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The pandemic caused by COVID-19 has led to radical lifestyle changes worldwide, particularly in the Republic of Bulgaria, and was a factor for global changes in economics, politics, healthcare and daily life. Aim(s): The aim of the study was to analyze the public attitudes, awareness and fears related to the COVID-19 disease in the Republic of Bulgaria. Material(s) and Method(s): The survey was conducted between August 1st, 2022 and September 1st, 2022 via an anonymous questionnaire consisting of 24 closed questions. A total of 1861 people, aged 18-69 years and older, took part in the survey after being selected randomly. The data were statistically processed via MS Excel. Result(s): The main source of information to the respondents on issues related to COVID-19 was the Internet (29,8%), followed by TV (26%) and the specialized website (Single information portal) - 15,9%. More than one-third (35,1%) of the respondents was afraid of getting infected and an equal share of participants reported that they have been infected with COVID-19. More than half of the respondents (52,5%) adhered to all the provisions of the governmental bodies related to limiting the COVID-19 pandemic. The most frequent symptom of post- COVID-19 syndrome was being easily fatigued (26,7%), followed by shortness of breath (13,4%) and persistent cough (11,6%). Conclusion(s): The survey could be useful in understanding what were the public attitudes, awareness and fears related to the COVID-19 disease in the Republic of Bulgaria during the pandemic.Copyright © 2023 D. Penchev et al., published by Sciendo.
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Objective: To describe the prevalence of alcohol consumption before and during the COVID-19 pandemic and to analyze the factors associated with this behavior during the period of social distancing among Brazilian adolescents. Method(s): Cross-sectional study using data from the ConVid Adolescents survey, carried out via the Internet between June and September 2020. The prevalence of alcohol consumption before and during the pandemic, as well as association with sociodemographic variables, mental health, and lifestyle were estimated. A logistic regression model was used to assess associated factors. Result(s): 9,470 adolescents were evaluated. Alcohol consumption decreased from 17.70% (95%CI 16.64-18.85) before the pandemic to 12.80% (95%CI 11.85-13.76) during the pandemic. Alcohol consumption was associated with the age group of 16 and 17 years (OR=2.9;95%CI 1.08-1.53), place of residence in the South (OR=1.82;95%CI 1.46-2.27) and Southeast regions (OR=1.33;95%CI 1.05-1.69), having three or more close friends (OR=1.78;95%CI 1.25-2.53), reporting worsening sleep problems during the pandemic (OR=1.59;95%CI 1.20-2.11), feeling sad sometimes (OR=1,83;95%CI 1,40-2,38) and always (OR=2.27;95%CI 1.70-3.05), feeling always irritated (OR=1,60;95%CI 1,14-2,25), being a smoker (OR=13,74;95%CI 8.63-21.87) and a passive smoker (OR=1.76;95%CI 1.42-2.19). Strict adherence to social distancing was associated with lower alcohol consumption (OR=0.40;95%CI 0.32-0.49). Conclusion(s): The COVID-19 pandemic led to a decrease in consumption of alcoholic beverages by Brazilian adolescents, which was influenced by sociodemographic and mental health factors, adherence to social restriction measures and lifestyle in this period. Managers, educators, family and the society must be involved in the articulation of Public Policies to prevent alcohol consumption.Copyright © 2023 A Epidemio e uma publicacao da Associacao Brasileira de Saude Coletiva-ABRASCO.
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Background: Although research on mathematics learning programs has taken off in recent years, little is known about how different person characteristics are related to practice behaviour with such programs. When implementing a mathematics learning program in the classroom, it might be important to know whether students with specific characteristics need more encouragement to make use of this learning opportunity. Objectives: Using a supply‐use model, we analysed the predictive power of students' cognitive characteristics (prior mathematics knowledge), personality traits (conscientiousness), motivational‐affective characteristics (mathematics self‐concept and mathematics anxiety), and family background characteristics (socioeconomic status and migration background) for practising with an adaptive arithmetic learning program. Methods: We used longitudinal data from 203 fifth graders from seven non‐academic‐track schools in Germany. Practice behaviour, measured by completed tasks in the learning program, was recorded weekly for every student over a period of 22 weeks. Results and Conclusions: The results of our multilevel analyses showed that mathematics anxious students practised less with the program. We did not find any relationship with the other characteristics. Takeaways: Our results suggest that mathematics anxious students need more encouragement when practising with a mathematics learning program;otherwise, they do not get the chance to benefit from the use. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: The use of mathematics learning programmes in mathematics education has recently intensified.It is important that students practice with such learning programmes regularly over a longer period of time in order for them to achieve learning success.Students differ in their mathematics learning behaviour. What this paper adds: Little is known about how person characteristics are related to practice behaviour with mathematics learning programmes.Students may differ in their use of a mathematics learning programme, which is why cognitive characteristics, personality traits, motivational‐affective characteristics, and family background characteristics may affect students' practice behaviour. Implications for practice: Mathematics anxious students practiced less with a mathematics learning program, and need more encouragement to benefit equally from the implementation in school.Teachers should keep in mind that after the initial enthusiasm, practice with a programme may decrease over time, especially after school holidays.
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Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) is an abnormal clonal proliferation of Langerhans cells. The prognosis varies depending on the form of the disease and organ damage. Any organs and systems can be involved in the pathological process in various combinations. A poor response to standard therapy and an unfavorable prognosis are characteristic of patients with a multisystem form of LCH and involvement of organs at risk. Skin lesions are a classic sign of LCH. Purpose - to describe the complexity and duration of diagnosis of LCH with multisystem damage in a boy aged 2 years and 2 months, infected with poliomyelitis and coronavirus. Clinical case. The first clinical manifestations of LCH in the child debuted with an eczematous-seborrheic rash on the scalp with spread to the limbs and trunk. The child was treated for toxicoderma, hemorrhagic vasculitis at the place of residence for 6 months. The boy lost 1.5 kg of body weight in 1 month. At the time of hospitalization, seborrheic-eczematous rashes on the skin with a hemorrhagic component, trophic-inflammatory changes in the nails of the hands, signs of protein-energy deficiency, stomatitis, gingivitis, hepatosplenomegaly, polyserositis, diabetes insipidus, osteolytic foci of the frontal bones were found. Results of the tests: anemia, thrombocytopenia, hypoproteinemia and hypoalbuminemia, coagulation disorders. The patient had the onset of lower flaccid paraparesis, muscle hypotonia. The boy was diagnosed with a number of infectious complications, including poliomyelitis (a derivative of vaccine poliovirus type 2), COVID-19. The child received LCH-III cytostatic therapy with a positive effect. The research was carried out in accordance with the principles of the Helsinki Declaration. The informed consent of the patient was obtained for conducting the studies.Copyright © 2023 Institute of Physics of the Russian Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
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Background: Stroke is the leading cause of death and disability worldwide. In COVID-19 pandemic, stroke remains to be a medical emergency. To treat patients with acute ischemic stroke [AIS], early intravenous thrombolysis is highly time sensitive. This research investigated the impact of regionally imposed social and healthcare restrictions of COVID-19 on the time metrics in the management of AIS patients admitted at the stroke unit center in Srinagarind Hospital. Objective(s): Comparison of door to needle time for intravenous thrombolysis for AIS patients before and after the COVID-19 outbreak. Material(s) and Method(s): The present study is a retrospective analysis of patients with AIS who received intravenous tissue plasminogen activator [tPA] from 1 January 2019 to 31 December 2020 in Srinagarind Hospital, Khon Kaen. The patients admitted before and after the COVID-19 outbreak [January 13, 2020, as officially announced by the World Health Organization] were screened to collect sociodemographic data, medical history information, and symptom onset status from clinical medical records and to compared door-to-needle time (DNT) for intravenous thrombolysis before and after the outbreak. Result(s): A total of 239 patients were included, of which 113 were enrolled before and 126 after the COVID-19 outbreak. According to the findings, DNT is 35.3 minutes before the pandemic and 35.8 minutes after the epidemic. Conclusion(s): COVID-19 has remarkable impacts on the management of AIS. However, DNT for before and after COVID-19 outbreak is nearly identical. It was established that administering intravenous thrombolysis to patients in the emergency room rather than the stroke unit allowed for speedier access. Therefore, a policy which provides quick AIS treatments in COVID-19 situations should be implemented.Copyright © 2023 Journal of the Medical Association of Thailand.
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Aim - the discutability of existing scientific publications prompted a retrospective analysis of COVID-19 risk factors among the working population using the example of Russian Railways. Material and methods. Based on the archival documentation of medical institutions of Russian Railways, an analysis of the incidence of employees of the holding was carried out. Data from 2452 cases were analysed, for which full medical documentation was available. The comparison group randomly included 2911 workers who did not have COVID-19, comparable in sex, age, and area of residence. Results. Significant factors of difference between the groups of patients and those who were not ill were: sex, the presence of influenza vaccination, smoking and established diabetes mellitus. There was a trend towards an association of COVID-19 incidence and the presence of cardiovascular disease. In the comparison group, unlike the group of COVID-19 cases, there are 23% more persons who were vaccinated against influenza. In the group of patients with diabetes mellitus was found 3 times more often than in the group of non-patients. In both groups, the incidence rates of cardiovascular disease did not differ. However, as the severity of the disease increased, there was a tendency to increase the incidence of cardiovascular diseases. Meanwhile, the presence of other cardiovascular risk factors (male sex, smoking, diabetes mellitus, obesity) was significantly associated with a higher incidence in the disease group compared to non-patients. Multifactorial analysis also revealed other significant combinations of risk factors with COVID-19 risk: lack of influenza vaccination and the presence of diabetes mellitus;lack of vaccination, smoking and the presence of diabetes mellitus. Conclusion. For the working population, male sex and diabetes may be a significant risk factor for developing COVID-19. Influenza vaccination should be considered as a factor in anti- COVID-19 protection. Cardiovascular diseas e and smoking may serve as additional risk factors.Copyright © 2021 Infectious Diseases: News, Opinions, Training. All rights reserved.
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Background. The COVID-19 pandemic has become a substantial global health crisis, unparalleled in world history. Infection dynamics can have specific characteristics in different countries due to social, economic, climatic, or geographic factors. Aim(s): to study features of SARS-CoV-2 collective immunity among the Armenian population. Materials and methods. A cross-sectional, randomized study of collective immunity was carried out according to a program developed by Rospotrebnadzor and the St. Petersburg Pasteur Institute, taking into account WHO recommendations. The study was approved by the ethics committees of the National Center for Infectious Diseases (Armenia) and the St. Petersburg Pasteur Institute (Russia). A volunteer cohort was formed (N = 6057), randomized by age and region. The study's analysis included: shares and distributions of antibodies (Abs) to nucleocapsid (Nc) antigen (Ag) and receptor binding domain (RBD) S-1 Ag in the cohort;and quantitative determination of these Abs by ELISA. During the survey, a history of vaccination was indicated by 4395 people. Results. Overall seropositivity formed in the whole cohort (by April 14, 2022) was 98.6% (95% CI: 98.1-98.7). It did not depend on age, place of residence, or occupation. When quantifying Nc and RBD Abs, the proportions of volunteers with Nc Ab levels of 1-17 BAU/ml and RBD Ab levels of 22.6-220 BAU/ml were the smallest, amounting to 6.9% (95% CI: 6.2-7.5) and 20.4% (95% CI: 19.4-21.4), respectively. With increasing serum concentrations (Nc > 667 BAU/ml, RBD > 450 BAU/ml), the proportions of individuals with the corresponding levels were 20.2% for Nc (95% CI: 19.2-21.3) and 54.2% for RBD (95% CI: 52.9-55.5). Vaccination coverage was 72.6% (95% CI: 71.5-73.7). The most frequently used were Sinopharm/BIBP (32.4%), AZD1222 (22.3%), and Gam-COVID-Vac (21%). The remaining vaccines (CoronaVac, mRNA-1273, BNT162b2, CoviVac) were used by 24.3% of vaccinated individuals. When summing vaccines by platform, it was found that: vector vaccines were used in 40.34% (95% CI: 33.57-42.39) of cases;whole-virion vaccines were used in 26.83% (95% CI: 24.76-32.20);and mRNA vaccines were used in 6.33% (95% CI: 4.84-8.91). Conclusion. The epidemic situation in Armenia by April 2022 was characterized by a high level of collective immunity, independent of age or regional factors. Vector and whole-virion vaccines have been used most widely.Copyright © Popova A.Yu. et al., 2023.
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INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: Infertility is a global health concern that affects couples worldwide. Economic, racial, and geographic disparities in reproductive medicine have long affected access to fertility care. These inequalities further worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic as fertility care services were systematically paused and treatments were delayed. At-home fertility tests emerged as a seemingly convenient, affordable and accessible option for all men seeking initial semen analysis testing and screening. We aim to study the racial and socioeconomic characteristics of a cohort of men utilizing at-home sperm testing kits in the United States over 3 years. METHOD(S): We retrospectively reviewed the records of 5,822 men who requested semen analysis at Give Legacy, Inc. (Legacy) facilities from 2019 to 2021. The demographic characteristics of these men were collected including their age, race/ethnicity, and place of residence. Further, the weighted median household income of Legacy customers was calculated using their personal ZIP codes and corresponding median income data from the U.S. census bureau. RESULT(S): The mean age (SD) of this cohort was 34.9+/-7.3 years. Among these 5,822 men, there were 3,936 (67.6%) normozoospermic men and 1,886 (32.3%) oligozoospermic men. The group consisted of predominantly white men (64.9%) with only 5.2% Black, 5.4% Latino, 8.9% Asian, 3.1% Arab, 2% Native Hawaiian, 2.4% Indian American, and 8.2% other groups. The geographic distribution of participants showed a majority of men from the Northeast (31.6%) and Pacific (23.4%) regions. The median household income of a Legacy customer is $108,858;significantly higher than the U.S. median household income of $70,784 (P<.01). CONCLUSION(S): Despite the fact that at-home, mail-in kits provide a better and more affordable access to initial fertility care, ethnic minorities and lower socioeconomic classes are still underrepresented in the population of men seeking fertility testing in this cohort. Further research is needed to understand the racial and socioeconomic drivers of the existing disparities in fertility care.
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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.
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SARS-CoV-2 spread rapidly, infecting people around the globe in-cluding the Iranian population. Among those infected, the highest percentage in infection prevalence was amongstthose aged 60 years and older. The aim of the study was to examine Covid-19 fear and health-related quality of life in older adults. This cross-sectional study was conducted with a total of 205 elderly froman Iranian province.The research data were collected through an online questionnaire consisting of three parts: Personal Information Form, the Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCS), and the World Health Organization Life Quality Scale-Short Form (WHOQOL-BREF).An independent two-group t-test (Student's t-test), and one-way ANOVA test were used to compare the means of the respective groups. The Pearson correlation coefficient was calculated to deter-mine the level of correlation between two independent continuous variables. This data was analyzed using LISREL through confirma-tory factor analysis. In total, 205 elderly people responded. Participants (n=205) were in the age range of 60-87 with an average age of 67+/-6.83 years in men and 60-92 with an average age of 66+/-6.60 in women.The mean score was obtained for FCS19.5+/-6.6, the mean score was obtained for the WHOQOL-BREF 61.2+/-19.3. The mean score of FCS in men (20.4+/-6.3) was significantly higher than the mean score in women (18.3+/-6.7) (p=0.023). It was found that there were very weak but significant inverse correlations between FCS and the WHOQOL-BREF (r=-0.22;p=0.001). In conclusion, it was found that fear of COVID-19 was below the medium level, while their WHOQOL-BREF was above the medium level.Finally, we also found that, as the score from FCS increased, the scores obtained from WHOQOL-BREF decreased.Copyright © 2023, MEDSPORTPRESS Publishing House. All rights reserved.
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Objective: This research was carried out as a descriptive and cross-sectional study between January and April 2021 in order to determine the relationship between COVID-19 fear and COVID-19 hygiene behaviors in adults. Materials and Methods: The sample of the research consisted of 1876 individuals who accepted to participate in the online survey with the snowball sampling method and completed the research completely. Research data were obtained with an introductory questionnaire, COVID-19 Fear Scale and COVID-19 Hygiene Behavior Scale. In the analysis of the data, number-percentage calculations, mean, standard deviation, independent t test and ANOVA, Pearson Correlation and Linear regression tests were used. Results: The mean score of the individuals on the COVID-19 Fear Scale was found to be 19.51±.89 and the total mean score of the COVID-19 Hygiene Behaviors Scale was found to be 105.35±18.61. The COVID-19 fear level of the participants;It was determined that gender, education status, working status, place of residence, socio-economic status, individual with chronic disease at home, anxiety due to COVID-19, change in hygiene behavior, thinking that hygiene will prevent COVID-19 explained 21.4%. Variables of age, gender, education status, employment status, marital status, family type, presence of children, place of residence, socioeconomic status, individuals with chronic diseases at home, anxiety due to corona, change in hygiene behavior, thinking that hygiene will prevent corona, COVID-19 Hygiene The level of their behavior;It was determined that 14% explained. Conclusion: As the COVID-19 fear levels of individuals increase, the COVID-19 hygiene behaviors also increas. Amaç: Bu araştırma, yetişkinlerde COVID-19 korkusu ile COVID-19 hijyen davranışları arasındaki ilişkiyi belirlemek amacıyla Ocak-Nisan 2021 tarihleri arasında tanımlayıcı ve kesitsel olarak yapılmıştır. Gereç ve Yöntem: Araştırma verileri, "Veri Toplama Formu”, "COVID-19 Korkusu Ölçeği” ve "COVID-19 Hijyen Davranış Ölçeği” ile elde edilmiştir. Verilerin çözümlenmesinde sayı-yüzde hesaplamaları, ortalama, standart sapma, bağımsız t testi ve ANOVA, Pearson Korelasyon ve Lineer regresyon testleri kullanılmıştır. Bulgular: Bireylerin COVID-19 Korku Ölçeği puan ortalaması 19.51±6.89, COVID19 Hijyen Davranışları Ölçeği toplam puan ortalaması 105.35±18.61 olarak bulundu. Katılımcıların COVID-19 korku düzeyinin;cinsiyet, öğrenim durumu, çalışma durumu, yaşadığı yer, sosyoekonomik durum, evde kronik hastalığı olan birey, COVID-19 nedeniyle endişe, hijyen davranışı değişikliği, hijyenin COVID-19'u engelleyeceğini düşünme değişkenlerinin %21.4'ünü açıkladığı saptanmıştır. Yaş, cinsiyet, öğrenim durumu, çalışma durumu, medeni durum, aile tipi, çocuk varlığı, yaşadığı yer, sosyoekonomik durum, evde kronik hastalığı olan birey, korona nedeniyle endişe, hijyen davranışı değişikliği, hijyenin koronayı engelleyeceğini düşünme değişkenlerinin, COVID-19 Hijyen Davranışları düzeyinin;%14'ünü açıkladığı belirlenmiştir. Sonuç: Bireylerin COVID-19 korku düzeyleri arttıkça, COVID-19 hijyen davranışları da artmaktadır.
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Background The pandemic has accelerated the introduction of more flexible and cost-effective treatment forms. The efficacy of trastuzumab in the intravenous (IV) and SC forms is similar both in early and advanced HER2-positive breast cancer (BC) patients. Compared to IV administration, SC enables reduction of treatment costs and time, and saves equipment and human resources. SC formulation is more convenient for both patients and healthcare providers and may be implemented as a home-based therapy. Recently, systemic anticancer treatment (including chemotherapy) has been increasingly performed at home, improving patient comfort and reducing the burden on the healthcare system. Poland has already implemented home-based treatment with some biologic compounds;however, they have not included trastuzumab in BC patients. Objectives This RWE analysis aims to evaluate the organizational and therapeutic procedures related to the home-based treatment with SC trastuzumab and the attitudes of patients and healthcare providers to this approach. Material and methods The study enrolled early HER2(+) BC patients treated with trastuzumab during the COVID-19 pandemic. Monitoring and treatment duration were consistent with SmPC and reimbursement regulations in Poland. The first 3-6 doses of SC trastuzumab (alone or in combination with CHT) were administered at a cancer center in outpatient and inpatient settings. Subsequent doses were administered at home by 3 qualified breast nurses. Post-injection follow-up was used for educational purposes. Data were analyzed with descriptive statistics. The study was reviewed and approved by the local Bioethics Committee. Results The analysis included 20 patients treated in two comprehensive cancer centers in Poland with a median age of 59 years (range, 36-72 years). Seven patients (35%) were professionally active. The average distance from the place of residence to the cancer center was 24 km (range, 2-65 km). A total of 232 doses were administered (mean 11.6 doses per patient;range 6-14), 133 doses at home and 99 at the cancer center. The overall tolerance of trastuzumab was good and consistent with the known safety profile described in Summary of Product Characteristics. Only 1 patient (5%) discontinued treatment prematurely due to decreased LVEF;another 19 patients completed treatment as planned. For 19 patients (95%), the benefits of SC treatment included time savings, the ability to continue working, and avoiding crowded places and infection risk. 2 patients (10%) considered the nurse's visit privacy disturbing, while 18 (90%) would recommend home-based drug administration. The average duration of a nurse's stay at home was 60 minutes (range 30 to 130 minutes). No logistical or technical problems were reported, except for occasional patient lateness. Nurses positively assessed the treatment provided in the nursing office, which was a source of additional knowledge, and experience. The overall impression of home-based therapy was positive for both patients and nurses. The limitation of the study is the declarative nature of the data. Conclusions Home-based treatment with SC trastuzumab should be pursued due to its safety, ease of organization, positive perception by patients and nurses, and reducing healthcare system resources. It can be particularly valuable for disabled patients who have difficulty reaching the hospital and professionally active patients. Specialized, trained nurses can self-sufficiently carry out part of the prolonged trastuzumab treatment, reducing physician involvement.
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The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic had a global impact on family social and economic well-being. Individuals and families sought alternative living arrangements as a result of the financial crisis, health implications, and housing insecurity, with many joining multigenerational households. However, it is unknown how multigenerational family life affects children's well-being. Therefore, this qualitative study explored risks and resilience-building opportunities for children's psychological and social well-being in resource-constrained multigenerational households during the COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa. Five multigenerational families were selected through snowball sampling and case design. The three generations of participants were grandparents (n = 5), parents (n = 7), and children (n = 4). Data were gathered through a questionnaire and interviews. The study received institutional ethics approval. After thematic analysis, two themes and six sub-themes were identified. Risks were related to interpersonal conflict, family collective fear of COVID-19, and children's multiple other fears. Opportunities were identified as academic support, shared responsibilities, life skills and values acquisition, and family cohesion. Results demonstrated the potential risks and resilience-building opportunities multigenerational households present for children's psychosocial well-being. Multisystemic influences in a multigenerational household contribute to children's adjustment. These outcomes necessitate systemic school psychology interventions. Longitudinal studies are recommended to explore child well-being trends in multigenerational households in varying socioeconomic contexts.
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Background: Important lapses in the research enterprise, notably low-quality studies, amount to research waste. Close to 50% of this research waste comes from research on low-priority research questions, omitting important outcomes, not involving stakeholders in research design and poor methodology. With the COVID-19 pandemic, the urge to generate evidence to address important questions regarding optimal management strategies has further aggravated this problem. Most COVID-related trials are of low quality. This is in part due to deficiencies in designing high-quality trials at short notice. Consequently, results from these trials do not reliably inform clinical practice for the treatment or management of patients with COVID-19. Innovative approaches to trial design that incorporate existing tools are required to ensure that trials can be designed rapidly, efficiently, and consistently. Learning objectives: (1) To understand the key features of trial design. (2) To apply the use of existing trial resources in trial design. (3) To learn about how to match the research question with the appropriate design features. (4) To be able to use an electronic application to design a trial. Outline: In the first part, participants will review core concepts in trial design (equipoise, research question formulation, knowledge gaps, hypotheses etc.) and a collection of tools/frameworks meant to enhance trial design. These tools/frameworks include the PRagmatic Explanatory Continuum Indicator Summary-2 (PRECIS-2), Template for Intervention Description and Replication (TIDieR), Standard Protocol Items: Recommendations for Interventional Trials (SPIRIT), Core Outcome Measures in Effectiveness Trials (COMET;https://comet-initiative.org/), TrialForge (Tools aimed at improving trial efficiency;https:// www.trialforge.org/), Support for statistical analyses plans (SAP), PROGRESS-Plus (a framework of sociodemographic factors-Place of residence, Race/ethnicity/ culture/language, Occupation, Gender/Sex, Religion, Education, Socioeconomic status, and Social capital-'Plus' refers to other personal, time-dependent or relationship-dependent factors, such as pregnancy, age, disability, and sexual orientation). The second part will be a hands-on session in trial design using the TrialTree application (https://trialtree.logicnets.net/ lmc/TT) and the production of a design report. TrialTree is organized into eight modules that cover the main design features. It includes tips, prompts, and feedback on trial design. Evaluation: (1) Completion of a post-workshop quiz. (2) Production of a complete design report in TrialTree. Materials required: (1) A laptop (access to the TrialTree application will be provided free of charge). (2) Pre-workshop readings will be provided. Goals of Session: The goal of this session is to build capacity in novice and experienced trialists on the use of an electronic application for interactive trial design.
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Objective. To study the public attitudes towards responsibility for their health, the level of attendance at health centers and medical prevention departments/clinics, and the activity of healthcare professionals in engaging the population in a healthy lifestyle. Material and methods. We analyzed the current issues of the work of healthcare organizations, including medical prevention units/offices and health centers in Russia, from the point of view of the population. A mass survey of the population was conducted via personal semi-formalized interviews at the place of residence (apartment survey) using a specific questionnaire. The sample size was 1,630 subjects. The quality and accessibility of health care were assessed using case studies: respondents were asked to rate based on their most recent visits to a doctor/health care provider. Results. Based on an analysis of the 2020-2021 studies, the authors found that the high level of awareness in the vast majority of the population of their personal responsibility for their health does not result in high attendance at health prevention units/clinics and health centers. The attendance was not even influenced by the high level of patients' satisfaction with medical recommendations. According to the authors, this process is negatively influenced by the low involvement of healthcare providers in healthy lifestyle promotion, the usefulness of consultations at medical prevention departments/clinics and health centers, and the low awareness of the population on this issue. Conclusion. The study showed the need to increase the intensity of Russia-wide information campaigns on preventing non-communicable diseases and promoting healthy lifestyles, especially outside the capital regions, and the importance of improving the quality of information messages.Copyright © 2023, Media Sphera Publishing Group. All rights reserved.
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Introduction: The outbreak of the new coronavirus (COVID-19) can lead to the development of several mental disorders. Women are an important part of any society, and psychological factors can affect their quality of life. The present study aimed to investigate the depression level among hospitalized women and its relationship with their quality of life during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021. Method(s): This descriptive-analytical study was conducted on 465 women admitted to public educational hospitals affiliated with the Minister of Health, Iran. The data collection tools were the Goldberg Depression Scale and the World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF) Questionnaire. Descriptive and inferential statistical methods were used to analyze the data by applying SPSS software version 23. Result(s): According to the results, 48.60% of the women were mentally healthy. While 15.27% of them were more likely to develop depression, 13.12% of the others were borderline depressed. At the same time, 12.69% of the women who participated in the study suffered from a mild to moderate level of depression, 7.74% of women had moderate to severe depression, and 2.58% of the rest tolerated severe depression. Other results show that the mean score of quality of life (QOL) of the women was 58.49+/-11.51 (out of 120). Moreover, a significant and inverse correlation between depression and QOL was observed among the studied women (r=-0.564, P<0.001). Statistically significant relationships between depression and the variables of age (P= 0.007), place of residence (P=0.04), marital status (P=0.006), level of education (P<0.001), and income level (P=0.03) were also observed. Moreover, there was also a statistically significant relationship between women's QOL and their marital status (P=0.02). Conclusion(s): According to the results, providing social support and establishing effective communication based on mutual interaction among hospitalized women and healthcare workers can be recommended to decrease their level of depressive disorder and enhance their QOL.Copyright © 2023 Yusefi et al.
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Objective. To study the public attitudes towards responsibility for their health, the level of attendance at health centers and medical prevention departments/clinics, and the activity of healthcare professionals in engaging the population in a healthy lifestyle. Material and methods. We analyzed the current issues of the work of healthcare organizations, including medical prevention units/offices and health centers in Russia, from the point of view of the population. A mass survey of the population was conducted via personal semi-formalized interviews at the place of residence (apartment survey) using a specific questionnaire. The sample size was 1,630 subjects. The quality and accessibility of health care were assessed using case studies: respondents were asked to rate based on their most recent visits to a doctor/health care provider. Results. Based on an analysis of the 2020—2021 studies, the authors found that the high level of awareness in the vast majority of the population of their personal responsibility for their health does not result in high attendance at health prevention units/clinics and health centers. The attendance was not even influenced by the high level of patients' satisfaction with medical recommendations. According to the authors, this process is negatively influenced by the low involvement of healthcare providers in healthy lifestyle promotion, the usefulness of consultations at medical prevention departments/clinics and health centers, and the low awareness of the population on this issue. Conclusion. The study showed the need to increase the intensity of Russia-wide information campaigns on preventing non-communicable diseases and promoting healthy lifestyles, especially outside the capital regions, and the importance of improving the quality of information messages.
ABSTRACT
The closure of schools due to the COVID-19 pandemic has forced adolescents to stay home. These disruptions, as well as a significant decrease in social access, have impacted smoking behavior. This study identified the association between the adolescents' type of residence and tobacco product use. A cross-sectional study (using data from the Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey) examined 3774 students in 2019 (pre-pandemic) and 2575 students in 2020 (during the pandemic). The participants were South Korean middle and high school students aged 13-19 years. Using multinomial logistic regression, it was shown that adolescents who lived alone or in a boarding house had a higher risk of being an e-cigarette smoker compared with those who lived with family or relatives (OR = 6.49, CI = 2.06-20.45). Living in a dormitory or orphanage also increased the risk of dual tobacco use compared with living with family (OR = 2.09, 95% CI = 1.13-3.84). With the advent and continuation of the COVID-19 pandemic, this effect became more significant in 2020 than in 2019. Our findings support the theory that residential differences affect adolescent smoking behavior and highlight the importance of integrated smoking bans and educational programs to control adolescent smoking.