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- The 24-Hour Activity Checklist for Cerebral Palsy: Translation, Content Validity and Test-Retest Reliability of Portuguese VersionsPublication . Vila-Nova, Fabio; Sá, Cristina; Leite, Hércules Ribeiro; Cadete, Ana; Folha, Teresa; Longo, Egmar; Martins, Maria Elisabete; Oliveira, RaulBackground: The importance of 24-h movement behaviour, including sleep, physical activity (PA) and sedentary behaviour (SB), has gained prominence due to its significant impact on the health and development of children, including those with cerebral palsy (CP). The 24-h activity checklist for CP, a tool developed in the Netherlands to monitor the activity in CP paediatric population, requires translation and cultural adaptation to Portuguese for use in Brazil and Portugal. Methods: This cross-sectional methodological study involved translating and culturally adapting the 24-h activity checklist for CP into Brazilian Portuguese (BP) and European Portuguese (EP) languages. The process included forward translation, synthesis and backward translation, expert panel evaluation and pretesting. Brazilian and Portuguese experts appraised content validity, assessed by the individual item (I-CVI) and scale level content validity index scores (S-CVI/Ave). Sixty parents of children with CP participated in the test-retest analysis, reported with the Intraclass Correlation Coefficients (ICCs). Results: I-CVI scores were higher than 0.78 for both versions. S-CVI/Ave scores were considered excellent for BP (0.91) and EP version (1.0). Expert's appraisal results in the inclusion of a question about sleep-related time indicators and the split of sleep, PA, and screen time questions for weekdays and weekends. Brazilian and Portuguese parents of children with CP reported understanding on instructions, questions, and answer options. The ICC values range from 0.81 to 0.99 and 0.6 to 0.98, for BP and EP, respectively. Conclusions: The BP and EP versions of 24-h activity checklist for CP demonstrated good content validity and test-retest reliability, supporting its use in Brazil and Portugal. This tool can contribute to improving communication between families and healthcare professionals to monitor and develop tailored interventions for healthy movement behaviours in children with CP.
- Recommendations for estimating and reporting vaccine effectiveness by time since vaccination: a COVID-19 case studyPublication . Kissling, Esther; Nunes, Baltazar; Hooiveld, Mariëtte; Martínez-Baz, Iván; Monge, Susana; Robertson, Chris; Knolm, Mirjam; Sève, Noémie; Mlinarić, Ivan; Domegan, Lisa; Machado, Ausenda; Whitaker, Heather; Lazar, Mihaela; Meijer, Adam; Enkirch, Theresa; Casado, Itziar; Pérez-Gimeno, Gloria; William, Naoma; Enouf, Vincent; Kurečić Filipović, Sanja; McKenna, Adele; Rodrigues, Ana Paula; de Lusignan, Simon; Timnea, Olivia-Carmen; Latorre-Margalef, Neus; Castilla, Jesús; Pozo, Francisco; Hamilton, Mark; Masse, Shirley; Ilić, Maja; Basile, Luca; O’Donnell, Joan; Guiomar, Raquel; Riess, Maximilian; Popescu, Rodica-Manuela; M C Rose, Angela; Andrews, Nick; Bacci, Sabrina; Pastore Celentano, Lucia; Valenciano, Marta; Moren, Alain; Beutels, Philippe; Hens, Niel; I-MOVE-COVID-19 and ECDC primary care study teamsEstimating COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness (VE) by time since vaccination (TSV) is essential for understanding how protection may change over time and enables meaningful comparisons across studies. This is important for accurate comparisons of VE against different SARS-CoV-2 variants/sublineages, across age groups, during different periods post vaccination campaign, or by vaccine type/brand. We provide recommendations for case–control VE studies on estimating and reporting VE analyses by TSV, with the aim of improving quality of these estimates. Our recommendations cover study design and pre-analysis considerations, descriptive analyses, choice of categories of TSV, categorical and continuous modelling approaches, and best practices for reporting VE by TSV. Using a real-life case–control study, we apply these recommendations, and include accompanying statistical scripts in R and Stata. These recommendations will serve as a practical resource for researchers conducting VE analyses by TSV. We encourage ongoing refinement of them through input from other study groups.
- Surveillance of severe acute respiratory infections associated with SARS-CoV-2, influenza virus and RSV using ICD-10 codes: a case definition accuracy study across five European countries, 2021 to 2023Publication . Sanchez Ruiz, Miguel Angel; Marques, Diogo Fp.; Lomholt, Frederikke Kristensen; Vestergaard, Lasse Skafte; Monge, Susana; Lozano Álvarez, Marcos; Aspelund, Gudrun; Thordardottir, Marianna; Dziugyte, Ausra; Cauchi, John-Paul; Boere, Tjarda M.; Veldhuijzen, Irene K.; Seppälä, Elina; Bøås, Håkon; Paulsen, Trine Hessevik; Machado, Ausenda; Rodrigues, Ana Paula; Hooiveld, Mariette; Alves de Sousa, Luis; Torres, Ana; Carvalho, Carlos; Nunes, BaltazarBackgrounds: Surveillance of severe acute respiratory infections (SARI) using ICD-10 codes from electronic health records (EHR) lacks consensus on optimal case-defining codes.AIMWe determined codes that maximise sensitivity (Se) and positive predictive value (PPV) for SARI associated with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), influenza virus and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in Denmark, Iceland, Malta, Norway and Spain.METHODSWe included hospitalisations from week 21/2021 to 39/2023, with ICD-10 diagnostic codes for respiratory disease (three-character codes J00-J99) or COVID-19 (U07.1, U07.2, country-specific codes for Denmark). We assessed Se and PPV of individual codes against laboratory results. Based on Se and PPV rank-sum, we selected the top 10 codes and combined them into 10 sets per pathogen. We identified sets that maximised the clinical utility index (CUI = Se × PPV), categorised as excellent (≥ 0.81), good (0.64-0.80), satisfactory (0.49-0.63) and poor (< 0.49).RESULTSWe assessed 395,163 hospitalisations for SARI-SARS-CoV-2, 313,418 for SARI-influenza and 192,936 for SARI-RSV, all tested. For SARI-SARS-CoV-2, code U07.1 (B34.2A, B97.2A for Denmark) had excellent utility in Denmark, Malta, Norway, Spain (≥ 0.82), and good utility in Iceland (0.79). For SARI-influenza, J09, J10 and J11 performed excellently in Denmark, Norway, Spain (≥ 0.83), satisfactorily in Malta (0.52), and poorly in Iceland (0.43). For SARI-RSV, J12, J20 and J21 achieved highest CUI but had poor utility (0.17-0.34).CONCLUSIONSCOVID-19- and influenza-specific three-character ICD-10 codes accurately identified SARI associated with SARS-CoV-2 and influenza virus. For SARI-RSV, four-character codes should be explored. We recommend context-specific assessments in countries adopting EHR-based surveillance.
- Effectiveness of JN.1 monovalent COVID-19 vaccination in EU/EEA countries between October 2024 and January 2025: a VEBIS electronic health record network studyPublication . Humphreys, James; Blake, Alexandre; Nicolay, Nathalie; Braeye, Toon; Van Evercooren, Izaak; Hansen, Christian Holm; Moustsen-Helms, Ida Rask; Sacco, Chiara; Mateo-Urdiales, Alberto; Castilla, Jesús; Martínez-Baz, Iván; Machado, Ausenda; Brito, André; Ljung, Rickard; Pihlstrom, Nicklas; Mansiaux, Yohann; Monge, Susana; Bacci, Sabrina; Nunes, Baltazar; VEBIS-Lot 4 working groupWe estimated vaccine effectiveness (VE) of Omicron JN.1-adapted COVID-19 vaccines administered during the 2024 autumnal vaccination campaign against COVID-19 hospitalisation and death among eligible individuals aged ≥65 years. The study period was October 2024-January 2025. Using a common protocol across six EU/EEA study sites, we linked electronic health records to construct retrospective cohorts and applied Cox modelling to estimate VE via confounder-adjusted hazard ratios. The majority of vaccines administered during the study period were Omicron JN.1-adapted COVID-19 vaccines (99 %). VE against hospitalisation was 60 % (95 % Confidence Interval: 48-70 %) and against COVID-19-related death was 78 % (95 %CI: 64-87 %) among individuals aged 65-79 years; 58 % (95 %CI: 48-66 %) and 62 % (95 %CI: 32-79 %) among those aged ≥80 years. These results indicate high effectiveness in the initial months of the campaign. Continued monitoring is necessary to confirm these results, including estimates of VE in those with longer time since vaccination and during different variant predominance periods.
- Long term bivalent mRNA vaccine effectiveness against COVID-19 hospitalisations and deaths in Portugal: a cohort study based on electronic health recordsPublication . Machado, Ausenda; Kislaya, Irina; Soares, Patricia; Magalhães, Sarah; Nunes, Baltazar; On behalf of PT-EHR vaccine groupBackground: In Autumn 2022, there were recommendations for a COVID-19 booster vaccination with adapted bivalent vaccines to eligible population. Evaluating vaccine effectiveness (VE), in a short period after the vaccination, is key to guide public health decisions on the vaccine performance, allowing implementation of mitigation strategies promptly. However, to assess long-term protection post-vaccination and evaluate the need for additional boosters, it is crucial to conduct studies that span the maximum duration of the vaccination program. This study aims to estimate the VE of bivalent mRNA vaccines against COVID-19-related hospitalisation and death in the Portuguese population aged 65 years or older, from September 2022 to May 2023. Methods: We used a cohort approach to analyse six electronic health registries using deterministic linkage, with a follow-up period of eight months. Severe outcomes included COVID-19-related hospitalisations and death, classified using discharge ICD-10 codes as proxies. The exposure of interest was the bivalent mRNA vaccine. VE was estimated for 14-97, 98-181 and 182-240 days after bivalent vaccination. Confounder-adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) was obtained by fitting a time-dependent Cox regression model with time-dependent vaccination status, adjusted for sociodemographic, history of influenza and pneumococcus vaccination, previous SARS-CoV-2 tests and infection, and comorbidities. VE was estimated by one minus the aHR between vaccinated with bivalent vaccine person-years versus those without bivalent vaccine person-years. Results: The cohort included 2,151,531 individuals aged 65 or older (27.8% with 80 or more years). In the ≥ 80 years old, VE was 41.3% (95%CI: 34.5-47.5%) and 50.3% (95%CI: 44.6-55.3%) against COVID-19-related hospitalisation and death, respectively. In the 65-79 years old, VE was 58.5% (95%CI: 51.9-64.2%) against COVID-19-related hospitalisation, and 65.1% (95%CI: 59.0-70.4%) against COVID-19-related death. VE waned for both age groups and outcomes. Among adults aged 65 years or older, we observed long-term moderate VE estimates against severe COVID-19-related outcomes. Conclusions: These results support the need for yearly boosters of COVID-19 vaccination to maximise the protection of the senior population against COVID-19 severe disease. Additional (spring boosters) during a vaccination campaign should be evaluated considering the epidemiological context and results from long-term VE studies.
- Perceptions of Fall Prevention and Engagement in Social Prescribing Activities Among Older Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study in PortugalPublication . Matos, Cristiano; Baixinho, Cristina Rosa; Alarcão, Violeta; Henriques, Maria Adriana; Ferreira, Ricardo Oliveira; Nascimento, Tiago; Arriaga, Miguel; JORGE SILVA ALVES, TATIANA DANIELA; Nogueira, Paulo; Costa, AndreiaBackground: Falls are a major cause of injury, functional decline, and reduced quality of life among older adults, posing a significant public health challenge. Social prescribing is gaining relevance in gerontology, offering structured strategies to engage individuals in preventive activities, including fall prevention strategies, through engagement in community-based activities. Aim: To examine older adults' perception of the relevance of personal protection and development activities (e.g., prevention against falling) and compare sociodemographic, behavioural, and engagement profiles between those who agree and those who disagree with its relevance. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 613 older adults aged 65-93 years. Data collection included sociodemographic, health-related, and behavioural/social engagement variables (including perceptions regarding the benefits of social prescribing and interest in community-based activities). For this analysis, participants were dichotomized based on their agreement with the relevance of personal protection and development activities (e.g., prevention against falling). Of the 569 participants included, 538 (94.5%) agreed with its relevance and 31 (5.5%) disagreed. Descriptive and exploratory analyses were conducted to compare the two groups across variables. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted to explore independent predictors of agreement across sociodemographic, behavioural, social prescribing, and health-related variables. Results: Significant differences were observed between the groups in awareness of active ageing (p = 0.018), volunteering (p < 0.001), participation in social and community activities (p < 0.001), and hobbies like gardening, fishing, or cooking (p = 0.002). Those who agreed with the importance of personal protection and development activities were significantly more likely to value a range of initiatives, including social activities in recreational organizations, physical activity in the community (e.g., hiking), artistic and creative activities (e.g., visual arts, music), technical or technological activities (e.g., do-it-yourself, computers), and cultural enrichment activities (e.g., visiting museums), (p < 0.001). Multivariate analyses showed no effects of sociodemographic or health-related factors, whereas behavioural and engagement-related variables-including volunteering, hobbies, and several social prescribing activities-significantly predicted agreement with the relevance of personal protection and development activities. Discussion: The findings suggest that older adults who perceive fall prevention as relevant are more actively engaged in diverse health-promoting activities, including volunteering, hobbies, and community-based programmes. This pattern may reflect higher health literacy, stronger social networks, and proactive attitudes towards ageing. Conclusions: Perceptions of fall prevention are closely linked to broader patterns of engagement in health-promoting activities among older adults. Recognizing and addressing differences in how these activities are valued can inform more inclusive and targeted gerontological interventions.
- Influenza vaccine effectiveness in Europe and the birth cohort effect against influenza A(H1N1)pdm09: VEBIS primary care multicentre study, 2023/24Publication . Kissling, Esther; Maurel, Marine; Pozo, Francisco; Pérez-Gimeno, Gloria; Buda, Silke; Sève, Noémie; Domegan, Lisa; Hooiveld, Mariëtte; Oroszi, Beatrix; Martínez-Baz, Iván; Guiomar, Raquel; Latorre-Margalef, Neus; Mlinarić, Ivan; Lazar, Mihaela; Giménez Duran, Jaume; Dürrwald, Ralf; Enouf, Vincent; McKenna, Adele; de Lange, Marit; Túri, Gergő; Trobajo-Sanmartín, Camino; GOMEZ TEIXEIRA PINTO, VERÓNICA DEL PILAR; Samuelsson Hagey, Tove; Višekruna Vučina, Vesna; Cherciu, Maria Carmen; García Vazquez, Miriam; Erdwiens, Annika; Masse, Shirley; Bennett, Charlene; Meijer, Adam; Kristóf, Katalin; Castilla, Jesús; Rodrigues, Ana Paula; Kurečić Filipović, Sanja; Ivanciuc, Alina Elena; Bacci, Sabrina; Kaczmarek, MarlenaIntroduction: Influenza A(H1N1)pdm09, A(H3N2) and B/Victoria viruses circulated in Europe in 2023/24, with A(H1N1)pdm09 dominance. First influenza infections in childhood may lead to different vaccine effectiveness (VE) in subsequent years. Aim: The VEBIS primary care network estimated influenza VE in Europe using a multicentre test-negative study. Methods: Primary care practitioners collected information and specimens from patients consulting with acute respiratory infection. We estimated VE against influenza (sub)type and clade, by age group and by year of age for A(H1N1)pdm09, using logistic regression. Results: We included 29,958 patients, with 3,054, 1,053 and 311 influenza A(H1N1)pdm09, A(H3N2) and B cases, respectively. All-age VE against influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 was 52% (95% CI: 44-59). By year of age, VE was 27% (95% CI: -2 to 47) at 44 years with peaks at 72% (95% CI: 52-84) and 54% (95% CI: 41-64) among children and those 65 years and older, respectively. All-age A(H1N1)pdm09 VE against clade 5a.2a was 41% (95% CI: 24-54) and -11% (95% CI: -69 to 26) against clade 5a.2a.1. The A(H3N2) VE was 35% (95% CI: 20-48) among all ages and ranged between 34% and 40% by age group. All-age VE against clade 2a.3a.1 was 38% (95% CI: 1-62). All-age VE against B/Victoria was 83% (95% CI: 65-94), ranging between 70 and 92% by age group. Discussion: The 2023/24 VEBIS primary care VE against medically attended symptomatic influenza infection was high against influenza B/Victoria, but lower against influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 and A(H3N2). Clade- and age-specific effects may have played a role in the lower A(H1N1)pdm09 VE.
- Impact of non-pharmacological interventions on the first wave of COVID-19 in Portugal 2020Publication . Loyens, Dinis B.; Caetano, Constantino; Matias-Dias, CarlosIntroduction: The COVID-19 pandemic caused over 7 million global deaths. Without vaccines during the first wave, governments implemented nonpharmacological interventions (NPIs) such as lockdowns, school closures, and travel restrictions. This study quantifies the impact of NPIs on COVID-19 transmission in Portugal between 24th February and 1st May. Methods: A compartmental SEIR (Susceptible, Exposed, Infectious, Removed) model was employed to simulate the first COVID-19 wave in Portugal, using a Bayesian approach and symptom-onset incidence data. The effect of the lockdown, which began on March 22, 2020, on the effective reproductive number, R t was measured. A counterfactual scenario was created to ascertain the number of cases prevented by the NPIs during the first 15 days after the implementation of NPI. Results: The lockdown reduced overall transmission by 68·6 % (95%Credible Interval (95%CrI): 59·2 %; 77·5 %), almost immediately. This corresponds to a reduction in the effective reproductive number from 2·56 (95%CrI: 2·08; 3·40) to 0·80 (95%CrI: 0·76; 0·84). The counterfactual scenario estimated that the lockdown prevented 118052 (95%CrI: 99464; 145605) cases between 24th February and 6th April. Discussion: The lockdown significantly reduced COVID-19 transmission in Portugal, bringing Rt below 1, meaning each person infected fewer than one individual. While costly, lockdowns effectively control disease spread in the absence of vaccines. Conclusion: Our findings suggest NPIs curbed epidemic transmission, reducing Rt below 1 and easing hospital loads and deaths. This research will help inform future pandemic decision-making and infectious disease modeling worldwide.
- Assessing the role of children in the COVID-19 pandemic in Belgium using perturbation analysisPublication . Angeli, Leonardo; Caetano, Constantino Pereira; Franco, Nicolas; Coletti, Pietro; Faes, Christel; Molenberghs, Geert; Beutels, Philippe; Abrams, Steven; Willem, Lander; Hens, NielUnderstanding the evolving role of different age groups in virus transmission is essential for effective pandemic management. We investigated SARS-CoV-2 transmission in Belgium from November 2020 to February 2022, focusing on age-specific patterns. Using a next generation matrix approach integrating social contact data and simulating population susceptibility evolution, we performed a longitudinal perturbation analysis of the effective reproduction number to unravel age-specific transmission dynamics. From November to December 2020, adults in the [18, 60) age group were the main transmission drivers, while children contributed marginally. This pattern shifted between January and March 2021, when in-person education resumed, and the Alpha variant emerged: children aged under 12 years old were crucial in transmission. Stringent social distancing measures in March 2021 helped diminish the noticeable contribution of the [18, 30) age group. By June 2021, as the Delta variant became the predominant strain, adults aged [18, 40) years emerged as main contributors to transmission, with a resurgence in children’s contribution during September-October 2021. This study highlights the effectiveness of our methodology in identifying age-specific transmission patterns.
- Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) exposure among European adults: Evidence from the HBM4EU aligned studiesPublication . Karakoltzidis, Achilleas; Papaioannou, Nafsika; Gabriel, Catherine; Chatzimpaloglou, Anthoula; Andersson, Anna-Maria; Juul, Anders; Halldorsson, Thorhallur I.; Olafsdottir, Kristin; Klanova, Jana; Piler, Pavel; Janasik, Beata; Wasowicz, Wojciech; Janev-Holcer, Natasa; Namorado, Sónia; Rambaud, Loïc; Riou, Margaux; Probst-Hensch, Nicole; Imboden, Medea; Nieuwenhuyse, An Van; Appenzeller, Brice M.R.; Kolossa-Gehring, Marike; Weber, Till; Stewart, Lorraine; Sepai, Ovnair; Esteban-López, Marta; Castaño, Argelia; Gilles, Liese; Govarts, Eva; Rodriguez Martin, Laura; Schoeters, Greet; Karakitsios, Spyros; Sarigiannis, Dimosthenis Α.; Namorado, SóniaPolycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are persistent environmental pollutants with well-documented associations to adverse health effects, posing significant public health challenges across Europe. Human exposure to 13 urinary PAH metabolites was assessed in a harmonized cohort of European adults aged 20-39, representing diverse geographic regions across Europe: North (Iceland and Denmark), East (Poland and the Czech Republic), South (Croatia and Portugal), and West (France, Germany, Switzerland, and Luxembourg). This study aimed to achieve a unified understanding of PAH exposure by employing stringent participant selection criteria and harmonizing biomarker analyses by utilizing high-quality analytical protocols across multiple laboratories in Europe. Key findings revealed consistently elevated metabolite levels in smokers compared to non-smokers, with naphthalene metabolites dominating the profiles over phenanthrene and fluorene derivatives. Country-specific analyses highlighted Poland as having the highest naphthalene metabolite concentrations, while Luxembourg exhibited elevated pyrene metabolite levels. Urbanization influenced exposure, with slightly higher metabolite concentrations in town populations compared to rural areas. While sex-based stratification revealed no marked differences, gender emerged as a significant covariate in regression models, with women generally displaying higher exposure to naphthalene metabolites. Educational level further stratified exposure, with lower education correlating with increased PAH levels. Multivariate linear regression identified key exposure factors, including sampling season (i.e., summer, winter, autumn, and spring), dietary habits e.g., smoked foods, and proximity to smoke-prone environments. This dataset provides a significant baseline for evaluating the European Commission's Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability (CSS) and underscores the utility of harmonized human biomonitoring studies in informing targeted public health interventions.