Patients who survive admission to intensive care unit (ICU) for critical illness are at high risk of developing muscle atrophy and weakness, commonly diagnosed as ICU-acquired weakness (ICUAW). The development of ICUAW is closely linked to long-term symptoms and impairments known as post-intensive care syndrome (PICS). Despite heightened recognition of impairments, there is limited research supporting effective interventions to improve muscle and physical outcomes after hospital discharge. Prior to developing and testing interventions for ICU survivors, it is imperative to understand the trajectory of muscle and physical function recovery following an ICU stay. The purpose of this study is to longitudinally investigate skeletal muscle health and physical function outcomes after ICU admission.

This protocol describes a single site, prospective, observational study in adult patients who have survived a critical illness (ie, sepsis or acute respiratory failure). Patients will participate in a battery of testing including primary outcomes: muscle power and physical function; and secondary outcomes: muscle strength, muscle size, endurance and physical activity (by accelerometry) at hospital discharge and 3, 6, and 12 months post-discharge. A subset of patients will participate in muscle biopsy and venipuncture. To examine if the trajectory of recovery predicts primary outcomes, we will perform multivariate linear regression models in 150 evaluable patients. To examine differences in molecular and cellular outcomes in plasma and muscle tissue, a control group of community-dwelling adults without history of an ICU stay will be enrolled as a comparator group. Enrolment started on 18 October 2022 with an estimated completion date of 1 August 2027.

This protocol was approved by the University of Kentucky Office of Research Integrity Medical Internal Review Board (# 77407), with patients providing informed written consent. We anticipate our findings to establish recovery trajectories, improving the classification of patients who experience sustained physical disability. Improved identification of recovery trajectories of muscle and physical function enables future studies to employ an individually targeted rehabilitation approach, that is, precision medicine, with the goal of improving patient outcomes. The cellular findings will support the development of novel interventions specifically designed for detecting underlying mechanisms. We intend to disseminate findings to patients, healthcare professionals, the public and other relevant groups via conference presentations and manuscripts without publication restrictions.

NCT05537298.

To assess the pooled prevalence of self-reported sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and their associated factors among adults in South and Southeast Asia, using the Demographic and Health Survey data collected between 2015 and 2023.

A community-based cross-sectional study design was conducted using a multistage cluster sampling approach. Multilevel multivariable logistic regression analysis was employed to identify predictors of self-reported sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Model selection was guided by Akaike’s information criterion, and adjusted odds ratios (AORs) with 95% CIs were estimated to determine statistically significant associations.

South and Southeast Asia.

This analysis included a weighted sample of 791 019 adults aged 15–49 who reported ever having had sexual intercourse. The majority of the participants were female (n=6 87 880; 87%), and most were from Southeast Asia (n=7 00 539; 89%).

The pooled prevalence of self-reported STIs among adults in South and Southeast Asia was 12.94% (95% CI 7.73% to 18.14%). At the individual level, higher odds of reporting STIs were associated with being female (AOR 1.84; 95% CI1.68 to 2.02), having middle (AOR 1.11; 95% CI 1.04 to 1.19) or high wealth status (AOR 1.15; 95% CI 1.07 to 1.24]), being employed (AOR 1.14; 95% CI 1.07 to 1.22), having multiple sexual partners (AOR 2.79; 95% CI 2.22 to 3.52) and having undergone HIV testing (AOR 1.10; 95% CI: 1.02 to 1.20). Conversely, lower odds of self-reported STIs were observed among individuals aged 35–39 years (AOR 0.78; 95% CI 0.66 to 0.92), 40–44 years (AOR 0.68; 95% CI 0.58 to 0.82) and 45–49 years (AOR 0.61; 95% CI 0.52 to 0.73); those who had ever been in a union (AOR 0.71; 95% CI 0.62 to 0.83); individuals with higher education (AOR 0.84; 95% CI 0.76 to 0.93); and those with comprehensive HIV knowledge (AOR 0.82; 95% CI 0.77 to 0.87). At the community level, high illiteracy rates (AOR 1.25; 95% CI 1.15 to 1.35) and high media non-exposure (AOR 1.11; 95% CI 1.02 to 1.20) were positively associated with STIs, while rural residence (AOR 0.81; 95% CI 0.74 to 0.89) and living in Southeast Asia (AOR: 0.47; 95% CI 0.42 to 0.53) were linked to lower odds of self-reported STIs.

A substantial prevalence of self-reported STIs was observed among adults in South and Southeast Asia. Both individual- and community-level factors influence STI risk. The individual-level determinants include socio-demographic characteristics, sexual behaviours, HIV-related knowledge and testing history, while community-level factors reflect disparities in geographic location, educational attainment and media exposure.

Despite global efforts to improve nutrition, young women aged 15–24 years in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) face persistent dual burdens of malnutrition, marked by high rates of underweight and emerging issues of overnutrition, such as overweight and obesity. Current research often emphasises individual-level factors, potentially overlooking broader regional influences.

To examine the burden of abnormal nutritional indices among women aged 15–24 years in 40 LMICs using the most recent Demographic and Health Survey conducted between 2015 and 2023.

Cross-sectional study design.

40 LMICs.

357 587 young women aged 15–24 years.

A multilevel mixed-effect multinomial analysis was conducted to identify determinants of underweight, overweight and obesity. The adjusted relative risk ratio with 95% CI was used to declare the statistical significance of the association.

Our analysis found that among young women aged 15–24 years in LMICs, the pooled prevalence of underweight was 25.7% (95% CI 25.6% to 25.8%), with substantial country-level variation. The highest prevalence was in Timor-Leste (35.4%) and India (31.6%), while Jordan (2.9%) and Zambia (5.5%) had the lowest rates. Overweight and obesity prevalence was 17.7% (95% CI 15.7% to 19.7%), with the highest rates in Jordan (48.9%) and Zambia (40.9%) and the lowest in Timor-Leste (3.9%) and Ethiopia (4.5%). Furthermore, factors such as household wealth, age at marriage, age, education status, access to media, employment status, parity, contraceptive use, toilet facility, region and place of residence were statistically associated with being underweight, overweight and obese.

Our study highlights significant variations in nutritional status among young women aged 15–24 years in LMICs, with a notable prevalence of underweight and emerging challenges of overweight and obesity. Country-specific strategies addressing socioeconomic disparities and regional differences are crucial for effective public health interventions to improve nutritional outcomes among this vulnerable population.

The TRAjectory of knee heaLth in runners (TRAIL) study is a prospective cohort study investigating the long-term knee health trajectories of runners with and without a heightened osteoarthritis risk. This study aims to describe the recruitment results and baseline characteristics of the TRAIL cohort.

Runners aged 18–50 years and running ≥3 times and ≥10 km per week on average in the past 6 months were eligible. Participants were recruited via running podcasts, running clubs and social media between July 2020 and August 2023. Data were collected at study enrolment and at a face-to-face baseline testing session, which occurred a median of 33 weeks (IQR 18 to 86 weeks) after enrolment. Follow-up data collection is ongoing.

Out of 462 runners who completed an online registration form, 268 runners enrolled, of which 135 had a history of knee surgery (46% females) and 133 were non-surgical controls (50% females). 60% of the surgery group had undergone anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction, 33% meniscus and/or cartilage surgery, and 7% other knee surgery. 54 participants previously enrolled were unable to continue in the study before attending baseline data collection. Of the 214 runners who remained in the study and attended baseline data collection, 108 had a history of knee surgery (49% females) and 106 did not have a history of knee surgery (51% females).

Participants will be followed for 10 years through ongoing patient-reported outcomes and continuous monitoring of training loads using wearable devices. At baseline, 4- and 10-year follow-up, knee MRI and knee-health patient-reported outcomes will be collected to evaluate structural and symptomatic knee osteoarthritis progression. Data will inform guidelines for safe running practices and rehabilitation post-knee surgery.

Digital health interventions (DHIs) are changing the healthcare landscape. However, using these tools effectively for people with chronic conditions in rural areas comes with challenges, highlighting the need to understand their lived experiences. No systematic review was found that examines the inclusion of lived experience in DHI for individuals with chronic conditions in rural areas and how this impacts their acceptance of technology. A systematic review grounded by Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) will be conducted to examine the lived experiences of individuals in rural areas who use DHIs. Individuals with chronic conditions will be examined specifically and how their experiences influence the adoption, use and satisfaction with DHI for managing their health needs. This systematic literature review is significant because it will be used as a crucial starting point for a larger project aimed at creating digitally transformed primary healthcare in rural areas, particularly for Indigenous communities. The insights gained will inform the development of a digital transformation model for the larger project.

Guided by the TAM and PRISMA to explore the lived experiences of patients and caregivers with digital health, a search will be conducted for peer-reviewed studies on DHIs, including qualitative, quantitative and mixed-method approaches, including systematic reviews. The studies must be published in English from 2019 to the present and will be sourced from databases such as PubMed, EBSCO, Cochrane Library, Scopus and Web of Science. MeSH will be utilised to identify terms like user experience, acceptability and engagement with DHIs. Eligibility will be based on relevance, population, intervention and outcomes. A standardised data extraction form will be developed and tested to capture important information from each study included in the review. Data extraction and quality appraisal will be performed independently by two reviewers, with a third reviewer addressing any discrepancies. Software will be used to manage extracted data, assess risk of bias and synthesise the data. Meta-analysis will be included to enhance our findings if sufficient quantitative data is available. Our findings will be reported in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines. This review protocol was refined in June 2025; commencement of the study will be in July 2025 and will be completed in 2026.

This study used previously published literature and did not collect primary data from humans or animals. No ethical committee approval was required. Findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publication and will be presented at conferences related to the field.

osf.io/jw5yp.