ABSTRACT
Background: COVID-19-Pandemic Lockdowns initiated online teaching-learning in India. We aimed to assess mental health (MH) of adolescents studying online for academic milestone of matriculation during these circumstances. Material(s) and Method(s): It was a cross sectional study carried out in Western Maharashtra, during 2021. MH of study subjects was assessed by presence and severity of symptoms of depression, anxiety, stress (DAS) and emotional intelligence (EI). They were measured by DAS Scale-42 (DASS-42) and Schutte's self-report EI test (SET) respectively with collection of socio-demographic information maintaining confidentiality. Data were analysed by SPSS-20 software. MH parameters were compared with pre-pandemic pilot and other studies to study effect of online education and overall COVID-19 Pandemic scenario on MH of study subjects. Result(s): Total 1162 adolescents participated, out of which 59 were omitted from the analysis due to incomplete data. Out of remaining 1103 participants, 43% boys & 57 % girls with the mean age of 14.69 (+0.78) years. Majority of them belonged to middle socio-economic-status. Mean DAS and EI scores denoted mild anxiety with no evidence of depression and stress. Mean EI score was in normal range. Mean DAS scores were significantly lower and mean EI score was significantly higher than reported in -pandemic pilot and other studies. Conclusion(s): MH derangement of matriculating adolescents during COVID-19- Pandemic with online education seemed to be less severe than that was in pre-pandemic times with in-class education. Recommendations: MH support at schools needs to be strengthened. During the post-COVID-19 period, online school education may be continued in LMIC like India on the basis of willingness of students and parents but with caution and understanding of socio-cultural background and support.Copyright © 2022 Pravara Institute of Medical Sciences. All rights reserved.
ABSTRACT
Objective: The recently emerged coronavirus disease (COVID-19), which is caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome virus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), was declared as a pandemic by the WHO in March 2020. The knowledge and awareness of the general populations about the modes of the disease transmission deemed extremely important in preventing the spread of COVID-19. This study aims to determine the knowledge and awareness of the Saudi population in Asir region towards the COVID-19. Design and Setting: A cross-sectional, community-based study was conducted by recruiting 715 participants. A self-administered structured questionnaire was distributed to the participants that comprised several sections including the demographics, sources of medical information, acquaintance of mode of the virus transmission, diagnostics and preventive measures of the infection. Method(s): Data analysis was executed through SPSS program version 26. Result(s): Significant differences in the knowledge and attitude of Saudi population towards COVID-19 based on the differences in marital status (p=0.036), place of residence (p= 0.012), use of electronic devices (p =0.043), and sources of information (p <0.001) were observed. Non-significant variations in the average scores over the genders (p=0.616), age groups (p=0.252), educational level of parents (p=0.685), educational level of children (p=0.822), number of children (p=0.5), employment status (p=0.079), monthly income (p=0.339) and internet access (p =0.227) were noted. Conclusion(s): Although, the general knowledge and awareness about the different elements pertaining to COVID-19 among the population in the study area are satisfactory to assist in the control of the infection, more directive measures are to be implemented to improve that awareness.Copyright © 2023, Bahrain Medical Bulletin. All rights reserved.
ABSTRACT
This study reveals essential aspects of communication done by medical practitioners through telemedicine during the Covid-19 pandemic and their relation to increasing the quality of telemedicine services in Indonesia post-pandemic. The study used a qualitative approach with 22 doctors participating in the Bandung City area, Indonesia. Data collection uses semi-structured interviews, which are then analyzed thematically to reveal essential aspects of communication through telemedicine. The results of the analysis consist of several things, namely: (1) personal aspects;including knowledge, psychological conditions, and socio-cultural background (2) process aspects;including interactivity, time context, spatial context, and sensory context;and also (3) technical aspects covering information systems, quality of communication media, availability of health technology, and work coordination systems. Each aspect relates to instrumental and socioemotional information that plays a role in medical decision-making. The results also suggest that to support the usage of telemedicine services, the literacy of its users needs to enhance. Sensitivity to psychological and socio-cultural variations is also required to communicate effectively through telemedicine. Strengthening the technical aspect of telemedicine services, such as integrating information systems, increasing communication media quality, and providing access to health technology instruments, is also essential to improve the completeness and clarity of information, doctor-patient relationships, and confidence that meet the expectations of all of the users in telemedicine services. Copyright © 2022, Anka Publishers. All rights reserved.
ABSTRACT
The pandemic has highlighted and accentuated some potential risks and critical issues already present in several educational contexts: the widening of educational poverty, the increase in the digital and cultural divide and the expansion of learning loss and of the implicit and explicit early school leaving. In this regard, the case study developed in a period just prior to the pandemic, on the one hand, has highlighted some critical issues of the teaching-learning relationship, while, on the other hand, it has deepened the strengths concerning the teaching-learning relationship in order to improve learning to learn and learning to teach for students and teachers in contemporary complexity. The results show that facing the current complexity means understanding the cultural aspects that guide today's ways of learning and teaching based on technologies. The relevance of these aspects concerning meanings and practices of teaching and learning is understandable, taking into account the rapid and profound changes in the current world in which we live. In summary, the results of this educational research on the analysed teaching and learning practices can be useful both to treasure today's lessons learned and to copy the unexpected changes that each crisis proposes like the current one.
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Despite increased emphasis on the role of inclusive practices and materials in post-COVID-19 classrooms and warnings about implicit biases against disadvantaged groups, the textbook problem has rarely been approached with equity measures in mind. This multimethod study aimed to investigate to what extent L2 reading materials, locally produced and used for refugee education in Turkey and New Zealand, include all children with different proficiency levels, gender identities and cultural backgrounds using corpus-driven methods. All verbal and nonverbal texts from ten thematically similar third-grade storybooks were subjected to qualitative and quantitative analysis. Comparisons against measures of grammatical and lexical complexity, and of gender and cultural equity revealed that despite both being far from achieving the ideal composition for creating inclusive learning-friendly environments, TSL materials were lagging further behind ESL counterparts. They depended on almost uniform sets of easy-to-read narratives embodying simpler grammatical features and high-frequency words, and thus needed extension with relatively elaborate ones to accommodate mixed-abilities. Gender disparities were institutionalised through male overrepresentation in hero-making, negative stereotyping, familial and occupational identification, and engagement in monetary and mobility activities, but occasionally ameliorated, in the ESL case, by reversing conventionally-gendered domestic, technical and intellectual skills in texts and illustrations. The widest gap was observed in cultural representations because TSL materials, written from a tourist's perspective, focused on imposing superficial knowledge of target-culture elements, and ESL materials on ensuring relevance through greater use of elements from diverse cultures. Therefore, egalitarian representations in gendered and cultural contents are required for their rehabilitation.
ABSTRACT
This study reveals essential aspects of communication done by medical practitioners through telemedicine during the Covid-19 pandemic and their relation to increasing the quality of telemedicine services in Indonesia post-pandemic. The study used a qualitative approach with 22 doctors participating in the Bandung City area, Indonesia. Data collection uses semi-structured interviews, which are then analyzed thematically to reveal essential aspects of communication through telemedicine. The results of the analysis consist of several things, namely: (1) personal aspects;including knowledge, psychological conditions, and socio-cultural background (2) process aspects;including interactivity, time context, spatial context, and sensory context;and also (3) technical aspects covering information systems, quality of communication media, availability of health technology, and work coordination systems. Each aspect relates to instrumental and socioemotional information that plays a role in medical decision-making. The results also suggest that to support the usage of telemedicine services, the literacy of its users needs to enhance. Sensitivity to psychological and socio-cultural variations is also required to communicate effectively through telemedicine. Strengthening the technical aspect of telemedicine services, such as integrating information systems, increasing communication media quality, and providing access to health technology instruments, is also essential to improve the completeness and clarity of information,,doctor-patient relationships, and confidence that meet the expectations of all of the users in telemedicine services. Copyright © 2022, Anka Publishers. All rights reserved.
ABSTRACT
Purpose: Little is known about patient-reported factors affecting patients' access to the kidney transplant waitlist after starting evaluation. We qualitatively assessed patients' perceived barriers to completing kidney transplant evaluation. Method(s): We conducted semi-structured telephone interviews with patients undergoing kidney transplant evaluation at 1 transplant program. Transcripts were analyzed by thematic analysis. Result(s): 26 patients participated (26% participation rate), identifying as Black (46%), White (39%), or Hispanic (15%), who underwent evaluation for a mean (SD) of 12 (23) months [range: 1-120]. Critical barriers to completing transplant evaluation reported based on experiences at prior transplant programs and/or the current program were poor communication with the transplant team, negative interactions with the transplant team, and difficulties scheduling transplant tests. Due to inconsistent and unclear communication with the transplant team, patients reported they had "[no] clue about what's going on." The lack of follow-up from the team contributed to patients feeling a loss of control over their health. Patients did not know their waitlist status or what medical exams they needed to complete and reported repeated attempts to contact the team for information. Patients perceived the transplant team as "cold" and "uncaring" and reported feeling as if "nobody gives a damn about [them]." Seven (27%) patients reported that structural racism affected their transplant evaluation process. Transplant team interactions made Black patients feel less than human. One patient perceived that the team thought their transplant did not matter because "Black people don't usually do what they are supposed to do" compared to White patients. Black patients perceived the transplant evaluation process as "tough" for Black individuals, emphasizing the importance of having a transplant team who have "some cultural background in dealing with" minoritized patients. Black patients reported feeling as if the transplant team feared them and reported experiencing unfair treatment due to their race, prompting them to seek treatment elsewhere. Overall, patients reported difficulties scheduling and completing medical exams due to conflicts with their work and dialysis schedules. Patients experienced challenges with identifying hospitals that provided required clinical exams during the Covid-19 pandemic. Conclusion(s): Preliminary findings suggest that communication and structural barriers impede progression through the transplant evaluation process. Interventions are needed to redress these barriers. Further analysis will assess whether racial/ ethnic minorities experience barriers differently as a source of disparities in access to the transplant waitlist.
ABSTRACT
The COVID-19 pandemic has spread throughout the globe affecting countries worldwide. However, several differences have been observed in the number of daily new cases, the COVID-19 reproduction rate, and the severity of the disease in different countries. Previous studies have mostly highlighted government restriction policies to mitigate the pandemic effects as reasons for such differences. This study focuses on 101 countries and proposes that each country's cultural background is also accountable for such differences. We considered the six Hofstede's cultural dimensions (power distance, individualism, masculinity, uncertainty avoidance, long term orientation, and indulgence) and statistically analyzed their correlation with several COVID-19 impact metrics in comparison to several restriction policies. Our results support our claim that national culture influences both acceptance and subsequent adoption of restriction policies and the implementation by each government of those policies. We highlight that the attitudes towards and trust in political institutions, policies and governance is influenced by the cultural background, which is reflected in the pandemic numbers. As a main takeaway from this study, we conclude that data-driven models which aim at predicting the pandemic impact evolution at a global scale should also include variables that reflect the cultural background of each nation.
ABSTRACT
Background: Case investigation and surveillance is a key step in managing any epidemic. This report aimed to identify the main challenges faced by COVID-19 case investigators in Qatar and to suggest possible solutions to improve the case investigation process in managing future pandemics. Methods: Purposive sampling was used to select 40 COVID-19 case investigators posted at the Ministry of Public Health, Qatar. Interviewees were from diverse educational and cultural backgrounds and had been investigating COVID-19 cases for more than 6 months, at the time of interview. Face-toface semi-structured interviews were done to collect data which was anonymized before analyzing for the purpose of this qualitative study. Results: The most common concern faced in conducting case investigations was language barrier, given the multinational and diverse diasporas Qatar is host to. Authenticity of the investigation was a matter of suspicion for many patients;whereas the majority of the investigators opined that multiple calls received from different healthcare departments asking for information overwhelmed many patients. Laborers/migrant workers often did not divulge information due to fear of repercussions from their supervisors. Social stigma associated with COVID-191 caused reluctance to reveal the index case and close contacts. Information regarding social gatherings attended and public places visited was often concealed (Figure 1). Cultural differences as well hindered smooth investigation in a few cases. Rising case load at times put restraints on improved coordination between different health departments2 and structured guidance for investigators3 about the pandemic response system, which could help to deliver appropriate health services more efficiently. Comprehensive orientation in using the Electronic Surveillance database could also improve the efficacy of epidemiological analysis for improved public health outcomes. Conclusion: Addressing these challenges will help the public health team in Qatar to increase preparedness and efficiency in managing potential future outbreaks, especially in view of upcoming mass gathering events such as the FIFA 2022 World Cup.