جستجوی مقالات مرتبط با کلیدواژه « public health » در نشریات گروه « پزشکی »

 Rickettsial infection is one of the most frequently occurring neglected diseases, which can be life-threatening if left untreated. Hence, it is important to know the burden of the disease for taking appropriate preventive and control measures. This paper focused on the seroprevalence of rickettsial infection among hospitalized patients residing in the coastal area of Teknaf, Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh.

 We retrospectively analyzed the hospital records of Weil-Felix test-positive patients from January to December 2022 at Respiratory Disease Hospital, Teknaf. A rapid slide agglutination assay, colorimetric method, KOVA cell counting, flow cytometry method, and SPSS were used for data analysis. The necessary ethical approval was obtained from the Institutional Reviewer Board for using the hospital records.

 A total of 91 (16.9%) Rickettsia-positive cases were found out of 538 suspected cases, of which half were male (49.5%). The most predominant age group was 5 to under 18 years of age (41.7%), followed by 18‒30 years of age (23.1%). Fever was the most prominent clinical symptom (97.7%), followed by cough (42.9%), muscle aches (29.7%), and headaches (27.5%). The blood count of the patients showed leukocytosis (53.2%), followed by neutrophilia (23.4%) and thrombocytosis (15.6%). Serum creatinine and C-reactive protein were elevated in 13% and 40% of cases, respectively. Urine analysis detected the presence of high pus cells (83.9%), followed by proteinuria (45.2%) and ketonuria (13.0%).

 In-depth confirmatory exploration and preventive measures are necessary to manage and mitigate the spread of infections at Teknaf.

Historically, it takes an average of 17 years to move new treatments from clinical evidence to daily practice. Given the highly effective treatments now available to prevent or delay kidney disease onset and progression, this is far too long. The time is now to narrow the gap between what we know and what we do. Clear guidelines exist for the prevention and management of common risk factors for kidney disease, such as hypertension and diabetes, but only a fraction of people with these conditions worldwide are diagnosed, and even fewer are treated to target. Similarly, the vast majority of people living with kidney disease are unaware of their condition, because in the early stages it is often silent. Even among patients who have been diagnosed, many do not receive appropriate treatment for kidney disease. Considering the serious consequences of kidney disease progression, kidney failure, or death, it is imperative that treatments are initiated early and appropriately. Opportunities to diagnose and treat kidney disease early must be maximized beginning at the primary care level. Many systematic barriers exist, ranging from patient to clinician to health systems to societal factors. To preserve and improve kidney health for everyone everywhere, each of these barriers must be acknowledged so that sustainable solutions are developed and implemented without further delay.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused many adverse effects, including increased stress in patients.

The present study was conducted with aim to determine the effect of an online self-care training program on perceived stress in COVID-19 patients.

This randomized control trial study was fulfilled by recruiting 132 COVID-19 patients, referred to two hospitals in Isfahan, Iran, 2021. The patients were selected using the purposive sampling method and were then randomly allocated into experimental and control groups (n=63 in each group). The online self-care training program was presented to the experimental group in six 30-minute sessions over two weeks. The data were collected through an individual characteristic form and the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) at three stages before, immediately, and one month after the intervention. P<0.05 was considered statistically significant.

The mean scores of perceived stress before, immediately, and one month after the intervention in the experimental group were 30.51±6.31, 24.59±4.66, and 26.57±3.82, respectively and in the control group were 29.78±4.81, 29.4±4.57, and 29.11±4.73, respectively. Moreover, no significant difference was observed between the two groups at the pre-intervention stage (p=0.467), while the mean scores of perceived stress in the experimental group were lower compared with the control group immediately (p<0.001) and one month after the intervention (p=0.001).

Implications for Practice:

 The online self-care training program led to a reduction in perceived stress in COVID-19 patients. Thus, implementing this self-directed program may be considered as a safe and useful method to relieve perceived stress in similar conditions.

Two common teaching methods, the lecture and concept map method, focus on understanding how people learn effectively. The concept of learning styles pertains to the different ways that individuals prefer to learn. This study compares the effectiveness of lecture and concept map methods on student learning outcomes, considering the influence of learning styles (visual, auditory, read/write, kinesthetic).

This randomized controlled trial with 78 public health students compared the effectiveness of concept mapping and traditional lecture methods. The VARK questionnaire was used to assess participants' learning styles. The intervention group received concept mapping instruction, while the control group received traditional lecture instruction. Data analysis was performed using SPSS software.

The concept map method employed in the intervention group had a statistically significant effect on the learning of students with visual learning styles (p = 0.036). The mean learning style scores for the intervention group in the visual learning style increased from 45.2 to 51.3, while the mean scores for the control group increased from 44.8 to 46.1. No statistically significant differences were reported between the two groups in the other three learning styles (auditory, read/write, kinesthetic).

Concept mapping is an effective teaching strategy with visual learning styles. Educators can use concept mapping to enhance deep learning experiences with different learning styles. The VARK model can be used to assess students' learning styles and guide instructional decisions. To create an inclusive and effective learning environment, educators should use a variety of teaching strategies and regularly assess students' learning styles.

The poor are vulnerable when they fall seriously ill and require hospitalization. The study aimed to analyze the factors related to hospital inpatients among the poor in Indonesia.

We analysed the 2018 Indonesian Basic Health Survey data. This cross-sectional study examined 233778 respondents through stratification and multistage random sampling. We used seven independent variables age, gender, marital status, education, employment, and health insurance, in addition to the hospital inpatient, as a dependent variable. We employed binary logistic regression to evaluate the data.

The poor in urban areas were 1.315 times more likely to be hospital inpatients than those in rural areas (95%CI 1.249-1.385). Age, gender, and marital status were related to the hospital inpatients. The better the edu-cation level, the higher the hospital inpatient proportion. Meanwhile, the employed were 40% less likely than the unemployed to be hospital inpatients (95%CI 0.565-0.634). Furthermore, the insured were 3.513 times more likely than the uninsured to be hospital inpatients (95%CI 3.264-3.780).

Seven variables were related to hospital inpatients among the poor in Indonesia: residence, age, gender, marital status, education, employment, and health insurance. Health insurance was the main factor asso-ciated with hospital inpatients among low-income people. The government must increase the subsidy quota for the poor's participation in National Health Insurance.

The increased recognition of the significance of occupational safety and health in the workplace has attracted increasing attention in the field of public health. This study aimed to analyze recent trends in prioritizing worker safety, health, and well-being in the workplace, focusing on the connections between occupational safety and health and public health.

This systematic review employed a combined approach using the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses model along with an analysis tool, VOSviewer, for a systematic review of the literature. The research process involved identifying search topics and pertinent keywords (such as occupational safety, health, well-being, and public health) and conducting a systematic literature search in the Scopus and SciSpace databases

A shift in awareness regarding occupational risks and their impact on mental and physical health was indicated. Moreover, the study underscored the significance of integrating occupational health with public health.

The safety, health, and well-being of workers significantly influence not only individuals but also the overall welfare of society.

The common bed bugs, Cimex lectularius, and tropical bed bugs, Cimex hemipterus are the primary spe-cies of public health importance in the family Cimicidae. This study aimed to determine the morphometric criteria and prevalent species of bed bugs in eastern Iran.

Bed bugs were collected from March 2021 to June 2022 from infested residential buildings and apartments in eastern Iran, including North Khorasan, Khorasan Razavi, and Sistan and Baluchistan Provinces. The morphological and morphometrical characteristics were used to identify collected bed bugs at inter- and intra-specific levels.

A total of 34 isolates comprising 127 adult bed bugs were collected from Bojnord, Mashhad, Neishabur, Tai-bad, Sabzevar, Kashmer, Zahedan, Saravan, Rask, Pishin and Chabahar. Of these, 33 isolates (n=124) were found to be tropical bed bugs, C. hemipterus, and one population (n=3) was identified as C. lectularius. The index pronotal width/length ratio was calculated from 2.72 to 2.94 and 1.98 to 2.47 for C. lectularius and C. hemipterus, respectively. The length/width ratio of the hind femur was 3.365 in C. hemipterus and 4.267 in C. lectularius. The ratio of length/width of the third femur (F3 l/w) between populations of C. hemipterus was different, and this difference was statistically significant (P< 0.05).

The results of this study indicated that C. hemipterus was the dominant bed bug species in the east of Iran and provided more morphometric criteria of C. hemipterus for researchers to identify the species and determine the in-traspecific variations in the present and future.

The magnitude of postpartum depression in Jordan during the COVID‑19 pandemic is under‑documented, and little is known about its potential social, demographic, and clinical correlates. This study aimed to explore the prevalence and related factors of postpartum depression among Jordanian mothers with a history of COVID‑19 during pregnancy or after childbirth.

This cross‑sectional descriptive study was carried out in March‑June 2021 among a convenient sample of 109 women with a history of COVID‑19 during pregnancy or after childbirth, who were at a leading hospital equipped to care for COVID‑19 cases in North Jordan. An online survey using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) was used to collect information from mothers with a history of COVID‑19‑positive tests.

Among the total number of women who participated in the study (n = 109), 73 women had postpartum depression. The prevalence of postpartum depression in the present study was 67%. In addition, the study found a positive statistically significant correlation between EPDS scores and being a smoker, delivery method, experiencing severe COVID‑19 symptoms, and being hospitalized.

During the COVID‑19 pandemic, women had a high level of postpartum depression. It would be necessary to follow further the confirmed cases of COVID‑19, and mothers should be screened for depressive symptoms during pregnancy and followed up for antenatal and postnatal care.

As an artificial intelligence (AI) branch, machine learning has pioneering applications in public health, ranging from disease diagnosis to epidemic prediction. Machine learning (ML) is a strategic lever to improve care services’ access, quality, and efficiency and create health systems based on learning and value. In the following, we mention only a part of ML assistance in public health.

The article is a tribute to Dr. Abdul-Hossein Tabatabai-Naini, the former Regional Director of the Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office (EMRO), on the occasion of WHO’s 75th anniversary. It reports on his achievements, personality, and philosophy of medicine.

 National Health Insurance (NHI) is one of the Indonesian Government’s policies to increase public access to health services. The study analyzed the role of socioeconomic status in NHI ownership in rural Indonesia.

Study Design:

 A cross-sectional study.

 The study population included residents of rural Indonesia. The study examined secondary data from the survey entitled “Abilities and Willingness to Pay, Fee, and Participant Satisfaction in Implementing National Health Insurance in Indonesia in 2019”, involving 33225 respondents representing Indonesia’s rural areas. The study was conducted from March to December 2019. The variables analyzed included NHI, socioeconomic level, age group, gender, education level, employment status, and marital status. In the final step, the study employed binary logistic regression to explain the relationship between socioeconomic status and NHI ownership.

 The results show that 63.8% of the population in rural Indonesia participated in the NHI. The poorer residents were 1.235 times more likely to have NHI than the most impoverished population (AOR 1.235; 95% CI 1.234-1.237). People with middle wealth status were 1.086 times more likely to have NHI than the poorest (AOR 1.086; 95% CI 1.085-1.087). The richer residents were 1.134 times more likely to have NHI than the poorest (AOR 1.134; 95% CI 1.133-1.136). The richest residents were 1.078 times more likely to have NHI than the poorest residents (AOR 1.078; 95% CI 1.077-1.079).

 The study concluded that socioeconomic status is related to NHI ownership in rural Indonesia. The analysis indicated that all socioeconomic categories were more likely to become NHI participants than the poorest in Indonesia.

 Varicella zoster virus (VZV) is highly contagious and can lead to two distinct diseases. Initially, it causes chickenpox, a primary infection common among children worldwide, characterized by itchy, red blisters that cover the body. After this initial outbreak, the virus can lie dormant in nerve tissues and may reactivate later in life as herpes zoster, commonly known as shingles, which presents as a painful rash. While chickenpox is generally mild and resolves on its own, it can cause severe complications, especially in vulnerable groups such as immunocompromised individuals or adults. These complications can range from bacterial superinfections and pneumonia to encephalitis. In rare cases, it may lead to life-threatening conditions like necrotizing fasciitis or toxic shock syndrome, highlighting the potential severity of what is often considered a childhood illness.

 One of the main risk factors for varicella-zoster infection is the absence of immunity. Individuals who have not been vaccinated against or previously infected with the VZV are at risk of contracting chickenpox when exposed. Additionally, close contact with infected individuals increases the likelihood of transmission. People with chronic conditions or those undergoing immunosuppressive therapy are particularly vulnerable to severe complications from varicella-zoster infections. Therefore, this study was conducted to assess the seroepidemiology of antibodies against varicella zoster in the young adult population in Mashhad.

 This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2018 on men and women aged 15 to 35 years in Mashhad, northeast Iran. Random cluster sampling was utilized. Individuals undergoing treatment for rare diseases were excluded from the study. The enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA) technique was employed to assess the presence of IgG antibodies against varicella zoster in 724 serum samples. Data analysis was performed using SPSS 20, and the significance level was set at 0.05.

 Overall, among the 724 participants aged 15 - 35 years old in Mashhad, the frequency of anti-varicella IgG seropositivity was 85.9%. Our results indicated significant associations between age (P = 0.001) and occupational status (P = 0.02) with varicella-zoster seroprevalence.

 We observed a high frequency of anti-varicella zoster IgG seroprevalence among young adults in Mashhad. Infants, pregnant women, and individuals with weakened immune systems are more likely to develop severe forms of chickenpox or experience complications from shingles, including pneumonia and encephalitis. Given the severe health problems caused by the varicella virus and its high prevalence in Mashhad, we recommend incorporating the varicella vaccine into the public vaccination program. Additionally, further examination of the burden of herpes zoster, including its impact on quality of life and healthcare utilization, can guide interventions to mitigate the consequences of this condition.