scholarly journals The Fear of COVID-19, Demographic Factors, and Substance use in a Multinational Sample Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (22) ◽  
pp. 43-54
Author(s):  
Ifeanyichukwu Anthony Ogueji ◽  
Rachel Bolaji Asagba ◽  
Delroy Constantine-Simms

Abstract The global pandemic caused by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) had mental health consequences such as fear. Scholars have argued that when people are fearful, they may use substances to escape from fear, and demographic variables can have implications on how to target interventions to people. To date, little is known about how the fear of COVID-19 and demographic factors may contribute to substance use amid the COVID-19 pandemic. From 3 June to 10 June 2020, a cross-sectional study was conducted with 202 residents (Mean age = 41.77 ± 11.85; age range = 18-70 years) in 14 countries. A standardized questionnaire was utilized for data collection, SPSS (version 22.0) was utilized for data analysis, and p < .05 implied statistical significance. Descriptive statistics revealed that residents in Canada scored the highest mean score in the fear of COVID-19 scale, while residents in Australia scored highest in the substance use scale. Further, fear of COVID-19 had a negative nonsignificant relationship with substance use (r = −.07; df = 200; p > .05). Males (Mean = 18.21) scored significantly higher than females (Mean = 14.06) in substance use [t (200) = 1.9; p < .05]. The younger age group (18-28 years) scored the highest mean score in substance use compared to older age groups (29-39 years, 40-50 years, 51-61 years, and 62-72 years); however, it was not significant [F (4, 197) = 2.04; p > .05]. These data contribute to informing future studies that add more questions regarding how different variables may contribute to substance use during subsequent waves of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Healthcare ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 747
Author(s):  
Sahbanathul Missiriya Jalal ◽  
Fahima Akhter ◽  
Amal Ismael Abdelhafez ◽  
Ahmed Mansour Alrajeh

Biomedical waste (BMW) management is an essential practice of healthcare professionals (HCPs) for preventing health and also environmental hazards. Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has become a global pandemic, posing significant challenges for healthcare sectors. A cross-sectional study was performed to assess the knowledge, practice, and attitude on BMW management among HCPs when taking care of patients with COVID-19 and associated with demographic variables. From Al-Ahsa healthcare sectors, 256 HCPs were selected randomly, of which 105 (41%) had excellent knowledge, 87 (34%) had good knowledge, and 64 (25%) had poor knowledge with a mean score of 13.1 ± 3.6. A higher mean score was (14.4 ± 3.2) obtained by physicians, and (13.6 ± 3.8) nurses than the other HCPs. Regarding practice, 72 (28.1%) HCPs used and discarded PPE while handling biomedical wastes. Additionally, 88 (34.4%) followed proper hand hygiene before and after each procedure and whenever needed. Physicians, nurses, and respiratory therapists had a more favorable attitude than other HCPs. There was a statistically significant association found among knowledge level and educational qualification (p < 0.0001), gender (p < 0.001), and work experience (p < 0.05). Emphasis is needed to train all HCPs regarding proper BMW management during this pandemic to prevent infection transmission.


Religions ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 357
Author(s):  
Rafael López Cordero ◽  
Francisca Ruiz Garzón ◽  
Lourdes Medina Martínez ◽  
María del Carmen Olmos-Gómez

The current trend of secularization seems to be leading to a gradual withdrawal of religion from public spaces. However, in an increasingly internationalized world, it is becoming more and more important to study the roles of religion and religiosity and their potential in relation to dialogue and social conflicts and tensions. Education is a vital field within which to address this religious issue and create an educational dialogue in order to promote coexistence. By following a quantitative, descriptive, cross-sectional study, based on a quasi-experimental methodology with a social–analytical character, our aim is to assess the existing connections between religion, interrelation and opinion in Spanish children and adolescents. Special attention is paid to the interaction between age and beliefs. We carried out our study with the use of a questionnaire distributed to eleven secondary schools, with students aged between 11 and 16 years old, in three regions of southern Spain (Andalusia, Ceuta, and Melilla) characterized by high religious diversity and multiculturalism. The multivariate analysis carried out in this study identifies the effects of variance on the influence of age and religion, highlighting the interaction between the two. It is observed that the youngest students are those who express their opinions about religion the least, while those belonging to younger age groups and majority religions are those who express a greater religious coexistence, with Muslims externalizing their religious condition the most.


2016 ◽  
Vol 04 (01) ◽  
pp. 023-030
Author(s):  
Vimal Kumar ◽  
Pallak Arora ◽  
Manish Khatri ◽  
Shivani Sharma ◽  
Sumit Malhotra ◽  
...  

Abstract Objective: To estimate the prevalence of periodontal disease with different indices. Methods & materials: The study population consisted of multistage stratified random sample of 1300 subjects from total population of district Ghaziabad. A cross-sectional study was conducted with multi stage stratified random sampling techniques to select the sample population. The subjects were divided into different age groups and the periodontal assessment was made on the basis of CPITN index and ESI Index. Results: The CPITN has shown to estimate incorrect periodontal disease prevalence because of its underestimation of the disease severity. A huge difference was noticed in the prevalence rate of periodontitis when subjects were examined with ESI index. Conclusion Periodontal disease was found to be highly prevalent in the study population and severity of disease increased with age. More number of subjects in younger age group were found to be healthy.


2016 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 609 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olga Hernández-Serrano ◽  
José P. Espada ◽  
Alejandro Guillén-Riquelme

<p>The objectives of the present study are the following ones: 1) to study the use of drugs, the prosocial behaviour and the problem-solving skills with respect to age and gender, and 2) to analyze the association of both the prosocial behaviour and the problem-solving skills with the use of drugs. An exploratory cross-sectional study was performed, amongst a sample of 567 students in Spanish Compulsory Secondary Education (48.14% males) with an age range from 14 to 17 years (<em>M </em>= 14.92; <em>SD </em>= 0.90). Statistically significant differences were found concerning alcohol use and the prosocial behaviour with respect to gender, as well as concerning alcohol and cannabis use with respect to age. Logistic regression analyses revealed statistical significance of the prosocial behaviour with respect to the use of alcohol and cannabis. The ability in problem-solving was the most important protective predictor with respect to the abuse of cannabis. The results from this study enhance the importance of tailored interventions based on the promotion of prosocial behaviours and/or problem-solving strategies as fundamental protective factors for substance use amongst adolescents.</p>


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
A.A. Nilanga Nishad ◽  
S.A. Hewage ◽  
K. Arulmoly ◽  
M.S. Amaratunge ◽  
J de Silva ◽  
...  

AbstractOut of 39 billion people who are blind around the world, 20 billion (51.3%) is due to cataract, which is preventable. This study intended to assess the prevalence and factors associated with cataract among elderly in a divisional secretariat area in Sri Lanka. This community based cross sectional study assessed randomly selected470 adults over 60 years of age. Diagnosis of cataract was made by a slit lamp examination by medical officers, and classified according to Oxford Lens Opacity Classification system (LOCS III). Majority was between 60-69 age groups and 71% was females. The prevalence of cataract was estimated to be 80.6% including operated eye and 73.6% excluding the operated eye, with a female preponderance in lower age categories. Commonest type of cataract was the nuclear type (n=422; 44.9%), with a majority in grade 2 (218; 23.2%). The prevalence of cataract surgery in the diseased population was as low as 7%. Cataract leading to blindness is very prevalent among adults over 60 years of age in the studied area. Females tend to develop the disease at an early age than males. These findings warrant screening programme for elderly at community level, targeting females at a younger age than males. Future studies are recommended to assess the coverage and barriers for cataract surgeries at national level, which would be immensely useful in planning and improving health services.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Mohamed Abdelmageed Awad ◽  
Doaa Saleh Alghamdi ◽  
Aljawharah Talal Alghamdi

This cross-sectional study aimed to determine the degree of visibility of maxillary and mandibular anterior teeth at rest in different age groups and to evaluate the smile line, smile arc, and number of maxillary teeth displayed during smiling among the Saudi population visiting King Abdulaziz University Dental Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. A total of 157 participants (77 males and 80 females) were included in this study with an age range of 19 to 69 years. All participants had maxillary and mandibular anterior teeth without restorations. Crown length and visible portions of anterior teeth at rest were measured using a Fowler Electronic Digital Caliper. Three measurements of each variable were recorded by two independent dental interns and calibrating their measurements was performed. Smile line, smile arc, and number of teeth displayed during smiling were examined. The collected data were statistically analyzed using SPSS software. It was found that the average clinical crown lengths in the maxillary lateral incisor, mandibular central incisor, and canine were significantly higher in males than females. At rest position, females displayed more maxillary central and lateral incisors. The displayed length of maxillary teeth at rest is inversely proportional to increasing age; the reverse occurs in mandibular teeth. The common visibility of maxillary teeth during smiling was from the second bicuspid to its counterpart. Average smile line and consonant smile arc were the most common characteristics. It was concluded that both age and gender affect the characteristics of tooth display at rest and in smiling. These effects should be considered during treatment planning and restoration of anterior teeth to obtain a more predictable esthetic outcome.


2018 ◽  
Vol 36 (4_suppl) ◽  
pp. 573-573
Author(s):  
Yoon Jin Choi ◽  
Dong Ho Lee

573 Background: The association between metabolic syndrome and colorectal cancer (CRC) has been suggested as one of causes for the increasing incidence of CRC, particularly in younger age groups. The present study examined whether the current age threshold (50 years) for colorectal cancer (CRC) screening in Korea requires modification when considering metabolic syndrome. Methods: We examined data from the National Health Insurance Corporation database, which covers ~97% of the population in Korea. CRC risk was analyzed with stratification based on age and the presence/absence of relevant metabolic syndrome components (diabetes, dyslipidemia, and hypertension). The incidence of CRC was determined for four, 2-year time periods. Results: A total of 51,612,316 subjects enrolled during 2014-2015 were analyzed. Among them, 19.3% had diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, or some combination thereof. This population had a higher incidence of CRC than did those without these conditions and this was more prominent in subjects < 40 years of age. The optimal cut-off age for detecting CRC, based on the highest Youden index, was 45 years among individuals without diabetes, dyslipidemia, and hypertension, and 62 years among individuals with at least one of these components of metabolic syndrome. Resetting the cut-off age from 50 years to 45 years achieved a 6% increment in sensitivity for CRC detection among the total population. Conclusions: An earlier start of CRC screening, namely at 45 rather than at 50 years of age, may improve secondary prevention of CRC in Korea.


Hypertension ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 64 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert O Drutel ◽  
Remberto Paulo

This study aims to determine the prevalence of hypertension among children with diabetes mellitus, and describe adherence to the standard of practice regarding early diagnosis and treatment of hypertension in this population. Diabetes renders higher susceptibility to cardiovascular disease in affected patients and thus early detection of hypertension can be beneficial for future quality of life. We hypothesize that a number of diabetic children with hypertension are not promptly diagnosed and treated due to the difficult process preceding diagnosis. This cross-sectional study in an out-patient clinic of a university hospital was based on a group of 263 children (both females and males, age range between 3-18) diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. At the visit, the child's weight and height were recorded, BMI was calculated, systolic and diastolic blood pressure (BP) was taken, and blood sample drawn for hemoglobin A1C (HbA1C) readings. Within the study population we have identified a group of 73 children with hypertension. Comparing the two groups: the normotensive with the hypertensive, we have observed that the normotensive patients have significantly lower average BMI (26.7), p=0.000012 and slightly reduced HbA1C (8.9%), p=0.28 levels compared to the hypertensive group: BMI (32.5) and HbA1C (9.3%), respectively. We investigated the same parameters within every age group starting from age 10, and recorded that HbA1C was only significantly different for the group of 14 year-olds (8.7%; 11.7%, p=0.039). We also found that a significantly higher BMI is linked with hypertension for groups: age 13: BMI (29.2; 33.9, p=0.047), age 14: BMI (24.1; 35.6, p=0.00007) and age 18: BMI (31.8; 45.6, p=0.045). Within the different age groups there were differences between normotensive and hypertensive patients in BMI and HbA1C measurements, but they were not statistically significant and we assume that an increased sample size would be needed to confirm the data. We are currently working on identifying other risk factors including sex, race, height, urine creatinine, urine microalbumin, serum creatinine, lipid profile and thyroid function, that might be responsible for hypertension in pediatric patients with type 2 diabetes.


2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Berna Akova-Budak ◽  
Sertaç Argun Kıvanç ◽  
Osman Okan Olcaysü

Purpose. To investigate the association of birth parameters with refractive status in different age groups of Caucasian children.Materials and Methods. This cross-sectional study included 564 eyes of 282 children aged 4 to 17 years. All children underwent complete ophthalmologic examination. The children were divided into three groups according to their refractive status (emmetropia,myopia, and hyperopia), ages (4–7, 8-9, 10–12, and 13–17), and appropriateness for gestational age, respectively.Results. The mean age of the children was9.2±2.8(age range 4–17 years). The mean spheric equivalent was+0.3±1.7(range: (−10.0)–(+10.0) diopters). The mean birth weight and gestational age were2681.1±930.8grams (750–5000 grams) and37.2±3.7weeks (25–42 weeks). According to multinominal logistic regression analysis, children with myopia were more likely to have higher birth weights than emmetropic children (OR: 1.0, 95% CI: 1.000–1.001, andP=0.028). The hypermetropes were found to be significantly small for gestational age between 13 and 17 years of age.Conclusion. Birth weight and appropriateness for gestational age as birth parameters may have an impact on development of all types of refractive errors. The hypermetropic children tended to be small for gestational age.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 113
Author(s):  
Asiyeh Ghanbarzadeh ◽  
Elaheh Azadian ◽  
Mahdi Majlesi ◽  
Amir Ali Jafarnezhadgero ◽  
Mohammad Akrami

This study evaluates the effect of dual tasks on balance during manipulation of visual information, the base of support, and cognitive tasks in 7–12-year-old children and adults. An equal number of girls (210) and boys (210) were selected from the schools by the cluster random sampling method (within the 7–12 age groups). Twenty young adults were also selected. Postural sway (PS) was measured in the anterior–posterior (AP) and mediolateral (ML) directions using a force plate in eight standing positions, including standing with closed eyes versus standing with open eyes and standing with feet together versus on a single limb, under the interference of cognitive dual tasks (DT) or a single task (ST). PS was found to decrease with advancing age. PS was also greater in men than women in both AP and ML directions (p < 0.05). PS was greater in the 7–12-year-old participants compared to adults under the manipulation of the base of support (p < 0.05). However, PS increased in all participants regardless of their age while manipulating both the base of support and visual information (p < 0.05). Children (within the 9–12 years age range) and adults could keep their balance while performing basic tasks; however, children had difficulty in maintaining their balance with higher task demands.


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