SAGE Open Medicine

BACKGROUND: Mobile health has enormous potential in healthcare due to the increasing use of mobile phones in low- and middle-income countries; its effective deployment, uptake, and utilization may result in improved health outcomes, including a reduction in neonatal deaths. However, there is a suboptimal uptake of mobile health technologies among healthcare workers in low-resource settings like Nigeria, which are often context-specific. OBJECTIVE: To investigate healthcare workers' perceptions of mobile health technologies in public health facilities in Lagos, Nigeria...

INTRODUCTION: Informed consent in healthcare services is a legal, ethical, and professional requirement on the part of all treating health providers and providing person-centered care. The methods of requesting consent during childbirth have not been extensively studied. In Ethiopia, there is not at all a single study done. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to determine associated factors among mothers who gave birth at health institutions in the South Wollo Zone, Amhara region, Ethiopia in 2022...

BACKGROUND: Goiter is a common public health issue in Ethiopia; however, there is not much evidence of it among adolescent girls, especially in Northwest Ethiopia. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to determine the prevalence and associated factors of goiter in adolescent girls living in the highlands of Northwest Ethiopia. METHODS: From 5 January to 15 February 2022, 560 adolescent girls participated in this study. A multistage sampling method was used...

OBJECTIVES: Depression is one of the most widely reported mental health issues that affect adolescents globally. However, there is a dearth of data on its prevalence and associated factors among senior high school students in Ghana, since previous studies have focused more on adult populations. This can hinder policies needed to champion mental health and mental health care in senior high schools. Hence, this study sought to assess the prevalence of depression and associated factors among senior high school students in Ghana...

Ensuring the proper management of neuropathic pain is a contemporary challenge for professionals who care for patients with this type of pain. The estimated prevalence of neuropathic pain in Europe is 7%-8%. The objective of this study was to perform a non-systematic review on the diagnosis, screening, and quantification of neuropathic pain. For this purpose, a search was conducted of the PubMed/Medline, ScienceDirect, OVID, and SciELO databases for available evidence. The findings highlight the common occurrence of chronic neuropathic pain in clinical practice...

Acute kidney injury is a prevalent disease in hospitalized patients and is continuously increasing worldwide. Various efforts have been made to define and classify acute kidney injury to understand the progression of this disease. Furthermore, deviations from structure and kidney function and the current diagnostic guidelines are not adequately placed due to baseline serum creatinine values, which are rarely known and estimated based on glomerular function rate, resulting in misclassification of acute kidney injury staging...

INTRODUCTION: An increasing amount of research has shown a link between psychopathological behaviors such as smartphone addiction, depression, anxiety, and stress. The aim of this study was to assess the association of smartphone addiction with depression, anxiety, and stress. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted between 26th January and 3rd March 2021. The sample was chosen using a convenient sampling technique and Raosoft tool. The survey assessed smartphone addiction using abbreviated versions of the Addiction Scale Short Version, a self-administered questionnaire that has been validated in the English and Arabic languages...

OBJECTIVES: Depression is increasing and is a leading cause of disease burden among adolescents. Available evidence-based treatments with medication or psychotherapy have modest effects. Aerobic exercise is a hopeful alternative as an augmenter or a stand-alone treatment. Qualitative studies have shown that participants in group exercise for adolescent depression experienced improved mood and a sense of achievement, commitment and empowerment. This study aimed to explore not only adolescents' but also parents' and healthcare professionals' experiences of a group exercise intervention for adolescents with depression...

INTRODUCTION: Even though breast cancer incidence is lower in Sub-Saharan Africa, its mortality is higher in these countries. However, the impact does not end with diagnosis and treatment; rather many patients struggle with depression which is very common among these patients. This systematic review and meta-analysis helps to provide valuable insights into the overall prevalence of depression and associated factors among breast cancer patients in Sub-Saharan Africa. METHOD: We searched several databases, including MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, Hinary, CINHAL and Google Scholar to retrieve relevant literatures from inception up to 15 June 2023...

OBJECTIVES: Lucilia sericata (Diptera: Calliphoridae) is used in larval therapy for wound healing. Netrin-A is an enzyme secreted from the salivary glands of these larvae, and has a central role in neural regeneration and angiogenesis. This study aimed to produce the recombinant Netrin-A protein from Lucilia sericata larvae by the baculovirus expression vector system in the Sf9 insect cell line. METHODS: The coding sequence of Netrin-A was cloned, amplified in the pTG19 vector, and then cloned in the pFastBac HTA vector...

BACKGROUND: In spite of adolescents' high knowledge about modern contraceptives, usage is low especially in sub-Saharan Africa. Little is known about what adolescents use in place of modern contraceptive methods. OBJECTIVE: This paper discusses lay strategies that adolescents use in their quest to prevent unintended pregnancy. METHODS: A qualitative approach was used in the study reported in this paper. The paper draws on focus group data from a larger study looking at adolescent contraceptive needs in Ghana...

BACKGROUND: In Niger, a low-income country, occupational medicine is little known and practiced, particularly in the health sector, where healthcare workers are exposed to numerous occupational risks. This study aimed to assess knowledge, attitudes, and practices about occupational risks and diseases among healthcare providers working at the Hospital of Dosso (Niger) to determine their knowledge, attitudes, and practices level about occupational risks and diseases. METHODS: A descriptive and quantitative census-based study was conducted among the 105 healthcare providers practicing at the hospital of Dosso between 1 April and 31 May 2023, using a self-administered questionnaire in the French language comprising a sociodemographic part and a knowledge, attitudes, and practices part about occupational risks and diseases...

OBJECTIVES: The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted individual health, potentially increasing the demand for home medicine storage. However, inappropriate household medicine storage can lead to drug waste and unnecessary hazards. This study aimed to explore the prevalence of and identify the factors that predict medicine storage in Vietnamese households. METHODS: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted with 800 households in Danang, Vietnam...

BACKGROUND: Primary hyperhidrosis consists of excessive focal sweating. Affected individuals camouflage the sweating on their body, avoiding stigmatisation. Hence, misrepresentation in social interactions is a common feature in patients with hyperhidrosis. The aim of this study was to investigate impostor phenomenon, perfectionism, self-compassion, stress and anxiety among individuals with primary hyperhidrosis. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted at our clinic among 100 participants with axillary and palmar primary hyperhidrosis...

OBJECTIVES: Exercise physiology is a branch of physiology that studies how physical activity and exercise alter the structure and function of living organisms. Knowledge of exercise physiology is crucial to improve athletic performance, improve people's ability to cope with extreme circumstances and approach chronic diseases. This research aimed to evaluate the knowledge of future healthcare professionals, namely, the medical students in Jordan regarding exercise physiology. METHODS: Responses were collected from 524 undergraduate medical students enrolled in clinical clerkship...

BACKGROUND: In palliative care settings, collusion or "conspiracy of silence" frequently interferes with communication and interpersonal relationships among patients, caregivers, and healthcare professionals. The "Caregiver Collusion Questionnaire" is the only tool available for assessing caregiver collusion. The purpose of the study is to translate and adapt the English version of this instrument into Bengali, followed by standard validation. METHODS: The study was carried out in two stages...

OBJECTIVES: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is one of the emerging liver diseases affecting 20%-30% of the population creating a burden on public health worldwide and has been associated with the causation of multiple diseases. Besides exercise, several drugs are being used in patients based on clinical evidence especially vitamin E, a potent antioxidant to reduce the oxidative stress responsible for the development and progression of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. This study aims at evaluating the effect of exercise and pharmacotherapy on nonalcoholic fatty liver disease...

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the willingness of human papillomavirus vaccine and its associated factors in Dire Dawa in 2022. Ethiopia is undergoing human papillomavirus vaccine implementation in the country with the support of the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization. However, there is a scarcity of data on problems encountered and the receiver's acceptance of the vaccine. METHODS: An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 634 female adolescents from 1 April to 1 May 2022...

BACKGROUND: Hospital-acquired infections constitute a significant source of morbidity and mortality for both patients and healthcare professionals. Nursing professionals constitute an integral component of any quality-related program in a hospital, given their oversight and provision of nearly all healthcare services. Nurses' knowledge and attitudes play a significant role in healthcare delivery. Within Saudi Arabia, the prevalence of hospital-acquired infections in hospital settings has prompted a growing emphasis on evaluating nursing knowledge and adherence to practice standards aimed at hospital-acquired infection prevention...

OBJECTIVES: Effective adherence to infection prevention and control practices is needed to reduce the rate of healthcare-acquired infections among healthcare workers. Policies to control healthcare-acquired infections among healthcare workers can be designed and implemented using information on adherence to infection prevention and control practices adherence and its determinants. This study, therefore, sought to assess the adherence to infection prevention and control practices among healthcare workers during the 2019 Coronavirus disease pandemic...