Background Schizophrenia is a severe and disabling condition that presents a dire health equity challenge. Our initial 6-month trial (previously reported) using mobile texting and lay health supporters, called LEAN, significantly improved medication adherence from 0.48 to 0.61 (adjusted mean 0.11, 95% CI 0.03 to 0.20, P=.007) for adults with schizophrenia living in a resource-poor village in rural China. Objective We explored the effectiveness of our texting program in improving participants’ medication adherence, functioning, and symptoms in an extended implementation of the intervention after its initial phase. Methods In an approximated stepped-wedge wait-list design randomized controlled trial, 277 community-dwelling villagers with schizophrenia were assigned 1:1 in phase 1 into intervention and wait-list control groups. The intervention group received (1) lay health supporters (medication or care supervisors), (2) e-platform (mobile-texting reminders and education message) access, (3) a token gift for positive behavioral changes, and (4) integration with the existing government community-mental health program (the 686 Program) while the wait-listed control group initially only received the 686 Program. Subsequently (in the extended period), both groups received the LEAN intervention plus the 686 Program. The primary outcome was antipsychotic medication adherence (percentage of dosages taken over the past month assessed by unannounced home-based pill counts). The secondary outcomes were symptoms measured during visits to 686 Program psychiatrists using the Clinical Global Impression scale for schizophrenia and functioning measured by trained student assessors using the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0. Other outcomes included data routinely collected in the 686 Program system (refill records, rehospitalization due to schizophrenia, death for any reason, suicide, wandering, and violent behaviors). We used intention-to-treat analysis and missing data were imputed. A generalized estimating equation model was used to assess program effects on antipsychotics medication adherence, symptoms, and functioning. Results Antipsychotics medication adherence improved from 0.48 in the control period to 0.58 in the extended intervention period (adjusted mean difference 0.11, 95% CI 0.04 to 0.19; P=.004). We also noted an improvement in symptoms (adjusted mean difference –0.26, 95% CI –0.50 to –0.02; P=.04; Cohen d effect size 0.20) and a reduction in rehospitalization (0.37, 95% CI 0.18 to 0.76; P=.007; number-needed-to-treat 8.05, 95% CI 4.61 to 21.41). There was no improvement in functioning (adjusted mean difference 0.02, 95% CI –0.01 to 0.06; P=.18; Cohen d effect size 0.04). Conclusions In an extended implementation, our intervention featuring mobile texting messages and lay health workers in a resource-poor community setting was more effective than the 686 Program alone in improving medication adherence, improving symptoms, and reducing rehospitalization. Trial Registration Chinese Clinical Trial Registry; ChiCTR-ICR-15006053 https://tinyurl.com/y5hk8vng

BackgroundPer United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, Nepal is aspiring to achieve universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water and provide access to adequate and equitable sanitation for all by 2030. For these goals to be accomplished, it is important to understand the country’s geographical heterogeneity and inequality of access to its drinking-water supply and sanitation (WSS) so that resource allocation and disease control can be optimized. We aimed 1) to estimate spatial heterogeneity of access to improved WSS among the overall Nepalese population at a high resolution; 2) to explore inequality within and between relevant Nepalese administrative levels; and 3) to identify the specific administrative areas in greatest need of policy attention.MethodsWe extracted cluster-sample data on the use of the water supply and sanitation that included 10,826 surveyed households from the 2011 Nepal Demographic and Health Survey, then used a Gaussian kernel density estimation with adaptive bandwidths to estimate the distribution of access to improved WSS conditions over a grid at 1 × 1 km. The Gini coefficient was calculated for the measurement of inequality in the distribution of improved WSS; the Theil L measure and Theil T index were applied to account for the decomposition of inequality.Results57% of Nepalese had access to improved sanitation (range: 18.1% in Mahottari to 100% in Kathmandu) and 92% to drinking-water (range: 41.7% in Doti to 100% in Bara). The most unequal districts in Gini coefficient among improved sanitation were Saptari, Sindhuli, Banke, Bajura and Achham (range: 0.276 to 0.316); and Sankhuwasabha, Arghakhanchi, Gulmi, Bhojpur, Kathmandu (range: 0.110 to 0.137) among improved drinking-water. Both the Theil L and Theil T showed that within-province inequality was substantially greater than between-province inequality; while within-district inequality was less than between-district inequality. The inequality of several districts was higher than what is calculated by regression of the Gini coefficient and our estimates.ConclusionsThis study showed considerable geographical heterogeneity and inequality not evidenced in previous national statistics. Our findings may be useful in prioritizing resources to reduce inequality and expand the coverage of improved water supply and sanitation in Nepal.

In resource-poor community settings, most measures assessed in this study should not be used alone as they overestimated adherence, underestimated program effect, and had poor validity. A combination of UPC and several other measures may provide more insight into clinical trials and programmatic management.

Background Reducing the treatment gap for mental health in low- and middle-income countries is a high priority. Even with treatment, adherence to antipsychotics is rather low. Our integrated intervention package significantly improved medication adherence within 6 months for villagers with schizophrenia in resource-poor communities in rural China. However, considering the resource constraint, we need to test whether the effect of those behavior-shaping interventions may be maintained even after the suspension of the intervention. Objective The aim of this study is to explore the primary outcome of adherence and other outcomes at an 18-month follow-up after the intervention had been suspended. Methods In a 6-month randomized trial, 277 villagers with schizophrenia were randomized to receive either a government community mental health program (686 Program) or the 686 Program plus Lay health supporters, e-platform, award, and integration (LEAN), which included health supporters for medication or care supervision, e-platform access for sending mobile SMS text messaging reminders and education message, a token gift for positive behavior changes (eg, continuing taking medicine), and integrating the e-platform with the existing 686 Program. After the 6-month intervention, both groups received only the 686 Program for 18 months (phase 2). Outcomes at both phases included antipsychotic medication adherence, functioning, symptoms, number of rehospitalization, suicide, and violent behaviors. The adherence and functioning were assessed at the home visit by trained assessors. We calculated the adherence in the past 30 days by counting the percentage of dosages taken from November to December 2018 by unannounced home-based pill counts. The functioning was assessed using the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0. The symptoms were evaluated using the Clinical Global Impression–Schizophrenia during their visits to the 686 Program psychiatrists. Other outcomes were routinely collected in the 686 Program system. We used intention-to-treat analysis, and missing data were dealt with using multiple imputation. The generalized estimating equation model was used to assess program effects on adherence, functioning, and symptoms. Results In phase 1, antipsychotic adherence and rehospitalization incidence improved significantly. However, in phase 2, the difference of the mean of antipsychotic adherence (adjusted mean difference 0.05, 95% CI −0.06 to 0.16; P=.41; Cohen d effect size=0.11) and rehospitalization incidence (relative risk 0.65, 95% CI 0.32-1.33; P=.24; number needed to treat 21.83, 95% CI 8.30-34.69) was no longer statistically significant, and there was no improvement in other outcomes in either phase (P≥.05). Conclusions The simple community-based LEAN intervention could not continually improve adherence and reduce the rehospitalization of people with schizophrenia. Our study inclined to suggest that prompts for medication may be necessary to maintain medication adherence for people with schizophrenia, although we cannot definitively exclude other alternative interpretations.

Studies have shown that the micronutrients, zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), and selenium (Se) are associated with the HPV-associated cervical cancer, yet between dietary Zn/Cu/Se intake and high-risk HPV (hrHPV) infection remain unclear. We obtained publicly available data in the present cross-sectional study from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) performed between 2011 and 2016. Dietary Zn, Cu, and Se intakes were assessed from two 24-h diet recalls. A total of 4628 female with the age of 18-59 years were included in this secondary analysis. Comparing the highest with the lowest quartiles of Zn intake, the adjusted odds ratio (aOR) for hrHPV infection was 0.72 (95% CI, 0.54-0.98). The aOR upon comparison of the quartile three with the lowest quartile of Cu intake was 0.67 (95% CI, 0.50-0.90). Whereas no significant association was found between intakes of Se and hrHPV infection in multivariate analysis. Moreover, compared with those below the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA), hrHPV infection risk was significantly decreased among women who met the RDA for Cu (aOR: 0.74; 95% CI = 0.60-0.92), but not for Zn and Se. In conclusion, high dietary Zn and moderate copper intakes were independently and negatively associated with hrHPV infection in addition to Se.