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Knowledge, attitude, and practice towards micronutrients among adolescent girls
Get PDFIntroduction: Micronutrient deficiency is prevalent among adolescents in India. To promote the consumption of foods rich in micronutrients, it is essential to understand knowledge, attitude, and practices (KAP) related to micronutrients. Limited evidence is available on the KAP regarding micronutrient intake among adolescents. Therefore, this study aimed to assess KAP related to micronutrients among adolescents.
Methods: The study sample comprised 182 adolescent girls enrolled in grades 8-12 at a private school. Socioeconomic status and KAP were assessed by the revised Kuppuswamy’s scale, 2023, and a pre-validated questionnaire, respectively.
Results: All participants had poor knowledge, while over half (56.3%) exhibited a moderate attitude, whereas the majority of the participants had poor practice (85.6%) toward micronutrients. The mean KAP scores were 3.21 ± 3.39, 43.93 ± 8.77, and 127.53 ± 38.94, respectively. The highest correct response was ‘The optimal time to obtain Vitamin D from Sun Exposure’ (43.1%), followed by ’The normal level of hemoglobin’ (34.3%). More than fifty percent of the participants (56.9%) believed that it is good to consume a variety of foods every day. About practice items, the consumption of food items rich in micronutrients was lower among participants.Conclusion: The knowledge and practices related to micronutrients were very limited among adolescent girls. Interventions are necessary to enhance awareness of the health benefits associated with adequate micronutrient intake. This work contributes critical baseline data that can guide the development of health policies aimed at improving outcomesfor this vulnerable population group
Effects of workplace support on nurses’ mental health: Evidence from the COVID-19 pandemic
Get PDFIntroduction: Crises such as natural disasters, epidemics, and famine have occurred throughout human history. Nurses’ mental health is negatively affected in times of crisis, such as pandemics. Workplace support needs should be met to protect and improve nurses’ mental health. Therefore, the research was conducted to determine the workplace support and mental health status of nurses during crisis periods and to examine the effects of nurses’ perceived workplace support on their mental health with the example of the COVID- 19 pandemic.
Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional research design was used. This study was conducted with nurses working at a university hospital (n = 417). Data were collected using a descriptive characteristics form, the perceived workplace support scale, and the mental health continuum-short form. Data analysis was undertaken using descriptive statistics and a linear regression analysis. In addition, the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology reporting guideline checklist was used.
Results: The nurses’ perceived workplace support score was found to be 110.95 ± 21.65 (min: 33, max: 60). In the evaluation of the mental health status of the participants, the mean scores were determined to 34.31 ± 16.53 (min: 0, max: 70). The nurses’ perceived workplace support explained 15% of the variance in their mental health status.
Conclusion: Nurses’ perceived workplace support significantly influenced their mental health during crisis periods, highlighting the importance of using available organizational, supervisor, and coworker support resources. Nurses can maintain their mental well-being by increasing awareness of and effectively utilizing these resources. Managers can enhance resilience and overall mental health through structured interventions such as peer support programs and organizational initiatives. Policymakers can promote a resilient nursing workforce by integrating workplace-support strategies into crisis preparedness plans and health policies, ultimately benefiting both nurses and patient care outcomes
Response to the comment regarding the article “The Pain Ratio Before and After the Application of Physiotherapy for Dysfunction of the Temporomandibular Joint”
Get PDFDear editor,We would like to express our sincere gratitude for the attention given to our published scientific paper, as well as for the positive comments, valuable suggestions, and thoughtful questions in the Comment on the article by Bajpai. We consider his contribution extremely important for improving the quality of future research in this field
Measles epidemic outbreak: A challenge to the medical biochemistry laboratory in a tertiary hospital
Get PDFIn our letter, we presented the challenges within medical biochemistry in a tertiary hospital in a measles outbreak. The letter somewhat shows the current situation in the first part. In the remaining part, the challenges in the work of the medical biochemical laboratory are listed and the significance of the most common biochemical and hematological analyzes for these patients is explained. This letter is an important clinical-epidemiological overview of the current situation that arose as a result of the measles outbreak
Role of serotonin hormone, TIMP-1, and CXCL-1 indiagnosis and differentiation types of irritable bowel syndrome
Get PDFIntroduction: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is one of the most common diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. The diagnosis of IBS depends primarily on the assessment of symptoms as there are no definitive diagnostic tests. Therefore, the current study aims to fill the gap in the sequence of events mechanism to understand the pathogenesis of IBS.
Methods: The current retrospective study was conducted between January and November 2024 and included 120 adults with IBS. It was divided as follows: 60 adults with type C IBS and 60 adults with type D IBS. CXC motif chemokine ligand 1 (CXCL-1) and tissue inhibitors of metalloprotein 1 (TIMP-1) as well as lipid profile and albumin were evaluated, and the relationships between them were examined to accurately diagnose and differentiate the two syndrome types (IBS type C and type D).
Results: The current results showed a significant difference in high-density lipoprotein (HDL), very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL), and triglyceride (TG) levels between IBS with constipation (IBS-C) and IBS with diarrhea (IBS-D). HDL levels were significantly high in IBS-C patients, while VLDL and TG levels were significantly elevated in patients with IBS-D (p < 0.001). Serotonin levels do not express a significant difference among IBS subtypes (p > 0.01). However, TIMP-1 and CXCL-1 levels were significantly elevated in IBS-D patients compared to IBS-C patients (p < 0.001). According to the correlations, a positive, strongly evident correlation between TIMP-1 and CXCL-1 was documented.
Conclusion: CXCL-1 and TIMP-1 could be considered new and important markers for the diagnosis and monitoring of the clinical manifestations of IBS. They can be used to differentiate between the subtypes of IBS and provide insight into the mechanism of IBS development and may eventually help in the development of treatment protocols
Comment of article “The pain ratio before and afterthe application of physiotherapy for dysfunction oftemporomandibular joint”
Get PDFDear Editor,
I have read the article entitled \u27\u27The pain ratio before and after physiotherapy for dysfunction of temporo mandibular joint"\u27 by Hadzic et al. I would like to comment on this article in terms of its strengths, weaknesses and future perspectives. I believe that this additional letter will make this article more comprehensive and interesting
Long-term treatment outcomes of spinal intradural tumors: A 10-year cohort study in Zenica-Doboj Canton
Get PDFIntroduction: Despite the presence of various constraints, Bosnia and Herzegovina has managed to establish healthcare services in the field of spinal surgery. Limiting factors associated with resource scarcity and a shortage of neurosurgeons may pose challenges, but they are not insurmountable in the context of spinal tumor surgery. This study aims to provide a comprehensive 10-year analysis of intradural spinal tumors in resource-constrained healthcare settings and assess surgical outcomes in these challenging environments.
Methods: A retrospective study was conducted involving 39 patients with intradural spinal tumors in Zenica-Doboj Canton, Bosnia and Herzegovina, from 2011 to 2021. Patients underwent neurological examinations and spinal magnetic resonance imaging scans, followed by post-surgery assessments at 3 and 6 months using the McCormick scale.
Results: Among the 39 patients, tumor distribution was as follows: meningioma (15, 38.5%), ependymoma (3, 7.7%), schwannoma (11, 28.2%), neurenteric cyst (1, 2.6%), primary melanoma (2, 5.1%), lipoma (1, 2.6%), and metastasis (6, 15.4%) (p < 0.001). A majority of patients reported localized and radicular pain (37, 94.9%, p < 0.001) and paresthesia (33, 84.6%, p < 0.001). Motor weakness was noted in 20 (51.3%) patients, while sphincteric dysfunction was reported by 17 (43.6%) patients. The average symptom duration was 397.9 ± 380.9 days, ranging from 14 to 1460 days (p < 0.001). Pneumonia and liquorrhea were reported by 1 (2.6%) patient each. Regarding mortality, 1 (2.6%) patient passed away within a 6-month follow-up period (p < 0.001), and 2 (5.1%) patients were diagnosed with primary malignant melanoma. Significant improvements in McCormick scores were observed between postoperative and 3-month assessments (p < 0.001) and between 3-month and 6-month assessments (p = 0.024).
Conclusions: This study offers valuable insights into the management of intradural spinal tumors in resource-constrained healthcare settings. Timely diagnosis and surgical intervention are essential for achieving positive patient outcomes in these challenging environments
Malignant transformation in oral epithelial dysplasticlesions: An observational study
Get PDFIntroduction: This research study is a comprehensive analysis of cases oral epithelial dysplasia (OED) to oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) over the past decade, with a particular focus on eliciting the frequency of malignant transformation (MT) of OED within this group of 328 patients in a tertiary center of Karnataka. Aim of this study is to investigate the likely correlation between OSCC and OED with demographic details, clinical parameters, and risk factors, highlighting the frequency of MT of OED to OSCC.
Methods: This study, retrospectively analyses 328 cases of OSCC (n = 236) and OED (92) using the medical records of the patients over 10 years, out of which 29 cases of OED had undergone MT. Statistical analysis was conducted using the Chi-square and Wilcoxon rank sum tests.
Results: The median IQR of MT (n = 29) was found to be 34 months (within a range from 27 to 38 months). 51.7% of dysplastic cases had transformed into well-differentiated squamous cell carcinoma and 48.3% of dysplastic cases had transformed into moderately differentiated squamous cell carcinoma the risk of cancer increased with severe dysplasia, the median age was found to be 54, which was prevalent in the buccal mucosa and male patients with a habit history.
Conclusion: Severe dysplasia could serve as a significant indicator for evaluating MT risk in patients with potentially malignant lesions; Moreover, our data indicated that patients with OED require long-term monitoring and clinical follow-up, thereby aiding in early intervention
The relationship between perceived social support and positive mental health among students at the University of Sarajevo - Faculty of Health Studies – A cross-sectional study
Get PDFIntroduction: Social support is very important in the educational transition for the promotion of well-being and transition among students of all ages, cultural identities, and educational levels. Support from parents, friends, teachers, and other relevant persons contribute to the academic, social, and emotional development of 1st-year undergraduate students.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted. The convenience sampling method was used to determine the sample. The research included 148 students of the 1st year of the first cycle of studies at the Faculty of Health Studies. The instruments used in the research are the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support Questionnaire and the Mental Health Questionnaire-Short Form.
Results: Out of the total number of respondents, n = 126 (85.10%) perceived a high level, n = 17 (11.50%) a moderate level, while n = 5 (3.40%) a low level of social support. Out of the total number of 148 respondents, n = 70 (47.30%) belonged to the category of high positive mental health, n = 67 (45.30%) belonged to the category of moderate positive mental health, while n = 11 (7.40%) of the respondents characterized their mental health as low positive mental health. It was established that there is a medium-strong relation, with a positive sign, in correlation between positive mental health and perceived social support.
Conclusion: The research results indicate a direct connection between perceived social support and positive mental health in the 1st year of the first cycle of University of Sarajevo-Faculty of Health Studies students, which indicates the importance of providing social support as an important resource for preserving the mental health of students during their studies
Exposure to headphone-generated noise and associated hearing risks in students
Get PDFIntroduction: Noise is the leading cause of hearing loss worldwide. In recent years, reduced hearing ability among young people has been observed, along with an increased frequency of headphone use for sound transmission. The purpose of this study is to determine the frequency and patterns of headphone use for sound reproduction among students and to analyze their impact on the occurrence of symptoms associated with hearing loss.
Methods: The cross-sectional study included students from two public universities from three public faculties in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Both qualitative and quantitative analyses were used to process the results. To test the statistical significance of the findings, the Chi-square goodness-of-fit test was applied, with the level of statistical significance set at 0.01.
Results: The study sample included 246 participants and it was found that 77.6% of surveyed students use headphones for sound transmission. The longest duration of use was reported by 44.6% of participants, who had been using headphones for more than 5 years. The most common maximum daily use was up to 2 h (28.7%), while 67.5% of respondents reported using headphones every day, most often in the evening (46.4%). The Chi-square test showed statistically significant differences in the frequency of symptom occurrence following headphone use (χ2(6) = 55.466, p < 0.001). The most frequently reported symptoms were tinnitus (28.3%), a sensation of fullness and ear pressure (17.8%), and ear pain (16.2%).
Conclusion: The results indicate a high prevalence of headphone use among students, with many reporting daily use over several years. The analysis showed a statistically significant association between headphone use and the occurrence of hearing-related symptoms, suggesting a potential threat to the auditory health of young people. These findings highlight the need to educate youth on the safe use of headphones