Abstract PO-158: Influence of health beliefs on COVID-19 vaccination among patients with cancer and other comorbidities in Puerto Rico

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
McClaren Rodriguez ◽  
Andrea López-Cepero ◽  
Ana Patricia Ortiz ◽  
Emma Fernández-Repollet ◽  
Cynthia Pérez
Keyword(s):  
Puerto Rico ◽  
Health Beliefs ◽  
Patients With Cancer

scholarly journals Influence of Health Beliefs on COVID-19 Vaccination among Individuals with Cancer and Other Comorbidities in Puerto Rico

Vaccines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (9) ◽  
pp. 994
Author(s):  
McClaren Rodriguez ◽  
Andrea López-Cepero ◽  
Ana P. Ortiz-Martínez ◽  
Emma Fernández-Repollet ◽  
Cynthia M. Pérez
Keyword(s):  
Puerto Rico ◽  
Ethnic Minority ◽  
Health Beliefs ◽  
Cancer Diagnosis ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Vaccine Uptake ◽  
Minority Populations ◽  
Diagnosis Of Cancer ◽  
Ethnic Minority Populations ◽  
Chronic Comorbidities

Ethnic minority populations are more likely to suffer from chronic comorbidities, making them more susceptible to the poor health outcomes associated with COVID-19 infection. Therefore, ensuring COVID-19 vaccination among vulnerable populations is of utmost importance. We aimed to investigate health behaviors and perceptions of COVID-19 vaccination among adults self-reporting diagnosis of cancer and of other chronic comorbidities in Puerto Rico (PR). This secondary analysis used data from 1911 participants who completed an online survey from December 2020 to February 2021. The Health Belief Model was used to measure perceptions surrounding COVID-19 vaccination among individuals self-reporting diagnosis of cancer and of other chronic comorbidities, and healthy adults. Among study participants, 76% were female, 34% were 50 years or older, 5% self-reported cancer diagnosis, and 70% had other chronic comorbidities. Participants self-reporting a cancer diagnosis had two times higher odds of getting vaccinated than healthy individuals (95% CI: 1.00–4.30). Compared to healthy participants, those self-reporting being diagnosed with cancer and those with chronic conditions other than cancer had significantly higher perceived COVID-19 susceptibility and severity. Our findings elucidate the effect of disease status on health-related decision-making and highlights information needed to be included in education campaigns to increase vaccine uptake among ethnic minority populations.

scholarly journals High-Intensity End-of-Life Care Among Patients With GI Cancer in Puerto Rico: A Population-Based Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. e168-e177
Author(s):  
Karen J. Ortiz-Ortiz ◽  
Guillermo Tortolero-Luna ◽  
Carlos R. Torres-Cintrón ◽  
Diego E. Zavala-Zegarra ◽  
Axel Gierbolini-Bermúdez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Puerto Rico ◽  
Acute Care ◽  
High Intensity ◽  
Care Setting ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Acute Care Setting ◽  
Population Based Study ◽  
Patients With Cancer ◽  
Gi Cancer ◽  
Eol Care

PURPOSE: High-intensity care with undue suffering among patients with cancer at the end of life (EoL) is associated with poor quality of life. We examined the pattern and predictors of high-intensity care among patients with GI cancer in Puerto Rico. METHODS: This population-based study of data from the Puerto Rico Central Cancer Registry-Health Insurance Linkage Database examined patients with GI cancer who died between 2009 and 2017. EoL care intensity indicators include the following services in the last month before death: emergency room (ER) visits, hospitalizations, intensive care unit (ICU) admissions, life-extending procedures, death in an acute care setting, and the use of chemotherapy in the last 14 days. We used logistic regression models to examine factors associated with EoL care. RESULTS: Four thousand six hundred twenty-nine patients with GI cancer were included in the analysis. We found that 11.0% of patients received chemotherapy, 17.3% had > 1 hospitalization, 9.3% were in the ICU, 18.0% had > 1 ER visit, 39.3% died in an acute care setting, and 8.6% received life-extending procedures. A compound indicator of the aggressiveness of care showed that 54.5% of patients had at least one of the selected aggressive indicators. The multivariable model showed that female patients, patients ≥ 60 years of age, patients enrolled in Medicaid, patients dually eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid, and patients who survived > 1 year were less likely to receive aggressive EoL care. CONCLUSION: Our findings support the urgent need to improve EoL care in Puerto Rico. Further studies are warranted to fully understand EoL care in patients with cancer in Puerto Rico.

Puerto Rico: A Cultural Crossroads

ASHA Leader ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 13 (15) ◽  
pp. 38-40
Author(s):  
Albert Villanueva-Reyes
Keyword(s):  
Puerto Rico

L-arginine effect on inflammatory mediators: A systematic review of randomized controlled clinical trials

2019 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Seyed Reza Mirhafez ◽  
Mitra Hariri
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Clinical Trials ◽  
Inflammatory Mediators ◽  
Randomized Clinical Trials ◽  
Randomized Controlled Clinical Trials ◽  
Patients With Cancer ◽  
Reactive Protein ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Human Adults ◽  
Factor Α

Abstract. L-arginine is an important factor in several physiological and biochemical processes. Recently, scientists studied L-arginine effect on inflammatory mediators such as C-reactive protein (CRP), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6). We conducted a systematic review on randomized controlled trials assessing L-arginine effect on inflammatory mediators. We searched data bases including Google scholar, ISI web of science, SCOPUS, and PubMed/Medline up to April 2019. Randomized clinical trials assessing the effect of L-arginine on inflammatory mediators in human adults were included. Our search retrieved eleven articles with 387 participants. Five articles were on patients with cancer and 6 articles were on adults without cancer. L-arginine was applied in enteral form in 5 articles and in oral form in 6 articles. Eight articles were on both genders, two articles were on women, and one article was on men. L-arginine could not reduce inflammatory mediators among patients with and without cancer except one article which indicated that taking L-arginine for 6 months decreased IL-6 among cardiopathic nondiabetic patients. Our results indicated that L-arginine might not be able to reduce selected inflammatory mediators, but for making a firm decision more studies are needed to be conducted with longer intervention duration, separately on male and female and with different doses of L-arginine.

Are Three Items Sufficient to Measure Sense of Coherence?

2018 ◽  
Vol 34 (4) ◽  
pp. 229-237 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesca Chiesi ◽  
Andrea Bonacchi ◽  
Caterina Primi ◽  
Alessandro Toccafondi ◽  
Guido Miccinesi
Keyword(s):  
Sense Of Coherence ◽  
Convergent Validity ◽  
Clinical Sample ◽  
Clinical Samples ◽  
Depression Symptoms ◽  
Time Saving ◽  
Positive Role ◽  
Patients With Cancer ◽  
Measure Sense

Abstract. The present study aimed at evaluating if the three-item sense of coherence (SOC) scale developed by Lundberg and Nystrom Peck (1995) can be effectively used for research purpose in both nonclinical and clinical samples. To provide evidence that it represents adequately the measured construct we tested its validity in a nonclinical (N = 658) and clinical sample (N = 764 patients with cancer). Results obtained in the nonclinical sample attested a positive relation of SOC – as measured by the three-item SOC scale – with Antonovsky’s 13-item and 29-item SOC scales (convergent validity), and with dispositional optimism, sense of mastery, anxiety, and depression symptoms (concurrent validity). Results obtained in the clinical sample confirmed the criterion validity of the scale attesting the positive role of SOC – as measured by the three-item SOC scale – on the person’s capacity to respond to illness and treatment. The current study provides evidence that the three-item SOC scale is a valid, low-loading, and time-saving instrument for research purposes on large sample.

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