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OBJECTIVE: To investigate the expressions of peripheral blood microRNA-21(miR-21) and transforming growth factor-beta(TNF-beta)/Smad signaling transduction pathway in patients with bronchial asthma complicated with respiratory virus infection. METHODS: Totally 109 patients with asthma complicated with respiratory virus infection(study group) and 104 patients without virus infection(control group) in the Third People's Hospital of Gansu Province between Feb.2019 and Feb.2021 were selected for the cross-sectional study. The basic data of the two groups were collected, and parameters including vital signs, lung function, peripheral blood miR-21 and TGF-beta/Smad signaling pathway proteins were measured. According to the guidelines, the patients of the two groups were divided into acute exacerbation phase and stable phase. The examination results of each group were compared and the levels of peripheral blood miR-21 and TGF-beta/Smad signaling pathway proteins expression of patients with asthma complicated with respiratory virus infection were analyzed. RESULTS: In study group, the proportion of respiratory virus infection among 109 patients was 33.94% for influenza virus, 23.85% for human rhinovirus, 19.27% for respiratory syncytial virus, 10.09% for parainfluenza virus, 6.42% for adenovirus, 4.59% for human coronavirus and 1.83% for human metapneumovirus respectively. The proportion of patients with acute exacerbation phase in the study group was higher than that in the control group, and the levels of peripheral blood miR-21, TGF-beta1, Smad7, pSmad2 and pSmad3 were higher than those in control group(P<0.05). The levels of miR-21, TGF-beta1, Smad2, Smad3, Smad7, pSmad2 and pSmad3 in peripheral blood of patients with acute exacerbation phase of asthma were higher than those of patients with stable phase of asthma(P<0.05). There were no statistical differences in peripheral blood miR-21, TGF-beta1, Smad2, Smad3, Smad7, pSmad2 and pSmad3 levels in asthma patients with different virus infections. CONCLUSION: Early respiratory virus infections might lead to increased expression of peripheral blood miR-21 and increased activation of TGF-beta/Smad signaling pathway in patients with asthma, which played an important role in acute attack of asthma.
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Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an epidemic that has greatly affected the daily life of people around the world. This epidemic, in addition to affecting lives, also affects other matters such as the economy or government administration that need to find ways to reduce the epidemic rate. That is to provide adequate quality vaccines for the people of the country. Finally, the government finds measures to stop the spread of COVID-19. Objectives: This study aimed to assess an acceptance to be vaccinated against COVID-19. Materials and Methods: Intention to be vaccinated against COVID-19 was measured with a question A"When a vaccine for COVID-19 is ready for you, will you get vaccinated?A" Response options were A"yes, A" A"not sureA" and A"no.A" Participants who responded A"not sureA" or A"noA" were asked to provide a reason. Results: A total of 400 responses were received. Overall, 38.5% (n = 154) of participants intended to get vaccinated, 29.5% (n = 117) were unsure, and 32.25% (n = 129) were not planning to get vaccinated. Factors that are independently related to vaccine hesitancy (A"not sureA" or A"yesA" response) include being male, risk perception of getting COVID-19, confidence in the government in handling the pandemic. Conclusion: A total of 400 participants, in the study, 38.5% (n = 154) of participants intended to get vaccinated, 29.5% (n = 117) were unsure, and 32.25% (n = 129) were not planning to get vaccinated. Male participants had a higher chance to refuse to vaccinate more than female 2.69 times. Predictive factors for COVID-19 vaccination were risk perception of contracting COVID-19 and lack of confidence in the government handling the pandemic of COVID-19.
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COVID-19 is a widespread contagious viral infection that can severely affect the respiratory system. Although many people recover from using the disease without special care or treatment, pregnant women are particularly vulnerable to pulmonary infections due to their hangers systems system and physiology. To investigate the treatment provided to pregnant women who are PCR-positive for COVID-19 in their early three months of pregnancy, a reanalyzed analyzed data from 84 participants who received treatment at Tangerang Regional Hospital in 2 study was the study conducted based on an ases of observational investigation with a cross-sectional approach. It assembled the data for analysis of the chi-square test. The results showed that 92.9% of participants underwent a cesarean section, while the remaining 7.1% were discharged after giving birth typically or recovering. Additionally, the study did not find any correlation between factors such as age, education, work, gravida, ANC visit, and the impact of COVID-19 on the third trimester of pregnancy at Tangerang Hospital in 2022. The study recommends that pregnant women seek information about pregnancy care from healthcare providers, particularly midwives, posyandu officers, and the media, to make well-known decisions about their health and well-being during this critical period, ensuring a safe and healthy pregnancy outcome.
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The Covid-19 pandemic forced the world population to incorporate prevention activities into their daily lives to preserve people's physical health. In Colombia, the national government, through resolutions and decrees, regulated quarantine and preventive isolation in order not to saturate health services and intensive care units, which were not prepared to respond to the disease. In this sense, this article analyzed the habits of physical activity, well-being, and quality of life in preventive isolation - Covid-19 in Bogota, Colombia. A cross-sectional descriptive quantitative study was conducted on a sample of 1,775 people with an average age of 43.5+or-25.5 years, of which 50.9% (n=903) corresponded to women and 49.1% (n=872) to men. It was found that due to the confinement the consumption of coffee and alcoholic beverages increased, as well as a decrease in physical activity. In addition, manifestations of anxiety, depression and feelings of loneliness were identified, which directly affected people's well-being and quality of life. It is expected that this type of research will contribute to the understanding of the impact of the contingency measures taken by the different nations to curb Covid-19 infections on people's health.
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Introduction : Understanding the epidemiological and clinical profile of COVID-19 cases and pattern of disease is very much required for future preparedness. Objective : To assess the epidemiological and clinical profile of cases of COVID 19 Method : Cross sectional descriptive study was carried out at a Rural Health Training Centre (RHTC). All cases reported in the month of January 2022were included in the study. The information about the epidemiological and clinical profile was collected from RHTC records by conducting telephonic interview. Results : Total 83 cases were reported. Among them, 43 (54.4%) cases were in age group 20-39 years. Male: Female ratiowas 1.37:1. Therewas one death and patient had ovarian cancer as co-morbidity. Total 71 patients could be contacted for telephonic interview. Fever was most common symptom andwas presenting symptom on first day followed by cough/cold and sore throat. None had shortness of breath or chest pain. Hospitalization rate was 5.63% and none required oxygen supplementation or intensive care. Recovery period was 3-5 days. Out of total, 90% cases were fully vaccinated and 95.8% had knowledge of CAB. Diabetes and hypertension were most common comorbidities andwere statistically significantlymore in age > 40 years. Conclusions : The COVID-19 cases in the beginning of year 2022 had clinical presentation different than the earlier waves. Periodic situational analysis can guide in policymaking for handling this pandemic in future.
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Objective: The present study aimed to assess the attitude and perception of Kabul city's residents toward COVID-19 vaccines hesitancy and acceptance. Methods: Applying a cross-sectional study design, the data was collected from 665 participants in Kabul city using a predesigned validated questionnaire. For statistical analysis, Spearman correlation, chi-square, and logistic regression techniques were used. Results: Although the vaccine availability was limited for the public during the survey period, 70.5% of the participants were willing to receive COVID-19 vaccines. Meanwhile, 49.2% participants were concerned about the COVID-19 vaccines side effects. The presence of positive COVID-19 cases among family members and friends (OR: 2.7), presence of fears during COVID-19 pandemic (OR: 4.4) and beliefs that vaccine has important and vital role in people's protection against COVID-19 (OR: 5.3), increase the likelihood of vaccine acceptance among the participants. On the other hand, participant's mistrust of the safety of COVID-19 vaccines (OR: 0.21) and disbelief on ministry of public health "MoPH" advice about COVID-19 vaccine safety and efficiency (OR: 0.27) decrease the odds of COVID-19 vaccine acceptance among the respondents. In addition, a strong correlation was found between vaccine attitude and vaccine acceptance scales (Spearman p=0.52, p<0.001). Conclusion: Although majority of the participants were willing to receive the COVID-19 vaccines, due to high level of participant's concerns about COVID-19 vaccines-related side effects, a great proportion of the respondents were hesitate to receive the COVID-19 vaccines. Accordingly, public awareness about COVID-19 vaccines must be increased to counteract incorrect and misleading propaganda about vaccination and immunization.
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Introduction: taught The most important lesson COVID-19 pandemic is basic hygiene practices. It is important to understand hygiene practices among patients during first wave, when meager knowledge about the management of COVID-19 was available. To assess the adopted behavioral practices Objective: and predictors for COVID-19 infection among screened individuals during the 1st wave. A cross- Method: sectional study included COVID-19 screened individuals attending COVID -19 screening OPD at Mumbai. Total 950 participants were interviewed telephonically using convenient sampling method. Logistic regression nanalysis was performed. A total 950 respondents participated, with median age of36 Results: years (range:18yrs to 83 years). Respondents, RTPCR positive or quarantined were 36%. Analysis concludes that practices of having seen or read about hand hygiene, face hygiene, maintaining social distancing, cough etiquettes and enforcement of strict lockdown were significantly associated with lower risk of COVID-19 infection (p value <0.05). Hygiene Practices were followed correctly by more than 50% of this Conclusion: cohort however few individuals were able to answer knowledge related questions correctly. Simple hygiene practices like face hygiene, cough etiquettes, social distancing, strict following of lockdown and having seen or read information on hand washing were predictors of COVID-19 infection. The study highlights the need for quick and rigorous attempts to educate people during a state of a health emergency.
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Background and purpose: Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) occurs after having COVID-19. The severity and outcomes of COVID-19 with gastrointestinal symptoms are higher. The aim of this study was to investigate gastrointestinal manifestations in MIS-C patients in selected referral hospitals in Iran to obtain comprehensive information about the treatment and prevention of MIS-C. Materials and methods: In this cross-sectional study, all MIS-C patients <21 years in Dec 2019 to Oct 2021 were included. The patients were identified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) checklist and data were analyzed applying t-test and Chi-square in STATA11. Results: There were 225 patients with a median age of 55 months (26-96 months), including 59.56% boys and all had fever on admission. At least one gastrointestinal symptom was seen in 200 patients and the most common symptoms were vomiting (60.9%) and abdominal pain (45.77%). Almost 60% of the patients had positive RT-PCR results. Among the patients with and without gastrointestinal symptoms 85.5% and 48% were admitted to intensive care unit (ICU), respectively. There were significant differences between the two groups in respiratory symptoms, ALT, AST, NT-pro BNP, ESR, and PLT (P < 0.05). All patients without gastrointestinal symptoms were discharged but nine patients in the group with gastrointestinal symptoms deceased. Conclusion: According to the current study, gastrointestinal symptoms are common in MIS-C patients and are associated with higher rates of death and intensive care unit admission. Therefore, in providing services to COVID-19 patients, all typical and atypical signs and symptoms should be considered to prevent unnecessary interventions.
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Background and Objective: Life expectancy and the consequences of its impairment may affect quality of life and suicide. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of COVID-19 on life expectancy in residents of Gonabad city. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 300 Gonabad residents (general population) from February 2021 to April 2022 using stratified-random sampling method. Data collection was performed through phone interview. Demographic questionnaire and Schneider's life expectancy scale were used. Data analysis was performed using the SPSS software version 23. Findings: Of the 300 participants (53% female and 47% male), 153 were COVID-19 recovered and 147 did not have the history of COVID-19. The average life expectancy score in COVID-19 recovered participants was significantly lower compared to those without the history of COVID-19 (29.17 +or- 5.96 and 31.94+or-4.34, respectively, p=0.001). Also, there was a significant and positive relationship between mean scores of life expectancy and age, gender, education, economic status, the presence of high-risk individuals at home, history of underlying diseases, and smoking (p<0.05). Conclusion: The results of this study stated that life expectancy score in COVID-19 recovered participants was a lower than that of participants without COVID-19 history. Therefore, the role of other variables, including age, gender, and disease history on life expectancy was more prominent on life expectancy in COVID-19 recovered participants.
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Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the development of adjustment disorder according to the ADNM-20 (Adjustment Disorder New Module-20) scale in participants who were followed up for Covid-19 infection. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted from September to November 2020. After sample size calculation, we aimed to reach minimum 170 people out of 1290 people who applied to the hospital for Covid-19 disease treatment. Participants were selected from the patients admitted to the hospital using a simple stratified random sampling method. We reached 182 people after treating the patients who were followed up with Covid-19 infection in a University Hospital in Istanbul, Turkey. A questionnaire and the Adjustment Disorder New Module-20 scale were applied via phone / mail at the end of the 6th month after Covid-19 related hospital admission by researchers. Results: Adjustment disorder was found in 28.8% (n=42) of the participants disorder according to the ADNM-20 scale. While the rate of development of adjustment disorder due to Covid-19-related stress was 26.7% (n=39);the rate of development of adjustment disorder due to non-Covid-19 stress was found to be 2.1% (n=3). With the increase in stress load, the development of adjustment disorder increased significantly. The frequency of developing Covid-19-related stress-related adjustment disorder was statistically significantly increased with the duration of exposure to stress. Conclusion: We have found out that one out of every four people who apply to the hospital for healthcare services due to Covid-19 infection may develop an adjustment disorder. Assessment of the adjustment disorder more frequently and making early interventions may contribute to the prevention of progressive mental disorders.
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Background: D-dimer and LDH are crucial biomarkers, particularly in view of the fact that they have been strongly linked to COVID-19 infection and have been linked to worse consequences in people who have severe viral infections. Objectives: To determine how D-dimer and LDH correlated with clinical effects in COVID-19 patients who were hospitalised and how they forecasted the severity of COVID-19 patients. Material and Methods: This was cross-sectional research conducted relatively early in the second wave of the pandemic. A total of 110 patients diagnosed with COVID-19 and admitted to the ICU from January 2021 to June 2021, were included in the study. The clinical outcome was evaluated in terms of discharge and death among patients requiring various forms of assisted ventilation. Results: The average age of patients was 53.16 years (+or- 18.47 years). 35.5% of the patients were with comorbidities of which diabetes, hypertension, and COPD were around 80%. D-dimer was deranged in 2.7% of the subjects and LDH was deranged in 60% of the study subjects at the time of admission. Coming on to the outcome, all patients were put on assisted ventilation with 71.8% on NIV, 20% on HFNO, 1% on CPAP, and 7.2% on MV. During their hospital stays, 6 (5.45%) patients died and the remaining patients were discharged. A higher D-dimer value (> 1.5 g/ml) during the hospital stay was found to be statistically significant with assisted ventilation and deaths of the admitted study subjects. Conclusion: In our investigation, the biomarker D-dimer value was more associated than LDH with mortality in patients with COVID-19 infection.
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Background: Patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), related to their disease consequences and treatment modalities, are physically and mentally vulnerable during the outbreak. Objectives: To investigate the association between pandemic-related changes and positive airway pressure (PAP) adherence and sleep quality in OSA patients. Methods: This was a multi-center cross-sectional study, and the necessary data were collected prospectively. A total of 221 patients were included in the study, who were invited from four different centers from June 1 - December 1, 2020. Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) was administered to evaluate sleep quality. Information on demographics positive airway pressure (PAP) device use, Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) a questionnaire collected related changes. Patients >18 years with a diagnosis of OSA and prescribed PAP treatment before the pandemic period were included in the study. Lack of cooperation with the questionnaires and incompliant with PAP treatment for longer than one year were the exclusion criteria. Results: Of the 221 participants, 79.2% were men. The mean apnea-hypopnea index was obtained at 40.8+or-24.3. A positive COVID-19 test was reported in nine cases, and three patients had hospitalization. During the pandemic, 102 (46.2%) subjects were retired, 26 (11.8%) lost their jobs, and 34 (15.3%) reported home office work or on-call or on leave. Poor sleep quality was found in 54 (24.4%) individuals. It was also reported that poor sleep quality was more common in those who reported mask use difficulty (38.7% vs. 18.9%;P=0.004) and increased or decreased PAP use (increased, decreased, no change in PAP use: 45.5%, 36.0%, 19.4%, respectively;P=0.01). The good sleep quality group had higher PAP use than the poor sleep quality group (6.2+or-1.5 vs. 5.3+or-2.4 night/week;P=0.002;6.2+or-1.5 vs. 5.5+or-2.2 hour/night;P=0.01). Conclusions: Pandemic period had several negative effects on sleep apnea patients regarding sleep quality and social lives which also influenced PAP adherence in OSA patients. Most patients did not change their regular PAP use attitudes during this period. Similar to the pre-COVID-19 disease period, PAP adherence and compliance positively influenced sleep quality;people who were "good sleepers" were the ones who were the "good PAP device users".
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Background:The COVID-19 pandemic has considerably impacted individuals' lives, extensively from mental and socioeconomic aspects, that requires someone to adapt. For postpartum mothers who also need to go through the maternal psychological adaptation phase, the pandemic could impose overwhelming emotional tension on them, increasing the risk of experiencing postpartum blues. This study aims to analyze the relationship between social factors that are affected during a pandemic with the incidence of postpartum blues on screening test results during the transition period of the COVID-19 pandemic in Banyumanik, Semarang. Subjects and Method: This was a cross-sectional study conducted in Banyumanik, Semarang, from November to December 2022.39 subjects were selected using a consecutive sampling technique. The dependent variable is postpartum blues. The independent variables include marital status, employment status of the mother, employment status of the spouse, and family income level. The study instrument was EPDS questionnaire. The data were analyzed used Chi-square. Results: Out of 39 subjects, 13 (33.3%) were experiencing postpartum blues, and 26 (66.7%) were not experiencing it. Mother's employment status associated with postpartum blues. Mothers who unemployed have a risk of experiencing postpartum blues 1.65 times compared to employed, but these were not statistically significant (OR= 1.65;95% CI= 0.40 to 6.77;p= 0.727). Family income level associated with postpartum blues. Mothers with low to moderate family income reduced postpartum blues by 0.73 times compared to mothers with high income levels, but these were not statistically significant (OR= 0.73;95%CI= 0.19 to 2.80;p= 0.908). Meanwhile, marital status and spouse employment status were not related to the incidence of postpartum blues. Conclusion: Mother's employment status and family income status associated with postpartum blues. Meanwhile, marital status and spouse employment status were not related to the incidence of postpartum blues.
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The following are the highlights of our study: * Vaccine hesitancy in Southern states is complex and extends beyond health literacy. * Vaccine hesitancy in Southern states transcends many sociodemographic differences. * Effective public health communication should be unambiguous about negative externalities of COVID-19 beyond individual threats. _____ The COVID-19 pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 remains a public health crisis, accounting for more than 100 million confirmed cases with more than 1,121,800 deaths in the United States as of April 26, 2023.1 Despite widespread vaccination efforts by the US government and public health leadership, the rate of vaccine uptake is still far from desirable, as researchers estimate that about 70% to 85% of the country will need to be immunized before SARS-CoV-2 can be fully contained through herd immunity.2 As of April 19, 2023, about 81% of the US population had received at least 1 dose, whereas 69.4% had completed a full primary vaccine series and only 16.7% had received an updated bivalent booster, with variations in the rate of vaccination across states and regions.3 The Southern states (Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia) have relatively lower rates of full vaccination (primary series) compared with other states (mean of 61.3%, ranging from 53.2% in Alabama to 79.9% in Maryland);6 Southern states rank among the 10 states with the lowest fully vaccinated rates in the nation.3 The predominant barrier to uptake has been vaccine hesitancy,4-9 defined as the intention to delay or refuse taking vaccinations despite availability and accessibility.10,11 It may be influenced by complex contextual factors, ranging from individual and group factors to vaccine-specific characteristics.10 In particular, individual factors may be related to health literacy (HL),12 which is the degree to which individuals have the ability to find, understand, and use information and services to inform health-related decisions and actions for themselves and others.13 HL is a phenomenon that involves individuals, families, communities, and systems, and it could be implicated in the level of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy.5 Although HL is a major determinant of individuals' health behaviors,14 a systematic review study reported that HL's relationship with vaccination uptake prior to the COVID-19 pandemic was unclear because of variations in assessment tools, target populations, and outcome measures across available limited studies.15 Evidence suggests a relationship between HL and COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy.12,16,17 In the United States, a study among women recently released from jails found that low HL is related to COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy.16 Similarly, a study in Turkey found that low HL and a high perception of health care system distrust are associated with higher vaccine hesitancy.17 A study in China found that higher HL is associated with low likelihood of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy, and the effect was moderated by stress.12 Overall, to the best of our knowledge, no study has examined the association between HL and COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in populations with low vaccine uptake within the United States, including those residing in the Southern states, which served as the impetus for this study.18,19 This study aimed to estimate the level of HL among a population residing in Southern states and its association with vaccine hesitancy. Nearly 20% of the United States population had still not received a single dose of COVID-19 vaccine as of April 26, 2023, despite increases in both vaccine availability and individual eligibility over the previous 2 years.20 The observed trends in overall and region-specific COVID-19 cases and rates of vaccination in the United States demonstrate the need to examine the impact of HL on vaccine hesitancy in the Southern states, especially with the release of simplified eligibility guidelines and expanded booster recommendations.21 METHODS Participants This study included adults 18 years and older. Upon receiving institutional review board (IRB) approval from East Tennessee State University (IRB No. c0221.22e), a cross-sectional study was initiated. Race/ethnicity was collected as: (1) Asian or Pacific Islander, (2) Black or African American, (3) Hispanic/Latino, (4) Native American or Alaskan Native, (5) non-Hispanic White, (6) biracial or multicultural, and (7) race/ethnicity not listed here. Because of small sample sizes for non-White racial/ethnic groups in the study population, race/ethnicity was recoded as non-Hispanic White and other.
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Background: The coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) has rapidly emerged as a global pandemic that causes millions of deaths worldwide. It is transmitted from person to person by respiratory droplets and could cause fatigue, shortness of breath, and fever. Background: The objective of the study was to assess COVID-19 related knowledge, attitude, and preventive behavior among high school students in Bangkok, Thailand. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted using a cross sectional online survey among HarrowA's students Y 12A-13. A total of 148 students participated. COVID-19-related knowledge, attitudes toward COVID-19, and preventive behaviors were assessed. Differences between outcomes and socio-demographic were analyzed through independent t-test and the Analysis of variance. Preventive behaviors were analyzed by a generalized linear model. Results: The undergraduate students showed a low knowledge about COVID-19, a mean of 6.38 (standard deviation [SD] = 1.69) questions in a total of 11. However, the result showed a standard level of attitude toward preventive behaviors on COVID-19 with an average score of 47.51 from a score range of 14A-70 (SD = 4.45). Finally, preventive behaviors of participants were at a moderate level with an average score of 36.84 from a range from 12 to 60 (SD = 3.93). The data showed a statistically significant positive correlation between attitude toward preventive behavior on COVID-19 and COVID-19 preventive behavior (r = 0.351**, P = 0.01). From a generalized linear model, attitude toward preventive behavior on COVID-19 (Exp (B) = 0.394, Confidence interval [CI]: 0.212A-.485, P < 0.05) and Gender (Exp (B) = 0.203, 95%, CI: 0.376A-2.807, P < 0.05) can be a predictive factor for the preventive behavior of Harrow International school students. Conclusions: The results assessed that Harrow international students had a lower level of COVID-19 general knowledge, but moderate level of attitude and preventive behavior. Moreover, it indicates that there is a causal relationship between attitude toward COVID-19 and preventive behaviors. Thus, attitudes toward COVID-19 are a major predictive factor of having preventive behaviors. Therefore, school and parents should always build awareness and provide safety to the students and remind students with rules that should be followed to secure them from risking of COVID-19.
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OBJECTIVE: Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) show a high prevalence of sleep problems. Adding to these problems, another factor appeared two years ago: the COVID-19 pandemic. The objectives of this study were to describe the sleep quality and habits in a sample of EMTs in Spain during COVID-19 pandemic considering the factors related to them. METHODS: A national cross-sectional study was carried out in Spain between October 2020 and February 2021. EMTs who worked in basic and advanced life support ambulances were invited to participate in an online survey. Several sociodemographic variables were analyzed, as well as sleep quality, stress symptoms, pain, food consumption and physical activity. Logistic regression models were used to examine the associations between these variables and sleep quality. RESULTS: 340 EMTs participated in the study. Of them, 59.4% had poor sleep quality and the habits of 32.2% got worse during the pandemic. The EMTs with a poor sleep quality presented in higher proportion stress symptoms (OR: 4.19;95% CI: 2.16-8.11;p<0.001), pain (OR: 3.19;95% CI: 1.7-6.01;p<0.001) and a weekly consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages greater than two glasses (OR: 3.6;95% CI: 1.86-6.98;p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: EMTs show a high prevalence of poor sleep quality, which got worse during the pandemic. The factors related to them are stress, pain and consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages. This study provides important information so that the emergency services can develop health promotion programs focused on these professionals.
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Background and purpose: Considering the global spread of COVID-19, it seems that correct information obtained from reliable sources and training based on the need for self-care behaviors are useful solutions to reduce the harm caused by the disease. This study aimed at assessing the educational needs of people in Mazandaran province about COVID-19. Materials and methods: In a cross-sectional study, 1220 people were recruited via convenience sampling in 2020. A researcher-made questionnaire was administered and information such as demographic characteristics, disease condition, and educational needs for COVID-19 were recorded. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and parametric tests, correlation, analysis of variance, and t-test. Results: The mean age of the participants was 39.34 +or- 8.74. Educational level included diploma (42.5%) and university education (38.9%). About 73.3% of the participants were women. According to findings the main sources of information about COVID-19 were social networks (68.4%), satellite programs (20.9%), Ministry of Health notices (8.1%), national media (1.6%), other sources (0.6%), and family members (0.4%). Online methods were the most desirable educational methods (94.6%) reported by the people living in Mazandaran province. The overall mean score for educational needs was 3.89+or-0.96. The educational need for the disease (3.76+or-0.84) and self-care needs (4.03+or-1.07) indicated high needs for educational trainings and significant differences between these areas (P=001). Conclusion: In this study, social networks and media were the primary sources of information about COVID-19. Designing and implementing self-management and self-care training programs could improve the health of people in Mazandaran province and prevent the spread of COVID-19.
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Background: Serological studies can demonstrate pathogen circulation in regional populations and reflect public health mea-sures' effectiveness during different pandemic phases. By late November 2021, coinciding with the third pandemic wave, the sero-prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 spike IgG antibodies among the Iranian population was 32.63%. Objective(s): This study aimed to assess the Iranian population's seroprevalence during the fifth pandemic wave by analyzing donated blood samples. Method(s): This population-based cross-sectional study was conducted on Iranian blood donors referred to all 31 main provincial capitals between August 2021 and September 2021. The participants selected through quota sampling were asked to complete a questionnaire on socio-demographics and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-related information. Also, SARS-CoV-2 spike IgG antibodies were measured in serum samples using SARS-CoV-2 enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits. The seroprevalence was weighted based on the gender and age groups of the population and then adjusted for test performance. Result(s): Totally 3,339 blood donors participated in this study. The overall population-weighted seroprevalence adjusted for test performance was 52.67% (95% confidence interval (CI): 50.14-55.21). Seroprevalence was higher among participants with a high school diploma (55.45%, 95% CI 50.61-60.29), a positive history of close contact with COVID-19 patients (65.23%, 95% CI 60.83-69.63), and previous positive COVID-19 PCR tests (86.51%, 95% CI 82.32-90.7). Conclusion(s): More than half of the study population was exposed to SARS-CoV-2, indicating a 1.7-fold increase in the seroprevalence between late November 2020 and mid-September 2021. Our finding illuminated the pattern of Iran's fifth wave of the pandemic.Copyright © 2023, Author(s).
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Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the mental health of older people. One concern is the exposure to a lot of pandemic-related information without any evidence-based background through the media and social networks. This study aimed to examine the effect of exposure to such information on the mental health of older people. Methods: The study is a cross-sectional correlational study. Sampling was focused on selecting older people through a systematic sample according to a random starting point and with a fixed, periodic interval, between late 2020 and early 2021, with a total of 200 participants age above 60 considered as older people. Results: We found that a significant percentage of older people had a high level of clinical symptoms/distress, according to the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) scales. These results show that being exposed COVID-19 information from the media during the pandemic is a risk predictor for mental health/distress, GHQ-28 scores, (OR ExpB = 2.11, p =0.001). Similar results were found for Media Info (OR ExpB = 1.37, p =0.008). For each point increase in media information, the risk for general mental health problems increases 1.37 times. Conclusion: Through the results it was clear that older people are at risk of mental health problems, and being exposed to the infodemic increased this risk significantly, as well as being exposed to media where elevated risk of death from SARS-CoV-2 for older people was reported.
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Purpose: The nutritional and anthropometric status can be essential in determining their immune response to vaccines. The purpose of this paper was to investigate the association between diet quality and anthropometric indices with the side effects of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine and the SARS-CoV-2 immunoglobulin G titer among Kurdish adults. Design/methodology/approach: This cross-sectional survey-based study was conducted between December 2021 and February 2022. This paper included data on 115 adults, 20-89 years old, from the Kurdistan region. Dietary information was collected using a short food frequency questionnaire, and diet quality was assessed using a plant-based healthy diet score. A blood test was performed to measure the SARS-CoV-2 immunoglobin G (IgG) titer after the vaccination's first and second doses. Findings: Overweight and obese subjects reported more local pain, myalgia, headache, local bruising and local reactions after receiving the first dose of the vaccine (p = 0.04). People on a less healthy diet reported more local pain, myalgia and headache (p = 0.04) and more local bruising and reactions (p = 0.01) after receiving the second dose of the vaccine. On the other hand, the authors observed that those with healthy dietary habits had more IgG titer after the first and second doses of vaccination than those with less healthy dietary habits (p = 0.001). Originality/valueThe results showed that participants with a healthy diet and normal weight status had fewer side effects of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine than obese people and those with a less healthy diet.