BACKGROUND

Undernutrition remains a public health concern in the Philippines despite multitude of government efforts using different nutrition specific and sensitive interventions. Hence, the role civil society organizations play is important in augmenting the health and nutrition programs in the country. Community feedback is important as they are the receiving end of these programs.

OBJECTIVE

The study aimed to know the perceived impact and community insights on the implemented health and nutrition programs in the four selected sites in the Philippines.

METHODS

Qualitative program evaluation was used, and 50 discussants were recruited through purposive sampling. Semi-structured interview guide for focus group discussion was utilized to determine the perceived impact of the programs among the discussants, and thematic analysis was used to generate codes and themes.

RESULTS

The implemented health and nutrition programs were found to be a source of hope for the family and community and beyond basic necessities. However, there remain barriers in successful acquisition of new information such as a lack of resources and environmental influences. There are also learned opportunities such as continued support from the Civil Society Organization (CSO), and impact capacity building that are not sponsor-driven.

CONCLUSION

Overall, the participants see the health and nutrition programs as helpful for their children as these programs foster proper child rearing. The programs also empower the parents and the community through capacity building. However, there is a need to revisit implementing rules and guidelines to further maximize the benefits and resources of the programs.

Program Evaluation ; Public Health ; Play And Playthings ; Residence Characteristics ; Evaluation Studies As Topic ; Malnutrition ; Nutritional Status

This study explores the impact of perceived stress on the academic performance of orthopaedic surgery residents in the Philippines. Conducted as a cross-sectional investigation, it involved 126 residents who participated in the 2024 Philippine Board of Orthopaedics In-Service Training Examination (ITE). Stress levels were assessed using the Perceived Stress Scale-10 (PSS-10), while ITE scores served as the measure of academic performance. A significant negative correlation was identified between stress and academic performance (r = -0.3138, p = 0.00010). Residents experiencing high stress achieved lower scores (55.2%) compared to those with low to moderate stress (61.8%). Other demographic variables such as sex, age, marital status and type of training institution (public and private) were not significantly associated with stress level findings. On the other hand, key factors contributing to elevated stress included insufficient sleep (0–4 hours nightly; OR = 5.83, p = 0.0289) and limited awareness of mental health issues (OR = 13.34, p = 0.0014). These results highlight the pressing need for stress reduction initiatives, improved mental health education and strategies to address challenges posed by sleep deprivation and extensive work hours. This study provides a foundation for improving both academic outcomes and overall well-being in residency programs.

Human ; Male ; Female ; Adult: 25-44 Yrs Old ; World Health Organization ; Sleep Deprivation ; Internship And Residency ; Health Education ; Cross-sectional Studies ; Marital Status

BACKGROUND

Undernutrition remains a public health concern in the Philippines despite multitude of government efforts using different nutrition specific and sensitive interventions. Hence, the role civil society organizations play is important in augmenting the health and nutrition programs in the country. Community feedback is important as they are the receiving end of these programs.

OBJECTIVE

The study aimed to know the perceived impact and community insights on the implemented health and nutrition programs in the four selected sites in the Philippines.

METHODS

Qualitative program evaluation was used, and 50 discussants were recruited through purposive sampling. Semi-structured interview guide for focus group discussion was utilized to determine the perceived impact of the programs among the discussants, and thematic analysis was used to generate codes and themes.

RESULTS

The implemented health and nutrition programs were found to be a source of hope for the family and community and beyond basic necessities. However, there remain barriers in successful acquisition of new information such as a lack of resources and environmental influences. There are also learned opportunities such as continued support from the Civil Society Organization (CSO), and impact capacity building that are not sponsor-driven.

CONCLUSION

Overall, the participants see the health and nutrition programs as helpful for their children as these programs foster proper child rearing. The programs also empower the parents and the community through capacity building. However, there is a need to revisit implementing rules and guidelines to further maximize the benefits and resources of the programs.

Program Evaluation ; Public Health ; Play And Playthings ; Residence Characteristics ; Evaluation Studies As Topic ; Malnutrition ; Nutritional Status

OBJECTIVE: This study examines the sequential mediating roles of body pain and self-reported health in the association between sleep duration and self-reported life satisfaction among elderly Chinese adults. METHODS: Data from the fifth wave of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Survey (CHARLS) were used to analyse the relationships between sleep duration and body pain, self-reported health, and life satisfaction through logistic regression and Restricted Cubic Spline (RCS) analyses. The sequential mediation effects of body pain and self-reported health status were examined via chain mediation analysis. RESULTS: Logistic regression analysis showed that sleeping fewer than 6 hours or 6-7 hours was linked to higher risks of body pain, poor health, and dissatisfaction with life compared to sleeping 7-8 hours (all P < 0.05). Additionally, those sleeping more than 9 hours also had increased risks of poor health and dissatisfaction with life compared to those sleeping 7-8 hours (all P < 0.05). Chain mediation analysis showed that body pain and self-reported health status sequentially mediated 46.15% of the association between sleep duration and life satisfaction. CONCLUSION Body pain and self-reported health may shape the relationship between sleep duration and life satisfaction in elderly Chinese adults.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Aged ; Personal Satisfaction ; Sleep ; Health Status ; Self Report ; China ; Middle Aged ; Longitudinal Studies ; Pain/psychology* ; Sleep Duration

Dementia is an acquired loss of cognitive ability and is found to have a significant physical, psychological, social, and economic impact on patients, families, and communities. Diagnosis of dementia should be based on history and physical examination, together with cognitive, functional, and behavioral assessment. Validated tools such as the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MOCA) should be used to screen for cognitive impairment. Functionality or Activities of Daily Living (ADL) should be assessed using the Katz and Lawton Index. Work-up of patients with dementia includes ruling out dementia-mimicking conditions, including routine hematology (full blood count and ESR), biochemistry (electrolytes, calcium, glucose, renal and liver function), Thyroid function tests, and Serum B12 and folate levels. Neuroimaging is performed to detect reversible causes of cognitive impairment and to determine the subtype of dementia. Family-based and community-based interventions should be offered to patients with dementia.

Dementia ; Primary Health Care ; Primary Care ; Mini Mental Status Examination (mmse) ; Mental Status And Dementia Tests ; Cognitive Decline ; Cognitive Dysfunction

INTRODUCTION: Workplace safety and health are interrelated - a worker who is not healthy may cause safety lapses at the workplace; conversely, safety lapses could affect the health of the workers. This study was part of a larger Total Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) programme run by the Workplace Safety and Health Council, Singapore. The objectives were to obtain a baseline health profile of workers across four major industries and identify important health risks for targeted workplace interventions. METHODS: Five service providers (SPs) were appointed to run the Total WSH programme. As part of the programme, SPs conducted an anonymous basic health survey among workers of participating companies. RESULTS: The responses of 6,373 respondents from the cleaning, construction, manufacturing, and transport and storage industries were studied. The overall response rate was 62%. Key health issues identified were high rates of obesity (22%) and smoking (24%) and low prevalence of regular exercise and healthy dietary habits. Chronic disease rates were similar to population self-reported rates (hypertension 15%, high lipid 12% and diabetes mellitus 6%). The workers reported high work stress (13%). CONCLUSION Health issues are prevalent in the workforce and may affect work and employee safety. It is increasingly important for employees' health to be considered in risk assessments and prioritised in workplace safety and health management systems and strategies. Health promotion interventions should be targeted, and multilevel and multicomponent initiatives should be integrated with pre-existing occupational safety programmes.
Humans ; Singapore/epidemiology* ; Occupational Health ; Male ; Female ; Adult ; Middle Aged ; Industry ; Workplace ; Health Surveys ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Smoking/epidemiology* ; Obesity/epidemiology* ; Health Status ; Occupational Stress/epidemiology* ; Young Adult

INTRODUCTION: Comparison of patient health-related quality of life (HRQOL) scores to a reference group is needed to quantify the HRQOL impact of disease or treatment. This study aimed to establish population norms for 2 HRQOL questionnaires-EuroQol 5-dimension 5-level questionnaire (EQ-5D-5L) and European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire-Core Question-naire 30 (EORTC QLQ-C30) according to age, sex and ethnicity-and to explore relationships between the EQ-5D-5L, EORTC QLQ-C30 and sociodemographic characteristics. We used a representative sample of adult Singapore residents aged 21 years and above. METHOD: This study used data collected from a cross-sectional household survey in which 600 adult Singaporeans completed questions on sociodemo-graphic characteristics-the EQ-5D-5L and the EORTC QLQ-C30. Multiple linear regression analyses were conducted to explore associations between sociodemographic characteristics, the EQ-5D-5L scores and the EORTC QLQ-C30 scores. Regression-based population norms were computed for each subgroup using a post-stratification method. RESULTS: In multiple linear regression analysis, age was significantly associated with EQ-5D-5L index and visual analogue scale (VAS) scores, while no sociodemographic characteristics were significantly associated with EORTC QLQ-C30 summary scores. The normative EQ-5D-5L index and VAS scores decreased in adults aged 65 years and above, and EQ-5D-5L index scores were slightly lower in females than males and in non-Chinese than Chinese. The normative EORTC QLQ-C30 summary scores were slightly higher in Chinese than in the non-Chinese group and in the 45-64 age group than other age groups. CONCLUSION This study provides population norms for the EQ-5D-5L and EORTC QLQ-C30 for the general adult population in Singapore. Future studies of patient populations in Singapore using EQ-5D-5L or QLQ-C30 can use these normative data to interpret the HRQOL data collected.
Humans ; Quality of Life ; Singapore ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Adult ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Aged ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Young Adult ; Health Status ; Age Factors ; Linear Models ; Aged, 80 and over

BACKGROUND: Changes in N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) levels may not fully translate into patient-reported health status in patients with heart failure (HF). We aimed to evaluate the correlation between NT-proBNP levels and patient-reported health status changes at one month after discharge of patients, and their associations with risk of death and rehospitalization in patients with acute HF. METHODS: We used data from the China Patient-centered Evaluative Assessment of Cardiac Events Prospective Heart Failure Study (PEACE 5p-HF Study). Patient-reported health status was measured by the 12-item Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire (KCCQ-12). Patients who were hospitalized for HF and completed the KCCQ-12 and NT-proBNP tests before and one month after discharge were eligible in our study. We stratified patients into different groups based on NT-proBNP levels (i.e., improved, stable, and deteriorated) and KCCQ-12 scores (i.e., not deteriorated and deteriorated). We also examined the associations of the joint NT-proBNP and KCCQ-12 change with the risk of one-year and four-year clinical outcomes. RESULTS: A total of 2461 patients were included in the analysis. The mean age was 64.06 ± 13.51 years, and 36.37% (895/2461) of the study population were female. Among patients with improved NT-proBNP levels, 115 (10.95%) patients had deteriorated KCCQ-12 scores. The correlation between the change in the KCCQ-12 score and NT-proBNP level was weak ( r2 = 0.002, P = 0.013). Stratification by changes in the KCCQ-12 score revealed subgroups with distinctive risks, such that patients with deteriorated KCCQ-12 scores in any of the NT-proBNP change groups exhibited an increased risk of one-year all-cause death than participants with not deteriorated KCCQ-12 scores in any of the NT-proBNP change groups. Patients with improved NT-proBNP levels and deteriorated KCCQ-12 scores presented greater risks of one-year all-cause death (hazard ratio [HR]: 2.45, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.34-4.48) than patients with stable NT-proBNP levels and not deteriorated KCCQ-12 scores (HR [95% CI], 1.77 [1.25-2.53]). CONCLUSIONS: A discrepancy between changes in NT-proBNP levels and KCCQ-12 scores was common. The change in NT-proBNP levels was not sufficient to characterize critical aspects related to HF during one month after discharge of patients. Changes in the KCCQ-12 score exhibit complementary information to NT-proBNP levels for the prediction of clinical outcomes in patients with acute HF. REGISTRATION www.clinicaltrials.gov (No. NCT02878811).
Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Health Status ; Heart Failure/metabolism* ; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain/metabolism* ; Peptide Fragments/metabolism* ; Prospective Studies

BACKGROUND: Growing up with a sibling with a chronic health problem or a disability requiring assistance can affect the lives of the family members in various ways. Previous studies documented health problems among siblings of children with a chronic health problem or a disability. However, these studies are limited in that they tend to rely on small convenience samples of children with specific illnesses/disabilities. This study aims to investigate mental health and self-rated health status of siblings of such children using data from a population study in Japan. METHODS: We used data from the 2016 wave of Japan's Comprehensive Survey of Living Conditions. The analytic sample included 16,510 adolescents aged 15-19 years who were living with a sibling with or without care needs. The outcomes were psychological distress as defined by K6 score of 13 or higher and poor self-rated health. We examined these health outcomes of adolescents who have a sibling with care needs to relative to adolescents with a sibling without such needs via logistic regression. RESULTS: Adolescents who live with a sibling with care needs were more likely to have psychological distress (Odds Ratio (OR) 2.47; 95% Confidence Interval (CI), 1.46-4.17) and poor self-rated health (OR 2.21; 95% CI, 1.30-3.75). These associations were more pronounced in post-high school age (18-19 years old) group than in high school age (15-18 years old) group. CONCLUSION The presence of a child with care needs in the household was associated with spillover psychological distress and poorer subjective health among siblings. Providing support for children/adolescents with care needs may have additional benefits in terms of well-being of their siblings.
Humans ; Adolescent ; Male ; Female ; Siblings/psychology* ; Young Adult ; Psychological Distress ; Japan/epidemiology* ; Health Status

Microbiome is associated with a wide range of diseases. The gut microbiome is also a dynamic reflection of health status, which can be modified, thus representing great potential to exploit the mechanisms that influence human physiology. Recent years have seen a dramatic rise in gut microbiome studies, which has been enabled by the rapidly evolving high-throughput sequencing methods (i.e. 16S rRNA sequencing and shotgun sequencing). As the emerging technologies for microbiome research continue to evolve (i.e. metatranscriptomics, metabolomics, culturomics, synthetic biology), microbiome research has moved beyond phylogenetic descriptions and towards mechanistic analyses. In this review, we highlight different approaches to study the microbiome, in particular, the current limitations and future promise of these techniques. This review aims to provide clinicians with a framework for studying the microbiome, as well as to accelerate the adoption of these techniques in clinical practice.
Humans ; Gastrointestinal Microbiome ; Phylogeny ; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/genetics* ; Health Status