User Status Research Articles

“Airbnb Be Like…”: Examining the Impact of Memetic Doppelgängers on Meme Virality and Brand Image

This article examines how internet memes, a distinctive type of user-generated content, have served as a vehicle for the co-destruction of the Airbnb brand. For this purpose, we discuss the relevance of internet memes alongside the doppelgänger brand image concept, which explains the logic behind disparaging brand imagery that circulates within internet culture. A comprehensive research model is developed that links several meme- and user-related characteristics with both meme virality and the brand image of Airbnb. The proposed multilevel model is tested using a split-sample approach on a dataset that includes 121 Airbnb-related memes evaluated by 3,664 participants. The results reveal that the virality of disparaging memes is mainly driven by humor, unambiguity, pictorial format, inoffensive content, and “active” user status. The perceived brand image is, however, mainly affected by the valence (negativity) of the memes, while the meme content and user status are also important.

Improving health awareness with real-time monitoring through a three-dimensional visualized digital health avatar

IntroductionThe use of modern technologies has become crucial for enhancing people's awareness of health problems. By early health risk detection, there will be better treatment outcomes, the severity of illness will decrease, and costs for treatment will also reduce. Performing routine checkups could help patients feel less anxious about their health in the future. In this study, the innovation of "Digital Health Avatar" enables users to monitor physical changes, raise awareness of medical conditions, and encourage healthy behaviors by visualizing health status as a 3D figure. MethodsHealth data were collected using medical devices like blood test strips, body composition meters, and automatic blood pressure monitors. Advanced algorithms, such as computer vision and natural language processing (NLP), were used to process these collected data and produced a three-dimensional avatar that indicated the user's health status. User satisfaction survey on using the health avatar system was assessed through a survey of 61 participants. ResultsHealth avatar system successfully generate the data and display the measurement results on the health report page of the system. Users can easily check and record their physiological conditions through the avatar. Moreover, users showed satisfaction on the use of the health avatar system and its effectiveness in health check-ups in the survey. ConclusionsThe 'Digital Health Avatar' has the potential to significantly promote individual well-being and health awareness. Its development will be improved by user feedback and continued study, ensuring it becomes an efficient tool for promoting healthier lifestyles.

Connecting People over Distance Using Furry Mediators

Many people are separated from their families or friends by distance. They want to keep a feeling of connectedness with each other but fail due to distance, time zone differences, or busy lives. Besides, they find it hard to transfer implicit information using traditional ways of communicating. This research concentrates on connecting people over distance using furry mediators. These mediators can share users presence and status information with their remote families or friends using different gestures. A lab study with 7 participants was conducted to explore whether the different gestures can be successfully interpreted by the users. After that, a diary study with 4 participants was conducted to investigate users perception of the furry mediators. Our findings illustrate the potential for using furry mediators as a user interface to connect remote people. The furry mediators increased users communication frequency and provided them with a subtle and ambiguous communication channel.

Ecotherapy for Adolescents Experiencing Mental Health Challenges: Qualitative Exploration of Perspectives of Adolescents and Parents

ABSTRACT Different forms of eco-therapeutic interventions have positively impacted the physical, psychological and social wellbeing status of service users across a range of age groups. However, there has been little evidence exploring the experience and perceived impact of an ecotherapy program for adolescents in the UK. This study explored perceptions of adolescents and their parents of an ecotherapy program targeting improved mental health and wellbeing. This study involved semi-structured interviews with adolescents and their parents. Interviews took place shortly after the program ended (adolescents and parents) and six weeks after (adolescents only). Interviews from the two groups were initially analyzed separately before being triangulated. Eight adolescents and seven parents were interviewed in total. Three themes were generated: building connections, learning and exposure, and comparing and constructing with prior services accessed. Perceived improvements across adolescents included reduced negative emotions and anxiety, and greater self-esteem, confidence, and social skills. For the latter theme, there were reported distinctive experiences of attending this ecotherapy program compared with professional mental health support services. Exploring nature brought adolescents together with benefits of engaging in support services that varied from the norm. Future research should examine the feasibility of using ecotherapy as an alternative treatment to traditional therapy in supporting mental health, and evaluate the economic viability of such a program for non-clinical support provision.

Advances in wearable electronics for monitoring human organs: Bridging external and internal health assessments

Devices used for diagnosing disease are often large, expensive, and require operation by trained professionals, which can result in delayed diagnosis and missed opportunities for timely treatment. However, wearable devices are being recognized as a new approach to overcoming these difficulties, as they are small, affordable, and easy to use. Recent advancements in wearable technology have made monitoring information possible from the surface of organs like the skin and eyes, enabling accurate diagnosis of the user's internal status. In this review, we categorize the body's organs into external (e.g., eyes, oral cavity, neck, and skin) and internal (e.g., heart, brain, lung, stomach, and bladder) organ systems and introduce recent developments in the materials and designs of wearable electronics, including electrochemical and electrophysiological sensors applied to each organ system. Further, we explore recent innovations in wearable electronics for monitoring of deep internal organs, such as the heart, brain, and nervous system, using ultrasound, electrical impedance tomography, and temporal interference stimulation. The review also addresses the current challenges in wearable technology and explores future directions to enhance the effectiveness and applicability of these devices in medical diagnostics. This paper establishes a framework for correlating the design and functionality of wearable electronics with the physiological characteristics and requirements of various organ systems.

Cuidados de enfermería en el adulto mayor con hiperplasia prostática benigna y alcoholismo en la costa Oaxaqueña

A clinical case diagnosed with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), reflects the increasing prevalence of this condition in relation to age. Urinary flow obstruction due to prostatic enlargement results in lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS), significantly impacting the quality of life of men over 45 years of age. The patient, due to his age is in a risk group, so a nursing care plan (PLACE) was designed to promote his autonomy and well-being, based on Virginia Henderson's 14 needs and using taxonomies of diagnoses, outcomes and nursing interventions to address the patient's needs. As a result of these interventions, an improvement in the user's health status was observed, demonstrating the effectiveness of the patient-centered nursing care process (NCP) and their ability to manage their condition autonomously resident of the Oaxaqueña Coast.

Nutritional status of khat (Catha-edulis) chewing adult males in Nakawa division, Kampala city, Uganda

Khat (Catha edulis) also known as “Mairungi” in Uganda, is a green shrub whose leaves are chewed in social gatherings and designated hotspots mainly for its euphoric effect. The socio-economic and health impacts of khat have been previously reported. However, the nutritional implications of khat chewing need to be investigated. A cross-sectional study with a descriptive approach was done to assess the nutritional status of adult male users of khat in the Nakawa division, Kampala city. Using chain sampling, khat users and hot spots were mapped, identified, and listed. Using simple random sampling, 100 khat users were targeted to consent for structured interviews and an assessment of nutritional status over a 3-month persuasion period. Anthropometric data were used to compute the Body Mass Index (BMI) and dietary information was assessed based on food groups consumed and thresholds of Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA). The degree of relationship among variables was statistically evaluated using, chi-square analyses and the ANOVA test. Statistical significance was considered at P < 0.05. Confidentiality was observed by the use of anonymous questionnaires and coded datasheets. The majority of khat users chewed khat daily 56.0% and mixed khat chewing with other intoxicants such as alcohol 35.0%, cigarettes 15.0%, and cannabis 12.0%. The main driver towards khat chewing in Nakawa was peer pressure 60.0%. The Dietary Diversity Score (DDS) was low, medium and high among 20.0%, 57.0% and 23.0% of khat users, respectively. The DDS was significantly associated with the hours spent on khat chewing X2(4) 10.156, P = 0.025 with most users spending more than four hours, and the frequency of khat chewing X2(4)14.423, P = 0.038. Of the 100 respondents, 26.0% were underweight and 3.0% were overweight. The BMI was significantly associated with age P = 0.029, marital status P = 0.023, frequency of khat chewing P = 0.038, the number of meals P = 0.013 and the dietary diversity scores P < 0.001 in khat users. Khat chewing and its associated habits predispose khat users to a double jeopardy of malnutrition and non-communicable diseases (NCDs). There should be tighter control of khat use through policy and legislation with community-based measures to regulate its demand and supply. Key words: Khat Chewing, Mairungi, Nutritional Status, Body Mass Index, Nakawa, Uganda

Green infrastructure and community health: exploring the characteristics of campus users in three university towns in Texas

ABSTRACT Green infrastructure in college campuses and their surrounding communities can bring public health benefits. Using green infrastructure measures in three university towns in Texas, United States, this study explores if and how green infrastructure can impact the physical and mental health status of university campus users in the community. Campus users were estimated as the number of visitors to campus using the SafeGraph mobility data, green infrastructure was measured with land cover and Landsat 8 satellite images, and health status was measured with the CDC health status data. The results of spatial error models suggest a significant moderating effect of tree canopy coverage indicating that green infrastructure could potentially benefit campus users’ health. This gives indirect evidence supporting the health-significant roles of the campus environment. For city planners and policymakers, increasing tree canopy coverage stands out as a promising green infrastructure planning and management strategy that can contribute to the health of campus users/communities.

Reproducibility of autonomic cardiovascular function and hemodynamics at rest and during recovery from exercise.

Smartwatches and home-based blood pressure (BP) devices have permitted easy use of heart rate variability (HRV) and BP to identify the recovery status of users after acute exercise training. The reproducibility of HRV and BP after exercise in healthy young participants is not well known. Eighteen participants (age 27 ± 6 years, female n = 8) performed test and retest aerobic exercises (cycling, 30 min, 60% of peak workload, W) and a control session in randomized order. RMSSD, high and low-frequency power of RR intervals, and BP were measured at rest and 30-60 min after interventions. The relative reproducibility was assessed by the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI). The absolute reproducibility was evaluated using the coefficient of variation (CV%). HRV indices revealed moderate-to-excellent reproducibility at rest (ICC 0.81-0.86; 95% CI 0.53-0.95) but not after exercise (ICC -0.06 to 0.60; 95% CI -1.85 to 0.85). Systolic BP had a good-to-excellent reproducibility before (ICC 0.93; 95% CI 0.81-0.98, CV% 4.2) and after exercise (ICC 0.93; 95% CI 0.81-0.97, CV% 4.2). The reproducibility of HRV indices is poor after exercise in young participants. However, the reproducibility of BP is excellent at rest and after aerobic exercise.

COVID-19’s myths, facts, concerning and obstinate posts on social network, and the mental health status of social network users in Bangladesh

Myths, misinformation, facts like posts spread by social media during COVID-19 pandemic had an enormous effect on psychological health. This study aimed to investigate social media based COVID-19’s posts and the psychological health status of participants. A cross-sectional, online survey-based study was conducted in between April to October 2021 using a structured and semi-structured questionnaire, predominantly involving 1200 active social network users in Bangladesh. Depression, anxiety, and stress were assessed using the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21), while the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) measured insomnia severity for selected participants. Internal reliabilities were calculated with Cronbach’s alpha coefficients (cut-off point 0.70). Unrelated multivariate logistic regression explored correlations among outcome errors, with the model assessing the impact of selected independent variables on mental health. The findings demonstrated that 27.8% individuals spread facts whereas 7.4% spread myths and misinformation about COVID-19 on social networks. Furthermore, 28.1% and 36.7% shared obstinate and concerning posts respectively. The prevalence of depression, anxiety and stress symptoms, ranging from mild to extremely severe, were 43.9%, 30.9%, and 23.8% respectively. However, 2.8% had severe level of insomnia. Facts, myths, tour attending, and no mask group photos were significantly associated with anxiety, and less likelihood of experiencing anxiety. Interestingly, circulating such activities on social networks had no significant association with depression, stress, or insomnia. The spread of misinformation on social media undermines any efforts to contain COVID-19 infection. The findings hugely recommend of using fact checking facilities and adaptation to the pandemic situations to maintain lower prevalence of depression, anxiety, stress and insomnia.

Digital Phenotyping of Geriatric Depression Using a Community-Based Digital Mental Health Monitoring Platform for Socially Vulnerable Older Adults and Their Community Caregivers: 6-Week Living Lab Single-Arm Pilot Study.

Despite the increasing need for digital services to support geriatric mental health, the development and implementation of digital mental health care systems for older adults have been hindered by a lack of studies involving socially vulnerable older adult users and their caregivers in natural living environments. This study aims to determine whether digital sensing data on heart rate variability, sleep quality, and physical activity can predict same-day or next-day depressive symptoms among socially vulnerable older adults in their everyday living environments. In addition, this study tested the feasibility of a digital mental health monitoring platform designed to inform older adult users and their community caregivers about day-to-day changes in the health status of older adults. A single-arm, nonrandomized living lab pilot study was conducted with socially vulnerable older adults (n=25), their community caregivers (n=16), and a managerial social worker over a 6-week period during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Depressive symptoms were assessed daily using the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire via scripted verbal conversations with a mobile chatbot. Digital biomarkers for depression, including heart rate variability, sleep, and physical activity, were measured using a wearable sensor (Fitbit Sense) that was worn continuously, except during charging times. Daily individualized feedback, using traffic signal signs, on the health status of older adult users regarding stress, sleep, physical activity, and health emergency status was displayed on a mobile app for the users and on a web application for their community caregivers. Multilevel modeling was used to examine whether the digital biomarkers predicted same-day or next-day depressive symptoms. Study staff conducted pre- and postsurveys in person at the homes of older adult users to monitor changes in depressive symptoms, sleep quality, and system usability. Among the 31 older adult participants, 25 provided data for the living lab and 24 provided data for the pre-post test analysis. The multilevel modeling results showed that increases in daily sleep fragmentation (P=.003) and sleep efficiency (P=.001) compared with one's average were associated with an increased risk of daily depressive symptoms in older adults. The pre-post test results indicated improvements in depressive symptoms (P=.048) and sleep quality (P=.02), but not in the system usability (P=.18). The findings suggest that wearable sensors assessing sleep quality may be utilized to predict daily fluctuations in depressive symptoms among socially vulnerable older adults. The results also imply that receiving individualized health feedback and sharing it with community caregivers may help improve the mental health of older adults. However, additional in-person training may be necessary to enhance usability. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT06270121; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06270121.

Impact of a Remote Primary Care Telehealth Staffing Model on Primary Care Access in the Veterans Health Administration.

The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) implemented the Clinical Resource Hub (CRH) program to fill staffing gaps in primary care (PC) clinics via telemedicine and maintain veterans' healthcare access. To evaluate PC wait times before and after CRH implementation. Comparative interrupted time series analysis among a retrospective observational cohort of PC clinics who did and did not use CRH during pre-implementation (October 2018-September 2019) and post-implementation (October 2019-February 2020) periods. Clinics completing ≥10 CRH visits per month for 2 consecutive months and propensity matched control clinics. Two measures of patient access (i.e., established, and new patient wait times) and one measure of clinic capacity (i.e., third next available appointment) were assessed. Clinics using CRH were 1:1 propensity score matched across clinical and demographic characteristics. Comparative interrupted time series models used linear mixed effects regression with random clinic-level intercepts and triple interaction (i.e., CRH use, pre- vs. post-implementation, and time) for trend and point estimations. PC clinics using CRH (N = 79) were matched to clinics not using CRH (N = 79). In the 12-month pre-implementation, third next available time increased in CRH clinics (0.16 days/month; 95% CI = [0.07, 0.25]), and decreased in the 5 months post-implementation (-0.58 days/month; 95% CI = [-0.90, -0.27]). Post-implementation third next available time also decreased in control clinics (-0.48 days/month; 95% CI = [-0.81, -0.17]). Comparative differences remained non-significant. There were no statistical differences in established or new patient wait times by CRH user status, CRH implementation, or over time. In a national VHA telemedicine program developed to provide gap coverage for PC clinics, no wait time differences were observed between clinics using and not using CRH services. This hub-and-spoke telemedicine service is an effective model to provide gap coverage while maintaining access. Further investigation of quality and long-term access remains necessary.

Less is More: Stress Detection through Condensed Social Media Contents

In the digital age, social media has been a go-to platform for stress-related discussions, yielding valuable data to advance the understanding and detection of stress. Swift identification of stress indicators in these online conversations is essential in enabling immediate support and helping to avert subsequent severe mental and physical health issues, especially during global crises such as pandemics and conflicts. Detecting stress in social media posts automatically poses a formidable challenge. While techniques such as supervised Pretrained Language Models (PLMs) and zero-shot Large Language Models (LLMs) based classifiers have demonstrated significant performance, they exhibit limitations, especially on platforms like Reddit. For example, on Reddit, users tend to write lengthy, expressive posts, which causes these methods to often fail to consider the entire context, leading to incomplete or inaccurate assessments of a user's mental health or stress status. To overcome these limitations, we present a new approach to identifying and classifying stress-related discourse on social media. Our approach involves analyzing condensed versions of user posts, such as user-provided summaries or the "Too Long Didn’t Read" (TLDR) portion of the original post. We question whether these abridged texts can yield a more accurate classification of stress. In this paper, we make the following contributions. First, we investigate the relationship between the performance of the model's perceived textual context and the length of social media posts. Second, we present a novel approach to use the summarized texts for stress detection. We experiment with different classifiers to evaluate their performance on stress detection accuracy using summarized versus full-length posts. Furthermore, by examining the emotional and linguistic features of the original posts and their summaries, we suggest improvements to current state-of-the-art LLM-based stress classifier prompts, thereby enhancing stress detection capabilities. Finally, when user summaries are absent, we synthetically generate meaningful user post summaries by incorporating the power of LLMs. Our results show that the stress detection performance deteriorates for longer posts, and utilizing the TLDR and summaries improves classification outcomes. We also provide augmented datasets containing human and AI-generated summaries for future research in stress detection on social media.

Dependence of Body Stability on Optical Conditions during VR Viewing

The dependence of body stability on the distance between the optical centers of VR-device lenses and the refractive error status of users during VR viewing was investigated. Participants included 31 adults, and their postural-control ability was measured using a BTrackS device. The optical conditions were (1) COCD (comfortable optical center distance), (2) COCD+2D (comfortable optical center distance with 2D myopia), (3) COCD-2D (comfortable optical center distance with 2D hyperopia), (4) DOCD (uncomfortable optical center distance), (5) DOCD+2D (uncomfortable optical center distance with 2D myopia), and (6) DOCD-2D (uncomfortable optical center distance with 2D hyperopia). Posture was assessed under these six optical conditions while the participants were wearing a VR device and watching a 3D roller-coaster video. The sway-path length was significantly increased under the COCD-2D, DOCD, DOCD+2D, and DOCD-2D conditions compared to the COCD condition (p < 0.05). In the case of maximum sway velocity, the results showed significant increases under the DOCD, DOCD+2D, and DOCD-2D conditions compared to the COCD condition (p < 0.05). The analysis revealed that when users are viewing VR displays, optimization of the distance to the optical center of the VR-device lenses and correction of the refractive errors for individual users was a significant factor in minimizing body instability.

Study of the Problems of Determining Public Opinion of the Israeli-Palestinian War in Social Networks

This paper explores the use of neural networks for determining public opinion on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In today's world, where numerous user opinions on various topics are posted daily on social media platforms, it is important to be able to analyze this public sentiment. The method of sentiment analysis and weighting of votes in comments is proposed, allowing for the identification of overall audience moods and assessment of their reactions to different events or content. The research results indicate the potential usefulness of these methods for marketing strategies, reputation management, and decision-making in various fields. However, there are challenges associated with data verification and consideration of manipulative interventions in public opinion. This work aims to review the current state of research in this area and identify prospects for further development. In today's digital world, analyzing public opinion on social media is becoming increasingly important. Understanding how users react to various topics and events is crucial for various fields, from marketing to politics. This paper discusses methods of sentiment analysis and vote weighting in comments using the example of analyzing public opinion on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict on the Reddit social network. The use of natural language processing tools, machine learning, and data visualization allows for valuable insights into users' emotional attitudes toward discussed topics and trends in public opinion. However, to achieve the best results, it is necessary to consider not only textual content but also social interaction and user status. The development of effective social media analysis tools opens the way to a deeper understanding of public opinion and making informed decisions in various areas of social life.

Periodontal Health and Microbiological Characteristics of Siwak (Chewing Stick) and Toothbrush Users: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract Objective Siwak is a chewing stick used to clean the teeth and oral structures. Many studies have been conducted to assess the potential use of siwak in dentistry and concluded that it can be an alternative to a toothbrush in reducing plaque and gingivitis. However, some observations have reported more periodontal attachment loss and gingival recession among siwak users. This study aimed to compare the periodontal health and oral microbial characteristics between siwak and toothbrush users. Materials and Methods This was a cross-sectional study, and participants were recruited from the public who attended community engagement programs. They were assigned to two groups based on whether they used siwak or a toothbrush. Participants who consented were examined for periodontal health. Supragingival and subgingival plaque samples were collected for bacterial identification and quantification. Statistical Analysis The SPSS package version 21.0 was used for data entry. Data normality was statistically tested using Kolmogorov–Smirnov and Shapiro–Wilk tests, while data comparison used either t-test or Mann–Whitney U test. Results A total of 36 participants were included in this study. The findings revealed that the plaque scores, bleeding scores, and periodontal pocket depths between siwak and toothbrush users were comparable (p > 0.05). Both groups had no evidence of gingival recession. Most participants had bacteria with characteristics of Streptococcus spp., which were present in 12 toothbrush users and 6 siwak users. Conclusions The periodontal health status of siwak users was comparable to that of toothbrush users. Despite this, siwak users had fewer types of bacteria than toothbrush users, suggesting that siwak may serve as an alternative device to conventional toothbrushes for oral hygiene when properly used.

Secondhand harms from cannabis use: Findings from Washington State, United States.

There are few studies on harms attributed to others' cannabis use. We assessed individual- and contextual-level correlates of secondhand harms from cannabis use and considered whether cannabis legalization support, along with cannabis user status, predicted such harms. Data were from five repeated cross-sectional, state-representative telephone surveys of Washington State residents ages 18 and over, years 2014-2016. For four surveys, outcome variables were past 12-month reports of experiencing any of five harms (family, traffic-related, vandalism, physical or financial), and in 2016 only, three harm types separately: 1) harassment, 2) safety-related (traffic, vandalism, physical), 3) family or financial, attributed to another's cannabis use. All models included a three-category typology comprised of participants' own cannabis use and whether they supported cannabis use legalization (user supporter, non-user non-supporter, non-user supporter). We estimated logistic regression models for the full sample and by gender, adjusting for individual- and Census tract-level covariates. Compared to non-cannabis-users supporting legalization, nonusers who did not support legalization reported significantly greater odds of perceiving secondhand cannabis harms. Cannabis users supporting legalization did not differ from nonuser supporters. Predictors of reported harms also differed by gender. While current drinkers had lower odds of reporting any harm from others' cannabis use overall, heavy drinking women but not men reported greater odds of any cannabis secondhand harm. Augmenting research on individual harms associated with cannabis use by including secondhand impacts such as social and family problems, along with safety risks, provides a more comprehensive picture of the effects of cannabis use.

Temporally-correlated massive access: joint user activity detection and channel estimation via vector approximate message passing

In the paper, we investigate a massive machine-type communication (mMTC), where numerous single-antenna users communicate with a single-antenna base station while being active. However, the status of user can undergoes multiple transitions between active and inactive states across whole consecutive intervals. Then, we formulate the problem of joint user activity detection and channel estimation within the dynamic compressed sensing (DCS) framework, considering the temporally-correlated user activity across the entire consecutive intervals. To be specific, we introduce a new hybrid vector approximate message passing algorithm for DCS (HyVAMP-DCS). The proposed algorithm comprises a VAMP block for estimating channel and a loopy belief propagation (LBP) block for detecting user activity. Moreover, these two blocks can exchange messages, enhancing the performance of both channel estimation and user activity detection. Importantly, compared to the fragile GAMP algorithm, VAMP is robust and applicable to a much broader class of large random matrices. Furthermore, the fixed points of VAMP’s state evolution align with the replica prediction of the minimum mean-squared error. The simulation results illustrate the superiority of HyVAMP-DCS, demonstrating its significant outperformance over HyGAMP-DCS.

Traditional Eye Practices: Economics and Visual Status of Users in North Central Nigeria.

Traditional medicine is a constellation of practices, approaches, knowledge, and beliefs, which encompass material-based medicines, spiritual therapies, and manual techniques applied individually or combined. This study seeks to determine the cost and visual status of traditional eye treatments users among new patients at a health facility. This is part of the study titled "Traditional eye practices: A facility-based study in North Central Nigeria." It is a cross-sectional, facility-based study conducted between July 2013 and June 2014 on new patients seen in the eye unit of Church of Christ in the Nations Rehabilitation Center, Mangu. Interviewer-administered structured questionnaire was used to gather information on patient demographics; cost of traditional eye medication and manipulations and visual status of new patients were recorded. The use of traditional eye treatment was reported by 134 (4.3%) of the 3113 new patients. Traditional operative couching of lens was more expensive than using traditional eye medications (P < 0.001). Payment modality varied, and poor visual status was significantly higher among traditional eye treatment users (P < 0.001). Since most respondents who had their eyes couched or used traditional eye medicine were able to pay such high price with dissatisfaction and poorer visual status, they should be able to pay for modern cataract surgery with good outcome. There is a need for health education of the general public about the deleterious effects of traditional eye treatment.

Assessing Changes in Quality of Life Measures, Resilience, and Personal Recovery, Pre- and Post-Discharge from Inpatient Mental Health Units in Alberta: Analysis of Control Group Data from a Randomized Trial.

IntroductionThe transition from hospital to community settings for most mental health service users is often hindered by challenges that affect community adjustment and continuity of care. The first few weeks and days after discharge from mental health inpatient units represent a critical phase for many service users.ObjectivesThis paper aims to evaluate the changes in quality of Life status, resilience, and personal recovery of individuals with mental health challenges recently discharged from acute mental health care into the community.MethodsData for this study were collected as part of a pragmatic stepped-wedge cluster-randomized, longitudinal approach in Alberta. A paired sample t-test and Chi-squared/Fisher test were deployed to assess changes from baseline to six weeks in the recovery assessment scale (RAS), brief resilience scale (BRS), and EuroQol-5d (EQ-5D), using an online questionnaire.ResultsA total of 306 service users were recruited, and 88 completed both baseline and six weeks, giving a response rate of 28.8%. There was no statistically significant change in the level of resilience, recovery and quality of life as measured with the brief resilience scale, recovery assessment scale and EQ-5D from baseline to six weeks (p &gt; 0.05).ConclusionsThe study showed that there was neither an improvement nor deterioration in resilience, recovery, or quality of life status of service users six weeks post-discharge from inpatient mental health care. The lack of further progress calls into question whether the support available in the community when patients leave inpatient care is adequate to promote full recovery.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared