Knowledge of First Aid Treatment of Burns: A Comparative Study of Parents and Non-parent Adults.

Background: Burn first aid treatment is any primary care provided for burn injuries prior to medical aid. Children are most vulnerable, with 17% to 18% of childhood burn injuries in Pakistan resulting in disability due to inadequate first aid. Misconceptions and incorrect instant home remedies like toothpastes and burn creams encumber the health care system with preventable ailments. This study aimed to assess and compare the knowledge scores of parents of children under the age of 13 years and non-parent adults regarding burn first aid treatment. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive survey was conducted on parents of children under the age of 13 years and non-parent adults. This study included 364 respondents via an online questionnaire; those under the age of 18 years and with previous workshop attendance were excluded. Results were computed in terms of frequencies and comparisons using chi-square test and student t test. Results: Overall, knowledge among both groups remained inadequate (mean score of 4.18 ± 1.94 out of 14 with parents = 4.20 ± 1.91 and non-parent adults = 4.17 ± 1.98) with no statistically significant difference between the 2 groups (P = 0.841). From a total of 364 respondents, 148 (40.7%) confessed to using toothpaste as the best first aid, while cooling the burn was the most favored immediate step (27.5%). Running with the face covered by a wet towel was considered the safest way of escaping a burning building by 33.8% of respondents. Conclusions: Both groups were poorly aware of burn first aid treatment, with no superiority of parents over non-parent adults. This highlights the need for educating adults, especially parents, to cater to the prevalent misconceptions in our society and help deliver authentic knowledge regarding first aid management of burns.

Lifestyle and Socioeconomic Transition and Health Consequences of Breast Cancer in the East Asia Region, From 1990 to 2019.

Background: Due to its higher prevalence and heterogeneity, female breast cancer (BC) is the widest disease throughout the world. We sought to assess the epidemiological and sociodemographic transitions of BC and to identify the potential risk factors attributed to burden of BC in East Asia. Methods: At the regional level of East Asia and at a national level of East Asian countries, we investigated the burden of the incidence of female BC, mortality, and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) in 2019 and assessed the epidemiological, socioeconomic, and health-linked disparities in incidence of BC and mortality over a 30-year period. The changes in BC's mortality and DALYs between 1990 and 2019, attributable to varying risk factors, were evaluated in different age groups. Results: In 2019, the incidence of and mortality from and DALYs of BC were estimated to be 382,321 (95% UI: 303,308-477,173) incidence cases [age-standardized rate (ASR) of 35.69 per 100,000; 28.32-44.54], 98,162 (79,216-120,112) deaths (ASR of 9.12; 7.36-11.13), and 3,024,987 (2,477, 984-3,659,370) DALYs with an ASR of 282.15 (230.81-341.19) in 2019. It was also observed that out of four most representative locations of East Asia, two (China and Japan) showed more than 60% increase in age-standardized incidence rate between 1990 and 2019. While only Japan females showed a significant rise of 15.3% (95% UI: 2.3-28) in ASR of death and 12.6% (95% UI: 0.5-26.9) in ASR of DALYs between 1990 and 2019. Inclusively, 88 and 81% variations were explained in the incidence of BC and death due to change in sociodemographic index (SDI) in 2019, in East Asia. The highest positive percent changes in death and DALYs between 1990 and 2019 were attributable to high body mass index (BMI), high fasting plasma glucose (FPG), and alcohol consumption in East Asia. Conclusion: The burden of death and disability from female BC is the result of multiple risk factors, mainly due to behavioral and metabolic risk factors. The increase of the incidence is related to the westernized lifestyle and diet habits and the improvement of screening and diagnosis techniques in the recent years, whereas the increase in DALYs is mainly attributed to high BMI, high FPG, alcohol use, and high diet in red meat.

Breast Cancer Mortality Trends and Predictions to 2030 and Its Attributable Risk Factors in East and South Asian Countries.

Background: Amidst the rising breast cancer burden in Asia, we aim to predict the future mortality risk due to breast cancer and identify the risk-attributable deaths for breast cancer among East and South Asian countries. Methods: We used country-level data to predict the trends in the next decade relating to female breast cancer mortality by employing data from 1990 to 2019 from the Global Burden of Disease 2019 study. We used the stochastic mortality modeling and prediction techniques to forecast the age-specific and risk-attributable breast cancer mortality trends at the regional and national levels of East and South Asia. Results: The number of deaths caused by the breast cancer is predicted to increase in East and South Asian countries in the next decade (2020-2030). Age-standardized death rate (ASDR) of breast cancer is predicted to increase by 7.0% from 9.20/100,000 (95% CI: 6.04-12.12) in 1990 to 9.88/100,000 (95% CI: 7.12-11.4) in 2030 in East Asia, and about 35% increase from 13.4/100,000 (95% CI: 9.21-16.02) in 1990 to 18.1/100,000 (95% CI: 13.23-21.10) in 2030 in South Asia. At the national level, the highest percent change in ASDR between 1990 and 2030 was reported in Pakistan (a 62% increase) and Nepal (a 47% increase). The highest percent change in breast cancer mortality between 2020 and 2030 for females of age group 80-84 years was observed in Pakistan [21.6, (95% CI, 20.6-94.7)], followed by Afghanistan [13.3 (4.0-80.8)], and Nepal [36.6 (11.1-125.7)] as compared to the other countries. In the females of aged 50-80 years, the predicted death rates were associated with high body mass index, high-fasting plasma glucose, and diet high in red meat, across the majority of countries under study. Furthermore, reductions in percent change in mortality rates occurred in several countries with increases in sociodemographic index (SDI), notably across high SDI countries. Conclusion: Breast cancer mortality risk varies substantially across East and South Asian countries with higher mortality risk in low/middle SDI countries. Early detection using screening, awareness among females and health workers, and cost-effective and timely treatment of patients with breast cancer is vital in stemming the tide of breast cancer in the next decade.