Dimensions Of Health Research Articles

The effectiveness of a dialogical family guidance intervention regarding child treatment response in families with a child with neurodevelopmental disorders

BackgroundChildren with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD) can have emotional and behavioral symptoms affecting not only the child, but the whole family. Since family members have a strong impact on each other, studies highlight the need to offer effective family interventions to strengthen the wellbeing of the family. The aim of the current study is to clarify whether there is a difference between parents` opinions regarding their child`s emotional and behavioral condition immediately after Dialogical Family Guidance (DFG) has ended and after a three and six month follow-up.MethodFifty families with a child with NDD were randomized into two groups. Group 1 received DFG with an immediate starting point, and Group 2 received DFG after a three-month waiting period. Parent experiences of treatment response regarding their children`s emotional and behavioral symptoms were estimated before and after DFG using the parent version of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ-p) at baseline, and after three and six months. Additionally, comparisons between boys and girls, and the age of the child were analyzed.ResultsThe total difficulties score between Group 1 and Group 2 showed no difference immediately after DFG, or after three months. Regarding subdomains boys had more peer problems than girls, and at baseline, children between 3 and 6 years appeared to have more conduct problems than children between 7 and 13 years. Subdomain prosocial behavior increased statistically significantly during the study period in Group 1. Other SDQ-p subdomains remained constant in both groups between baseline and three and six month follow-up.ConclusionsThe result does not show any differences between parents` opinions regarding their child immediately after or three months after DFG regarding SDQ-p total difficulties scores in either group. The difference between younger and older children regarding conduct problems at baseline, and the difference between boys and girls regarding peer problems is worth paying attention to in the clinical setting. Because of the small sample, it is not possible to draw relevant conclusions regarding the intervention`s effect regarding the child`s mental health dimensions, gender, or age. Nevertheless, Dialogical family Guidance represents one intervention that can be used.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT04892992 (retrospectively registered May 18th 2021).

RESILIÊNCIA PSICOLÓGICA DURANTE A PANDEMIA DE COVID-19

This bibliographic review addressed psychological resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic, aiming to analyze how individuals and communities coped and adapted to this unprecedented period of adversity. The methodology involved reviewing literature from academic databases, focusing on studies published from the beginning of the pandemic to the present. Results highlighted the significant impact of the pandemic on mental health, identifying anxiety, depression, and stress as common challenges. It was observed that psychological resilience, influenced by factors such as social support, coping strategies, and psychological interventions, played a crucial role in adapting to these challenges. Final considerations emphasized the importance of public policies and intervention strategies aimed at supporting psychological resilience, suggesting the need for integrated approaches that consider the various dimensions of mental health.

School Food Policy through a Project Financing

In recent years, the scientific community has focused more on urban food policies adopted by big cities and less on the local food policies adopted by small municipalities. Furthermore, the empirical evidence on school food policy initiatives is quite fragmented, and the management of the canteen service is not directly addressed by the studies carried out. In this work, the school food policy implemented in a small municipality (Corciano in the province of Perugia, Centre Italy) of about 22,000 inhabitants, through the application of project financing with the participation of local social cooperatives is presented and discussed. This paper aims to reflect on the capability of the alternative food networks developed through the project financing mechanism to identify and implement the uses of the resources concerning the local food policy objectives and the project capacity of the network. The analysis is conducted using a methodological approach based on agricultural economics and anthropology. Results from economic data analysis, collective interviews, and participant observation show that: the financial balance of the project financing is positive but quite precarious and very sensitive to market variations, both regarding the overall demand for canteen meals, and the procurement of raw materials and workforce; the project’s organizational model through a local network not only can combine the environmental, social, and health dimensions of food, but it can also reshape the local concept of community, as well as new opportunities for the circulation of food products.

Impact of telehealth on stroke survivor-caregiver dyad in at-home rehabilitation: A systematic review.

To examine studies involving the impact of telerehabilitation (TLR), tele-training and tele-support on the dyad stroke survivor and caregiver in relation to psychological, physical, social and health dimensions. A systematic review was conducted. The following electronic databases were consulted until September 2023: PsycInfo, CINAHL, Eric, Ovid, PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane Central and Web of Science. It was conducted and reported following the checklists for Reviews of PRISMA 2020 Checklist. Critical evaluation of the quality of the studies included in the review was performed with the Joanna Briggs Institute Checklists. A total of 2290 records were identified after removing duplicates, 501 articles were selected by title and abstract and only 21 met the inclusion criteria. It included 4 quasi-experimental studies, 7 RCTs, 1 cohort study and 9 qualitative studies. The total number of participants between caregivers and stroke survivors was 1697, including 858 stroke survivors and 839 caregivers recruited from 2002 to 2022. For a total of 884 participants who carried out TLR activities in the experimental groups,11 impact domains were identified: cognitive/functional, psychological, caregiver burden, social, general health and self-efficacy, family function, quality of life, healthcare utilization, preparedness, quality of care and relationship with technology. The results support the application of telehealth in the discharge phase of hospitals and rehabilitation centres for stroke survivors and caregivers. TLR could be considered a substitute for traditional rehabilitation only if it is supported by a tele-learning programme for the caregiver and ongoing technical, computer and health support to satisfy the dyad's needs. Designing a comprehensive telemedicine programme upon the return home of the dyad involved in the stroke improves the quality of life, functional, psychological, social, family status, self-efficacy, use of health systems and the dyad's preparation for managing the stroke. No patient or public contribution.

Do Economic Complexity Drivers Differ by Income Level? Insights From a Global Perspective

This study examines the drivers of economic complexity for 97 countries over the period 1995 to 2020 by income sub-groups. To investigate determinants of complexity, we develop five novel indexes. Using two-step system GMM (2SGMM) regression with the robust standard errors method, we found that institutional quality, health dimensions and macroeconomic conditions were enormously significant economic complexity drivers. However, the findings vary according to the country groups with different income levels. While the importance of openness and health dimensions are prominent in low and middle-income countries, capital stock and openness are the principal elements in the high-income group. The institutional quality is statistically significant and considerably affects on complexity in each group and across the panel. The education dimension of human capital has a positive effect only in the high-income group and across the panel, while it is negative in the middle and low-income groups, but its effect is weak. Moreover, these findings are valid in the long run. From a policy perspective, the findings suggest that macroeconomic policies focused on institutional quality, openness and healthcare as critical components of economic complexity should be crucial goals, especially for low and middle-income countries. JEL Classification: O11, O43, I15, I25.

Spiritual Health and Its Determinants Among Urban Adolescents in Northern India: A Cross-Sectional Survey.

Spiritual health is an important dimension of positive health and is often ignored as it is not amenable to measurement. The present study was conducted to generate relevant evidence on spiritual health among adolescents living in urban areas of Northern India. A cross-sectional study was done from June 2019 - May 2020 in an urban area of Northern India on a sample of 300 adolescents selected purposively. After collection of demographic details of the participants, the Index of Core Spiritual Experiences (INSPIRIT) tool was used to capture their spiritual health. The Cronbach's alpha for the scale was 0.832 (0.797-0.863) indicating good internal consistency of the measure. As far as spiritual health is concerned, 217 (72.3%) of the study participants scored medium-high to high, followed by 83 (27.7%) who scored medium-low to low on the spiritual health scale. Adjusted multivariate analysis using binary logistic regression showed that positive traits like caring (odds ratio (OR) 1.19, 95% CI: 1.08-1.33), connection to school (OR 1.16, 95% CI: 1.04-1.29), having positive identity (OR 1.19, 95% CI: 1.04-1.36) and having highly educated (post-graduate) parents (OR 2.18, 95% CI: 1.13-4.21) lead to significantly higher spiritual health scores. Discussion: Although spiritual health is not routinely measured among adolescents, the current study demonstrated high levels of spiritual health among half of the urban adolescents. Parental education was found to have a positive association with spiritual health scores, indicating the indirect effect of parental spiritual inclination. The study has important implications for policy, as it demonstrates the feasibility of measuring a covert dimension of health which tends to have an indirect effect on holistic youth development.

IJCM_33A: Comprehensive Women’s Wellness and Family Welfare Clinic: A Promising Approach for Holistic Healthcare in PGIMER Satellite Sangrur, Punjab

Background: Women’s health disparities, often rooted in sociocultural discrimination, prompted the establishment of the ‘Women’s Wellness and Family Welfare Clinic.’ Objective: The objective of this clinic was to address the adolescents and women-related issues, screening, counselling, mental health, diet and nutrition and, family planning services under one roof. Methodology: The initiative was launched in September 2023 with collaborative efforts between the Department of Community Medicine & SPH and the Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics at the PGIMER satellite center in Sangrur, Punjab. The clinic comprehensively, recorded socio-demographic profiles, clinical histories and various health dimensions, including physical parameters, mental well-being, social factors, NCD risks, and family planning. Positive screening results prompted referrals for further evaluation. Results: A total of 252 participants underwent screening, of whom 98 (38.9%) were aged 30-39, 32 (12.7%) were planning pregnancy, and 146 (57.6%) were using contraception, with tubal ligation being a prevalent choice 64 (43.4%). Beyond gynaecological concerns, participants reported chronic lower backache (59; 23.4%) and numbness of hands or feet (56; 22.2%) as common symptoms. More than one-third, 96 (39.09%), were found to be at risk for non-communicable diseases (NCDs), with 19 (7.5%) having hypertension, 10 (3.9%) with pre- diabetes/diabetes, and 5 (2%) presenting with breast lumps. Visual Inspection with Acetic Acid (VIA) revealed a 1.2% positivity rate among 117 participants. However, 161 (63%) participants had a BMI over 25, and 121 (48%) consumed fried snacks daily. Domestic abuse was reported by a mere 2 (0.4%) participants, shedding light on the clinic’s potential role in uncovering hidden health issues. Conclusion: The success of this initiative underscores the feasibility of the model wellness clinic in an evolving phase of satellite centre. By offering comprehensive health assessments and facilitating timely referrals, the clinic stands as a promising approach to enhance early detection and treatment, contributing to the holistic well-being of women.

Mental Health Status and Fear of COVID-19 in Young Adult Male Inmates in Portugal

IntroductionIncarcerated individuals are subject to a heightened risk of both mental and physical ailments. Hence, it is important to conduct regular assessments of their mental well-being and other potential health hazards.ObjectivesThe aim of this study is to examine the subjective experience of fear related to COVID-19 and the psychological consequences of the pandemic among a cohort of young adult male convicts.MethodsA research design using an institutional-based quantitative cross-sectional approach was used. The data collecting period was from July to September 2022, during which data was gathered at a juvenile correctional facility located in the center area of Portugal. The researchers used questionnaires to gather data pertaining to demographic and health attributes, fear related to COVID-19, as well as measures of depression, anxiety, stress, and resilient coping.Results The study included a cohort of 60 incarcerated males who had been imprisoned for a duration exceeding 2 years. The prevalence of stress was found to be the highest among offenders, with around 75% reporting this symptom. Anxiety was the second most often reported symptom, with 38.3% of inmates experiencing it, followed closely by depression, which was reported by 36.7% of the inmate population. The average score on the Fear of COVID-19 Scale was 17.38 ± 4.80, suggesting that participants generally reported mild levels of fear. A total of 38 subjects, accounting for 63.3% of the sample, had low scores in resilience. The participants’ responses indicated that their perceptions of mental health were within a fairly high range, with an average score of 3.62 ± 0.87. Similarly, their perceptions of physical health were also moderately high, with an average score of 3.73 ± 0.95. In terms of global health, participants reported a slightly lower average score of 3.27 ± 0.82 for the preceding month. The Pearson correlation matrix revealed statistically significant associations between fear of COVID-19 and characteristics linked to mental health, with the strength of these associations ranging from moderate to high (p < 0.001). The identification of predictive variables for fear of COVID-19 was accomplished by the use of a multiple linear regression model. Four predictors were identified in the study, namely age, perception of mental health, and overall levels of anxiety and stress. These predictors together account for about 49.7% of the variance in the outcome variable.ConclusionsThe findings of our research indicate a significant prevalence of stress among incarcerated individuals, accompanied by moderate levels of anxiety and depression. Our research has the potential to provide valuable insights for policymakers, mental health professionals, public health specialists, and other relevant stakeholders in the identification and effective management of pandemic-induced anxieties and mental health symptoms.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared

Influence of inorganic fertilizers, neem cake and rhizobium on soil health and yield attributes of green gram (Vigna radiata L.) Var. PDM-139 (Samrat)

Influence of inorganic fertilizers, neem cake and rhizobium on soil health and yield attributes of green gram (Vigna radiata L.) Var. PDM-139 (Samrat)

Gaping gaps in rural mental health care: understanding causes and prioritizing solutions

IntroductionMental health is crucial and is the backbone of all dimensions of health; physical, social and spiritual. Mental health has multiple interfaces and it is important to bring mental health to the center stage as it is the key regulator of all human activities. Unfortunately, there are alarming gaps in mental health care especially in rural areas which require attention of mental health professionals and policy makers.The study aims to understand the causes of these gaps and suggest possible and practical solutions to bridge them.ObjectivesTo study the spectrum of mental health gaps present in rural areas of Haryana, a state in the northern part of India and find culturally sensitive and relevant solutions keeping in view the socio economic realities and prevalent legal framework.Methods Any factor having bearing on mental health but is operative sub-optimally would be considered as mental health gap for the current investigation. Rural camps were organized in 10 villages to assess the service gap at three different levels: overt (measurable), covert (including attitudinal) and ancillary (including those embedded in the psychiatry evaluation and treatment). The camps were organized by following these three basic steps: 1) Evaluating the geographic and demographic details of the villages selected. This was done by meeting the key stakeholders of the villages and the official health and service statistics available on the government website 2) Camp by multidisciplinary team in the villages with an advance intimation. The team members evaluated the mental health care awareness and the felt needs by interviewing all the villagers attending the camp on that particular day. 3) Post camp review by the team to analyze the service gaps and steps to address and narrow the gaps.ResultsApart from inadequate availability of professional and infrastructural resources, there were many attitudinal and ancillary gaps serving as obstacles to treatment seeking. Trust gaps leading to poor acceptance and legislation not congruent with the socio cultural needs were key impediments. Rural people had more faith in Spiritual leaders and faith healers for their mental health issues and medical help was sought only when they have signs of physical illness. Mental health and illnesses were not on priority. Availability, accessibility and affordability of health services were important factors needing immediate attention.Conclusions Rural services need to be augmented by de professionalization and task shifting is the key to address and cover the yawning gaps in the services. Massive, coordinated, multidisciplinary and sustainable efforts are needed to bridge the multitude of gaps keeping in view poverty and illiteracy as compounding factors.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared

Profiling the medical, functional, cognitive, and psychosocial care needs of adults assessed for home care in Ontario, Canada: The case for long-term 'life care' at home.

Calls to leverage routinely collected data to inform health system improvements have been made. Misalignment between home care services and client needs can result in poor client, caregiver, and system outcomes. To inform development of an integrated model of community-based home care, grounded in a holistic definition of health, comprehensive clinical profiles were created using Ontario, Canada home care assessment data. Retrospective, cross-sectional analyses of 2017-2018 Resident Assessment Instrument Home Care (RAI-HC) assessments (n = 162,523) were completed to group home care clients by service needs and generate comprehensive profiles of each group's dominant medical, functional, cognitive, and psychosocial care needs. Six unique groups were identified, with care profiles representing home care clients living with Geriatric Syndromes, Medical Complexity, Cognitive Impairment and Behaviours, Caregiver Distress and Social Frailty. Depending on group membership, between 51% and 81% of clients had identified care needs spanning four or more Positive Health dimensions, demonstrating both the heterogeneity and complexity of clients served by home care. Comprehensive clinical profiles, developed from routinely collected assessment data, support a future-focused, evidence-informed, and community-engaged approach to research and practice in integrated home-based health and social care.

Social capital and health beliefs: Exploring the effect of bridging and bonding social capital on health locus of control among women in Dhaka

This cross-sectional study examined if social capital affects women's health attributions. The study used the Internet Social Capital Scale (ISCS) and Multidimensional Health Locus of Control (MHLC) Scale to measure Social Capital and Health Locus of Control. A predefined 38-item questionnaire was used to survey 485 purposively selected women. A bidirectional reciprocal structural equation model was used to measure the covariance between Social Capital and Health Locus of Control. We hypothesized that women with strong social capital, particularly those rich in bridging ties, would exhibit a greater sense of agency and empowerment over their health, attributing their health outcomes less to internal factors like fate and more to external influences like powerful others and broader social support. However, we found that when women have higher social capital, their external health locus of control increases. Bridging and bonding social capital lower women's internal health control, but bridging social capital leads to higher attributes to powerful others. Likewise, we expected women with more social capital would exhibit a lower perception of uncontrollability over their health, but is not the case. The findings underscore the necessity for women to have more social capital.

Pengaruh Pengeluaran Pemerintah Sektor Kesehatan, Pengeluaran Makanan Perkapita, dan Rasio Ketergantungan Terhadap Indeks Pembangunan Manusia di Kabupaten Provinsi Lampung

The province of Lampung, strategically located on the island of Sumatra, is facing challenges in improving human development that have yet to meet desired expectations. Data indicates that the Human Development Index (HDI) there is still below the national average and that of Sumatra as a whole. The study was conducted in the 13 districts of Lampung Province during the period 2017-2022 using panel data regression with a Random Effect Model (REM). This research aims to investigate the Human Development Index (HDI) in the districts of Lampung Province, focusing on the dimensions of economics, education, and health. The objective of this study is to analyze the impact of government expenditure on the health sector, dependency ratio, and per capita food expenditure on the HDI. The results show that 1) Government expenditure in the health sector significantly contributes positively to improving the HDI in Lampung Province. Conversely, 2) per capita food expenditure has a significant negative impact, as does 3) the dependency ratio, which also significantly affects the HDI but in a negative direction. Therefore, further attention to these factors is expected to enhance human development in Lampung Province. This study provides deep insights into the challenges and opportunities faced by Lampung District in improving the welfare of its people, and it offers policy recommendations that can lead to inclusive and sustainable development in the future.

Angelica Sinensis and Chinese Arborvitae: A Review on its Phytochemical & Pharmacological Importance

Angelica sinensis and Chinese arborvitae has had a long history of use in traditional Chinese medicinal herbs and have been used to heal various ailments such as heartburn, overnight urination, arthritis, circulation problems and androgenic alopecia, pain, hemorrhoids, abnormally heavy bleeding during menstrual periods and many other conditions. The modern pharmacological studies discovered that these two plants have a wide variety of beneficial attributes for human health. Besides, its importance, a review of this both plants have not been properly assessed in the scientific literature to date. Here, we review and summarize the historic and recent literature concerning the botany, phytochemistry, pharmacological activities, and toxicity of this wonder plant. This summary could be advantageous for future research objective to exploit the therapeutic potential of these beneficial medicinal plants.

PERSONAL ADJUSTMENT AMONG ADOLESCENT: GENDER DIFFERENCE

This study is aimed at finding the difference in personal adjustment in adolescents of Muzaffarpur district of Bihar. Hypothesis testing research design is adopted for this study. Data is collected from 100 male and 100 female adolescents using standardized questionnaire following convenience sampling technique. SPSS is used for data analysis. The results revealed that the present level of personal adjustment practices is just below the average among adolescents of Muzaffarpur district. The present level of home, health, social and emotional dimensions of personal adjustment practices is above the average among adolescents of Muzaffarpur district. Female reported higher personal adjustment than male in case of personal adjustment. It is also reported that female is significantly higher in case of home, health and social dimension of personal adjustment while no significant difference reported for emotional dimension among adolescents of Muzaffarpur district of Bihar. It is recommended to adolescents of Muzaffarpur district of Bihar to maintain the level and take help of psychiatric for further better level.

E pluribus, quaedam. Gross Domestic Product out of a Dashboard of Indicators

AbstractIs aggregate income enough to summarize well-being? We address this long-standing question by exploiting a quantitative approach that studies the relationship between gross domestic product (GDP) and a set of economic, social and environmental indicators for nine developed economies. We introduce a mathematical approach to the analysis of economic indicators. By employing dimensionality reduction and time series reconstruction techniques, we quantify the share of variability stemming from a large set of different indicators that can be compressed into a univariate index. We also evaluate how well this variability can be explained if the univariate index is assumed to be respectively the gross domestic product, national income, household income, or household spending. Our results indicate that all the four univariate measures are doomed to fail in accounting for the variability of all the domains. Even if GDP emerges as the best option among the four economic variables, its quality in synthesizing the variability of indicators belonging to other domains is poor (about 35%). Our approach provides additional support for policy makers interested in measuring the trade offs between income and other relevant social, health and ecological dimensions. Finally, our work adds new quantitative evidence to the vast literature criticizing the usage of GDP as a measure of well-being.

Brave New World of Artificial Intelligence: Its Use in Antimicrobial Stewardship-A Systematic Review.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a growing public health problem in the One Health dimension. Artificial intelligence (AI) is emerging in healthcare, since it is helpful to deal with large amounts of data and as a prediction tool. This systematic review explores the use of AI in antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs) and summarizes the predictive performance of machine learning (ML) algorithms, compared with clinical decisions, in inpatients and outpatients who need antimicrobial prescriptions. This review includes eighteen observational studies from PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science. The exclusion criteria comprised studies conducted only in vitro, not addressing infectious diseases, or not referencing the use of AI models as predictors. Data such as study type, year of publication, number of patients, study objective, ML algorithms used, features, and predictors were extracted from the included publications. All studies concluded that ML algorithms were useful to assist antimicrobial stewardship teams in multiple tasks such as identifying inappropriate prescribing practices, choosing the appropriate antibiotic therapy, or predicting AMR. The most extracted performance metric was AUC, which ranged from 0.64 to 0.992. Despite the risks and ethical concerns that AI raises, it can play a positive and promising role in ASP.

Mental health in athletes: Does authentic leadership matter?

Recent research has attested to the prevalence of mental health issues in sport, and the need to identify factors that could promote athletes’ mental health. In this study, we investigated: (a) whether authentic leadership is associated with athletes’ mental health directly and indirectly via psychological capital and prosocial and antisocial behaviour experienced from one’s teammates; and (b) whether the hypothesized model testing these relationships is the same in higher versus lower competitive level athletes. We examined two dimensions of mental health, namely positive mental health and mental illness. A total of 751 athletes (Mage = 22.92, SD = 8.53; 294 female) from a range of sports completed a multi-section questionnaire administered via an online survey. Path analysis showed that authentic leadership was positively related to positive mental health via psychological capital and prosocial behaviour and negatively linked to mental illness via psychological capital and antisocial behaviour. The effects of authentic leadership on positive mental health via prosocial teammate behaviour and subsequently psychological capital, and on mental illness via prosocial teammate behaviour, were stronger in higher compared to lower competitive level athletes. The findings suggest that by adopting an authentic leadership style coaches could strengthen athletes’ positive mental health and protect them from mental illness. This may happen by increasing athletes’ psychological capital and prosocial behaviour within the team and decreasing antisocial behaviour within the team.

Food System vs. Sustainability: An Incompatible Relationship in Mexico

The Mexican food system has suffered deep transformations due to multiple technological advances and political and free trade agreements, transiting from a food system for self-consumption to a system based on exports and imports that has resulted in excessive agricultural activity intensification, leading to environmental deterioration. Our species’ survival will depend on our capacity to manage systems, considering all ecosystems, especially the climate and food systems. International organizations insist that sustainable food systems could be a useful strategy to address malnutrition and hunger while respecting the environment. However, the food system in Mexico needs to be connected to the environmental, social, health, and food security dimensions. Sustainability in Mexico synthesizes the contradictions of agriculture and the Mexican diet, not only in its economic and productive dimensions but also in the social and environmental ones. Public policies in all sectors of the country must be interconnected and organized to guarantee the sustainability of a system that benefits the environment and population health while respecting the related economic and social elements. This review aims to offer a comprehensive understanding of the Mexican food system’s history and current situation and analyze proposals for its sustainability.

“Let’s Talk About Sex”: How Sexual Health Dimensions are Integrated into Verbal Discourses in Teen Dramas Available on Video on Demand

“Let’s Talk About Sex”: How Sexual Health Dimensions are Integrated into Verbal Discourses in Teen Dramas Available on Video on Demand