ABSTRACT
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in significant global social and economic disruptions, as well as changes in personal attitude and behavior. The purpose of this research is to assess the sleep quality and stress levels of medical students. Method: Data was collected from medical students over the course of a month in 2021. A total of 4,677 students at the University of Medicine Pham Ngoc Thach were invited to complete an anonymous web-based survey, which included the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Questionnaire Index (PSQI) for measuring sleep quality and the COVID-19 Student Stress Questionnaire (CSSQ) for evaluating stress. Results: A total of 1,502 students participated in our survey. More than half of the participants exhibited poor quality of sleep as indicated by their PSQI score. Many students reported going to bed after midnight and spending time on their smartphones. Among the students surveyed, 21.84% experienced low levels of stress (CSSQ ≤6), 63.38% had mild stress (7 ≤ CSSQ score ≤ 14), 14.78% reported high levels of stress (CSSQ >14). Conclusion: This study showed a high prevalence of poor sleep quality in the surveyed students, which could be attributed to changes in their behavior following the COVID-19 outbreak. Mild stress was also frequently observed, and it may be related to sleep disorders in this population. These important findings provide valuable insights for making recommendations, including lifestyle modifications to improve sleep quality.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: We assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on health, treatment adherence and expectations of patients with chronic diseases in Vietnam. METHODS: We conducted a national cross-sectional study using a questionnaire survey, distributed through social networks and presented on Google Forms. The survey was performed during two months of the most stringent social distancing in Vietnam (between 21 July and 21 September 2021). RESULTS: Most of the participants said that the COVID-19 epidemic had affected their daily activities (91.9%), health (53.6%), sleep behavior (52.3%), and mental health (79.8%). During social distancing in Vietnam, three-quarter could not go to hospitals for periodic health examination; nearly half of respondents did not do daily physical activity; a quarter of respondents did not adhere to recommended diet plan. Factors associated with the effect of the COVID-19 epidemic on patient's health included those living in Ho Chi Minh City (p = 0.015), lived alone (p = 0.027), uncontrolled chronic conditions (p < 0.001), treatment dissatisfaction or experienced anxiety/stress (p < 0.001). Factors associated with medication adherence included the elderly (p = 0.015), having periodic health examination (p = 0.012), direct consultation (p = 0.003), and telemedicine (p = 0.007). CONCLUSION: This study highlights the urgent need for better chronic management strategies for the new post-COVID era in the future.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: to determine modifiable risk factors of exacerbations in chronic respiratory diseases with airways obstruction (i.e., asthma and COPD) in southern Vietnam. METHODS: an environmental and health-related behavioural questionnaire was submitted to patients with both chronic respiratory symptoms and airways obstruction. An exacerbation was defined as any acute worsening in clinical symptoms requiring a change in treatment, in a patient receiving prophylactic therapy. RESULTS: 235 patients were evaluated, including 131 (56%) chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and 104 (44%) asthmatics. There were 75% males and 69% smokers. Occupational exposure accounted for 66%, mainly among construction and industry workers. Smoking was associated with more severe airways obstruction. Respiratory exacerbations were reported in 56/235 patients (24%). The risk of exacerbation was increased in patients with a lower education level, exposure to occupational pollutants, cumulative smoking ≥ 20 pack year, housing space < 10 m2, and poorly ventilated housing. Based on multivariate analysis, the risk of exacerbation remained significantly higher among patients with occupational exposure and low housing space per person. CONCLUSIONS: besides smoking cessation, more supportive policies, including improvement of occupational environment and housing design for better ventilation, are needed to prevent the severity of chronic respiratory diseases in Vietnam.
