Global health journal (Amsterdam, Netherlands)最新文献

Objective

The aim of present study is to identify the breast cancer screening barriers among the women with breast cancer of Malwa region of Punjab, India. The study was conducted at three government hospitals representing almost all districts of Malwa region.

Methods

The quantitative research design was followed using empirical research methods. Study was carried out by one-to-one interview by the field investigator and research assistant. Total of 363 breast cancer patient has been interviewed through the scheduled questionnaire and results has been recorded for further analysis. In this study, five barriers are described namely as personal barriers, socio-cultural barriers, economic barriers, health-system barriers, and treatment barriers which contains various questions regarding barriers to breast cancer screening. Univariate analysis methods have been used for the analysis to access the socio-demographic profile of women. Data has been obtained with the help of 5-point liker scale. Binary logistic model was chosen.

Results

Majority of participants were in the age groups 50–< 60 years (38.6%, 140/363) and ≥ 60 years (31.1%, 112/363). Majority of these women (47.4%, 171/363) were illiterate and most of them were housewives. The major barriers to breast cancer screening faced by most of the women were having no knowledge about screening services (90.9%, 329/363), the importance of early diagnosis (90.9%, 329/363), different screening methods (95.5%, 347/363) and place of availing screening services (91.2%, 330/363) misguided belief in God and fate (81.5%, 295/363) and preferring duties than taking care of health (70.2%, 254/363). Education qualification (odds ratio [OR] 0.74, β’ = −0.309, t = −5.357, P = 0.000) and socioeconomic class (OR 1.43, β’ = 0.354, t = 3.399, P = 0.001) were found to be significant determinant of the barriers among women.

Conclusion

The survey was conducted in the women between the age 40–60 years and as an outcome, the unawareness about screening services, fatalistic attitude, fear of being diagnosed with the cancer, low per capita income was found out significant factors that restricted the women for early check-up for the breast cancer.

Background

The prevalence of pediatric mental illnesses has been increasing in recent years, with a great potential to impact on individual's functionality and adaptation in adulthood.

Objective

This study aims to assess emotional and behavioral problems among schoolchildren in Herat City of Afghanistan.

Methods

This cross-sectional study was conducted on schoolchildren (grade 5‒10), between September and November 2021. Sociodemographic data was collected using a paper-based 14-item structured questionnaire. Data on emotional and behavioral problems was collected using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) based on teachers’ and children's report. Statistical analyses were performed in IBM SPSS Statistics (version 27).

Results

A total of 418 students, including 190 (45.5%) males and 228 (54.5%) females with a mean age of 14.1 ± 1.7 (11‒< 18 ) years were included in the study. The prevalence of students’ self-reported total difficulties and prosocial problem were 5.7% and 1.2%, respectively. An insignificant difference was observed between mean total difficulties scores between students’ self-reported and teachers’ reported SDQ. Gender, grade, concern about shortage of food, and concern about losing house were significantly predicting students’ self-reported total difficulties scores.

Conclusion

This is the first study to report the prevalence of emotional and behavioral problems among schoolchildren in Herat City, Afghanistan. This, together with relevant global literature, highlight the need to address pediatric mental health, and provide services aimed at preventing, and treating children with these problems around the world.

Background

Drug utilization evaluation (DUE) is defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) and focuses on the medical, social, and economic consequences of pharmaceutical marketing, distribution, prescribing, and usage in society. The WHO recommends a physician to every 1 000 people. According to the recent data from the Health Ministry in 2019, in which 1.16 million doctors are of active population with just 80%, or 0.9 million, practicing. As a result, a ratio of 0.68 doctors for every 1 000 people, which is much below as per the WHO reports. This article describes history, types, WHO guidelines, need and purpose of DUE.

Objective

The main aim of this paper is to provide information about the rational use of medication in outpatient and inpatient department with special emphasis of DUEs. It also provides awareness directly to healthcare professionals, researchers, academicians, pharmacist and nurses to reduce the irrationality of medicines.

Methods

The method used to compile this review information gathered from websites, Google scholar, PubMed, Research gate, and studies published on DUE from July 20 to Oct 22 were included as source of information.

Results

We studied more than 35 published study on DUE, that reveals most of the physicians prescribed branded drugs not generic drugs, but WHO prescribing indicator allows to prescribe generic drugs in the hospital pharmacy to maintain better inventory control. It may also help to prevent pharmacist misunderstanding during dispensing.

Conclusion

The use of generic prescription names avoids the possibility of medication product duplication and lowers patient costs. It is important to remember that incorrect medication prescriptions have impact on both patients and their family members. WHO indicators identify irrational prescribing behaviours to make therapy more rational and cost-effective.

Prions are infectious conformations of certain naturally occurring proteins. These misfolded proteins can structurally alter healthy protein, creating misfolded copies that repeat the process and form protein aggregates that lead to neuronal cell death. Although years can pass from initial prion infection to clinical presentation of symptoms, onset of symptoms is typically followed by rapid neurological decline resulting in death. Prion diseases have been characterized in animals ranging from sheep and cattle to cervids and humans, with notable cross-species infections such as the variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Thus, prions present a health risk with the potential to disrupt major food sources as well affect human health through animal to human and human to human transmission events. While human to human prion transmission is rare and the immediate risks for a prion-facilitated pandemic are low, prions are a class of pathogens for which we are underprepared. In addition, prions, and prion disease-like approaches, have also been discussed in the context of biological weapons and toxins, adding another layer of complexity surrounding biosecurity and biodefense. These threats underscore the need for increased scrutiny and research on prions. Here, pharmaceutical and nonpharmaceutical prion-specific interventions are discussed. Recent advances in prion therapeutic development are also briefly highlighted, and a set of policy recommendations are given that aims to provide high level suggestions for the prevention and mitigation of prion diseases.

Background

Social distancing may affect athletes’ training, causing negative effects on mental and physical health.

Objective

This study therefore aimed to characterize the perception of Brazilian athletes about their physical and psychosocial aspects, sleep quality and coping strategies during the quarantine of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

Methods

This was a cross-sectional study with online survey, performed with Brazilian athletes (amateur and professional) over 18 years. The main outcomes measures assessed were physical and psychosocial aspects, sleep quality and coping strategies.

Results

A total of 214 athletes were included. The average weekly hours of training during the quarantine was 4.71 ± 3.71 h, of which 64.5% athletes (138/214) were oriented by medical staff during training. For 52.8% (113/214) of athletes, training intensity during the quarantine was different/very different from the intensity before the quarantine. 79.4% athletes (170/214) reported moderate to extreme difficulties in keeping the same level of training during the quarantine. 77.1% athletes (165/214) had moderate to extreme anxiety and each of the athletes had concern about his or her athletic career future, including return to the sport. 72.9% athletes (156/214) reported change in sleep schedule during the quarantine period.

Conclusion

The quarantine period during COVID-19 pandemic negatively affected the athlete's perception about training routine, since athletes reported reduction in training hours and training intensity. Overall, the athletes reported that they were moderately to extremely anxious. They also had concerns about their career in the future, as well as concerns regarding return to sport.

Objective

Paid sick leave (PSL) laws mandate employers give workers paid time off when they are sick or injured. This current study aims to examine whether access to PSL is associated with healthcare utilization and health outcomes and to summarize the types of utilization and outcomes which have been reported to be associated with PSL.

Methods

We conducted a rapid evidence review. Our search of seven databases, including Medline, Embase, PsycINFO, Cochrane Library, CINAHL, Scopus, and JSTOR, on September 21, 2020, identified 757 studies, 30 of which were retained.

Results

Previous evidence is mostly provided by cross-sectional studies with survey data. In this study, evidence suggests that PSL is significantly associated with some types of healthcare utilization and health outcomes. In terms of healthcare utilization, findings indicate PSL is associated with an increase in the use of some preventive services and a decrease in the use of emergency care; while findings are mixed regarding associations of PSL with health provider visits and the use of mammograms and pap smears. As for health outcomes, findings suggest PSL is associated with improved mental and self-rated health, decreased incidence of influenza-like illness, and lower occupational injuries and mortality rates.

Conclusion

PSL may be an effective tool in improving some healthcare utilization and health outcomes. Future research could help identify mechanisms through which PSL access works and identify what policy components lead to better outcomes.

Objective

This study compared the prevalence, awareness, treatment and control of hypertension and associated factors in China and the United States (US).

Methods

Adult data from nationally representative samples were derived from the Chronic Disease and Risk Factors Surveillance in 2010 and 2013 in China and the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey in 2010 and 2013 in the US. Multivariable logistic and Poisson regression analysis were conducted to assess associations of the four outcomes with body weight status and behavioral factors.

Results

Age-standardized prevalence rates of hypertension was 35.7% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 35.4% to 36.1%) in 2010 and 29.8% (95% CI: 29.4% to 30.2%) in 2013 in China, and 35.3% (95% CI: 33.6% to 37.1%) in 2010 and 37.9% (95% CI: 36.0% to 39.7%) in 2013 in the US. Among hypertensive participants, the age-standardized rates of treatment were 18.4% (95% CI: 17.9% to 18.9%) in 2010 and 23.8% (95% CI: 23.1% to 24.6%) in 2013 in China and 54.5% (95% CI: 50.3% to 58.7%) in 2010 and 50.9% (95% CI: 46.5% to 55.3%) in 2013 in the US; the age-standardized hypertension control rates were 3.2% (95% CI: 3.0% to 3.5%) and 5.7% (95% CI: 5.3% to 6.0%) in 2010 and 2013 in China and 50.6% (95% CI: 46.2% to 55.0%) and 55.3% (95% CI: 50.3% to 60.3%) in the US. Obesity was significantly associated with prevalence, awareness and control rates in both countries. Different from the US, obesity was negatively associated with hypertension control in China.

Conclusion

Hypertension prevalence in China is similar to that in the US, but the control rate in China was significantly lower. Obesity was a critical risk factor for poor hypertension control in China.

Many governments in the world reacted to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic by swiftly offering stimulus packages to their populations. While public unpreparedness was dramatic, it was not unexpected: many alarms had been sounded. Strategies by the federal and various provincial governments of Canada in core sectors predisposed the country to the current situation and weakened its capacity to respond adequately. This paper reviews the cumulative effects of these strategic orientations: a deficient investment strategy in fundamental science; disconnect between laboratory work and the country's capacity to produce vaccines and antiviral drugs; the priority of cost efficiency that led to overwhelming dependency on foreign production of medical supplies; and dramatic spending cuts in public health. We will discuss a Mission strategy to exit the crisis that takes a long-term perspective, in which public interest and public health, combined with a strong State leadership, stimulate innovation and collaboration between national and international actors.