HIV-related stigma and discrimination by healthcare workers in Egypt.

BACKGROUND: HIV-related stigma and discrimination (SAD) have imposed serious adverse health consequences on people living with HIV (PLHIV), including limited access to medical care and delayed diagnosis, which in turn limits the prevention and control of the disease. This study was conducted to explore the stigmatizing attitudes and behaviors of healthcare workers (HCWs) towards HIV patients and PLHIV. METHODS: A cross-sectional study targeted HCWs who attended the United Conference of Hepatogastroenterology and Infectious Diseases that was held on 25-28 September 2019 in Cairo governorate. A self-administrated questionnaire was completed by 359 HCWs. RESULTS: The majority of HCWs reported some discriminatory practices when rendering care to HIV patients, with nurses showing the highest significant number of discriminatory practices. A considerable proportion of HCWs reported witnessing HIV-related SAD at their health facilities. CONCLUSIONS: HIV-related SAD was prevalent among HCWs. Hence, HIV-related training relevant to the needs of different groups of HCWs is recommended. Provision of infection control supplies to protect against occupational exposure is also needed. The setting and enforcement of anti-stigma policies and guidelines in various healthcare settings are crucial.

Predictors of Foot Ulcers Among Diabetic Patients at a Tertiary Care Center, Egypt.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) markedly contribute to morbidity and mortality of diabetic patients. Hence, this study was conducted to investigate the predictors of foot ulcers among Egyptian diabetic patients. METHODS: A case-control study was conducted among 488 diabetic patients attending the inpatient departments and outpatient clinics at the National Diabetes Institute in Egypt. A pretested data collection sheet was designed to collect and record the following: socio-demographic data, diabetic history and lifestyle characteristics, recorded comorbidities, and the results of foot examination. RESULTS: Significant positive predictors of DFUs on multivariate logistic regression analysis included presence of three or more comorbidities; two or more diabetic complications; callus; and flatfoot. Significant protective (negative) predictors were management of diabetes by diet, oral hypoglycemic drugs (OHGs), and insulin; and intact vibration sense. CONCLUSION: Significant positive predictors of DFUs on multivariate analysis were presence of three or more comorbidities, two or more diabetic complications, callus and flatfoot, while protective predictors were management of diabetes by diet, OHGs, and insulin; and intact vibration sense. Hence, close monitoring should be provided to diabetic patients with comorbidities and complications to reduce the risk of DFUs.

Prevalence and Predictors of Self-Medication with Antifungal Drugs and Herbal Products Among University Students: A Cross-Sectional Study from Egypt.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Irrational use of drugs for self-medication (SM) is a worldwide public health problem which results in treatment failure, economic loss, and increased burden of morbidity and mortality. Thus, the purpose of this study was to explore SM with antifungal drugs and herbal products among university students in Egypt. METHODS: A cross-sectional sectional study was conducted over 7 months among 403 university students in Egypt. The students were invited to complete a self-administered questionnaire through an online Google form. Questionnaire items included socio-demographic characteristics of the students, practice of and attitude towards SM with antifungal drugs, and SM with herbal products. RESULTS: Prevalence of SM with antifungal drugs among students stood at 38.2%. The main reasons for SM with antifungal drugs were perceiving their health problem as being minimal, followed by having fears of a doctor's visit. About 73% of the students thought that SM was not a safe practice. Older age (AOR = 1.5, 95% CI= 1.3-1.8), affiliation to a private university (AOR = 3.7, 95% CI= 2.2-6.4), and being a medical student (AOR =2.4, 95% CI= 1.3-4.5) were the significant predictors of SM with antifungal drugs. A high prevalence of SM with herbal products (70.7%) was reported, with most students having used some form of herbal weight loss preparation (64%). Being a Cairo resident (AOR= 2.4, 95% CI =1.5-3.8, P<0.05) and being a medical student (AOR= 2.1, 95% CI =1.3-3.4, P<0.05) were the significant predictors of SM with herbal products. CONCLUSION: In the current study, SM was common among Egyptian university students. Providing counseling and public health education to university students with regards to SM is crucial. Implementing strict regulations and the full enforcement of excitant laws pertaining to the use of medication supplies is also needed. Herbal products should face the scrutiny of evidence-based medicine. Further studies are needed to evaluate the impact of SM among university students.

Prevalence, Profile, and Response to Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders among Egyptian Physiotherapists.

BACKGROUND: Despite that physiotherapists (PTs) are supposed to have adequate knowledge of musculoskeletal disorders and the different prevention strategies, they are at high risk of developing work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMDs). AIM: This study aimed to investigate the prevalence, profile, predictors, and response to WRMDs among Egyptian PTs. METHODS: A self-administrated questionnaire was distributed either manually or via e-mail to 564 PTs with at least two years of working experience. Questions elicited information about the personal and occupational history of the respondents in addition to the experience of WRMDs in the past two years. RESULTS: Four hundred and fourteen respondents (82.6%) reported WRMDs within the last two years, with the lower back as the most common area affected (68.8%). More than half the PTs (54.8%) who sustained a WRMD reported that their injury took place in a private setting. Significant predictors for WRMDs were age (AOR = 0.78; 95% CI = 0.66, 0.91) and number of years of experience in physiotherapy practice (AOR = 1.26; 95% CI = 1.07, 1.49). In response to the injury, about 73.9% of the respondents stated that they did not officially report their injury and 55.8% of them reported losing a half day or more from their work. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of WRMDs among Egyptian physiotherapists is high. Despite socioeconomic and cultural differences between Egypt and other countries, our study findings were consistent with the published reports. Further studies are needed to explore the cultural and psychosocial risk factors of WRMDs.

NPC POPLINE: A Tool for Population and Reproductive Health Evidence-Based Decisions in Egypt.

BACKGROUND: Population and Reproductive Health Research (PRHR) should have a crucial role in the policy process in Egypt, providing the evidence for problem identification, priority setting, laying out the alternatives, monitoring and evaluation of implemented evidence-based decisions. Minimally, the practice of evidence-based population and reproductive health requires the access and visibility of such information. AIM: In response to the current situation, the Egyptian National Population Council in collaboration with the Information and Decision Support Centre of the Egyptian Cabinet developed the first online bilingual PRHR database entitled "NPC POPLINE" aiming at providing a tool for evidence-based decisions in the field of population and reproductive health in Egypt. METHODS: NPC POPLINE is operated by the electronic Library Information System using MARC21 format. Data was collected from all research centres and institutions conducting PRHR in Egypt; the Egyptian Universities Library Consortium and the international POPLINE database by using structured data collection forms. RESULTS: NPC POPLINE combines a unique coverage in terms of language (English and Arabic); subject (population and reproductive health) and publication type (peer-reviewed research and grey literature), in addition to the marked search flexibility and the availability of different formats to display the search results. CONCLUSION: NPC POPLINE goes beyond the definition of an advanced search engine; it can be used to perform bibliometric studies to evaluate the quantitative and qualitative aspects of PRHR conducted in Egypt. Further studies should be initiated to assess the alignment of the database content to the national and international priorities regarding population and reproductive health.

Knowledge of Reproductive Health and Perception of Violence Among Rural Schoolgirls in Egypt.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: Although schools should play a crucial role in providing the right health information at the right age, little is known about the knowledge of school pupils in Egypt, especially girls living in rural areas, regarding reproductive health, and their perceptions of violence. In this study we aimed to assess reproductive health knowledge and perceptions around violence among rural school-attending girls. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in 3 randomly selected public schools in a rural district in Fayoum Governorate. An anonymous, self-administered questionnaire was collected from a random sample of 412 schoolgirls between May and June 2017. INTERVENTIONS AND MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: A reproductive health knowledge score was generated by summing the correct responses to 28 items related to puberty, reproductive health problems, and marriage. The participants' scores were dichotomized as high reproductive health knowledge if they scored at 50% or higher correct and low knowledge if they scored less than 50%. RESULTS: More than two-thirds of the participants had low reproductive health knowledge. The mean (SD) of the reproductive health knowledge score was 12.5 (±4.7) of 28. Multivariable regression analysis indicated that participants' age (adjusted odds ratio, 1.6; 95% confidence interval, 1.2-2.0) and their fathers' education (adjusted odds ratio, 1.4; 95% confidence interval, 0.5-3.8) predicted high reproductive health knowledge. Regarding the perception of violence, approximately 31% of the participants accepted physical punishment from parents. CONCLUSION: Schoolgirls in rural areas are still ignorant about many reproductive health issues and are subjected to different forms of violence, which necessitates development of reproductive health awareness programs with engagement of parents and teachers.