Aim: The aim of the study was to assess the burden of caregivers of mentally ill individuals and their coping mechanisms.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was employed with a quantitative approach. A convenient sample of 320 caregivers was taken from two private tertiary care centers and one public secondary care center in Udupi taluk. This study was conducted using the Burden Assessment Schedule (BAS) and Brief Cope Scale (BCS). Statistical analysis was done on categorical variables, and they were expressed as frequencies and percentages. Continuous variables were measured using mean and standard deviation. Univariate and multivariate analysis using binomial logistic regression was done. SPSS version 15 was used to analyze the data.
Results: According to BAS, severe burden accounted for 40.9% and moderate for 59.1%. The highest amount of burden was seen in the areas of physical and mental health, spouse related, and in areas of external support. The BCS showed that the most frequently used coping styles were practicing religion, active coping, and planning.
Conclusion: This study concluded that caregivers of the mentally ill individuals do undergo a lot of burden. Hence, there is a need to develop strategies that can help them such as providing them with a support structure as well as counseling services.
METHODS: A multi-national cross-sectional survey was performed among SEANERN countries. A 1-5 Likert scale was used to measure eight components of knowledge, ability, and skill of PHC providers. Descriptive statistics were employed, and radar charts were used to depict the levels of the three dimensions (knowledge, skill and ability) and eight components.
RESULTS: Totally, 606 valid questionnaires from PHC providers were returned from seven countries of SEANERN (China, Myanmar, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Malaysia), with a responsive rate of 97.6% (606/621). For the three dimensions the ranges of total mean scores were distributed as follows: knowledge dimension: 2.78~3.11; skill dimension: 2.66~3.16; ability dimension: 2.67~3.06. Furthermore, radar charts revealed that the transition of PHC provider's knowledge into skill and from skill into ability decreased gradually. Their competencies in four areas, including safe water and sanitation, nutritional promotion, endemic diseases prevention, and essential provision of drugs, were especially low.
CONCLUSIONS: The general capacity perceived by PHC providers themselves seems relatively low and imbalanced. To address the problem, SEANERN, through the collaboration of the members, can facilitate the appropriate education and training of PHC providers by developing feasible, practical and culturally appropriate training plans.
Methods: A cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study was conducted among 103 pharmacists from 74 different community pharmacies to assess their knowledge about the use of herbal medicines and its adverse drug reaction reporting by using a pre-validate knowledge questionnaire consisting of 12 questions related to it. The pharmacists' responses were measured at a 3-point Likert scale (Poor=1, Moderate=2, and Good=3) and data was entered in SPSS version 22. The minimum and maximum possible scores for knowledge questionnaires were 12 and 36 respectively. Quantitative data was analyzed by using One Way ANOVA and Paired t-test whereas Chi-square and Fisher exact test were used for qualitative data analysis. A p-value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant for all the analyses.
Results: About 92% of the pharmacist had good knowledge regarding the use of herbal medicines and its adverse drug reaction reporting with a mean knowledge score of 32.88±3.16. One-way ANOVA determined a significant difference of employment setting (p<0.043) and years of experience (<0.008) with mean knowledge scores of Pharmacists. Pharmacists' knowledge was significantly associated with their years of experience with the Chi-square test.
Conclusion: Pharmacists exhibit good knowledge regarding the use of herbal medicines and its adverse drug reaction reporting. However, with an increasing trend of herbal medicine use and its adverse drug reaction reporting it recalls the empowerment of experienced pharmacists with training programs in this area for better clinical outcomes.
Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah between January and April 2020. Data were collected using a validated questionnaire which encompasses details about sociodemographic, health status, environment, and employment characteristics.
Results: A total of 290 waste collectors with a mean age of 40 (±9) years old were participated in the study. Most of them were from Kadazan-Dusun-Murut ethnic origin with educational background till secondary school. The average monthly income of the workers was USD 298.45 (±171.9) per month, and they had been in service for 11 (±9.04) years. Respiratory symptoms were seen in 21% of the workers. The identified significant risk factors were determined as underlying chronic diseases (OR=2.34; 95% CI=1.054, 5.219) and contact with pets (OR=1.87; 95% CI=1.004, 3.288).
Conclusion: Respiratory symptoms are prevalent amidst domestic waste collectors and related to their health and field activities.
METHOD: This is a mixed-method study employing the Public Attitude Toward Epilepsy (PATE) scale as the quantitative measure, followed by a semi-structured interview. The qualitative data were then counted and analyzed concurrently with the quantitative data.
RESULT: A total of 410 respondents (104 people with epilepsy [PWE]; 104 family members [FM]; 100 medical students [MS]; 102 public [Pb]) aged 37 years (IQR 23-55) were recruited. They were mostly female (57.3%), Chinese (52.0%), and highly educated (63.7%). The attitudes toward epilepsy among medical students are the best, followed by the PWE and their family members, and the worst among the public. The qualitative results revealed 4 main themes, which were "general social values", "epilepsy severity and control", "PWE's abilities", and "harms and burdens to the respondents and others". A two-dimensional perception model was constructed based on these themes, which consisted of general-personal and universal-specific dimensions. Generally, the PWE/FM subgroup focused more on PWE's abilities, whereas the MS/Pb subgroup more on general social values, and harms and burden. In the education aspect, most attitudes were related to the epilepsy severity and PWE's abilities, whereas in employment, the main consideration was the PWE's abilities. Burden to life and concern about inheritance were major considerations in the marital relationship. Those with positive attitudes tend to highlight the importance of general social values, while negative attitudes associated more with epilepsy severity. In general domain, general social values were the main considering factor but in personal domain, most participants will consider epilepsy severity and control, harms and burden to themselves.
CONCLUSION: The perceptions underlying attitudes toward epilepsy were complex and varied between subpopulations, attitude levels, domains, and aspects of life. (304 words).
BACKGROUND: Work-life balance practices are associated with employee perceptions of the need for achievement and well-being which subsequently influence their intention to leave the organization. This study contributes new knowledge to nursing studies on work-life balance in an Asian and Islamic society where the expectations for women are to focus on family rather than career.
DESIGN: A cross-sectional, explanatory mixed methodology.
METHODS: This is a two-phase study conducted between 2015-2017 with 401 nurses in East Malaysia. In Phase 1, researchers surveyed 379 nurses to test eight hypotheses and in Phase 2 researchers interviewed 22 nurses to explore the results of Phase 1.
RESULTS: Phase 1 revealed job satisfaction mediates the relationship between work-life balance practices (e.g. flexibility and choice in working hours, supportive supervision), financial success, and intention to leave. However, life satisfaction and money as a motivator did not mediate such relationships. Phase 2 identified four important factors that cast light on survey results: working conditions of Malaysian nurses; inadequate compensation in the public healthcare sector; team-based practices; and pressure on senior nurses in both administrative and clinical roles.
CONCLUSION: This is one of the first studies to investigate work-life balance issues among nurses in Malaysia. Outcomes of this study extend the debates on work-life balance and employee well-being in an Asian Islamic social context.
IMPACT: The use of flexible working arrangements and collectivist teamwork approaches, improving compensation and employment benefits and eliminating the 'time-based job promotion' policy may help to mitigate work-life balance issues and intention to leave among nurses in Malaysia.