Sports supplements: use, knowledge, and risks for Algerian athletes

Background: In recent years, sports nutrition has become a major part of the athlete’s lifestyle. Even if this field is well considered in several countries, the situation remains deficient in Algeria. Aims: The aim of this primary study in Algeria was to investigate the prevalence of the use of sports supplements among recreational and professional athletes, the health risks associated with this consumption as well as their knowledge and attitudes towards sports supplements. Subjects and Methods: This is a cross-sectional survey carried out in western Algeria on 200 athletes who completed a validated questionnaire on socio-demographical parameters, sports supplementation practices, and knowledge. Results: Of the sample, 100% reported having used at least one type of sports supplements, predominantly gainers (25%), whey protein (20%) and BCAA (20%). The main motivation for this consumption was to increase muscle (59%) mass and improve performance (25%). Retail stores (76%) were the most common sources of SS products. The prevalence of using prohibited substances (doping) was (11%) primarily anabolic steroid (95%). 31% of consumers experienced side effects. The internet was the principal source of information regarding supplementation and the main finding was a gap in knowledge and risk perception of supplement use among 61%. Conclusions: Data reported by this study represent a serious concern about the factual extent of this issue. It would be necessary and appropriate to initiate a targeted prevention strategy to improve the athlete’s knowledge aiming to change their behavior toward the use of sports supplements. Keywords: Sports supplements, Athletes, Algeria, Adverse effects, Knowledge.

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Knowledge, attitude, and practices (KAPs) of Community pharmacists regarding COVID-19: A cross-sectional survey in two provinces of Pakistan

Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness ◽

10.1017/dmp.2021.54 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-23

Author(s):

Khayal Muhammad ◽

Muhammad Saqlain ◽

Gul Muhammad ◽

Ataullah Hamdard ◽

Muhammad Naveed ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Online Survey ◽

Good Practice ◽

Community Pharmacists ◽

Vital Role ◽

Good Knowledge ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Validated Questionnaire ◽

Knowledge Age ◽

Good Attitude

Abstract The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a global pandemic having no therapy and pharmacists being a part of the healthcare system had a vital role in the management of COVID-19. The purpose of this study is to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practices (KAPs) of community pharmacists (CPs) regarding COVID-19. An online survey was conducted among 393 CPs in two provinces of Pakistan during the lockdown period. A validated questionnaire (Cronbach alpha, 0.745) was used for data collection. All statistical analysis was analyzed by using SPSS version 21. Among 393 participants, 71.5% (n=281) had good knowledge, 44% (n=175) positive attitude and 57.3% (n=225) had good practice regarding COVID-19. Social media (45.29%, n=178) was reported as the main source to seek information of COVID-19. Good knowledge, age ≥ 26 years and Ph.D. degree level were the substantial determinants (p= <0.05) of a good attitude. Similarly, community pharmacist who had an experience of >5 years, hold a Ph.D. degree, good knowledge and good attitude had higher odds of good practice as compared to reference categories (p= <0.05). In short, majority of CPs had good knowledge, but had a poor attitude and practice towards the COVID-19. Standard-structured educational and counselling programs for CPs regarding COVID-19 are needed for effective management.

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VALUE CREATION AND CUSTOMER SATISFACTION OF QUICK SERVICE RESTAURANTS IN LAGOS STATE, NIGERIA

International Journal of Advanced Studies in Business Strategies and Management ◽

10.48028/iiprds/ijasbsm.v9.i1.07 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

pp. 79-95

Author(s):

Asikhia U. ◽

◽

Magaji N. ◽

Fidelis N. ◽

Adeniranye F. ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Customer Satisfaction ◽

Value Creation ◽

Customer Value ◽

Customer Relationship ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Validated Questionnaire ◽

Lagos State ◽

Eating Out ◽

Quick Service

The Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) industry is one of the key contributors to the Nigerian economy; providing substantial revenues to government and sizable employment opportunities at the processing and retailing levels. Previous studies in Nigeria investigated customer value from the customer’s perspective but rarely has research sought to achieve both QSRs’ owners/managers and customers’ perspectives in a single study. Despite the increasing popularity of “eating out,” Quick Service Restaurants in Nigeria have shown a negative growth rate, with decline in total income, as it has become increasingly difficult to satisfy modern restaurant customers who seek unique experiences that are more than just consuming food. Hence, this study investigated the effect of value creation on customer satisfaction of Quick Service Restaurants in Lagos State, Nigeria. Cross-sectional survey research design was adopted. The population of the study was 799 owners/managers, accountants and customers of Quick Service Restaurants in Lagos State, Nigeria. A well-structured and validated questionnaire was used for data collection. Cronbach’s Alpha reliability coefficients for the constructs ranged from 0.72 to 0.92.The response rate was 75.8 percent. Data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Findings revealed that value creation dimensions had no significant effect on customer satisfaction (Adj. R2 = -0.011; F(6,296) = 0.450, p<0.05).The study concluded that value creation had no significant effect on customer satisfaction of Quick Service Restaurants in Lagos State, Nigeria. The study recommends that owners / managers of Quick Service Restaurants (QSRs) in Lagos State, Nigeria should go beyond transactional operations and develop customer relationship management programmes in order to enhance customer satisfaction.

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Over-the-Counter Drugs and Complementary Medications Use among Children in Southern Italy

BioMed Research International ◽

10.1155/2015/413912 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 2015 ◽

pp. 1-8 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Claudia Pileggi ◽

Valentina Mascaro ◽

Aida Bianco ◽

Maria Pavia

Keyword(s):

Positive Attitude ◽

Southern Italy ◽

Sole Source ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Community Based ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Over The Counter ◽

Source Of Information

The use of nonprescription medicines (NPDs) for children illnesses without a doctor’s suggestion can lead to unnecessary medication use and is not free of risks. The aim of our study was to examine attitudes and practice of parents towards NPDs use for their children. We also investigated the conditions that may predict NPDs use. A cross-sectional survey was conducted on parents of children attending Community Based Pediatrician (CBP) consultation and data were collected through structured interviews. Positive attitude on NPDs use was reported by 71.4% of parents, and 61.5% of them had administered NPDs in the previous 6 months. Antipyretic drugs were the most frequently used medication class without the supervision of the CBP. A positive attitude towards NPDs was significantly more frequent in parents who did not use the CBP as the sole source of information about drugs. The study demonstrated a widespread use of NPDs in children in our context, supported by a substantial positive attitude towards their safety. However, considering potential harms related to some NPDs and the finding that most parents rely on CBP advice, role of CBP on appropriate use of NPDs by parents should be emphasized.

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Assessment of Physician's Knowledge of Potential Drug-Drug Interactions: An Online Survey in China

Frontiers in Medicine ◽

10.3389/fmed.2021.650369 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 ◽

Author(s):

Jing Yuan ◽

Chunying Shen ◽

Chengnan Wang ◽

Gang Shen ◽

Bing Han

Keyword(s):

Drug Interactions ◽

Online Survey ◽

Mobile Apps ◽

Least Square ◽

Common Source ◽

Potential Drug ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Online Questionnaire ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Source Of Information

Background: Drug interactions are the most common preventable cause of adverse drug reaction, which may result in drug toxicity or undesired therapeutic effect with harmful outcomes to patients. Given the rising use of combination therapies, the main objectives of this study were to estimate the degree to which physicians can identify potential drug-drug interactions (PDDIs) correctly and to describe the common source of information used by physicians when they need to check PDDIs.Methods: A cross-sectional survey utilizing a self-administered online questionnaire was conducted among physicians in China. Participants were asked to classify 20 drug pairs as “no interaction,” “may be used together with monitoring,” “contraindication,” and “not sure.” We also collected data on the physician's source of information and altitude toward the PDDIs. An ordinary least square regression model was performed to investigate the potential predictors of PDDI knowledge.Results: Eligible questionnaires were obtained from 618 physicians. The respondents classified correctly 6.7 out of 20 drug pairs, or 33.4% of the drug interactions investigated. The number of drug pairs recognized by respondents was ranged from 0 to 16. The percentage of physicians who recognized specific drug pairs ranged from 8.3% for no interactions between conjugated estrogens and raloxifene, to 64.0% for the interaction between dopamine and phenytoin. When the respondents want to check PDDI information, the most commonly used source of information was package inserts (n = 572, 92.6%), followed by the Internet or mobile Apps (n = 424, 68.6%), consultation with clinical pharmacists (n = 384, 62.1%), medical textbooks (n = 374, 60.5%), knowledge base in Chinese (n = 283, 45.8%), and other physicians (n = 366, 59.2%). In the multiple regression analysis, the significant predictors of a higher number of recognized drug pairs were years of practice and altitudes toward PDDIs.Conclusion: In this online survey accessing physician's ability to detect PDDIs, less than half of the drug pairs were recognized, indicating unsatisfactory level of knowledge about the clinically significant drug interactions. Continuing education and accessible electronic database can help physicians detecting PDDIs and improve drug safety.

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Knowledge, attitude, and practice on COVID-19 among undergraduate students of B. P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, Dharan, Nepal: An online cross-sectional survey

Journal of Biomedical Sciences ◽

10.3126/jbs.v8i1.38457 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 (1) ◽

pp. 15-22

Author(s):

KR Pandey ◽

DR Panday ◽

P Pyakurel ◽

S Marahatta ◽

SP Rimal ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Nursing Students ◽

Undergraduate Students ◽

Human Life ◽

Statistical Significance ◽

Medical Institute ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Health Crisis ◽

Female Ratio ◽

Validated Questionnaire

Background: COVID-19, a global health crisis of the 21st century, has threatened possibly every aspect of human life. Since the pandemic is not yet over, this study was carried out among undergraduate students of a medical institute in Nepal to assess and boost their KAP status on the disease. Material and methods: It was an online cross-sectional census survey performed among consenting undergraduate healthcare students of BPKIHS. A self-made and validated questionnaire assessing KAP on COVID-19 was prepared in Google form and distributed online among target students. The study population was 745. Both descriptive and inferential analysis of the data was performed. Student’s T-Test and one-way ANOVA were applied for which level of statistical significance was kept at p<0.05. Results: Ninety-six students participated in a pilot-study (Cronbach α= 0.792). The response rate was 76.27%. Most participants (76.76%) were from Nepal. The male/female ratio was 0.76. Most (59.2%) had not participated in such studies before. For 93.54%, the source of information was the internet. Assessed by questionnaire, right Knowledge (n=16) was 85.06% ± 8.81%; right Attitude (n=6) was 65.00% ± 16.16 and right Practice (n=6) was 82.88%± 8.50%. Male were more knowledgeable about the disease (p=0.011). However, females secured higher in practical aspects (p=0.000). Indian students possessed better knowledge (p=0.005) and a better attitude (p=0.033). MBBS students had better knowledge (p=0.000), but Nursing students secured higher in Practice (p=0.012). Attitude is better in the earlier years (p=0.045). Conclusion: We assessed KAP related to COVID-19 via score among healthcare undergraduate students. Different co-factors do impact students’ overall KAP status.

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Lack of Awareness of the Impact of Improperly Disposed Of Medications and Associated Factors: A Cross-Sectional Survey in Indonesian Households

Frontiers in Pharmacology ◽

10.3389/fphar.2021.630434 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

Author(s):

Sofa D. Alfian ◽

Widya N. Insani ◽

Eli Halimah ◽

Nabilla A. Qonita ◽

Siti S. Jannah ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Healthcare Providers ◽

Binary Logistic Regression ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Related Factors ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Public Places ◽

Validated Questionnaire ◽

Unused Medications ◽

Medication Disposal ◽

The Impact

Introduction: Disposal of unused medications through environmentally unsafe routes is common in Indonesia. The lack of awareness of the impact of improperly disposed of medications is a significant contributing factor. The objectives of this study were to identify factors associated with lack of awareness of the impact of improperly disposed of unused medications and to assess the associations of awareness with medication disposal practices among the general population in Indonesia.Patients and methods: An observational cross-sectional survey was conducted using nonprobability sampling in Bandung, Indonesia, from November 2017 to January 2018 among respondents who were older than 18 years, had used any medication in the past, were literate, and had signed an informed consent document. Disposal practices and awareness regarding the impact of improperly disposed of unused medications were collected using an online- and a paper-based pre-validated questionnaire. The paper-based questionnaires were distributed to respondents in public places such as city center, markets, and religious places. Binary logistic regression was performed to assess associations of sociodemographic and other related factors with a lack of awareness. Odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) are reported.Results: Of 497 participating respondents, 433 and 64 respondents filled an online- or a paper-based questionnaire, respectively. Most respondents were female, aged between 18 and 30 years, and students/university students. Of 497 respondents, more than half (53.1%) were not aware that improper medication disposal could harm the environment and population health. Most respondents (79.5%) had never received information about proper medication disposal practices. The education level, the number of stored medications at home, and previous education about medication disposal practices were significantly associated with awareness of proper practices. In the multivariate analysis, only those with previous education about medication disposal practices were less likely to report a lack of awareness (OR: 0.043; 95% CI: 0.02–0.09). Respondents with a lack of awareness tended to dispose of their unused medications in the garbage or shared them with friends or relatives.Conclusion: There is a clear need to increase awareness of the importance of proper medication disposal practices, in particular among the student population of Bandung city, Indonesia. Healthcare providers can play an important role by educating this specific population on the proper disposal of unused medications.

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Competitive Aggressiveness and Market Share of Selected Small and Medium Scale Enterprises in Lagos State Nigeria

The Journal of Social Sciences Research ◽

10.32861/jssr.65.576.585 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 576-585

Author(s):

Dr. Kabuoh Margret N. ◽

Iwuchukwu Roseline C. ◽

Dr. Onyia Valerie A. ◽

Dr. Akintaro Abel A.

Keyword(s):

Market Share ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Medium Scale ◽

Validated Questionnaire ◽

Lagos State ◽

Alpha Reliability ◽

Regulatory Bodies ◽

Competitive Aggressiveness ◽

Operational Activities

The performance of small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs) plays a key role in the growth and development of any economy. Competitive Aggressiveness (CA) has been identified as instrumental to enhancing the control of sizable market share. However, lack of adoption of this important tool has been a challenge for these SMEs leading to decline in performances. The study hence, examined the effect of competitive aggressiveness on the market share of SMEs in Lagos, Nigeria. The study adopted cross-sectional survey research design. The population comprised 8,396 owner/managers of SMEs. The Research Advisors table was used to determine a sample size of 481. A validated questionnaire was administered to 481 respondents for data collection purpose but 430 came back correctly and were used for the study. The Cronbach’s alpha reliability coefficients of the constructs ranged from 0.71 to 0.84. The response rate was 89%. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Findings revealed that Competitive aggressiveness does not have a significant effect on the market share of selected small and medium scale enterprises in Lagos state (β = 0.009, R = 0.015 R2, = 0.000, F(1, 428) = 0.100, p >0.05). The study concluded that Competitive aggressiveness does not have a significant effect on market share of small and medium scale enterprises in Lagos State, Nigeria. The study recommended that firms should intensify aggressive competitive effort by working smart, carrying employees along, effective bench marketing, and proper monitoring of operational activities by regulatory bodies. These activities if well executed will increase level of market share of the SMEs in Lagos State, Nigeria.

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Assessing a national policy on strengthening chronic care in primary care settings of a middle-income country using patients’ perspectives.

10.21203/rs.3.rs-57447/v2 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Wichai Aekplakorn ◽

Paibul Suriyawongpaisal ◽

Samrit Srithamrongsaw ◽

Phanuwich kaewkamjonchai

Keyword(s):

Primary Care ◽

Structural Equation ◽

Health Care Services ◽

Chronic Care ◽

Care Quality ◽

Equation Modeling ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Mixed Effect ◽

Validated Questionnaire

Abstract Background To improve care for patients with chronic diseases, a recent policy initiative in Thailand focuses on strengthening primary care including training of the team to deliver healthcare based on the concept of Chronic Care Model (CCM). This study aimed to assess the perception of patients on the health care services after the implementation. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional survey of 4,071 patients with hypertension and/or diabetes registered to 27 primary care units and 11 hospital Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) clinics in 11 provinces.The patients were interviewed at home using a validated questionnaire of the Patient Assessment of Chronic Illness Care (PACIC+). It contains 20 items from the original PACIC, which measure different parts of the CCM, and an additional 6 items assess the 5A Model including assess, advise, agree, assist, and arrange subscales. Upgraded primary care unit (PCUs) were ordinary PCUs with the multi-professional team including a physician. Trained upgraded PCUs were upgraded PCUs with the training input. Structural equation modeling was used to create subscale scores for CCM and 5 A model characteristics. Mixed effect models were employed to compare subscale of patient perception of the care quality between trained upgraded PCUs, upgraded PCUs, ordinary PCUs and NCD clinics.Results There was an independent association between every PACIC subscale (as a measure of CCM) and facility type with the maximum likelihood for patients of ordinary PCU reporting high to highest scores (ORs: 1.46-1.85; p<0.05) compared to hospital NCD clinics. This is also the case for patients: seeing the same doctor on repeated visits (ORs: 1.82-2.17; p<0.05) or having phone contacts of the providers (ORs:1.53-1.99; p<0.05). Similarly, across all of the 5A model subscales, ORs for patients attending ordinary PCU responded with high to highest scores were 1.48-2.10 times compared to those for patients attending hospital NCD clinics (p<0.05). Conclusions The training and allocation of family physician approach in PCU may not satisfy the patients’ perception on quality of chronic care. Further studies might focus on other factors such as mismatch between health workforce and workload as a key factor influencing the success of the policy implementation.

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IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON PATIENTS' ATTITUDE TOWARDS THEIR DENTAL NEEDS

10.36106/9528001 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 63-65

Author(s):

Sonia Khatri ◽

Indiresha H Narayana ◽

Soumyadeep Ghosh ◽

Kavimalar Kavimalar ◽

Arbiya Anjum ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Dental Treatment ◽

Descriptive Statistics ◽

Dental Practice ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Dental Clinics ◽

Validated Questionnaire ◽

Dental Setting ◽

Precautionary Measures ◽

Dental Needs

The Covid-19 has changed the life of the entire world and its wave has affected all elds of medicine and dentistry. The concern about coronavirus transmission and dental practice has been widely recognized around the world.The purpose of this survey was to investigate the inuence of coronavirus disease on patients' views with regards to their dental treatment requirements. Materials and methods: It is a cross-sectional survey conducted over 430 patients seeking dental treatment in Ramaiah dental college and hospital Bangalore, Karnataka, India. This survey has been conducted through electronic communication applications such as WhatsApp and Gmail, for three months. A structured and validated questionnaire was administered to the study subjects. Collected data were analyzed by using descriptive statistics. Results:Atotal of 1000 patients were selected for the survey, in this only 43% of subjects completed the survey. Out of 430 responses, 50.1% of the subjects had dental problems. 38.3% of subjects expressed the unavailability of dental clinics and hospitals during Covid-19, 31.4% unavailability of the dentist. Of the 42.9% of patients who visited the dental clinic during the covid-19 pandemic, 38% of subjects observed the increase in treatment cost, only 30.5% of subjects were provided with emergency treatment. The majority of subjects (75.7%) expressed that dentists are practicing good precautionary measures such as wearing PPE kits, mouth masks etc. Conclusion: During the coronavirus pandemic, the patients demonstrated good knowledge and an optimistic attitude towards the precautionary modications in regard to minimize the spread of COVID-19 in the dental setting.

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VALUE CREATION AND PROFITABILITY OF QUICK SERVICE RESTAURANTS IN LAGOS STATE, NIGERIA

International Journal of Development Strategies in Humanities, Management and Social Sciences ◽

10.48028/iiprds/ijdshmss.v11.i1.05 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

pp. 62-76

Author(s):

Adeniranye F. ◽

◽

Asikhia U. ◽

Magaji N. ◽

Fidelis N. ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Value Creation ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Validated Questionnaire ◽

Key Stakeholders ◽

Lagos State ◽

Alpha Reliability ◽

Eating Out ◽

Quick Service ◽

Negative Growth

The Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) industry makes a significant contribution to the Nigerian economy; providing substantial revenues to government and sizable employment opportunities at the processing and retailing levels. Previous studies in Nigeria scarcely investigated organisational value creation impact on firm performance particularly in the QSR industry. Despite the increasing popularity of “eating out,” Quick Service Restaurants in Nigeria have shown a negative growth rate, with decline in total income, as it has become increasingly difficult to satisfy modern restaurant customers who seek unique experiences that are more than just consuming food. Hence, this study investigated the effect of value creation on profitability of Quick Service Restaurants in Lagos State, Nigeria. Cross-sectional survey research design was adopted. The total population was 414 owners/managers, accountants of Quick Service Restaurants in Lagos State, Nigeria. A well-structured and validated questionnaire was used for data collection. Cronbach’s Alpha reliability coefficients for the constructs ranged from 0.72 to 0.92. The response rate was 73.2 percent. Data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Findings revealed that value creation dimensions had significant effect on profitability(Adj. R2 = 0. 395; F(6,296) = 33.801, p< 0.05).The study concluded that value creation had significant effect on profitability of Quick Service Restaurants in Lagos State, Nigeria. The study recommends that Quick Service Restaurants (QSRs) in Lagos State, Nigeria should continue to deploy their resources effectively and efficiently, identify and satisfy the interests of their key stakeholders in order to enhance profitability.

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