Introduction: Effective vaccination campaigns have been instrumental in reducing COVID-19 transmission and severe disease outcomes. Despite efforts to improve vaccine accessibility, vaccine literacy and confidence remain important determinants of vaccine uptake. Rural and geographically isolated communities often experience barriers to healthcare access that may affect vaccination coverage. This study aimed to assess COVID-19 vaccination coverage, vaccine literacy, and vaccine confidence among residents of selected Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas (GIDAs) in Floridablanca, Pampanga. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 211 residents of Barangays San Ramon and Nabuclod. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews using a translated and pretested questionnaire on vaccine literacy and vaccine confidence. Vaccination records obtained from the Rural Health Unit were reviewed to determine COVID-19 vaccination coverage. Descriptive statistics, including frequencies and percentages, were used to summarize the data. Results: The majority of respondents demonstrated an average level of vaccine literacy (75.8%), while 17.5% exhibited high vaccine literacy. Most respondents also demonstrated positive to very positive vaccine confidence (71.6%). Among the eligible population, 80.5% had completed the primary COVID-19 vaccination series, whereas 19.5% remained unvaccinated. Among those who completed the primary series, only 24.2% had received at least one booster dose. Conclusion Residents of the selected GIDAs generally demonstrated average vaccine literacy, positive vaccine confidence, and relatively high primary COVID-19 vaccination coverage. However, low booster uptake and the persistence of unvaccinated individuals highlight the need for sustained health education, improved healthcare accessibility, and targeted community-based interventions. These findings underscore the importance of strengthening vaccine literacy and confidence to support future immunization programs in geographically isolated communities.
COVID-19 ; Rural Health ; Vaccination coverage

Introduction: Medical student attrition and poor academic performance have implications for both medical schools and the future healthcare workforce. This study aimed to determine the demographic and academic characteristics of first-year medical students with low academic performance across different instructional modalities—traditional face-to-face, online, and HyFlex learning. Methods: This non-concurrent cohort study included first-year medical students enrolled from School Years (SY) 2018–2019 to 2024–2025. Student characteristics analyzed included sex, pre-medicine degree, pre-medicine general weighted average (GWA), National Medical Admission Test (NMAT) score, and academic performance in annual first-year subjects. Low academic performance was defined as failure in at least one annual subject. Students were grouped according to instructional modality: face-to-face (SY 2018–2020), online (SY 2020–2022), and HyFlex (SY 2022–2025). Demographic and academic characteristics were compared between students with and without low academic performance. Results: A total of 2,936 first-year medical students were included. The proportion of students with low academic performance was 19% during the face-to-face period, 17% during the online period, and 27% during the HyFlex period. Across all instructional modalities, students with low academic performance had significantly poorer pre-medicine GWA than students who passed all annual subjects (p<0.05). During the online and HyFlex periods, students with low academic performance also had significantly lower NMAT scores than students who passed all annual subjects (p<0.05), whereas no significant difference in NMAT scores was observed during the face-to-face period. Conclusion Pre-medicine GWA was consistently associated with academic performance across face-to-face, online, and HyFlex instructional modalities. Lower NMAT scores were associated with low academic performance during online and HyFlex learning. Early identification of students with poorer pre-medicine academic performance and lower NMAT scores may facilitate timely academic support.
Students, Medical ; Academic performance ; Education, Distance ;

INTRODUCTION

Documenting a research participant’s awareness of the bill of rights is achieved with an informed consent. In recent years, the informed consent document has increasingly become confounding to research participants in its complexity. As such, the awareness of research participants’ bill of rights has emerged as a lingering issue since studies that test awareness of research participants’ bill of rights are limited. Hence, this study aimed to determine the participants’ awareness of the bill of rights after an educational intervention.

A quasi-experimental study was done where participants’ awareness of clinical trial participants’ bill of rights was determined after an educational intervention.

There was a significant difference (pCONCLUSIONS

Significant difference in the awareness of bill of rights was observed after the educational intervention. Additional intervention could be given to participants who are females, of older age group (middle age and older), did not complete high school, and the unemployed when they participate in clinical trials to ensure their awareness of the bill of rights of clinical trial participants. Varied learning materials must be given to participants to emphasize the clinical research objectives and activities as well.

Background: The global pandemic caused by COVID-19, the subsequent improvement in health situation caused by anti- COVID-19 vaccination and the developments in digital technology prompted changes in undergraduate medical education as to content delivery and assessment. This study determined the difference in the performance of first year medical students in traditional face-to face, online and Hyflex teaching strategy. Methods: A non-concurrent cohort study was done to determine the performance of students in three annual subjects in Year 1 undergraduate medical education for school years 2018 to 2023. One-way ANOVA at p=0.001 determined significance of differences of variables. Results: There was no difference in the profile of students as to their sex, pre-medicine course and scores in the National Medical Admission Test (NMAT). The performance in the written examinations in Anatomy and Physiology showed significant difference (p=0.001) when the conduct of examinations was shifted online on an emergency basis. There was no difference (p=0.001) in performance in the laboratory conference sessions in Physiology, as compared to the focused group discussion sessions in Biochemistry and practical examinations in Anatomy. Conclusion Significant difference in the performance of first year medical students was observed only during the emergency shift to online examinations, otherwise the performance was similar in traditional face-to face, online and Hyflex teaching strategy.

INTRODUCTION: In the face of unchanging high rates of stunting among 12-23 months old Filipino babies, sustaining exclusive breastfeeding up to 6 months old remains a challenge. This study determined the effect of a breastfeeding reminder system on breastfeeding. METHODS: This is a quasi-experimental study. Mothers were regularly given breastfeeding reminders by SMS and phone call. The weight, body length, episodes of upper respiratory tract infection and diarrhea were compared between the babies who were given exclusive breastfeeding and those whose exclusive breastfeeding was not sustained. Pearson Chi – square test and t-test at p=0.05 determined significance of differences of variables. RESULTS: From March- October 2020, there were 450 babies included in the study. Of these babies, 44.8% were given exclusive breastfeeding up to 6 months. Timely initiation of breastfeeding was practiced by 91.95% of the mothers in the study. Babies who did not receive exclusive breastfeeding were shorter than those who received exclusive breastfeeding at 1 year old (70.11cm +2.78 vs.75.47cm +1.41, p<0.001) and at 2 years old (80.89 cm +2.30 vs. 87.29cm +1.47, p<0.001). At 2 years old, babies who received exclusive breastfeeding had no episodes of diarrhea and minimal (2%, p<0.001) episodes of acute respiratory infections. CONCLUSION Due to the implementation of the reminder system, the percentage of babies exclusively breastfed up to 6 months of age increased to 44%. This is a significant improvement compared to a previous study where only 29% of the babies were exclusively breastfed.At one and two years old, babies who were not exclusively breastfed had stunting, weighed less and had more infections (diarrhea and URTI).
exclusive breastfeeding ; infants ; stunting

INTRODUCTION: Scant information remains regarding the outcome of babies who tested positive for COVID-19 at birth beyond two months of age. This study determined the outcome of infants at 8-12 months old who tested positive for COVID-19 at birth. METHODS: This is a non-concurrent cohort study. A review of medical records at birth and at wellness check at 8-12 months was done. The weight, Z-scores, episodes of upper respiratory tract infection and number of non-routine consults were compared between the babies who tested positive at birth with those whose test was negative for COVID-19. Asymptotic 2-tailed p value = 0.05 determined significance of differences of variables. RESULTS: From August to October 2020, 31 newborns tested positive for COVID-19; 31 tested negative, and all had an unremarkable outcome at birth. Nine (p = 0.001) mothers tested positive for COVID-19. COVID-19 babies weighed statistically significantly less than the non-COVID-19 babies (8.5 + 0.87 vs 9.7 + 0.89 kg, p = 0.010) at 8-12 months. There was no statistically significant difference when the z-scores were considered (p = 0.313). As of last wellness check, babies who tested positive at birth had more episodes of upper respiratory tract infections (19.6% vs none, p= 0.010) and non-routine consultations. CONCLUSION Twenty nine percent of newborns tested positive if mothers tested positive for COVID-19. At 8-12 months old, babies who tested positive for COVID-19 at birth had more episodes of upper respiratory tract infections.