Intellectual capital in rehabilitation organizations

PurposeThis paper aims to clear ambiguities regarding the definition of intellectual capital and its components in the evaluation of rehabilitation organizations.Design/methodology/approachA preliminary definition of intellectual capital and its three domains of human, relational and structural capital and separate lists of proposed components for each domain was developed based on the results of a previous study. Fourteen experts in rehabilitation, health management and management engaged in Delphi rounds to reach agreed-upon definitions. Their ideas on relevance and the measurements of each proposed component in the assessment of intellectual capital in rehabilitation organizations were gathered by a questionnaire.FindingsIntellectual capital was defined as “The capital that emerges from the interaction of human resources’ ‘ability to think’ and to ‘create ideas’ with ‘a favorable internal and external organizational environment’ (including the managerial, social, structural, and physical environment, as well as communication between the inside and outside of the organization).” This capital is expected to gradually increase with further education, skills training and the gaining of experience by staff and managers. Also, the further development of intra-organizational structures and inter-relations with the market will empower the organization to adapt to continually changing circumstances, leading to competitive value and profit. Finally, a list of 101 proposed components was agreed upon in the evaluation of intellectual capital in rehabilitation organizations.Originality/valueThis paper may lead to the development of measurement tools and ultimately to planning effective programs to increase intellectual capital in rehabilitation organizations.

Birth cohorts, marriage patterns, and contraceptive methods used among women in contemporary Myanmar

PurposeThe total fertility rate in Myanmar stands low in comparison to neighboring countries. This decrease in the birth rate will lead to a decline in the number of young Burmese in the future, an issue that is of concern to the Myanmar government. The purpose of this study was to review the contributing factors to marriage and birth rates and to also review the use of contraception among married women.Design/methodology/approachThis quantitative research study was based on cross-sectional secondary data available from the Myanmar Demographic and Health Survey 2015–2016. The study sample included 6,138 women of reproductive age.FindingsThe proportion of unmarried women and the mean age at the first marriage date in the early cohort was higher than that of the women who were born in the later cohort. The study shows that birth cohort, female labor force participation, migration, wealth index, and media exposure are significant in explaining marriage types and patterns (p < 0.05). The injection and the pill were the most popular contraceptive methods for both cohorts. Other methods such as intrauterine devices, implants, and condoms were not as popular.Originality/valueThis paper presents the birth cohort, female labor force participation, migration, wealth index, and media exposure as key factors for determining the timing of marriage.

Sleep loss among Thai high school students smartphone users affected by smartphone electromagnetic pollution

Purpose Adolescents being in a stage of growth need good sleep, but, today, they suffer from sleep deprivation due to such extrinsic factor as a smartphone which they enjoy spending time using the device. However, the effects of smartphone output power (SOP) on the duration of good sleep remains unclear. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the correlation of the SOP and sleep loss in high school students. Design/methodology/approach The time-series study was conducted among 145 high school students in Chiang Mai Province who completed a sleep diary which applied by the Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index. The SOP was corrected by a smartphone application and transmitted by e-mail to a researcher every day. The completed data set contains 12,969 entries. Headache, anxiety and depression were also assessed. Data were analyzed using the generalized estimating equation adjusted for demographic data, smartphone use and other factors. Findings Most of the study subjects are female, 17.4 years old on average. The prevalence of sleep loss (<8 h) was 52.9 percent with averagely 7.4 ±1.7 h of sleep duration and poor sleep at 32.1 percent. Anxiety, depression, headache had relationships with sleep loss. The daily dose, evening and nocturnal SOP in the range of ≥ 2.00 × 10‒5 mW had stronger relationships with sleep loss than their effects in the range of ≤ 1.79 × 10‒5 mW (ORadj1.32; 95% CI: 1.26–1.76, ORadj1.34; 95% CI: 1.07–1.17 and ORadj1.41; 95% CI: 1.07–1.17, respectively). Meanwhile, morning Lag_2 and daytime Lag_1 in the range of ≥ 2.00 × 10‒5 mW appeared to have a strong relationship with sleep loss (ORadj1.60; 95% CI: 1.26–1.76, ORadj1.36; 95% CI: 1.07–1.17). The relationship between Lag_4 daily dose and sleep loss took the form of a reverse dose-response. Originality/value Sleep loss in adolescents has an increasing trend of prevalence and has been found to be correlated with the highest SOP group (≥ 2.00 × 10‒5 mW range). These results confirmed that increased and longer smartphone use result in reduced sleep time. This causes them to be exposed to smartphone electromagnetic radiation and smartphone screen lighting. This disturbs brain waves and nervous system controlling sleep balance mechanisms. The findings recommended parents setting time and boundaries around technology use at home to reduce contact with electromagnetic radiation and smartphone screen lighting, thereby increasing sleeping time in order to create good sleep quality.

The experiences of colorectal cancer patients in postoperative recovery: integrative review

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to synthesize the experiences and needs of colorectal cancer patients during postoperative recovery. Design/methodology/approach This study is an integrative review, conducted by CINAHL, PubMed, ScienceDirect and ThaiJO from 2009 to 2019. Ten research articles published have been selected by PRISMA process. Findings Results show the experiences of colon cancer patients during postoperative recovery consisted of four themes, namely suffering, decreased activity, ambivalent feeling and need of caring. Research limitations/implications The health care personnel should be aware of these experiences and give holistic care in order to let the patients free from unpleasant experiences and receive the responses which really meet their needs. Originality/value Knowledge about the experience and needs of colorectal cancer patients after surgery is of great benefit to healthcare providers who are planning the care, so as to achieve complete holistic care in the future research.

How do personality characteristics of risky pregnant women affect their prenatal distress levels?

Purpose The prenatal distress level of the pregnant woman is influenced by many variables. Personality characteristics are one of the most important of these variables. Knowing personality characteristics of pregnant women contributes to the personalization of care. The purpose of this paper is to identify the effect of personality characteristics of pregnant women at risk on the prenatal distress level. Design/methodology/approach A total of 438 women who were hospitalized based on a medical diagnosis associated with pregnancy were included in the study. The participants were administered the Personal Information Form, Cervantes Personality Scale and Revised Prenatal Distress Questionnaire. Data were evaluated using the SPSS 22.0 software program. Findings Of the pregnant women, 27.4 percent found their ability to cope with stress insufficient, and one-fifth of them found their social support insufficient. The pregnant women at risk with introverted, neurotic and inconsistent personality were found to have high levels of prenatal distress. Research limitations/implications This study was conducted on a group of Turkish pregnant women and cannot be generalized to other cultures. The data obtained from the research cannot be used to evaluate the psychological and physical disorders of the pregnant woman. Practical implications All health care professionals should evaluate women not only physically but also mentally and emotionally, beginning with the preconceptional period. They should determine the conditions that create distress and identify the personality characteristics that prevent from coping with stress. By using cognitive and behavioral techniques, pregnant women should be trained to gain skills on subjects such as risk perception and stress management, personality characteristics and coping, problem solving, psychological endurance and optimism. Caring initiatives should be personalized in line with personality characteristics of pregnant women. The care offered within this framework will contribute to the strengthening and development of the health of not only the women but also the family and society, and to the reduction of health care costs. Social implications Researchers have determined that pregnant women at risk with introverted, neurotic and inconsistent personality characteristics have higher distress levels. They have determined that these pregnant women find their ability to cope with stress more inadequate. It is vital to cope with stress during pregnancy due to its adverse effects on maternal/fetal/neonatal health. Originality/value The prenatal distress level of the pregnant woman is influenced by many demographic (age, marital status and socioeconomic level), social (marital dissatisfaction, and lack of social support), personal (self-esteem, neuroticism and negative life experiences) and pregnancy-related (experiencing risky pregnancy, and previous pregnancy experiences) variables. Personality characteristics are one of the most important of these variables. This research is original because there are limited number of studies examining the effect of personality characteristics on prenatal distress level in the literature. And knowing the relationship between personality characteristics and distress by health professionals enables individualization of care. The care offered within this framework will contribute to the strengthening and development of the health of not only the women, but also the family and society, and to the decrease of health care costs.

The impact of smoke from grilled fish on the hematological parameters of Indonesian grilled fish sellers

Purpose Fish processing by grilling can produce emissions that contain toxic compounds that can have short- and long-term effects on human health. Another study reported that exposure to air pollutants is hematotoxic. The purpose of this paper is to determine the effect of smoke exposure on fish grill results on hematological parameters. Design/methodology/approach The subjects of this study were 90 grilled fish sellers, with 32 processed food sellers who did not sell grill food as a control. The hematological analysis was performed using the Hematology Analyzers KX300 instrument. Findings The results showed that the mean value of hematological parameters in the test group was higher than the control group except for the number of lymphocytes and mixed cell parameters. Originality/value The content of harmful compounds contained in fish grill smoke can increase hematological value in the blood of exposed individuals, which has the potential for health problems and disease progression.

Effectiveness of social media for weight reduction on overweight undergraduate students in Thailand

Purpose Addressing overweight in the population is an important public health challenge. Use of social media such as Facebook has been proposed as a platform to deliver weight loss interventions to influence behavior change to tackle obesity. The purpose of this paper is to compare the effectiveness of weight loss education and support interventions delivered through online social media (experimental group) vs conventional method (control group). Design/methodology/approach The six-month experimental study comprised of a four-month intervention and a two-month follow up from May 2016 to October 2016. All faculties in a university were randomly selected into the experimental or control group. Then, undergraduate students (n=66) were randomly recruited from each faculty into the corresponding groups (experimental group=33 and control group=33). Both groups received health education and support services through either Facebook or the offline support system. The mean differences of main outcomes including body mass index (BMI) and waist to height ratio (WHtR) between groups at baseline and fourth month and baseline and sixth month were compared using t-test. Findings The results show those in the experimental group had significantly better outcomes in term of BMI and WHtR at the end of four-month intervention with the mean difference (95% CI) at 0.7 (0.1, 1.3) and 0.01 (0.00, 0.01), respectively. The differences at the end of the study, however, became insignificant. Originality/value The health education and support services through Facebook can be used in a weight loss promotion program for BMI and WHtR reduction. On a larger scale to replace conventional programs, a long-term continuous measure is needed.

System dynamics analysis of dental caries status among Thai adults and elderly

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to estimate the changes of dental caries status among Thai adults and elderly under the different policy options using system dynamics modeling. Design/methodology/approach A multi-sector system dynamics model was developed to capture the dynamic interrelationship between dental caries status changes and oral health behavior – including self-care, dental care utilization and sugar consumption. Data used to populate the model was obtained from the Thai national oral health survey in 2000, 2006, 2012 and Thailand Official Statistics Registration. Three policy scenarios were experimented in the model: health promotion policy, dental personnel policy and affordable dental care service policy. Findings Dental caries experiences among Thai adults and elderly were projected to increase from now to 2040, as the elderly population increases. Among all policies experimented herein, the combined policies of health promotion, increased affordability and capacity of dental health service were found to produce the highest improvement in dental caries status with 3.7 percent reduction of population with high decayed, missing and filled teeth (DMFT) and 5.2 percent increase in population with very low DMFT. Originality/value This study is the first comprehensive simulation model that attempts to explore the dynamic interrelationship among dental caries experiences and behavioral factors that impact on oral health outcomes. In addition, the simulation model herein offers a framework for policy experimentation that provides policymakers with additional insights to inform health policy planning.

Work-environmental determinants of mass fainting illness among textile factory workers

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to develop a brief screening instrument to identify risk factors of factory workers experiencing mass fainting illness (MFI) due to work-environmental determinants. Design/methodology/approach A factory-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 740 workers in October 2017 and was completed with face-to-face interviews. Data analyses included univariate logistic regression, backward stepwise linear regression and multiple logistic regression. Sum scores on significant items and receiver operator characteristic curves were used to compute potential cut-off points and the sensitivity and specificity rates. Findings Significant work-environmental factors were identified as working at very high speeds, having less influence on the choice of working partners, perceived high temperature at work, having less opportunity to do their best at work, and concern about losing a job in the next six months. In developing a screening instrument, a 6.5 cut-off point that corresponded to 99.6 percent sensitivity and 92.2 percent specificity was identified. Originality/value The study concludes that this MFI-instrument could potentially be used to prevent MFI. By understanding the policy implications, the government body, employers, workers, development partners and stakeholders should work toward preventing MFI. Implementing a preventive measure is therefore warranted due to the health education impact.

Factors associated with patient delay among tuberculosis patients in border hospitals, Chiang Rai province, Thailand

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to determine the factors associated with patient delay among tuberculosis patients in border hospitals, Chiang Rai province, Thailand. Design/methodology/approach A cross-sectional study was conducted in the four biggest border hospitals in Chiang Rai province, Thailand during May to July 2018 among 103 identified TB cases. Data were collected by a face-to-face interview with structured questionnaire on patients’ general characteristics, HIV status and patient delay status. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the patients’ general characteristics, HIV and patient delay status. The association among variables and patient delay was analyzed by χ2-test. The variables with p-value<0.20 obtained in bivariate analysis were further analyzed by binary logistic regression and considered significant with p-value<0.05. Findings All patients enrolled, most were reported with patient delay (65.0 percent). Bivariate analysis demonstrated that level of education, nationality and HIV status were associated factors for patient delay. Among these factors, binary logistic regression revealed that HIV negative TB patients were increased 6.806-fold odds of being patient delay (OR = 6.806; 95% CI: 1.174–39.462), while non-Thai TB patients were also increased 2.824-fold odds of being patient delay (OR = 2.824; 95% CI: 1.041–7.660). Originality/value Patient delay among TB patients in Chiang Rai province was high. This study further supports the requirement on promoting of TB knowledge and awareness emphasized on non-Thai population and general public along the border areas of Chiang Rai province.