Functional, Communicative, and Critical Health Literacy among Iranian Patients with Heart Failure: a Cross- sectional study

Background: Heart failure (HF) is a major public health with rising prevalence, worldwide. Low health literacy (HL) among patients with HF is associated with clinical outcomes. On the other hand, considering low HL is necessary when designing interventions to improve self-care. Aims and objectives: the aim was to determine functional, communicative and critical HL among Iranian patients with HF. Study Design: This was a cross sectional study. Setting: This study was carried out at the HF clinic of Tehran Heart Center (THC) affiliated with Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS, Tehran, Iran). Materials and Methods: 210 adult patients with confirmed diagnosis of HF for at least 3 months and with NYHA function class II to IV and an ability of reading and writing Farsi language were included in the study during June 2017 and March 2018 with consecutive sampling. Data were collected in a short form that was included demographic and clinical variables which was completed according to patients` self-report and their clinical records. HL was measured by Heart Failure-Specific HL Scale (Cronbach’s alpha=0.71). Scores were reported totally and in 3 domains of functional, communicative, and critical HL. Scores less than the median was considered as low HL. Statistics: Data were described by descriptive statistics such as frequency and partial frequency distribution for categorical variables and mean, median, standard deviation (SD), and interquartile range (IQR) for continuous variables. Results: 188/210 patients with HF participated in the study. The mean age of patients was 59.5 (14.5) years old. The majority of patients were male (64.9%), married (83.5%), and were at the high school level of education (38.4%). In addition, 66.1% of them were employed. The low level of total, functional, communicative, and critical HL was seen among 17%, 54.8%, 60.1%, and 58% of patients with HF. Conclusion: patients with HF had a high level of total HL. While the level of functional, communicative, and critical HL was lower among patients with HF. Thus, there is need to be improved by appropriate intervention.

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Knowledge regarding Heart Failure: A Reflection on Current Disease Knowledge State among Iranian Patients with Heart Failure

The Journal of Medical Research ◽

10.31254/jmr.2019.5405 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 5 (4) ◽

pp. 155-158

Author(s):

Mahin Nomali ◽

◽

Kian Alipasandi ◽

Ramin Mohammadrezaei ◽

◽

...

Keyword(s):

Heart Failure ◽

Function Class ◽

Class Ii ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Continuous Variables ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Low Level ◽

Symptom Recognition ◽

Iranian Patients

Background: Heart failure (HF) is a serious problem with an increasing prevalence globally. Low level of HF knowledge may cause low compliance and low quality of life and, poor self-care. On the other hand, assessing the level of HF knowledge is necessary in order to apply educational programs. Aims and objectives: the aim was to determine knowledge regarding HF among Iranian patients with HF. Study Design: This was a cross sectional study. Setting: We conducted this study at the HF clinic of Tehran Heart Center (THC) affiliated with Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS, Tehran, Iran). Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 190 patients older than 18 years old, with confirmed diagnosis of HF for at least 3 months by an HF specialist, NYHA function class II to IV and an ability of reading and writing Farsi language were included during June 2017 and January 2018 by consecutive sampling. Data were gathered in a short form, including demographic and clinical variables. Knowledge regarding HF was measured by the Dutch HF knowledge scale (Cronbach’s alpha=0.62) with 15- multiple choice item. The score range varied between 0 (no knowledge) and 15 (optimum knowledge). Scores were reported totally and in 3 areas of knowledge. Scores higher than the median was considered as higher knowledge. Statistics: The SPSS software version 16 was used to describe data. Normality of continuous variables was checked by the Kolmogorov-Smirnoff test. Frequency and partial frequency distribution were used to describe Categorical variables. While, we used mean, median, standard deviation, and IQR for describing continuous variables. Results: From June 2017 to January 2018, 160/190 patients with median age (IQR) of 59 (16) years old participated in the study (response rate of 84.2%). 67.5% of study patients were male (83.5%). 87.5% of then were married. The majority of patients were with NYHA function class II (60.6%), and with an etiology of ischemic heart disease (65.0%). The median and IQR of total, general, HF treatment, and symptoms/ symptom recognition knowledge were 8 (7-10), 12 (9-14), 2 (1.25-3), and 4 (3-5), respectively. Low level of total, general, HF treatment, and symptoms and symptom recognition knowledge among Iranian patients with HF were 55%, 60%, 58.8%, and 71.9%, respectively. Conclusion: Patients with HF had low levels of total, general, HF treatment, and symptoms/symptom recognition knowledge. Thus, there is an essential need to be improved by an appropriate intervention, especially on knowledge of symptoms /symptom recognition.

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Relationship between health literacy and quality of life among cancer survivors in China: a cross-sectional study

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2018-028458 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (12) ◽

pp. e028458 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Juan Xia ◽

Peng Wu ◽

Qinglong Deng ◽

Rui Yan ◽

Renren Yang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Logistic Regression ◽

Health Literacy ◽

Cancer Survivors ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Cancer Rehabilitation ◽

Categorical Variables ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional

ObjectiveTo evaluate the association between health literacy (HL) and quality of life (QOL) among cancer survivors in China.DesignCross-sectional study in China.Setting and participantsThis is a cross-sectional observational study of 4589 cancer survivors aged 18 years and older from the Shanghai Cancer Rehabilitation Club. Participants were enrolled and completed the questionnaires between May and July 2017.MeasurementHL was assessed by three established screening questions and QOL was evaluated using the simplified Chinese version of the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality-of-Life Questionnaire-Core 30 items. Answers to all questionnaires were collected through face-to-face interviews or through self-administered questionnaires for literate participants. Participants were excluded if they did not answer any one of the HL questions. Baseline characteristics were compared by levels of HL using χ2 test for categorical variables and Wilcoxon rank-sum test for non-normal continuous variables. The item response theory (IRT) was used to evaluate the existing measure of HL. Linear regression and logistic regression models were used to investigate the association between HL and QOL. SAS V.9.4 and MULTILOG V.7.03 were used in the analysis.ResultsThere were 4589 participants included in the study. The calculated results of IRT scale parameters of HL entries indicate that the entries have better discrimination and difficulty. Of the 4589 respondents, 159 (3.5%) had low HL. After adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics, treatment regimen and years with cancers, for each one-point decrement in HL score the QOL score increased by 2.07 (p<0.001). Cancer survivors with low HL were less likely than those with adequate HL to achieve better QOL. In logistic regression, low HL was independently associated with poor QOL (adjusted OR, 2.81; 95% CI 1.94 to 4.06; p<0.001).ConclusionsLow HL was independently associated with poor QOL among cancer survivors of the Shanghai Cancer Rehabilitation Club.

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Investigation E-health literacy and correlates factors among Alborz medical sciences students: a cross sectional study

International Journal of Adolescent Medicine and Health ◽

10.1515/ijamh-2019-0158 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 0 (0) ◽

Author(s):

Leili Salehi ◽

Leila Keikavoosi-Arani

Keyword(s):

Social Networks ◽

Health Literacy ◽

Health Resources ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Categorical Variables ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Medical Sciences ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Significant Difference ◽

The Mean

AbstractBackgroundHealth literacy is one of the goals of public health and the key challenge of health education in the 21st century. This study aimed to determine E-health literacy and correlates among medical sciences students in Karaj, Iran 2017.MethodsThis cross-sectional study was performed on a thousand students of Alborz University of Medical Sciences. A multi-sectional questionnaire was used to collect data. The first section included age, major, marital status; educational grade, mother and father education, socioeconomic status, health status, membrane in social network and the second compromised a validated Persian version of the E-health literacy. We used t-test and analysis of variance (ANOVA) to compare the mean of variables and for categorical variables x2 was used with SPSS version 19.ResultsThe mean age of the subjects was 25.5 ± 5.6 years, of which 65.3% were male. The medical students constituted the most number of participants (28.6%). Mean eHEALS score was 26.11 ± 6.6 years. There was a significant difference between female and male regarding E-health literacy (P = 0.04). Internet was the most commonly used sources for health information (67%), the majority of the students were members of one of the social networks (77.7%) that telegram and Instagram were among the most popular networks.ConclusionImproving search skills and assessing of health resources in students, especially in medical and Para-medical sciences, is recommended. Social networks can be used as channels for the transmission of the health messages due to high usage among students.

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The impact of health literacy on health outcomes in individuals with chronic pain: a cross-sectional study

Physiotherapy ◽

10.1016/j.physio.2018.11.006 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 105 (3) ◽

pp. 346-353

Author(s):

Laura M. Mackey ◽

Catherine Blake ◽

Maire-Brid Casey ◽

Camillus K. Power ◽

Ray Victory ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Chronic Pain ◽

Health Literacy ◽

Health Outcomes ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

The Impact

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Prevalence of disabilities and non-communicable diseases in an elderly population in the Telangana state, India: a population-based cross-sectional study

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2020-041755 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (2) ◽

pp. e041755

Author(s):

Srinivas Marmamula ◽

Satya Brahmanandam Modepalli ◽

Thirupathi Reddy Kumbham ◽

Rajesh Challa ◽

Jill E Keeffe

Keyword(s):

Elderly Population ◽

Self Care ◽

The Elderly ◽

Population Based ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Communicable Diseases ◽

Self Report ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Non Communicable Diseases

ObjectivesTo assess the prevalence of disabilities (vision, hearing, mobility, cognitive, self-care and communication) and non-communicable diseases (NCDs) among the elderly population in two districts in Telangana, India.DesignPopulation-based cross-sectional study using a cluster random sampling method to select the study clusters.SettingElderly population in Khammam and Warangal districts were recruited. Detailed interviews were conducted by trained community health workers. Personal and demographic information such as age, gender, level of education and a self-report of NCDs was collected. The Washington Disability Questionnaire was administered to assess the presence of disabilities.Participants1821 participants aged ≥60 years, 54.5% were women, and 73.3% had no education.Primary outcome measurePrevalence of disabilities and NCDs.ResultsOverall, the prevalence of at least disability was 20.3% (95% CI 16.3 to 24.9). The prevalence of self- reported disabilities were: seeing (5.9%; 95% CI 4.4 to 7.8), mobility (12.8%; 95% CI 9.7 to 16.8), hearing (3.6%; 95% CI 2.7 to 4.8), cognition (4.8%; 95% CI 3.5 to 6.7), self-care (3.3%; 95% CI 2.3 to 4.7) and communication (1.8%; 95% CI 1.2 to 2.6). Overall, the prevalence of at least one NCD was 34.2% (95% CI 30.9 to 37.7). Hypertension was the most common systemic condition (25.4%; 95% CI 22.4 to 28.7), followed by diabetes (9.0%; 95% CI 7.3 to 11.0), and body pains (muscle-skeletal) (9.9%; 95% CI 8.1 to 12.2).ConclusionEvery fifth elderly person in the districts of Khammam and Warangal in Telangana had at least one self-reported disability. Besides, a third of the elderly had at least one NCD. There is a definite need to develop comprehensive public health strategies to address disabilities and NCDs in Telangana.

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Characteristics of Confidence and Preparedness in Paramedics in Metropolitan, Regional, and Rural Australia to Manage Mental-Health-Related Presentations: A Cross-Sectional Study

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18041882 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (4) ◽

pp. 1882

Author(s):

Kate Emond ◽

Melanie Bish ◽

Michael Savic ◽

Dan I. Lubman ◽

Terence McCann ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Rural Areas ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Categorical Variables ◽

Considerable Proportion ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Health Related ◽

Manage Mental ◽

Manage Mental Health

Mental-health-related presentations account for a considerable proportion of the paramedic’s workload in prehospital care. This cross-sectional study aimed to examine the perceived confidence and preparedness of paramedics in Australian metropolitan and rural areas to manage mental-health-related presentations. Overall, 1140 paramedics were surveyed. Pearson chi-square and Fisher exact tests were used to compare categorical variables by sex and location of practice; continuous variables were compared using the non-parametric Mann–Whitney and Kruskal–Wallis tests. Perceived confidence and preparedness were each modelled in multivariable ordinal regressions. Female paramedics were younger with higher qualifications but were less experienced than their male counterparts. Compared to paramedics working in metropolitan regions, those working in rural and regional areas were generally older with fewer qualifications and were significantly less confident and less prepared to manage mental health presentations (p = 0.001). Compared to male paramedics, females were less confident (p = 0.003), although equally prepared (p = 0.1) to manage mental health presentations. These results suggest that higher qualifications from the tertiary sector may not be adequately preparing paramedics to manage mental health presentations, which signifies a disparity between education provided and workforce preparedness. Further work is required to address the education and training requirements of paramedics in regional and rural areas to increase confidence and preparedness in managing mental health presentations.

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Association between Short Hours of Sleep and Overweight/Obesity in Mexican Adolescent Population: A School-Based Cross-Sectional Study

Healthcare ◽

10.3390/healthcare9080939 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (8) ◽

pp. 939

Author(s):

Ana Fresan ◽

Alma Delia Genis-Mendoza ◽

María Lilia López-Narváez ◽

Tania Guadalupe Gómez-Peralta ◽

Daniela Georgina Aguilar-Velázquez ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cross Sectional Study ◽

The Body ◽

Categorical Variables ◽

Continuous Variables ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Obese Adolescent ◽

School Based ◽

Prevalence Of Obesity ◽

Mexican Adolescents

Background/Aim: Obesity in adolescents is increasing; as such, the aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of obesity in Mexican adolescents and examine its possible association with hours of sleep. Methods: A school-based cross-sectional study was carried out. This study included 863 adolescents aged between 11 and 16 years. The prevalence of obesity was estimated using the body mass index (BMI). The duration of sleep (and other information) was assessed by a self-reported questionnaire. The Cochran–Mantel–Hansel test for categorical variables and a general linear model for continuous variables were used to evaluate the interaction effect of BMI and sex with respect to sleeping and assessed activity conditions. Results: It was found that 47.6% of the adolescents were overweight/obese. Men were more frequently overweight/obese than women (52.6% vs. 41.8%, p = 0.002). Moreover, overweight/obese adolescents were younger and spent fewer daily hours watching television (p < 0.05). Men practiced sports more hours per week than women (p = 0.04). However, women spent more daily time on the internet (p = 0.05), and overweight/obese adolescent women slept fewer hours than overweight/obese men and adolescents with normal weight (p = 0.008). Conclusions: The development of strategies for the prevention of overweight/obesity and the improvement of sleep duration should include a gender perspective to improve health habits in Mexican adolescents.

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Right ventricular ejection fraction as predictor of outcome in acute heart failure using RV ellipsoid model: A retrospective analysis of a prospective cross-sectional study

JRSM Cardiovascular Disease ◽

10.1177/20480040211002775 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 ◽

pp. 204800402110027

Author(s):

Eshan Ashcroft ◽

Otar Lazariashvili ◽

Jonathan Belsey ◽

Max Berrill ◽

Pankaj Sharma ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Heart Failure ◽

Ejection Fraction ◽

Right Ventricular ◽

Retrospective Analysis ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Volume Estimation ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Ventricular Ejection Fraction ◽

Rv Function

Objectives The right ventricular (RV) function is an important prognostic factor in acute and chronic heart failure (HF). Echocardiography is an essential imaging modality with established parameters for RV function which are useful and easy to perform. However, these fail to reflect global RV volumes due to reliability on one acoustic window. It is therefore attractive to calculate RV volumes and ejection fraction (RVEF/E) using an ellipsoid geometric model which has been validated against MRI in healthy adults but not in the HF patients. Design This is a retrospective analysis of a prospective cross-sectional study enrolling 418 consecutive patients with symptoms of HF according to a predefined study protocol. All patients underwent echocardiographic assessment of RV function using Tricuspid Annular Plane Systolic Excursion (TAPSE) and RV fractional area change (RVFAC) and RVEF/E. Setting Single centre study with multiple locations for acute in-patients including high dependency units. Participants Patients with acute or exacerbation of chronic HF older than 18 y.o. Main outcome measures Ability of RVEF/E to predict patient outcomes compared with two established parameters of RV function over two-year follow-up period. Primary outcome measure was all-cause mortality. Results RVEF/E is equal to TAPSE & RVFAC in predicting outcome (p ≤ 0.01 vs p ≤ 0.01) and provides additional benefit of RV volume estimation based on standard 2D echo measurements. Conclusions In this study we have shown that RVEF/E derived from ellipsoid model is not inferior to well established measures of RV function as a prognostic indicator of outcome in the acute HF.

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Thyroid cancer overdiagnosis and overtreatment: a cross- sectional study at a thyroid cancer referral center in Ecuador

BMC Cancer ◽

10.1186/s12885-020-07735-y ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Paola Solis-Pazmino ◽

Jorge Salazar-Vega ◽

Eddy Lincango-Naranjo ◽

Cristhian Garcia ◽

Gabriela Jaramillo Koupermann ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Thyroid Cancer ◽

Cancer Mortality ◽

Incidental Finding ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Anaplastic Carcinoma ◽

Treatment Modalities ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Referral Center ◽

Clinical Records

Abstract Background In contrast to the rapid increase in thyroid cancer incidence, the mortality has remained low and stable over the last decades. In Ecuador, however, thyroid cancer mortality has increased. The objective of this study is to determine possible drivers of high rates of thyroid cancer mortality, through a cross-sectional analysis of all patients attending a thyroid cancer referral center in Ecuador. Methods From June 2014 to December 2017, a cross-sectional study was conducted at the Hospital de Especialidades Eugenio Espejo, a regional reference public hospital for endocrine neoplasia in adults in Quito, Ecuador. We identified the mechanism of detection, histopathology and treatment modalities from a patient interview and review of clinical records. Results Among 452 patients, 74.8% were young adults and 94.2% (426) were female. 13.7% had a family history of thyroid cancer, and patients’ median tumor size was 2 cm. The incidental finding was 54.2% whereas 45.8% was non-incidental. Thyroid cancer histology reported that 93.3% had papillary thyroid cancer (PTC), 2.7% follicular, 1.5% Hurtle cells, 1.6% medullary, 0.7% poor differentiated, and 0.2% anaplastic carcinoma. The mean MACIS (metastasis, age, completeness, invasion, and size) score was 4.95 (CI 4.15–5.95) with 76.2% of the thyroid cancer patients having MACIS score less than or equal to 6. The very low and low risk of recurrence was 18.1% (79) and 62% (271) respectively. An analysis of 319 patients with non-metastatic thyroid cancer showed that 10.7% (34) of patients had surgical complications. Moreover, around 62.5% (80 from 128 patients with thyroglobulin laboratory results) of TC patients had a stimulated-thyroglobulin value equal or higher than 2 ng/ml. Overall, a poor surgical outcome was present in 35.1% (112) patients. Out of 436 patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma, 86% (375) received radioactive iodine. Conclusion Thyroid cancer histological characteristics and method of diagnosis are like those described in other reports without any evidence of the high frequency of aggressive thyroid cancer histology. However, we observed evidence of overtreatment and poor surgical outcomes that demand additional studies to understand their association with thyroid cancer mortality in Ecuador.

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Mental health and its association with coping strategies and intolerance of uncertainty during the COVID-19 pandemic among the general population in Saudi Arabia: cross-sectional study

BMC Psychiatry ◽

10.1186/s12888-021-03370-4 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Ahmad N. AlHadi ◽

Mohammed A. Alarabi ◽

Khulood M. AlMansoor

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Saudi Arabia ◽

Coping Strategies ◽

Intolerance Of Uncertainty ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Self Report ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Mental Health Symptoms ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Health Symptoms

Abstract Background The COVID-19 pandemic has had a major impact on people’s lives globally. The outbreak in Saudi Arabia worsened when the number of cases and deaths rose in March and April of 2020, leading to a national lockdown. This study aimed to assess the factors associated with mental health symptoms in a sample of people residing in Saudi Arabia during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods We conducted an observational cross-sectional study using an online survey distributed via social media, completed by 3032 respondents from all Saudi regions. We collected demographic data, illness history, and scores of validated self-report scales to assess mental health symptoms, intolerance of uncertainty, and coping strategies. Results In total, respondents indicated moderate to very severe symptoms during the pandemic as follows: 20.9% for depression, 17.5% for anxiety, and 12.6% for stress. Younger age, female gender, and history of mental illness were associated with higher levels of depression, anxiety, stress, and insomnia. Intolerance of uncertainty and certain coping strategies (such as denial or self-blame) were associated with more severe symptoms. Conclusions Mental health is a key concern during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially for the identified vulnerable groups. Agencies concerned with mental health during crises may use the studied associated factors of mental health symptoms to generate targeted policies or interventions.

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