Journal of Public Health Research最新文献

Background: Physical activity holds multiple dimensions of value, including health, social, esthetic, and socio-economic impacts, and influences university students' achievements. This study aimed to determine the level of physical activity among students at the University of Novi Sad (Serbia) and examine its association with anthropometric characteristics and body composition.

Design and methods: A total of 114 first-year students from the Faculty of Technical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, and Faculty of Sport and Physical Education of the University of Novi Sad (Serbia) participated in the study. The first part involved completing the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire, based on which participants were categorized as physically active or inactive. The second part included anthropometric measurements, calculation of relevant indices, assessment of body composition (body fat), and measurement of arterial blood pressure.

Results: The analysis showed that students of both sexes from the Faculty of Sport and Physical Education had the highest physical activity levels. Statistically significant differences were found between physically active and inactive students in body weight, hip and waist circumference, percentage of body fat, body mass index, waist-to-height ratio, and arterial blood pressure. Higher values were recorded in physically inactive students.

Conclusion: This study found that physically active students had significantly more favorable anthropometric and physiological profiles than their inactive peers. These results highlight the need for universities to promote active lifestyles by reintroducing mandatory Physical Education, offering targeted health education, and creating supportive environments for daily activity.

Background: Physical fitness is a key protective factor against cardiovascular diseases, metabolic disturbances, and cancer, partly due to its influence on antioxidant capacity. However, the relationship between aerobic fitness and specific redox markers remains inadequately explored in young Saudi men.This study investigates the correlation between maximal oxygen uptake (VO₂max) and key antioxidant parameters in healthy Saudi males.

Design and methods: In this cross-sectional study, a group of 88 healthy Saudi men aged 18-25 years with a normal BMI (18.50-24.99) and moderate physical activity levels was recruited. VO₂max was assessed using cardiopulmonary exercise testing on a Bruce treadmill protocol. The resting redox status was evaluated by plasma total antioxidant capacity (TAC), superoxide dismutase (SOD) catalase, and thiobarbituric acid reactive Species (TBARS) using ELISA technique.

Results: The mean VO₂max of the participants was 41.8 ± 7.1 ml/kg/min, with over 50% classified as having "poor" or "very poor" fitness categories. A significant positive correlation was identified between VO₂max and TAC (r = 0.251, p = 0.018). However, no significant associations were detected between VO₂max and SOD, catalase, or TBARS.

Conclusions: These findings indicate that aerobic fitness is positively associated with resting total antioxidant capacity, potentially offering greater protection against oxidative stress-related chronic diseases. The absence of significant correlations between VO₂max, individual antioxidant enzymes and lipid peroxidation markers may be attributed to the relatively low VO₂max levels in this cohort. Further research is warranted to explore this relationship across a broader range of fitness levels and additional oxidative stress biomarkers.

Background: Active leisure events are health interventions promoting physical activity amongst non-traditional sporting participants. Models of physical activity assume that individual and environmental components interact to shape activity levels. The active leisure event organiser, parkrun, recently introduced a new volunteer role, the parkwalker, to manipulate the social environment at their events to encourage more walkers to attend.

Design and methods: This study compares the finishing times of new parkrun participants in Scotland for a year before and after the introduction of the parkwalker initiative. Different parkrun venues in Scotland were separated into those that fully adopted, partially adopted and did not adopt the parkwalker role into their events.

Results: A model of finishing times revealed they have slowed after the introduction of parkwalkers and the level of slowing is associated with the level of adoption of the role by events. The parkwalker initiative was particularly associated with the slowing of finishing times of older new participants and participants at larger events. The initiative was also associated with an increase in the proportion of female new participants and a reverse in the recent decline in the age of new participants.

Conclusions: The findings suggest that parkrun have introduced a successful intervention to their events that has manipulated the social environment to increase both engagement and inclusivity. This has management implications for both parkrun and other active leisure events. Practitioners engaging in social prescription might want to direct patients towards those active leisure events most engaged in welcoming slower new participants.

Contribution to public health: This study investigates how an intervention, the parkwalker Initiative, impacted the demographics of participants at parkrun. The intervention manipulated the social environment at events through using a volunteer walker who encourages other walkers.This study showed that finishing times slowed at parkrun events after the introduction of the initiative suggesting that a barrier to participation for some walkers had been overcome. The level of engagement with the initiative was associated with the level of slowing in finishing times.Active leisure events can successfully manipulate their social environment to increase participation by specific target demographics. It was also notable that the slowing involved increases in the proportion of slower runners as well as walkers. The findings have implications for event organisers and practitioners engaging in social prescription of parkrun who might be best directing patients to events with a regular parkwalker.

Background: Problems assessing migrant patients' pain may cause inadequate treatment. Standardised patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) are used as basis for tailoring treatment plans. This study investigates patients' experiences of filling in PROMs translated into their home language.

Design and methods: Explorative design with in-depth interviews with 12 patients speaking the target languages Urdu, Somali, Arabic and Polish. The data analysis was inductive, thematic and hermeneutic in character.

Results: Many interviewees found concepts used in the PROMs difficult to understand. Several viewed questions about mental health, suicide and sexual activity as taboo. Some of the PROM questions/answer options did not fit their situation and/or experience. Completing six different PROMs was exhausting.

Discussion: Idiomatic and dialectic variations as well as diverse cultural backgrounds influence how concepts and questions were understood and made completing the PROMs challenging. Translations, although technically correct, must be understandable in the cultural context in which they are to be used. Some questions/response options do not reflect lived experience, and/or are couched in language reflecting biomedical understanding of illness. Culture, religion, traumatic experiences, migration-induced stress etc. shape individuals' understanding and expression of health problems and symptoms. Secrecy and not sharing information is often an adaptive response to avoid shame.

Conclusion: Although the PROMs used were translated by professional translators, cultural, religious and educational backgrounds influence how concepts and questions are comprehended. Questions considered too private/taboo might be ignored. These problems may lead to seriously impaired treatment outcomes.

Background: Anticoagulant therapy is high-risk and requires pharmacists to be highly competent in its management. In Saudi Arabia, the confidence of pharmacists in providing such care is not well-established. This study aimed to assess the self-reported confidence levels of pharmacists in Saudi Arabia regarding the provision of pharmaceutical care for patients on anticoagulants.

Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was distributed to pharmacists across various healthcare settings in Saudi Arabia. The questionnaire assessed confidence across multiple domains of anticoagulant care, including knowledge, adverse event management, and patient counseling. Data were summarized using descriptive statistics. Confidence scores were compared across groups with t-tests, and predictors were analyzed using logistic regression.

Results: Among 194 respondents, overall self-reported confidence was moderate (70.3%). While a strong majority felt confident in foundational tasks, such as discussing indications and benefits (over 79%) and adverse effects (71%), considerably lower confidence was reported in managing critical scenarios, including controlling bleeding events (~60%). This indicates a disparity between theoretical knowledge and confidence in practical application. Hospital pharmacists reported higher confidence levels than community pharmacists. The most frequently referenced resources were Lexicomp (18.6%) and clinical guidelines (17.5%).

Conclusions: While Saudi pharmacists report foundational knowledge of anticoagulants, a significant confidence gap exists in the management of serious complications. These findings suggest that continuing education programs should move beyond theoretical knowledge and focus intensively on practical, case-based training in bleeding management and emergency response. A key limitation of this study is its reliance on self-reported data, which may not reflect objective competence.

Context: Breastfeeding is essential for the health and survival of infants, with WHO and UNICEF recommendations for exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months, followed by complementary feeding for up to 2 years. However, breastfeeding rates remain a cause for concern, particularly in Cameroon, where various socio-economic and cultural factors influence mothers' behavior.

Methodology: A cross-sectional, quantitative, and analytical study was conducted in the Bertoua Health District between April and June 2024. A non-probabilistic convenience sampling method was used to recruit 405 consenting participants out of 532 approached (participation rate: 70.68%). Data were collected using a structured questionnaire, designed by the Cameroon Pediatric Association, which assessed target mothers' knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding continued breastfeeding. Descriptive statistics and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed, using a significance level of p < 0.05.

Results: The results revealed that 70.21% of women demonstrated poor knowledge of breastfeeding, 60% held negative attitudes, and 50.62% engaged in poor breastfeeding practices. Notably, being single or in a common-law relationship, as well as holding a negative attitude, significantly increased the likelihood of poor knowledge. Furthermore, both unfavorable attitudes and poor practices were more prevalent among women who reported having no religion or identified as Christian. Thus, two key sociodemographic predictors consistently associated with suboptimal outcomes were marital status and religious affiliation. Specifically, single mothers and those without a religious affiliation or those identifying as Christian were more likely to exhibit unfavorable attitudes and lower levels of knowledge regarding continued breastfeeding.

Conclusion: This study highlights the need for targeted interventions to improve mothers' knowledge and attitudes toward breastfeeding. Educational programs adapted to socio-economic realities are essential to promote favorable breastfeeding practices and improve infant health in Bertoua.

Background: Stunting is a condition of impaired growth and development that affects children worldwide. It impacts not only physical growth but also cognitive development and learning capacity. This study aimed to identify factors associated with stunting among families with children aged 5 years.

Design and methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from January to May 2023. Secondary data from the National Population and Family Planning Board. This study involved 2,014,369 children under 5 years old. The endogenous variables were poor housing condition and stunting, while the exogenous ones lacked access to clean water supply, inadequate toilet, maternal age, short birth intervals, high parity, and lower education. The data were analyzed using path analysis with IBM SPSS AMOS 22.

Result: The path model showed goodness of fit with CMIN = 0.98, NFI = 0.99, CFI = 1.00, and RMSEA = 0.00. Poor housing conditions had a direct and statistically significant effect on stunting (b = 0.45; p < 0.001). High parity (b = -1.46; p = 0.002), no clean water supply (b = 0.49; p = 0.032), lower education (b = 0.74; p < 0.001), and short birth interval (b = 11.90; p < 0.001) exerted an indirect effect on stunting.

Conclusions: Poor housing conditions, maternal age, and lower education had a direct effect on stunting. High parity, lack of access to clean water supply, lower education, and short birth intervals had an indirect effect on stunting.

Since the onset of war in Syria, the occurrence of child marriage has risen from 13% in pre-war Syria, to approximately 35% among Syrian refugee girls. Economic instability, societal norms, and safety concerns all contribute to this practice. This study examines the underlying causes of child marriage by analyzing the association between participant sex and perceptions of child marriage among Syrian refugees in Lebanon. Data were obtained from a cross-sectional, mixed-methods study conducted in Lebanon in 2016. Multivariate logistic regression was used to evaluate the association between participant sex and attributing child marriage to safety concerns or, independently, attributing child marriage to financial insecurity. We analyzed 560 micronarratives, 52.1% of which were provided by women, with the majority of participants being under the age of 35 (78.2%). Men were found to have lower odds of attributing child marriage to safety concerns (OR = 0.54, 95% CI = 0.29-0.98), and higher odds of attributing child marriage to financial insecurity (OR = 1.76, 95% CI = 1.06-2.92), compared to women. When stratified by location in Lebanon, men in Tripoli had a higher odds of attributing child marriage to financial insecurity (OR = 2.68, 95% CI = [1.11, 6.50]). Given these differences in perceived reasons for child marriage between men and women, gender-specific messaging and initiatives could be utilized to address the underlying issues that lead to child marriage, and reduce the occurrence of this practice, particularly in Tripoli.

Background: Despite its high prevalence (6% and 26%), PCOS is undiagnosed and thus takes longer to identify.

Objective: To assess knowledge about the risk factors of polycystic ovary syndrome among healthcare professional students and to identify the association between demographic data and the knowledge scores concerning the risk factors for polycystic ovarian syndrome.

Design and methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 400 female healthcare professional students from Udupi Taluk, South India. The participants were recruited through a simple random technique. The baseline data and knowledge of risk factors for PCOS were measured using a validated and retested structured questionnaire. The data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics using SPSS version 16.

Results: The mean age of the study participants was 20.31 ± 1.37 years. The study demonstrated that 18.8% were overweight, 11.3% were suffering from PCOS, and 11.3% had a family history of PCOS. Approximately 75.5% of the participants had an average knowledge of PCOS, and 2.3% had poor knowledge. Sixty-six percent of the participants were not aware that dietary practices influence PCOS, various risk factors (66%), preventive measures (83.5%), risks associated with pregnancy due to PCOS (81.2%), measures to control the complications of PCOS (66.2%), complications of PCOS (57.5%), and the type of food used as a risk factor for PCOS (55%).

Conclusions: Adolescents and young women are not very aware of various risk factors, complications, and measures to control the complications of PCOS. Periodic screening and successful awareness programs will facilitate improved understanding, increased diagnosis, and effective management of PCOS.

Introduction: Cervical cancer is a major public health problem, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Persistent human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is the primary cause of cervical cancer and constitutes an increased risk for women living with HIV (WLHIV). The aim of this study was to identify factors associated with cervical cancer screening among women with HIV followed at Bonassama District Hospital, Cameroon, in order to improve the coverage and quality of prevention programs.

Methodology: The study was conducted in the Bonassama health district over a period of 9 months from November 2023 to July 2024 with a collection period of 4 months. A quantitative, cross-sectional, and analytical approach was adopted, targeting 283 women living with HIV aged 21 and over. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire. Data analysis was performed using R software version 4.4.2 and included both descriptive and multivariate analyses to identify factors associated with screening.

Results: Screening uptake was low, with 18.7% of participants reporting previous cervical cancer screening. The screening was significantly associated with being divorced (AOR = 8.82, p = 0.024), having received a screening prescription at the HIV Management Unit (AOR = 6.79, p < 0.001), having consulted a gynecologist for another reason (AOR = 2.79, p = 0.015), knowing the symptoms of cancer (AOR = 2.86, p = 0.009) and having received advice from a healthcare professional (AOR = 14.70, p < 0.001).

Conclusion: This study highlights the low coverage of cervical cancer screening among women living with HIV in Cameroon. The results highlight the importance of information and support from healthcare professionals to encourage screening. It is crucial to integrate cervical cancer screening into HIV follow-up programs and to improve access to healthcare services for this vulnerable population.