Current Issue : January-March Volume : 2023 Issue Number : 1 Articles : 5 Articles
Objective: To compare the two skeletal muscle mass index (SMI) algorithms. One is SMM [SMM(%) = total skeletal muscle mass (kg)/body weight mass (kg) × 100%]; and the other is SMH [SMH (kg/m2) = total skeletal muscle mass (kg)/height (m)2]. Methods: Body composition, body mass index (BMI) and body fat percentage (BFP) were estimated using a bioelectrical impedance analyzer. SMI was calculated by the two algorithms described above, and measurement parameters were stratified by age, BMI and levels of physical activity. Results: Levels of BMI, BFP, SMM and SMH differed significantly between the sexes. BMI and BFP were positively associated with age, while SMM was negatively associated with age (β = −0.2294, P < 0.001). Furthermore, SMM was determined to have a negative association with BMI (β = −0.5340, P < 0.001), while a positive association between SMH and BMI (β = 0.7930, P < 0.001) was observed. Both SMM (β = −0.9849, P < 0.001) and SMH (β = −0.0642, P < 0.001) were negatively associated with BFP. In both men and women, SMM maintained the analogous correlation with other indicators. In the general population, SMM showed a gradual downward trend from low body weight to grade III obesity (F = 9528.32, P < 0.001), but SMH (F = 34395.46, P < 0.001) and BFP (F = 9706.20, P < 0.001) had a reciprocal association. BMI, BFP and SMM differences were observed based on levels of physical activity (P < 0.001). However, there was no significant difference in SMH based on exercise (P > 0.05). Conclusions: SMM may be a more ideal and accurate clinical algorithm for SMI because it is more tightly associated with other body composition indices, as compared with SMH....
Objective: To investigate the correlation between recurrent spontaneous abortion patients and brain derived neurotrophic factor BDNF gene polymorphism and the mechanism of BDNF and recurrent spontaneous abortion under stress state in order to provide theoretical basis for nursing psychological intervention of patients with recurrent abortion. Methods: Medical coping Questionnaire (MCMO) and post-traumatic stress Diagnostic Scale (POST-traumatic stress Scale) were adopted Dissorder (PTSD) (PCL-c) scale was used to diagnose the psychological stress of recurrent spontaneous abortion in our hospital, and the BDNF gene polymorphism and the correlation factors of METHYLation in BDNF promoter region were studied in 30 cases (control group) and normal control group. Results: The MCMQ score of the case group and the control group was significantly lower than that of the conventional group (P < 0.05), and the scores of “avoidance and submission” were higher than that of the conventional group, with statistical significance (P < 0.05). The distribution of BDNF gene g-712A genotype was significantly different between the case group and the control group. Conclusion: There are significant differences in PTSD between the case group and the control group, which are related to methylation in the PROMOTER region of BDNF and SNP g-712A of BDNF gene. AG patients in the case group are more susceptible to anxiety and depression, and GG PTSD is more severe in the case group. BDNF promoter methylation and G-712A were independent risk factors for PTSD in the case group....
Background: Healthcare workers are challenged by an imposing group of occupational hazards. These hazards include exposure to biological and nonbiological hazards like ionizing radiation, stress, injury, infectious agents, and chemicals. The aim of this study was to assess common occupational hazards among health workers at the Department of Health Services (DHS), Federal University of Technology, Owerri. Methods: A hospital-based cross-sectional study design was employed for the study, and a self-administered questionnaire was used for data collection. The SPSS Version 22.0 software was used for the analysis of the descriptive statistics obtained from the study. This study included both clinical and non-clinical health workers. A purposive sampling technique was used in recruiting a total of 94 respondents who participated in the study from September 2020 to April 2021. Results: A total of 94 respondents who participated in the study and among the participants, 33.3% (31) of the respondents were aged 31 - 40 years, and the majority of the health workers, 43.6% (41) had stayed between 1 - 5 years. Also, 92.6% (87) of the health workers have heard of occupational hazards. The study showed that 84.0% (79) of health workers had good knowledge of common occupation-al hazards. Biological hazards among health workers are 47.9% (45) cuts and wounds, 29.8% (28) direct contact with contaminated specimens/hazardous materials, and 26.6% (26) sharp related injuries, while for non-biological hazards, 44.7% (42) have slipped, tripped or fallen, and 35.1% (33) have been stressed. Common safety measures include 86.2% (81) washing their hands regularly; 78.7% (74) using hand gloves; and 85.1% (80) agreeing they use face masks. Conclusion: Despite good knowledge of occupational hazards, participants at DHS were faced with certain hazards. It is recommended that the university, government, and policymakers revise and implement actions to provide health workers at DHS with equipment to encourage safety in work activity....
Background: Proper pain assessment is fundamental to effective pain management. Training nursing staff is critical for improving pain assessment competence and patient clinical outcomes. However, there is a dearth of research examining interventions that can enhance nurses’ knowledge and attitudes toward pain management, especially in Saudi Arabia. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a structured education program on nurses’ knowledge and attitudes towards pain management. Methods: A quasi-experimental design was used. The study sample included 124 registered nurses working in intensive care or inpatient units in Saudi Arabia. Data were collected between March and September 2021 using a knowledge and attitudes survey regarding pain, satisfaction with and self-confidence in learning, and the learning self-efficacy scale for clinical skills. Results: Nurses showed moderate levels of knowledge and attitudes regarding pain before (M = 20.3, SD = 4.80) pain management education, which were significantly higher after the intervention (M = 22.2, SD = 5.09, t = 2.87, p < .01). Before the intervention, nurses with a baccalaureate degree had more knowledge and better attitudes regarding pain management than diploma nurses (t = 3.06, p < .01). However, there was no significant difference between the two groups after the intervention (p > .05), indicating that the education was effective in enhancing nurses’ knowledge and attitudes, regardless of nursing education level. Nurses in this study had high mean scores for selfconfidence in learning (M = 35.6, SD = 4.68, range = 18–40), self-learning efficacy (M = 52.9, SD = 7.70, range = 25–60), and satisfaction with learning (M = 22.2, SD = 3.24, range: 10–25). Conclusion: Regular pain education programs can improve nurses’ knowledge and attitudes. Increasing the breadth and depth of educational courses, alongside appropriate training, competency-based assessment, and pain education programs, is also recommended. Future research should consider the subjectivity and individualized nature of nursing by including patient satisfaction surveys to measure the improvement in nurses’ knowledge and attitudes from the patient perspective....
Objectives: During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, nursing aides (NAs) experienced greater work stress than they do typically because they worked in highly contagious environments. This may have influenced their work morale and willingness to work, which can reduce patient satisfaction, influence their physical and mental health, and even endanger patient safety or cause medical system collapse. Design: A cross-sectional survey with a structured selfreport questionnaire was conducted. Setting and Participants: 144 NAs from a medical center in Central Taiwan participated. Methods: We recruited NAs through convenience sampling to discuss their work stress, willingness to work, and patients’ satisfaction with them during the COVID-19 pandemic. Result: Of the 144 recruited NAs, 115 (79.9%) were women and 29 (20.1%) were men, and 89 (61.8%) had completed COVID-19 training courses. NAs with different work tenure lengths exhibited significant differences in work stress (p = 0.022), willingness to work (p = 0.029), and patient satisfaction (p = 0.029) scores during the pandemic. Conclusion: The study findings provide crucial data for the management of NAs during pandemics to prevent them from neglecting patients due to excessive work stress or losing their willingness to work, which may cause the medical system to collapse....
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