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Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) May 2024: Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, concerns about the psychological impact of disease-related anxiety on public health have risen. This study aims to compare general and... (Comparative Study)
Comparative Study
: Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, concerns about the psychological impact of disease-related anxiety on public health have risen. This study aims to compare general and death anxiety levels between acute coronary artery syndrome and COVID-19 pneumonia patients. : A cross-sectional study of 132 individuals, including acute myocardial infarction (MI), COVID-19 pneumonia patients, and healthy volunteers from Trakya University Hospital (Turkey), was analyzed. Validated scales like the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), Coronavirus Anxiety Scale Short Form, and Thorson-Powell Death Anxiety Scale (TPDAS) were employed. Demographic data such as age, gender, income levels, employment status, presence of a close relative with COVID-19, and whether participants followed COVID-19-related news were collected and compared across groups with significance level of 0.05 set for all analyses. : Among 41 COVID-19, 41 MI, and 50 healthy subjects, the pneumonia group showed highest COVID-19 anxiety ( = 0.01) and BAI scores ( = 0.008). Both COVID-19 and MI patients had significantly higher BAI and TPDAS scores compared to healthy controls ( < 0.001). Factors like female gender ( = 0.004), low education ( = 0.003), current employment ( = 0.008), and low income ( = 0.002) correlated with higher BAI scores. Low income ( = 0.001) and COVID-19 news exposure ( = 0.002) correlated with higher TPDAS scores. Males and married patients had lower anxiety scores ( = 0.008). High income, education, and employment reduced anxiety levels ( = 0.008). TPDAS scores decreased with higher income ( = 0.001), but increased in the MI group ( = 0.002) with COVID-19 news exposure. The multivariate linear regression analysis found that MI and COVID-19 pneumonia were associated with TPDAS; female gender, university education, and COVID-19 pneumonia with the Beck scale; and COVID-19 pneumonia with anxiety scores on the COVID-19 Anxiety scale. : This research showcases differing anxiety patterns between illnesses such as MI and COVID-19 pneumonia amidst the pandemic, emphasizing the amplifying influence of media coverage on death-related anxieties. It underscores the imperative of targeted interventions and socioeconomic considerations in managing psychological consequences and formulating responsive public health strategies.
Topics: Humans; COVID-19; Male; Female; Cross-Sectional Studies; Myocardial Infarction; Middle Aged; Anxiety; Turkey; Aged; Adult; SARS-CoV-2; Pandemics
PubMed: 38929519
DOI: 10.3390/medicina60060902 -
Children (Basel, Switzerland) Jun 2024Growing rates of childhood obesity globally create concern for individuals' health outcomes and demands on health systems. While many policy approaches focus on...
Growing rates of childhood obesity globally create concern for individuals' health outcomes and demands on health systems. While many policy approaches focus on macro-level interventions, we examine how the type of stability of a family structure might provide opportunities for policy interventions at the micro level. We examine the association between family structure trajectories and childhood overweight and obesity across three Anglophone countries using an expanded set of eight family structure categories that capture biological relationships and instability, along with potential explanatory variables that might vary across family trajectories and provide opportunities for intervention, including access to resources, family stressors, family structure selectivity factors, and obesogenic correlates. We use three datasets that are representative of children born around the year 2000 and aged 11 years old in Australia ( = 3329), the United Kingdom ( = 11,542), and the United States ( = 8837) and nested multivariate multinomial logistic regression models. Our analyses find stronger relationships between child overweight and obesity and family structure trajectories than between child obesity and obesogenic factors. Children in all three countries are sensitive to living with cohabiting parents, although in Australia, this is limited to children whose parents have been cohabiting since before their birth. In the UK and US, parents starting their cohabitation after the child's birth are more likely to have children who experience obesity. Despite a few differences across cross-cultural contexts, most of the relationship between family structures and child overweight or obesity is connected to differences in families' access to resources and by the types of parents who enter into these family structures. These findings suggest policy interventions at the family level that focus on potential parents' education and career prospects and on income support rather than interventions like marriage incentives.
PubMed: 38929272
DOI: 10.3390/children11060693 -
Children (Basel, Switzerland) May 2024Nocturnal Enuresis (NE) is a common problem among children that is stressful for both the child and adults. There is a lack of adults' knowledge and awareness of the NE...
Nocturnal Enuresis (NE) is a common problem among children that is stressful for both the child and adults. There is a lack of adults' knowledge and awareness of the NE condition. This study aimed to evaluate the adults' knowledge and awareness of NE in Medina City, Saudi Arabia. A cross-sectional observational study was conducted among adults in Medina through September and October 2023, using a questionnaire composed of socio-demographic characteristics and adults' knowledge and awareness of NE. A statistical analysis was performed using SPSS software. The study was conducted among 553 adults in Medina, with a mean (standard deviation [SD]) age of 37.69 (10.775). Most participants (94.8%) were Saudi nationals, of which 84.4% were females, 76.3% were married, and 97.1% were urban residents with university degrees (80.3%). The mean (SD) total score of knowledge and awareness was 4.69 (1.783) out of 9 and 6.49 (2.167) out of 12, respectively. Being female ( < 0.001), with a university degree ( = 0.002), and knowing about enuresis in children ( = 0.011) are significant factors affecting adults' knowledge with higher scores than others. An inadequate knowledge and awareness level of NE in children was revealed among adults living in Medina City, Saudi Arabia. These results emphasize the need for targeted educational campaigns to enhance adults' knowledge and awareness of enuresis.
PubMed: 38929220
DOI: 10.3390/children11060640 -
International Journal of Environmental... Jun 2024Marital relationships offer health benefits, including a lower risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, quality of the relationship matters; ambivalent behaviors...
Marital relationships offer health benefits, including a lower risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, quality of the relationship matters; ambivalent behaviors may increase CVD risk by affecting blunted nocturnal blood pressure (BP) dipping. This study tracked daytime and nocturnal SBP and DBP in 180 normotensive individuals (90 couples; participant mean age 25.04; 91.58% white) over a 24 h period using ambulatory blood pressure monitors to explore the impact of martial quality. Results showed that perceptions of spousal ambivalence were associated with blunted nocturnal BP dipping. Perceptions of one's own behavior as ambivalent also showed blunted nocturnal dipping. When in an ambivalent relationship, a gender interaction was found such that women were most likely to have blunted SBP dipping, but men were more likely to have blunted nocturnal DBP dipping. Overall, this study found an association between ambivalence and BP dipping, thus uncovering one virtually unexplored pathway by which marital relationships may have adverse effects on health.
Topics: Humans; Male; Female; Adult; Blood Pressure; Marriage; Young Adult; Blood Pressure Monitoring, Ambulatory; Sleep; Circadian Rhythm; Spouses
PubMed: 38928969
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph21060723 -
International Journal of Environmental... May 2024Female genital mutilation or cutting (FGM/C) is a practice involving the partial or complete removal of the external female genitalia for non-medical reasons. To...
Understanding Professionals' Knowledge Regarding Factors Influencing Changes in Attitudes toward Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting in Post-Migration Communities in Geneva, Switzerland.
Female genital mutilation or cutting (FGM/C) is a practice involving the partial or complete removal of the external female genitalia for non-medical reasons. To facilitate attitude changes, the ecological model of behavior change considers multiple levels of influence and their relationships with environmental and behavioral factors. The combined effects of migration and cultural adaptation result in a transformative process that leads to decreased support for FGM/C. This qualitative study aimed to gain knowledge from FGM/C field professionals regarding the factors promoting behavioral changes in migrant communities in Geneva, Switzerland. Between September and October 2023, we conducted semi-structured interviews using a reflexive thematic analysis. Our qualitative research is reported in accordance with the COREQ criteria. A data analysis was performed using NVivo 14 software. Four influential dimensions were identified, each with associated factors. The first dimension, the social level, includes (1) the impact and implementation of anti-FGM/C laws. The second dimension, the community level, encompasses four factors such as (2) religion, (3) a multifaceted examination of social aspects, (4) navigating language barriers and raising awareness, and (5) cultural adaptation processes. The third dimension, the interpersonal level, includes factors such as (6) changing views on the marriage prerequisite. Finally, the fourth dimension, the personal level, is associated with (7) women's experiences and perspectives regarding FGM/C. The findings highlight seven environmental factors, both within and across dimensions of the ecological model, that interact with human behavior to enable an adaptive cultural process. This process influences changes in attitudes and behaviors regarding FGM/C.
Topics: Switzerland; Humans; Circumcision, Female; Female; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Adult; Transients and Migrants; Middle Aged; Qualitative Research; Male
PubMed: 38928963
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph21060716 -
Child: Care, Health and Development Jul 2024This study examines the health problems and healthcare needs of refugee and asylum-seeker children and aims to develop strategies for improvement.
INTRODUCTION
This study examines the health problems and healthcare needs of refugee and asylum-seeker children and aims to develop strategies for improvement.
METHODS
Based on quantitative data from 448 refugee and asylum-seeker children and 222 non-refugee local children, this study was conducted at Düzce University, Department of Paediatrics, between 2010 and 2021. The refugee children originated from three countries: Iraq (n = 304), Syria (n = 101) and Afghanistan (n = 43). The data were analysed using the SPSS data analysis program. Ethical clearance was obtained from the Ethics Committee of Düzce Üniversity.
RESULTS
The results suggest that refugee and asylum-seeker children have significantly higher rates of acute illness or infection, malnutrition (p < 0.001) and anaemia (p < 0.001) than local children as a result of living in overcrowded families (p = 0.017) and unhealthy conditions. Adolescent pregnancy (p = 0.049) emerges as an important social problem as a result of child marriage among refugee children, mostly in the form of consanguineous marriages (p < 0.001). The rate of having at least two adolescent pregnancies (under 18) was highest among Syrian refugee girls (p = 0.01). Although refugee and asylum-seeker children have higher rates of health insurance (between 74% and 95%), they have lower rates of insurance compared to local children. This research also compares the data from three nationalities, including Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq children; Iraqi and Afghan children under the international protection (IP) system with limited social support and rights had worse health conditions compared to other groups. Although Iraqi children had the highest rates of health insurance on admission (p < 0.001), they also had higher rates of chronic diseases (p = 0.001), infections (p = 0.004), allergic rhinitis (p = 0.001) and malnutrition (p < 0.001). The youngest age of admission (p = 0.006) and the shortest length of stay (p = 0.004) were for Afghan children who also had higher rates of upper respiratory infections (p = 0.021).
CONCLUSIONS
This study highlights the urgent need for improved screening programmes and the importance of collaborative efforts to address the specific health needs of these populations. Addressing the health status of child refugees is a complex and multifaceted task that requires the active participation of healthcare professionals, policymakers and researchers, each of whom has a crucial role to play.
Topics: Humans; Refugees; Female; Child; Male; Afghanistan; Syria; Adolescent; Child, Preschool; Iraq; Infant; Child Health; Health Services Needs and Demand
PubMed: 38927007
DOI: 10.1111/cch.13295 -
BMC Public Health Jun 2024Illicit drug and high-risk alcohol use among adolescents leads to poor health outcomes. We enrolled adolescents from urban slums in Kampala, Uganda, to assess baseline...
BACKGROUND
Illicit drug and high-risk alcohol use among adolescents leads to poor health outcomes. We enrolled adolescents from urban slums in Kampala, Uganda, to assess baseline prevalence and factors associated with illicit drug and high-risk alcohol consumption.
METHODS
We conducted a cross-sectional study using data collected in a cohort that enrolled 14-19-year-old male and female participants from 25 March 2019 to 30 March 2020. Data was collected on social demographics, sexual behavior, and reproductive health using interviewer-administered questionnaires. The main outcomes were illicit drug use and high-risk alcohol use. Data on alcohol use was collected using the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT); results were dichotomized. Factors associated with each outcome were analyzed using multivariable logistic regression.
RESULTS
We enrolled 490 participants (60.6% female) with a median age of 18 (IQR 17-18) years, 84.9% had less than secondary education, 48.4% had their sexual debut before 15 years, 47.1% reported paid sex in the past 3 months and 22.8% had a sexually transmitted infection (chlamydia, gonorrhea, and active syphilis) baseline characteristics associated with illicit drug use in the past 3 months were male gender (aOR 12.45; 95% CI 7.21-21.50) being married (aOR 2.26; 95%CI 1.03-4.94) 10 or more paying sexual partners (aOR 2.45; 95%CI 1.05-5.69) and high-risk alcohol use (aOR 3.94; 95%CI 2.10-7.40), baseline characteristics associated with high-risk alcohol use were male gender (aOR 0.29; 95% CI 0.13-0.63) emotional violence from sexual partners (aOR 2.35; 95%CI 1.32-418) illicit drug users com (aOR 3.94; 95% CI 2.10-7.40).
CONCLUSION
Illicit drug and high-risk alcohol use are prevalent among male adolescents and adolescents involved in high-risk sexual behavior living in the urban slums of Kampala.
Topics: Humans; Adolescent; Male; Uganda; Female; Cross-Sectional Studies; Poverty Areas; Prevalence; Substance-Related Disorders; Illicit Drugs; Young Adult; Risk Factors; Sexual Behavior; Urban Population; Alcohol Drinking
PubMed: 38926824
DOI: 10.1186/s12889-024-19250-x -
Surgery Today Jun 2024To identify the problems trainees face during surgical training in Japan.
PURPOSE
To identify the problems trainees face during surgical training in Japan.
METHODS
A nationwide online questionnaire survey was conducted targeting newly certified surgical trainees.
RESULTS
The response rate was 53.8% (758/1410). Among those respondents, 25.6% were women, 71.4% were either married or had a partner, 41.3% had children, 72.7% had performed over 200 surgeries under general anesthesia, and 54.1% had chosen, before graduating from medical school, to become a surgeon. While 88.8% were interested in learning surgical techniques, 63.8% were hesitant to become a surgeon for fear of a compromised quality of private life (QOL). Conversely, only 1.4% chose their surgical training programs based on QOL. Overall, 84.6% of the trainees were satisfied with their training and this correlated with the number of surgeries performed. Only 29.9% received non-technical skill training. The average number of night shifts per month was 5.6, and 10.6% worked over 80 h per week. Harassment was reported by 41.5% of the respondents. Moreover, 33.0% had considered dropping out at some time, primarily because of their QOL (51.1%) or the harassment they had encountered (50.4%).
CONCLUSION
This survey revealed that while trainees were satisfied with the overall training system, issues such as long working hours and harassment are prevalent. Working to improve these issues could make surgery more attractive for young trainees.
PubMed: 38926216
DOI: 10.1007/s00595-024-02884-0 -
BMJ Open Jun 2024The Sustainable Development Goals have put emphasis on equitable healthcare access for marginalised groups and communities. The number of women with disabilities (WWD)...
BACKGROUND
The Sustainable Development Goals have put emphasis on equitable healthcare access for marginalised groups and communities. The number of women with disabilities (WWD) to marry and have children is rapidly increasing in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). However, these women experience multifaceted challenges to seeking perinatal care in LMICs. The objective of this scoping review is to document key facilitators and barriers to seeking perinatal care by WWD. We also will propose strategies for inclusive perinatal healthcare services for women with disabilities in LMICs.
METHODS
We will conduct a scoping review of peer-reviewed and grey literature (published reports) of qualitative and mixed-methods studies on facilitators and barriers to seeking perinatal care for women with functional disabilities from 2010 to 2023 in LMICs. An electronic search will be conducted on Medline/PubMed, Scopus and Google Scholar databases. Two researchers will independently assess whether studies meet the eligibility criteria for inclusion based on the title, abstract and a full-text review.
ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION
This scoping review is based on published literature and does not require ethics approval. Findings will be published in peer-reviewed journals and presented at conferences related to reproductive health, disability and inclusive health forums.
Topics: Humans; Female; Developing Countries; Perinatal Care; Health Services Accessibility; Disabled Persons; Pregnancy; Qualitative Research; Research Design; Review Literature as Topic
PubMed: 38926146
DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-079605 -
Angewandte Chemie (International Ed. in... Jun 2024Chiral allylic alcohols are highly prized in synthetic chemistry due to their versatile reactivity stemming from both alkenyl and hydroxyl functionalities. While the...
Chiral allylic alcohols are highly prized in synthetic chemistry due to their versatile reactivity stemming from both alkenyl and hydroxyl functionalities. While the Nozaki-Hiyama-Kishi (NHK) reaction is a widely used method for the synthesis of allylic alcohols, it suffers from drawbacks such as the use of toxic chromium salts, high amounts of metal reductants, and poor enantiocontrol. To address these limitations, we present a novel approach involving a metallaphotoredox-catalyzed asymmetric NHK reaction for the production of chiral allylic alcohols. This method marries alkenyl (pseudo)halides with aldehydes, leveraging a synergistic blend of a chiral nickel catalyst and a photocatalyst. This innovative technique enables both oxidative addition and insertion just using nickel, diverging significantly from the conventional NHK reaction pathway mediated by nickel and chromium salts. The adoption of this methodology holds immense promise for crafting a spectrum of intricate compounds, particularly those of significance in pharmaceuticals. Detailed experimental investigations have shed light on the metallaphotoredox process, further enhancing our understanding and enabling further advancements.
PubMed: 38923245
DOI: 10.1002/anie.202408195