scholarly journals How Did Elderly T2D Patients Cope With the Quebec Covid-19 Lockdown

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. A342-A343
Author(s):  
Jack Elstein ◽  
Reisa Gilfix ◽  
Eleanor Elstein

Abstract The Canadian city most affected by the first wave of the Covid-19 (CV19) pandemic was Montreal. Montreal was in lockdown (LD) from Mar 13- Jun 15, 2020. The elderly, diabetics, and the economically disadvantaged are among the groups most at risk of CV19 and the psychosocial effects of LD. We sought to ascertain the effect of the LD on the wellbeing of lower income elderly T2D pts. As we felt it unethical to do non-essential testing during a pandemic we relied on clinically available HbA1c’s as surrogates for metabolic wellbeing. Most HbA1c‘s used reflect a high (r=0.91) correlation with 3 month values for the time periods of interest. The study group was composed of 38 mostly elderly T2D pts. All pts lived alone or with similarly aged spouses in non-institutional settings in a lower middle class neighborhood of Montreal. None had organized domestic help from family or the community. None had documented acute medical episodes or medication changes between Jan and Sept 2020. None have conditions known to render HbA1c non reliable. Pts were interviewed by telephone to assess their overall coping with the LD. In particular they were questioned about medical issues, difficulties obtaining medications +/- groceries and psychological or social stress. HbA1c values between Jan 1 - Mar 15, 2020 and after Aug 25, 2020 (non LD values) and between Apr 20 - Aug 15, 2020 (LD values) were recorded. Differences in the recorded non LD and LD HbA1c’s were compared and analyzed for the group as a whole, by gender, and by insulin use. There were 38 pts, 22 M 56–77 yrs (mean 72.1) and 16 F 41–90 yrs (mean 75.2), 89.5% (34/38) were > 65 yrs. Ten M and 9 F were on insulin. No pt reported severe hypoglycemia or weight fluctuations. All claimed to be following public health guidelines. There were no significant differences (d) between the mean HbA1c’s non LD compared to LD neither for the entire group (d= 0.2), M (d=0.2), F (d=0.2), insulin treated pts (d=0.3) nor those not treated with insulin (d=0.0). There were no overt medical decompensations. No pt reported having been unable to access medications or groceries. No pt reported significant psychological distress or feelings of isolation. None had been diagnosed with CV19. This largely geriatric T2D cohort did not report any overt deleterious effects from the LD. There were no significant differences in HbA1c non LD compared to LD. It is not possible to determine how effective the LD was in protecting these pts from CV19 other than to note that none had been diagnosed as having contracted the disease. As the 2nd wave of CV19 evolves, health care professionals will have the opportunity to study the effect of public health interventions, not only on controlling the spread of CV19, but also on the general wellbeing of different pt populations.

2010 ◽  
Vol 58 (3) ◽  
pp. 199-206 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rosina-Martha Csöff ◽  
Gloria Macassa ◽  
Jutta Lindert

Körperliche Beschwerden sind bei Älteren weit verbreitet; diese sind bei Migranten bislang in Deutschland und international noch wenig untersucht. Unsere multizentrische Querschnittstudie erfasste körperliche Beschwerden bei Menschen im Alter zwischen 60 und 84 Jahren mit Wohnsitz in Stuttgart anhand der Kurzversion des Gießener Beschwerdebogens (GBB-24). In Deutschland wurden 648 Personen untersucht, davon 13.4 % (n = 87) nicht in Deutschland geborene. Die Geschlechterverteilung war bei Migranten und Nichtmigranten gleich; der sozioökonomische Status lag bei den Migranten etwas niedriger: 8.0 % (n = 7) der Migranten und 2.5 % (n = 14) der Nichtmigranten verfügten über höchstens vier Jahre Schulbildung; 12.6 % (n = 11) der Migranten und 8.2 % (n = 46) der Nichtmigranten hatten ein monatliches Haushaltsnettoeinkommen von unter 1000€; 26.4 % der Migranten und 38.1 % (n = 214) der Nichtmigranten verfügten über mehr als 2000€ monatlich. Somatische Beschwerden lagen bei den Migranten bei 65.5 % (n = 57) und bei den Nichtmigranten bei 55.8 % (n = 313). Frauen wiesen häufiger somatische Beschwerden auf (61.8 %) als Männer (51.8 %). Mit steigendem Alter nahmen somatische Beschwerden zu. Mit Ausnahme der Altersgruppe der 70–74-Jährigen konnte kein signifikanter Unterschied zwischen Migranten und Nichtmigranten hinsichtlich der Häufigkeit körperlicher Beschwerden gezeigt werden. Ausblick: Es werden dringend bevölkerungsrepräsentative Studien zu körperlichen Beschwerden bei Migranten benötigt.


2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 105-110
Author(s):  
Haile Kassahun ◽  
Dugessa Tesfaye

Background: Disposal of pharmaceutical waste among patients is a global challenge especially in developing countries like Ethiopia. Improper medication disposal can lead to health problems and environmental contaminations. Therefore, the present study aimed to assess disposal practices of unused medications among patients in public health centers of Dessie town, Northeast Ethiopia. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 263 patients in four public health centers of Dessie town, Ethiopia from March to June, 2019. Face-to-face interviews using structured questionnaires were used to collect data from each study subject. Results: The majority of the respondents, 224 (85.17%) had unused medications at their home during the study period. The most commonly reported disposal method in the present study was flushing down into a toilet 66 (25.09%). None of the respondents practiced returning unused medications to Pharmacy. Moreover, 85 (32.31%) of the respondents reported never disposing their medications and believed that it is acceptable to store medications at home for future use. Conclusion: In the present study, there was a high practice of keeping medications at home and most of the disposal practices were not recommended methods. In addition, most of the respondents did not get advice from pharmacists and other health care professionals on how to dispose off unused medications. Hence, there is a need for proper education and guidance of patients regarding disposal practices of unused medications.


Author(s):  
Alexander Siedschlag ◽  
Tiangeng Lu ◽  
Andrea Jerković ◽  
Weston Kensinger

Abstract This article presents and discusses, in the new context of COVID-19, findings from a tabletop exercise on response and resilience in the ongoing opioid crisis in Pennsylvania. The exercise was organized by [identifying information removed] and held at the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA), in further collaboration with the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security, the Pennsylvania Department of Health, and with the participation of several additional agencies and institutions. It addressed first-responder and whole-community response and resilience to the ongoing opioid crisis. More than 50 experts participated in the one-day program that involved state and local agencies, first-responder organizations, as well as academia in a discussion about effectuating comprehensive response to overdose incidents. Participant experts represented a wide array of backgrounds, including state and local law enforcement agencies; emergency medical technicians; public health and health care professionals; and scholars from the fields of law, security studies, public policy, and public health, among other relevant areas. Participants addressed specific challenges, including resource sharing among responders; capacity-building for long-term recovery; effective integration of non-traditional partners, such as spontaneous volunteers and donors; and public education and outreach to improve prevention. The exercise aimed to strengthen the whole-community approach to emergency response.


Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 1100
Author(s):  
Chelsea Didinger ◽  
Henry J. Thompson

Legume food crops can contribute to the solution of diet-related public health challenges. The rich diversity of the botanical family Fabaceae (Leguminosae) allows legumes to fill numerous nutritional niches. Pulses (i.e., a subgroup of legumes including chickpeas, cowpeas, dry beans, dry peas, and lentils) are a nutrient-dense food that could play a key role in eliminating the dramatic underconsumption of dietary fiber and potassium, two dietary components of public health concern, all while maintaining a caloric intake that promotes a healthy weight status. However, incorrect use of terminology—in the commercial and scientific literature as well as in publications and materials prepared for the consuming public—creates confusion and represents a barrier to dissemination of clear dietary guideline messaging. The use of accurate terminology and a simple classification scheme can promote public health through differentiation among types of legumes, better informing the development and implementation of nutritional policies and allowing health care professionals and the public to capitalize on the health benefits associated with different legumes. Although inconsistent grouping of legumes exists across countries, the recently released 2020–2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) were chosen to illustrate potential challenges faced and areas for clarification. In the 2020–2025 DGA, pulses are included in two food groups: the protein food group and ‘beans, peas, lentils’ vegetable subgroup. To evaluate the potential of pulses to contribute to intake of key dietary components within calorie recommendations, we compared 100 kilocalorie edible portions of pulses versus other foods. These comparisons demonstrate the unique nutritional profile of pulses and the opportunity afforded by this type of legume to address public health concerns, which can be greatly advanced by reducing confusion through global harmonization of terminology.


2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. e000903
Author(s):  
Natalie F Shur ◽  
David Johns ◽  
Stefan Kluzek ◽  
Nicholas Peirce

Government-restricted movement during the coronavirus pandemic in various countries around the world has led to rapid and fundamental changes in our health behaviour. As well as being at a higher risk of contracting and being hospitalised with COVID-19, the elderly, those with chronic disease and lower socioeconomic groups are also disproportionately affected by restriction of movement, further widening the physical activity health inequality. In this viewpoint we discuss the physiological sequelae of physical inactivity, and the additional burden of ageing and inflammation. We provide recommendations for public health promotion and interventions to try to mitigate the detrimental effects of physical inactivity and rebalance the health inequality.


2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Saad Kazim Karim ◽  
Perjan Hashim Taha ◽  
Nazar Mohammad Mohammad Amin ◽  
Habeeb Shuhaib Ahmed ◽  
Miami Kadhim Yousif ◽  
...  

Abstract Background The COVID-19 outbreak is an unprecedented global public health burden, which popped up in China in late 2019 to early 2020 and distributed worldwide rapidly. Indeed, this pandemic transmission has raised global physical and mental health concerns. Mental health issues that concur with this public health emergency may pose anxiety, depression, and posttraumatic stress disorder. In Iraq, there are no registered known data on the psychological consequence of the public during the communicable disease outbreak. The ongoing study aims to address the paucity of these data as an appraisal of the mental health burden represented by anxiety disorder related to the global COVID-19 era. Results Among the 1591 Iraqi respondents, 788 (49.5%) accounted for having health anxiety over the current home restriction situation. Younger ages experienced more COVID-19-related health anxiety compared to older ages. Females reported higher health anxiety compared to males (57.7% vs 42.3%). The health care professionals reported 20.9% health anxiety. The Iraqi southern population displayed more health anxiety compared to the northern and middle portions. This work showed about half of the respondents were spending over 60 min focusing on news of COVID-19. We found that 80 to 90% carrying out preventive efforts and home quarantine against COVID-19 infection. Interestingly, participants experienced fear from the risk of COVID-19 infection, whether more or equal to a level of war scare, in 70.1% of the sample. Conclusions In Iraq, during the COVID-19 pandemic, nearly half of the respondents have health anxiety. Southern Iraqi cities displayed higher rates of anxiety. Also, being female, younger ages, holding an academic degree, or being a college student are associated with more prominent degrees of anxiety. Furtherly, it is important to adopt strategies for public health education and prevention and alerting future governmental responses focusing on psychological state impact among the general population.


Author(s):  
Brain Guntoro ◽  
Kasih Purwati

Hypertension is one of the number one causes of death and disability in the world. Hypertension contributes nearly 9.4 million deaths from cardiovascular disease each year. Hypertension can cause undesirable effects, it needs good handling, one of them is by doing a hypertension diet. To carry out a hypertension diet requires knowledge, lack of knowledge can increase risk factors for hypertension. This study aims to determine the relationship of the level of knowledge about hypertension diet to the incidence of hypertension in the elderly at the Baloi Permai Public Health Center Batam City. This research method is an analytic observational with a cross-sectional approach conducted at the Baloi Permai Public Health Center Batam City 2018. Sampling technique is a total sampling with a sample of 64 people in 2018 determined by inclusion and exclusion criteria. The results of the study were analyzed with frequency distribution and then tested with the Chi-square test. Based on the results of this study indicate that of the 64 respondents found elderly who have a good level of knowledge are 41 people (64.1%), 48 people (75.0%) have an age range between 60-70 years. 27 people (42.2%) elderly have the last high school education and 40 people (62.5%) have jobs as entrepreneurs. Elderly people who have normal blood pressure are 40 people (62.5%), and those affected by hypertension are 24 people (37.5%). The elderly who have a family history of hypertension is 21 people (32.8%) and those who do not have a history of hypertension are 43 people (67.2%). Chi-Square Test analysis results show the significance value p = 0.009. This number is significant because the p-value is smaller than the significance level (α) ≤ 5% (0.05), so H0 is rejected and Ha is accepted. Therefore it can be concluded that there is a significant relationship about the level of knowledge about the hypertension diet to the incidence of hypertension in the elderly. From the results of this study it was concluded that there was a relationship between the level of knowledge about the hypertension diet and the incidence of hypertension in the elderly at the Baloi Permai Public Health Center Batam City in 2016.


2017 ◽  
Vol 47 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Carla Susana Rodrigues ◽  
Cláudia Valéria Gonçalves Cordeiro de Sá ◽  
Cristiano Barros de Melo

ABSTRACT: Listeria monocytogenes is a relevant foodborne pathogen in public health, responsible for outbreaks of listeriosis often associated to the consumption of ready to eat meat, dairy and fishery products. Listeriosis is a serious disease that can lead to death and mainly affect children, the elderly and immunocompromised individuals. In pregnant women causes abortion or neonatal listeriosis. In Brazil, ready to eat food are appreciated and increasingly consumed by the population. Furthermore, products such as sausages, bologna, hams and cheeses have characteristics such as pH, Aw and sodium chloride content that favor the development of L. monocytogenes during their shelf life. The purpose of this paper was to present an overview of L. monocytogenes contamination in different meat, dairy and fishery products that are ready for consumption and thereby support the adoption of strategies to mitigate this risk, contributing to achieve the appropriate level protection for the consumers and thus strengthen Brazil's food safety system.


Author(s):  
Mythri Halappa

AbstractMedications are one of the most important tools in public health practice. Since the 1980s, self‑medication is of prime public health importance as World Health Organization, in order to reduce the burden on health care professionals changed some prescription drugs to be sold over the counter. Each drug has its own advantages & disadvantages. Hence, always they have to be taken with caution. Considering this a recent trend has increased in surveying the prevalence of self medication. Hence, this review critically evaluated the studies to put a light on basic concept of self medication.Key words: Self medication, Drug abuse, Self care, Substance abuse, Antibiotic usage. 


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