scholarly journals Evaluation and improvement of emergency capacity of medical staff for the COVID-19: A cross-sectional study in China

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shu-Xiao Hu ◽  
Chang-Fu Chen ◽  
Qing Liu ◽  
Gao-Fei Zhang ◽  
Hua-Lin Cheng ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has spread to 215 countries around the world. In the studies of responding to public health emergencies, most of them are focused on health systems, local governments or medical organizations, but less on individuals. Medical staff, however, are the core strength for responding to public health emergencies. The aims of this study are to investigate the status of medical staff’s emergency capacity during the Pandemic and to provide intellectual support for further enhancing the medical staff's ability to ensure the smooth operation of medical rescue. Methods: This study conducted a cross-sectional survey of four hospitals, which were designated to treat patients with COVID-19 in China. Based on the emergency capacity system for infectious diseases of medical staff, an improved Emergency Preparedness Information Questionnaire was used to evaluate the emergency capacity of medical staff. Linear regression and one-way analysis of variance were used to test the difference in the emergency capacity of medical staff; Spearman correlation analysis was used to study the correlation between self-efficacy and emergency capacity of medical staff. Results: The overall emergency capacity of the surveyed medical staff was at a medium level. There was a correlation between emergency capacity and age, working years, position, educational background and area where medical staff work. Emergency capacity was not related to the hospital grades. Emergency capacity was significantly related to whether medical staff had participated in frontline Pandemic prevention work. There was also a positive correlation between emergency capacity and self-efficacy of medical staff. Conclusions: The results highlighted the importance of the training mechanism for emergency personnel. The emergency input for public health emergencies should be increased to improve the emergency capacity of medical staff. In addition, it is necessary to pay attention to the mental health of medical staff.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shu-Xiao Hu ◽  
Chang-Fu Chen ◽  
Qing Liu ◽  
Gao-Fei Zhang ◽  
Hua-Lin Cheng ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has spread to 216 countries and territories around the world. Most studies on response to public health emergencies, focus on health systems, local governments or medical organizations, but fewer studies focus on individuals. However, medical staff are the core strength for responding to public health emergencies. The aims of this study are to investigate the status of medical staff’s emergency capacity during the pandemic and to provide intellectual support to further enhance medical staff's ability to ensure the smooth operation of medical rescue. Methods: This study conducted a cross-sectional survey of four hospitals designated to treat patients with COVID-19 in China. Based on the emergency capacity system of medical staff for infectious diseases, an improved Emergency Preparedness Information Questionnaire was used to evaluate the emergency capacity of medical staff. Linear regression and one-way analysis of variance were used to test the differences in the emergency capacity of medical staff. Spearman correlation analysis was used to study the correlation between the self-efficacy and emergency capacity of medical staff. Results: The overall emergency capacity of the surveyed medical staff was at a medium level. There was a correlation between emergency capacity and age, working years, position, educational background and the area where medical staff worked. Emergency capacity was not related to the hospital grade. Emergency capacity was significantly related to whether medical staff had participated in frontline pandemic prevention work. There was also a positive correlation between emergency capacity and the self-efficacy of medical staff. Conclusions: The results highlight the importance of the training mechanism for emergency personnel. The emergency input for public health emergencies should be increased to improve the emergency capacity of medical staff. In addition, it is necessary to pay attention to the mental health of medical staff.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qaisar Khalid Mahmood ◽  
Sara Rizvi Jafree ◽  
Sahifa Mukhtar ◽  
Florian Fischer

Although the role of social media in infectious disease outbreaks is receiving increasing attention, little is known about the mechanisms by which social media use affects risk perception and preventive behaviors during such outbreaks. This study aims to determine whether there are any relationships between social media use, preventive behavior, perceived threat of coronavirus, self-efficacy, and socio-demographic characteristics. The data were collected from 310 respondents across Pakistan using an online cross-sectional survey. Reliability analyses were performed for all scales and structural equational modeling was used to identify the relationships between study variables. We found that: (i) social media use predicts self-efficacy (β = 0.25, p < 0.05) and perceived threat of coronavirus (β = 0.54, p < 0.05, R2 = 0.06), and (ii) preventive behavior is predicted by self-efficacy and perceived threat of coronavirus (R = 0.10, p < 0.05). Therefore, these results indicate the importance of social media's influence on health-related behaviors. These findings are valuable for health administrators, governments, policymakers, and social scientists, specifically for individuals whose situations are similar to those in Pakistan.


2021 ◽  
pp. 276-282
Author(s):  
Noon Abubakr Abdelrahman Kamil ◽  
Salma Elmukashfi Eltahir Mohammed ◽  
Yasir Ahmed Mohammed Elhadi ◽  
Mohamed Babiker Musa ◽  
Yusuff Adebayo Adebisi ◽  
...  

Background: The new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has impacted many aspects of life. Several studies have investigated the effect of this pandemic on academic activities. Yet, no studies addressed the impact of COVID-19 on students in Sudan. This study examines the impact of COVID-19 on Sudanese undergraduate pharmacy students. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using an online questionnaire delivered to undergraduate pharmacy students. Results: A total of 137 students responded to the survey. The majority were female (74.5%) and were students in private colleges (60.6%). Majority of the students (95.0%) were affected by COVID-19 crisis and about half of the respondents (54.0%) were depressed and 85.4% reported a decreased level of concentration. In spite of these challenges, majority of our respondents were still motivated (85.3%) to continue their education on campus. Conclusion: Despite unprecedented challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, pharmacy students in Sudan are motivated to continue their studies, and they want the traditional teaching model to resume. It is time to invest more in education and rethink delivery of pharmacy education in Sudan during public health emergencies. There is no better time than now.


Author(s):  
Amesh A. Adalja ◽  
Tara Kirk Sell ◽  
Sanjana J. Ravi ◽  
Katie Minton ◽  
Ryan Morhard

AbstractEach of the nuclear power plants in the US is encircled by an Emergency Planning Zone (EPZ). Within each EPZ, government officials, utility professionals, emergency managers, and public health practitioners collectively conduct extensive planning, exercises, and outreach to better protect their communities in the event of a nuclear accident. Our objective was to conduct a cross-sectional study of off-site public health preparedness within EPZs to better understand the dynamics of nuclear preparedness and uncover lessons for all-hazards preparedness.Using a qualitative, interview-based method, we consulted 120 county emergency managers, state health preparedness officers, state radiation health officials, and industry officials from 17 EPZs in ten different states.Interviewees reflected that EPZ emergency preparedness is generally robust, results from strong public-private partnership between nuclear plants and emergency management agencies, and enhances all-hazard preparedness. However, there exist a few areas which merit further study and improvement. These areas include cross-state coordination, digital public communication, and optimizing the level of public education within EPZs.This first-of-its-kind study provides a cross-sectional snapshot of emergency preparedness in the 10-mile EPZ surrounding nuclear power plants.


2019 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Paul Andrew Bourne ◽  
◽  
Vincent M.S. Peterkin ◽  

The objectives of the current research are to examine Jamaicans’ health status, pulse rate, body mass index (BMI), hypertension, and factors influencing 1) hypertension, 2) blood pressure, and 3) pulse rate, during COVID-19. A cross-sectional survey using associational research design by way of convenience sampling was used to conduct this research. This study examined correlation of age, gender, BMI, hypertension, and blood pressure among Jamaicans age ranging from 15 to 85 and above. Cross–sectional study and associational research design were used to collect data for the period of June to August 2020. The study demonstrated that hypertension is significantly predicted by gender, age, and pulse rate one─Omnibus tests of model (χ2(4) =138.947, P < 0.0001, -2Ll=2098.67) and Wald statistic being 90.161, P < 0.0001, and the variance in model 10.8% (Nagelkerke R2). Furthermore, ordinary least square (OLS) regression can be used to model pulse rate (bpm) for Jamaicans (F [4, 1676] =17.236, P < 0.0001), with the model explaining 4.0% of the variance in pulse rate of Jamaicans. Gender, BMI and Hypertensive emerged as the factors that determine the pulse rate of Jamaicans. Diastolic & systolic blood pressure were determined by age, weight, and pulse rate, with age being the most significant predictor. The risk of hypertension was higher among population groups who were overweight and obese. Gender was found to correlate with blood pressure and hypertension; female participants were more likely to be hypertensive than the male participants. BMI measurement should be recommended as a simple and effective predictor of hypertension in public health strategies. There is empirical evidence that can be used to establish that Jamaicans health status has worsen since March 10, 2020, and that Covid-19 has brought with it unhealthy lifestyle practices, which are pending public health challenges come 2021 and beyond.


2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 47-52
Author(s):  
Sudarshan Subedi ◽  
Hari Prasad Kaphle ◽  
Roshan Neupane ◽  
Roshna Rajbhandari

Educational satisfaction determines the quality of education system which interns affects the performance and achievement of students during study and finally future professional competencies. The objectives of this study were to identify the perceived status of satisfaction on educational conditions and teaching-learning environment and associated factors of it among the public health undergraduates. This was the descriptive cross sectional study carried out among 384 undergraduate students of public health studying in final year/semester of three universities of Nepal using self administered questionnaire. The result of the study showed that satisfactions on various components are below than average. Among the satisfied components, the major were in case of duration of course (46.1%), teaching skills of part time teacher (39.1%), curriculum and overall course of study (36.2%), research/dissertation guidance (34.6%) and teaching skills of full time teacher (33.6%). The satisfaction level was least in case of result timing/procedure (14.1%), tuition fee (23.7%), examination procedure (26.3%) and evaluation system (27.1%). Ethnicity, educational background, course duration, types of teacher, availability of books in library and availability of research papers/journals were found associated with educational satisfaction. The study concluded low educational satisfaction among public health under graduate students. It is recommended to take immediate action for improvements of different components of education system like curriculum structure & contains, teaching methodology, teaching learning materials, admission and examination procedure. Key words: Public health; Education; undergraduate course; satisfaction; Nepal


Author(s):  
Kartikey Yadav ◽  
Ananya Ray Laskar ◽  
S. K. Rasania

Background: Public health emergencies during pandemics of communicable diseases, may cause fear leading to social isolation and stigma. Cases have been reported of healthcare professionals (HCPs), facing discrimination on account of heightened fear and misinformation. However, there is dearth of literature with regards to the nature and magnitude of this stigma. Hence, this study was conducted to assess perceived and experienced stigma related to the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) among HCPs and also assess their apprehensions about testing, quarantine/isolation and consuming Hydroxy-chloroquine as prophylaxis (HCQ).Methods: A cross-sectional study was undertaken among the HCPs working in Delhi during the period May to July 2020. The study was conducted using a semi-structured online questionnaire which was circulated on official contact numbers and email IDs of HCPs in the Google.doc format.Result: Seventy percent of the participants in the current study perceived some kind of stigma, 50% of study participants perceived some form of stigma in their residential colony, 46% observed change in behaviour of their neighbours. Around 20% of participants experienced stigma, most commonly being rude behaviour or harassment from neighbour/landlord. A statistically significant association was observed between marital status (p=0.038), designation (p=0.021) and place of stay (p=0.013) of the study participants and perceived stigma among them. The level of awareness regarding HCQ was high (94.3%), but more than 60% didn’t consume it due to apprehension about side effects.Conclusion: In view of the substantial stigma faced by the HCP, necessary measures to curb the fear and dispel misinformation related to COVID-19 must be undertaken. the rural population.


2018 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 202-211 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lamis Jomaa ◽  
Farah Naja ◽  
Samer Kharroubi ◽  
Nahla Hwalla

AbstractObjectiveFood insecurity (FI) is a major public health problem in Lebanon, a small middle-income country with the highest refugee per capita concentration worldwide and prolonged political and economic challenges. The present study aimed to measure the prevalence and sociodemographic correlates of household FI and to explore the association of household FI with anthropometric measures of children and their mothers.DesignCross-sectional survey (2014–2015).SettingLebanon.ParticipantsNationally representative sample of Lebanese households with 4–18-year-old-children and their mothers (n1204).ResultsFI prevalence (95 % CI), measured using the Arabic-translated, validated Household Food Insecurity Access Scale, was found to be 49·3 (44·0, 54·6) % in the study sample. Mild, moderate and severe FI were found in 7·0 (5·5, 9·2) %, 23·3 (20·1, 26·8) % and 18·9 (14·9, 23·5) % of households, respectively. Multiple regression analysis showed that low maternal and paternal education, unemployment and crowding were significant correlates of household FI (P<0·05). No significant associations were observed between FI and anthropometric measures of children and their mothers, after adjusting for other socio-economic correlates. Food-insecure households reported various mechanisms to cope with food shortage, such as reducing the number of meals/d (49·6 %), borrowing food (54·4 %), spending savings (34·5 %) and withdrawing children from schools (8·0 %).ConclusionsFI exists among a remarkable proportion of Lebanese households with children. Correlates of household FI should be considered when designing social welfare policies and public health programmes to promote more sustainable, resilient and healthier livelihoods among vulnerable individuals.


Author(s):  
Rodrigo L. Vancini ◽  
Luiz Camargo-Neto ◽  
Claudio A. B. de Lira ◽  
Marília S. Andrade ◽  
Ricardo B. Viana ◽  
...  

The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak has created an unprecedented impact on global health and further aggravated the physical inactivity pandemic. For this reason, the understanding of sociodemographic variables in the context of physical activity levels are important for the field of public health in order to assist in relevant public health decisions. Our main aim was to characterize sociodemographic variables and physical activity levels and their association with COVID-19 aspects. We applied an online Google survey with closed questions in Brazilian people of different age and regions, both sexes and physical activity levels (n = 1.726). Our main results were that participants who had symptoms of COVID-19 had the highest percentage of level 1 of physical activity (the lowest level according to the classification used) and those who showed no symptoms had the highest percentage of levels 2 and 3 of physical activity; that is, close to the light/moderate levels of physical activity. This cross-sectional study in the Brazilian population provided important sociodemographic data and COVID-19 aspects regarding the level of physical activity. It is possible to assume that the regular practice of physical activity could positively impact health status and quality of life and be a tool in the field of public health to cope (from a physical and mental point of view) with disease scenarios that require quarantine.


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