THE USE OF PSYCHOACTIVE DRUGS AMONG STREET LADIES IN ABA METROPOLIS OF NIGERIA: AN ASSESSMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH IMPLICATIONS

Introduction: The use of psychoactive drugs among ladies is engaged in on an alarming increase in the postmodern Nigerian society, as it remains one of the public health and social vices that affects the contemporary human community. Purpose: The objectives of this study were to identify the drugs mostly abused and to determine the risk behaviours they engage in when under the influence of psychoactive drugs. Methodology: This study adopted a cross-sectional approach involving the use of oral interview and a semi- structured questionnaire as the instrument of data collection. This involved 20 interviewees in simple random selection. The data collected were analyzed using a descriptive statistics and statistical test of significance and results presented in charts. Findings: Major findings in this study attest to the fact that the mostly abused psychoactive drugs are Cigarette, Indian hemp, tramadol and codeine, cocaine. The use of psychoactive drugs is precursory to mental health challenges, depression, and behavioural abnormalities among younger women. The risk behaviours engaged when under the influence of these psychoactive drugs are aggressiveness/ ready to fight, unrestricted sexual activities, desire for more drug use. Consequently, the study findings maintain that the perpetration of heinous crimes that are carried out in the society cannot be independent of the influence of drugs, since the abused psychoactive drugs alter the normal function of the brain thus affecting the mental health of the user. Contribution to theory, practice and policy: Therefore, public health education and promotion with a focus on dissuading the unrestricted circulation and abuse of psychoactive drugs, especially among Aba young ladies is perceived profitable. Conclusion and Recommendation: Community awareness regarding drug and substance among women and constant checkmating of the activities of street girls should be carried out.

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What are Hidden Facts behind Intestinal Parasitic Infections in Ilam City?

Infectious Disorders - Drug Targets ◽

10.2174/1871526518666180508125418 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 19 (3) ◽

pp. 284-287

Author(s):

S. Viesy ◽

J. Abdi ◽

Z. Rezaei

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Intestinal Parasites ◽

Parasitic Infection ◽

Public Health Education ◽

Health Problems ◽

Parasitic Infections ◽

Blastocystis Hominis ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Intestinal Parasitic Infections ◽

Number Of Patients

Background: Intestinal parasitic infections are the one of the most common health problems in developing countries. Objective: A number of patients die annually due to complications caused by these parasites.Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the rate and type of parasitic infections, determine the factors affecting them in Ilam city and also provide strategies to prevent them.In this descriptive cross-sectional study conducted in one of the Ilam labs in 2016, 417 stool specimens were randomly collected. All specimens were examined using direct and ethanol formaldehyde.Suspect specimens were examined using Trichrom staining. Demographic information was also recorded in a questionnaire, and finally the results were analyzed using statistical software SPSS 20.The data were then compared with Chi-square test. Results: Out of the 417 patients examined, 59 (14.1%) were infected with intestinal parasites. The type of parasitic infection in 9.4% was Blastocystis hominis, 3.6% Entamoeba coli, 0.5% Entamoeba histolytica, 0.5% Giardia and 0.2% Trichomonas hominis. Conclusion: Despite the improvement of public health, parasitic infections are still considered as one of the health problems in the city of Ilam. Therefore, proper planning, public health education, raising the level of health in the area and the provision of safe drinking water are some of the ways to reduce parasitic infections in the region.

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Working conditions and health status of 6,317 front line public health workers across five provinces in China during the COVID-19 epidemic: a cross-sectional study

BMC Public Health ◽

10.1186/s12889-020-10146-0 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Jinghua Li ◽

Jingdong Xu ◽

Huan Zhou ◽

Hua You ◽

Xiaohui Wang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Mental Health ◽

Health Status ◽

Health Outcomes ◽

Working Conditions ◽

Health Workers ◽

Front Line ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Self Rated Health ◽

Public Health Workers

ABSTRACT Background Public health workers at the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (China CDC) and primary health care institutes (PHIs) were among the main workers who implemented prevention, control, and containment measures. However, their efforts and health status have not been well documented. We aimed to investigate the working conditions and health status of front line public health workers in China during the COVID-19 epidemic. Methods Between 18 February and 1 March 2020, we conducted an online cross-sectional survey of 2,313 CDC workers and 4,004 PHI workers in five provinces across China experiencing different scales of COVID-19 epidemic. We surveyed all participants about their work conditions, roles, burdens, perceptions, mental health, and self-rated health using a self-constructed questionnaire and standardised measurements (i.e., Patient Health Questionnaire and General Anxiety Disorder scale). To examine the independent associations between working conditions and health outcomes, we used multivariate regression models controlling for potential confounders. Results The prevalence of depression, anxiety, and poor self-rated health was 21.3, 19.0, and 9.8%, respectively, among public health workers (27.1, 20.6, and 15.0% among CDC workers and 17.5, 17.9, and 6.8% among PHI workers). The majority (71.6%) made immense efforts in both field and non-field work. Nearly 20.0% have worked all night for more than 3 days, and 45.3% had worked throughout the Chinese New Year holiday. Three risk factors and two protective factors were found to be independently associated with all three health outcomes in our final multivariate models: working all night for >3 days (multivariate odds ratio [ORm]=1.67~1.75, p<0.001), concerns about infection at work (ORm=1.46~1.89, p<0.001), perceived troubles at work (ORm=1.10~1.28, p<0.001), initiating COVID-19 prevention work after January 23 (ORm=0.78~0.82, p=0.002~0.008), and ability to persist for > 1 month at the current work intensity (ORm=0.44~0.55, p<0.001). Conclusions Chinese public health workers made immense efforts and personal sacrifices to control the COVID-19 epidemic and faced the risk of mental health problems. Efforts are needed to improve the working conditions and health status of public health workers and thus maintain their morale and effectiveness during the fight against COVID-19.

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Anaemia among Egyptian adolescents: prevalence and determinants

Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal ◽

10.26719/2000.6.5-6.1017 ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 6 (5-6) ◽

pp. 1017-1025

Author(s):

F. El Sahn ◽

S. Sallam ◽

A. Mandif ◽

O. Galal

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Rural Areas ◽

Educational Level ◽

Inverse Relationship ◽

Public Health Problem ◽

Public Health Education ◽

Major Public Health Problem ◽

Socioeconomic Level ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Wide Scale

We aimed to estimate the nationwide prevalence of anaemia among adolescents in Egypt and to study possible risk factors. A cross-sectional approach was used. Blood samples were collected from 1980 adolescents for haemoglobin estimation. The overall prevalence of anaemia was 46.6%, most of which was mild or moderate, with severe cases in less than 1.0% of the sample. Gender difference was almost nonexistent. A significant inverse relationship was observed between the level of anaemia and age [especially among boys], socioeconomic level and educational level. Anaemia was more prevalent in rural areas and in Upper [southern] Egypt. Anaemia is a major public health problem among Egyptian adolescents and wide-scale public health education is warranted.

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Concern and Attitudes Toward Zika Virus in Jarabacoa, Dominican Republic: A Cross-Sectional Study

Global Journal of Health Science ◽

10.5539/gjhs.v10n12p1 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 10 (12) ◽

pp. 1

Author(s):

Gregory Black ◽

Eric Hasenkamp ◽

Nicholas Johnson ◽

Rosanna Ianiro ◽

Ricardo Izurieta ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Health Education ◽

Dominican Republic ◽

Zika Virus ◽

Public Health Education ◽

Medical Provider ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Contraception Use ◽

Vector Borne

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES: The Zika virus, a member of the flavivirus genus, is an emerging threat to many tropical regions of the world. This study was designed to assess the level of knowledge, attitudes and concern in regards to the Zika virus in the community of Jarabacoa, Dominican Republic, with the hopes of guiding future efforts toward public education and prevention of future public health threats. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in the rural communities of Jarabacoa during October 2016 and October 2017. Individuals completed a 14-point survey evaluating: level of concern towards Zika (1=no concern, 3=neutral, 5=extremely concerned), knowledge level of the disease, use of personal protection against the virus, how people initially heard about the disease and contraception use. RESULTS: Overall, women were more concerned than men about contracting the virus (p<.001, CI -2.510, -0.826). Of the respondents (N=138), 66% learned about Zika from the TV/news and 24.6% from their medical provider. 5% knew Zika was contracted from blood and 2% from pregnancy, and only 17% of respondents knew that it was contracted through sex. For protection from Zika, only 8% used condoms. Of the women trying to get pregnant, none knew Zika could be transmitted through sex. CONCLUSION: This study revealed that women were more concerned about the Zika virus than men and that knowledge about the virus was limited. In general, people are protecting themselves against vector borne transmission but not non-vector borne modes of transmission such as sexual intercourse. Also, public health education is lacking. Further studies are needed with more male participants, focus on contraception and social media’s effect on public health education.

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Changes in Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior in Response to COVID-19 and Their Associations with Mental Health in 3052 US Adults

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph17186469 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 17 (18) ◽

pp. 6469 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Jacob Meyer ◽

Cillian McDowell ◽

Jeni Lansing ◽

Cassandra Brower ◽

Lee Smith ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Mental Health ◽

Physical Activity ◽

Sedentary Behavior ◽

Screen Time ◽

Social Connectedness ◽

Anxiety Symptoms ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Societal Changes ◽

The Impact

The COVID-19 pandemic altered many facets of life. We aimed to evaluate the impact of COVID-19-related public health guidelines on physical activity (PA), sedentary behavior, mental health, and their interrelations. Cross-sectional data were collected from 3052 US adults 3–8 April 2020 (from all 50 states). Participants self-reported pre- and post-COVID-19 levels of moderate and vigorous PA, sitting, and screen time. Currently-followed public health guidelines, stress, loneliness, positive mental health (PMH), social connectedness, and depressive and anxiety symptoms were self-reported. Participants were grouped by meeting US PA guidelines, reporting ≥8 h/day of sitting, or ≥8 h/day of screen time, pre- and post-COVID-19. Overall, 62% of participants were female, with age ranging from 18–24 (16.6% of sample) to 75+ (9.3%). Self-reported PA was lower post-COVID among participants reporting being previously active (mean change: −32.3% [95% CI: −36.3%, −28.1%]) but largely unchanged among previously inactive participants (+2.3% [−3.5%, +8.1%]). No longer meeting PA guidelines and increased screen time were associated with worse depression, loneliness, stress, and PMH (p < 0.001). Self-isolation/quarantine was associated with higher depressive and anxiety symptoms compared to social distancing (p < 0.001). Maintaining and enhancing physical activity participation and limiting screen time increases during abrupt societal changes may mitigate the mental health consequences.

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Investigating the effect of social networking site use on mental health in an 18–34 year-old general population; a cross-sectional study using the 2016 Scania Public Health Survey

BMC Public Health ◽

10.1186/s12889-020-09732-z ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 20 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Emily Stella Scott ◽

Catarina Canivet ◽

Per-Olof Östergren

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Mental Health ◽

Young Adults ◽

Social Networking ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Poor Mental Health ◽

Effect Modification ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Public Health Survey

Abstract Background Social Networking Sites (SNS) are commonly used, especially by young adults. Their impact on mental health is unclear. Moreover, little is known about how social factors, e.g. Perceived Emotional Support (PES), may affect this association. Mental health issues are increasingly burdening the young generation and society as a whole. This study aims to investigate the association between frequency of SNS use and number of SNS contacts with the mental health of a young, Swedish population. Additionally, the potential effect modification of PES will be analysed in regard to these relationships. Method This cross-sectional study applied logistic regression analyses to data on 1341 participants (aged 18–34), retrieved from the Scania Public Health Survey (2016). Analyses were stratified by gender and the GHQ-12 scale assessed poor mental health. A 2-way interaction model was used to test for effect modification by PES regarding the association between SNS use and mental health. Results Increased risk for poor mental health was found in women only. Using SNS almost hourly vs. less often resulted in an odds ratio (OR) of 1.66 (95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.16–2.38). The corresponding figures for having ≥600 contacts vs. ≤599 were (1.89; 1.21–2.97). Having low PES and using SNS almost hourly was associated with an OR of 3.12 (CI = 1.69–5.76; synergy index (SI) = 1.25). Low PES and ≥ 600 contacts resulted in an OR of 6.07 (CI = 1.73–21.33), whereby interaction was detected (SI = 2.88). Conclusion Women, but not men, with frequent SNS use and a high number of SNS contacts were more likely to have poor mental health, which was exacerbated in women with low PES. Facilitating PES could be an approach for improving mental health among young adults. Future studies on the use of SNS should focus more on gender analyses.

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From Salt to Stroke—Evaluation of a Media Campaign for Sodium Reduction in Philadelphia

Frontiers in Public Health ◽

10.3389/fpubh.2020.619261 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 ◽

Author(s):

Ann C. Klassen ◽

Suruchi Sood ◽

Amber Summers ◽

Udara Perera ◽

Michelle Shuster ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

African Americans ◽

Health Education ◽

Public Health Education ◽

Dietary Sodium ◽

Local Health ◽

Sodium Reduction ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

High Sodium ◽

Education Campaigns

Excess dietary sodium contributes to the burden of chronic disease, including cardiovascular disease and stroke. Media-based health education campaigns are one strategy to raise awareness among populations at greater risk for stroke, including African Americans. During 2014–2015, the Philadelphia Department of Public Health conducted a health education campaign using radio, print news, and transit ads, to promote awareness of the link between dietary sodium, hypertension and stroke, and encourage reduced consumption of high sodium foods. Using a repeated cross-sectional design, street intercept surveys were conducted with ~400 Philadelphia residents representing the campaign's priority audience (African Americans ages 35–55) before and 6–13 weeks after the campaign, to evaluate both process (campaign exposure) and impact (recall of key health messages). Thirty percent of post-campaign respondents reported familiarity with one of the most engaging radio spots, and 17% provided accurate unaided recall of its key content, with greater recall among older respondents and frequent radio listeners. Forty-one percent of post-campaign respondents named stroke as a consequence of excess salt consumption, compared to only 17% of pre-campaign respondents, with greater awareness of the salt-stroke connection among those accurately recalling the radio spot from the campaign. Results suggest that priority populations for sodium reduction can be effectively reached through radio and transit campaigns. From a pragmatic perspective, street intercept surveys may offer one low resource strategy for evaluating public health education campaigns conducted by local health departments, especially among urban populations.

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The Public Health Intervention for International Students at Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Malaysia

Borneo Epidemiology Journal ◽

10.51200/bej.v2i2.3630 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 2 (2) ◽

pp. 98-106

Author(s):

Hazeqa Salleh ◽

Nicholas Tze Ping Pang ◽

Mohammad Saffree Jeffree ◽

Helen Lasimbang ◽

Syed Sharizman Syed Abdul Rahim ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Mental Health ◽

International Students ◽

Early Phase ◽

International Student ◽

Public Health Intervention ◽

Health Intervention ◽

Contact Tracing ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

The Public

Background: COVID-19 pandemic that started in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, has spread globally, and Sabah is one of the states in Malaysia that is affected by it. The outburst in social media on discrimination against the people from China impacted the international students from China. Thus, University Malaysia Sabah (UMS) had to play a role in mitigating the COVID-19 pandemic and protecting its students. This article aimed to describe the actions taken by UMS for its international student from China during the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: This study used a cross-sectional design where all 379 students from China in UMS were screened from February 2020 until March 2020 during the early phase of COVID 19. Results: During this study period, 0.5% of the students were classified as Persons under Investigation (PUI), while 99.5% were classified as Person under Surveillance (PUS). Conclusion: The public health interventions included surveillance, contact tracing, monitoring, quarantine, isolation, social distancing, mental health support, and mental health intervention activities. These actions to control the pandemic reduce the state health department's health burden and help the students in need.

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Associations between COVID-19 Risk Perceptions and Mental Health, Wellbeing, and Risk Behaviours

10.31234/osf.io/zup86 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Maddy Dyer ◽

Hannah Sallis ◽

Jasmine Natalie Khouja ◽

Sarah Dryhurst ◽

Marcus Robert Munafo

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Substance Use ◽

Risk Perceptions ◽

Genetic Data ◽

Polygenic Risk Score ◽

Risk Behaviours ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Causal Pathways ◽

Parents And Children ◽

The Uk

Background: Mental health has worsened, and substance use has increased for some individuals during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Cross-sectional studies suggest that COVID-19 risk perceptions are related to mental health and risk behaviours (potentially including substance use). However, longitudinal and genetic data are needed to support stronger inferences regarding whether these associations reflect causal pathways. Methods: Using cross-sectional, longitudinal, and polygenic risk score (PRS) data from the UK Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC), we examined cross-sectional and prospective associations between COVID-19 risk perceptions and mental health, wellbeing, and risk behaviours. Participants (85% female) were aged between 27-72 years. We used pandemic (April-July 2020) and pre-pandemic (2003-2017) data (ns = 233-5,115). Results: COVID-19 risk perceptions were positively associated with anxiety (OR 2.78, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.20 to 3.52), depression (OR 1.65, 95% CI 1.24 to 2.18), low wellbeing (OR 1.76, 95% CI 1.45 to 2.13), increased alcohol use (OR 1.46, 95% CI 1.24 to 1.72), and COVID-19 prevention behaviours (ps < .05). Pre-pandemic anxiety (OR 1.64, 95% CI 1.29 to 2.09) and low wellbeing (OR 1.41, 95% CI 1.15 to 1.74) were positively associated with COVID-19 risk perceptions. The depression (b 0.21, 95% CI 0.02 to 0.40) and wellbeing (b -0.29, 95% CI -0.48 to -0.09) PRS were associated with higher and lower COVID-19 risk perceptions, respectively. Conclusions: Poorer mental health and wellbeing are associated with higher COVID-19 risk perceptions, and longitudinal and genetic data suggest that they may play a casual role in COVID-19 risk perceptions.

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The Public Health Impact and Policy Implications of Online Support Group Use for Mental Health in Singapore: Cross-Sectional Survey (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.18114 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Kumarasan Roystonn ◽

Janhavi Ajit Vaingankar ◽

Boon Yiang Chua ◽

Rajeswari Sambasivam ◽

Saleha Shafie ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Mental Health ◽

Support Groups ◽

Support Group ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Online Support ◽

Online Support Groups ◽

Online Support Group ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Treatment Services

BACKGROUND The wide mental health treatment gap continues to pose a global and local public health challenge. Online support groups are on the rise and could be used to complement formal treatment services for mental health. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to examine the prevalence of online support group use and explore factors associated with the use in the general population using data from a national cross-sectional mental health survey in Singapore. METHODS Singapore residents aged 18 years and above participated in a nationally representative household survey in which the World Health Organization Composite International Diagnostic Interview 3.0 was administered by trained interviewers to examine the use of online support groups for mental health. Multiple logistic regressions were used to analyze the association of online support group use with various sociodemographic and health factors. RESULTS A total of 6110 respondents with complete data were included in this study. Overall, 10 individuals per 1000 adults (1%) reported seeking help from online support groups for their mental health problems. Compared to younger adults (those aged 18 to 34 years) and those with university education, individuals aged 50 to 64 years (P<.001; OR 0.1, 95% CI 0.0-0.3) and those with preuniversity qualifications (P=.02; OR 0.1, 95% CI 0.0-0.8) were less likely to use online support groups for mental health, respectively. Participants with a Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) mental disorder were 6.8 times more likely (P<.001; 95% CI 3.0-15.4) to use an online support group; in particular, individuals with major depressive disorder (P<.001; OR 5.4, 95% CI 2.1-13.8) and obsessive compulsive disorder (P=.01; OR 3.5, 95% CI 1.3-9.7) were more likely to use an online support group for their mental health. CONCLUSIONS Online support groups could be used to complement formal treatment services, especially for mood and anxiety-related disorders. As online support group use for mental health issues may be more prevalent among younger people, early detection and accurate information in online support groups may guide individuals toward seeking professional help for their mental health problems.

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