This study developed a short form of the traditional Chinese version of the Weinstein Noise Sensitivity Scale (WNSS) through optimal test assembly (OTA). A total of 1069 Chinese adults (64.8% female) ...completed the territory-wide cross-sectional study. We first removed Items 12 and 5 which had negative factor loading and gender-related differential item functioning (DIF), respectively. The optimal length was then determined as the minimal one that reasonably resembled the reliability and validity of the scale without DIF items. OTA identified an 8-item WNSS (WNSS-8) which retained 67.2% of the test information of the original 21-item scale and had a Cronbach's alpha of 0.83. It also showed significant correlations of 0.272 and -0.115 with the neuroticism and extraversion scales of Chinese NEO-Five Factor Inventory, respectively. Adequate model fit of the WNSS-8 was demonstrated by the confirmatory factor analysis. The Chinese WNSS-8 can be used to assess noise sensitivity without compromising reliability and validity.
Objective: The study aims to examine the impact of virtual reality simulation that simulates the experience of psychiatric symptomology associated with mental illness in mental health nursing ...education.Methods: A total of 159 nursing students being exposed to an in-class VR simulation completed pre-test measures about empathy and positive attitudes towards mental illness. Narrative feedback was collected to explore the students' perceptions of the VR simulation. Results: The results indicated a significant increase in the overall empathy and positive attitudes towards mental illness after participating in the in-class VR simulation related to mental illness. Students had a clearer understanding of the patient's experience and difficulties from VR simulation.Conclusions: In-class VR simulation may play a significant role in enhancing empathetic understanding and positive attitudes towards individuals diagnosed with mental illness.
Aims and objectives
The aim of this study was to assess a community‐women health ambassadors programme and report the areas that were successful and those that required improvement. The objectives ...were to assess the feasibility, effectiveness, implementation and sustainability of the programme.
Background
Health promotion for the prevention of chronic diseases has always been the top priority in the health sector. To ensure that the relevant health messages are well received in local communities, a health promotion programme must be accessible, acceptable and culturally relevant.
Design
We conducted and evaluated a women health ambassador programme based on the lay health advisor model for health promotion in Hong Kong during November 2014 to February 2015. Health needs and the subsequent focus of the programme were determined by underprivileged Chinese women.
Methods
University health educators from different disciplines trained the women (N = 80) to be health ambassadors through mini‐lectures and training workshops. The trained women raised awareness about the importance of health within their families and social networks. The programme was evaluated through attendance rates, questionnaires and quizzes, changes in knowledge and behaviour, as well as qualitative discussion.
Results
While the majority of participants found the programme valuable and useful, retention rates were unideal. A statistically significant improvement was found in eating habits, but no significant change was identified for other knowledge and behaviour assessments.
Conclusions
The programme empowered underprivileged women to reflect on the importance of health, take responsibility for their own health and actively promote health to their families and personal communities.
Relevance to clinical practice
Our study supports that health promotion programmes based on the lay health advisor model are effective and encourage large‐scale programmes of this nature. Our results also support that future health promotion efforts should deliver brief, clear and simple content as opposed to intricate information.
This editorial aims to refine the severe polytrauma management principles. While keeping ABCDE priorities, the termination of futile resuscitation and the early use of tourniquet to stop ...exsanguinating limb bleeding are crucial. Difficult-airway-management (DAM) is by a structured 5-level approach. The computerised tomography (CT) scanner is the tunnel to death for hemodynamically unstable patients. Focused Abdominal Sonography for Trauma-Ultrasonography (FAST USG) has replaced diagnostic peritoneal lavage (DPL) and is expanding to USG life support. Direct whole-body multidetector-row computed tomography (MDCT) expedites diagnosis & treatment. Non-operative management is a viable option in rapid responders in shock. Damage control resuscitation comprising of permissive hypotension, hemostatic resuscitation & damage control surgery (DCS) help prevent the lethal triad of trauma. Massive transfusion protocol reduces mortality and decreases the blood requirement. DCS attains rapid correction of the deranged physiology. Mortality reduction in major pelvic disruption requires a multi-disciplinary protocol, the novel pre-peritoneal pelvic packing and the angio-embolization. When operation is the definitive treatment for injury, prevention is best therapy.
Aims and objectives
To investigate the smoking behaviours, perceptions about quitting smoking and factors associated with intention to quit in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.
Background
...Smoking causes type 2 diabetes mellitus. There has been limited research on the needs and concerns of smokers with type 2 diabetes mellitus about quitting smoking.
Design
The study used a qualitative design.
Methods
Patients diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus who had a history of smoking were recruited at the outpatient diabetic clinics of two major local hospitals in Hong Kong for a semi‐structured interview (n = 42), guided by the theory of planned behaviour.
Results
At data saturation, 22 current smokers and 20 ex‐smokers with type 2 diabetes mellitus were recruited. The current smokers reported they had not quit smoking because of satisfaction with present health status, and misconceptions about the association between diabetes and smoking, and the perceived hazards of quitting. In contrast, ex‐smokers had a positive opinion about quitting smoking, accepted advice about quitting from health professionals and received more family support than current smokers. Psychological addiction and weight gain after cessation made quitting challenging.
Conclusions
Satisfaction with health status, inadequate knowledge about the relationship between type 2 diabetes mellitus and smoking, and misconceptions about quitting smoking resulted in negative attitudes toward quitting by type 2 diabetes mellitus smokers. Smoking peers, psychological addiction and post‐cessation weight gain hindered the quitting process.
Relevance to clinical practice
Education on the causal link between smoking, type 2 diabetes mellitus and its complications is important to raise health awareness and counter misconceptions about quitting smoking. Behavioural counselling with weight control strategies should be part of a comprehensive smoking cessation intervention for type 2 diabetes mellitus smokers.
BackgroundIn this study, we assessed the general population's fears towards various diseases and events, aiming to inform public health strategies that balance health-seeking behaviours.MethodsWe ...surveyed adults from 30 countries across all World Health Organization (WHO) regions between July 2020 and August 2021. Participants rated their fear of 11 factors on an 11-point Likert scale. We stratified the data by age and gender and examined variations across countries and regions through multidimensional preference analysis.ResultsOf the 16 512 adult participants, 62.7% (n = 10 351) were women. The most feared factor was the loss of family members, reported by 4232 participants (25.9%), followed by cancer (n = 2248, 13.7%) and stroke (n = 1416, 8.7%). The highest weighted fear scores were for loss of family members (mean (x̄) = 7.46, standard deviation (SD) = 3.04), cancer (x̄ = 7.00, SD = 3.09), and stroke (x̄ = 6.61, SD = 3.24). The least feared factors included animals/insects (x̄ = 3.72, SD = 2.96), loss of a mobile phone (x̄ = 4.27, SD = 2.98), and social isolation (x̄ = 4.83, SD = 3.13). Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was the sixth most feared factor (x̄ = 6.23, SD = 2.92). Multidimensional preference analyses showed distinct fears of COVID-19 and job loss in Australia and Burundi. The other countries primarily feared loss of family members, cancer, stroke, and heart attacks; this ranking was consistent across WHO regions, economic levels, and COVID-19 severity levels.ConclusionsFear of family loss can improve public health messaging, highlighting the need for bereavement support and the prevention of early death-causing diseases. Addressing cancer fears is crucial to encouraging the use of preventive services. Fear of non-communicable diseases remains high during health emergencies. Top fears require more resources and countries with similar concerns should collaborate internationally for effective fear management.
The health area being greatest impacted by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and residents' perspective to better prepare for future pandemic remain unknown. We aimed to assess and make ...cross-country and cross-region comparisons of the global impacts of COVID-19 and preparation preferences of pandemic.
We recruited adults in 30 countries covering all World Health Organization (WHO) regions from July 2020 to August 2021. 5 Likert-point scales were used to measure their perceived change in 32 aspects due to COVID-19 (-2 = substantially reduced to 2 = substantially increased) and perceived importance of 13 preparations (1 = not important to 5 = extremely important). Samples were stratified by age and gender in the corresponding countries. Multidimensional preference analysis displays disparities between 30 countries, WHO regions, economic development levels, and COVID-19 severity levels.
16 512 adults participated, with 10 351 females. Among 32 aspects of impact, the most affected were having a meal at home (mean (m) = 0.84, standard error (SE) = 0.01), cooking at home (m = 0.78, SE = 0.01), social activities (m = -0.68, SE = 0.01), duration of screen time (m = 0.67, SE = 0.01), and duration of sitting (m = 0.59, SE = 0.01). Alcohol (m = -0.36, SE = 0.01) and tobacco (m = -0.38, SE = 0.01) consumption declined moderately. Among 13 preparations, respondents rated medicine delivery (m = 3.50, SE = 0.01), getting prescribed medicine in a hospital visit / follow-up in a community pharmacy (m = 3.37, SE = 0.01), and online shopping (m = 3.33, SE = 0.02) as the most important. The multidimensional preference analysis showed the European Region, Region of the Americas, Western Pacific Region and countries with a high-income level or medium to high COVID-19 severity were more adversely impacted on sitting and screen time duration and social activities, whereas other regions and countries experienced more cooking and eating at home. Countries with a high-income level or medium to high COVID-19 severity reported higher perceived mental burden and emotional distress. Except for low- and lower-middle-income countries, medicine delivery was always prioritised.
Global increasing sitting and screen time and limiting social activities deserve as much attention as mental health. Besides, the pandemic has ushered in a notable enhancement in lifestyle of home cooking and eating, while simultaneously reducing the consumption of tobacco and alcohol. A health care system and technological infrastructure that facilitate medicine delivery, medicine prescription, and online shopping are priorities for coping with future pandemics.
Central and bridge nodes can drive significant overall improvements within their respective networks. We aimed to identify them in 16 prevalent chronic diseases during the coronavirus disease 2019 ...(COVID-19) pandemic to guide effective intervention strategies and appropriate resource allocation for most significant holistic lifestyle and health improvements.
We surveyed 16 512 adults from July 2020 to August 2021 in 30 territories. Participants self-reported their medical histories and the perceived impact of COVID-19 on 18 lifestyle factors and 13 health outcomes. For each disease subgroup, we generated lifestyle, health outcome, and bridge networks. Variables with the highest centrality indices in each were identified central or bridge. We validated these networks using nonparametric and case-dropping subset bootstrapping and confirmed central and bridge variables' significantly higher indices through a centrality difference test.
Among the 48 networks, 44 were validated (all correlation-stability coefficients >0.25). Six central lifestyle factors were identified: less consumption of snacks (for the chronic disease: anxiety), less sugary drinks (cancer, gastric ulcer, hypertension, insomnia, and pre-diabetes), less smoking tobacco (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), frequency of exercise (depression and fatty liver disease), duration of exercise (irritable bowel syndrome), and overall amount of exercise (autoimmune disease, diabetes, eczema, heart attack, and high cholesterol). Two central health outcomes emerged: less emotional distress (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, eczema, fatty liver disease, gastric ulcer, heart attack, high cholesterol, hypertension, insomnia, and pre-diabetes) and quality of life (anxiety, autoimmune disease, cancer, depression, diabetes, and irritable bowel syndrome). Four bridge lifestyles were identified: consumption of fruits and vegetables (diabetes, high cholesterol, hypertension, and insomnia), less duration of sitting (eczema, fatty liver disease, and heart attack), frequency of exercise (autoimmune disease, depression, and heart attack), and overall amount of exercise (anxiety, gastric ulcer, and insomnia). The centrality difference test showed the central and bridge variables had significantly higher centrality indices than others in their networks (P < 0.05).
To effectively manage chronic diseases during the COVID-19 pandemic, enhanced interventions and optimised resource allocation toward central lifestyle factors, health outcomes, and bridge lifestyles are paramount. The key variables shared across chronic diseases emphasise the importance of coordinated intervention strategies.
BackgroundThe interconnected nature of lifestyles and interim health outcomes implies the presence of the central lifestyle, central interim health outcome and bridge lifestyle, which are yet to be ...determined. Modifying these factors holds immense potential for substantial positive changes across all aspects of health and lifestyles. We aimed to identify these factors from a pool of 18 lifestyle factors and 13 interim health outcomes while investigating potential gender and occupation differences.MethodsAn international cross-sectional study was conducted in 30 countries across six World Health Organization regions from July 2020 to August 2021, with 16 512 adults self-reporting changes in 18 lifestyle factors and 13 interim health outcomes since the pandemic.ResultsThree networks were computed and tested. The central variables decided by the expected influence centrality were consumption of fruits and vegetables (centrality = 0.98) jointly with less sugary drinks (centrality = 0.93) in the lifestyles network; and quality of life (centrality = 1.00) co-dominant (centrality = 1.00) with less emotional distress in the interim health outcomes network. The overall amount of exercise had the highest bridge expected influence centrality in the bridge network (centrality = 0.51). No significant differences were found in the network global strength or the centrality of the aforementioned key variables within each network between males and females or health workers and non-health workers (all P-values >0.05 after Holm-Bonferroni correction).ConclusionsConsumption of fruits and vegetables, sugary drinks, quality of life, emotional distress, and the overall amount of exercise are key intervention components for improving overall lifestyle, overall health and overall health via lifestyle in the general population, respectively. Although modifications are needed for all aspects of lifestyle and interim health outcomes, a larger allocation of resources and more intensive interventions were recommended for these key variables to produce the most cost-effective improvements in lifestyles and health, regardless of gender or occupation.
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