scholarly journals COVID-19 – what do we know and how are we dealing with it? A quick online cross-sectional study in India

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ashwani Verma ◽  
Dhanshree R Gunjawate ◽  
Sanny Bhushan Kumar ◽  
CNV Sai Bharath ◽  
Rohit Ravi
Keyword(s):  
Preventive Measure ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
World Health ◽  
Good Knowledge ◽  
Global Public Health ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Home Based ◽  
The Government ◽  
Infection Spread

PurposeCoronavirus disease 2019 is a global public health emergency affecting almost the entire world. The exponential spread of the infection has become a matter of concern. The study aims to determine how well people in India know about COVID-19 outbreak and actions taken to cope up during lockdown.Design/methodology/approachA total of 5,000 randomly selected participants were sent the survey link, of which 1,526 responded (response rate of 30.5%). The survey was conducted from March 28 till March 31, 2020. The 20-item questionnaire aimed to determine how well people know about COVID-19 outbreak as well as actions taken to cope up during the lockdown. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the findings.FindingsParticipants exhibited good knowledge about the primary and secondary symptoms of COVID-19 and infection spread. Over 95% participants knew preventive measures such as use of masks, sanitizers and hand wash. And, 80% of the participants felt that steps taken by the government are effective, while 93% opined that lockdown would be effective. There was apprehension regarding the infection spread, its containment and age group affected. Over 60% referred the World Health Organization website as their source of information. During the lockdown, participants engaged in home-based exercise (39%) and yoga (28%) for fitness while used social media (64%) and television (63%) for entertainment.Originality/valueAlthough participants exhibited good knowledge related to symptoms and preventive measure related to COVID-19, the beliefs related to infection spread and containment need to be addressed. These should be targeted through health promotional campaigns focusing on mental health and home-based physical activities.

scholarly journals Work-environmental determinants of mass fainting illness among textile factory workers

2019 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 112-122
Author(s):  
Maly Phy ◽  
Twisuk Pungpeng ◽  
Chaweewon Boonshuyar ◽  
Thanu Chartananondh
Keyword(s):  
Logistic Regression ◽  
Preventive Measure ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Screening Instrument ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Environmental Determinants ◽  
Factory Workers ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Government

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to develop a brief screening instrument to identify risk factors of factory workers experiencing mass fainting illness (MFI) due to work-environmental determinants. Design/methodology/approach A factory-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 740 workers in October 2017 and was completed with face-to-face interviews. Data analyses included univariate logistic regression, backward stepwise linear regression and multiple logistic regression. Sum scores on significant items and receiver operator characteristic curves were used to compute potential cut-off points and the sensitivity and specificity rates. Findings Significant work-environmental factors were identified as working at very high speeds, having less influence on the choice of working partners, perceived high temperature at work, having less opportunity to do their best at work, and concern about losing a job in the next six months. In developing a screening instrument, a 6.5 cut-off point that corresponded to 99.6 percent sensitivity and 92.2 percent specificity was identified. Originality/value The study concludes that this MFI-instrument could potentially be used to prevent MFI. By understanding the policy implications, the government body, employers, workers, development partners and stakeholders should work toward preventing MFI. Implementing a preventive measure is therefore warranted due to the health education impact.

Prevalence and Epidemiological Characteristics of Asymptomatic Malaria Based on Ultrasensitive Diagnostics: A Cross-sectional Study

2018 ◽  
Vol 69 (6) ◽  
pp. 1003-1010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Seble Girma ◽  
James Cheaveau ◽  
Abu Naser Mohon ◽  
Dewdunee Marasinghe ◽  
Ruth Legese ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Diagnostic Tests ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Rapid Diagnostic Tests ◽  
World Health ◽  
Asymptomatic Malaria ◽  
Global Public Health ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Qrt Pcr ◽  
Epidemiological Characteristics

Abstract Background As the global public-health objectives for malaria evolve from malaria control towards malaria elimination, there is increasing interest in the significance of asymptomatic infections and the optimal diagnostic test to identify them. Method We conducted a cross-sectional study of asymptomatic individuals (N = 562) to determine the epidemiological characteristics associated with asymptomatic malaria. Participants were tested by rapid diagnostic tests (CareStart, Standard Diagnostics [SD] Bioline, and Alere ultrasensitive RDT [uRDT]), loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP), and quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) to determine malaria positivity. Hemoglobin values were recorded, and anemia was defined as a binary variable, according to World Health Organization guidelines. Results Compared to reference qRT-PCR, LAMP had the highest sensitivity (92.6%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 86.4–96.5), followed by uRDT Alere Malaria (33.9%, 95% CI 25.5–43.1), CareStart Malaria (14.1%, 95% CI 8.4–21.5), microscopy (5.0%, 95% CI 1.8–10.5), and SD Bioline (5.0%, 95% CI 1.8–10.5). For Plasmodium falciparum specimens only, the sensitivity for uRDT Alere Malaria was 50.0% (95% CI 38.8–61.3) and SD Bioline was 7.3% (95% CI 2.7–15.3). Based on multivariate regression analysis with qRT-PCR as the gold standard, for every 3.2% increase in the prevalence of asymptomatic malaria, hemoglobin decreased by 1 gram per deciliter (prevalence ratio 0.968, 95% CI 0.940–0.997; P = .032). Deletions (4.8%) in hrp2 were noted. Conclusions While uRDT Alere Malaria has superior sensitivity to rapid diagnostic tests and microscopy in detecting asymptomatic malaria, LAMP is superior still. Ultrasensitive diagnostics provide the accurate prevalence estimates of asymptomatic malaria required for elimination.

scholarly journals Home Based Management of Uncomplicated P. falciparum Malaria in Children Below Five Years in Delta State

2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
John Edjophe Arute ◽  
Valentine Uche Odili
Keyword(s):  
Management Practices ◽  
World Health ◽  
Good Knowledge ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
African Child ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Care Givers ◽  
Home Based ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Choice Of Therapy

Background: The world health organization (WHO) estimates that every 45 seconds an African child dies of malaria while several others lay ill. Also, studies have shown that home-based management of malaria could improve prompt access to antimalarial medications for African children. Objective: This study aimed at assessing the home based management practices among care givers of children below five years in Delta State. Methods: This study was a descriptive cross-sectional survey used to assess the home based management practices of malaria in children under age five. 459 consenting Caregivers of children under five (6 to 59 months) were purposively selected from different churches during Sundays and Wednesdays midweek services through balloting from two communities in Central and North Senatorial Districts of Delta State (Oghara and Obiaruku). Prior to the commencement of the study, the caregivers were thoroughly counselled on the objectives of the study, and a pretested structured interviewer administered questionnaire was used for administration in English, Urhobo and Ukwuani languages. Results: The study revealed that 86.93% respondents have good knowledge of malaria, and 60% commenced treatment within 24hrs. It also showed that 58.4% preferred anti-malarial combination therapies with arthemether-lumefantrine combination accounting for 34.0% drug options. Drug sources for home based malaria management were mainly from Pharmacy 40.5%, Drug sellers such as chemist 55.1% while information sources on choice of therapy and dosage were mainly from chemist 32.7%; health personnel 25.7%; neighbours 7.5% and self-based on previous experience 36.6%. Conclusion: The study revealed very good knowledge of malaria and good management practices as well as good treatment seeking behaviours amongst the caregivers.

scholarly journals Attitude towards entrepreneurship: a study among Asnaf Millennials in Malaysia

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 2-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tengku Mohd Azizuddin Tuan Mahmood ◽  
Abdullah Al Mamun ◽  
Mohamed Dahlan Ibrahim
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Cognitive Skills ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Individual Characteristics ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Internal Locus Of Control ◽  
The Government ◽  
Entrepreneurial Activities

Purpose This study intended to determine the effect of selected entrepreneurial traits on the attitude of Asnaf Millennials in Malaysia towards entrepreneurship. Design/methodology/approach This is a cross-sectional study that collected the quantitative data via structured interviews from 310 randomly selected Asnaf Millennials from Kelantan, Malaysia. Findings The findings confirmed the positive and statistically significant effect of innovativeness, internal locus of control, need for achievement and proactive personality on the attitude of Asnaf Millennials on entrepreneurship. Originality/value This study focussed on the development of non-cognitive skills for individual characteristics regarding entrepreneurship for the benefit of development practitioners and policymakers. The government and development organisations should focus on developing entrepreneurial traits that are expected to improve the attitude towards entrepreneurship and increase the entrepreneurial activities in Malaysia. This initiative can improve the socio-economic condition of Asnaf Millennials with low income.

scholarly journals Knowledge, Attitudes And Practices Towards COVID-19 among Medical Students in International Islamic University Malaysia: An Online Cross-Sectional Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ikhlas Solehah Abd Rahim ◽  
Muhammad Badrul Nizam Roslan ◽  
Nur Najihah Mohamad Zaini ◽  
Nur Syazwani Kasim ◽  
Muhammad Izz Hilmi Mohd Yazid ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Medical Students ◽  
Standard Operating Procedure ◽  
Risk Groups ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Global Public Health ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Attitudes And Practices ◽  
The Government ◽  
Knowledge Attitudes And Practices

INTRODUCTION: COVID-19 pandemic has caused a major impact to global public health including one of the high risk groups which is the medical students. This study was intended to assess knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) towards COVID-19 among medical students in International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM). MATERIAL AND METHOD: An online cross-sectional study was conducted among 438 medical students of IIUM from 6th July 2020 to 9th July 2020. KAP towards COVID-19 was measured using a structured Malay and English version questionnaire consisting of 13 items on knowledge, 3 items on attitudes and 3 items on practices. RESULTS: The average correct response rate on knowledge was 85.4%. Only 12.1% of the students had correct knowledge on all items, and 1 in every 4 and 5 students had misconceptions on the clinical features and transmission of COVID-19. In term of attitudes towards COVID-19, majority of the respondents believed that COVID-19 would be effectively controlled (85%) and had faith that Malaysia could overcome the war against COVID-19 (99%). Most of the respondents practiced good towards COVID-19 in avoiding crowded places (90%), wearing face masks (95%) and practicing hand hygiene (91.6%). CONCLUSION: Although the results are positive towards KAP, only 1 in every 10 students responded correctly to all knowledge questions, and few proportions had misconceptions on the disease and did not maintain adequate practices. Policies aimed at appropriate health promotion activities may ensure empowering the medical students with adequate knowledge on all aspects of COVID-19, and practice properly following the standard operating procedure implemented by the government.

scholarly journals MOTHERS KNOWLEDGE RELATED PREVENTIVE MEASURE OF PNEUMONIA IN SLUM COMMUNITY, KARACHI, PAKISTAN

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 156-159
Author(s):  
Adeel Eliyas ◽  
Badil Das Goil ◽  
Shaheen Sherali ◽  
Imran Khan ◽  
Kamran Khan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Study Participant ◽  
Preventive Measure ◽  
Female Gender ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Mortality And Morbidity ◽  
Number Of Children ◽  
Present Cross Sectional Study ◽  
The Government ◽  
Slum Community

Background: Pneumonia is the leading cause of death of children under five years of age. The considerable number of children having pneumonia has difficulty to reach health services in the appropriate time due to their mother's failure to recognize the seriousness of their infection. Methods: Present cross-sectional study was performed by using a close-ended, adapted questionnaire comprising of 15 closed-ended items. Data was gathered through a convenient sampling method. The calculated sample size was 120 subjects of the female gender. Written consent was taken from each participant before filling of the questionnaire. Data was entered and analyzed in SPSS version 21.00. Results: Out of 120 subjects, 59.2% study participant was illiterate, 51.6% subjects were in the age group of 31 to 41 years. 15.8% of women had fair knowledge whereas 55.5% of women did not have knowledge about pneumonia. And 28.7% of women they did not know what is pneumonia. 60.8 % of respondents were unable to recognize sign and symptoms of pneumonia. Only 19.2% of participants know vaccination of pneumonia should be made essential for children. Conclusion: The study concluded that mother had scanty knowledge of pneumonia its preventive measure, and immunization. The government should also provide awareness through mass media, so that the mortality and morbidity rates can be reduced and many valuable lives can be protected.

scholarly journals Hand Hygiene Knowledge and Perception among the Healthcare Workers during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Qassim, Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Survey

Healthcare ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (12) ◽  
pp. 1627
Author(s):  
Adil Abalkhail ◽  
Ilias Mahmud ◽  
Fahad A. Alhumaydhi ◽  
Thamer Alslamah ◽  
Ameen S. S. Alwashmi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Hand Hygiene ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Primary Source ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
World Health ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
The Government ◽  
Health Organization

Hand hygiene is among the most important factors of infection control in healthcare settings. Healthcare workers are the primary source of hospital-acquired infection. We assessed the current state of hand hygiene knowledge, perception, and practice among the healthcare workers in Qassim, Saudi Arabia. In this cross-sectional study, we used the hand hygiene knowledge and perception questionnaire developed by the World Health Organization. Knowledge and perceptions were classified into good (80–100%), moderate (60–79%), and poor (<60% score). The majority of the healthcare workers had moderate knowledge (57.8%) and perception (73.4%) of hand hygiene. Males were less likely to have moderate/good knowledge compared to females (OR: 0.52, p < 0.05). Private healthcare workers were less likely (OR: 0.33, p < 0.01) to have moderate/good perceptions compared to the government healthcare workers. Healthcare workers who received training on hand hygiene were more likely to have good/moderate perception (OR: 3.2, p < 0.05) and to routinely use alcohol-based hand rubs (OR: 3.8, p < 0.05) than the ones without such training. Physicians are more likely (OR: 4.9, p < 0.05) to routinely use alcohol-based hand rubs than technicians. Our research highlighted gaps in hand hygiene knowledge, perception and practice among healthcare workers in Qassim, Saudi Arabia and the importance of training in this regard.

scholarly journals Factors predicting knowledge on COVID-19 misconceptions and perception of government efforts in Ghana: a cross-sectional study

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (9) ◽  
pp. 340
Author(s):  
Emmanuel K. Bondah ◽  
Daniel O. Agyemang
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Logistic Regression ◽  
Regression Model ◽  
Logistic Regression Model ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
World Health ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Level Of Knowledge ◽  
The Government

<p class="abstract"><strong>Background:</strong> With the increasing rate of COVID-19 cases and mortality across the globe, countries and most people have adopted precautionary and preventive measures to avoid been infected with the disease. However, several trending myths and misconceptions also floods the world during this era.</p><p class="abstract"><strong>Methods: </strong>A cross-sectional study was conducted among 587 participants (53% males, 78% aged 18-30 years, and 74% having at least tertiary level education) in Ghana, using a convenience snowballing sampling approach. A self-designed questionnaire based on “World Health Organization (WHO) myth-busters” was used for data collection. A logistic regression model was developed to explore variables predicting misconceptions.</p><p class="abstract"><strong>Results: </strong>With about 75% of respondents believing they knew “a lot” about coronavirus, 41% (confidence interval: 37-45) reported a high level of knowledge on the new coronavirus misconceptions. Social media (87%), and television/radio (57%) were the major sources of knowledge. Masters/Ph.D. degree education, National democratic congress (NDC) political members, other political party members, excellent self-health ratings, social media, respondents that anticipate a remedy in 1-5 years, and the perception that the government is “not doing enough” in fighting the pandemic, were reported factors predicting knowledge in a multiple logistic regression model (p&lt;0.05). Region of residence, political affiliation, self-health ratings, predicted time of remedy, and level of knowledge on covid-19 misconceptions were also associated with the perception of government efforts (p&lt;0.05).</p><p class="abstract"><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Most Ghanaians have much belief in trending misinformation related to the pandemic. Public health education and campaigns should address these misconceptions and encourage the public to seek information from credible sources.</p>

scholarly journals Assessing the Progress towards Achieving “VISION 2020: The Right to Sight” Initiative in Ghana

2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Enyam Komla Amewuho Morny ◽  
Samuel Bert Boadi-Kusi ◽  
Stephen Ocansey ◽  
Samuel Kyei ◽  
Kwame Yeboah ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
World Health ◽  
Vision 2020 ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Health Delivery ◽  
Country Level ◽  
Eye Health ◽  
The Government ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
The Right

Purpose. The aim of this study was to analyse eye health delivery in Ghana and examine the progress towards achieving VISION 2020 indicator targets. Methods. This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted between October 2017 and May 2018. It used a mixed method approach including desk-based reviews, a questionnaire-based survey of eye facilities in Ghana, and interviews with eye health system stakeholders to collect information on eye health delivery in facilities owned by the Ghana Health Service (GHS), quasigovernmental bodies (security agencies), and Christian Association of Ghana (CHAG). The information was benchmarked against the World Health Organization (WHO) targets for achieving the goals of VISION 2020. Results. The magnitude of blindness and moderate to severe visual impairment (without pinhole) was 0.9% and 3.0%, respectively. The number of ophthalmologists available at the country level was 80.6% of the VISION 2020 target with optometrists and ophthalmic nurses exceeding targets for VISION 2020. The distribution of human resources was heavily skewed towards two out of the 10 regions in Ghana. Cataract surgical rate was low and met 25% of the WHO target. Basic equipment for refraction was available in the majority of facilities; however, there was a general lack of specialised eye care equipment across the country. Comparatively, CHAG facilities were better equipped than GHS facilities at the same level. Conclusion. The Government of Ghana should revitalize the goals of VISION 2020 beyond the year 2020 and spearhead a concerted effort to ensure equitable distribution of human and infrastructural resources across the country.

scholarly journals Epidemiological Aspects of the Initial Evolution of COVID-19 in Microregion of Uberlândia, Minas Gerais (MG), Brazil

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (10) ◽  
pp. 5245
Author(s):  
Deborah Araujo Policarpo ◽  
Eduarda Cristina Alves Lourenzatto ◽  
Talita Costa e Silva Brito ◽  
Daise Aparecida Rossi ◽  
Roberta Torres de Melo
Keyword(s):  
The Elderly ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Incidence Rates ◽  
World Health ◽  
Global Public Health ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Initial Evolution ◽  
Epidemiological Profile ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Epidemiological Characteristics

COVID-19 is considered by the World Health Organization to be a global public health emergency, which presents regional divergences that affect the epidemiological profile of the disease and are associated with political, economic, social and behavioral aspects. We aimed to analyze the epidemiological characteristics of the disease in the microregion of Uberlândia, Brazil, in order to determine risk factors that contributed to progression of SARS-CoV-2 virus. A cross-sectional study was conducted about micro- and macro-determinants combined with the significance analysis of suspected and confirmed cases in 18 municipalities during the epidemiological weeks (EW) 9 to 26. There were 34,046 notifications, of which 4935 (14.49%) people were diagnosed with COVID-19. Of these, 282 (5.71%) required hospital care and 40 (0.81%) died. Age and presence of associated comorbidities were decisive in the variations of incidence and lethality rates. In general, young people were the most affected and the elderly people, the most exposed to the serious and lethal form (p < 0.0001). Comorbidities such as diabetes and cardiopathies increased 33.5 times the death risk. The dispersion of the virus was centrifugal, in the inter as well as in the intra-municipal level. The disorderly implementation of municipal decrees applied in a decentralized manner in the municipalities seems to have contributed for the incidence rates increasing in the EW 25 and 26.

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