Cross-sectional telephone surveys as a tool to study epidemiological factors and monitor seasonal influenza activity in Malta

Abstract Background Seasonal influenza has major implications for healthcare services as outbreaks often lead to high activity levels in health systems. Being able to predict when such outbreaks occur is vital. Mathematical models have extensively been used to predict epidemics of infectious diseases such as seasonal influenza and to assess effectiveness of control strategies. Availability of comprehensive and reliable datasets used to parametrize these models is limited. In this paper we combine a unique epidemiological dataset collected in Malta through General Practitioners (GPs) with a novel method using cross-sectional surveys to study seasonal influenza dynamics in Malta in 2014–2016, to include social dynamics and self-perception related to seasonal influenza. Methods Two cross-sectional public surveys (n = 406 per survey) were performed by telephone across the Maltese population in 2014–15 and 2015–16 influenza seasons. Survey results were compared with incidence data (diagnosed seasonal influenza cases) collected by GPs in the same period and with Google Trends data for Malta. Information was collected on whether participants recalled their health status in past months, occurrences of influenza symptoms, hospitalisation rates due to seasonal influenza, seeking GP advice, and other medical information. Results We demonstrate that cross-sectional surveys are a reliable alternative data source to medical records. The two surveys gave comparable results, indicating that the level of recollection among the public is high. Based on two seasons of data, the reporting rate in Malta varies between 14 and 22%. The comparison with Google Trends suggests that the online searches peak at about the same time as the maximum extent of the epidemic, but the public interest declines and returns to background level. We also found that the public intensively searched the Internet for influenza-related terms even when number of cases was low. Conclusions Our research shows that a telephone survey is a viable way to gain deeper insight into a population’s self-perception of influenza and its symptoms and to provide another benchmark for medical statistics provided by GPs and Google Trends. The information collected can be used to improve epidemiological modelling of seasonal influenza and other infectious diseases, thus effectively contributing to public health.

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Cross-Sectional Surveys as A Tool To Study Epidemiological Factors And Exploring Social Dynamics of Seasonal Influenza In Malta

10.21203/rs.3.rs-92284/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Vincent Marmarà ◽

Danika Marmarà ◽

Paul McMenemy ◽

Adam Kleczkowski

Keyword(s):

Infectious Diseases ◽

Seasonal Influenza ◽

Social Dynamics ◽

Medical Information ◽

Reporting Rate ◽

Google Trends ◽

Self Perception ◽

Alternative Source ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

The Public

Abstract Background: Seasonal influenza has major implications for healthcare services as outbreaks often lead to high activity levels in the health system. Mathematical models have extensively been used to predict epidemics of infectious diseases such as seasonal influenza and to assess effectiveness of proposed control strategies. However, the availability of comprehensive and reliable datasets is limited. In this paper we combine a unique epidemiological dataset collected in Malta through GPs with a novel method that uses cross-sectional surveys to study the dynamics of seasonal influenza in Malta in 2014-2016, to include social dynamics and self-perception related to seasonal influenza.Methods: Two cross-sectional public surveys (n=406 per survey) were performed by phone across the Maltese population in 2014-15 and 2015-16 influenza seasons. Survey results were compared with incidence data (diagnosed seasonal influenza cases) collected by GPs in the same period and with Google Trends data for Malta. The information was collected on whether participants recollected their health status in past months, occurrences of influenza symptoms, hospitalisation rates due to seasonal influenza, whether they sought GP advice, and other medical information. Results: We demonstrate that cross-sectional surveys are a reliable alternative source of data to medical records. The two surveys gave comparable results, indicating that the level of recollection among the public is high. Based on two seasons of data, the reporting rate in Malta varies between 14% and 22%. The comparison with Google Trends suggests that the online searches peak at about the same time as the maximum extent of the epidemic, but then the public interest declines and returns to the background level. We also found that the public intensively searched the Internet for influenza-related terms even when the number of cases was low.Conclusions: Our research shows that a telephone survey is an appropriate way to gain deeper insight into the population self-perception of influenza and its symptoms and to provide another benchmark for medical statistics provided by GPs and Google Trends. The information collected in different ways can be used to improve epidemiological modelling capacity for seasonal influenza and other infectious diseases, thus contributing to public health.

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Prevalence and correlates of forgone care among adult Israeli Jews: A survey conducted during the COVID-19 outbreak

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0260399 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 16 (11) ◽

pp. e0260399

Author(s):

Perla Werner ◽

Aviad Tur-Sinai

Keyword(s):

Behavioral Model ◽

Healthcare Services ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

The Novel ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Social Distancing ◽

The Public ◽

The Social ◽

Seeking Help ◽

Novel Coronavirus

Efforts to control the spread of the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic include drastic measures such as isolation, social distancing, and lockdown. These restrictions are accompanied by serious adverse consequences such as forgoing of healthcare. The study aimed to assess the prevalence and correlates of forgone care for a variety of healthcare services during a two-month COVID-19 lockdown, using Andersen’s Behavioral Model of Healthcare Utilization. A cross-sectional study using computerized phone interviews was conducted with 302 Israeli Jewish participants aged 40 and above. Almost half of the participants (49%) reported a delay in seeking help for at least one needed healthcare service during the COVID-19 lockdown period. Among the predisposing factors, we found that participants aged 60+, being more religious, and reporting higher levels of COVID-19 fear were more likely to report forgone care than younger, less religious and less concerned participants. Among need factors, a statistically significant association was found with a reported diagnosis of diabetes, with participants with the disease having a considerably higher likelihood of forgone care. The findings stress the importance of developing interventions aimed at mitigating the phenomenon of forgoing care while creating nonconventional ways of consuming healthcare services. In the short term, healthcare services need to adapt to the social distancing and isolation measures required to stanch the epidemic. In the long term, policymakers should consider alternative ways of delivering healthcare services to the public regularly and during crisis without losing sight of their budgetary consequences. They must recognize the possibility of having to align medical staff to the changing demand for healthcare services under conditions of health uncertainty.

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CAREGIVERS' PERSPECTIVE– SATISFACTION WITH HEALTHCARE SERVICES AT THE PAEDIATRIC SPECIALIST CLINIC OF THE NATIONAL REFERRAL CENTRE IN MALAYSIA

10.1101/2021.08.03.21261517 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Thinakaran M Selvarajah ◽

Eiko Yamamoto ◽

Yu Mon Saw ◽

Tetsuyoshi Kariya ◽

Nobuyuki Hamajima

Keyword(s):

Consumer Satisfaction ◽

Healthcare Services ◽

Educational Background ◽

Referral Centre ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Factors Affecting ◽

The Public ◽

Level Of Satisfaction ◽

Business Sectors ◽

Satisfaction With Healthcare Services

The idea of consumer satisfaction is gaining momentum across all business sectors around the world and a satisfaction survey is utilized as an instrument to recognize deficiencies with various facets of services and offers a valuable opportunity for customers to evaluate their experience with healthcare services. A first research performed at a public hospital's paediatric clinic, which is also the first hospital to adopt the Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) model under the Ministry of Health Malaysia (MoH), with the aim of discovering prevalence and factors affecting the satisfaction of caregivers at the national referral centre. A cross-sectional research using the standard self-administered SERVQUAL questionnaire was conducted amongst caregivers accompanying their child to the clinic. It consists of 16 paired statements to evaluate their expectations and experiences with the clinic services. 459 caregivers were involved with a majority being satisfied with the clinic services. The most significant dimensions were tangibles, assurance and outcome. Caregivers from the Indian community, lower household income, and lower educational background demonstrated a higher level of satisfaction. This article suggests that although most caregivers are very satisfied with the services, greater emphasis must be placed on delivering reliable service in response to MoH's mission to provide quality and integrated people-centred health services in Malaysia.

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Misinformation About and Interest in Chlorine Dioxide During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Mexico Identified Using Google Trends Data: An Infodemiological Study (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.29894 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Jonathan Matias Chejfec-Ciociano ◽

Juan Pablo Martínez-Herrera ◽

Alexa Darianna Parra-Guerra ◽

Ricardo Uriel Chejfec-Ciociano ◽

Francisco José Barbosa-Camacho ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Chlorine Dioxide ◽

Medical Information ◽

Visual Analysis ◽

Scientific Evidence ◽

Time Frame ◽

Google Trends ◽

The Public ◽

Emerging Therapies ◽

Treatment Agent ◽

Consecutive Time

BACKGROUND The COVID-19 pandemic triggered the appearance of several emerging therapies or preventives that lack scientific evidence. Chlorine dioxide is commonly used in the cleaning industry and is available commercially as a mineral solution. This substance has been promoted as a preventive or treatment agent for several diseases, including SARS-CoV-2 infection. As interest in chlorine dioxide has grown since the start of the pandemic, health agencies, institutions, and organizations worldwide have tried to discourage and restrict the consumption of this substance. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to analyze search engine trends in Mexico to determine the public interest in chlorine dioxide since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS We downloaded items mentioning the Spanish equivalent of the term “chlorine dioxide” from the Google Trends platform. The location was set to Mexico, and the time frame from March 3, 2019, to February 21, 2021. A descriptive visual analysis was performed. The Kruskal–Wallis and Dunn tests were used to identify significant changes in search volumes for this term between four consecutive time periods, each of 13 weeks, from March 1, 2020, to February 27, 2021. RESULTS From the beginning of the pandemic in Mexico (March 2020), an upward trend was observed in the number of searches compared with that in 2019. Maximum interest was recorded during the week of July 19-25, 2020. The search volumes declined between September and November 2020, but another peak was recorded in December 2020 through February 2021, which reached a peak value of 97 on January 10. Pairwise comparisons using the Kruskal–Wallis and Dunn tests showed significant differences between the four periods (P<.001). CONCLUSIONS Misinformation is a public health risk because it can lower compliance with the recommended measures and encourage the use of therapies that have not been proven safe. The ingestion of chlorine dioxide represents a danger to the population and several adverse reactions have been reported. Programs should be implemented to direct those interested in this substance to accurate medical information.

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Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Community Pharmacists Regarding Antibiotic Use and Infectious Diseases: A Cross-Sectional Survey in Hungary (KAPPhA-HU)

Antibiotics ◽

10.3390/antibiotics9020041 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 9 (2) ◽

pp. 41 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

Márió Gajdács ◽

Edit Paulik ◽

Andrea Szabó

Keyword(s):

Infectious Diseases ◽

Community Pharmacists ◽

Antibiotic Use ◽

Health Impact ◽

Educational Strategies ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

The Public ◽

Attitude And Practice ◽

Knowledge Attitude And Practice

One of the key drivers for the emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is non-prudent antibiotic (AB) use, which results in selection pressure towards relevant bacteria. Community pharmacists have pivotal roles in facilitating the prudent use of ABs that have been demonstrated by several studies worldwide. The aim of our present study was to evaluate the knowledge, attitude and practice of community pharmacists related to AB use and infectious diseases in Hungary. A descriptive cross-sectional survey was performed among community pharmacists in Hungary with the use of an anonymous, structured and pilot-tested questionnaire. Data collection ran between January 2016 and January 2018; n = 339 community pharmacists nationwide were approached with our questionnaire, out of which 192 filled out our survey. Hungarian pharmacists have appropriate knowledge regarding ABs and antimicrobial therapy, and they realize the public health impact of the growing AMR. Twenty-five percent of participants admitted to giving out non-prescription ABs at least once in the last year. The age and presence of board-certified specializations were shown to be significant factors of self-perceived knowledge and professional attitudes. Educational strategies and interventions specifically aimed at focusing on identified shortcomings and changing certain attitudes could substantially improve AB dispensing and AB use, in addition to minimizing resistance.

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Association between Influenza Vaccination and Positive SARS-CoV-2 IgG and IgM Tests in the General Population of Katowice Region, Poland

Vaccines ◽

10.3390/vaccines9050415 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (5) ◽

pp. 415

Author(s):

Małgorzata Kowalska ◽

Ewa Niewiadomska ◽

Kamil Barański ◽

Angelina Kaleta-Pilarska ◽

Grzegorz Brożek ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Influenza Vaccination ◽

Seasonal Influenza ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Potential Interaction ◽

Independent Factor ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

The Public ◽

Serological Status ◽

Influenza Vaccinations

The explanation of the potential interaction between the influenza vaccine and SARS-CoV-2 infection is urgently needed in the public health. The objective of the study is to compare the occurrence of positive SARS-CoV-2 IgG and IgM tests in subjects with and without recent (last year) seasonal influenza vaccinations. In a cross-sectional study located in three large towns of Silesian Voivodeship (Poland), we studied 5479 subjects in which 1253 (22.9%) had a positive anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG test and 400 (7.3%) had a positive anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgM test. Seasonal influenza vaccination remains an independent factor protecting against positive IgG tests (OR = 0.68; 0.55–0.83). The effect is not apparent with IgM antibodies. The obtained results confirmed that the serological status of SARS-CoV-2 infection depends on vaccination against seasonal influenza.

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Social sentiment segregation: Evidence from Twitter and Google Trends in Chile during the COVID-19 dynamic quarantine strategy

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0254638 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 16 (7) ◽

pp. e0254638

Author(s):

Fernando Díaz ◽

Pablo A. Henríquez

Keyword(s):

Stock Market ◽

Media Coverage ◽

Google Trends ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Market Reactions ◽

The Public ◽

Health Authorities ◽

Stock Market Reactions ◽

High Degree ◽

The Impact

The Chilean health authorities have implemented a sanitary strategy known as dynamic quarantine or strategic quarantine to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic. Under this system, lockdowns were established, lifted, or prolonged according to the weekly health authorities’ assessment of municipalities’ epidemiological situation. The public announcements about the confinement situation of municipalities country-wide are made typically on Tuesdays or Wednesdays before noon, have received extensive media coverage, and generated sharp stock market fluctuations. Municipalities are the smallest administrative division in Chile, with each city broken down typically into several municipalities. We analyze social media behavior in response to the confinement situation of the population at the municipal level. The dynamic quarantine scheme offers a unique opportunity for our analysis, given that municipalities display a high degree of heterogeneity, both in size and in the socioeconomic status of their population. We exploit the variability over time in municipalities’ confinement situations, resulting from the dynamic quarantine strategy, and the cross-sectional variability in their socioeconomic characteristics to evaluate the impact of these characteristics on social sentiment. Using event study and panel data methods, we find that proxies for social sentiment based on Twitter queries are negatively related (more pessimistic) to increases in the number of confined people, but with a statistically significant effect concentrated on people from the wealthiest cohorts of the population. For indicators of social sentiment based on Google Trends, we found that search intensity during the periods surrounding government announcements is positively related to increases in the total number of confined people. Still, this effect does not seem to be dependent on the segments of the population affected by the quarantine. Furthermore, we show that the observed heterogeneity in sentiment mirrors heterogeneity in stock market reactions to government announcements. We provide evidence that the observed stock market behavior around quarantine announcements can be explained by the number of people from the wealthiest segments of the population entering or exiting lockdown.

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Analysis of personal and national factors that influence depression in individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic: a web-based cross-sectional survey

Globalization and Health ◽

10.1186/s12992-020-00650-8 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 17 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Ji Ho Lee ◽

Hocheol Lee ◽

Ji Eon Kim ◽

Seok Jun Moon ◽

Eun Woo Nam

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Infectious Diseases ◽

The Philippines ◽

World Health ◽

Personal Hygiene ◽

Physical Damage ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

The Public ◽

The Government

Abstract Background The World Health Organization (WHO) declared coronavirus disease (COVID-19) a pandemic on March 11, 2020. Previous studies of infectious diseases showed that infectious diseases not only cause physical damage to infected individuals but also damage to the mental health of the public. Therefore this study aims to analyze the factors that affected depression in the public during the COVID-19 pandemic to provide evidence for COVID-19-related mental health policies and to emphasize the need to prepare for mental health issues related to potential infectious disease outbreaks in the future. Results This study performed the following statistical analyses to analyze the factors that influence depression in the public during the COVID-19 pandemic. First, to confirm the level of depression in the public in each country, the participants’ depression was plotted on a Boxplot graph for analysis. Second, to confirm personal and national factors that influence depression in individuals, a multi-level analysis was conducted. As a result, the median Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) score for all participants was 6. The median was higher than the overall median for the Philippines, Indonesia, and Paraguay, suggesting a higher level of depression. In personal variables, depression was higher in females than in males, and higher in participants who had experienced discrimination due to COVID-19 than those who had not. In contrast, depression was lower in older participants, those with good subjective health, and those who practiced personal hygiene for prevention. In national variables, depression was higher when the Government Response Stringency Index score was higher, when life expectancy was higher, and when social capital was higher. In contrast, depression was lower when literacy rates were higher. Conclusions Our study reveals that depression was higher in participants living in countries with higher stringency index scores than in participants living in other countries. Maintaining a high level of vigilance for safety cannot be criticized. However, in the current situation, where coexisting with COVID-19 has become inevitable, inflexible and stringent policies not only increase depression in the public, but may also decrease resilience to COVID-19 and compromise preparations for coexistence with COVID-19. Accordingly, when establishing policies such as social distancing and quarantine, each country should consider the context of their own country.

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Public Perception and Attitude toward Community Pharmacists in Saudi Arabia

Saudi Journal of Health Systems Research ◽

10.1159/000515207 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-8

Author(s):

Omar A. Almohammed ◽

Sary Alsanea

Keyword(s):

Pharmaceutical Care ◽

Public Perception ◽

Online Survey ◽

Healthcare Providers ◽

Community Pharmacists ◽

Healthcare Services ◽

Online Questionnaire ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

The Public ◽

Study Population

Background: The Saudi healthcare system is undergoing a major transformation, and pharmacists will assume more responsibilities in providing healthcare services. The current study aims to determine the current perception and attitude of the public toward pharmacists, as well as the public satisfaction with pharmacists’ practices and services in the community pharmacy setting. Methods: A cross-sectional, online questionnaire-based study was conducted between February and April 2019 and included adult participants (≥18 years) who could read and complete an Arabic online survey. χ2 and correlation tests were used to investigate differences in perception and attitude toward community pharmacists based on study population demographics and characteristics and assess the association between public perception and attitude. Statistical analysis was conducted using SAS software, version 9.4. Results: A total of 387 participants completed the survey. The overall Saudi public’s perception and attitude toward community pharmacists were positive in the study population, scoring 81.4% for perception and 69.8% for attitude, with female participants having a more favorable perception of community pharmacists than male participants (89.3 vs. 77.7%, p < 0.01). A strong and positive correlation between public perception and attitude was recognized in the study (r = 0.71, p < 0.01). The participants were found to be mostly satisfied with pharmacists’ commitment and communication skills, but not, however, with the level of pharmaceutical care services provided. Conclusion: The current positive perception and attitude toward community pharmacists among the Saudi public create an opportunity for pharmacists to assume expanded roles as healthcare providers. However, their pharmaceutical care skills should be improved in order to gain their patients’ trust and provide them with valuable services.

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HUBUNGAN JENIS PERSALINAN DENGAN STATUS KESEHATAN BAYI BARU LAHIR DI KOTA BUKITTINGGI

Maternal Child Health Care ◽

10.32883/mchc.v1i1.506 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 1 (1) ◽

pp. 29

Author(s):

Nurhayati Nurhayati

Keyword(s):

Health Status ◽

Infectious Diseases ◽

Apgar Score ◽

Health Workers ◽

Statistical Tests ◽

City Hospital ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Normal Delivery ◽

Meconium Aspiration ◽

Respiratory Conditions

Every woman wants her labor to run smoothly and can give birth to a baby perfectly. Childbirth can run normally, but it is not uncommon for labor to experience obstacles and must be done through surgery. This means the fetus and mother are in an emergency and can only be saved if labor is performed by surgery. The purpose of this study is to find out the related to the health status of newborn babies at delivery in the City of Bukittinggi.Type of analytic survey research with design cross-sectional.The object of the study was a newborn baby with Caesarean section and normal delivery at Bukittinggi City Hospital. The test used is thetest Chi-Square with a 95% confidence level.The results showed that as many as 65 people (54.2%) had the incidence of asphyxia. 65 people (54.2%) had normal respiratory conditions, 62 people (51.7%) had meconium aspiration.63 people (52.5%) had trauma to an abnormal baby.64 people (53.3%) had infectious diseases. 70 people (58.3%) had IMD.72 people (60%) have joined care. 60 people (50%) with type of labor SC. Statistical tests showed that there was a relationship between apgar score (p = 0.003), respiratory conditions (p = 0.010), meconium aspiration (p = 0.0005), trauma in infants (p = 0.0005), joint care (p = 0.002 ) and IMD (p = 0.0005) for the type of labor. While infectious diseases do not have a relationship to the type of labor (p = 0.583).It was concluded that there was a relationship between apgar score, respiratory condition, meconium aspiration, admission and IMD with different types of delivery. Expected to health workers especially midwives can be used as input in order to improve health status in newborns.

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