Sun protection practices in India: Preliminary findings from a nationally representative sample
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Zhao X
PROVIDER: S-EPMC10520451 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Sep
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Project description:BackgroundPubic hair removal (PHR) is common among women in the United States, and understanding current practices is important for public health efforts. The most recent national study focusing on U.S. women's PHR habits and their correlates was conducted over a decade ago.ObjectivesThe current study aims to provide an updated understanding of PHR practices among U.S. women, examining prevalence, methods, frequency, and motivations. We also examine characteristics of women who choose to remove their pubic hair.DesignA cross-sectional, nationally representative survey administered in Spring 2023 via Ipsos KnowledgePanel.MethodsWomen (N = 522, ages 18-85 years) responded to items inquiring about their demographic characteristics, sexual behaviors, and social media use, as well as methods, prevalence, and motivations associated with PHR. We examine various demographic and behavioral correlates of lifetime and recent PHR among women.ResultsFindings reveal that the majority of U.S. women have removed their pubic hair at some point in their lifetime, and almost half have done so within the past month. Frequency and preferred styles of PHR varied among women, indicating a wide range of individual preferences. Among top motivating factors for PHR were perceived cleanliness, comfort, and wanting to look good in a bikini. Race, age, and history of sexual activity were all statistically significant predictors of lifetime and recent PHR.ConclusionsFindings from the current study may assist skincare professionals in better addressing patient/client PHR needs and concerns while promoting health. Studies should continue examining trends in PHR over time, its relation to societal perceptions of beauty, and its implications for health and well-being.
| S-EPMC11558735 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Understanding current pubic hair removal (PHR) practices is vital for public health, given the prevalence among U.S. adults. This study updates the understanding of PHR practices, motivations, and correlates in a nationally representative sample of adult men. In April 2023, through a probability-based internet panel survey (Ipsos KnowledgePanel®), we found that nearly half (46.7%) of respondents reported lifetime PHR, with 29.2% reporting PHR in the past 30 days. Statistically significant differences were observed in sexual orientation, age, socioeconomic status, sexual activity, and social media use. A higher proportion of Gay and Bisexual men (GBM) reported lifetime PHR (76.5%) compared with heterosexual men (44.6%), with GBM having nearly 3 times greater odds of reporting lifetime PHR (OR = 2.891, 95%CI [1.2, 6.7]). Being sexually active in the past month statistically significantly predicted both lifetime PHR (OR = 1.884, 95%CI [1.2, 2.9]) and past 30-day PHR (OR = 2.849, 95%CI [1.8, 4.6]). Age also emerged as a significant predictor, as men aged 25 to 34 years (OR = 2.275, 95%CI [1.0, 5.0]) and 45 to 54 years (OR = 2.493, 95%CI [1.1, 5.6]) had higher odds of reporting lifetime PHR compared with those aged 18 to 24 years. This study provides valuable insights and updated national data on the prevalence, methods, and frequency of PHR among men in the United States. Given the correlations between PHR practices and factors such as sexual orientation, sexual activity, and age, these findings can equip educators and health care providers with data to foster better health outcomes through acknowledging and addressing the interplay between individual choices and broader social and cultural factors.
| S-EPMC11459605 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess sexual orientation differences in high-intensity binge drinking using nationally representative data. Methods: Data were from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions III (N = 36,309), a nationally representative sample of U.S. adults collected in 2012-2013. Sex-stratified adjusted logistic regression models were used to test sexual orientation differences in the prevalence of standard (4+ for women and 5+ for men) and high-intensity binge drinking (8+ and 12+ for women; 10+ and 15+ for men) across three dimensions of sexual orientation: sexual attraction, sexual behavior, and sexual identity. Results: Sexual minority women, whether defined on the basis of sexual attraction, behavior, or identity, were more likely than sexual majority women to engage in high-intensity binge drinking at two (adjusted odds ratios [aORs] ranging from 1.52 to 2.90) and three (aORs ranging from 1.61 to 3.27) times the standard cutoff for women (4+). Sexual minority men, depending on sexual orientation dimension, were equally or less likely than sexual majority men to engage in high-intensity binge drinking. Conclusion: This study is the first to document sexual orientation-related disparities in high-intensity binge drinking among adults in the United States using nationally representative data. The results suggest that differences in alcohol-related risk among sexual minority individuals vary depending on sex and sexual orientation dimension.
| S-EPMC6645197 | biostudies-literature
Project description: Not available
| S-EPMC11168574 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundWHO estimates that about 170,000 deaths by suicide occur in India every year, but few epidemiological studies of suicide have been done in the country. We aimed to quantify suicide mortality in India in 2010.MethodsThe Registrar General of India implemented a nationally representative mortality survey to determine the cause of deaths occurring between 2001 and 2003 in 1·1 million homes in 6671 small areas chosen randomly from all parts of India. As part of this survey, fieldworkers obtained information about cause of death and risk factors for suicide from close associates or relatives of the deceased individual. Two of 140 trained physicians were randomly allocated (stratified only by their ability to read the local language in which each survey was done) to independently and anonymously assign a cause to each death on the basis of electronic field reports. We then applied the age-specific and sex-specific proportion of suicide deaths in this survey to the 2010 UN estimates of absolute numbers of deaths in India to estimate the number of suicide deaths in India in 2010.FindingsAbout 3% of the surveyed deaths (2684 of 95,335) in individuals aged 15 years or older were due to suicide, corresponding to about 187,000 suicide deaths in India in 2010 at these ages (115,000 men and 72,000 women; age-standardised rates per 100,000 people aged 15 years or older of 26·3 for men and 17·5 for women). For suicide deaths at ages 15 years or older, 40% of suicide deaths in men (45,100 of 114,800) and 56% of suicide deaths in women (40,500 of 72,100) occurred at ages 15-29 years. A 15-year-old individual in India had a cumulative risk of about 1·3% of dying before the age of 80 years by suicide; men had a higher risk (1·7%) than did women (1·0%), with especially high risks in south India (3·5% in men and 1·8% in women). About half of suicide deaths were due to poisoning (mainly ingestions of pesticides).InterpretationSuicide death rates in India are among the highest in the world. A large proportion of adult suicide deaths occur between the ages of 15 years and 29 years, especially in women. Public health interventions such as restrictions in access to pesticides might prevent many suicide deaths in India.FundingUS National Institutes of Health.
| S-EPMC4247159 | biostudies-literature
Project description:India comprises much of the persisting global childhood measles mortality. India implemented a mass second-dose measles immunization campaign in 2010. We used interrupted time series and multilevel regression to quantify the campaign's impact on measles mortality using the nationally representative Million Death Study (including 27,000 child deaths in 1.3 million households surveyed from 2005 to 2013). 1-59 month measles mortality rates fell more in the campaign states following launch (27%) versus non-campaign states (11%). Declines were steeper in girls than boys and were specific to measles deaths. Measles mortality risk was lower for children living in a campaign district (OR 0.6, 99% CI 0.4-0.8) or born in 2009 or later (OR 0.8, 99% CI 0.7-0.9). The campaign averted up to 41,000-56,000 deaths during 2010-13, or 39-57% of the expected deaths nationally. Elimination of measles deaths in India is feasible.
| S-EPMC6467562 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Stunting among children is a reflection of the chronic malnutrition caused by a complex set of behavioural, demographic, and socioeconomic factors. This long-term detrimental exposure to chronic malnutrition is disproportionately higher among social and economically deprived groups, leading to significant differentials in the prevalence of stunting across various social strata. Therefore, this study investigates the inequality of social groups in terms of the prevalence of stunting across Schedule Caste (SC)-Scheduled Tribe (ST) and non-SC-ST. The study used 1,93,886 children's data aged 0-59 months from the recent round of the National Family Health Survey. Descriptive statistics, multivariable logistic regression, F-test, t-test and chi-squared (χ²) test were applied to understand the prevalence, determinants, and associations, respectively. The Fairlie decomposition model was applied to quantify the factors contributing to the inequality of stunting across social groups. The results revealed that the prevalence of stunting was higher among SC-ST (39.60%) children compared to non-SC-ST (33.27%). In addition, children aged 15-30 months (AOR: 1.895, 95% CI: 1.843-1.949), and male (AOR: 1.074, 95% CI: 1.053-1.095), mothers had lower BMI (AOR: 1.543, 95% CI: 1.492-1.595), mothers who had no education (AOR: 1.595, 95% CI: 11.532-1.662), belongs to poorest wealth index (AOR: 1.857, 95% CI: 1.766-1.952), and the children belong to the household with unhygienic satiation practices (AOR: 1.097, 95% CI: 1.070-1.123) were more likely to be stunted. The decomposition results revealed that the variables included in the study could explain 68.9% of the stunting inequality between SC-ST and non-SC-ST groups. The household's wealth index is found to be a leading factor, which contributed nearly 41.3% of total stunting inequality exists between these two groups, followed by mothers' education (12.86%) and mothers' BMI (11.02%), sanitation facilities (4.26%), children's birth order (3.32%) and mother's type of delivery (1.49%). These findings emphasize the importance of targeted interventions. Prioritizing policies that address household economic enhancement, women's education and empowerment can be instrumental in reducing social group inequality and lowering the overall prevalence of stunting. Ensuring access to improved hygienic sanitation facilities in the household is equally important for achieving better health outcomes for the children.
| S-EPMC11549304 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ObjectiveThe influence on diabetes of the timing and duration of obesity across the high-risk period of adolescence to young adulthood has not been investigated in a population-based, ethnically diverse sample.Research design and methodsA cohort of 10,481 individuals aged 12-21 years enrolled in the U.S. National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (1996) was followed over two visits during young adulthood (18-27 years, 2001-2002; 24-33 years, 2007-2009). Separate logistic regression models were used to examine the associations of diabetes (A1C ≥6.5% or diagnosis by a health care provider) in young adulthood with 1) obesity timing (never obese, onset <16 years, onset 16 to <18 years, onset ≥18 years) and 2) obesity duration over time (never obese, incident obesity, fluctuating obesity, and persistent obesity), testing differences by sex and race/ethnicity.ResultsAmong 24- to 33-year-old participants, 4.4% had diabetes (approximately half were undiagnosed), with a higher prevalence in blacks and Hispanics than whites. In multivariable analyses, women who became obese before age 16 were more likely to have diabetes than women who became obese at or after age 18 (odds ratio 2.77 [95% CI 1.39-5.52]), even after accounting for current BMI, waist circumference, and age at menarche. Persistent (vs. adult onset) obesity was associated with increased likelihood of diabetes in men (2.27 [1.41-3.64]) and women (2.08 [1.34-3.24]).ConclusionsDiabetes risk is particularly high in individuals who were obese as adolescents relative to those with adult-onset obesity, thus highlighting the need for diabetes prevention efforts to address pediatric obesity.
| S-EPMC3609525 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundThe aim of this study is to explore the determinants of health comparisons (i.e., how individuals rate their health compared to other individuals in their age bracket) in the general adult population (total sample and in different age groups).MethodsData were used from the general adult population in Germany (wave 46, n = 3,876 individuals; November 2021 to January 2022), based on the GESIS panel, which is a probability-based mixed-mode panel. Health comparisons were used as outcome measure. Socioeconomic, lifestyle-related and health-related determinants were included in regression analysis. Robustness checks were conducted.ResultsRegressions showed that more favorable health comparisons were associated with being male (among individuals up to 39 years), higher age (among the total sample), higher education (among the total sample and individuals up to 39 years), higher income (among the total sample and individuals aged 40 to 64 years), not "being married, and living together with a spouse" (among the total sample), never eating meat (among the total sample, individuals up to 39 years and particularly individuals aged 40 to 64 years), drinking alcohol (among the total sample, individuals aged 40 to 64 years and individuals aged 65 years and over), a higher frequency of sports activities (all groups) and a higher satisfaction with health (also in all groups).ConclusionIn addition to the evident link between health satisfaction and health comparisons, regression analysis revealed that certain socioeconomic factors, such as a higher income level, along with positive lifestyle-related factors - especially among middle-aged individuals - were significantly associated with more positive health comparisons. This knowledge is required in order to support individuals at risk for negative health comparisons. This is important because negative health comparisons can contribute to poor well-being and poor health outcomes.
| S-EPMC10792948 | biostudies-literature
Project description:National malaria death rates are difficult to assess because reliably diagnosed malaria is likely to be cured, and deaths in the community from undiagnosed malaria could be misattributed in retrospective enquiries to other febrile causes of death, or vice-versa. We aimed to estimate plausible ranges of malaria mortality in India, the most populous country where the disease remains common.Full-time non-medical field workers interviewed families or other respondents about each of 122,000 deaths during 2001-03 in 6671 randomly selected areas of India, obtaining a half-page narrative plus answers to specific questions about the severity and course of any fevers. Each field report was sent to two of 130 trained physicians, who independently coded underlying causes, with discrepancies resolved either via anonymous reconciliation or adjudication.Of all coded deaths at ages 1 month to 70 years, 2681 (3·6%) of 75,342 were attributed to malaria. Of these, 2419 (90%) were in rural areas and 2311 (86%) were not in any health-care facility. Death rates attributed to malaria correlated geographically with local malaria transmission ratesderived independently from the Indian malaria control programme. The adjudicated results show 205,000 malaria deaths per year in India before age 70 years (55,000 in early childhood, 30,000 at ages 5-14 years, 120,000 at ages 15-69 years); 1·8% cumulative probability of death from malaria before age 70 years. Plausible lower and upper bounds (on the basis of only the initial coding) were 125,000-277,000. Malaria accounted for a substantial minority of about 1·3 million unattended rural fever deaths attributed to infectious diseases in people younger than 70 years.Despite uncertainty as to which unattended febrile deaths are from malaria, even the lower bound greatly exceeds the WHO estimate of only 15,000 malaria deaths per year in India (5000 early childhood, 10?000 thereafter). This low estimate should be reconsidered, as should the low WHO estimate of adult malaria deaths worldwide.US National Institutes of Health, Canadian Institute of Health Research, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute.
| S-EPMC3021416 | biostudies-other