METHODS: We recruited adults in 30 countries covering all World Health Organization (WHO) regions from July 2020 to August 2021. 5 Likert-point scales were used to measure their perceived change in 32 aspects due to COVID-19 (-2 = substantially reduced to 2 = substantially increased) and perceived importance of 13 preparations (1 = not important to 5 = extremely important). Samples were stratified by age and gender in the corresponding countries. Multidimensional preference analysis displays disparities between 30 countries, WHO regions, economic development levels, and COVID-19 severity levels.
RESULTS: 16 512 adults participated, with 10 351 females. Among 32 aspects of impact, the most affected were having a meal at home (mean (m) = 0.84, standard error (SE) = 0.01), cooking at home (m = 0.78, SE = 0.01), social activities (m = -0.68, SE = 0.01), duration of screen time (m = 0.67, SE = 0.01), and duration of sitting (m = 0.59, SE = 0.01). Alcohol (m = -0.36, SE = 0.01) and tobacco (m = -0.38, SE = 0.01) consumption declined moderately. Among 13 preparations, respondents rated medicine delivery (m = 3.50, SE = 0.01), getting prescribed medicine in a hospital visit / follow-up in a community pharmacy (m = 3.37, SE = 0.01), and online shopping (m = 3.33, SE = 0.02) as the most important. The multidimensional preference analysis showed the European Region, Region of the Americas, Western Pacific Region and countries with a high-income level or medium to high COVID-19 severity were more adversely impacted on sitting and screen time duration and social activities, whereas other regions and countries experienced more cooking and eating at home. Countries with a high-income level or medium to high COVID-19 severity reported higher perceived mental burden and emotional distress. Except for low- and lower-middle-income countries, medicine delivery was always prioritised.
CONCLUSIONS: Global increasing sitting and screen time and limiting social activities deserve as much attention as mental health. Besides, the pandemic has ushered in a notable enhancement in lifestyle of home cooking and eating, while simultaneously reducing the consumption of tobacco and alcohol. A health care system and technological infrastructure that facilitate medicine delivery, medicine prescription, and online shopping are priorities for coping with future pandemics.
METHODS: An international cross-sectional study was conducted in 30 countries across six World Health Organization regions from July 2020 to August 2021, with 16 512 adults self-reporting changes in 18 lifestyle factors and 13 interim health outcomes since the pandemic.
RESULTS: Three networks were computed and tested. The central variables decided by the expected influence centrality were consumption of fruits and vegetables (centrality = 0.98) jointly with less sugary drinks (centrality = 0.93) in the lifestyles network; and quality of life (centrality = 1.00) co-dominant (centrality = 1.00) with less emotional distress in the interim health outcomes network. The overall amount of exercise had the highest bridge expected influence centrality in the bridge network (centrality = 0.51). No significant differences were found in the network global strength or the centrality of the aforementioned key variables within each network between males and females or health workers and non-health workers (all P-values >0.05 after Holm-Bonferroni correction).
CONCLUSIONS: Consumption of fruits and vegetables, sugary drinks, quality of life, emotional distress, and the overall amount of exercise are key intervention components for improving overall lifestyle, overall health and overall health via lifestyle in the general population, respectively. Although modifications are needed for all aspects of lifestyle and interim health outcomes, a larger allocation of resources and more intensive interventions were recommended for these key variables to produce the most cost-effective improvements in lifestyles and health, regardless of gender or occupation.
METHODS: We surveyed 16 512 adults from July 2020 to August 2021 in 30 territories. Participants self-reported their medical histories and the perceived impact of COVID-19 on 18 lifestyle factors and 13 health outcomes. For each disease subgroup, we generated lifestyle, health outcome, and bridge networks. Variables with the highest centrality indices in each were identified central or bridge. We validated these networks using nonparametric and case-dropping subset bootstrapping and confirmed central and bridge variables' significantly higher indices through a centrality difference test.
FINDINGS: Among the 48 networks, 44 were validated (all correlation-stability coefficients >0.25). Six central lifestyle factors were identified: less consumption of snacks (for the chronic disease: anxiety), less sugary drinks (cancer, gastric ulcer, hypertension, insomnia, and pre-diabetes), less smoking tobacco (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), frequency of exercise (depression and fatty liver disease), duration of exercise (irritable bowel syndrome), and overall amount of exercise (autoimmune disease, diabetes, eczema, heart attack, and high cholesterol). Two central health outcomes emerged: less emotional distress (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, eczema, fatty liver disease, gastric ulcer, heart attack, high cholesterol, hypertension, insomnia, and pre-diabetes) and quality of life (anxiety, autoimmune disease, cancer, depression, diabetes, and irritable bowel syndrome). Four bridge lifestyles were identified: consumption of fruits and vegetables (diabetes, high cholesterol, hypertension, and insomnia), less duration of sitting (eczema, fatty liver disease, and heart attack), frequency of exercise (autoimmune disease, depression, and heart attack), and overall amount of exercise (anxiety, gastric ulcer, and insomnia). The centrality difference test showed the central and bridge variables had significantly higher centrality indices than others in their networks (P
METHODS: An extensive literature review was conducted using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis method. This study systematically searched electronic databases (PubMed via Medline, Cochrane, Embase, and Google Scholar) using expert-validated keywords, complemented by manual searches, to identify relevant articles published between April 1, 2012, and September 30, 2022.
RESULT: PICOS criteria were formulated for study inclusion. The bibliographical search identified 1485 articles, which were subsequently filtered. Two researchers separately screened the articles for eligibility and to reduce the risk of bias in the included studies. Finally, the most pertinent 21 articles were scrutinized for data synthesis.
CONCLUSION: Most studies identified combination methods, including customized educational demonstrations, as the best at improving OH status, knowledge, and practices. However, long-term, rigorously designed, and effective patient-centered communication trials, including those on innovative methods, are still needed for individuals with VI.
Methods and materials: The phantom is fabricated with two main parts, liver parenchyma and HCC inserts. The liver parenchyma was fabricated by adding 2.5 wt% of agarose powder combined with 2.6 wt% of wax powder while the basic material for the HCC samples was made from polyurethane solution combined with 5 wt% glycerol. Three HCC samples were inserted into the parenchyma by using three cylinders implanted inside the liver parenchyma. An automatic injector is attached to the input side of the cylinders and a suction device connected to the output side of the cylinders. After the phantom was prepared, the contrast materials were injected into the phantom and imaged using MRI, CT, and ultrasound.
Results: Both HCC samples and liver parenchyma were clearly distinguished using the three imaging modalities: MRI, CT, and ultrasound. Doppler ultrasound was also applied through the HCC samples and the flow pattern was observed through the samples.
Conclusion: A multimodal dynamic liver phantom, with HCC tumor models have been fabricated. This phantom helps to improve and develop different methods for detecting HCC in its early stages.
OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to evaluate the perceptions of dental graduates' educational environment as well as preparedness to practice, and how these two components are correlated.
METHODS: A self-administered, validated questionnaire, developed from previous studies, was distributed to dental graduates of a public Malaysian university (n = 178, response rate = 60%) via online and postal surveys. Bivariate analyses were carried out using Spearman's rank-order correlation (Spearman's Rho, significance level p
AIM: This study aims to explore the barriers and perceptions toward healthcare services among parents or caretakers of people with intellectual disability, including the challenges and their expectations toward healthcare services.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a qualitative study using purposive sampling. Thirty participants were contacted at the initial stage and invited to participate in the study. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were done among parents and caretakers of PWID who attended Special Care Dentistry and Paediatric Dentistry clinics in Sultan Ahmad Shah Medical Centre, Kuantan, Pahang. Topic guides were generated from literature review and expert opinions, followed by pilot interviews to refine them. However, after the interviews were done for the first 13 participants, we have reached data saturation, and no new themes emerged. The interviews were recorded, verbatim transcribed, and analyzed using Braun and Clarke's guidelines for thematic analysis.
RESULTS: The satisfaction of parents or caretakers toward healthcare services for PWID and positive experiences in receiving healthcare services were noted. However, the results revealed several barrier themes in seeking healthcare services: lack of availability of parking, longer waiting time, appointment time, crowded environment, limited information on the availability of the services, and longer travel duration. Furthermore, expectation themes emerged from this study: continuous follow-up, accessibility to healthcare services, and staff attitude.
METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted involving 150 Malay PACG patients between April 2014 and August 2016. Ocular examination was performed including Humphrey visual field (HVF) 24-2 analysis assessment. On the basis of the 2 consecutive reliable HVFs, the severity of glaucoma was scored according to modified Advanced Glaucoma Intervention Study (AGIS) by 2 masked investigators and classified as mild, moderate, and severe. Those with retinal diseases, neurological diseases, memory problem, and myopia ≥4 diopters were excluded. Their smoking status and details were obtained by validated questionnaire from Singapore Malay Eye Study (SiMES). The duration of smoking, number of cigarettes per day, and pack/year was also documented. Multiple linear regression analysis was conducted.
RESULTS: There was a significant association between education level and severity of PACG (P=0.001). However, there was no significant association between cigarette smoking and severity of glaucoma (P=0.080). On the basis of multivariate analysis, a linear association was identified between cigarette smoked per day (adjusted b=0.73; 95% CI: 0.54, 1.45; P<0.001) and body mass index (adjusted b=0.32; 95% CI: 0.07, 1.35; P=0.032) with AGIS score.
CONCLUSIONS: There was no significant association between cigarette smoking and severity of PACG. Cigarette smoked per day among the smokers was associated with severity of PACG. However, because of the detrimental effect of smoking, cessation of smoking should be advocated to PACG patients.