Descriptive Research Articles

English Language Speaking Anxiety: A Quantitative Study

The present study attempts to investigate the extent of English language speaking anxiety among the English as foreign/second language learners, studying at a public sector university in Sindh, Pakistan. The study is quantitative in nature and the data is gathered using random sampling survey method. Participants of the present study are studying in part II. A theoretical framework based on Horwitz et al (1986), a well-known theory followed by Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS) is adapted. For the purpose of data analysis, SPSS (V.24) is used to determine the general descriptive statistics of the study. This study reveals the level of anxiety among students. It also concludes that learners even at a university level face language anxiety specifically in the EFL context. This study also assist the teachers and course designers for necessary steps be taken to overcome the English language speaking anxiety among EFL learners in EFL classroom.

Effect of Community Building on Church Spiritual Growth

Purpose: This study investigates the relationship between community building and spiritual growth within Pentecostal Churches in the Nairobi metropolitan counties of Kenya, focusing on the Pentecostal Evangelical Fellowship of Africa (PEFA), Kenya Assemblies of God (KAG), and Full Gospel Churches of Kenya (FGCK) under the National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK). Grounded in servant leadership, empowerment, and spiritual leadership theories, the research combines quantitative and qualitative methods to explore how servant leaders facilitate community building and its impact on church growth. Methodology: The study was guided by servant leadership, empowerment and spiritual leadership theories. The study was conducted across multiple Pentecostal denominations within the Nairobi Metropolitan counties, including Nairobi, Kajiado, Muranga, Kiambu, and Machakos in Kenya. Data collection involved 333 church leaders and members, with 173 from PEFA, 80 from KAG, and 80 from FGCK, resulting in a response rate of 91%. Additionally, two discussion groups comprising pastors and elders from PEFA and KAG churches in Kajiado County were interviewed using an interview guide, totaling 17 members. The total response rate of church leaders and members was 304 (91%). The descriptive cross-sectional survey research design and exploratory designs were adopted for data collection and analysis where respondents provided relevant data. The research was anchored on the pragmatism philosophy. Quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlation and regression analysis, where Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 29 was used. Thematic analysis was employed in analyzing qualitative type of data. Purposive and stratified random sampling techniques were employed to select the sample, ensuring representation of subgroups within the population. This approach facilitated efficient and cost-effective data collection while maintaining the integrity of the study's findings Findings: Data collected from 304 respondents, including pastors, elders, and members, reveals a significant positive association between community building and spiritual growth, with volunteer services rating relatively low. The results showed a positive significance of community building in affecting church spiritual growth. The study findings in all the three models: Model summary, ANOVA and Coefficient confirm the significance of community building in church spiritual growth. The correlation coefficient results yielded a positive relationship of 0.580. However, descriptive statistics on mean scores of how respondents views the practice of community building in their churches, the sub variable of voluntary community services was ranked the lowest (3.7) amongst the other constructs. Nevertheless, there is a need for enhancement of voluntary services by the Pentecostal churches in areas such as health, free cleaning and training services to give back to the community. When church leadership participate in welfare activities such as helping the vulnerable in society, this positively affects church growth both spiritually and numerically. The findings emphasize the importance of enhancing volunteer engagement to foster both spiritual and numerical church growth. This study contributes to theoretical understanding and practical implications for Pentecostal church settings, addressing research gaps and advocating for servant leadership practices that empower church members and promote community building for holistic church growth.Contribution to Theory, Policy and Practice: The study supported servant leadership, empowerment and spiritual leadership theories. Servant leaders play a crucial role in empowering of church members through community building causing effect on church growth. The study revealed and filled a number of conceptual, theoretical, contextual and empirical glaring research gaps in area of servant leadership attribute of community building and church spiritual growth. The most noticeable gap is the contextual gap where many studies on church growth only delved on numerical growth and leaving out spiritual growth of which this study addressed. The study also revealed a gap in volunteer services with a mean of 4.1. Pentecostal churches therefore need to put more efforts to improve volunteer services as well as promotion of spiritual formation so as to enhance church spiritual growth.

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) as Tool by Agricultural Extension Agents in Osun State, Nigeria

This study assessed the factors influencing utilization of information communication technology (ICT) in agricultural extension service delivery in Osun state. A total of 175 respondents were considered (extension agents = 155, supervisors = 20). The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics (frequency and percentage). The result from the research revealed that majority (80% and 90%) of respondents were male and are married respectively, while 87% are within the age range of 30 – 49 years. The family size of majority of the extension workers are within 4 – 6 members. While 61.7% of the respondents had B.sc/B.A, a handful (23.4%) had HND with few (14.9%) ND certificate holders. Their annual salaries range from N300,000 - N600,000 and majority (85%) of the extension workers do not belong to any agricultural association. Radio and Television (100%) were the ICTs most aware of among the extension workers followed by telephone (98.9%).

Physical restraint intervention in the intensive care unit: An observational pilot study.

Physical restraint (PR) is applied for patients' safety and to prevent the removal of inserted devices. No matter how well applied, PR causes undesired effects and discomfort to patients. Because PR-Guidelines are not yet implemented in Turkey, an observational study was performed to get baseline data on the type and number of PR-activities and on patients' complications in intensive care unit (ICU) patients. An observational pilot study was conducted in anesthesia and reanimation adult ICUs in a midsized general hospital in Turkey. Included were 31 patients and two data collection tools: a basic form (patient demographics, medical information, and complications) and a PR observation guide on nurses' PR-activities. Descriptive statistics (frequencies, percentages, and mean and standard deviation) were used for data evaluation. Most patients (61.3%) were male, and 74.2% were aged 60-79 years. Almost a third was unconscious (Glasgow Coma Scale <9) and at risk for falling. Of the total 33 activities of the Nursing Interventions Classification (NIC), 13 were never applied in 33% of patients. The most applied activity was "provide sufficient staff to assist with the safe application of physical restraining devices or manual restraints" (96.8%). Least applied were "explain inpatient and significant others the behaviors necessary for the termination of the intervention," "Provide the dependent patient with a means of summoning help" (6.5%), and "Teach family the risks and benefits of restraint reduction" (3.2%). Overall, 58.1% of patients had PR complications. For the first time, PR NIC activities were evaluated in a Turkish ICU. Findings show low performance of NIC activities and a high complication rate. The findings provide the basis to implement a PR-Guideline in Turkish ICUs to enhance patients' safety and comfort.

Prevalence and correlates of imposter syndrome and self-esteem among medical students at Jazan University, Saudi Arabia: A cross-sectional study.

Imposter syndrome (IS) and low self-esteem (SE) are common issues affecting medical students that can impact their well-being and development. This study aimed to assess the prevalence and factors associated with IS and SE among medical students at Jazan University, Saudi Arabia. In this cross-sectional study, 523 medical students in years 2-6 at Jazan University, Saudi Arabia, completed validated questionnaires on IS (Young Imposter Scale) and SE (Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale). Sociodemographic factors were also collected. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression analyses were used to analyze IS and SE prevalence and correlates. Five hundred twenty-three students with a mean age of 22.09 ± 1.933 participated. The prevalence of low SE and positive IS was 17.6% and 24.3%, respectively. IS and SE had a significant negative correlation (p<0.001). Several sociodemographic factors were associated with increased IS, including 2nd and 4th-year students, forced study choice, and a grade point average (GPA) of 3.0-3.49 (P<0.05). Paternal education beyond high school was associated with lower IS (P<0.05). Logistic regression analyses confirmed that 2nd-year students had a 3.88 times higher odds ratio (OR) (95% confidence interval (CI); 2.19-6.88), and 4th-year students had a 2.37 times higher OR (95% CI; 1.40-4.02) of IS than other years. For SE, advanced academic years, forced study choice, 7+ hours of sleep, and a GPA above 3.5 were associated with higher levels (P<0.05). Negative self-appraisals were associated with lower SE, while positive attitudes were associated with higher SE (P<0.05). Our study reveals that IS and low SE are prevalent among Jazan University, Saudi Arabia, medical students. Therefore, intervention courses that address these issues in medical education at Jazan University, Saudi Arabia, may be necessary to support medical students' well-being and academic success.

Oral preparation of hyaluronic acid, chondroitin sulfate, N-acetylglucosamine, and vitamin C improves sexual and urinary symptoms in participants with recurrent urinary tract infections: a randomized crossover trial.

Intravesical instillation of hyaluronic acid (HA) has been associated with reduced sexual dysfunction in participants with recurrent urinary tract infections (rUTIs), but the efficacy of an oral treatment has never been investigated. To investigate the efficacy of an oral preparation of HA, chondroitin sulfate, N-acetylglucosamine, and vitamin C in improving sexual and urinary symptoms in a cohort of reproductive-age participants with rUTI. In a monocentric randomized crossover pilot trial, participants with rUTI who were referred to our institute between March 2022 and April 2023 were randomized 1:1 in 2 groups: intervention vs control. All participants had an oral preparation of cranberry, D-mannose, propolis extract, turmeric, and Boswellia twice a day for 3 months. The intervention group also included an oral preparation of HA, chondroitin sulfate, N-acetylglucosamine, and vitamin C once a day for 3 months. Crossover of treatment occurred at 3 months for an additional 3 months. At baseline and 3 and 6 months, participants were evaluated clinically and with the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) and Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI). Descriptive statistics and logistic regression models tested the impact of the intervention on urinary and sexual symptoms at each follow-up assessment. Improvement in sexual and urinary symptoms as measured by the FSFI and IPSS. Overall, 27 (54%) participants had an FSFI score <26.5 at enrollment. At 3 months, FSFI scores were higher in the intervention group vs control (P < .001), but IPSS scores were lower (P = .03). After crossover of treatment, FSFI and IPSS scores remained stable in the intervention group. However, after crossover, the control group showed a significant improvement in IPSS and FSFI scores (all P < .01) vs the 3-month assessment. At last follow-up, urinary and sexual symptoms were comparable between groups. In logistic regression analyses, the intervention group was associated with early improvement in sexual symptoms (odds ratio, 3.9; P = .04) and urinary symptoms (odds ratio, 5.1; P = .01) after accounting for clinical confounders. Combination treatment with HA, chondroitin sulfate, N-acetylglucosamine, and vitamin C is effective if started immediately or even after a few months from symptoms in participants with rUTI. The main limitation is the lack of long-term follow-up. The oral formulation of HA, chondroitin sulfate, N-acetylglucosamine, and vitamin C could be an effective therapy against urinary and sexual distress in participants with rUTI (NCT06268483; ClinicalTrials.gov).

The Influence of Learning Media on the Quality of Progress Office Administration Program

This research aims to describe the use of learning media and the quality of learning in the Office Administration Skills program at Watampone State Vocational School 1 as well as the influence of learning media on the quality of the teaching and learning process there. This research uses experimental research with a population of 208 students there, with a sample of 68 students with an error rate of 10 percent. Data collection was carried out using observation and questionnaires. The data analysis techniques used are descriptive statistics and inferential statistics. The results of this research show that the use of learning media there is classified as good from the aspects of print media, electronic media and reality media. The quality of the teaching and learning process there is assessed as good in terms of active, innovative, creative, effective and enjoyable learning. There is a significant positive influence of the use of learning media on the quality of learning in the office administration skills program at SMK Negeri 1 Watampone, amounting to 17.9 percent

Exploring Physical Activity Awareness Among BMC Education Students, Kathmandu

Introduction: Physical activity is influenced by one’s knowledge of the benefits of physical activities as well as positive attitudes towards participation in such activities. Several studies have pointed out a decline in physical activity among adolescent and youths upon enrolling to university life with such decline being on a rising trend. Enhancing university youths’ knowledge on physical activities and fostering positive attitudes towards physical activities is crucial to promote healthy lifestyles, enhance their wellbeing and possibly also influence their study positively. Objective: The objective of this study is to assess the knowledge and attitudes regarding physical activity among Bachelor of Education students of Baneshwor Multiple Campus, Kathmandu, Nepal. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted using a self-administered semi-structured questionnaire collecting primary data from 142 1st to 4th year bachelor of education students. Descriptive statistics like frequency, percentage, mean and standard deviation were used in data analysis. Results: Mean age of study participants was 20.37 years (SD ± 2.36) with higher representation of females (68.31%) than that of males (31.69%). Over 90% students answered yes to five out of seven knowledge statements. The proportion of students responding yes to the remaining two statements was 89.44% and 78.17% respectively. Likewise, over 80% students agreed on six out of seven attitude statements. However, as many as 61% of students still believed that physical activity is injurious while 28.17% remained neutral and only 10.56% disagreed on it. Conclusion: This study showed that the majority of BEd students possessed fairly good knowledge and attitude towards physical activity. Yet, this study revealed some gaps in both knowledge and attitudes regarding physical activities warranting campus management to take necessary measures for improvement in future.

Effect of Transformational Leadership Behaviour on Employees’ Career Development in Zenith International Bank (ZIB) Plc, North East 3 Zone, Adamawa State, Nigeria: Post COVID-19 Pandemic Experience

The World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic as a global pandemic. The pandemic has left organisations with a number of challenges, including decreased revenue, decreased consumer spending, poor marketing outcomes, firm closures, reduced staff motivation, virtual working, increasing unemployment, and changes in service delivery and lifestyle. However, due to the rapid growth in global competition, advancements in technology, innovativeness, and growing demands for better customer service, organisational leaders were challenged to devise performance-improvement strategies in order to survive the challenges posed by COVID-19, particularly in Deposit Money Banks (DMBs). Against this backdrop, this study investigates the impact of transformational leadership (TL) behaviours on employee career development (i.e. employee mentoring and coaching). This study conceptualised TL behaviours as idealized influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, and individual consideration, while career development as career coaching and career mentoring. The study used an explanatory survey research approach with a sampl of 130 employees from four (4) branches of Zenith International Bank Plc North East 3 Zone, Adamawa State. This study's data were collected via questionnaire. Descriptive statistics such as mean, standard deviation and correlation were used in analysing the data collected, while study's hypotheses were tested using the multiple regression technique. The regression results show that TL behaviours such as inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, and individual consideration have favourable significant effect on career development (Mentoring and coaching). While idealised influence has significant adverse effects on career development in both career mentoring and coaching. Overall, the findings indicate that TL positively and strongly predicts career development (i.e. career mentoring and coaching). As a result, this study concludes that TL actions are critical for organisational development and should be supported by managers since they improve employees' career progression within the organisation and have significant effects on numerous employee outcomes.

Evaluation of SNOMED CT Grouper Accuracy and Coverage in Organizing the Electronic Health Record Problem List by Clinical System: Observational Study

Abstract Background The problem list (PL) is a repository of diagnoses for patients’ medical conditions and health-related issues. Unfortunately, over time, our PLs have become overloaded with duplications, conflicting entries, and no-longer-valid diagnoses. The lack of a standardized structure for review adds to the challenges of clinical use. Previously, our default electronic health record (EHR) organized the PL primarily via alphabetization, with other options available, for example, organization by clinical systems or priority settings. The system’s PL was built with limited groupers, resulting in many diagnoses that were inconsistent with the expected clinical systems or not associated with any clinical systems at all. As a consequence of these limited EHR configuration options, our PL organization has poorly supported clinical use over time, particularly as the number of diagnoses on the PL has increased. Objective We aimed to measure the accuracy of sorting PL diagnoses into PL system groupers based on Systematized Nomenclature of Medicine Clinical Terms (SNOMED CT) concept groupers implemented in our EHR. Methods We transformed and developed 21 system- or condition-based groupers, using 1211 SNOMED CT hierarchal concepts refined with Boolean logic, to reorganize the PL in our EHR. To evaluate the clinical utility of our new groupers, we extracted all diagnoses on the PLs from a convenience sample of 50 patients with 3 or more encounters in the previous year. To provide a spectrum of clinical diagnoses, we included patients from all ages and divided them by sex in a deidentified format. Two physicians independently determined whether each diagnosis was correctly attributed to the expected clinical system grouper. Discrepancies were discussed, and if no consensus was reached, they were adjudicated by a third physician. Descriptive statistics and Cohen κ statistics for interrater reliability were calculated. Results Our 50-patient sample had a total of 869 diagnoses (range 4-59; median 12, IQR 9-24). The reviewers initially agreed on 821 system attributions. Of the remaining 48 items, 16 required adjudication with the tie-breaking third physician. The calculated κ statistic was 0.7. The PL groupers appropriately associated diagnoses to the expected clinical system with a sensitivity of 97.6%, a specificity of 58.7%, a positive predictive value of 96.8%, and an F1-score of 0.972. Conclusions We found that PL organization by clinical specialty or condition using SNOMED CT concept groupers accurately reflects clinical systems. Our system groupers were subsequently adopted by our vendor EHR in their foundation system for PL organization.

Factors Associated With Postoperative Complications in Patients Who Underwent Parotidectomy: A Retrospective Study

Objectives: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of complications after parotidectomy and identify factors associated with these complications. Methods: Data from patients who underwent parotidectomy for neoplasms in 2 tertiary centers were analyzed. Patient characteristics and postoperative complications were collected. Demographics, diabetes, and smoking status were evaluated using descriptive statistics. The prevalence of complications was determined and associations with smoking, surgical type, preoperative facial nerve involvement, final pathology, and Milan category were examined using chi-squared and correlation analyses. Results: Majority of patients were male (59.5%), falling within the age range of 31 to 50 years (42.7%). The most common complication was facial nerve weakness (23.6%), followed by seroma (19.1%), ear numbness (17.3%), and tumor recurrence (8.7%). Xerostomia demonstrated a correlation with smoking, while more invasive types of surgery showed associations with surgical site infection and tumor recurrence. Malignant disease on the final pathology and higher Milan category exhibited links with salivary fistula. No clear associations were found between preoperative facial nerve involvement and any of the complications. Age and body mass index (BMI) did not demonstrate significant correlations with complications. Conclusions: This study highlights the prevalence and associations of postparotidectomy complication. Facial nerve weakness was the most common followed by seroma and ear numbness. Smoking was correlated with xerostomia, while more invasive type of surgery was correlated with infection and recurrence. Age and BMI did not have associations. Personalized approaches and understanding factors for effective management are important. Further research is recommended to validate the outcome and understand the recovery from parotidectomy.

Antibiotic appropriateness at outpatient settings in Ethiopia: the need for an antibiotic stewardship programme.

Antibiotics are drugs of natural or synthetic origin used to treat various infections. The practice of excessive and inappropriate antibiotics use is the main global cause of bacterial resistance, which is one of the most serious global public health threats. It is estimated that about 50% of global antibiotic prescriptions are inappropriate. This study assesses the prevalence and pattern of inappropriate prescriptions of antibiotics amongst ambulatory care visits in Ethiopia. A facility-based, cross-sectional study with a quantitative approach was conducted amongst randomly selected prescriptions issued for outpatients from May to June 2022 at Debre Markos Specialized Comprehensive Hospital, Northwest Ethiopia. Descriptive statistics, such as frequencies and percentages, were computed. For group comparisons, χ2 and independent sample t-tests were computed. The statistical significance of the association was considered at p<0.05. A total of 2640 antibiotics were prescribed for patients in the outpatient setting with various bacterial infections via 911 prescriptions, of which 49.5% were non-compliant with the national treatment guideline. Guideline non-compliant prescriptions increased remarkably amongst patients in the outpatient setting diagnosed with community-acquired pneumonia (38.8% versus 30.1%; p=0.006) and peptic ulcer disease (14.9% versus 9%; p=0.006). Moreover, inappropriate prescription was significantly higher amongst patients taking amoxicillin/clavulanic acid (33.2% versus 48.2%; p<0.001) and cephalexin (17.8% versus 24.3%; p=0.016). Large proportions of antibiotic prescriptions for outpatients were non-compliant with the national treatment guideline, suggesting that prescribers need to give special attention to outpatients whilst ordering antibiotics such as amoxicillin/clavulanic acid and cephalexin. Antibiotic stewardship efforts to optimize outpatient antibiotic prescriptions and reduce the use of potentially inappropriate antibiotics are needed in Ethiopia.

An Analysis of How Logistics Integration Affects Organizational Performance in Kenya's Clearing and Forwarding Sector. A Structural Equation Modelling Approach.

The performance of logistics service providers in Kenya is marred by poor customer satisfaction, stemming from delays experienced in port clearance, disintegrated clearance systems, complex regulations, inefficient document processing and lack of integrated information systems. This study examined the effect of logistics integration on organizational performance among the Clearing and Forwarding firms in Kenya. It adopted a cross-sectional design and collected primary data through structured questionnaires. Simple and stratified random sampling were used to select respondents and ethical approvals obtained before collecting data using structured questionnaires. Data were collected from 298 employees from the operations, customer service, and finance departments. Using SPSS and SPSS AMOS 29, the study used descriptive statistics and structural equation modelling. The study findings revealed a disparity in the level of logistics integration among different Clearing and Forwarding firms in Kenya. This variance in logistics integration significantly impacts the overall organizational performance of these firms. From SEM analysis, the study established that logistics integration has a positive and significant effect (Path coefficient = 0.791, C.R = 5.664, P-value &lt; 0.001) on the organizational performance of C&amp;F companies in Kenya. The study concludes that enhancing logistics integration will lead to a substantial improvement in the organizational performance of C&amp;F companies in Kenya. Thus, managers responsible for strategy should aim to collaborate with strategic partners such as state corporations managing ports and customs processes (KRA and Kenya Ports Authority), shipping lines, transportation companies, and other key stakeholders in the C&amp;F supply chain in integrating logistics systems and processes.

Characteristics and challenges of companion animal rescue organisations in New Zealand

ABSTRACT Aims To describe the characteristics of companion animal rescue organisations (CARO) in New Zealand; to describe current capacity, resource limitations and challenges of CARO with a particular focus on cats and dogs; and to explore support for creating a national database of CARO in New Zealand. Methods A cross-sectional survey was administered to CARO in New Zealand in May 2022. The survey asked about organisational characteristics, types and numbers of animals cared for, services provided, policies, staffing, funding sources, challenges, and attitudes towards a national database for rescue organisations. Descriptive statistics were provided for all quantitative study variables and free-text comments were analysed for common themes. Results The survey was completed by 106/208 (51%) known CARO distributed across the country. These CARO provided services to an estimated 59,874 homeless animals annually with 86/106 (81%) providing services to cats and/or dogs. Primary services provided by CARO who cared for cats or dogs included rehoming (72/86; 84%) and housing (70/86; 81%) animals. Intake was managed through a combination of strategies. Donations (72/86; 82%) were the main funding source. The 62 registered charities were more likely to report being funded by grants than the 23 non-charities (39/62 (63%) vs. 1/23 (4%); p < 0.001), and non-charities were more likely to self-fund (18/23 (78%) vs. 20/62 (32%); p < 0.001). Nearly half of the CARO that provided workforce information (35/72; 49%) had a workforce of 10 or fewer including volunteers. A total of 5,699 people worked for 86 CARO that care for cats or dogs of whom 4,847 (85%) were part-time volunteers. Of the 72 cat and dog CARO who provided workforce information, 57/72 (79%) relied solely on volunteers. The majority of all 106 CARO respondents (78/106; 73%) indicated they were likely to register on a national database of CARO, subject to addressing concerns about time required and information security. CARO respondents described challenges of insufficient funding, access to veterinary services, and a shortage of volunteers and foster homes, with additional concerns including a lack of public awareness, supportive legislation, and resources. Financial support (90/106; 85%) and policy change (76/106; 72%) were preferred support options. Conclusions This study highlights the significant role played by CARO in New Zealand and the challenges they face, emphasising the need for financial support, legislation, and initiatives extending beyond the rescue sector to reduce the number of animals being surrendered. The findings also suggest a willingness among CARO to participate in a national database.

Prevalence of sexual harassment and its association with aspects self-reported health: A cross-sectional study in Sweden.

Sexual harassment is common and may have serious consequences for well-being and health. We investigated the prevalence of sexual harassment in the general population of Stockholm County across socio-demographic groups and sexual identity, and its association with self-reported health. Experiences of sexual harassment in the previous 12 months and its associations with self-reported health (depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation) were assessed in 2021/2022 among a random sample of 22,890 residents in Stockholm County aged 16 and older. Analyses were done using descriptive statistics and multivariate logistic regression (odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CI)). Calibration weights were used to estimate population-representative rates with 95% CI. The highest weighted prevalence was observed among 16- to 24-year-olds (18.9%, 95% CI 16.9%-20.9%). Women (9.5%; 95% CI 8.8%-10.1%) reported a higher prevalence than men (2.9%; 95% CI 2.5%-3.3%). Compared to heterosexual people, bisexual and homosexual people reported a higher prevalence of sexual harassment. No significant difference was observed related to country of birth. People who were students, unemployed or on sick leave were more exposed than employed people, although this was not significant when adjusted for age and registered sex. Experiences of sexual harassment was associated with higher odds of all aspects of self-reported health. Experiences of sexual harassment in the general population are common and associated with adverse self-reported health. There is a need for enhanced efforts to prevent sexual harassment in the general population and to empower specific risk groups such as women and sexual minorities.

Epidemiology and Outcomes of Hospitalized Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-Cell (CAR-T) Therapy Patients Who Developed Acute Respiratory Failure.

Objectives:The aim of the study was to examine the incidence, baseline characteristics, and outcomes of Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy admissions in individuals who developed acute respiratory failure (ARF). The study utilized the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) database for the years 2017 to 2020. Methods: The study identified CAR-T cell therapy hospitalizations through the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, Procedure Coding System (ICD-10-PCS) codes. Patients with acute respiratory failure (ARF) were further classified using specific International Classification of Disease, Tenth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-10-CM) codes. Descriptive statistics were performed to analyze baseline characteristics, comorbidities, complications, and outcomes. Results: Analysis of the NIS Database identified 5545 CAR-T therapy admissions between 2017 and 2020, revealing a rising trend over time. In our study, we found that hypertension (39%), dyslipidemia (21.7%), and venous thromboembolism (13%) were the most frequently observed comorbidities in CAR-T cell therapy admissions. Acute respiratory failure (ARF) was reported in 7.1% of admissions, and they had higher all-cause in-hospital mortality than CAR-T cell therapy admissions without ARF (32.9% vs 1.3%, P < 0.001). ARF admissions that required invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) also had higher all-cause in-hospital mortality compared to admissions not requiring IMV (48.9% vs 11.8%, P = 0.001). There was no difference in the mortality rate among admissions with non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma, Multiple Myeloma, and Leukemia that utilized CAR-T therapy. Conclusions: In this largest study to date, we illuminate the incidence and outcomes of CAR-T cell therapy admissions with ARF. Higher mortality rates were observed in CAR-T cell therapy admissions with ARF. The study emphasizes the crucial role of interdisciplinary collaboration in CAR-T patient management and calls for additional research to clarify ARF's etiology and inform effective management strategies.

COVID-19 and COVID-19 vaccination experiences and perceptions among health workers during the pandemic in Ebonyi state, Nigeria: An analytical cross-sectional study

Background COVID-19 continues to be a disease of global public health importance and requires long-term management and control. Health workers’ (previous) experiences and perceptions regarding the COVID-19 pandemic and COVID-19 vaccination/vaccination process will influence not only their subsequent use of control measures but also public experiences/perceptions. We explored the COVID-19 and COVID-19 vaccination and the vaccination process experiences and perceptions, and their predictors, among the health workers in Ebonyi state, Nigeria. Methods We conducted an online-offline analytical cross-sectional survey between March 12 and May 9, 2022 among all categories of health workers (clinical/non-clinical, public/private) working/living in Ebonyi state who consented to participate and were selected by convenience/snowballing techniques. A structured electronic questionnaire was used to collect data: self-administered via WhatsApp and interviewer-administered via KoBoCollect for participants who did not have WhatsApp. Data was analysed using descriptive statistics and bivariate/multivariate generalized linear models. Results Of the 1276 health workers surveyed: 55.8% had strong COVID-19 experience and perception, 80.7% had good COVID-19 vaccination expectation and perception, and 87.7% had positive COVID-19 vaccination process experience and perception. The most important predictors of the extent and level of COVID-19 and COVID-19 vaccination and the vaccination process experiences and perceptions were level of place of work (primary-secondary/tertiary), level of attitude towards COVID-19 (vaccination), and level of knowledge about COVID-19. Another important predictor was place of work (public/private). Conclusions The evidence indicate the factors that should guide subsequent policy actions in the strategies to enhance the COVID-19 and COVID-19 vaccination and the vaccination process experiences and perceptions of health workers (and their use of control measures) in Ebonyi state, Nigeria, and other similar contexts. It also indicate factors to be considered by future policy actions regarding similar diseases.

Salud mental durante el confinamiento por COVID-19. El caso del personal de una universidad del caribe colombiano

Objective: To describe the levels of stress, anxiety and depression during a period of confinement by COVID-19 in students, teachers and administrative staff of a Colombian university. Materials and methods: Quantitative, observational, descriptive and cross-sectional study. There were 1,318 individuals without diagnosed mental illnesses who agreed to participate in the study by signing an informed consent. A sociodemographic record was created to measure variables of interest and the Abbreviated Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21). Descriptive statistics were reported and Odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence intervals were calculated. Results: In 40.3% (N = 531) of the cases there was depression, in 42.6% (N = 562) anxiety and in 44.6% (N = 588) stress; Being a woman, economic income being affected, increased academic / work load and changes in sleep frequency, quality and / or habits, were found to be significant risk factors for depression, anxiety and stress. Conclusions: There is a high percentage of the presence of affective states of depression, anxiety and stress at the different intensity levels calculated by the DASS-21 in the study group during the pandemic period studied.

Workplace violence and its associated factors among nurses working in university teaching hospitals in Southern Ethiopia: a mixed approach

BackgroundWorkplace violence among nurses has increased dramatically in the last decade. Still, mitigation techniques have not been well explored; many studies used a quantitative research approach, and there is a knowledge gap on the current status of workplace violence. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of workplace violence and associated factors among nurses working at university teaching hospitals in the South Region of Ethiopia.MethodsAn institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted using a mixed approach. A random sample of 400 nurses was interviewed for the quantitative analysis, and nine key informants were interviewed for the qualitative analysis. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the data. A logistic regression model was used to analyze the data. An adjusted odds ratio with a 95% confidence interval and a corresponding p-value &amp;lt; 0.05 was used to determine the association between variables. The qualitative data were transcribed and translated, then themes were created, followed by thematic analysis using Open Code version 4.02.ResultsThe prevalence of workplace violence was 61.3% within the last 12 months. Nurses working in emergency departments [AOR = 4.27, 95% CI: 2.21, 8.24], nurses working in inpatient departments [AOR = 2.58, 95% CI: 1.40, 4.72], the number of nurses in the same working unit from one to five [AOR = 2.36, 95% CI: 1.21, 4.63], and six to ten staff nurses [AOR = 2.12, 95% CI: 1.17, 3.85], nurses routinely making direct physical contact [AOR = 2.77, 95% CI: 1.55, 4.95], and nurses' work time between 6 pm and 7 am [AOR = 1.68, 95% CI: 1.00, 2.82] were factors significantly associated with workplace violence.ConclusionIn this study, the prevalence of workplace violence against nurses was high. We identified factors significantly associated with workplace violence among nurses. Interventions should focus on early risk identification, the management of violent incidents, and the establishment of violence protection strategies that consider contextual factors to reduce workplace violence.

Exploring unmet needs and preferences of young adult stroke patients for post-stroke care through PROMs and gender differences

BackgroundStroke incidence among young adults of working age (under 65 years of age) has significantly increased in the past decade, with major individual, social, and economic implications. There is a paucity of research exploring the needs of this patient population. This study assessed: (1) young adult stroke patients' physical, psychological, and occupational functioning and health-related quality of life (HRQoL); and (2) post-stroke care preferences using patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs), with attention to gender differences.MethodsA cross-sectional pilot study was conducted. Sociodemographic and clinical characteristics were collected through chart review and data on occupational function, physical, psychological, and social wellbeing &amp;gt;90 days post-stroke through a self-reported survey. Descriptive statistics, gender-based, and regression analyses were conducted.ResultsThe sample included 85 participants. Participants reported impairments in both, occupational functioning, with 58.7% not returned to work (RTW), and HRQoL, specifically with social activities (37%), anxiety (34%), and cognitive function (34%). Women had significantly (p &amp;lt; 0.05) worse physical symptoms (sleep disturbance and fatigue), emotional health (depression, stigma, emotional dyscontrol) scores, and sense of self-identify post-stroke. Over 70% of participants preferred in-person post-stroke care led by health care providers and felt they would have benefited from receiving information on physical health (71.4%), emotional and psychological health (56.0%), RTW (38.1%), and self-identity (26.2%) post-stroke. Women preferred cognitive behavioral therapy (p = 0.018) and mindfulness-based stress reduction therapy (p = 0.016), while men preferred pharmacotherapy (p = 0.02) for psychological symptoms.ConclusionThis is the first study to report impaired HRQoL, psychological and occupational functioning using PROMs, with significant gender differences and preferences for post-stroke care delivery among young adult stroke patients at &amp;gt;90 days after stroke. The findings highlight the importance of needs, gender, and age-specific post-stroke education and interventions.