scholarly journals Airborne Particulate Matter Pollution—Knowledge, Perception and Breathing Experiences of Port Harcourt Residents During COVID-19 Pandemic Shutdown

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. p28
Author(s):  
Rogers B. Kanee ◽  
Wale. J. Adeyemi ◽  
Precious N. Ede ◽  
AKuro. E. Gobo ◽  
Omosivie Maduka ◽  
...  

While millions of deaths are recorded from COVID-19 pandemic infection, the environment continues to benefits from the lockdown of cities. A descriptive cross-sectional survey aimed at assessing residents’ knowledge and perception concerning air pollution and breathing experience in Port Harcourt was carried out within 20th-28th of May, 2020. Convenience and purposive non-randomized sampling methods were used to recruit 358 participants. Using descriptive and chi square test analysis, majority (74% and 24%) of the respondents were very aware or aware of air pollution and its health consequences. This varied significantly with sex, age, marital status, occupation and location (p < 0.05). Before the city’s lockdown, 90.1% of respondents experienced particulate matter deposits on surfaces and during the lockdown; it reduces to 54.1% with significant difference (p < 0.05) across residential areas. Hence, age, sex, marital status, occupation and residential area likely to influence higher awareness of air pollution and not duration of stay. Also, significant difference in breathing experiences (p < 0.05) was noted, with majority reporting poor breathing experience before lockdown and good during the lockdown. Joint action of governments’ policies on air pollution and high awareness among residents could be explored effectively to mitigate air pollution hazards.

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 80-83
Author(s):  
Nadia Tariq ◽  
Tamkeen Jaffry ◽  
Rahma Fiaz ◽  
Abdul Majid Rajput ◽  
Sadaf Khalid

Background: Indoor air pollutants are increasingly being associated with respiratory illnesses leading to high degree of morbidity and mortality. There are not sufficient epidemiological studies from Pakistan which assess level of awareness of indoor air pollution resulting in respiratory diseases in population. Methods: This cross sectional survey was carried out on general population of Rawalpindi/Islamabad. Sample size was 223 study subjects selected by non-probability convenient sampling. Knowledge of the study subjects was determined with regard to indoor air pollution, its effects on health and different sources of indoor air pollution with the help of a questionnaire. The influence of age, gender, educational status and socio economic status on the level of awareness was also analyzed. Results: Out of total 223 participants, 115 were males and108 females. Participants aware of indoor air pollution were 91.5% and adequate awareness about its sources was 80.7%. Those who knew indoor air pollution is detrimental to health were 95.1%. Awareness about building construction dust as source of indoor air pollution was maximum (84.8%). There was significant difference in awareness among participants with different monthly incomes and educational status and also between males and females. Conclusion: This study concludes that general population of Rawalpindi/Islamabad has fairly good awareness about sources of indoor air pollution. Use of harmful material causing indoor air pollution should be limited or substituted with better ones where possible.


2017 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 409
Author(s):  
PhD Cand. Abdülkadir AVCI ◽  
Prof. Dr. Ramazan ERDEM

The construct, “organizational commitment” has been a subject of interest for a long time for the people who study the organizational psychology. Employees’ organizational commitment is a complex matter and there are many factors which affect the organizational commitment of employees. Even though the organization has important role in it, demographic and individual characteristics of employees have also significant influence on organizational commitment. In this study a cross-sectional survey was conducted using a convenience sample of 336 security employees in a military organization to establish possible relationship between organisational commitment and important demographic variables (nationality, rank, gender, age, education, marital status, tenure). The data obtained by the survey were analysed using the SPSS 21.0 package program. In statistical analyses, T-test and variance (ANOVA) analyses were used. The results of the data showed that affective commitment of employees who had been working between 11-15 years was significantly differentiated from those of working years over 25 years. The results of this study also showed that officers had more normative commitment than civilians and the supervisors had less normative commitment than non-supervisors. The analysis also showed that males and younger employees differed significantly in normative commitment than their female counterparts and older employees. However, no statistically significant difference was found in education and marital status.


Author(s):  
ABEETHA S ◽  
RAMYA K ◽  
BHAGYASHREE N ◽  
SUMA S ◽  
SUREKA V

Objectives: This study aims to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice associated with COVID-19 disease by undertaking a web-based online survey. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted all over India during the initial phase of COVID-19 hit between March 19, 2020, and March 29, 2020. Anyone aged 18 years and above using social media were included in the study. The questionnaire had a section on sociodemography which had questions regarding age, gender, marital status, and occupation. This was followed by questions on knowledge, attitude, and practice regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. The knowledge scores were summarized as median with interquartile range as the data followed a non-normal distribution. Attitude and practice questions were summarized individually as proportions and its association with socio-demographic variables was established using Chi-square test. The statistical significance was set at p<0.05. Results: Occupational groups, marital status, and age group had significant difference between the groups with at least one of the practices with p<0.05. Conclusion: Since the study provides enhancing effect of knowledge toward protective behaviors, the awareness raising activities and health education through mass media and campaigns, this should urgently be conducted focusing on effectiveness of hand washing, cough etiquette, social distancing, and responsibility to inform suspected cases to local health authority to prevent COVID-19.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1-17
Author(s):  
Yunfei Zhang ◽  
Jiahong Sun ◽  
Min Zhao ◽  
Costan G. Magnussen ◽  
Xi Bo

Abstract Objective: To estimate the prevalence of thinness, overweight and obesity among Tibetan adolescents aged 12-17 years. Design: Cross-sectional survey. Setting: Shigatse city of Tibet municipality, with an average altitude of more than 4000 m. Subjects: Study participants included 2,642 adolescents aged 12-17 years selected from 6 schools using a convenient cluster sampling method. Results: The prevalence of thinness/overweight/obesity among Tibetan adolescents was 9.4%/5.4%/1.4% (China definition), 14.7%/4.4%/0.7% (IOTF definition), and 2.8%/5.7%/0.9% (WHO definition). The prevalence of thinness and overweight was significantly different between both sexes based on each of three BMI classification criteria (P <0.001). There was no significant difference in the prevalence of obesity between both sexes according to each of three BMI criteria. There was no clear trend in the prevalence of thinness across ages according to the China or IOTF definition (both P >0.05), whereas an upward trend was observed for thinness in boys according to the IOTF definition (P for trend <0.05). In contrast, the prevalence of thinness tended to decrease with increasing age in girls according to the IOTF definition, and in total sample according to the WHO definition (P for trend <0.05). Conclusions: Among Tibetan adolescents, the prevalence of overweight and obesity is relatively low, while the prevalence of thinness is high, especially in boys. These data suggest urgent attention is needed to control adolescent thinness in Tibet.


Hand ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 439-445 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul W. L. ten Berg ◽  
Tessa Drijkoningen ◽  
Thierry G. Guitton ◽  
David Ring

Background: Radiological grading of wrist osteoarthritis associated with scaphoid nonunion advanced collapse (SNAC) can be difficult. A comparison radiograph of the contralateral healthy wrist and an educational training in the various SNAC stages may improve reliability. Our purposes were to evaluate the difference in the reliability: (1) between observers who rate SNAC wrists with and without a comparison radiograph; and (2) between observers who receive training prior to ratings and those who do not. Methods: In this cross-sectional survey study, 82 fully trained orthopedic or hand surgeons rated anteroposterior radiographs of 19 patient wrists following a scaphoid nonunion based on SNAC stages 0 to 4. Observers were randomized online in 4 groups: one group rated unilateral views without training, a second group unilateral views with training, a third group bilateral views without training, and a fourth group bilateral views with training. Training included a 1-page clarification of the SNAC stages. Interobserver agreement was calculated using kappa statistics. Results: There was no significant difference between agreement between observers who rated unilateral radiographs (κ = 0.55) and who rated bilateral radiographs (κ = 0.58) ( P = .14), nor between agreement between observers who received training (κ = 0.59) and who did not (κ = 0.54) ( P = .058). Conclusions: The use of an additional comparison view and/or training does not seem to be clinically relevant in SNAC staging. There is room for improvement in the way we assess patients with SNAC wrists.


Author(s):  
Patrick N. Nwinyokpugi ◽  
Amachree Ibim Taribo

In view of the numerous challenges associated with contemporary meeting practice in an ever growing technologically driven society, the general purpose of the study was to determine how virtual meetings influence successful decision making process in the Nigeria banking sector. This descriptive research adopted a cross-sectional survey approach in investigating a homogenously characterised section of the sector in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria. Eighteen (18) banks were chosen based on the convenience in accessibility and a census of all the senior managers including Information Technology based personnel were drawn for study. Thus, a census population derived was 216. A 5-point Likert Scale structured close-ended questionnaire was designed and adopted for data collection from the targeted respondents. This instrument was further validated for face/content validity and subjected to Croubach’s Alpha reliability test. Data collected were tested and analysed using the Spearman’s Rank Order Correlation Coefficient statistic and presented for clarity using the SPSS. Findings revealed the moderating effect of technology for virtual meetings and decision making success in the industry studied. Also, significant relationships exist between the different dimensions of virtual meetings and measures of decision making success in the banking sector and therefore recommendations were made in support of their adoption.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdel Rahman Aref Ali Abu Shreea ◽  
Lee Khuan ◽  
Sharifah Norkhadijah Syed Ismail ◽  
Nasrudin Subhi ◽  
Sobuh (Moh’d Sobhi) Ahmad Abu-Shanab ◽  
...  

AbstractIntroductionCancer is now being recognised as a long term conditions due to advances in treatments that increase the survival rate of patients with cancer to as long as 10 years from the time of the disease. Anxiety is among the commonly discovered psychiatric illness in patients with cancer and is often neglected. Approximately 10% of patients with cancer are affected with anxiety worldwide. Hence, this study was aimed to determine the prevalence of anxiety disorder and its associated factors among workers with cancer in Jordanian population.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted at the King Husain Cancer Centre (KHCC) in Amman, Jordan. Proportional sampling technique was used to obtain the sample population of 355 workers with cancer. Data were collected through self-administered Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) questionnaire and analyses were carried out using SPSS version 25.ResultsResponse rate of 100% were obtained from the participants. Prevalence of anxiety disorder among workers with cancer was recorded at 20.8% with male (23.1%) having the higher prevalence rate than female (17.3%) workers with cancers. A significant difference in anxiety between marital status (p=0.025), types of cancer (p=0.001), treatment types (p=0.024) were observed. A multiple regression was run to predict anxiety disorder from marital status, type of cancer and treatment types. These variables statistically significantly predicted anxiety disorder [F(3, 351) = 8.117, p < .001, R2 = 0.225].ConclusionThere is high prevalent of anxiety disorder among workers with cancer in Jordan. Predictors of anxiety among workers with cancer were also identified in this report.


2021 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Khanyisa N. Mrwetyana ◽  
Jacques Janse van Rensburg ◽  
Gina Joubert

Background: South Africa has high healthcare expenses. Improving cost-consciousness could decrease government expenditure on healthcare.Objectives: To determine cost awareness of radiological studies among doctors at a tertiary hospital. The objective was met by assessing the accuracy of cost estimation according to the level of training and speciality, whether participants had received prior education/training related to cost awareness and if they had a desire to learn more about the cost of radiological imaging.Method: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in six clinical departments at Universitas Academic Hospital using an anonymous questionnaire that determined doctors’ cost awareness of five radiological studies. Each radiological study was answered using six different cost ranges, with one correct option. Costs were based on the Department of Health’s 2019 Uniform Patients Fee Schedule (UPFS).Results: In total, 131 (67.2%) of 195 questionnaires distributed to registrars and consultants were returned. Overall, low accuracy of cost estimation was observed, with 45.2% of the participants choosing only incorrect options. No participant estimated all five costs correctly. Only the Internal Medicine clinicians demonstrated a significant difference between registrars and consultants for the number of correct answers (median 0 and 1, respectively) (p = 0.04). No significant differences were found between specialities stratified by registrars/consultants. Most participants (88.6%) would like to learn about imaging costs. Only 2.3% of the participants had received prior education/training related to cost awareness of radiological studies.Conclusion: Doctors were consistently inaccurate in estimating the cost of radiological studies. Educating doctors about the cost of radiological imaging could have a positive effect on healthcare expenditure.


2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 33
Author(s):  
Kadek Yulita Dewi Lestari ◽  
Desak Nyoman Widyanthini ◽  
I Ketut Tangking Widarsa

ABSTRAK Infeksi Menular Seksual (IMS) adalah infeksi yang penularannya terutama melalui hubungan seksual. Di Indonesia, jumlah kasus IMS pada tahun 2014 terjadi sebanyak 5608 kasus. Dinas Kesehatan Provinsi Bali mencatat jumlah pasien IMS yang ditemukan pada tahun 2013 sebanyak 9.202 orang. Jumlah ini meningkat sebanyak 62,17% pada tahun 2014 dan mengalami penurunan sebanyak 61,82% pada tahun 2015. Data yang diperoleh dari Dinas Kesehatan Kota Denpasar menunjukkan bahwa dari keseluruhan kasus di Kota Denpasar pada tahun 2016, kasus IMS tertinggi berada di wilayah Puskesmas II Denpasar Utara yaitu sebanyak 36,94 %. Tujuan penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui kejadian IMS berdasarkan karakteristik sosial demografi meliputi jenis penyakit, umur, jenis kelamin, pendidikan terakhir, status perkawinan, pekerjaan, kelompok risiko, pemakaian kondom dan jumlah pasangan seksual pada bagian IMS di Puskesmas II Denpasar Utara tahun 2014-2016.  Penelitian ini merupakan penelitian deskriptif dengan desain penelitian cross sectional retrospektif. Populasi dan sampel pada penelitian ini adalah seluruh pasien yang berkunjung ke Klinik IMS Puskesmas II Denpasar Utara periode tahun 2014-2016 yang diperoleh secara total sampling. Data sekunder yang diperoleh selanjutnya diolah secara statistik dengan menggunakan stata.  Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa kejadian IMS lebih tinggi pada kelompok umur 41-50 sebanyak 25%, subjek laki-laki sebanyak 26,4%, tidak pernah sekolah sebanyak 12,5%, subjek dengan status kawin sebanyak 37,6%, pekerjaan berisiko sebanyak 25,5%, kelompok WPS sebanyak 60%, subjek yang kadang-kadang memakai kondom sebanyak 18,2% dan jumlah pasangan seksual >1 sebanyak 39,4%.  Kesimpulan dari penelitian ini adalah kejadian IMS di Puskesmas II Denpasar Utara tahun 2014-2016 yaitu 7,4%-13%. Kejadian IMS lebih tinggi pada kelompok umur 41-50 dengan pekerjaan berisiko, kelompok WPS dan jumlah pasangan seksual >1. Tiga jenis IMS yang paling sering terjadi di Puskesmas II Denpasar Utara dalam 3 tahun terakhir yaitu Urethritis Non-GO disusul Servisitis dan Kandidiasis. Diharapkan sasaran dalam pelaksanaan program IMS tidak hanya bagi penderita namun juga bagi pasangannya dan tidak hanya menyasar kelompok risiko seperti WPS namun juga pelanggan PS. Kata Kunci: Kejadian, IMS, karakteristik, cross sectional retrospektif     ABSTRACT Sexually transmitted infections (STIs)  are transmitted infections mainly through sexual contact. In Indonesia, the number of STI cases in 2014 reached 5608 cases. The Bali Provincial Health Service recorded 9,202 STI patients found in 2013. This number increased by 62.17% in 2014 and decreased by 61.82% in 2015. Data obtained from the Denpasar City Health Office showed that of all cases in Denpasar City in 2016, the highest STI cases were in the Puskesmas area II North Denpasar as much as 36.94%. The purpose of this study was to determine the incidence of STIs based on socio-demographic characteristics including the type of disease, age, sex, recent education, marital status, occupation, risk group, condom use and number of sexual partners in the STI section at Puskesmas II Denpasar Utara in 2014-2016 . This research is a descriptive study with a retrospective cross sectional research design. The population and sample in this study were all patients who visited the IMS Clinic II North Denpasar Health Center for the period 2014-2016 obtained in total sampling. The secondary data obtained are then processed statistically using stata. The results showed that the incidence of STIs was higher in the 41-50 age group by 25%, male subjects by 26.4%, never attending school by 12.5%, subjects with marital status by 37.6%, occupations at risk as much as 25.5%, FSW group as much as 60%, subjects who sometimes used condoms as much as 18.2% and the number of sexual partners> 1 were 39.4%. The conclusion of this study is the incidence of STIs in Puskesmas II Denpasar Utara in 2014-2016, namely 7.4% -13%. The incidence of STIs was higher in the 41-50 age group with risk jobs, FSW groups and number of sexual partners> 1. Three types of STIs that most often occur in Puskesmas II Denpasar Utara in the last 3 years, namely Non-GO Urethritis followed by Cervicitis and Candidiasis. It is expected that the target in the implementation of the IMS program is not only for sufferers but also for their partners and not only targeting risk groups such as WPS but also PS customers. Keywords: Occurrence, STI, characteristic, retrospective cross sectional


2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 28
Author(s):  
Victor Uwadibie Chukwuma

The study examined the relationship between leader attunement and employee work involvement of the deposit money banks in Port Harcourt, Nigeria. To accomplish the purpose of this study a cross sectional survey method for social research was adopted, with a self-administered questionnaire as instruments of data collection. The population of the study was 3,978 employees drawn from the ten deposit money banks in Port Harcourt. A sample size of 381 respondents was calculated using Taro Yamane sample size determination formula. The research instrument was validated through supervisor's vetting and approval, while the reliability of the instrument was achieved by the use of  Crombach's Alpha coefficient with all the items scoring above 0.70. The hypotheses were tested using Spearman's Rank Order Correlation Coefficient and statistical software SPSS. The tests were carried out at a 95% confidence interval and a 0.05 level of significance. The result of the analysis revealed that a positive and significant relationship exist between leader attunement and the employee work involvement of the deposit money banks in Port Harcourt. The study recommends that leader should exhibit attunement skill since there is no better and faster way to build trust than for leader to listen to employee. Consequently. The study posits that management of deposit banks in Port Harcourt should encourage training programmes for leaders. This will enhance their social awareness competence.


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