Assessment Of Health Status Research Articles

Physical Activity and Epigenetic Aging in Breast Cancer Treatment.

Biological age, reflecting the cumulative damage in the body over a lifespan, is a dynamic measure more indicative of individual health than chronological age. Accelerated aging, when biological age surpasses chronological age, is implicated in poorer clinical outcomes, especially for breast cancer (BC) survivors undergoing treatments. This preliminary study investigates the impact of a 16-week online supervised physical activity (PA) intervention on biological age in post-surgery female BC patients. Telomere length was measured using qPCR, and the ELOVL2-based epigenetic clock was assessed via DNA methylation pyrosequencing of the ELOVL2 promoter region. Telomere length remained unchanged, but the ELOVL2 epigenetic clock indicated a significant decrease in biological age in the PA group, suggesting the potential of PA interventions to reverse accelerated aging processes in BC survivors. The exercise group showed improved cardiovascular fitness, highlighting PA's health impact. Finally, the reduction in biological age, as measured by the ELOVL2 epigenetic clock, was significantly associated with improvements in cardiovascular fitness and handgrip strength, supporting improved recovery. Epigenetic clocks can potentially assess health status and recovery progress in BC patients, identifying at-risk individuals in clinical practice. This study provides potential and valuable insights into how PA benefits BC survivors' health, supporting the immediate benefits of a 16-week exercise intervention in mitigating accelerated aging. The findings could suggest a holistic approach to improving the health and recovery of post-surgery BC patients.

Production of a monoclonal antibody specific to the IgM heavy chain of Asian seabass (Lates calcarifer Bloch, 1790) and its application in assessing health status following vaccination and challenges with Flavobacterium covae and Streptococcus iniae

Immunoglobulin M (IgM) shows potential as a significant immunological marker in Asian seabass (Lates calcarifer), accentuating the importance of developing specific monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) for immunological studies. In this study, we investigated the antigenicity of the IgM heavy chain (IgMH), particularly the Cμ3 region of IgMH (IgMHCμ3), and synthesized a peptide for anti-IgMHCμ3 mAb production. The synthesized peptide was used to generate a specific mAb in rabbits. The produced mAb demonstrated high specificity and affinity for Asian seabass IgMH, as confirmed through indirect ELISA, Western blot analysis, indirect immunofluorescence assay (IIFAT) and flow cytometry analysis. In addition, an indirect ELISA was developed and optimized to measure anti-Flavobacterium covae and anti-Streptococcus iniae antibody titers in Asian seabass serum. The monoclonal antibody (mAb) was subsequently used to assess the health status of Asian seabass post-vaccination and challenge with these pathogens, demonstrating its potential as a valuable tool for immunological studies and health assessments in Asian seabass. Vaccination and postchallenge fish exhibited a pronounced increase in specific antibodies and total serum IgM and IgM+ cell populations. Thus, this study establishes a foundational platform for using the anti-IgMHCμ3 mAb as an essential tool for evaluating and understanding the immune responses and health status of Asian seabass, especially in the context of bacterial infections and vaccinations, and paves the way for more studies in fish immunology.

Development and application of multi-parameter real-time acquisition system for intelligent secondary equipment

Abstract A multi-parameter real-time collection and analysis system, including intelligent secondary equipment, data collection gateway, and health management backend, has been constructed to solve the problem of current incomplete monitoring data and inability to providential warning of hidden faults of intelligent secondary equipment in substations. The key feature parameters of the device’s functional modules were extracted, and a data collection gateway was developed to achieve IoT access to feature data. A fault identification and warning model for the secondary equipment functional module considering temperature is provided, which realizes the assessment of equipment health status and ensures the stable and reliable operation of the power grid.

Health status and heat preparation at a UCI World Tour multistage cycling race

ObjectivesTo assess health status and heat preparation of cyclists at the 2019 Tour Down Under and determine the alignment of heat mitigation strategies with current recommendations. DesignCohort study. MethodsTwenty-three (17 % participation rate) male World Tour cyclists from five teams and 10 countries completed a pre-competition questionnaire evaluating exertional heat illness (EHI) history, pre-race health status, and heat mitigation and recovery strategies use. Associations between arrival days pre-competition, years as professional, nationality, team, history of EHI symptoms and diagnosis on heat mitigation and recovery strategy utilisation were assessed. Results65 % of cyclists reported previously experiencing one or more EHI symptom (cramping: 48 %) and 22 % a diagnosis of heat stroke. In the 10 days preceding the race, 26 % experienced one or more illness symptoms. 65 % trained in the heat (acclimatisation 8–25 days; acclimation: 3–7 days), which was associated with team (P = 0.047, ϕc = 0.61), nationality (P = 0.009, ϕc = 0.86) and EHI symptoms history (P = 0.058, ϕ = 0.43). All cyclists had a hydration plan, with links to team (0.5–1.0 L·h−1, P = 0.043, ϕc = 0.68) and EHI symptom history (1.0–1.5 L·h−1, P = 0.048, ϕ = 0.476). Most had pre-cooling (87 %) and mid-cooling (83 %) strategies, most commonly cold beverages (75 %) and neck collars (78 %), respectively. All cyclists planned on using at least one recovery strategy (massage: 87 %). ConclusionsOur data indicate good alignment with current recommendations for competing in the heat, particularly for hydration, cooling and recovery strategies. Whilst the proportion of cyclists engaging in heat acclimation/acclimatisation is encouraging, greater awareness on adapting and implementing heat training is required.

Direct and Indirect Mapping of Assessment of Quality of Life - 6 Dimensions (AQoL-6D) Onto EQ-5D-5L Utilities Using Data From a Multicenter, Cross-Sectional Study of Malaysians With Chronic Heart Failure

ObjectivesThe Assessment of Quality of Life - 6 Dimensions (AQoL-6D), a generic preference-based measure, is an appealing alternative to EQ-5D-5L for assessing health status in patients with chronic heart failure (HF), given its expanded scope. However, without a Malaysian value set, the AQoL-6D cannot generate health state utility values (HSUVs) to support local economic evaluations. This study intended to develop algorithms for predicting EQ-5D-5L HSUVs from AQoL-6D in an HF population. MethodsCross-sectional data from a multicenter cohort of 419 HF outpatients were used. Both direct and indirect mapping approaches were attempted using 5 sets of explanatory variables and 8 models (ordinary least squares, Tobit, censored least absolute deviations, generalized linear model, 2-part model [TPM], beta regression-based model, adjusted limited dependent variable mixture model, and multinomial ordinal regression [MLOGIT]). The models’ predictive performance was assessed through 10-fold cross-validated mean absolute error [MAE] and root mean squared error [RMSE]). Potential prediction bias was also examined graphically. The best-performing models, with the lowest RMSE and no bias, were then identified. ResultsAmong the models evaluated, TPM, which included age, sex, and 5 AQoL-6D dimension scores as predictors, appears to be the best-performing model for directly predicting EQ-5D-5L HSUVs from AQoL-6D. TPM yielded the lowest MAE (0.0802) and RMSE (0.1116), and demonstrated predictive accuracy for HSUVs >0.2 without significant bias. A MLOGIT model developed for response mapping had suboptimal predictive accuracy. ConclusionsThis study developed potentially useful mapping algorithms for generating Malaysian EQ-5D-5L HSUVs from AQoL-6D responses among patients with HF when direct EQ-5D-5L data are unavailable.

Research on degradation analysis and health condition assessment method of phase shifter

Abstract In high-power, high-reliability power supply systems, the switching operation of power devices is driven by phase shifters. Degradation or failure of the phase shifters leads to power device shoot-through and other failures, and reduces the power devices’ service lifetime. Aiming at the problem of phase shifter condition monitoring, a degradation model is proposed by analysing the degradation mechanism and aging process of the sensitive key components of the phase shifter, and then a health condition monitoring method with multi-dimensional features is presented in this paper. The multidimensional feature vectors in the time domain are extracted from the output voltage signals of different aging stages, and the time-domain feature separability of different health conditions is verified. Then the deep neural networks identification model based on deep learning technology is proposed to recognize the health condition of phase shifter. At last, the performance degradation simulation and experimental evaluation show that the proposed method can identify the phase shifter health conditions more accurately, and the accuracy rate can reach 95.892%.

Cooking fuel use and respiratory health of women and children in rural Ballabgarh, Haryana.

Household air pollution arising from combustion of unclean fuels during cooking activities causes serious respiratory health effects. This study investigated patterns of household cooking fuel use and its effect on respiratory health status of women and children. A cross-sectional study was conducted in rural households of Ballabgarh, Haryana during December 2019 to January 2020 among 18-45 years old women and their children having age between 6 and 59 months. A total of 450 households were selected using simple random sampling. Cooking fuel use was categorised as unclean (Wood, dung cakes, crop residues) and clean (LPG and electricity). The classification of mixed fuel use (predominantly unclean or clean) was based upon duration of unclean fuel use ≥ 2.5h per day. The clinical history and physical examination was done using a semi-structured questionnaire. Assessment of respiratory health status of women participants was done using peak expiratory flow meter and presence of pneumonia in children was evaluated as per Integrated Management of Neonatal and Childhood Illnesses (IMNCI) guidelines. Overall use of unclean cooking fuels was predominant in 59.6% of households and 71.8% of households had mixed fuel use. Only clean fuel use was in 11.3% of households. Nasal stuffiness, breathing difficulty and cough were observed among 13.1%, 10.5% and 8.5% among women while the common respiratory symptoms in children were cough (27.8%) and runny nose (22.9%). As compared to clean fuels, women using unclean fuels were more likely to have any respiratory symptom (aOR 3.0, 95% CI: 1.5-6.0) and impaired pulmonary functions (adjusted OR 1.9, 95% CI: 1.2-2.9). Cooking fuel use was not associated with respiratory symptoms and presence of pneumonia in children living in the households. Cooking with unclean fuel continues to be prevalent in the households of rural Ballabgarh and adversely affects the respiratory health of women indicating strengthening of initiatives promoting clean fuel use.

The influence of the health status and functional capacity assessment of older people with heart failure on the participation in a cardiac rehabilitation program after myocardial infarction

Abstract Background Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) after myocardial infarction (MI), conducted by a multidisciplinary team, is considered to be the most effective secondary prevention strategy. CR might be particularly beneficial in older patients, who often suffer from heart failure (HF) and other comorbidities. Low enrolment in CR programs is observed in various age groups despite the proven effectiveness of CR in the reduction of subsequent ischemic episodes, hospitalization, and mortality risk. Purpose The study aimed to analyze the impact of the health status and functional capacity assessment of elderly patients with HF using the Vulnerable Elders Survey (VES-13) scale on the willingness to participate in the CR program as part of the national Comprehensive Care Program after Myocardial Infarction. Methods The analysis of the medical records of MI patients, who were hospitalized between 2017 and 2023 and met the inclusion criteria for CR was performed. People included in the study were ≥60 years of age and had previously been diagnosed with HF. The study included 350 people who underwent VES-13 assessment during hospitalization. The median age of the studied group was 74 (IQR 68-81), with the majority of males (59.1%). Results The willingness to participate in CR was declared by 26.3% of respondents. The median VES-13 score was 3 (IQR 2-7) points and was higher in patients who did not want to participate in CR [3 (IQR 2-7) vs 2 (IQR 1-3), p <0.0001]. In the group of patients who scored <3 points in the VES-13 scale, there was a significantly higher percentage of patients declaring their willingness to participate in CR compared to the group with ≥3 points (38.8% vs 18.5%, p=0.0001). Univariate analysis showed that all parameters assessed by the VES-13 scale had a significant impact on patients' willingness to participate in CR (Figure 1). Independent factors determining patients' declaration were age, difficulties in reaching or extending arms above the shoulder level, and limitations in shopping for personal items (like toilet items or medicines) (Figure 2). Conclusion The VES-13 scale can help to identify patients with HF after MI who require additional support and motivation in the decision process to participate in coordinated care and early CR. Limitations in the everyday functioning of elderly patients with HF determine the lack of willingness to participate in CR after MI. It is necessary to carry out intensive educational and motivational activities to improve the recruitment to the CR program.

Long-term sequelae after viral meningitis and meningoencephalitis are frequent, even in mildly affected patients, a prospective observational study.

An increasing number of studies demonstrate that viral meningitis and meningoencephalitis, even those with a mild course of meningitis, can result in residual sequelae. We aimed to investigate the long-term outcome in both viral meningitis and meningoencephalitis/encephalitis patients and impact of long-term sequelae on patients' social and professional daily lives in a prospective observational study with a follow-up period of 20 months. A total of 50 patients (12% encephalitis, 58% meningoencephalitis and 30% meningitis) and 21 control persons participated in the study. The most common cause was the tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) virus. The most important persistent signs and symptoms after 2 years were subjective cognitive impairment (36%), fatigue and/or excessive daytime sleepiness (31%), disturbed nighttime sleep (31%) and headaches (13%), as well as feeling more rapidly exhausted after cognitive effort (53%). Independent of disease severity in the acute phase, almost one third of patients still reported mildly impaired social and/or professional life due to the long-term sequelae, with scores in the health status assessment still significantly lower compared to healthy controls. Regardless of the severity of the acute illness and despite constant improvement within 2 years, 67% of patients still had persistent signs and symptoms, but these were only relevant to everyday social or professional life in about 30% of these patients.

Functional status of Indian children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis.

The functional disability status of Indian children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis is unidentified. In this cross-sectional study functional capacity of 60 juvenile idiopathic arthritis patients was assessed by the Childhood Health Assessment Questionnaire. A total of 60 juvenile idiopathic arthritis patients aged ranges from 1 to 12 years were recruited from a teaching hospital in eastern India. A childhood health assessment questionnaire was used to assess the functional health of children. Pain, patient's/parent's global assessment of general well-being, and physician's global assessment were assessed. Childhood health assessment questionnaire disability index for oligoarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis differed significantly from polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis (P < 0.001), systemic-onset juvenile idiopathic arthritis (P = 0.018) and undifferentiated juvenile idiopathic arthritis (P < 0.001). There was a good to a strong positive correlation between the childhood health assessment questionnaire disability index with pain score, patient's/parent's global assessment score, and physician global assessment score for the total juvenile idiopathic arthritis cohort. regarding juvenile idiopathic arthritis subtypes, significant correlations were noted between the childhood health assessment questionnaire disability index with the patient's/parent's global assessment and physician's global assessment (except for enthesitis-related arthritis). Assessment and documentation of the functional health status of juvenile idiopathic arthritis patients will improve the management of the disease.

Are all cancer survivors included when using electronically administered patient reported outcomes in primary healthcare cancer rehabilitation? A cross-sectional study

BackgroundPatient reported outcomes (PROs) are being used frequently in clinical practice. PROs often serve several purposes, such as increasing patient involvement, assessing health status, and monitoring and improving the quality-of-care at an aggregated level. However, the lack of representative PRO-data may have implications for all these purposes. This study aims to assess the association of non-administration of (not sending an electronic invite to PRO) and non-response to (not responding to PRO) electronically administered PROs with social inequality in a primary healthcare cancer rehabilitation setting. Furthermore, it examines whether the workflows surrounding PRO have an impact on non-administration and non-response.MethodsThis is a cross sectional study using routinely collected data from electronic health records and registers including cancer survivors (CSs) over 18 years booked for an initial consultation in a primary healthcare cancer rehabilitation setting using PROs for systematic health status assessment. During the study period two different PRO platforms were used, each associated with different workflows. Non-administration and non-response rates were calculated for sociodemographic characteristics for each PRO platform. Crude and adjusted odds ratios were calculated using univariate and multivariate logistic regression.ResultsIn total, 1868 (platform 1) and 1446 (platform 2) CSCSs were booked for an initial consultation. Of these, 233 (12.5%) (platform 1) and 283 (19.6%) (platform 2) were not sent a PRO (non-administration). Among those who received a PRO, 157 (9.6%) on platform 1 and 140 (12.0%) on platform 2 did not respond (non-response). Non-administration of and non-response to PROs were significantly associated with lower socioeconomic status. Moreover, the workflows surrounding PROs seem to have an impact on non-inclusion in and non-response to PROs.ConclusionsNon-administration of and non-response to PROs in clinical practice is associated with determinants of social inequality. Clinical workflows and the PRO platforms used may potentially worsen this inequality. It is important to consider these implications when using PROs at both the individual and aggregated levels. A key aspect of implementing PROs in clinical practice is the ongoing focus on representativeness, including a focus on monitoring PRO administration and response.

Assessment of oral health status and quality of life in hearing-impaired children from Syria

AimThis study aimed to evaluate the oral health status of children with hearing impairments and assess the relationship between various oral health factors and the Pediatric Oral Health-Related Quality of Life.Materials and methodsThis observational cohort study involved 90 hearing-impaired children aged 6–12 years. Diagnostic tools such as pure-tone audiometry were used to evaluate their hearing abilities. Dental health was assessed by calculating DMFT, dmft, Plaque and Gingival indices. The oral health-related quality of life was measured using the POHRQoL.ResultsThe severity of hearing impairment varied with 3% having severe hearing loss, 13% having profound hearing loss, and 83% having complete hearing loss. A high prevalence of dental cavities with 93% of children affected was found. DMFT score was similar between males and females (2.5 ± 0.3 vs. 2.3 ± 0.3 respectively). Males exhibited a higher mean dmft score (4.1 ± 0.5 vs. 3.3 ± 0.5), and a higher mean Plaque Index (1.9 ± 0.1 vs. 1.5 ± 0.1). On the other hand, females showed a higher mean Gingival Index (0.9 ± 0.1 vs. 1.1 ± 0.2). Results indicated a decreased OHRQoL with a mean POQL score of 6.4 ± 2.89. Spearman’s test revealed a significant positive correlation between POQL total score and DMFT scores (P = 0.000), dmft scores (P = 0.000), Plaque Index scores (P = 0.000), and Gingival Index scores (P = 0.038). There was a weak positive correlation between hearing impairment severity and POQL total score, it was not statistically significant.ConclusionsChildren who have hearing impairments exhibit poor oral health, and levels of dental caries, which can negatively impact their overall POHRQoL. Therefore, it is highly recommended to start specialized oral health education and comprehensive dental care programs to improve their OHRQoL.

Prediction of Fetal Health Status Using Machine Learning

The goal of this promising area of study is to enhance prenatal care and lower fetal morbidity and mortality by utilizingmachine learning to anticipate fetal disease. In this study, we present a machine learning-based strategy for predicting fetaldiseases from clinical data. First, we gathered a sizable collection of clinical information from expectant mothers with various fetal disorders. Using clinical guidelines, we pre-processed the data and retrieved pertinent features. We integrated a range of machine learning algorithms, including logistic regression, support vector machines, decision trees, and random forests, to train and test our model. We evaluated the performance of our model using severalfactors, such as accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC-ROC).The results of this study demonstrate how machine learning algorithms can accurately forecast fetal health status. The developed models achieve good accuracy and AUC-ROC ratings todistinguish between healthy and at-risk fetuses. The interpretability study identifies key clinical characteristics that have a significant impact on the prediction, providing medical practitioners with useful information when making decisions about prenatal care. Through the provision of more unbiasedand precise assessments of fetal health status, machine learning techniques incorporated into prenatal care have the potential to transform the industry. By providing accurate and early projections, this technology can assist healthcare professionals in identifying high-risk pregnancies and carrying out the necessary procedures, improving mother and fetal outcomes. Future research should concentrate on verifying and improving predictive models on larger and more varied datasets to ensure real-world applicability and reliability

Assessment of Oral Health Status in a Group of Egyptian Children Undergoing Hemodialysis: An Observational Study

Assessment of Oral Health Status in a Group of Egyptian Children Undergoing Hemodialysis: An Observational Study

Assessment of Oral Health Status and Treatment Needs among a Cohort of Pregnant Women in Hyderabad City – A Cross-sectional Survey

Abstract Aim: The aim of this study was to assess the oral health status and treatment needs of pregnant women visiting the Osmania Government Maternity Hospital in Hyderabad, India. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted for about 5 months, encompassing 606 pregnant women. In the clinical oral examination, the community periodontal index (CPI), loss of attachment (LOA), dentition status, and treatment needs were recorded using the World Health Organization 1997 pro forma. The data were analyzed using SPSS software version 22.0. Results: On periodontal examination, 279 (46%) subjects had calculus (Code “2”), and 219 (36.1%) respondents presented with shallow pockets (Code “3”) on probing. Furthermore, more than half of the study participants (353; 58.3%) had an LOA of 4–5 mm (Code “1”). Women in the third trimester had a significantly (P &lt; 0.001) higher mean number of sextants affected with CPI Code “1” (1.94 ± 1.08), Code “3” (1.03 ± 1.14), Code “4” (0.09 ± 0.37), and LOA Code “2” (0.13 ± 0.40). Likewise, study participants who conceived three or more times had a significantly higher mean number of sextants affected by CPI Code “3” (1.09 ± 1.14; P &lt; 0.001), LOA Code “1” (2.22 ± 1.53; P &lt; 0.001), and LOA Code “2” (0.12 ± 0.36; P = 0.02). The mean decayed missing filled teeth (3.91 ± 3.25, 4.00 ± 3.24) and decayed teeth (3.83 ± 3.25, 3.96 ± 3.24) showed a significant (P = 0.0001) relationship with women in the third trimester, those who conceived three or more times. Based on treatment needs, 420 (69.3%) teeth are in need of one surface filling, 217 (35.8%) teeth require two or more surface fillings, and pulp care and restoration were needed in 213 (35.1%) teeth. On a note, a greater percentage of the participants (84%) had never been to the dentist. Conclusion: The study emphasizes the need to structure preventive oral health education programs at regular intervals targeting expecting women.

Assessment of oral health status and treatment needs among visually impaired children in Vadodara city: An observational study

ABSTRACT Background: Maintaining optimal oral health is crucial for all children, but it holds particular significance for visually impaired children (VIC). Neglecting oral health can lead to a myriad of issues such as dental caries, gum disease, traumatic dental injuries (TDI), and even systemic health problems. Therefore, tailored interventions are essential to ensure their well-being and life quality. Aim: The current research aimed to assess the oral health status and treatment needs among VIC. Materials and Methods: The cross-sectional survey was conducted on 300 VIC in Vadodara city between September 2022 and December 2022. The oral examination was done in the respected school in the daylight with a normal sitting chair. Oral health status was checked according to the World Health Organization criteria (2013). Malocclusion was checked according to Angle’s classification of malocclusion. Descriptive statistical analysis was used. Results: The prevalence of dental caries was found to be 65%. 70% of children showed periodontal condition. TDIs among VICs were 40%. There is a high prevalence (91%) of Class I malocclusion. Most of the children require prompt treatment. Conclusion: The study reveals alarming dental health issues among VIC in Vadodara. With 65% experiencing dental caries, 70% displaying periodontal conditions, and 40% suffering from TDI, the oral health challenges are significant. Furthermore, a striking 91% exhibit Class I malocclusion. These findings underscore an urgent need for comprehensive dental care and tailored interventions to address the substantial oral health disparities in this vulnerable population. Immediate attention and specialized treatment plans are crucial to improving their overall well-being and quality of life.

Assessment of Occupational Hazards and Health Status (Respiratory and Non-respiratory) Among Sawmillers in Akure Metropolis, Nigeria

Background: Sawmilling exposed workers to diverse occupational mishaps and subsequent health complications. Investigating workplace risk and health status can help mitigate morbidness and death among this group. Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the occupational hazards and health status of sawmill workers in Akure, Nigeria. Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive survey was conducted on 304 sawmill workers in Akure metropolis selected via multi-stage sampling methodology. Data were collected using a pre-tested, standardized questionnaire. In addition, the body mass index (BMI), blood pressure (mmHg), and respiratory function parameters (spirometry) were measured. Descriptive and inferential statistics (chi-square) were used to evaluate and summarize the data, with a significance level of P &lt; 0.05. Results: The respondents' average age was 42.0 ± 2.8 years. The common reported workplace hazards included noise 273 (89.8%), manual lifting of objects 221 (72.7%), heat 192 (63.2%), and wood dust 192 (63.2%), while common reported injuries were bruises 292 (96.1%), hearing impairment 281 (92.4%), electric shock 250 (82.2%), and fainting attack 232 (76.3%). The common prevalent ailments suffered by respondents in the last month were cough 158 (52.0%), phlegm production 149 (49.0%), chest pain 63 (20.7%), skin problems 100 (32.9%), and eyes irritation 111 (36.5%). The anthropometric measurement showed that most 272 (89.5%) sawmill workers are overweight and obese. Spirometry measurements revealed that one-third of the respondents had a forced expiratory ratio (FER) measurement below 70.00% and an abnormal respiratory rate. The bivariate analysis showed a significant correlation between the respondents' self-reported prior workplace injury, knowledge of workplace dangers, and sociodemographic characteristics (job category and educational level). Conclusions: The results showed that the respondents suffered from impaired respiratory function related to workplace hazard exposure and the non-usage of protective devices during operational activities. In addition, the majority are at risk of developing diverse cardiovascular and respiratory diseases due to workplace exposures.

Assessment of Oral Health Conditions Among Physically Disabled Patients in Saudi Arabia

ObjectivesThis study was undertaken to assess the oral health status among physically disabled Saudi patients. MethodsRecruitment took place in the Armed Forces Centre for Health Rehabilitation in Taif, Saudi Arabia. 124 patients living with a physical disability were enrolled and divided into three groups: hemiplegia, paraplegia and quadriplegia. Data was collected on demographics and different oral indices, including the Decayed Missing Filled Teeth (DMFT) index, the Mean Decayed Teeth score, the Community Periodontal Index (CPI), the Community Periodontal Index of Treatment Needs (CPITN), and the Simplified Oral Hygiene Index (OHI-S). ResultsHigh DMFT was observed among the hemiplegia group (mean = 22.61; P-value = .008) with no difference in the Mean Decayed Teeth. All groups showed signs of gingivitis in the form of gingival bleeding. The most compromised periodontal health in the form of pockets 6 mm or deeper was found in the hemiplegia group (53.7%; P-value = .001). This was also reflected in the CPITN (39.0%; P-value = .001), indicating the need for complex treatments in the same group. Regarding oral hygiene, all groups showed a “fair” oral hygiene condition (OHI-S < 3.0), with significantly poorer hygiene (mean = 2.49; P-value = .042) and greater debris accumulation (mean = 1.52; P-value = .024) among the quadriplegia group. In the regression analysis, both age and gender had significant effects on some indices, while disability type showed borderline effects. ConclusionThe findings indicate poor oral health in these individuals, mainly due to physical limitations, hindering effective self-care practices. Clinical significanceOral health is a critical aspect in people with physical disabilities, as it is intrinsically linked to overall health and well-being. Recognizing the clinical importance of oral health among physically disabled patients is essential to improve access and affordability of dental care for this vulnerable group of the population.

Registered general nurses' health assessment practices in a tertiary hospital: A focused ethnography study.

To explore the assumptions and values that influence nursing health assessment practices among registered general nurses in general medical and surgical wards. The study was designed as a focused ethnography. A semi-structured interview guide was used to explore prevailing nursing health assessment practices of 13 registered general nurses in an attempt to explore the assumptions and values influencing health assessment practices in the study setting. Data were analysed inductively using an interpretive qualitative content analysis method. Nursing health assessment practices, and underlying assumptions and values were underpinned by a central theme of a culture of low expectation relating to nursing health assessment. The culture of low expectation was highlighted in five themes: (1) Unsystematic Assessment of Health Status, (2) Purpose of Nursing Health Assessment, (3) The Role of Nursing Educational and Regulatory Institutions, (4) Ward Ethos and (5) The Role of Organizational and Ward Leadership. The adoption of a holistic nursing health assessment framework with a clearly defined purpose of aiding nursing diagnoses can guide patient-centred care delivery and facilitate early recognition of physiological deterioration. Thirteen registered general nurses were interviewed, and the initial findings returned to them for validation. The potential contribution of nursing health assessment to nursing practice and patient outcomes may not be fully realized if nursing health assessment is not situated within a holistic health assessment model with a clearly defined purpose for nursing practice.

Comprehensive health assessment based on ICF components using the WOMAC index in patients with osteoarthritis

IntroductionOsteoarthritis (OA) is a common degenerative disease associated with functional impairment, activity limitation, participation restriction, and poor quality of life. Therefore, comprehensive assessment is important to determine how complex problems affect patients with OA. ObjectivesThe first aim of this study was to link and allocate items of The Western Ontario and McMaster Universities (WOMAC) OA index with the ICF Comprehensive Core Set for OA. The second aim was to examine the relationship between quality of life and each ICF component score based on WOMAC clinical data in OA. Materials and methodsHealth status was evaluated with WOMAC and quality of life with the Nottingham Health Profile (NHP). The WOMAC items were linked with codes of the ICF Comprehensive Core Set for OA and allocated with the ICF components by three researchers. The relationship between WOMAC scores and the NHP was determined by Pearson correlation analysis. Results87 patients with OA were included. As distinguished by the researchers, 7 items of WOMAC covered body function and 17 covered activity-participation. Body function and activity-participation had a moderate correlation with the pain subtest of the NHP and low correlation with the energy level subtest and total score of the NHP. Activity-participation had a high correlation with the physical abilities subtest of the NHP. ConclusionAlthough WOMAC does not cover environmental factors, it is a comprehensive tool to assess health status and quality of life. Our results showed that in OA physical abilities can lead to limitations in activity and participation, and these limitations are associated with the individual's pain, energy level, and quality of life.Clinical trial registration number: NCT04956510.