Methods: Samples of this cross-sectional study included 320 (23.08 ± 2.66 years; 57% female) college students in western Iran during February 2015 to December 2017. Liebowitz-social anxiety scale, PID-5, SCID-II, SCID-II-SQ and diagnostic interview for SAD were the tools. The data were analysed using Pearson correlation and multiple linear regression analysis.
Results: Forty-three and 38 participants met criteria for SAD alone and APD, respectively. Five main domains of PID-5 could explain 29% and 54% of the variance of SAD and APD, respectively. Facets of negative affect, detachment, antagonism, disinhibition, and psychoticism could explain 25% versus 43%, 26% versus 54%, 7% versus 27%, 21% versus 41%, 13% versus 30% of the variance of SAD and APD, respectively.
Conclusion: SAD and APD probably refer to two distinct mental states having prominent anxiety, emotional instability, and interpersonal pattern of avoidance and detachment of challenge. SAD is a simple form of mental disturbances with anxiety in its core features; although, APD is possibly referring to more complicated psychopathology.
Methods: A qualitative research methodology was adopted to explore HIV/AIDS patients' views about disease screening. A semi-structured interview guide was used for in-depth patient interviews. All interviews were audio-recorded and were subjected to a standard content analysis framework for data analysis.
Results: Most patients were positive about screening and the value of knowing about their status early. However, fear of social stigma, discrimination, lack of support system and lack of public understanding were identified as major concerns affecting their willingness to be screened. They were concerned about mandatory screening being implemented without improvement in support system and public education.
Conclusions: Reluctance to seek HIV screening is an important factor contributing to transmission in developing countries. In the Malaysian context, efforts should be made to strengthen screening strategies especially in the most-at-risk populations to monitor the epidemic and target prevention strategies.
Practice implications: In a multicultural context, HIV preventive strategies must include disease awareness, including measure to tackle barriers towards screening.
Objectives: This qualitative study examines factors affecting the adherence to HIV/AIDS treatment among patients with HIV/AIDS at a local hospital in Malaysia.
Methods: The data from purposefully selected patients were collected by in-depth interviews using a pretested interview guide. Saturation was reached at the 13th interview. All interviews were audio-taped and transcribed verbatim for analysis using thematic content analysis.
Results: Fear and stigma of perceived negative image of HIV diagnosis, lack of disease understating, poor support from the community, and perceived severity or the treatment side effects were among the reasons of nonadherence. Appropriate education and motivation from the doctors and reduction in pill burden were suggested to improve adherence.
Conclusion: Educational interventions, self-management, and peer and community supports were among the factors suggested to improve adherence. This necessitates uncovering efficient ways to boost doctor-patient communication and recognizing the role of support group for the social and psychological well-being of the patients.
Methods: Original English questionnaire of IDAF-4C was translated into Urdu language by a panel of dentists and language experts (Urdu and English) followed by critical evaluation, modification and back translation into English language. A final Urdu questionnaire was distributed among 250 patients visiting the Endodontics section at Margalla Institute of Health Sciences (MIHS), Rawalpindi, Pakistan. Cronbach's alpha was used to determine the reliability of the Index whereas validity was assessed by exploratory factor analysis (EFA). Mean rank scores of IDAF-4C for male and female participants were evaluated using Mann-Whitney U tests (P < 0.05).
Results: Of 250 questionnaires, 209 were returned with a response rate of 84%. Cronbach's alpha for the Urdu version of IDAF-4C was 0.88. Exploratory factor analysis of the IDAF-4C revealed one factor explaining 55.55% of the common variance (Eigenvalue = 4.5). The mean rank scores of all eight items of IDAF-4C were greater for female participants as compared to male participants with a statistically significant association (P < 0.05).
Conclusion: The psychometric analysis of the Urdu version of IDAF-4C showed good reliability and consistency compared to the original version as well as other translated versions.
METHODS: A total of 2,360 adults (18 years and above) from randomly selected households in metropolitan Kuala Lumpur completed face-to-face interviews with trained research assistants that incorporated the validated Malay version of the Cancer Awareness Measure (CAM). Logistic regression was the main statistical technique that was used to investigate the study objectives and relationships (noted above).
RESULTS: The most commonly reported barriers to help-seeking were emotional barriers. The probability of delaying seeking help was 49% higher in participants who reported emotional barriers (OR = 1.49; CI: 1.32-1.68; p
Methods: In-depth interviews were conducted with 17 women, ages 21-56 who were either divorced or currently in the process of getting divorced in Kelantan, Malaysia.
Results: Several themes emerged, indicating the following five reasons for divorce: 1) reaching the point of ultimatum, 2) having adequate support pre- and post-divorce, 3) concern for children's welfare, 4) seeking financial independence, and 5) fear of harm.
Conclusion: The identification of the driving factors for divorce may spark a change in our society's mindset to empower female divorcees and allow them to lead happy, abuse-free lives.
METHODS: A Group Model Building (GMB) exercise was conducted with researchers and clinicians from academic units and public healthcare institutes in Singapore. The aim of the exercise was to produce a shared visual representation of the causal structure for falls and engage in discussions on how current and future falls intervention programmes can address falls in the older adults, especially in the Asian context. It was conducted in four steps: 1) Outlining and prioritising desirable patient outcomes, 2) Conceptual model building, 3) Identifying key intervention elements of effective falls intervention programmes, 4) Mapping of interventions to outcomes. This causal loop diagram (CLD) was then used to generate insights into the current understanding of falls causal relationships, current efforts in falls intervention in Singapore, and used to identify gaps in falls research that could be further advanced in future intervention studies.
RESULTS: Four patient outcomes were identified by the group as key in falls intervention: 1) Falls, 2) Injurious falls, 3) Fear of falling, and 4) Restricted mobility and life space. A CLD of the reciprocal relationships between risk factors and these outcomes are represented in four sub-models: 1) Fear of falling, 2) Injuries associated with falls, 3) Caregiver overprotectiveness, 4) Post-traumatic stress disorder and psychological resilience. Through this GMB exercise, the group gained the following insights: (1) Psychological sequelae of falls is an important falls intervention outcome. (2) The effects of family overprotectiveness, psychological resilience, and PTSD in exacerbating the consequences of falls are not well understood. (3) There is a need to develop multi-component falls interventions to address the multitude of falls and falls related sequelae.
CONCLUSION: This work illustrates the potential of GMB to promote shared understanding of complex healthcare problems and to provide a roadmap for the development of more effective preventive actions.