Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Perceived Preparedness Of Healthcare Workers To Cope With Covid-19 Pandemic In Hail Region Hospitals, Kingdom Of Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study, Farhan Alshammari, Evalynn Rondilla, Abdalkarem Asharari, Fahad Alshammari

Makara Journal of Health Research

Background: All hospitals must have emergency plans because they play a crucial role in providing critical care. This study assesses the perceived hospital preparedness of healthcare workforces to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic regarding their demographic characteristics.

Methods: This study utilized a descriptive, cross-sectional design to investigate the preparedness of hospital and healthcare workers in the city of Hail, Saudi Arabia. A convenience and snowball sampling method was used. A total of 330 healthcare workers participated in the study, which utilized a Google Form survey and was adapted from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Descriptive …

Quality Of Life Of Pharmacy Students With Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome In South India: A Cross-Sectional Study, Vinodkumar Mugada, Krishna Priya Mandarapu

Makara Journal of Health Research

Background: One in five women in India suffers from polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). In this study, we aimed to evaluate the quality of life of pharmacy students suffering from PCOS and provide awareness through counseling.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 103 students with PCOS for 6 months. The Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome Quality of Life (PCOSQ) questionnaire was used to determine the quality of life.

Results: The prevalence of PCOS in our study was 39.5%. The mean age of the students was 21.1 (±1.8) years. The mean duration of the disorder was 17.8 (±13.0) months. More …

Parental Differences In Knowledge, Perception, And Safety Behaviors Regarding Home Injuries In An Urban Malaysian District, Munirah Mohd Basar, Mohd Fairuz Ali, Aznida Abdul Aziz

Makara Journal of Health Research

Background: Parents play an essential role in the prevention of home-related injuries among children. Traditionally, mothers provided direct overall care, whereas evidence on fathers' roles in children’s injuries is limited. This study assesses the differences between parents of children attending kindergarten regarding their knowledge and perception of home injuries and safety behaviors.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from January to April 2018 in 10 private kindergartens in the Selangor district in Malaysia. Self-administered questionnaires on sociodemographic data, knowledge of home injuries, perceptions toward home injuries, and safety behaviors at home were distributed. Descriptive and bivariate analyses were …

Trends And Determinants Of Family Planning Utilization Among Men In Indonesia, Haerawati Idris, Willyana Syafriyanti

Makara Journal of Health Research

Background: Population growth rate in the world is still increasing. To control population growth, governments issue family planning programs for married women and men. However, contraception use is still dominated by women. This study aims to analyze the trends and determinants of family planning utilization among men in Indonesia.

Methods: This study is quantitative in nature with a cross-sectional design, using secondary data from the Indonesian Health Demographic Survey (2007–2017). The sample comprised married men with a total of 27,859 respondents. For the final analysis, we conducted logistic regression statistical tests to determine family planning utilization among men. …

Association Between Cigarette Smoking And Breast Milk Levels Of Nesfatin-1, Irisin, And Oxidative Stress Markers, Nesibe Yildiz, Adnan Yilmaz, Hatice Iskender, Eda Dokumacioglu

Makara Journal of Health Research

Background: Breast milk is a very important functional food in the prevention of metabolic and chronic diseases. This study aimed to investigate the effects of smoking during pregnancy on the concentrations of nesfatin-1, irisin, and oxidative stress markers in breast milk.

Methods: This study included two groups of 14 smoking and 14 nonsmoking mothers. Malondialdehyde (MDA) level and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity were measured according to the spectrophotometric method in breast milk samples. Nesfatin and irisin levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

Results: Levels of nesfatin-1 and MDA of the smoking group were significantly higher than …

A Critical Interpretive Synthesis Of Research Linking Hip Hop And Wellbeing In Schools, Alexander Crooke, Cristina Almeida, Rachael Comte

Journal of Hip Hop Studies

Hip Hop is recognized as an agent for youth development in both educational and well-being spaces, yet literature exploring the intersection of the two areas is comparatively underdeveloped. This article presents a critical interpretive synthesis of twenty-two articles investigating school-based well-being interventions which used Hip Hop. The critical stance taken aimed to identify or expose assumptions underpinning this area of scholarship and practice. Our analysis suggested several assumptions operate in this space, including the idea rap represents a default for Hip Hop culture, and the default beneficiaries of Hip Hop-informed interventions are students of color living in underprivileged, inner-city US …

Experiences Of African American Women Living With Herpes Simplex Virus 2, Cherlisa Jackson, Yitza A. Arcelay-Rojas

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

In the United States, the prevalence of herpes simplex virus 2 (HSV-2) continues to be the highest among African American women. Yet the perceived benefit of discussing sexual health, as well as recognizing a need to discuss HSV-2 with a health-care provider, is a gap in research. The purpose of this interpretive qualitative study was to understand the experiences of African American women who received an asymptomatic HSV-2 diagnosis. Semistructured interviews of seven participants were used to explore the experiences of African American women diagnosed with HSV-2, including barriers and challenges of discussing HSV-2 with health-care providers. Participants highlighted that …

Buy Produce For Your Neighbor: Supporting Local Agriculture, Lacee Jimenez, Hiram Wigant, Casey Coombs, Heidi Leblanc

Outcomes and Impact Quarterly

For Utahns experiencing food insecurity, eating adequate fruits and vegetables may be difficult due to limited access to fresh produce. Buy Produce for Your Neighbor is a healthy food drive that increases the amount of fresh produce in community food pantries and supports local agriculture.

"I Felt What Was Happening In Our Country [Usa] With Race Was So Much Scarier Than The [Covid-19] Virus.” Black Lives Matter Protesters’ Beliefs And Practices During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Evelyn Arana-Chicas, Brooke D. Jones, Francisco Cartujano-Barrera, Ana Paula Cupertino

Journal of Health Ethics

This study describes the COVID-19 prevention practices and beliefs of Black Lives Matter protesters in the U.S. Participants completed a survey on following COVID-19 guidelines and answered interview questions. Twenty participants were enrolled. Mean age was 29 and most were female (80%) and black (75%). Participants almost always wore their masks (75%) and washed their hands (85%) while protesting. Most reported rarely social distancing (55%) and not being concerned about COVID-19 (55%). Themes included: 1) Fighting for social justice, 2) Protesting is more important than COVID-19, 3) Unable to social distance, 4) Masks mostly worn, 5) Protests sparked global movement, …

Case Study--Jimmy (Zero Balancing And Cst), Judith Sullivan

Journal of Transformative Touch

Jimmy started receiving Zero Balancing and CranioSacral Therapy when he was 11 months old for significant torticollis and scoliosis. In 7 sessions between the beginning of November and the beginning of February. His x-rays show changes within normal ranges.

Sociodemographic Factors Associated With Attendance To Brighter Bites, A School-Based Food Co-Op Nutrition Intervention For Low-Income Families, Melinda R. Rushing, Ru-Jye Chuang, Christine Markham, Shreela V. Sharma

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Participants: The analytic sample included 6,796 participants from five of the six cities in which Brighter Bites was implemented (Houston, Austin, Dallas, Washington, D.C., and Southwest Florida).

Main Outcome Measures: Predictor variables included child’s grade, gender, race/ethnicity, parent employment, and government assistance utilization. Outcome variable was a binary measure of attendance: 1=attendance at or above the threshold or 0=attendance below the threshold, where the threshold was operationalized as attending 75% of the distributions.

Analysis: A multi-level logistic regression and bivariate analysis were completed to measure the association between attendance and predictor variables.

Results: Results show, compared to Hispanics, Whites were …

Understanding Polarizing Community Perspectives On Harm Reduction Strategies: Challenges To Addressing The Opioid Crisis In Appalachian Pennsylvania, Stephanie L. Creasy Mph, Jessica R. Thompson Med, Christina F. Mair Phd, Jessica G. Burke Phd

Journal of Appalachian Health

Introduction: Rural communities face barriers to opioid treatment and overdose prevention including concerns about stigma and lack of harm reduction services.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to explore community perspectives and understanding of harm reduction approaches to opioid use and overdose in a high-risk Northern Appalachian case community in Pennsylvania.

Methods: A small town approximately 10 miles from Pittsburgh was identified as the community with the greatest predicted probabilities of epidemic outbreak using posteriors from spatial models of hospitalizations for opioid use disorders. We interviewed 20 key stakeholders in the case community in using a semi-structured interview guide …

The Impact Of Faith Community Nursing Programs For Chronic Disease Screening And Management In Vulnerable Populations: A Comprehensive Review Of The Literature, Gabri Warren

International Journal of Faith Community Nursing

Faith Community Nursing (FCN) programs in the United States (U.S.) emerged in the 1980's; however, the intertwining of health promotion in religious institutions has been present for millennia. Today, challenges facing healthcare are prompting health care providers to find creative and cost-effective methods of providing care. Determining whether FCN positively impacts the health of individuals with limited access to healthcare services would encourage healthcare providers to collaborate with the specialty, reinforcing the benefit of their service. An integrative literature review was conducted to identify studies measuring the impact of FCN on the health outcomes of individuals with hypertension (Baig, Mangione, …

A Community Health Initiative: Health To The Power Of You, Stephanie Hendricks

Purdue Journal of Service-Learning and International Engagement

In April 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the number of visits to ambulatory care practices and was reported to have declined by nearly 60%. The extent of this decline is alarming as outpatient visits help manage chronic diseases in patients, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. This trend sparked an interest in pharmacist and student pharmacist, Dr. Cynthia Koh-Knox Sharp and Stephanie Hendricks, respectively, as it offered an opportunity to help serve the Greater Lafayette community. We created Health to the Power of You (Health^You), which targets two of Lafayette’s neglected populations: community members experiencing …

Promoting Inclusion Of Adults With Disabilities In Local Fitness Programs: A Needs Assessment, Samantha M. Ross, Bridgette Schram, Kathleen Mccarty, Nicole Fiscella, Willie Chun Wai Leung, Kayla Lindland

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

Fit-Pals* is a university-based, service-learning program with a mission to prepare adults with disabilities to engage in lifelong physical activity. We conducted a Needs Assessment to evaluate recent programmatic partnerships with community-based fitness organizations. We aimed to (1) evaluate organizational perceptions of Fit-Pals’ partnership efforts, and (2) identify perceived organizational needs to improve inclusion practices. Representatives from each of our seven partner organizations participated in an online-survey, follow-up interviews, and a stakeholder meeting. A thematic analysis of survey and interview responses highlighted areas for programmatic growth related to training in disability awareness and fitness accommodations, and improved communication across all …

Attitude Toward Companion And Guard Dogs In Hawaii: Health And Welfare Implications, Lynn Morrison, Julie Ann Luiz Adrian, Marina Kelley, Johana Hill, Zachariah Tman, Dana-Lynn Ko'omoa-Lange

People and Animals: The International Journal of Research and Practice

The island of Hawaii exhibits extremes in dog welfare ranging from dogs as family members to dogs used as commodities, either as guard or hunting dogs, with many lacking appropriate care. This study offers a preliminary exploration of people’s attitudes toward companion and noncompanion dogs and the health and welfare implications for humans and dogs. Data collection included interviews and surveys conducted among 20 companion dog/human and eight guard dog/human dyads. Blood pressure (BP) was monitored during interviews to assess stress. The results of the interview data led to five themes. The first two themes describing contexts of dog welfare …

Zero Balancing: Conscious Touch And Transformation Book Review, Misty L. Rhoads

Journal of Transformative Touch

Zero Balancing: Conscious Touch and Transformation by pioneering transformative touch practitioner and teacher James McCormick is a profound and engaging textbook that teaches readers a multi-layered approach to working with the body, mind, and spirit through skilled, conscious touch.

Advancing Behavioral Health Literacy, James Scollione

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

Accessing, comprehending, and using information to make informed decisions and improve one’s overall health or well-being are the foci of health literacy. The concept of behavioral health was introduced in the early 1980s and, since then, it has influenced new ideas (e.g., behavioral health literacy and integrated behavioral health care) and gained research and public attention. My aim is to provide an overview of definitions (i.e., health literacy, mental health literacy, and behavioral health literacy) and their connection to each other. I propose an expanded and honed definition of behavioral health literacy to enhance the behavioral health literacy and well-being …

Knowledge, Attitudes, And Beliefs About Safe Sleep Among Preconception Adolescents​, Keita Oumou, Krystal Hunter, Erica Levin, Lori Feldman-Winter

Cooper Rowan Medical Journal

Introduction–To protect against SUID/SIDS, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) released recommendations on creating a safe sleep environment. Studies about teen parents indicate gaps in knowledge regarding infant safe sleep practices, however there are no published studies about adolescents who are preconception. The objective of this stud is to investigate adolescents’ knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs regarding infant safe sleep practices prior to conceiving.

Methods–This was a cross-sectional study of adolescents aged 14-22 years recruited from two outpatient primary care pediatric sites in Southern NJ. Following consent, participants completed a 27-question survey about infant safe sleep practices. For analysis, …

Athletic Trainers’ Hand Hygiene Behaviors During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Olivia Jackson, Matthew J. Rivera, Kenneth E. Games, Lindsey E. Eberman

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: Hand hygiene (HH) is a cost-effective public health intervention to prevent infectious disease transmission, including COVID-19. Health care professionals have shown poor adherence to HH best practices, and little is known about athletic trainer (AT) HH. ATs typically work in dynamic, unpredictable environments, creating barriers to HH compliance. The purpose of this study was to understand the self-reported behaviors and challenges with adherence to HH of secondary school ATs, particularly related to mitigating infection transmission during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: In this qualitative study, we conducted 11 semi-structured interviews with secondary school ATs actively engaged in direct patient care …

4-H Student Nutrition Advisory Councils Support Positive Youth Development And Health Outcomes Among Underserved Populations, Shannon Klisch, Katherine E. Soule

The Journal of Extension

4-H SNAC Clubs engage youth in low-income schools with majority Latinx enrollment in leadership activities to increase schoolwide health and wellness. 4-H SNAC Clubs aim to develop youth health leaders, establish youth-adult partnerships, and increase access to 4-H in Latinx communities. Outcomes related to healthful living and positive youth development were assessed using the Teen Teacher Retrospective Survey (n=59) across five 4-H SNAC Clubs. Results show positive outcomes related to self-reported health behaviors for students and their families and leadership development. 4-H SNAC Clubs can increase access to 4-H among Latinx youth and support healthier communities through the Supplemental Nutrition …

Deviating From The Zero Balancing Protocol, John Hamwee

Journal of Transformative Touch

When is it appropriate to deviate from the Zero Balancing protocol? John Hamwee shares when there are exceptions to the rule and the times it makes more sense to deviate from the protocol than to observe it.

Engaging Rural High School Youth In E-Cigarette Prevention And Advocacy, Melinda J. Ickes, Olivia Zidzik, Nathan L. Vanderford

Journal of Interprofessional Practice and Collaboration

Introduction: Recent national data reinforce over 3.6 million young people across the United States are currently using e-cigarettes, but little research exists on prevention and/or youth engagement strategies.

Purpose: Pilot a peer led e-cigarette prevention and advocacy training and determine attitudes and self-efficacy among participating rural high school leaders post-training.

Methods: The study incorporated a one-group, post-test design. Participants were recruited from an existing student leadership program (N = 16) which provides advanced cancer education and training to high school students who are from Appalachian Kentucky who participated in an e-cigarette prevention and empowerment training in December 2019. Data …

A Convergent Parallel Study On Knowledge, Perceptions, And Attitudes Of Mainstream Workers During Covid-19, Farhan Alshammari, Romeo Mostoles Jr, Eddieson Pasay-An, Sultan Alshammari

Makara Journal of Health Research

Background: This study explores and assesses the knowledge, perceptions, and attitudes of mainstream workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Ha’il Region, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Methods: Using convergent parallel mixed-methods design, 502 frontline workers were enlisted via snowball and purposive sampling. Descriptive statistics and thematic analysis were used to analyze the quantitative and qualitative data, respectively.

Results: There is a well-prepared response to COVID-19, namely, a commendable knowledge, attitude, and practices (KAP) gap documented in reliable information concerning the virus, specifically, awareness that COVID-19 can be a potentially fatal disease (100%); that droplets from infected people …

Alveolar Bone Loss Analysis On Dental Digital Radiography Image, Aulia Karina Fitriananda, Bramma Kiswanjaya, Hanna H. Bachtiar-Iskandar

Makara Journal of Health Research

Background: Periodontal disease is the second most common tooth and mouth disease in Indonesia. Moreover, radiographic examination is the most useful tool to evaluate alveolar bone loss and diagnose periodontal diseases. This study aimed to analyze radiographically the relationship between alveolar bone loss and age among patients with chronic periodontitis.

Methods: A total of 192 digital periapical images of patients aged 25–40 years were collected. Four regions were selected, including the maxillary and mandibular central incisors and maxillary and mandibular first molars. Alveolar bone loss was measured in the mesial and distal surfaces.

Results: The mean and …

Determination Of The Nutritional Habits And Anxiety Levels In Individuals With Covid-19 In Turkey, Hatice Iskender, Eda Dokumacioglu, Osman Yalap

Makara Journal of Health Research

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which has spread worldwide since December 2019, has infected and claimed the lives of millions of people. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between anxiety levels and nutritional habits of patients with COVID-19.

Methods: This cross-sectional study enrolled patients diagnosed with COVID-19 between February 1, 2021 and May 1, 2021. The study population included a total of 108 individuals with COVID-19 residing in Artvin, Turkey. This study used a self-administered online questionnaire, containing 40 questions from the State and Trait Anxiety Scale.

Results: The state anxiety score was 37.26, and the …

Preventive Behaviors, Barriers, And Drivers Of The Covid-19 Pandemic In Malaysia: A Cross-Sectional Survey, Normaliza Ab Malik, Rusyda Helma Mohd, Nor Ba'yah Abdul Kadir

Makara Journal of Health Research

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a public health concern worldwide. This study aimed to assess the preventive behaviors, barriers, and drivers, including the knowledge and self-efficacy of COVID-19 in Malaysia.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted during the COVID-19 outbreak by using a self-administered questionnaire. The instrument used was adopted from the World Health Organization resources. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the categorical data. Chi-square and independent t-test were performed to evaluate the associations between the variables and preventive behaviors.

Results: A total of 465 (97.3%) respondents were recorded. The mean age was 34.3 ± …

Loneliness And Health Outcomes Among Malaysian Older Adults, Siti Zuhaida Hussein, Azera Hasra Ismail, Suraya Hanim Abu Bakar

Makara Journal of Health Research

Background: Loneliness is a major social problem among the elderly all over the world.

Methods: A community-based survey was conducted among 380 community-dwelling older adults residing in Malaysia. A proportional stratified random sampling method was used to examine the relationship between health factors and loneliness. Data were collected using the short-form Social and Emotional Loneliness Scale for Adults, Geriatric Depression Scale-15, and RAND SF-20. p < 0.05 was considered to be statistically significant, and data analysis was performed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences Statistics 26.0 for Windows.

Results: Results revealed that 32.6% of the respondents had social loneliness, 39.9% had emotional loneliness, and 9.2% had family loneliness. Bivariate analyses showed that social and emotional loneliness are significantly related to …

Prevalence And Correlates Of Frequent And Infrequent Bullying Victimization Among School Adolescents From Five Southeast Asian Countries, Karl Peltzer, Supa Pengpid

Makara Journal of Health Research

Background: Little is known about the frequency of bullying victimization (BV) among adolescents in Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member states. This study aims to assess the prevalence and correlates of frequent and infrequent BV among school-going adolescents in five ASEAN member states.

Methods: The cross-sectional sample of the Global School-based Student Health Survey (GSHS) of 2015 comprised 33,184 school adolescents (14.6 years mean age) from five ASEAN countries. Students completed a paper-based, self-administered questionnaire on BV in their own languages during classroom periods. Multinomial logistic regression was used to predict frequent and infrequent BV, with no …

Great (Soft) Power Competition: Us And Chinese Efforts In Global Health Engagement, Michael W. Wissemann

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

Global health engagement, an underutilized strategy rooted in the strengths of soft power persuasion, can lead to more military-to-military cooperation training, help establish relationships that can be relied on when crises develop, stabilize fragile states, and deny violent extremist organizations space for recruiting and operations. Examining Chinese efforts worldwide to curry favor and influence and the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, this article shows health as a medium is a very compelling and advantageous whole-of-government approach to national security policy concerns.