Social Domains Research Articles

Quality of Life of Malaysian Older Adults of Indian Community: A Pilot Study

Background: Quality of life (QOL) among the geriatric population is a global concern as it reflects the status of health and of wellbeing. Aims: Aims of this pilot study to assess the quality of life and its associated factors among older adults of Malaysian Indian community living in urban areas. Settings and Design: A community based cross sectional pilot study, using convenience sampling technique was conducted from April 2024 to May 2024, among 30 older adults in a urban town, Sungai Petani, Kedah, Malaysia. Materials and Methods: Quality of life scale developed through the World Health Organization (WHOQOL-BREF) questionnaire was used to collect data, about quality of life and socio-demographic details were also collected. Statistical Analysis: The collected data were analyzed by SPSS version 21 and p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The highest average quality of life score, 3.6762±1.10, was in the psychological health domain and the lowest was in the physical health domain, 3.3714±0.31. The scores of the other two domains were moderate, that is, the social relationship score was 3.5111±0.48 and the environment score was 3.4000±0.83. Conclusion: The quality of life score among the elderly was moderate, while in the domain of psychological health, the quality of life score was found to be high. The quality of life scores of the social relations and environmental domains were moderate while the quality of life scores of the physical health domain were the lowest. Lifelong education that includes, the importance of understanding physical health activities, and environmental changes and improvements in social relationships can help in improving the quality of life among the elderly of the Indian community in the city of Sungai Petani, Kedah, Malaysia.

Integrating palliative care into multiple myeloma management : Optimizing quality of life across the disease continuum.

Multiple myeloma (MM) poses significant challenges due to its complex symptomatology and evolving treatment landscape. While therapeutic advances have improved survival outcomes, holistic management of MM requires addressing the numerous physical and psychosocial needs of patients. Palliative care (PC) offers acomprehensive approach to symptom management and supportive care on aphysical, psychosocial and spiritual level; however, its role in MM remains underexplored. This retrospective single-center study examines the outcome of 22 MM patients admitted to the Division of Palliative Medicine at the Medical University of Vienna. We investigated reasons for admission, symptom severity, functional status, length of stay and overall survival. Most common reasons for palliative care unit (PCU) admission were nutritional problems (82%), fatigue (77%) and pain (68%). Median ECOG score at PCU admission was 3. The timepoint within the timeline of myeloma disease at which hospitalization took place varied greatly. Some patients were hospitalized shortly after diagnosis, other patients after many years of active disease and therapy. Median time from MM initial diagnosis to first PCU stay was 4.3years (range 0.6-23.8 years). The median length of hospital (PCU) stay was 11days (range 1-127days) and 45% of patients died during PCU hospitalization. The reduction in symptom burden as aresult of the inpatient stay in the PCU is reflected in the PERS2ON score, which was measured on the day of admission (median23 days, range 6-32days) and on the day of discharge (median16 days, range 7-20days). PC interventions effectively addressed the complex symptom burden experienced by patients with MM. Multidimensional approaches encompassing physical, psychological and social domains proved instrumental in optimizing quality of life. Integrating PC principles into MM management paradigms is essential to prioritize patient-centered care across the disease continuum.

PRIME: A CyberGIS Platform for Resilience Inference Measurement and Enhancement

In an era of increased climatic disasters, there is an urgent need to develop reliable frameworks and tools for evaluating and improving community resilience to climatic hazards at multiple geographical and temporal scales. Defining and quantifying resilience in the social domain is relatively subjective due to the intricate interplay of socioeconomic factors with disaster resilience. To broaden upon it, the choice of indicators and their subsequent ranking for the aggregation into an index is subjective in nature. This aggregation is not empirically validated and is prone to omit the nuances of localized resilience changes and causal factors affecting it, while leading to oversimplified conclusions. Meanwhile, there is a lack of scientifically and computationally rigorous, user-friendly tools that can support customized resilience assessment with consideration of local conditions. This study addresses these gaps through the power of CyberGIS with three objectives: 1) To develop an empirically validated disaster resilience model - Customizable Resilience Inference Measurement (RIM), designed for multi-scale community resilience assessment and influential socioeconomic factors identification; 2) To implement a Platform for Resilience Inference Measurement and Enhancement (PRIME) module in the CyberGISX platform backed by high-performance computing, enabling users to apply and customize RIM to compute and visualize disaster resilience; 3) To demonstrate the utility of PRIME through a representative study to understand the geographical disparities of county-level community resilience to natural hazards in the United States and identifying the driving factors of resilience in the social domain. Customizable RIM generates vulnerability, adaptability, and overall resilience scores derived from empirical parameters—hazard threat, damage, and recovery. Computationally intensive Machine Learning (ML) methods are employed to explain the intricate relationships between these scores and socioeconomic driving factors. PRIME provides a web-based notebook interface guiding users to select study areas, configure parameters, calculate and geo-visualize resilience scores, and interpret socioeconomic factors shaping resilience capacities. A representative study showcases the efficiency of the platform while explaining how the visual results obtained may be interpreted. The essence of this work lies in its comprehensive architecture that encapsulates the requisite data, analytical and geo-visualization functions, and ML models for resilience assessment. This setup provides a foundation for assessing resilience and strategizing enhancement interventions.

Stakeholder-Based Optimal Indicators for Urban Sustainability Assessment in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Case Study from the City of Moundou in Chad

Over the last two decades, scientific studies have increasingly highlighted the vulnerability of cities to global changes, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, where climate phenomena and urbanization are intensifying. These realities necessitate a reassessment of current urban management models in order to reaffirm the central role of cities in promoting sustainability. In this context, establishing a robust scientific foundation for evaluating the transition processes of cities towards sustainability is essential. This article presents a methodology developed to select and validate indicators, taking into account local issues and the needs expressed by stakeholders. The research was conducted using a mixed-methods approach, which included a literature review, consultations with populations from five study districts, analysis of the indicator needs of development stakeholders, adoption of two methods, and validation of the indicators by a group of experts. The outcome of this research is a set of 20 indicators organized into five dimensions: environmental, social, economic, built environment, and cultural. The analysis of the proportional distribution of these indicators across dimensions reveals a notable predominance of the social dimension, which accounts for 35% of the indicators, including key indicators such as access to potable water, electricity, education, and healthcare services, inter alia. The environmental and built environment dimensions each comprise 20% of the indicators, encompassing indicators such as the preservation of natural resources, waste management, land use management, and flood management, among others. The economic and cultural dimensions represent 15% and 10% of the selected indicators, respectively. These data indicate that achieving sustainable urban development within the context of this study requires a focused effort on enhancing the performance of these indicators, with substantial efforts needed in the social domain. It is of paramount importance to incorporate these indicators into the decision-making processes related to urban development planning in Moundou and other cities in the region, as they provide valuable scientific insights crucial to the pursuit of sustainability.

Clinical Translation and Implementation of a Bioartificial Pancreas Therapy: A Qualitative Study Exploring the Perspectives of People With Type 1 Diabetes.

The development of a hybrid beta-cell replacement approach, referred to as a personalized, transplantable bioartificial pancreas (BAP), holds promise to treat type 1 diabetes (T1D). This interview study aimed to explore patients' expectations, needs, concerns, and considerations when considering to undergo a BAP transplantation. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 24 participants diagnosed with T1D. Data collection stopped once data saturation was reached. Audio recordings of the interviews were transcribed verbatim. The interviews were independently analyzed by 2 researchers. A qualitative content analysis using an inductive approach was used. Three main themes emerged as follow: (1) hoped-for benefits, (2) concerns and decision-making considerations, and (3) procedural aspects. First, the participants expected benefits across medical, psychological, and social domains. Over these 3 domains, 9 subthemes were identified, including improved clinical outcomes, a cure for diabetes, more headspace, emotional relief, a shift in responsibility, protection of privacy, improved flexibility in daily life, less visible diseases, and improved relationships with others. Second, concerns and considerations about undergoing a BAP transplant comprised adverse events, the functionality of the BAP, the surgery procedure, the biological materials used, the transplant location, and the intrusiveness associated with follow-up care. Finally, procedural considerations included equitable access, patient prioritization, and trust and control. Incorporating insights from this study into the clinical development and implementation of the BAP is crucial to ensure alignment of the product and procedures with the needs and expectations of people with T1D.

Quality of Life of Patients with Heart Failure Due to Myocardial Ischemia.

Heart failure caused by myocardial ischemia is a common cause encountered in clinical practice. A significant problem in heart failure is its progressive, unfavorable course and the associated increased frequency of repeated hospitalizations, as well as a significant deterioration in the functioning of patients, leading to their inability to function independently and a significant decline in the quality of life. This study aimed to assess the quality of life of patients with heart failure due to myocardial ischemia, considering the left ventricular ejection fraction, the number of "diseased" coronary arteries, co-occurring diseases, and cardiovascular risk factors. A total of 204 patients with decompensated heart failure due to chronic myocardial ischemia were included in this study and examined twice: A: on the first day of hospitalization; A': from 4 to 8 weeks. For the individual assessment of the quality of life, the WHOQOL-BREF (The World Health Organization Quality of Life - BREF) questionnaire was used. In the group of patients with heart failure in the decompensation stage a statistically significant positive relationship was observed between the number of comorbidities and the social domain (R(A) = 0.197; p(A) = 0.005), the number of diseased coronary arteries and the mental (R(A) = 0.184; p(A) = 0.184) and environmental (R(A) = 0.149; p(A) = 0.034) domains, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF%) and quality of life (R(A) = 0.235; p = 0.001) and satisfaction with health (R(A) = 0.235; p = 0.001) and somatic domain (R(A) = 0.194; p = 0.005). A similar result was observed among patients in the long-term follow-up. A statistically significant negative correlation was demonstrated in the mentioned group between the LVEF% value and the social domain (R(A) = -0.235; p = 0.001), as well as in the long-term follow-up (R(A') = -0.191, p = 0.026). The level of self-assessment of quality of life and satisfaction with health was statistically significantly higher among patients with heart failure in the long-term follow-up (3.20 ± 0.62) than in patients in the decompensation stage (1.98 ± 0.69). The quality of life of the examined patients with heart failure caused by chronic myocardial ischemia was poor, although it improved to average in the long-term follow-up. It was determined by left ventricular ejection fraction, the number of "diseased" coronary arteries, comorbidities, and risk factors.

Understanding the social and emotional domains of physical literacy in post‐secondary education: A scoping review

AbstractWhile a variety of definitions persist, a common definition of physical literacy is that it encompasses the motivation, confidence, physical competence, knowledge and understanding to value and take responsibility for engagement in physical activities over the lifespan. While this perspective to physical literacy is broad, a great deal of curricular outcomes still focus on the physical competence, knowledge and understanding aspects of the framework leaving a gap in the holistic nature of the construct. This scoping review explores the construct of physical literacy within post‐secondary education, focusing on how social and emotional dimensions are integrated in teaching, delivery and assessment. This scoping review followed PRISMA‐ScR guidelines. Five online databases were used to identify papers published that used physical literacy in combination with post‐secondary as the educational setting with a focus on curriculum. The findings underscore a substantial gap in the literature. It was identified that the physical aspects of physical literacy were predominant with limited attention to the social and emotional domains. The gap implies that the comprehensive construct of physical literacy, which encompasses non‐physical facets, is often omitted in post‐secondary curricula. The review highlights an unexplored opportunity for post‐secondary institutions to intentionally construct more comprehensive physical literacy programmes. By incorporating social and emotional dimensions into these programmes, students gain a more holistic understanding of physical literacy. Subsequent research can delve into effective integration strategies and the potential benefits of such an approach.

Linguistic Manifestation of Concept of HEALTH in Contemporary Domestic Discursive Practices (Newspaper Corpora)

This study addresses the issue of the linguistic explication of the concept of HEALTH within contemporary domestic media discourse. An investigation has been conducted into the functioning of the conceptual name — the lexeme ‘health’ — through linguistic material derived from contexts extracted from newspaper corpora within the National Corpus of the Russian Language. A corpus-based discursive analysis methodology was employed. Conceptual-metaphorical models that enrich the meaning of the concept and expand its semantic scope have been identified. It is demonstrated that the semantic transformations of the lexeme ‘health’ in its discursive realization reveal reflections on the understanding of the abstract concept of HEALTH as a resource, substance, physical object, mechanism, container, living entity, and more. It has been established that the augmentation of the semantic volume of the concept in contexts of attributive and genitive compatibility illustrates the dissemination of notions regarding health as a normal state or functioning of various entities across a wide array of spiritual, moral, psychological, emotional, social, political, economic, financial, industrial, natural, and cultural domains, including the operational sphere of devices, household items, instruments, and mechanisms. The study concludes with the assertion that the analyzed concept possesses a representative value potential linked to the cognitive dominance of normativity.

Quality of life and associated factors among primary caregivers of children and adolescents with neurodevelopmental disorders attending public hospitals in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study.

Neurodevelopmental disorders are a set of disorders that negatively affect the acquisition of skills in a variety of developmental domains, including motor function, learning, socialization, language and cognition. However, there is no information available on the standard of living of Ethiopian primary caregivers of children and adolescents with neurodevelopmental disorders. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the quality of life (QOL) and associated factors among primary caregivers of children and adolescents with neurodevelopmental disorders in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. A cross-sectional study was conducted during 1-30 May 2022. Systematic random sampling was used to obtain 352 samples. QOL was measured using the WHO Quality of Life Brief. The gathered information was coded, entered into EpiData 4.6.0.2 and analyzed with SPSS version 26. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to identify the correlates of QOL and the strength of the correlation was measured by β coefficient with 95% CI. The mean score of the overall QOL was 62.61 with a SD of 5.17. The mean (±SD) scores for the physical health, psychological, environmental and social relationship domains of primary caregivers were 57.36±9.98, 66.98±9.39, 66.06±12.91 and 60.02±9.14, respectively. Age was significantly associated with physical domain (β=-0.25, 95% CI -0.43 to -0.07) and with environmental domain (β=-4.57, 95% CI -9.06 to -0.09). Being divorced/widowed was negatively associated with psychological health (β=-2.99, 95% CI -5.82 to -0.17) and social health (β=-0.62, 95% CI -1.33 to -0.10). The presence of medical illness was negatively associated with the physical health domain (β=-4.32, 95% CI -7.64 to -2.91) and the environmental domain (β=-3.11, 95% CI -5.71 to -0.51). Poor social support was negatively associated with psychological health (β=-3.25, 95% CI -5.89 to -0.61) and the social health domain (β=-3.39, 95% CI -11.3 to 4.6), and moderate social support (β=8.62, 95% CI 3.15 to 14.09) was positively associated with physical health. Depression (β=-6.32, 95% CI -11.96 to -0.67) and anxiety (β =-3.07, 95% CI -5.80 to -0.34) were negatively associated with physical health and the psychological health domain, respectively. The findings from this study indicate that all dimensions of QOL of primary caregivers of children and adolescents with neurodevelopmental disorders in this study setting were compromised. Being divorced or widowed, lack of formal education, age, average monthly income, poor social support, depression, anxiety and the presence of medical illness were factors associated with QOL in all domains. This requires integrating a bio-psychosocial perspective, a positive mental health strategy and pharmaceutical therapies to enhance QOL for caregivers of children and adolescents with neurodevelopmental disorders.

Effects of a 12-week training program in outdoor gym equipment in morphological and functional parameters, quality of life, and physical activity levels in older adults.

This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of a supervised physical training program with controlled cadence on functional fitness parameters, quality of life perception, and physical activity level in older adults. Sixty physically independent older adults were randomly divided into three groups: Supervised Training (ST, n = 20), Unsupervised Training (UT, n = 20), and a Control Group (C, n = 20). The ST and UT groups participated in a 12-week program, performing exercises three times a week for 30 min. The ST group had structured weekly sessions consisting of a 5-minute warm-up (walking at 60% of max heart rate), 20 sets of 30 s at a moderate pace controlled by a metronome with 30 s of passive recovery, and a 5-minute cool-down on non-consecutive days. The UT group trained spontaneously using senior gym equipment, including elliptical machines, rowing machines, air skiers, and leg press machines. The control group maintained their usual daily routines throughout the study. Parameters evaluated included body mass, body mass index (BMI), muscle thickness (biceps brachii, triceps brachii, and vastus lateralis), and functional capacity tests (walking 10 m [W10 m], rising from a sitting position [RSP], rising from the prone position [RVDP], sitting and rising from a chair and moving around the house [SRCW]). Quality of life was assessed across physical, psychological, environmental, and social domains, and physical activity levels were also measured. No significant changes (p > 0.05) in body mass, BMI, or muscle thickness were observed between groups before and after the intervention. However, significant time effects in functional fitness tests were found only in the ST group for W10 m (p = 0.0469), RVDP (p < 0.0004), RSP (p < 0.0001), and SRCW (p < 0.0001). Quality of life improved significantly over time in the ST and UT groups across all domains (p < 0.0001). Both ST and UT groups also showed significant increases in weekly physical activity time (p > 0.0001). 12 weeks of training improved quality of life perception and physical activity levels in older adults.

Locally Adaptive Shrinkage Priors for Trends and Breaks in Count Time Series

Non-stationary count time series characterized by features such as abrupt changes and fluctuations about the trend arise in many scientific domains including biophysics, ecology, energy, epidemiology, and social science domains. Current approaches for integer-valued time series lack the flexibility to capture local transient features while more flexible models for continuous data types are inadequate for universal applications to integer-valued responses such as settings with small counts. We present a modeling framework, the negative binomial Bayesian trend filter (NB-BTF), that offers an adaptive model-based solution to capturing multiscale features with valid integer-valued inference for trend filtering. The framework is a hierarchical Bayesian model with a dynamic global-local shrinkage process. The flexibility of the global-local process allows for the necessary local regularization while the temporal dependence induces a locally smooth trend. In simulation, the NB-BTF outperforms a number of alternative trend filtering methods. Then, we demonstrate the method on weekly power outage frequency in Massachusetts townships. Power outage frequency is characterized by a persistent low level trend with occasional spikes. These illustrations show the estimation of a smooth, non-stationary trend with adequate uncertainty quantification.

Exploring the self, others, and the world: the interplay between experiences abroad in adolescence, identity processes, and ethnic prejudice

Study abroad experiences can be an important asset for individuals’ personal development and well-being. However, their impact on social identity domains and prejudice is still unexplored. The current research examined whether the ways in which youth retrospectively narrate their abroad experiences in adolescence were intertwined with their national and European identity processes and ethnic prejudice. A total of 117 Italian youth (M age = 22.71, SD = 2.50; 53.8% females) who participated in a mobility program in adolescence completed an online questionnaire and a retrospective narrative interview. Agency and self-event connections in the narratives were directly linked to identity processes in national and European domains. European identity processes were associated with different levels of affective and cognitive prejudice. Across both identity domains, the number of self-event connections in the narratives was indirectly linked to lower affective prejudice via increased in-depth exploration. These findings highlight the importance of abroad experiences for consolidating self- and other-oriented views.

A Study on Impact of Microfinance on Women’s Economic Empowerment”

The process of women challenging existing patterns and culture to effectively promote their well- being is said to be women's empowerment. Women's engagement in microfinance has had a extensive effect on women's empowerment in both social and economic domains. Women's elements of credit play a part in enhancing the ability of households to make decisions, the workforce, the participation rate, the control over resources, and even political and legal awareness, which creates opportunities for women to be more empowered. The study provides an excellent explanation of the significance of theories of women's growth and empowerment. The research to comprehend the concept, meaning, and various actions undertaken about microfinance in empowering women, a questionnaire was designed in aim to collect data through the respondents which are fit the research's definition of "studying the impact of microfinance in empowering women." The study's descriptive research design was chosen. Convenience sampling is used to select a sample size of 85 out of a possible 90 respondents. The hypothesis is formulated to investigate whether respondents' income levels and the effect of microfinance have changed since joining SHGs. The data is analyzed using the chi-square test to test the hypothesis, and percentage analysis is also performed to inspect the data.

Anxiety, Depression, and Quality of Life in the Postnatal Period: A Cross-sectional Analysis in a Tertiary Care Setting in Khammam, Telangana, South India

Abstract Introduction: The postpartum period is a crucial phase marked by significant physical and emotional changes for women. Mental health issues, especially anxiety and depression, can profoundly affect maternal well-being and maternal–infant interactions. Despite growing recognition, comprehensive research on perinatal mental health in India is lacking. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study surveyed 236 postnatal women in a tertiary care center in Khammam, Telangana. Participants completed standardized questionnaires for depression (Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale), anxiety (Perinatal Anxiety Screening Scale), and quality of life (QOL, World Health Organization QOL-BREF). Data analysis utilized descriptive statistics and inferential tests to examine associations between variables. Results: The study revealed a significant prevalence of depression (25.42%) and anxiety (24.57%) among postnatal women, with 11% experiencing both. Demographic analysis highlighted age, residency, and education as significant factors associated with mental health outcomes. Participants without depression or anxiety generally reported a higher QOL across various domains compared to those with mental health disorders. Significant differences were observed in physical, psychological, and social relationship domains between participants with and without depression and anxiety. Conclusion: This study provides valuable insights into anxiety and depression prevalence among postnatal women and their impact on QOL. Addressing postnatal mental health is crucial for fostering positive maternal–infant relationships. Future interventions should prioritize comprehensive, culturally sensitive approaches to mental health care for postnatal women in India.

The implications of the EU cohesion policy instruments and cross-border cooperation projects on social entrepreneurship in Euroregions

The current paper investigates the implications of the EU Cohesion Policy instrument Interreg through the implementation of cross-border cooperation projects on social entrepreneurship. Cross-border cooperation projects are implemented in Euroregions and invest in new knowledge and innovative solutions in policy priorities spread over social, environmental, and economic domains. Policy priorities in social and environmental domains overlap fields of play where social entrepreneurs operate. We build on the Knowledge Spillover Theory of Entrepreneurship and use a quantitative design to investigate the influence of EU-funded cross-border cooperation projects on the number of social enterprises in Luxembourg. We employed a rolling window analysis with ARIMA on a sample of 207 cross-border cooperation projects implemented between 2000 and 2020. We predicted social entrepreneurial activity in Euroregions in Luxembourg using investments through the EU Cohesion Policy in the social, environmental, and economic domains and identified a positive relationship in the social domain. The current study shows that investments in the social domain positively and significantly predict social entrepreneurial activity, supporting the critical role of the EU Cohesion Policy on social entrepreneurship. Our study discusses how social entrepreneurship can benefit from EU cross-border cooperation projects as recipients of potential knowledge spillovers.

EFIKASI DIRI MENINGKATKAN KUALITAS HIDUP PASIEN GAGAL GINJAL KRONIK YANG MENJALANI TERAPI HEMODIALISIS

Hemodialysis therapy is routinely conducted on end-stage chronic kidney disease patients approximately 2-3 times a week for the patient's survival. However, numerous physical, psychological, and socio-economic problems arise in patients due to routine hemodialysis, thereby impacting the patient's quality of life. This study aims to determine the relationship between self-efficacy and the quality of life of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients undergoing hemodialysis (HD). The research employs an analytical observational design with a cross-sectional study approach. The study population includes all end-stage renal disease patients, and the sampling technique is accidental sampling, with a sample size of 80 patients. Data analysis involves univariate and bivariate analyses to examine the relationships among variables using statistical tests, specifically the Spearman correlation test. There is a positive correlation between self-efficacy and quality of life in the physical domain with a p-value 0.001, in the psychological domain with a p-value 0.001, in the social domain with a p-value 0.001, and in the environmental domain with a p-value 0.001.Self-efficacy has a significantly positive correlation with the improvement of the quality of life in the physical, psychological, social, and environmental domains among hemodialysis patients, with a p-value &lt; 0.005

Dentists’ Mental Health: Challenges, Supports, and Promising Practices

Objectives: The mental health of dentists, like all health professionals, is a growing concern. The objectives of this study were to identify the mental health challenges experienced by Canadian dentists and to describe the support needs and promising practices to better support them. Methods: This study used a mixed-methods case study design to gather data from semistructured qualitative interviews and a survey for triangulation. Results: Thirty-six dentists and 17 stakeholders participated in the interviews, and 397 dentists participated in the survey. The interview and survey data revealed that dentists have experienced several challenges personally, professionally, and socially. Around 44% of participating dentists experienced a wide range of mental health issues, including depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder. Sex/gender shaped the mental health experiences of female dentists, who reported more stress related to caring responsibilities. They had a higher percentage of mental health issues (50%) than men (37%). Caretaking emerged as the main challenge in the social and personal domain, particularly for female dentists in both survey and interview findings. The dentists’ role in practice was one of the most frequently reported professional challenges. While practice owners reported challenges with staff and practice management, associate dentists experienced difficulties with the lack of autonomy and conflicts with office managers and owners. Other challenges reported by participating dentists included patient care responsibilities, loneliness, and isolation. To address these challenges and their impact, dentists and stakeholders identified several support needs and promising practices, including increasing awareness about mental health issues, expanding existing mental health resources, incorporating mental health content in dental education, and encouraging engagement in organized dentistry, particularly for women. Conclusions: The impact of mental health challenges on dentists’ career trajectory and productivity is an ongoing concern in Canada. Gender-specific strategies to support the mental health of dentists should be developed. Knowledge Translation Statement: This study identified the mental health challenges of dentists in Canada to inform the development of interventions and strategies to promote the health and well-being of dentists and dental students. It also highlighted the need for clinicians, students, and individuals in leadership positions in institutions and professional organizations to recognize and consider the working conditions of dentists in various positions to avoid negative consequences on their mental health, reduce the attrition from the professional, and improve patient care outcomes.

Quantitative Study of Physical, Social, Psychological, and Environmental Challenges Faced by Patients With Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis.

Background This study chronicles the socioeconomic and emotional challenges experienced by patients suffering from drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB) in India, the country with the highest tuberculosis (TB) burden globally. Current government measures under the National TB Elimination Programme (NTEP) that include widely available molecular diagnostic methods, well-defined DR-TB regimens, free drug distribution, treatment adherence strategies, etc. need to expand to cover socioeconomic and emotional aspects of the disease. Objective The objective of this study was to assess the effects of DR-TB and its treatment on the quality of life of patients in the psychological, social, environmental, and physical domains using validated scales. Method Conducted at a tertiary care center in Pune, this quantitative study utilized the World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL-BREF) questionnaire to objectively assess the quality of life of 64 DR-TB patients. The questionnaire was self-administered but assisted by the investigator to understand the meaning of the questions, and it covered four domains: psychological, social, environmental, and physical. Results The results indicated significant psychological distress, with the psychological domain scoring the lowest mean (33.41), followed by social (35.52), environmental (41.27), and physical domains (41.88). These findings underscore the profound impact of DR-TB on the mental health, social interactions, and overall well-being of these patients. Furthermore, substantial employment challenges, financial constraints, and fears of disease transmission were prevalent among patients, highlighting socioeconomic disparities. Conclusion The study emphasizes the necessity of holistic interventions that include psychological support, socioeconomic empowerment, and public health campaigns to improve the quality of life and treatment adherence for DR-TB patients. Future research should explore integrated care models that address both the clinical and psychosocial needs of patients. The insights from this study suggest a need for policy enhancements and resource allocation to better support this vulnerable population, ultimately aiming for more comprehensive and sustainable DR-TB management, thus focusing not only on the outcome but also on morbidity.

Comorbidities, medications, depression, and physical performance measures associated with severe cognitive impairments in community-dwelling adults

Cognitive impairment negatively impacts health, psychological, social, and economic domains. Cognitive impairment commonly affects physical functions in older adults, whereas these are deteriorated. However, the prevalence and associated factors of cognitive impairment among community-dwelling adults in Saudi Arabia have not been investigated yet. This study aimed to examine the prevalence of severe cognitive impairment and its associated factors in community-dwelling older adults in Saudi Arabia. This cross-sectional study involved adults aged ≥50 years. Demographic data and clinical data, including number of medications and body mass index (BMI), were collected. Cognitive impairment and depressive symptoms were measured using Arabic versions of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), respectively. The participants were divided into severe cognitive impairment and mild cognitive impairment or normal cognitive function groups based on a score of &lt;20 or ≥20, respectively, using the MoCA. Physical measures included dynamic gait index (DGI) scores, timed up-and-go (TUG), 5 times sit-to-stand (5XSST), functional reach test, and 6-minute walk test. A total of 206 participants (female: n = 96) were included. The prevalence of severe cognitive impairment in the community-dwelling older adults was 12.6%. The number of chronic conditions (odds ratio [OR]: 2.31, p&lt;0.001), number of medications (OR: 1.36, p = 0.003), and depressive symptoms using PHQ-9 (OR: 1.11, p = 0.009) were significantly associated with severe cognitive impairment after adjustment for other covariates, including age, sex, and BMI. Based on the physical function measures, only the scores for DGI (OR: 0.86, p = 0.003), TUG (OR: 1.16, p = 0.035) and 5XSST (OR: 1.25, p &lt;0.001) were significantly associated with severe cognitive impairment. This study revealed a high prevalence of severe cognitive impairment among community-dwelling adults in Saudi Arabia. Its major risk factors include depressive symptoms, number of chronic conditions and medications, and physical measures, including DGI, TUG, and 5XSST.

Quality of life following Covid-19 vaccination in Lebanese adults

Background: This study investigates the quality of life (QoL) among individuals in Lebanon post-COVID-19 vaccination, focusing on various demographic and lifestyle factors influencing physical, psychological, social, and environmental health domains. Objective: To explore the associations between COVID-19 vaccination status and QoL across four sub-scales: physical health, psychological health, social relationships, and environmental quality, examining the impact of gender, tobacco and alcohol consumption, chronic diseases, physical activity, employment status, education level, geographic location, and marital status. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted involving 507 Lebanese adults who completed a structured questionnaire. The questionnaire collected data on demographics, lifestyle factors, and QoL using a standardized measurement tool. Statistical analysis, including bivariate analysis, was performed to determine significant associations between independent variables and QoL scores across the four domains. Results: The majority of participants were female (71.6%), non-smokers (83%), and non-drinkers (76.7%). Most had no chronic diseases (83%), and 42.4% engaged in regular physical activity. High educational attainment (80.5% with graduate or professional degrees) and full-time employment (77%) were prevalent. Significant associations were found between gender and all QoL domains, with males reporting higher scores. Physical health scores were higher among non-drinkers, the physically active, independent workers, and vaccinated individuals. Psychological health was better in males, the physically active, and independent workers. Social relationships were stronger among males, independent workers, and those in relationships. Environmental quality was higher among males, non-drinkers, independent workers, and those with no formal education. Vaccination status positively influenced physical health and showed near-significant effects on social relationships and environmental quality. Conclusion: COVID-19 vaccination is associated with improved QoL in Lebanon, particularly in physical health. The findings highlight the importance of considering socio-economic factors and lifestyle choices in public health strategies to enhance overall well-being. Future research should explore longitudinal impacts and address the specific needs of diverse populations.