Marital Status Groups Research Articles

Refined Opium Extract (Shireh) Poisoning: A 10-Year Retrospective Study in a Referral Poison Control Centre in Iran

Background: There is limited data on refined opium extract (Shireh) abuse, especially the magnitude of its complications and its mortality rates. To bridge such a gap, in this study, we aimed to investigate the frequency of pure refined opium extract poisoning and its consequences in a sample of our patients. Methods:This retrospective study was conducted on all the patients presented to our center with pure refined opium extract poisoning. Patients’ demographics, clinical and laboratory data, and outcome were collected during a ten-year period between 2006 and 2016. The included patients were divided into two groups: those who remained conscious and those who developed loss of consciousness. However, they were compared subsequently. Results:A total of 227 patients were evaluated. Most (75.8 %) of them were male. Mean age was 38.26±25.91 years. We found a significant correlation between educational (.038), marital (<.001), and occupational status (<.001) and age-gender groups of the patients. The mean amount of refined opium extract consumed was 4400 mg which had significant correlation with hospitalization period (<.001) and on-arrival rhabdomyolysis (<.001). We also found a correlation in vomiting (<.001), dizziness (.015), respiratory distress (.001), and apnea (<.001) between the two groups. The mean hospitalization period was 2.3 days and the mortality rate was 1.76%. Conclusion: Naloxone therapy use effective in most cases of pure poisoning with refined opium extract. There were four deaths incidences three of which happened due to cardiopulmonary arrest following body packing. Further studies in this type of poisoning are recommended.

Married, Older, Richer, and Better - Educated People are Happier in India

There is increasing interest in happiness and its various aspects in the world and also in India. Though there is a big research gap in the pan - Indian context on the correlations of happiness with some important parameters, namely gender, marital status, age, education, and income, this study tried to fill this gap. The findings showed that income levels, marital status, education, and age group – all were positively related to happiness. Practitioners, namely, policymakers and corporate executives, need to consider these significant insights to understand people and what makes them happy. Instead of working on guesswork on what makes people happy, these insights on correlations of happiness are a good starting point for understanding people. Researchers and academicians can use these new findings in the Indian context as inputs in their research, teaching, and consultancy. One limitation of the study is that it explained the correlations of happiness. Cause and effect is a better measure, and future studies can focus on the causes and effects of happiness.

Novel Phototherapy Kiosk Shows Promise as a Treatment Option for Low Vitamin D.

The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the feasibility of a phototherapy kiosk (PK) to engage community adults in health promotion and to stimulate production of circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin (OH)D as effectively as a vitamin D3 oral supplement (OS). Although optimal production of vitamin D comes from sun exposure, ultraviolet B radiation with a wavelength of 290 to 320 nm penetrates exposed skin and may produce vitamin D3 using a PK. A prospective study was conducted with adults randomized to either six PK treatments or D3 OS for 10 weeks. Serum 25(OH)D was drawn at baseline, 10 weeks, and 14 weeks. Primary outcome was serum 25(OH)D level. Mann-Whitney test was used to assess continuous data and Chi squared test for pairwise comparisons of categorical data. Significance was set at P < .05. With 18% attrition, final sample size was 88; OS, n = 45, PK, n = 43. Sample was mostly female (60%), median age 35 years, with no differences observed between groups for age, race/ethnicity, marital status, military affiliation, or season of enrollment. Median daily intake of calcium and vitamin D was well below the recommended daily allowance for each nutrient, and group. Baseline median serum 25(OH)D levels were similar. By 10 weeks, PK median level was 30 ng/mL (interquartile range [IQR] 25.8-37.0) and OS was 26 ng/mL (IQR 21.5-30.5), P = .02. The difference in 25(OH)D levels persisted at 14 weeks; the PK group returned to baseline, 27 ng/mL (IQR 22.0-32.5), and OS group declined to 21 ng/mL (IQR 17.0-30.0), P = .02. Programmed ultraviolet B phototherapy appears to be an efficacious alternative to oral vitamin D supplementation with consistent use.

Health-related quality of life, depression, anxiety and sexual dysfunction in patients with testicular cancer

Background and objective: Testicular cancer is one of the most common cancer types among young men. Although there is high percentage of cure rates for the patients, there is a lack of knowledge regarding health-related quality of life, psychological problems and sexual dysfunction. The aim of this study was to examine health-related quality of life, anxiety, depression and sexual dysfunction in patients with testicular cancer.Methods: Data were collected from 160 patients diagnosed with testicular cancer at age 20–60 years. The survey method was used to collect information.Results: The results showed that the mean scores of SF-12v2 physical component (p = 0.02), HADS-anxiety (p < 0.011) and HADS-depression (p = 0.01) were significantly different between marital status groups. The mean scores of IIEF-5 were significantly different between income groups (p = 0.01) and employment status (p = 0.02). Participants who earned low income, had primary or lower education, and were not employed reported significantly poorer erectile function than their higher earning, higher educated and employed counterparts. Also, HADS anxiety and HADS depression scores were found to be moderate and positively correlated with IIEF-5 (p < 0.01). However, SF-12v2 physical component summary and mental component summary scores were negatively correlated with IIEF-5 (p < 0.01).Conclusion: The current study findings provided knowledge on health-related quality of life, anxiety, depression and sexual dysfunction in patients with testicular cancer. Health-related quality of life, psychological mental health and sexual life were poorer among the participants.

AFET VE SALGINLARDA ÇALIŞANLAR: DÜNYA COVİD-19 PANDEMİSİ ÖRNEĞİ

The purpose of the study is to reveal the psychology of the employees with positive and negative aspects, with positive psychology ownership, stress, anxiety and depression symptom levels, during the time period when the Covid-19 epidemic effects that emerged in China and spread all over the world in December 2019. The research sample consists of 402 blue and white collar employees. DASO (Depression Anxiety Stress Scale) and Psychological Capital Scale were used as data collection tools. Study data were analyzed with SPSS 22 program. As a result of the analysis; while the positive psychological capital levels of the employees were found to be at a high level, their stress symptom levels were found to be higher than their anxiety and depression symptom levels. It has been determined that the psychological capital levels of the employees differ according to age and income groups. Likewise, it was concluded that the levels of depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms differed statistically significantly in terms of gender, marital status, educational status, age and income groups.

Trends in contraceptive use, unmet need and associated factors of modern contraceptive use among urban adolescents and young women in Guinea

BackgroundIn Guinea, high fertility among adolescents and young women in urban areas remains a public health concern. This study describes trends in contraceptive use, unmet need, and factors associated with the use of modern family planning (FP) methods among urban adolescents and young women in Guinea.MethodsWe used four Guinea Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) conducted in 1999, 2005, 2012, and 2018. Among urban adolescents and young women (15–24 years), we examined trends over time in three key indicators: 1. Modern Contraceptive use, 2. Unmet need for FP and 3. Modern contraceptive use among those in need of FP (demand satisfied). We used multivariable logistic regression to examine association between socio-demographic factors and modern FP use on the most recent DHS dataset (2018).ResultsWe found statistically significant changes over the time period examined with an increase in modern contraceptive use (8.4% in 1999, 12.8% in 2018, p < 0.01) and demand satisfied (29.0% in 1999, 54.1% in 2018, p < 0.001), and a decrease in unmet need for FP (15.8% in 1999, 8.6% in 2018, p < 0.001). Factors significantly associated with modern FP use were; young women aged 20–24 years (AOR 2.8, 95% CI: 1.9–4.1), living in urban areas of Faranah (AOR: 2.6, 95% CI: 1.1–6.5) and Kankan (AOR: 3.6, 95% CI: 1.7–7.8), living in households in the middle (AOR: 7.7, 95% CI: 1.4–42.2) and richer wealth quintiles (AOR: 6.3, 95% CI: 1.0–38.1). Ever-married women (AOR: 0.5, 95% CI: 0.3–0.9) were less likely to use modern FP methods than never married as were those from the Peulh (0.3, 95% CI: 0.2–0.4) and Malinke (0.5, 95% CI: 0.3–0.8) ethnic groups compared to Soussou ethnic group.ConclusionDespite some progress, efforts are still needed to improve FP method use among urban adolescent and young women. Age, administrative region, wealth index, marital status, and ethnic group are significantly associated with modern FP use. Future policies and interventions should place emphasis on improving adolescents’ reproductive health knowledge, increasing FP availability and strengthening provision. Efforts should target adolescents aged 15–19 years in particular, and address disparities between administrative regions and ethnic groups, and health-related inequalities.

Knowledge, attitudes, and practices towards COVID-19 among hospital staff of West Bengal during COVID-19 outbreak: A hospital based cross sectional study

Background: COVID-19 disease is a highly contagious and totally unknown disease which is caused by SARS-CoV-2. This disease spread throughout the world irrespective of social, economical and political variation. Health care staff are the frontline COVID-19 worrier and their understanding of this disease is very important.&#x0D; Aims and Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) towards COVID-19 disease among the healthcare staff of a tertiary care hospital of West Bengal.&#x0D; Materials and Methods: An analytic cross-sectional study was conducted at Murshidabad Medical College, Murshidabad from 25th April, 2020 to 2nd May, 2020. A total of 214 health care staff (83 nurses, 75 doctors, 20 para-medical staff, 24 administrative staff, and 12 sweepers) participated in this questionnaire based KAP study. The questionnaire was prepared according to the World Health Organization’ on Corona virus disease (COVID-19) “advice for the public”. The Systematic random sampling procedure was employed for data collection. The data was analysed using T-test, ANOVA, chi-square test and regression model. The informed consent was taken from each participant.&#x0D; Result: Female (62%) participants were more than male (38%) participants. Mean age of the participants was 27.03±7.63 years. About the half participants were unmarried (55%) and studied up to bachelor’s degree (49%). The overall knowledge score found to be “medium level” with 77% reporting correct answers. The knowledge score was statistically different among age group, education level, marital status and occupational group of health care staff in this hospital by univariate analysis. The good attitudes and good practices were not related with knowledge score. The majority of the respondents (78%) had confidence on their attitude that “India can win the battle against COVID-19”. Only 86% participants wore masks while going out in the lock-down period and 79% participants had not visited any crowded place. Only 18% participants used traditional home remedies for flu like symptoms. In multivariate analysis, doctors were found with better knowledge score and attitude towards COVID-19 than other healthcare staff in this hospital.&#x0D; Conclusion: The two preventive practice (social isolation and mask use) and optimistic attitude towards COVID-19 of health care staff were not totally depended on COVID-19 related knowledge score. However, knowledge score was depended on marital status, educational background, age, occupation and place of residence. Government should emphasize more on COVID-19 related health education and health promotion programme at community level.

Moving palliative care upstream for patients diagnosed with head and neck cancers.

227 Background: Adults with cancer face complex treatment choices and symptom burden that impact their quality of life. Goals of palliative care (PC) are to reduce symptom burden and improve quality of life. Strong evidence exists that PC helps reduce symptom burden, decreases hospital utilization, and improve quality of life. Yet, PC remains underutilized, especially in the context of cancer care. Methods: This descriptive longitudinal study evaluated whether use of a psychosocial distress screening tool would help identify patients eligible for PC. A convenience sample of adults with diagnosis of head and neck cancers presenting to an otolaryngology clinic, located in the cancer center of a Midwestern academic health system, were screened for eligibility for PC referral. If eligible, the provider was notified and introduced PC to the patient. Upon acceptance, a PC referral was ordered. The project consisted of baseline (n = 61) and follow-up chart reviews (n = 60) of patients seen in clinic during over a 3-month period. Results: We found an increase in PC referrals from 14.6% at baseline to 30.8% in follow-up, a 227% increase. Psychosocial distress screenings increased from 5% at baseline to 45% in follow-up, an increase of 200%. Of patients who received a PC referral, 85.6% accepted. There were statistically significant differences found between the pre- and post-intervention groups for marital status, χ2 (3) = 9.67, ( p = .02); and cancer stage χ2 (4) = 21.35, ( p = .00) with increased referrals for married patients at higher cancer stages in the prospective group. Conclusions: This study has shown physicians maybe more likely to offer PC referrals based on cancer stages, and not based on psychosocial distress symptoms. Potential barriers to early referral to PC were identified and could serve as useful information for future studies.

Parental fatigue before and after ventilation tube insertion in their children.

To determine if there is a difference in fatigue for caregivers of children with otitis media pre and post ventilation tube insertion (VTI). Consecutive parents presenting with children at a pediatric otolaryngology practice at an academic medical center with recurrent otitis media who met criteria for VTI or who were following up within 6weeks of VTI were surveyed with the Chalder Fatigue Scale (CFQ), a Visual Analogue Fatigue Scale (VAS-F), and demographic questions. No significant demographic differences were found (P<0.05) in the preop versus postop groups. 101 parents participated, 88 mothers and 13 fathers. 59.4% were married or cohabitating, 18.8% were single, 10.9% were divorced, and 10.9% declined to answer. 45.5% were aged 18-29years, 50.1% were 30-39years, 2.9% were 40+ years, 1.0% declined to answer. 53.0% were college graduates. 46 (45.5%) were preop and 55 (54.5%) were postop. There were no statistical differences between these groups for age, gender, marital status, education level or number or children in the household. Mean VAS-F, with 0 being worst fatigue and 10 being normal, was 5.256 in the preop group and 6.777 in the postop group (p<0.001). Mean CFQ, with higher numbers meaning worse fatigue, was 15.749 in the preop group and 11.804 in the postop group (p=0.002). Parental fatigue can have significant effects on the family. Fatigue in parents whose children have otitis media has not been previously described. VTI for recurrent otitis media in children is associated with improved fatigue in their parents.

THE EVALUATION OF BURNOUT AND COMMUNICATİON SKILLS IN PRIMARY CARE STAFF

Objective: Burnout syndrome is an important problem among health professionals. The aim of the study is to evaluate the relationship between the burnout status and communication skills in primary care staff. Methods: The study was conducted in the cross-sectional type between April and June 2019. The population of the study comprised of physicians and family health professionals working in primary care unit. The participants were administered the Maslach Burnout Inventory, certain questions concerning sociodemographic characteristics, and the communication skills evaluation scale. Results: In total, 383 individuals working in the primary care unit participated in the study. The mean age was 43 ± 8,1 and among them, 64.8% were women. The scores of the emotional exhaustion and depersonalization of physicians were significantly higher compared to nurses. While the depersonalization score of women was significantly lower than men, the sense of personal accomplishment score was higher than men. As the number of daily clinic visits of the physicians increased, the rate of their emotional exhaustion and depersonalization increased. While the communication skills decreased as the emotional exhaustion and depersonalization increased, the communication skills level increased as the sense of personal accomplishment increased. Women, nurses, the widowed/the divorced women, and age group were determined to have better communication skills. Conclusion: A significant relation was determined between burnout subscales and increased number of daily average clinic visits of physicians, gender and occupational groups. There was a significant relationship between communication skill levels and burnout subscales concerning occupational groups, gender, marital status and age groups.

Self-rated health and chronic morbidity in the EU-28 and Turkey

In this article, self-perceived health in 11 European Union countries and Turkey was studied and the effects of socio-economic factors on self-rated health in Turkey were analysed. The percentage distributions of self-perceived health, chronic morbidity and activity limits in the health module of the Income and Living Condition Surveys conducted between 2008 and 2016 in the EU-28 and Turkey were analysed. The effects of income, education, work status, gender, marital status and age on self-perceived health, chronic morbidity and activity limitations were tested with stepwise binary logistic regression. In the EU-28 and Turkey, 70%–75% of the population aged ≥ 16 years reported very good or good health, while the rate of chronic illness averaged around 30–35%. Socio-economic conditions in the EU-28 and Turkey affected self-perceived health and illness. It was found that income, education level, gender, employment status, marital status and age groups had significant effects on having a poor health status. The prevalence of chronic illness in more densely populated EU countries was above the EU-28 average. One in three people in the EU-28 and Turkey had at least one or more chronic conditions. The people in the bottom income quintile usually had the lowest education level in Turkey. These two significant factors coincided with negative health status, chronic conditions and daily activity limitations since health issues are more commonly observed in people with lower socio-economic status. Age was the most important determinant of chronic conditions in Turkey. For every 10 years of age, the risk of poor health and chronic illness increased exponentially.

Feasibility of Phototherapy as a Community-Based Solution for Vitamin D Deficiency

Abstract Objectives 1. Determine acceptability and feasibility of a phototherapy kiosk designed as a self-care intervention for low vitamin D; 2. Demonstrate that narrow spectrum ultraviolet (UV) B delivered by the kiosk is equivalent to recommended daily D3 supplementation to raise or maintain serum 25-hydroxyvitamin (OH)D levels at or above 30 ng/mL; and 3. Examine the relationship of demographic variables, including age, gender, body mass index, physical activity, ethnicity, skin type, season, and sun exposure to serum 25(OH)D levels in both treatment arms. Methods Participants were randomized to either the phototherapy kiosk (PK) for a treatment every other week or 600 IU D3 oral supplement (OS) daily, for 10 weeks. PK exposure was based on response to previous treatment and Fitzpatrick Skin Type category; subjects wore undergarments only and eye protection for treatments of 2–6 minutes duration. OS group received a one-time prescription of 70 capsules, dispensed by a research pharmacist. Primary outcome was serum 25(OH)D level. Results Final sample 88 adults; OS group n = 45 and PK group n = 43. Demographics: median age 35 years, mostly female (66%), no difference observed between groups for age, race/ethnicity, or marital status. No difference seen in skin type, birth location, sun exposure, or use of sunscreen. OS group had higher BMI and %body fat. Baseline 25(OH)D level were similar, P = 0.25. At 12 weeks median OS 25(OH)D 25.5 ng/mL and PK 30 ng/mL; P = .01. At 16 weeks, OS group 25(OH)D level 21 ng/mL and PK 27 ng/mL; P = .04. Adherence: OS 92% vs PK 100%. There were no reportable adverse events. Conclusions Use of PK every other week achieved higher serum levels of 25(OH)D than usual care vitamin D3 600 IU/day for 10 weeks, although both groups returned to baseline levels 30 days post-treatment. At a time when self-care measures are highly valued for health promotion, programmed UVB delivered via PK in the community appears to be a safe, efficacious alternative to oral D3 supplementation but requires recurring use. Results from this study suggest a need for early intervention in preventable health conditions impacting Warfighter performance and readiness, particularly pre-deployment when optimizing long-term wellness for duty in austere environments. Funding Sources Benesol, Inc.

Association of Baltic Sea and Mediterranean diets with frailty phenotype in older women, Kuopio OSTPRE-FPS study

PurposeTo evaluate the association between Baltic Sea diet (BSD) and Mediterranean diet (MED) with frailty.MethodsThis was a secondary analysis on the osteoporosis risk factor and prevention–fracture prevention study on 440 women aged 65–72 years. Frailty was ascertained with the presence of 3–5 and prefrailty 1–2 of the following criteria: weight loss ≥ 5%, low life satisfaction score, walking speed ≤ 0.51 m/s, handgrip strength divided by body mass index ≤ 0.67 kg/m2 and physical activity ≤ 2 h/week. Women answered to questionnaires on lifestyle factors and 3-day food record. BSD score was ascertained using intake of nine and MED score of eight foods or nutrients components from food record. Multinomial logistic regression models adjusted for age, energy intake, smoking, living status, marital status and intervention group evaluated associations between MED and BSD with frailty phenotype status.ResultsAt 3-year follow-up, 206 women (46.8%) were prefrail and 36 (8.2%) were frail. After adjusting for confounders, a tendency was found between BSD per standard deviation (SD)-unit increase and lower likelihood of frailty (β = 0.62, 95% CI = 0.38–1.01, P = 0.057). Further, MED per SD-unit increase was associated with lower likelihood of prefrailty (β = 0.74, 95% CI = 0.6–0.9, P = 0.009). Consumption of vegetables was lower in frail (31.5 ± 36.0 g/day) and prefrail women (37.1 ± 42.0 g/day) than in non-frail women (48.6 ± 40.7 g/day) (P for trend = 0.041).ConclusionsPositive behavioral characteristics such as following MED and BSD may be associated with lower likelihood of prefrailty and frailty in older women. However, further longitudinal analyses are warranted.

Impact of Marital Status on Customer-centric Measures in Ski Resorts Using the Importance-performance (IPMA) Framework

Impact of marital status towards customer-centric measures in a Canadian ski resort is assessed. The perceptions of three marital groups were assessed using the importance-performance framework. The customer-centric measures included customer satisfaction overall repurchase intent, value for money, relationship quality and skiing service quality. Results indicate that for four of the five customer-centric measures, there were significant differences between the marital status groups. Overall, singles appeared to have the lowest perceptions of the customer-centric measures, whereas respondents living in partnership with children had the highest. The results of this research have implications for ski resort management as the three marital status groups appear to perceive the customer-centric measures quite differently between the respondents living in partnership with children and others.

A STUDY FOR DETERMINATION OF EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE LEVELS OF NURSES AND MIDWIVES

Duygularla anlayabilme ve sorgulayabilme, duyguları düşünce içinde özümseyebilme, kendinde ve başkalarındaki duyguları düzenleyebilme yeteneği olarak tanımlanmakta olan “Duygusal Zeka” kavramı sağlık sektörü çalışanları için ayrı bir öneme sahiptir. Bu çalışmada hastane çalışanlarının duygusal zekâ düzeyleri alt boyutlar baz alınarak incelenmiştir. Araştırmada çalışanların duygusal zekâ düzeyleri arasında demografik unsurlara göre herhangi bir anlamlı farklılık olup olmadığı analiz edilmiştir. Araştırma, Çorum il merkezindeki eğitim ve araştırma hastanesinde hemşire ve ebe meslek gruplarında görev yapan çalışanları kapsamaktadır. Veri toplama aracı olarak 4 alt boyut ve toplam 27 sorudan oluşan anket kullanılmıştır. Katılımcıların duygusal zeka düzeyleri Wong ve Law Duygusal Zekâ Ölçeği (WLEIS) ile ölçülmüştür. 278 sağlık çalışanın katılımıyla gerçekleştirilen araştırmada katılımcıların duygusal zekâ düzeyleri alt boyutlar bazında tespit edilmiş ve bu düzeylerin demografik değişkenlere göre anlamlı şekilde farklılık gösterip göstermediği incelenmiştir. Analizler SPSS 22.0 versiyonu ile gerçekleştirilmiştir. Çalışma sonucunda hemşire ve ebelerin duygusal zeka düzeyleri; cinsiyet, görev, istihdam türü ve gelir seviyesi değişkenlerine göre istatistiksel olarak anlamlı bir farklılık göstermemektedir. Buna karşın; medeni durum, mesleki deneyim ve yaş grupları gibi demografik özelliklerin hemşire ve ebelerin duygusal zeka düzeylerinde anlamlı farklılıklara yol açtığı tespit edilmiştir.

Histrionic Personality Disorder to Some Groups of Women in Erbil City

The Histrionic Personality arises from the interaction of genetic and environmental factors, the relationship of the individual to the parents (particularly through improper socialization) and this personality is the result of backwardness or failure in the process of emotional maturity, and we cannot consider this character a disease in itself, but it is a Personality Disorder, thus, this research attempts to investigate the extent of the in Histrionic Personality Disorder in a sample of (300) women from different groups in the city of Erbil. The researcher aims to illustrate the following: 1- Indicators of the prevalence of Histrionic Personality Disorder in the total sample. 2 - Significance of statistical differences in Histrionic Personality Disorder according to age, marital status and women groups. The current research has determined the following: 1- The human scope: The current research is determined by groups of women (female teachers in high schools, female employees in Government Departments, students at Salahaddin-Erbil University and Lebanese French University, including patients in women's hospitals and clinics. 2 - Time: 2018-2019 3 – Place: The city of Erbil. In the current research, the researcher relied on the following procedures to obtain the one questionnaire: 1- The researcher relied on the questionnaire of (Qadoomi, 2000) and the questionnaire of (Omar, 2009) and (DSM-5) for the questionnaire of Histological Personality Disorder. 2- Presentation of items of (Histrionic Personality Disorder) to a group of experts in education and psychology to extract the apparent sincerity of the on questionnaire, as well as extract the echo of construction. 3- A sample of (300) women was randomly selected. 4 - Analysis of the items of the questionnaire in the method of the upper and lower groups. 5- Extracting the stability of the questionnaire by re-test method, which reached in the questionnaire of the Personality Disorder (** 0.62) and in the mid-split method of the questionnaire of Personality Disorder (0.799). After the implementation of the questionnaire of Histrionic Personality Disorder on the individuals of the sample and the analysis of their data statistically using (SPSS) was reached the following results: The mean of the scores of the sample individuals on the questionnaire of Histrionic Personality Disorder (58.48) degree and standard deviation of (5.76) degrees and was statistically significant from the level (0.00) when compared to the hypothesis mean of the questionnaire and its value (63) degree. 2- There are statistically significant differences in the Histrionic Personality Disorder of the sample among the individuals according to the variable (age and groups of women) and the absence of statistically significant differences according to the variable marital status.

What Motivates Tourists to Visit Religious Sites? A Case Study of Pashupatinath Area

The study examines the motivation to visit religious site of Pashupatinath Area. Based on a structured questionnaire survey, the study sought if the three types of travel motivation, namely, construct motivation, religious motivation, and secular motivation push tourists to visit Pashupatinath. Using a purposive sampling technique 152 respondents who had stayed overnight in the hotels in Kathmandu Valley for Pashupati visit were successfully surveyed. The result revealed that secular motivation plays a significant role to visit the Pashupatinath followed by religious motivation. ANOVA found no significant relation between marital status and age group as to what motivate one to visit religious sites.

Does Sexual Orientation Complicate the Relationship Between Marital Status and Gender With Self-rated Health and Cardiovascular Disease?

A substantial body of work has demonstrated the importance of marital status for health, yet the vast majority of this work has studied heterosexual marriages and relationships. To understand the role of marital status in shaping health among heterosexual, lesbian, gay, and bisexual men and women, we examine data from a probability-based sample of adults living in 40 U.S. states for selected years between 2011-2015. We test two physical health outcomes-poor-to-fair self-rated health and cardiovascular disease-and present predicted probabilities and pairwise comparisons from logistic regression models before and after adjustment for demographic characteristics, socioeconomic status, health behaviors, and depression. Overall, findings reveal some important similarities and differences in the relationships between marital status and health by sexual orientation and gender. First, the health benefits of marriage extend to sexual minority adults, relative to adults who are either formerly or never married. Among heterosexual adults, adjusted models also highlight the healthy status of never-married adults. Second, the health benefits associated with intimate relationships appear less dependent on legal marriage among sexual minorities than among heterosexual adults. Third, we document a persistent health disadvantage for bisexual adults compared with heterosexual adults, particularly among women who are formerly married, indicating some elevated health vulnerability among selected sexual minority women. Fourth, associations between sexual orientation and health are more similar across marital status groups for men than women. Altogether, these findings add much needed nuance to our understanding of the association between marital status and health in an era of increasing diversity in adult relationships.

A Clinical Decision Support System for Identification of Factors Causing Stroke in Adults

Among neurological patients, stroke is a significant concern that can lead to permanent disability or may cause death. Determining the contributing factors to stroke would better enable proactive forms of healthcare measures to be taken for reducing mortality and other effects of this disease. Numerous works have been carried out for determining the various factors which contribute to stroke. The goal of this work is to identify the factors which may cause stroke by proposing a Decision Support System. In this research work, various medical and psychological parameters are analyzed with the aim of determining association between these parameters and stroke. The methodology includes appropriate feature selection, attribute type conversion, univariate and multivariate analysis. Data mining techniques such as Chi square test and Frequency Distribution analysis are used for hypothesis testing and drawing inferences. The analysis shows that psychological factors such as Marital Status, Employment Status, and Age Group are the major contributors, which may lead to stroke in comparison to Medical factors. The findings can be used as a proactive measure for individuals who have high possibility of developing stroke. This work can also be used as a foundation to build a recommendation system for prevention of stroke.

Influence of Excessive Maternal Weight in Pregnancy on Mother’s and Newborn Health

Excessive weight gain during pregnancy is associated with higher risks of complications in the mother and in the newborn. We carried out this work, the objective of which was to study the influence of excessive maternal weight gain during pregnancy. This was a prospective study carried out in Dakar over a period of 5 months. We included all women with a normal body mass index in early pregnancy. These parturients were divided into two groups: the first group consisted of women whose weight gain during pregnancy was normal between 11.5 and 16 kg and the second group were those who had an excessive weight gain greater than 16 kg. We analyzed maternal data and neonatal parameters. During the period, 194 women had a normal weight gain (PNP) and 104 an excessive weight gain (PEP), i.e., a prevalence of PEP of 10.5%. There were no differences in the two groups for marital status, geographic origin, level of education, drinking habits, maternal size and pathologies during pregnancy (p>0.05). On the other hand, maternal age, parity and absence of a professional activity were significantly associated with excessive weight gain during pregnancy. Regarding neonatal data, we did not note any significant difference with regard to gender, trophicity, Apgar score, stillbirth, postnatal transfer and neonatal mortality between the 2 groups.