Helping Hand Research Articles

Patch Test as a Helping Hand in Farmers with Hand Eczema

Background: Farmers are particularly exposed to a large number of allergens including fertilizers, plant allergens, soil, and manure which may be aggravated by sun exposure. Hand eczema can cause significant morbidity affecting the patient’s occupational work. Patch test is an important diagnostic tool in differentiating between irritant contact dermatitis and allergic contact dermatitis and in the latter, to identify the culprit allergen causing hand eczema. Aims: This study aimed to identify the role of patch tests in hand eczema in farmers and to identify the common causative allergens of hand eczema in farmers. Materials and Methods: Fifty farmers aged 18 years and above presenting with hand eczema were enrolled in the study after taking approval from the institutional ethics committee. Patients who were pregnant, lactating, on systemic steroids, and immunosuppressants were excluded from the study. Patch test was done using the Indian Standard series of 20 allergens approved by the Contact Dermatoses Forum of India applied to the back of the patient. The first reading was taken at 48 h, 30 min after removal of the patch, and another reading was taken at 96 h. The results were interpreted according to the International Contact Dermatitis Research Group criteria. Results: Out of 50 patients, there were 28 males and 22 females. Hyperkeratotic eczema was the most common morphology (38%). The most common allergen was parthenium (44%) followed by potassium dichromate (22.7%) and nickel (9%). Limitations: A larger sample size would have helped to better substantiate the findings of the study. Conclusion: There is an undeniable relationship with the occupation of the individual wherein agriculturists and masons had the maximum predisposition. The most common cause of hand eczema in this study was parthenium in farmers and also other allergens played an important role such as potassium dichromate, nickel, and paraphenylenediamine.

Expanding Access to Mental Health: Evaluating the Potential of a Serious Mental Health Game for Adolescents.

Digital technologies are important for expanding access to mental health support in low-resource settings. The current study tests the feasibility of a blended learning mental health intervention that was implemented for adolescents in Lebanon (N = 1,234), most of whom were Syrian refugees. The intervention features a digital game called The Helping Hand, which teaches adolescents how to respond to psychosocial challenges healthily and develop effective coping strategies. The blended learning intervention was tested using a single-arm, non-blinded, mixed-methods approach, through the analysis of pre-post questionnaires and key informant interviews. Results showed that the intervention was well accepted and popular among participating adolescents and the team that implemented it. After completing the intervention, adolescents showed a significant decrease in anxiety and depression symptoms and a significant increase in overall well-being. The feasibility and potential impact observed in this study demonstrate the benefits of continuing to refine and expand digital interventions that improve access to mental health support for vulnerable populations.

Helping the ‘Helping hands’: supporting Māori postgraduates to advance community aspirations for environmental research

ABSTRACT Postgraduate research is complex enough, but Indigenous students face unique challenges and additional expectations. For instance, they are often strongly motivated for their tertiary education to support their community’s aspirations but distanced from those communities. We are wāhine (women) Māori researchers working to restore various local, natural environments in alignment with our iwi/hapū (tribe/subtribe) interests. We all gained funding to support this work through contestable postgraduate scholarships or research revenue, enjoying a high level of autonomy to design projects, under incentives designed to support Māori capability and potential. Using digital collective autoethnography, we reflected upon and articulated how our iwi/hapū and whānau (family) aspirations shaped our study and research, and how university and external research funding supported these pursuits. Through these narratives, we highlight the driving influence of iwi/community aspirations, consider how universities and the research sector currently align with these, identify barriers, and finally discuss what deep tautoko (support) looks like. We also reflect on how our postgraduate experiences and learnings have influenced and guided our subsequent work. Our collective experiences encompass potentially transformative approaches in community-driven, publicly funded, tertiary research; so, we finish by identifying specific mechanisms that could amplify these approaches.

Association between Smoking Abstinence and Depression and Anxiety Symptoms After Hospital Discharge: The Helping HAND 4 Trial.

Some people who stop smoking experience improved mood, but few studies have examined this relationship after hospitalization or accounted for concomitant substance use and psychological factors. We examined associations between smoking abstinence after a hospital discharge and change in depression and anxiety symptoms. We conducted a secondary analysis of data from the Helping HAND 4 smoking cessation trial, which enrolled people who used tobacco when admitted to three academic medical center general hospitals. Participants (n = 986) were categorized as continuously abstinent (CA) or not. We used linear and logistic regression to model continuous and binary measures of depression (Patient Health Questionnaire [PHQ-8] ≥/<10), and anxiety (Generalized Anxiety Disorder Assessment [GAD-7], ≥/<8) over 6 months, adjusting for baseline mood, psychological factors, and substance use. Binary outcomes were defined using established clinical thresholds to aid in the clinical interpretation of the results. Mean age was 52.3 years, 56.5% were female, and the baseline mean cigarettes/day was 16.2 (SD: 3.2). In the adjusted analyses, depression and anxiety scores improved more in CA than non-CA participants over 6 months (difference-in-improvement, 2.43 [95% CI: 1.50-3.36] for PHQ-8; 3.04 [95% CI: 2.16-3.93] for GAD-7). At 6 months, CA participants were more likely to have a PHQ-8 score <10 (aOR = 2.07 [95% CI: 1.36-3.16]) and a GAD-7 score <8 (aOR = 2.90 [95% CI: 1.91-4.39]). Individuals who were CA, compared to those who were not, had fewer depression and anxiety symptoms at 6 months, and were twice as likely to score below the population screening thresholds for major depression and anxiety disorders. Clinicians should emphasize the association between continuous abstinence and improved mood symptoms after hospital discharge.

Digitalized social and emotional learning and better wellbeing among displaced Syrian adolescents in Lebanon

Syrian adolescent refugees are one of the largest forced displaced populations in the world. Displaced adolescents experience significant stressors on their mental health, including high poverty and severely limited access to mental health services. Studies show that game-based learning interventions offer the potential for increasing access to mental health supports. We employed a mixed-method pilot and feasibility study to explore how the Happy Helping Hand (HH) game app contributed to improved well-being and emotional problem-solving skills in displaced Syrian adolescents in Lebanon. A 5-week, 10-session digital learning HH psychosocial program was administered by teachers. Adolescent and teacher focus groups were used to assess how emotional problem-solving skills were applied in-depth. A single group pre-post design measured well-being using the World Health Organization’s Well-Being Index (WHO-5). Thematic analysis was used for qualitative analysis. Descriptive and bivariate t-tests were used for quantitative analyses. Qualitatively, adolescents´ demonstrated increased emotional problem-solving skills and well-being, and attributed the changes to the usefulness of the app. Quantitative findings show well-being significantly increased at post-test compared to pretest. The study supports the use of e-health and role-playing games for Syrian adolescents. Future research should examine an up-scaled implementation of the app with displaced adolescents.

The Helping Hand in Ukraine: feasibility and potential impact

BackgroundNew services are needed to prevent the mental health consequences of the war in Ukraine. Ten adolescents self-recruited to use and evaluate the Ukrainian version of the Helping Hand (HH) in Odesa, Ukraine. From April to June 2023, they participated in a 10-session group program where they played the cognitive behavioral game app, shared stories, and engaged in activities to enhance their coping skills.MethodsA mixed-method, quantitative–qualitative design was used to get insight into the feasibility and potential impact of the HH on Ukrainian adolescents’ mental health and well-being during the war. A questionnaire to the adolescents assessed the feasibility of the intervention; anxiety and depression symptoms were assessed before and after the intervention by a standardized and validated adolescent-completed questionnaire. An interview with the psychologist who implemented the intervention was used to interpret the data completed by the adolescents.ResultsEight of 10 adolescents completed the HH intervention, and the psychologist found the HH helpful and culturally appropriate. The average anxiety and depression symptoms decreased from before the intervention (M = 20.4) to after (M = 15.0), showing a moderate effect size.ConclusionThe results indicated that the HH has a high potential to prevent mental health consequences in Ukraine.

Co-operative Banks - A Helping Hands for Small and Medium Entrepreneurs in Saharanpur District

Co-operative banks are more structured compared to credit associations. While local branches of cooperative banks can pick their own leaders and manage their own tasks, big decisions need to be approved by a main office. Credit associations frequently exercise significant local fundamental leadership, but by joining forces, they can share back-office functions including access to the global payments system. This essay provides background information on cooperative banks and small bank groups. Co-operative banks have more information available than "little establishments" as a whole cooperative banking systems exhibit greater organizational structure compared to credit association systems. Local branches of cooperative banks have autonomy in selecting their executive candidates and managing their operations. Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) encounter unique challenges in their development compared to large enterprises. The competitive market environment demands that SMEs adapt to the survival-of-the-fittest dynamics inherent in a market economy. In essence, this translates to a competition for human resources, making staff training a crucial method for SMEs aiming at long-term, stable development. Staff training serves as a fundamental approach to elevate the quality of human resources within SMEs. The paper provides background information on cooperative banks and small bank groups, highlighting their organizational structure and decision-making processes. It emphasizes the importance of staff training in small and medium enterprises (SMEs) for long-term, stable development, as it enhances the quality of human resources and improves overall productivity and competitiveness. The paper discusses the role of corporate culture in SMEs, stating that cultivating a positive corporate culture can enhance cohesion, employee loyalty, motivation, and job satisfaction, ultimately fostering productivity and innovative outcomes. It also highlights that a strong corporate culture can be a unique selling proposition for SMEs in attracting and retaining top talent. Additionally, the paper mentions the significance of cooperative banks in rural financing and their growing activity in metropolitan areas, contributing to the local economy and employment generation.

Does the issuance of green bonds nudge environmental responsibility engagements? Evidence from the Chinese green bond market

Policymakers and managers have increasingly adopted green bonds as a direct financing tool to address environmental degradation and climate change in emerging economies; however, the increasing green washing sentiments in the green bond market raise questions on whether green bonds can nudge polluting businesses to achieve green transformation. Therefore, this study joins the controversial debate by investigating the impact of green bond issuance on corporate environmental responsibilities and the potential impact mechanisms and economic consequences. Using the data of Chinese listed enterprises from 2011 to 2020 and the staggered issuance of green bonds as plausibly exogenous shocks, we determine that the enterprises in the experimental group that issued green bonds increased their environmental performance compared to their counterparts. Furthermore, this positive link is maintains after a series of robustness tests. Moreover, we identify that green bond issuance plausibly enhances environmental responsibility engagements through two governance channels, namely, internal management and external supervision. This beneficial effect appears more pronounced for subsamples of firms in low-polluting industries, without environmental subsidies and with higher managerial abilities. Furthermore, economic consequences indicate that the issuance of green bonds primarily motivates speculative shareholder benefits, as evidenced by short-term increases in stock yields but with limited impact on the short-run financial performance. Overall, these findings offer new evidence supporting that green financing tools could play a helpful hand toward environmental sustainability.

From Helping Hand to Stumbling Block: The ChatGPT Paradox in Competency Experiment

From Helping Hand to Stumbling Block: The ChatGPT Paradox in Competency Experiment

Evaluation of Helping Hand for Relief and Development’s Services for Rehabilitation of Children with Disabilities in Pakistan

The journey of children with disabilities is marked by obstacles, and they require our firm support and understanding to overcome these obstacles and thrive in a world that often fails to accommodate their needs. This study evaluates the impact of the rehabilitation services provided by Helping Hand for Relief and Development (HHRD) to children with disabilities in Pakistan. The objectives were to identify the range of support services provided by HHRD and to assess parental satisfaction with these services. Data was collected from parents of 145 children at HHRD-CWDP Center in Bahawalpur, Pakistan, using a questionnaire. The findings indicate that HHRD provides a comprehensive range of therapies and material aid to children with disabilities. Parents expressed high levels of satisfaction with the services, highlighting the positive impact of HHRD’s services on their children's well-being. However, there is a clear need for further enhancement of learning assistance services to ensure holistic support for these children. The study also emphasizes that it is crucial to prioritize vocational training and other essential services to empower children with disabilities and promote their inclusion in society

A Helping Hand Out of the River: Refugee Perspectives for Provider Engagement.

A growing number of refugee groups are seeking care within the U.S. health care system for medical, psychological, and social needs. Research is limited in understanding refugee-specific conceptualizations of helping relationships and provider characteristics that improve interactions in health systems. This study aimed to identify provider characteristics that facilitate engagement and helpfulness in a refugee-specific population from refugee participant voices to inform future practices of health care clinics. Semi-structured interviews with refugee participants were conducted to assess 1) experiences moving on from difficult experiences, 2) engagement with the health system, and 3) provider characteristics that facilitated engagement and healing. Qualitative data were analyzed using a grounded theory approach. An emergent theory was revealed on refugee-defined provider characteristics that facilitated healing and engagement in the health system. Providers who support an individual's story to be told, show awareness of barriers to accessing resources and prioritization of addressing barriers, maintain cultural humility, and demonstrate compassion, empathy, warmth, and openness toward patient engagement were the primary characteristics that facilitated engagement and healing. Utilization of engagement strategies by providers at the onset of treatment is critical to providing culturally sensitive health care. Nonspecific but essential provider characteristics are thought to improve relational dynamics, trust-building, and overall engagement in the U.S. health care system from the perspective of refugee participants.

Effectiveness of muscle energy techniques and friction massage in hamstring tightness amongst young athletes of Pakistan

Background: compromised hamstring flexibility is a risk factor to sports-related injuries, as muscular tightness is believed to reduce athletic performance. Different muscle energy techniques and friction massage are commonly practiced by manual therapists to improve hamstring flexibility. Objectives: To compare the effectiveness of muscle energy technique and friction massage in hamstring tightness among young athletes in Pakistan Methodology: A randomized controlled trial was conducted at Helping Hand Institute of Rehabilitation Sciences (HHIRS), Mansehra, and Neurological Orthopaedic and Sports Injury Services Mansehra (NOSIS). A total of n=60 young athletes between 18-25 years with hamstring tightness and limited straight leg raise range of motion (&lt;110⁰) were included in the study. The non-probability purposive sampling was used for data collection then the participants were randomly divided into Group A (n=20) received Post facilitation stretch (PFS), group B (n=20) received post-isometric relaxation (PIR), and Group C (n=20) which received deep friction massage through electronic massager. The athletic performance of the participants was assessed using the YMCA sit and reach test (S&amp;RT) for flexibility, agility run test (ART) for agility, vertical jump test (VJT) for explosive power, and 100-meter run test (RT) for speed and explosive power at baseline, 10th day, and 20th day of the intervention. Results: The participants had a mean age of 21.55±2.05 years. The result showed that participants who received PFS showed significant (p&lt;0.05) results as compared to PIR and FM after the 10th day, regarding VJT (p=0.006), ART (p=0.015), S&amp;RT (p&lt;0.001) and 100m RT (p&lt;0.001). After the 20th day, PFA showed better results than PIR and FM after the 10th day. The participant who received FM showed less improvement than the remaining two groups but statistically significant p&lt;0.05. Conclusion Muscle energy techniques, particularly PFS and PIR, proved effective in enhancing athletic performance parameters, including vertical jump, agility, and flexibility, among young athletes with hamstring tightness. These findings support their use in sports rehabilitation and injury prevention. Keywords: friction massage; hamstring tightness; manual mobilization technique; muscle energy technique; soft tissue mobilization post isometric relaxation; post facilitation stretch. Clinical Trail Number: NCT03680300

Teaching antenatal hand expression: a feasibility study in an inner urban U.S. hospital

BackgroundMany women have low confidence in breastfeeding and have concerns regarding low milk volume or discomfort with breastfeeding. Antenatal hand expression may be an opportunity to help women feel more comfortable with breastfeeding and help promote exclusive breastfeeding. A study at a hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. assessed the feasibility of teaching antenatal hand expression at 39 weeks among socioeconomically disadvantaged populations, overall participant satisfaction and adoption of hand expression and breastfeeding.MethodsFrom March 2020 to June 2021, women recruited at 34–39 weeks were taught to hand express, collect, and store colostrum. Starting from 39 weeks, participants were asked to practice hand expression 1–3 times / day until delivery, log their experiences, and store colostrum expressed. Women were contacted to encourage continued hand expression and answer any questions. Postpartum, a survey assessed satisfaction with hand expression and issues encountered. The survey also inquired about breastfeeding plans and barriers, and whether women were exclusively breastfeeding (defined as infants who received only breastmilk from the time of birth). Chart review of postpartum or well-baby visit notes determined whether women continued breastfeeding.ResultsOf the 29 participants, 72% (21/29) reported hand expressing at home, and no women reported contractions when hand expressing. Participants rated mean satisfaction of 8.1/10 (SD = 1.62) with antenatal hand expression, mean satisfaction of 9.4/10 (SD = 0.90) toward hand expression education, mean likelihood of 9.4/10 (SD = 1.24) recommending hand expression to others, and a mean score of 8.1/10 (SD = 1.69) on how helpful hand expression was in breastfeeding initiation. 90% (26/29) of women initiated breastfeeding after birth and 72% (21/29) exclusively breastfed on discharge, but only 11/29 (38%) continued exclusively breastfeeding when re-assessed 4–6 weeks postpartum. Barriers included maternal discomfort, low milk supply, and maternal or infant illness.ConclusionsThis study suggests that women in an urban setting would be willing to practice antenatal hand expression. A larger and adequately powered study could be feasible to determine associations between antenatal hand expression and breastfeeding rates and confidence.

A Helping Hand: Social Orientations Towards Disability and the Allyship Behavior of Coworkers

A Helping Hand: Social Orientations Towards Disability and the Allyship Behavior of Coworkers

A Helping Hand: A School Nurse Offers a Desperate Young Mother Compassion.

An NP remembers how compassion kept her hope alive.

A Helping Hand to the Elderly: Securing Their Freedom through the HAIE Framework

The life expectancy of the elderly has substantially increased compared to earlier times. The primary factors are greater awareness of nutrition, the environment, and personal hygiene. Advances in science and technology have also extended the lifespans of the aging population. Traditional care methods are inadequate to address this situation. To maintain the socioeconomic structure, there is a need for the integration of advanced frameworks. In this context, we propose a smart framework called human activity Internet of Things-enabled environment (HAIE) to provide a non-human assistive environment that helps the elderly live independently. Research into aging in place and assistive environments has focused on modernized environments, largely neglecting the impact of technology on the lives of elderly individuals who stay at home. This work addresses the gap by integrating advanced technologies, such as cloud computing and the Internet of Things (IoT). The inclusion of IoT facilitates a smart and automated environment for the elderly. Cloud integration enables the storage of large volumes of data for further analysis and the identification of patterns for future advancements. It also introduces the concept of accessing data from anywhere, on any device, at any time. To validate this work, two primary parameters were considered: accuracy and latency. Through simulation, the proposed HAIE model has demonstrated an accuracy of 93% out of 100 attempts and a latency of 84.35 ms for the deployed case studies under the HAIE framework.

Can Treatment Support Mitigate Nicotine Metabolism-Based Disparities in Smoking Abstinence? Secondary Analysis of the Helping HAND 4 Trial.

The nicotine metabolite ratio (NMR), a biomarker of CYP2A6-mediated nicotine metabolism, predicts the efficacy of nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), with fast metabolizers benefiting less than slow metabolizers. Whether treatment support to optimize NRT use (henceforth "treatment support") modifies this pharmacogenetic relationship is unknown. Hospitalized adult daily smokers were assigned to one of two post-discharge smoking cessation interventions offering NRT and counseling: (1) Transitional Tobacco Care Management, which delivered enhanced treatment support via free combination NRT at discharge and automated counseling, and (2) a quitline-based approach representing usual care (UC). The primary outcome was biochemically verified 7-day point prevalence abstinence 6 months after discharge. Secondary outcomes were the use of NRT and counseling during the 3-month intervention period. Logistic regression models tested for interactions between NMR and intervention, controlling for sex, race, alcohol use, and BMI. Participants (N = 321) were classified as slow (n = 80) or fast (n = 241) metabolizers relative to the first quartile of NMR (0.012-0.219 vs. 0.221-3.455, respectively). Under UC, fast (vs. slow) metabolizers had lower odds of abstinence at 6 months (aOR 0.35, 95% CI 0.13-0.95) and similar odds of NRT and counseling use. Compared to UC, enhanced treatment support increased abstinence (aOR 2.13, 95% CI 0.98-4.64) and use of combination NRT (aOR 4.62, 95% CI 2.57-8.31) in fast metabolizers, while reducing abstinence in slow metabolizers (aOR 0.21, 95% CI 0.05-0.87; NMR-by-intervention interaction p = .004). Treatment support increased abstinence and optimal use of NRT among fast nicotine metabolizers, thereby mitigating the gap in abstinence between fast and slow metabolizers. In this secondary analysis of two smoking cessation interventions for recently hospitalized smokers, fast nicotine metabolizers quit at lower rates than slow metabolizers, but providing fast metabolizers with enhanced treatment support doubled the odds of quitting in this group and mitigated the disparity in abstinence between fast and slow metabolizers. If validated, these findings could lead to personalized approaches to smoking cessation treatment that improve outcomes by targeting treatment support to those who need it most.

When the Lender Extends a Helping Hand: Native CDFI Client Counseling and Loan Performance in Indian Country.

Native Community Development Financial Institutions (NCDFIs) fill credit supply gaps and promote financial inclusion in Native communities. To mitigate lending risks and aid clients, NCDFIs often rely on unconventional lending practices such as providing clients with free financial counseling. Drawing on uniquely detailed consumer loan-level data of one prominent NCDFI, we empirically model the hazard of a loan turning into bad debt. Our analysis shows that borrower exposure to NCDFI-provided financial counseling appreciably reduces the prospects of consumer loan failure when the borrower has had limited prior credit-market experience. Personalized coaching is more effective than the relatively less client-tailored, classroom-style training. Our results have implications for the lending practices of creditors serving Native communities and beyond. More broadly, our findings are indicative of the importance of the growing, but understudied, NCDFI industry for financial development of Indian Country.

Prevalence Ratio of Urinary Incontinence and Their Association with Peridity and Gravidity.

The purpose of the current study was to find out the frequency of married females with urinary incontinence including stress, urge and mixed incontinence in Mansehra city and how it is affecting the daily life of females as compared to women without urinary incontinence. District Headquarter Hospital, Mansehra, Helping Hand Institute of Rehabilitation Sciences, Mansehra and Taj Health Complex, Mansehra. For the current study married women with age 18 to 65 years were selected while females with tumor, sexually transmitted diseases or female on any sedative was excluded from the study. Non- probability purposive technique was used for the sampling technique and “Questions for Urinary Incontinence Diagnosis” was used as outcome measuring tool. For the current study, 385 participants were selected. Prevalence ratio was found to be 72.5% with either type of urinary incontinence while 27.5% participants were found without any type of urinary incontinence. Mean gravidity of females with urinary incontinence was 3.46(±2.093) for (n=279) while mean gravidity of females without urinary incontinence was 2.78(±1.957) for (n=106). Urinary Incontinence is the most prevalent condition among females and it was found that every 7th female is suffering from either type of Urinary Incontinence. It can occur in any age and in any person but mostly occur in females due to the issues related with pregnancy, delivery and menopause.

Chromoblastomycosis Treated With Posaconazole and Adjunctive Imiquimod: Lending Innate Immunity a Helping Hand.

Chromoblastomycosis (CBM) is a difficult-to-treat, chronic fungal infection of the skin and subcutaneous tissue. The evidence base for treatment is scarce, with no standardized therapeutic approach. Chronicity of CBM infection is postulated to be due in part to a failure of host cell-mediated immunity to generate a proinflammatory response sufficient for fungal clearance. We present a case of a chronic chromoblastomycosis lesion of the hand present for nearly 4 decades, previously refractory to itraconazole monotherapy, that was successfully treated with a combination of posaconazole and adjunctive immunotherapy with topical imiquimod, a Toll-like receptor 7 agonist. Serial biopsies and images demonstrate the clinical and histopathological improvement of the lesion. Randomized trials of antifungal therapy with adjunctive imiquimod are warranted to determine whether a combination of antifungal and host-directed therapy improves outcomes for this neglected tropical mycosis.