Aim To evaluate systematically the incidence of flare-ups and the occurrence and severity of postoperative pain following nonsurgical root canal treatment in patients with and without diabetes mellitus.Methods PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Embase, and the Cochrane Library electronic database were searched using explicit keywords to identify clinical studies concerning flare up post endodontic treatment for diabetic versus nondiabetic patients. Observational cohort, case control, cross sectional studies or clinical trials whether randomized or non-randomized were included. The ROBINS-I tool was utilized to assess risk of bias for non-randomized trials.Results A total of nine studies were assessed using ROBINS-I. One study was classified as having low risk of bias, six as having moderate risk, and two as having serious risk. Total of 381 diabetic patients and 871 nondiabetic were assessed at different follow- up time toward a maximum of 4 years. A higher incidence of postoperative flare-ups and pain was reported among diabetic patients compared with non-diabetic individuals. The controlled diabetic had comparable post-operative pain to non-diabetic patients.Conclusions Diabetes mellitus may be associated with an increased risk of postoperative pain and endodontic flare-ups following root canal treatment, although findings across the included studies were inconsistent. Evidence regarding the influence of glycaemic control remains limited.
Introduction Hearing loss in childhood represents an important public health challenge as can significantly affect overall development, leading to long-term educational and communication difficulties. Hearing health education remains insufficiently integrated into school-based health programs. Raising awareness of both children and parents is important for fostering appropriate ear care, healthy listening habits, and identifying hearing problems at an early stage.Aim This study aimed to assess parental perspectives on school-based hearing health education to identify unmet needs in hearing health promotion and early prevention strategies.Methods This study was conducted among 204 parents of children aged 6–9 years attending a rural primary school in the Mazovian region of Poland. Parents answered a structured, self-administered questionnaire evaluating attitudes toward hearing health education while their children underwent a school-based hearing screening (pure tone audiometry from 0.5 to 8 kHz).Results Although most parents (63%) reported that their child received general health education at school, only 24% indicated it included hearing-related content. A large majority (72%) supported mandatory health education, and 73% identified hearing as the most important sense for communication. Parents generally considered that school-based hearing education should cover practical topics, including ear hygiene, safe use of headphones, and noise protection. Hearing screening identified signs of potential hearing problems in 13% of children.Conclusions Parents recognized hearing as essential for child development and supported integrating hearing health education into school programs. The findings suggest that limited school-based hearing health education may represent a barrier to hearing health literacy and early intervention.
Introduction While the global prevalence of idiopathic environmental intolerance attributed to electromagnetic fields (IEI-EMF) has been widely assessed, studies on long-term shifts in its affected demographics are lacking.Theory This study investigated IEI-EMF prevalence among Taiwanese adults, comparing current findings with past surveys to track prevalence and demographic changes over a 12-year period.Methods Following previous telephone surveys in Taiwan, we used two-stage geographically stratified sampling to obtain a representative sample in 2019. Data were weighted for comparability and analyzed using multivariable logistic regression.Results Among 1,355 participants, IEI-EMF prevalence was 3.9%, a decrease from prior surveys. While affected individuals aged ≥35 remained the majority, their proportion increased to 93.8%, alongside a rise in affected females (65.5%). Conversely, the proportion of those reporting good-to-excellent health dropped to 23.1%. Age ≥35 was significantly associated with higher risk, with adjusted odds ratios (AORs) ranging from 5.36 to 9.30 across age groups, while unemployment correlated with lower risk (AOR = 0.40, 95% CI: 0.18–0.88).Conclusion Mirroring global trends, Taiwan’s IEI-EMF prevalence has declined continuously since 2007. A significant decrease in cases among individuals under 35 likely reflects youths’ greater adaptation to technology and lower EMF risk perception. Risk communication strategies should aim to alleviate older adults’ concerns regarding EMFs.
Introduction Congenital anomalies contribute substantially to neonatal and under-five mortality, disability, and health inequity, yet their burden remains poorly recognized in Somaliland.Theory This article frames congenital anomalies as a health-systems and equity issue involving prevention, maternal and newborn care, surgery, rehabilitation, and universal health coverage.Method The article synthesizes recent peer-reviewed evidence from low- and middle-income countries, particularly sub-Saharan Africa, and considers its relevance to Somaliland in light of localized data on pediatric surgical needs, geographic access, and delayed care.Result Evidence shows major outcome disparities, including mortality of 39.8% for gastrointestinal congenital anomalies in low-income countries versus 5.6% in high-income countries. Folic acid supplementation and food fortification can reduce preventable anomalies, especially neural tube defects. Somaliland lacks adequate surveillance, screening, referral systems, and specialized pediatric services.Discussion Somaliland should establish birth-defect surveillance, strengthen folic acid provision, improve newborn screening and referral, expand pediatric surgical and rehabilitation capacity, and develop multisectoral partnerships to reduce preventable mortality, disability, and inequity across the national system.
Introduction Governments and public health agencies increasingly use wellbeing frameworks to guide policy and assess equity. In Canada, the federal Quality of Life Framework (QLF) and Canadian Index of Wellbeing (CIW) are influential examples, yet little is known about how they construct equity.Theory Drawing on ecosocial, intersectional, and Indigenous data sovereignty scholarship, this analysis treats indicators and frameworks as political artefacts that make some inequities visible while obscuring others.Method Using Carol Bacchi’s ‘What’s the Problem Represented to Be?’ approach, we analyse framework documents and contextual equity guidance to examine how the QLF and CIW define equity challenges, the assumptions they contain, and the silences they produce.Results The QLF represents equity primarily as a technical problem of data gaps and disaggregation, while the CIW represents it as a value-driven problem of misaligned priorities between economic growth and lived wellbeing.Discussion Together, these representations position equity primarily as a matter of information and participation rather than power, resources, or data governance, underscoring the need for more reflexive approaches to wellbeing measurement.
