Contributing Factors in Violent Youth Behaviour: A Study in the Limpopo Province, South Africa

Background: Violent behaviour in youth is regarded as a significant public health problem associated with severe physical and psychological consequences. Despite the availability of rehabilitation programmes rendered at child and youth care centres (CYCC's) in the Limpopo Province, South Africa, there is an escalation and repetition of violent behaviours among the youth due to some underlying socio-economic factors. Objective: The study sought to explore and describe the factors contributing to violent behaviours among the youth. Methods: A qualitative, explorative, and descriptive research design was used. A non-probability, purposive sampling method was used to select participants in this study. The study population consisted of youth, from the age of 15-20 years old, who were admitted to the child and youth care centres due to violent behaviours. Focus group discussions and in-depth individual interviews were used to collect data from participants. A semi-structured interview guide and focus group discussion guide were used to collect data until data saturation which occurred after interviewing 48 participants. Data were analysed following Tesch’s open code data analysis technique. Measures to ensure trustworthiness and ethical principles were adhered to. Results: Two themes emerged from the analysed data, namely, the socio-economic factors contributing to violent behaviours among the youth in CYCCs and the effectiveness of rehabilitation programmes for violent youth behaviours in CYCCs. Eight sub-themes were derived from the two main themes. The home environment, the influence of delinquent peers, availability, and misuse of drugs and alcohol were most cited as the factors contributing to violent behaviours among the youth in CYCCs in the Limpopo Province. The study's findings revealed that youth had little knowledge of the impact that violent behaviour has on the victim, themselves, their families, and society. Conclusion: Rehabilitation programmes for violent behaviours among the youth will have better outcomes by involving the youth's family, especially the parents/guardians. Also, the child and youth care centres and youth violence policymakers need to emphasise family education as one of the most crucial violence prevention strategies in vulnerable youth.

A Randomized Controlled Trial of Hydroxychloroquine as Prophylaxis for COVID-19 among Health Care Providers

Background: Although there is a growing consensus that hydroxychloroquine may not be effective in the treatment of COVID-19 patients, there is still little high-quality evidence about the prophylactic effects of this medication. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the efficiency of hydroxychloroquine in preventing COVID-19 infection among healthcare workers. Methods: In this clinical trial, 90 healthcare providers from two referral hospitals of COVID-19 were divided into the hydroxychloroquine group (400 mg/week for eight weeks) and the routine-care group. Serum CRP levels and the frequency of T-helper (CD4+ cells) and T-cytotoxic (CD8+ cells) were assessed at the beginning and end of the study. The groups were compared in terms of White Blood cells (WBCs), polymorph nuclear cells (PMNs), lymphocytes (LYM), hemoglobin (Hb), and platelets (Plt.). Results: The results revealed no significant differences between the two groups in terms of WBC, PMN, LYM, Hb, Plt., CD4, and CD8. The mean difference of the CD4:CD8 ratio showed a significantly higher decrease (P=0.05) in hydroxychloroquine group than in the control group (0.18 vs. 0.02). The incidence of COVID-19 was 15% (95%CI: 12-18%) in the control group and 10% (95%CI: 8-12%) in the intervention group; however, no significant difference was observed between the two groups in this regard (P=0.45). Conclusion: Our study findings boost an increasing level of evidence that hydroxychloroquine is not an effective prophylactic medication against COVID-19 and might even exacerbate the profile of pandemic containment efforts by adding more pain to patients’ life and healthcare services.

The Training of Undergraduate Medical Students in General Medical Practice and Primary Health Care: A Scoping Review

Background: Undergraduate medical students are trained to acquire a general medical practice overview on qualifying. This training forms a foundation for primary health care service or further training towards a specialty of choice. Objective: The aim of the study was to determine the scope of published scientific literature on the training of undergraduate medical students in “general medical practice” and “primary health care,” exploring how these two concepts are understood, the pedagogical approaches employed by the trainers, the training platforms and the challenges encountered during the training. Methods: The review followed the five steps recommended by Arksey and O’Malley. Using the specified eligibility criteria, the research team systematically screened titles, abstracts, and full articles. Data were entered into Google Forms spreadsheets, which was followed by inductive data analysis of key themes. Results: 130 articles were eligible for inclusion in the study. Thematic analysis yielded eight themes: definition of “general medical practice” and “PHC”, pedagogical approaches (conventional, PBL, teams and CBME), training platforms (tertiary and rural), medical students’ trainers (faculty, GPs and patients), training content, trainers’ and trainees’ perceptions, and challenges encountered. Conclusion: This scoping review has revealed that general medical practice and primary health care are approaches to holistic patient care taught at undergraduate medical training. Primary health care and general medical training are mainly undertaken in GP practices and rural settings. Competency-based medical education is emerging as an appropriate pedagogical method towards ‘fit-for-purpose’ training. The inclusion of patients as trainers in general medical practice and primary health care is yielding positive results.

Evaluation of the Role of Twitter in Increasing the Awareness and Knowledge about Diabetes Among Citizens of Saudi Arabia

Purpose: The objective of this research was to evaluate the role of Twitter in increasing the awareness and knowledge of diabetes among citizens of Saudi Arabia. Methods: In this research we used a purposive sampling method and carried out a quantitative experimental study design. The participants were adults Twitter users from Saudi Arabia that had relative diabetic patients. The sample size was 200 participants, which were divided into an intervention and a control group. Each group consisted of 100 participants. The intervention group was recruited through Twitter, and the control group was recruited through WhatsApp. Data were analyzed and interpreted using statistical techniques, such as paired t-test, the simple t-test and the ANOVA. Results: The mean diabetes knowledge test (DKT) score of the intervention group was Mean=13.57, SD= 3.46. After the intervention process, the mean (M) increased to 17.06 and the standard deviation (SD) decreased to 2.35. According to these outcomes, the paired t-test showed that the use of Twitter had an influence on increasing diabetes awareness. Instead, for the control group, the mean (M) was 13.68, and the standard deviation (SD) was 3.72 at the baseline. During the study process, the mean (M) of the control group increased to 14 and the standard deviation (SD) augmented to 3.59. Then, according to the paired t-test, we concluded that in the control group, there was no effect on the participants’ knowledge. Conclusion: The results suggested that Twitter had a positive impact on increasing awareness and diabetes knowledge among adult Twitter users in Saudi Arabia.

The Appraisal and Endorsement of Individual and Public Preventive Measures to Combat COVID-19 and the Associated Psychological Predictors among Chinese Living in Canada

Aims: The study examines the factors related to the appraisal and adherence of the individual and public health preventive measures. Background: The effectiveness of the measures battling the pandemic was largely determined by the voluntary compliance of the public. Objectives: This study aimed to identify psychological perception factors related to the appraisal of individual measures and endorsement of public health measures during the early stage of the COVID-19 pandemic among Chinese living in Canada. Methods: A convenience sample of 656 participants completed an online survey. Nonparametric Kruskal Wallis tests were used to compare COVID perception variables (e.g., perceived susceptibility, fear, perceived severity, and information confusion) among different sociodemographic subgroups. Bootstrapped regression models were used to assess the association of these variables with outcome measures. Results: Compared to their counterpart groups, lower perceived susceptibility was reported by adults 65 years and older (p = .002) or retired (p = .015); greater fear was reported by females (p = .044), those with lower education (p = .001), and Mainland Chinese (p = .033); greater perceived severity was reported by individuals with lower education and smaller household size (ps = .003). Perceived susceptibility was inversely associated with individual measure appraisal (p = .032). Perceived severity was positively associated with individual measure appraisal (p = .005) and public measure endorsement (p < .001). Conclusion: Individual behaviour measure appraisal was predicted by lower perceived susceptibility and higher perceived severity, whereas public health measure endorsement was related to higher perceived severity. These results inform the public and the policymakers about the critical factors that affect the preventive measure appraisal and endorsement.

Collective Mourning during the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Importance of Neurosociology

The COVID-19 pandemic has had diverse effects on society worldwide, forcing social scientists to rethink, understand, and address the complexity of the current situation. One thing is certain: the coronavirus is here to stay, and the pandemic has radically transformed social dynamics and social events, regardless of the type of society or the level of development of the countries. COVID-19 has forced all societies to reflect on their priorities and how to achieve human well-being. This implies designing different strategies to overcome the challenges of social development. One of the critical social challenges of COVID-19 is that society as a whole is going through a process called ‘collective mourning,’ as all citizens have lost someone or something-from lives of loved ones to daily routines and ways of life; society is in deep mourning. We are confident that we will overcome this pandemic, thanks to vaccines, but the social effects of COVID-19 will not be resolved with vaccines. The objective of this article is to raise awareness on the importance of using an emerging sociological perspective (neurosociology) to cope with collective mourning so that the state can prepare to provide integrated responses.

The Survey of Fungal Contamination in the Air Flowing Out of Air Conditioners (Coolers) in a Car

Background: Fungi are among the most important microorganisms in the air. The air conditioner (cooler) in a car can be an important reservoir for infectious agents, especially fungal species. The present study aimed to measure the fungal contamination in the air flowing out of air conditioners. Objective: In this study 138 cars including 69 Iranian-made cars and 69 cars made by foreign companies were examined. Methods: The plating technique was used. In this study, in each car, 2 plates were placed for 5 minutes when the air conditioner was on and also 2 plates were placed for 5 minutes when the air conditioner was off. Results: A total of 2442 colonies were isolated. The most common isolated fungi were Cladosporium spp. (25.55%), Penicillium spp. (6.14%) and Aspergillus niger (3.03%). The highest number of isolated fungal elements was observed in the Iranian-made cars during summer season (P-value<0.05). Furthermore, the growth rate of colonies on the plates placed on the front and rear seats of cars did not vary considerably (P-value > 0.05). Conclusion: Air conditioners of Iranian-made cars can be an important source for fungal transmission to the human respiratory system that is important, especially in susceptible people to allergic diseases and patients with immunodeficiency.

A Randomized Clinical Trial of the Effect of Zinc Supplement on Depression and Anxiety in the Elderly

Background: Anxiety and depression in the elderly are considered important mental disorders. Objective: This study was designed to determine the effect of zinc Supplementation on depression and anxiety in the elderly. Methods: This study was a parallel randomized clinical trial. A total of 150 elderly aged 60 years and older were allocated into intervention and control groups by using the quadruple blocking method. The elderly in the intervention group received a daily dose of 30 mg zinc supplementation pill for 70 days and the elderly in the control group did not receive this supplement. Depression and anxiety in the elderly were measured using the Geriatric Depression Scale and the Beck Anxiety Inventory, respectively. A significance level of 0.05 was considered for all statistical tests. Results: After the intervention, the mean scores of depression and anxiety in the elderly were significantly decreased in the intervention group, as compared with the control group. Moreover, after the intervention, the serum zinc level in the elderly was significantly increased in the intervention group, as compared with the control group (P<0.05). Conclusion: The use of zinc supplements improved depression and anxiety in the elderly. Therefore, it is recommended to use zinc supplements as a new therapeutic strategy for the prevention and treatment of depression and anxiety in the elderly. Registration No: This research was registered in the Iranian clinical trial system with code IRCT2017071635110N1.

Association between Awareness on Antibiotic Resistance and Antibiotic Misuse Among Saudi University Students

Background: Saudi Arabia has the highest prevalence of resistant pathogens in the Gulf Region, with a rapid increase in antibiotic resistance seen in recent years. Misuse is common despite laws prohibiting dispensing antibiotics without prescription. This study was conducted to determine the association between awareness of antibiotic resistance and antibiotic misuse among Saudi university students. Specifically, it aimed to determine the proportion of university students who were aware of antibiotic resistance, the proportion of university students who were aware that antibiotic resistance is a public health problem, the prevalence of antibiotic misuse among university students, and the association between awareness and antibiotic misuse. Methods: The study utilized an analytic cross-sectional design. By using a self-administrated survey, responses on awareness of antibiotic resistance as well as antibiotic use among bachelor students were obtained. Two-stage stratified cluster sampling was conducted to select the required 825 participants. Epi Info® version 7 was used to estimate the proportion of students who were aware of antibiotic resistance as well as the proportion of students who misused antibiotics. Logistic regression was used to determine the association between awareness of antibiotic resistance and antibiotic use. Results: Over 75% of university students were aware of antibiotic resistance (95% CI: 72.09% - 77.98%), while 54.67% (95% CI: 51.26% - 58.03%) were aware that antibiotic resistance is a public health problem. Nearly 67% misused antibiotics (95% CI: 63.63% - 70.04%) with failure to follow the prescribed number of days of antibiotic therapy and using leftover antibiotics as the most common forms of misuse. Students who were aware of antibiotic resistance were 27.96% less likely to misuse antibiotics (OR = 0.7204, p = 0.0642). Those who were aware that antibiotic resistance is a public health problem were 51.32% less likely to misuse antibiotics (OR = 0.4868, p < 0.0001). Conclusion: Awareness of antibiotic resistance is associated with lower antibiotic misuse. Education campaigns on the consequences of inappropriate antibiotic use and the development of antibiotic resistance should be intensified.