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Knowledge, attitude, and preventive practices of leptospirosis affected populations in South Andaman, India: A cross-sectional study
Get PDFIntroduction: Leptospirosis is the most common reoccurring zoonosis worldwide. Climatic conditions in tropical and subtropical regions are optimal for Leptospira survival. The pathogen thrives in flood-prone slum settlements of underprivileged areas where waste, open sewers, and standing water are present.
Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study using universal sampling methodology was conducted to determine associationsbetween sociodemographic variables and knowledge, attitudes, and practices of leptospirosis-infected individuals compared with a control group from the South Andaman population.
Results: Eight hundred and one (388 cases and 413 controls) subjects were included in the study. Overall, 61.5% of the participants were male, while the main occupation of 43.94% of the subjects was farming or agricultural work. Multilogistic regression assessing the likelihood of good knowledge about leptospirosis showed that leptospirosis-positive subjects were more likely to have good knowledge (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 3.5 [95% CI: 2.59–4.97], p < 0.001), better attitude (AOR: 97.30 [95% CI: 41.72–226.9], p < 0.001] than leptospirosis-negative subjects, male population groups were also more likely to have a good attitude (AOR: 3.03 [95% CI: 1.94–4.73], p < 0.001), and those whose main occupation is farming were more likely to have a good attitude (AOR: 3.59 [95% CI: 2.31–5.56], p < 0.001). The leptospirosis seropositive group was more likely to have good practices (AOR: 5.80 [95% CI: 3.58–8.73], p < 0.001), rural residents were 88% less likely to have good practice levels than urban residents (AR: 0.12 [95% CI: 0.07–0.20], p < 0.01).
Conclusion: The infected group had better knowledge than the control group. The integration of knowledge and attitudes to maintain good practices, along with the provision of an adequate sanitation system, waste disposal system, and availability of essential personal protective equipment is necessary for disease control in these islands
Do caregivers’ involvement in Type 2 diabetes education affect patients’ health outcomes?: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Get PDFIntroduction: The prevalence of Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is rising worldwide. Patients frequently struggle with controlling their diabetes and need the assistance of caregivers for effective self-management because managing diabetes requires a variety of strategies, including diet, glucose monitoring, and exercise. This study aimed to examine the effect of caregiver involvement in T2DM education within a community on patients’ diabetes care outcomes.
Methods: Based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, a systematic review of all published studies from the earliest record to May 2022 that reported adult caregivers of T2DM patients who participated in educational interventions concerning diabetes management and that reported one or more outcomes of the interventions were conducted. Four databases were used, including PubMed, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, and CINAHL. The meta-analysis focused on glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels among randomized controlled trials (RCTs), with additional attention to lipid levels. Review Manager 5.4 was used to perform this meta-analysis.
Results: A total of 17 out of 683 studies were synthesized. Involvement of caregivers in T2DM education is shown to reduce body mass index and HbA1c. This involvement also improves patients’ knowledge, physical activity, and self-efficacy, but the effect on medication adherence varies. A meta-analysis of six RCT studies shows that caregiver involvement in T2DM education reduced pooled HbA1c levels by 0.83 (95% Confidence interval: −1.27–−0.38) compared to involvement (p = 0.0003). Meta-analysis of three types of lipids (low-density lipoprotein, total cholesterol, and high-density lipoprotein) showed no strong evidence that caregiver participation in diabetes education improved lipid levels.
Conclusions: Caregivers play key roles in diabetes management and can contribute to improving patient HbA1c levels. Future research should focus on enhancing caregiver participation in T2DM education
Mental well-being of teachers working at home during the COVID-19 pandemic
Get PDFIntroduction: Teachers in Bosnia and Herzegovina had insufficient skills in educational technology but had to lead the introduction of online teaching and adapt all aspects of the educational process to the online environment, which placed a great burden on them. The main objective of this research was to identify the challenges faced by teachers during the lockdown period. The sudden shift to online teaching, lack of preparation, and social isolation resulted in significant changes in job demands, perceived control, and social support in the workplace.
Methods: A correlational study was conducted with a sample of 345 employees in the education sector in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Descriptive analysis, multiple regression analysis, and t-tests were performed using SPSS version 20.0.
Results: The results indicate that teachers who did not have adequate workspace at home experienced greater workload but remained highly motivated. High job demands and low social support at work are associated with increased stress and decreased psychophysical functioning, while higher social support is associated with higher life satisfaction. In addition, higher job demands and stronger social support were related to greater intrinsic and extrinsic motivation at work.
Conclusion: Results show that teachers lacking proper home workspaces reported their work as notably more demanding and stress-inducing, with a reported decline in their overall psychophysical well-being. Moreover, they expressed a reduced sense of control over their work, diminished social support, and lower levels of life satisfaction. These findings provide a valuable foundation for developing recommendations to address crisis situations in education, particularly when teachers transition from physical classrooms to virtual spaces, which is also important for online teaching and learning in typical times
Benefits of low-dose carotid CT angiography in stroke patients
Get PDFIntroduction: Computed tomography angiography (CTA) represents the gold standard as a method for the diagnosis of carotid artery diseases. The current topic is the use of CTA for the evaluation of carotid arteries with a reduction in the dose of contrast agent and dose of ionizing radiation, which, with adequate preparation, would enable the use of this method in some risk groups. The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and image quality of a new low-dose CTA protocol in comparison with a standard protocol.
Methods: Forty patients with recumbent ischemic stroke were included in the study, twenty of whom underwent lowdose CTA, and the remaining twenty underwent a standard CTA protocol of the carotid arteries.
Results: No significant difference was found between the mean values of CT number (Hounsfield unit), signal-to-noise ratio, contrast-to-noise ratio, and subjective assessment of image quality in the comparison of the control and experimental groups. CT dose index, volume, and dose length product were significantly lower in patients who underwent lowdose carotid CTA. There was no significant difference in the degree of carotid stenosis between color Doppler and CTA.
Conclusion: The use of the low-dose protocol for carotid CTA allows the application of this method in risk groups, in which it was previously not possible to perform, with the same image quality in comparison with the standard protocol
Differences in Burnout Aspects in Croatian Nursing Students – A Cross-Sectional Study
Get PDFIntroduction: Burnout syndrome is a growing concern among nursing students, potentially impacting their academic success and future professional performance. This study aimed to explore the prevalence of burnout syndrome in Croatian nursing students and examine the associations between burnout and demographic features (age, gender, year of study, part-time or full-time study).
Methods: A quantitative cross-sectional study was conducted with 423 nursing students from the University of Applied Health Sciences, Zagreb, and the Faculty of Health Sciences, Rijeka. The Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI); MBI human services survey was used to assess burnout levels.
Results: Nursing students at the Faculty of Health Sciences, Rijeka, experienced higher burnout levels than those at the University of Applied Health Sciences, Zagreb (χ2 = 10.214, ss = 2, p = 0.006). Significant associations were found between burnout levels and age, gender, year of study, and enrolment status. Specifically, younger students, female students, and full-time students reported higher levels of emotional exhaustion (EE). 2nd-year students reported lower EE than their first and 3rd-year peers.
Conclusions: This study underscores the importance of recognizing and addressing the unique needs and stressors faced by different subgroups of nursing students. Tailored interventions and support systems are essential for alleviating burnout and promoting well-being in nursing students. Further research, including longitudinal studies, is required to better understand burnout progression and to inform the development of effective strategies for reducing burnout in nursing education
Health locus of control and sociodemographic factors in older adults: Insights from exercise programs – Cross-sectional study
Get PDFIntroduction: Aging is an inherent and progressive process affecting all living organisms, characterized by physical, mental, and psychological changes. With the societal changes that involve rapid information exchange, there is also a change in the behavior of older individuals. The aim of this study is to analyze the level of health locus of control in older adults participating in exercise programs and its association with certain sociodemographic factors.
Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted from November 2018 to March 2019. A total of 200 individuals aged 65 and older, who were participating in free exercise programs, were included. Among them, 190 were female, and only 10 were male. For the purposes of this study, the Health Locus of Control Scale (Croatian- ZLK-90) and a general questionnaire on demographic characteristics were used. The questionnaire was completed in a traditional pen-and-paper format.
Results: The results of the Health Locus of Control Scale revealed that, among the respondents, the Eo scale (Circumstances) component had the highest median score of 21.00, while the Evd scale (Important Others) showed the lowest median at 18.00. Furthermore, the findings indicated statistically significant differences in certain subscales of the Health locus of control scale. Specifically, there was a significant difference in the Eo scale (Circumstances) associated with the respondents’ level of education, with the highest ranks found among individuals with the lowest education level. A statistically significant difference was also observed in the factor related to respondents’ living arrangements, demonstrating a significant variation in the I scale (Internal Locus) for those who live alone.
Conclusion: This study unveiled the health-related locus of control level and its correlation with demographic characteristicsin older adults engaged in exercise programs. The findings provide valuable insights into the relationship between the health locus of control and specific traits of the active older population
Burnout syndrome in the banking sector of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Get PDFIntroduction: Burnout syndrome in some European countries is recognized as an occupational disease. In the past time, it has been identified predominantly in the service sectors such as healthcare, social services, mental health and education, but later it started to be predominant in other occupations with high job requirements and time pressure. The aim of this study was to assess the presence of burnout at work among the bank employees of Sarajevo Canton, Bosnia and Herzegovina.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in banks (n = 6) located in Sarajevo Canton, Bosnia and Herzegovina, between January and April 2018. Employees filled out an anonymous questionnaire, after their written informed consent had been obtained. The study included employees regardless of their job positions and job seniority.Results: The total number of surveyed employees was 260. There are not statistically significant gender differences (p = 0.854¸ p < 0.05) compared to the total Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) score. Statistically significant differences in relation to the total MBI score were observed in the examinees who have been working in the banking sector between 15 and 20 years (p = 0.04; p < 0.05) and examinees working temporarily <2 h/week (p = 0.016; p < 0.05), that is, more than 8 h/week (p = 0.015; p < 0.05). Mid value and standard deviation of the score in the subscale of emotional exhaustion (EE) is 26.26 ± 11.15, which shows that one third of the examinees are in high risk of EE.Conclusion: We can conclude that less than one third of examinees are in high risk of burnout syndrome
Examination between the measured and estimated parameters of the participants in the Hungarian Defence Forces Body Composition Program
Get PDFIntroduction: The aim of the research was to analyze the - Introduced in 2015 as a new force protection capability - Hungarian Defence Forces Body Composition Program (HDF BCP) participants’ pattern of the measurement parameters and their relationship to each other, furthermore, to create a measurement protocol that can be used with large number of elements, which allows the estimation of strength and fat-free mass in the following.Methods: The examination was carried out between 2017 and 2020. Within the HDF BCP, the measured and estimated parameters of 283 volunteers between the ages of 18 and 67 years old. A total of 709 measures were made. A Premium Body Impedance Analyzer 500 (BIA) instrument was used for the examinations. In addition, a DYNA 16 strength meter (DYNA) was used which makes it possible to measure the grip strength of both hands at the same time. Statistical calculations are performed with R-Studio program.Results: An increase in the phase angle is accompanied by an increase in the maximum hand grip strength (p < 0.001). The full body strength increases with weight gain regarding both sexes in all age groups tested (p < 0.001). Our linear regression model is suitable for estimating maximum hand grip strength using body weight, fat-free mass, age, and gender values (R2 = 0,74) and to estimate fat-free mass percentage based on body weight, maximum hand grip strength, and gender values (R2 = 0,78).Conclusion: The use of phase angle is an important indicator of a lifestyle change program. In the created linear regression model we will be able to estimate body fraction in significant numbers with high accuracy after measuring minimum parameters
Evaluating an online well-being program for college students during the COVID-19 pandemic
Get PDFIntroduction: The global COVID-19 pandemic has aggravated challenges involving college students’ mental health and well-being. Some literature suggested developing online programs to address the pandemic’s impact on college students’ mental health and well-being. Thus, this study assessed if significant improvement in well-being among college students can be observed after introducing an online well-being program.Methods: The study utilized a quantitative methodology, mainly using a two-group pretest-posttest design on 178 college students in a private college and state university. The experimental group received 3 months of the well-being program while the control resumed their activities of daily living (ADL). The modified positive emotion, engagement, relationship, meaning, and accomplishment (PERMA) profiler questionnaire was the primary evaluation instrument that measured the participants’ well-being. The first phase gathered the participants’ relevant profile and background, and the last phase concluded with the evaluation of the program. Data were analyzed using SPSS v.21.Results: Based on the post-evaluation PERMA scores, the experimental participants (M = 7.21, SD 1.70) did not differ much from the control (M = 7.07, SD = 1.55) according to a t-test t(176) = –1.07, p = 0.57 as computed using a two-sample independent t-test at a significance level of α = 0.05. The overall PERMA score description is normal functioning. The Pearson correlation of the experimental group’s pre-test and post-test scores (r(91) = 0.01, p = 0.904) and the control (r(83) = 0.04, p = 0.732) group did not indicate an evidence of a significant relationship.Conclusion: The results do not provide evidence of a significant difference and relationship between the experimental participants’ pre-test and post-test PERMA scores after the online well-being program
Attitudes of female respondents about the use of immunity supplements before and during the COVID-19 pandemic
Get PDFIntroduction: With the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, people’s dietary habits have changed, so the importance of additional supplementation has become a current topic. The aim of this study is to analyze the attitude of female respondents toward dietary supplementation before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.Methods: The research is a cross-sectional study conducted in two different time periods. The sample consisted of two female subsamples who purchased immunity preparations from Verdant Pharmacy before the pandemic (n = 81) and during the pandemic (n = 120). Female respondents in both subsamples were: Of the same age, in the same health condition, residing in the same area (municipality), users of a local pharmacy located near the health center. The research instrument was a non-standardized questionnaire “Assessment of attitudes towards nutritional supplementation,” which consisted of nine questions.Results: During the pandemic COVID-19, the attitude toward the use of preparations to strengthen immunity differs by 7% compared to the pre-pandemic check. The attitude toward the use of preparations to strengthen immunity throughout the year increased by 32.3% (53.3%) during the pandemic, and the attitude toward the choice of preparations to strengthen immunity changed by 13% during the pandemic COVID-19 based on own experience and by 17% based on the recommendation of the pharmacist.Conclusion: The pandemic COVID-19 has contributed to a change in female respondents’ attitudes toward nutritional supplementation to strengthen the immune system during a pandemic. With the help of the media, public health recommendations, and people’s fear of disease, the COVID-19 pandemic led to a change in respondents’ attitudes compared to the pre-pandemic period