Internal Medicine Commons^™

Use Of Mobile Technology To Identify Behavioral Mechanisms Linked To Mental Health Outcomes In Kenya: Protocol For Development And Validation Of A Predictive Model, Willie Njoroge, Rachel Maina, Frank Elena, Lukoye Atwoli, Anthony Ngugi, Srijan Sen, Stephen Wong, Linda Khakali, Andrew Aballa, James Orwa, Moses Nyongesa, Jasmit Shah, Amina Abubakar, Zul Merali

Brain and Mind Institute

Objective:This study proposes to identify and validate weighted sensor stream signatures that predict near-term risk of a major depressive episode and future mood among healthcare workers in Kenya.

Approach: The study will deploy a mobile application (app) platform and use novel data science analytic approaches (Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning) to identifying predictors of mental health disorders among 500 randomly sampled healthcare workers from five healthcare facilities in Nairobi, Kenya.

Expectation: This study will lay the basis for creating agile and scalable systems for rapid diagnostics that could inform precise interventions for mitigating depression and ensure a healthy, resilient …

Workplace Violence Against Healthcare Workers In Pakistan; Call For Action, If Not Now, Then When? A Systematic Review, Syeda Tayyaba Rehan, Mishal Shan, Syed Hasan Shuja, Zayeema Khan, Hassan Ul Hussain, Rohan Kumar Ochani, Asim Shaikh, Iqbal Ratnani, Abdulqadir J. Nashwan, Salim Surani

Department of Medicine

Background: Workplace violence (WPV) is a global problem that affects healthcare workers' physical and mental health and impairs work performance. Pakistan's healthcare system is not immune to WPV, which the World Health Organization recognises as an occupational hazard.
Objectives: The primary objective of this systematic review is to determine the prevalence of physical, verbal, or other forms of WPV in healthcare workers in Pakistan. Secondary objectives include identifying the associated risk factors and perpetrators of WPV.
Methods: A systematic review of six electronic databases was conducted through August 2022. Studies were included if they met the following criteria: 1) healthcare …

High Acceptability, Convenience And Reduced Carbon Emissions Of Tele-Neurology Outpatient Services At A Regional Referral Centre In Kenya, Fazal Yakub, Jasmit Shah, Dilraj Sokhi

Internal Medicine, East Africa

Background: There is severe shortage of neurologists in sub-Saharan Africa. Tele-neurology consultations (TNC) can bridge this service gap, but there is very little published evidence on TNC in our setting, which we addressed through our study.

Methods: We prospectively enrolled patients at our neurology outpatients from October 2020 to October 2021. We administered a post-TNC questionnaire which captured satisfaction/acceptability using Likert scales. A sub-group of participants who also did in-person consultations (IPC) were additionally administered post-IPC questionnaires. Statistical comparisons were made using the paired student t-test, and descriptive data expressed as median (inter-quartile range).

Results: From 219 enrolled patients, 66.7% …

Stop-Bang Questionnaire For Screening Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome Among Hypertensive Patients In Kenya, Salim Abdallah, Jasmit Shah, Jumaa Bwika, Sayed Karar

Internal Medicine, East Africa

Introduction: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a type of breathing problem during sleep caused by the blockage of the upper airway, which can cause cessation of airflow. There is limited research on the prevalence of OSA in hypertensive patients in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). The study aimed to describe the prevalence and clinical characteristics of OSA among hypertensive patients at a tertiary hospital in Nairobi, Kenya.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at the Aga Khan University Hospital in Nairobi, Kenya. Two hundred and fifty-one hypertensive patients were screened for OSA risk using the STOP-Bang questionnaire (SBQ). Patients with a SBQ …

Covid-19 And Mental Well-Being Of Nurses In A Tertiary Facility In Kenya, Sayed Karar, Jasmit Shah, Zohray Talib

Internal Medicine, East Africa

Background: The 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) epidemic is a global health emergency which has been shown to pose a great challenge to mental health, well-being and resilience of healthcare workers, especially nurses. Little is known on the impact of COVID-19 among nurses in sub-Saharan Africa.

Methods: A cross sectional study was carried out between August and November 2020 among nurses recruited from the Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi. The survey questionnaire consisted of six components- demographic and work title characteristics, information regarding care of COVID-19 patients, symptoms of depression, anxiety, insomnia, distress and burnout, measured using standardized questionnaires. Multivariable logistic …

Does Depressed Persons With Non-Cardiovascular Morbidity Have A Higher Risk Of Cvd? A Population-Based Cohort Study In Sweden, Aysha Almas, Jette Moller, Romaina Iqbal, Andreas Lundin, Yvonne Forsel

Section of Internal Medicine

Background: Depression often co-exists with non-cardiovascular morbid conditions. Whether this comorbidity increases the risk of cardiovascular disease has so far not been studied. Thus, the aim of this study was to determine if non-cardiovascular morbidity modifies the effect of depression on future risk of CVD.
Methods: Data was derived from the PART study (acronym in Swedish for: Psykisk hälsa, Arbete och RelaTioner: Mental Health, Work and Relationships), a longitudinal cohort study on mental health, work and relations, including 10,443 adults (aged 20-64 years). Depression was assessed using the Major Depression Inventory (MDI) and self-reported data on non-cardiovascular morbidity was assessed …