Common Health Practice Research Articles

Complementary and alternative medicine practice and perceptions of Saudi subjects in Western region of Saudi Arabia

Background: Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) offers a different approach to conventional medicine. CAM is very popular in many countries. Objectives: To study the magnitude of use, and determinants and awareness of CAM therapy use among the population in Western region of Saudi Arabia. Method: This was a cross sectional study; a non-probability convenient sampling method was used to select 1073 subjects through online Google survey. Data were collected using interview questionnaire, which provided information on the sociodemographic characteristics of the subjects, as well as questions on the practices and awareness of CAM therapies. The GAD-7 test to assess anxiety state was also used. Results: Almost half of the study population used CAM (51.6%), particularly those who live in the villages of Makkah city. CAM therapies were used by almost half of all patients with chronic diseases particularly those with gastrointestinal disorders and anxiety. Most common CAM method were Honey, Herbs, Ruqayyah and black seeds; while Acupuncture was the least method used. CAM methods were mainly used if needed, and main source of information about its use, was from the family. Almost half of the users were satisfied with the results of using it; however, their attitude about CAM in general was neutral. Conclusion: Use of CAM is a common health practice among the Saudi population. The majority of the participants had equivocal awareness about its effects. More health education programs by specialized health care authorities on the use and benefits of CAM are needed. Doctor-patient communication regarding CAM use is important. Increasing awareness of Saudi population about instructions and restrictions when using CAM is greatly needed. Keywords: CAM, Saudi Arabia, anxiety, Jeddah city, Gastro intestinal disorders.

Older adults benefit from a new community-based physical activity programme

ABSTRACT Flow and balance (FAB) is a non-pharmaceutical leisure-time physical activity programme, known as a common health practice for older adults in Korea. It comprises a series of coordinated dance routines, including breathing, balancing, and tapping motions performed on Korean folk music. This study explored a range of experiential characteristics associated with exercising FAB. We used in-depth interviews with older adults (n = 9) from a local community centre in a southern state of the USA who had attended a FAB programme for eight months. The data were coded and analyzed using constant comparison method. The following three themes emerged as a result of the analyses, that is, the uniqueness of the programme; its benefits for physical/mental health and social connectedness; and its role in later-life learning. We suggest that FAB is a practical and broadly applicable leisure-time physical activity for a community setting.

Design, implementation and assessment of a drive-through flu mass-vaccination program in Italy

ProblemThe SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has completely changed health systems around the world.As part of a mass immunization campaign with COVID-19 vaccines, it was necessary to study new methods to vaccinate a large number of people in a short time and in complete safety.Description of the problemTo ensure the requirements of speed, safety and low cost, we therefore designed an EBM model of drive-through flu-vaccination, built in the city of Rivalta di Torino (about 20,000 inhabitants), in Northern Italy, on two Saturdays in November 2020. The project was created by Public Health Residents with the collaboration of the Municipality, a team of Family Doctors and Civil Protection.ResultsWe measured driving time for each vehicle from the check-in station to the parking zone designed for the 15min post-vaccination follow-up. We calculated the mean length of stay time (LOS) and the mean time per person based on the number of individual vaccinations given per vehicle. In two days, 1539 vaccines were administered. Flows were only timed on the first day (417 vehicles and 672 vaccines). The highest percentage of cars (47%) received only one vaccination per vehicle, followed by 2 (45.8%), 3 (6.2%), and 4 (1%) vaccines per vehicle. The optimal number of vaccinations per vehicle to maximize efficiency was 4: the average LOS per vaccination decreased from 2.54 minutes per person (1 vehicle=1 person) to 0.34 seconds per person (1 vehicle=4 people). The mean LOS time was 3.06min (SD1.11).LessonsThis model appeared as a real possibility to start a rapid, effective, safe and low-cost mass-vaccination program in the Italian setting. It also seems to be appreciated by the population, not only in terms of novelty but also for the sense of security and speed of the process. For this reason, in April 2021, the same model was successfully applied in the same area for COVID-19 vaccination.Key messages The drive-through model appeared as a real possibility to start a rapid, effective, safe and low-cost mass-vaccination program in the Italian setting.The Pandemic has changed the needs and methods of carrying out common health practices: the drive-through model has proved to be a valuable resource for mass vaccination.

Exploring the Health Conditions and Practices of Public School Teachers: A Phenomenological Study

The teachers’ role in the teaching and learning process is vital. However, they can only be effective if they maintain their health and energy levels. Thus, this phenomenological inquiry intends to explore the health of public school teachers in Negros Occidental, Philippines. The data were gathered using an in-depth interview. Meanwhile, the recursive textual analysis guided by the three C's of Lichtman- Coding, Categorizing, and Conceptualizing was employed to analyse the data thematically. The findings show that teachers did not feel any pain nor weakness, slept well, had enough energy to do tasks, and were free from any diseases. Hence, health issues were managed accordingly. Likewise, teachers exemplified their practices in monitoring their weight, medical results, food intake, and feelings of oneself. Also, teachers shared that to be healthy is to think that you are healthy. Thus, eating healthy food, regular exercise, and enough fluid consumption are the most common health practices of teachers that helped alleviate their health status and self-confidence. In general, teachers emphasized considering one's physical conditions, focusing on things that make them healthy. Henceforth, individual assessment of health status differs. Nevertheless, regular practice of healthful behaviors can maintain or improve health.

Histological Effects of Ethanolic Stem Bark Extract of Anacardium Occidentale on the Kidney of Rabbits

The use of extracts of medicinal plants for treatments or prevention of diseases is a common health practice in most African societies. Anacardiumoccidentale is by far the most important flowering plant of the anacardiaceae family with great ethno-medicinal importance to third world countries including Nigeria, Brazil, India and Philippines. Traditionally, extracts of Anacardiumocciden tale are used as anti-diabetic, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and antihypertensive agents. Base on disparities in the toxicological reports on the plant, this research seeks to evaluate the possible histological effect of ethanolic stem bark extract of the plant on the kidneys which are major excretory organs of metabolic products. Fourteen newly waned rabbits were divided into four groups of three animals each. Group 1 is negative control. Extract administered to groups (II, III and IV) at 500, 1000 and 1500 mg/kg showed congested Glomerular Tufts devoid of urinary space. Hence, the cellular compartments are vulnerable to damage. Chronic toxicity studies are needed to further support the safety use of this plant for treatments.

Prevalence and pattern of musculoskeletal pain among undergraduates from a Nigerian University

Musculoskeletal pain (MSP) is a common cause of severe long-term pain and physical disability affecting millions of people around the world. This study investigated the prevalence and pattern of MSP among Nigerian undergraduates.A cross-sectional survey of undergraduates from three purposively selected halls of residence of the University of Ibadan, Nigeria was conducted over a period of 10 weeks using a standardized Nordic questionnaire and a pre-tested questionnaire. Data obtained were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics.Of the 600 questionnaires administered 532 (88.67%) were fully completed and found admissible for analysis. The mean age of the respondents was 23.4±2.34 years (range 17-34)]. Lifetime and point prevalence of MSP was 54.5% and 51.7% respectively. Lifetime occurrence of MSP was highest in the low back (55.1%) followed by the neck (53.8%). Duration of pain resulting from MSP was 1-7 days and it prevented normal daily activities in 20.7% of respondents. There was a significant association between lifetime prevalence of MSP and each of age group (p = 0.001), sex (p = 0.046), lecture duration (0.001), and extracurricular activity (p = 0.001). Self-medication (55.6%) was the most common health practice for MSP.Musculoskeletal pain is a common disorder among Nigerian undergraduates. The low back and the neck were the most affected. MSP was perceived to be caused by prolonged poor postures assumed during lectures, and it predisposes to limitation of daily activities. Preventive strategies to reduce MSP among Nigerian undergraduates are necessary.Keywords: Musculoskeletal pain, university undergraduates, prevalence, pattern, Nigeria

Got yoga?: A longitudinal analysis of thematic content and models’ appearance-related attributes in advertisements spanning four decades of Yoga Journal

Yoga has become an increasingly common health practice among U.S. adults over the past decade. With this growth in popularity, yoga-related print media have been criticized for shifting away from yoga’s traditional philosophies and promoting a thin, lean ideal physique representing the “yoga body.” The purpose of this study was to (a) analyze the presence and content of advertisements over the 40-year publication history of Yoga Journal magazine and (b) explore female advertisement models’ socio-demographic and appearance-related attributes over time. Results suggested that Yoga Journal now contains significantly more advertisements for food, nutritional supplements, and apparel and fewer advertisements for meditation and nutritional practices than in its early years of publication. Models were more frequently rated as White and in their 20s and 30s in recent years of publication. Trends in model body size matched shifts in culturally dominant body ideals over time. Implications and future research directions are considered.

Primary Care Providers’ Attitudes and Beliefs About Patients’ Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use for Asthma Self-Management

Background: Asthma is a major cause of health resource utilization, poor quality of life and disability. However, adherence to asthma treatments remains relatively poor, partially because patients often prefer to use complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) instead of conventional therapies. Moreover, individuals with asthma are reluctant to disclose CAM use with their providers. It was suggested that providers’ negative attitude towards CAM is one barrier to creating an open dialogue. Purpose: The aim of this exploratory study was to identify primary care providers’ attitudes and beliefs about their asthma patients’ CAM use. Methods: Providers who referred patients into a research study about asthma self-management, including CAM, completed three surveys: the revised Integrative Medicine Attitude Questionnaire (r-IMAQ) ; the 10-item CAM Health Belief Questionnaire (CHBQ); and the 30-item Morehouse College Survey of CAM Practices (MCSCAMP). Results: Of the 21 referring providers, 14 physicians and 2 nurse practitioners were enrolled. Seven were male (44%); 13 White (81%), 2 Asian (13%), 1 Black (6%); mean age was 45.7. All providers endorsed the majority of r-IMAQ items and an additional CHBQ item. The MCSCAMP found fitness and nutritional approaches to be the most common health practice (94%), followed by counseling (56%), and prayer/spiritual healing (50%). Conclusions: The results of this exploratory study suggest that providers have positive opinions about CAM, uniformly endorsing items related to spirituality, the importance of patient-provider partnerships and patients’ beliefs. However, there was relatively low personal use of CAM by providers.

Vitamins, Minerals, and Specialty Supplements and Risk of Hematological Malignancies In the VITamins and Lifestyle (VITAL) Cohort Study

AbstractAbstract 4143 Introduction:The use of vitamins and dietary supplements is a common health practice in many parts of the world, in part because of the belief that they will prevent diseases, including cancer. However, results of epidemiologic studies regarding their efficacy in reducing the risk of any cancer, particularly hematologic malignancies, are inconsistent and are mostly limited to case-control studies. Materials:Participants were male and female members of the VITamins And Lifestyle (VITAL) cohort. Between 2000 and 2002, 64,839 men and women, aged 50 to 76 years, who lived in the region of Washington State covered by the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) registry, were recruited. Participants were excluded if they had any cancer prior to baseline other than non-melanoma skin cancer and were censored at the time of diagnosis of a non-hematologic malignancy during follow-up; after exclusions, there were 64,839 participants available for study. Incident cases of hematologic malignancies were identified through December 2008 by linkage to the SEER registry. Participants answered questions on the frequency (days/week), duration (years), and dose per day of their supplemental use of vitamins, including A, B3, B6, B12, C, D, E, multivitamin compounds, and folic acid; minerals, including calcium, selenium, iron, magnesium, chrome, and zinc during the 10 years before baseline. For the non-vitamin, non-mineral “specialty” supplements, garlic, ginseng, and fish oil, only frequency and duration were ascertained. Use of vitamin and mineral supplements was categorized into non-users and tertiles of use, such that the highest category was greater than could be achieved only by use of a common multivitamin (Centrum Silver). 10-year average use of specialty supplements was categorized into: non-user; low use, <4 days/week or <3 years; and high use, ≥4 days/week and ≥3 years. Multivariable-adjusted Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate hazards ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) of the use of dietary supplements with the risk of total hematologic malignancies. Models were adjusted for age, sex, race/ethnicity (white/hispanic/other), education, smoking, self-rated health, physical activity, history of anemia in the year before baseline, and family history of leukemia or lymphoma. Results:A total of 577 case of hematological malignancies were identified including MDS [n=54], AML [n=36], myeloproliferative disorders [n=46], CLL/SLL [n=88] and other non-Hodgkin lymphomas [n=235], Hodgkin lymphomas [n=22], plasma cell disorders [n=66], mature NK/T cell neoplasms [n=17], and other entities [n=13]). None of the vitamin 10-year average intakes were associated with decreased risk of incident hematologic malignancies There was no evidence that high use of vitamins A (HR=0.79, 95% CI: 0.58–1.08; p-trend=0.28), B12 (HR=0.98, 95%CI: 0.73–1.31; p-trend=0.26), C (HR=0.97, 95% CI: 0.77–1.22; p-trend=0.99), D (HR=0.90, 95% CI: 0.62–1.31; p-trend=0.45), or folic acid (HR=1.00, 95% CI: 0.73–1.39; p-trend=0.19) was associated with the risk of blood cancer. Among specialty supplements, only high 10-year average use of garlic was significantly associated with a reduced risk of development of blood cancers (HR=0.64,95% CI: 0.42–0.98); however the association was not linear (p-trend=0.14). Conclusions:We observed no reduction in the risk of incident hematologic malignancies with dietary supplement and vitamin use with the exception of garlic when used at a high amount (≥4 days/week for ≥ 3 years). Disclosures:No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Relationship of physical health status and health practices

This paper continues the analysis previously reported of physical health status in an adult population and its relationship to various independent variables. Data for the study were gathered by questionnaires completed by a probability-based sample of adult residents of Alameda County, California, in 1965. Physical health is measured along a spectrum ranging from severe disability to high energy level with absence of chronic conditions or symptoms. The “ridit” which places each individual along the spectrum can be averaged for comparison of groups, and can be adjusted for differences due to age and sex. This paper examines the relation between common health practices, including hours of sleep, regularity of meals, physical activity, smoking and drinking, and physical health status. Good practices are shown to be associated with positive health, and the relationship of these activities was cumulative; those who followed all of the good practices being in better health, even though older, than those who failed to do so. This association was found to be independent of age, sex, and economic status.