on student's PA in this study. This cross sectional study was conducted on students attending public and private schools in Hyderabad, Pakistan. A random sample of 246 girls and 255 boys in grade six to ten were selected from ten schools. The PA was assessed through face to face interviews by using the adapted School Health Action Planning and Evaluation System (SHAPES) questionnaire. 40% of the students either walked to or rode on a cycle to travel to their school and 62% students performed individual exercises after school. They spent 6.2 and 5.3 hours on moderate and hard PA per week. About 57% of the mothers and 47% fathers of the students did some mild to moderate exercise 4 times in the week prior to the interview. Students were physically active if they lived in...
Research Interests: Health Behavior, Pakistan, Adolescent, Medicine, Sports, and 8 moreStudents, Humans, Child, Female, Male, Exercise, Nuclear Family, and Cross Sectional Studies
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BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE: Outcomes of the pandemic COVID-19 varied from one country to another. We aimed to describe the association between the global recovery and mortality rates of COVID-19 cases in different countries and the Human... more
BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE: Outcomes of the pandemic COVID-19 varied from one country to another. We aimed to describe the association between the global recovery and mortality rates of COVID-19 cases in different countries and the Human Development Index (HDI) as a socioeconomic indicator. METHODS: A correlational (ecological) study design is used. The analysis used data from 173 countries. Poisson regression models were applied to study the relationship between HDI and pandemic recovery and mortality rates, adjusting for country median age and country male to female sex ratio. RESULTS: During the first three months, the global pooled recovery rate was 32.4%(95%CI 32.3%–32.5%), and the pooled mortality rate was 6.95%(95%CI 6.94%–6.99%). Regression models revealed that HDI was positively associated with recovery β= 1.37, p = 0.016. HDI was also positively associated with the mortality outcome β= 1.79, p = 0.016. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings imply that the positive association between the H...
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In estimating the global burden of cancer, adolescents and young adults with cancer are often overlooked, despite being a distinct subgroup with unique epidemiology, clinical care needs, and societal impact. Comprehensive estimates of the... more
In estimating the global burden of cancer, adolescents and young adults with cancer are often overlooked, despite being a distinct subgroup with unique epidemiology, clinical care needs, and societal impact. Comprehensive estimates of the global cancer burden in adolescents and young adults (aged 15-39 years) are lacking. To address this gap, we analysed results from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2019, with a focus on the outcome of disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), to inform global cancer control measures in adolescents and young adults. Using the GBD 2019 methodology, international mortality data were collected from vital registration systems, verbal autopsies, and population-based cancer registry inputs modelled with mortality-to-incidence ratios (MIRs). Incidence was computed with mortality estimates and corresponding MIRs. Prevalence estimates were calculated using modelled survival and multiplied by disability weights to obtain years lived with disability (YLDs). Years of life lost (YLLs) were calculated as age-specific cancer deaths multiplied by the standard life expectancy at the age of death. The main outcome was DALYs (the sum of YLLs and YLDs). Estimates were presented globally and by Socio-demographic Index (SDI) quintiles (countries ranked and divided into five equal SDI groups), and all estimates were presented with corresponding 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs). For this analysis, we used the age range of 15-39 years to define adolescents and young adults. There were 1·19 million (95% UI 1·11-1·28) incident cancer cases and 396 000 (370 000-425 000) deaths due to cancer among people aged 15-39 years worldwide in 2019. The highest age-standardised incidence rates occurred in high SDI (59·6 [54·5-65·7] per 100 000 person-years) and high-middle SDI countries (53·2 [48·8-57·9] per 100 000 person-years), while the highest age-standardised mortality rates were in low-middle SDI (14·2 [12·9-15·6] per 100 000 person-years) and middle SDI (13·6 [12·6-14·8] per 100 000 person-years) countries. In 2019, adolescent and young adult cancers contributed 23·5 million (21·9-25·2) DALYs to the global burden of disease, of which 2·7% (1·9-3·6) came from YLDs and 97·3% (96·4-98·1) from YLLs. Cancer was the fourth leading cause of death and tenth leading cause of DALYs in adolescents and young adults globally. Adolescent and young adult cancers contributed substantially to the overall adolescent and young adult disease burden globally in 2019. These results provide new insights into the distribution and magnitude of the adolescent and young adult cancer burden around the world. With notable differences observed across SDI settings, these estimates can inform global and country-level cancer control efforts. Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, American Lebanese Syrian Associated Charities, St Baldrick's Foundation, and the National Cancer Institute.
Research Interests: Oncology, Epidemiology, Youth Studies, Radiation Oncology, Cancer, and 13 moreProstate Cancer, Public Health, Ovarian Cancer, Medicine, Colorectal cancer, Adolescent Health and well being, Cancer Therapy, Article, Adolescents with cancer, Lancet Oncology, Epidemiological Study, Epidemiology and Public Health, and Chronic Illness and long term care
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Anemia is a globally widespread condition in women and is associated with reduced economic productivity and increased mortality worldwide. Here we map annual 2000–2018 geospatial estimates of anemia prevalence in women of reproductive age... more
Anemia is a globally widespread condition in women and is associated with reduced economic productivity and increased mortality worldwide. Here we map annual 2000–2018 geospatial estimates of anemia prevalence in women of reproductive age (15–49 years) across 82 low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), stratify anemia by severity and aggregate results to policy-relevant administrative and national levels. Additionally, we provide subnational disparity analyses to provide a comprehensive overview of anemia prevalence inequalities within these countries and predict progress toward the World Health Organization’s Global Nutrition Target (WHO GNT) to reduce anemia by half by 2030. Our results demonstrate widespread moderate improvements in overall anemia prevalence but identify only three LMICs with a high probability of achieving the WHO GNT by 2030 at a national scale, and no LMIC is expected to achieve the target in all their subnational administrative units. Our maps show where lar...
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BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE: Outcomes of the pandemic COVID-19 varied from one country to another. We aimed to describe the association between the global recovery and mortality rates of COVID-19 cases in different countries and the Human... more
BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE: Outcomes of the pandemic COVID-19 varied from one country to another. We aimed to describe the association between the global recovery and mortality rates of COVID-19 cases in different countries and the Human Development Index (HDI) as a socioeconomic indicator. METHODS: A correlational (ecological) study design is used. The analysis used data from 173 countries. Poisson regression models were applied to study the relationship between HDI and pandemic recovery and mortality rates, adjusting for country median age and country male to female sex ratio. RESULTS: During the first three months, the global pooled recovery rate was 32.4% (95% CI 32.3%-32.5%), and the pooled mortality rate was 6.95% (95% CI 6.94%-6.99%). Regression models revealed that HDI was positively associated with recovery  = 1.37, p = 0.016. HDI was also positively associated with the mortality outcome  = 1.79, p = 0.016. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings imply that the positive association between the HDI and recovery rates is reflective of the pandemics' preparedness. The positive association between the HDI and mortality rates points to vulnerabilities in approaches to tackle health crises. It is critical to better understand the connection between nations' socioeconomic factors and their readiness for future pandemics in order to strengthen public health policies.