Effectiveness of Low-Impact Aerobic Exercise to Improve Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Quality of Life in Elderly

Background: Aging is associated with declining physical health and decreased quality of life in the elderly population. In response to the rising challenges faced by the aging demographic, this study aimed to investigate the effects of low-impact aerobic exercise on cardiorespiratory fitness and overall quality of life in the elderly. Methods: A quasi-experimental study design was employed involving 42 elderly participants who underwent a three-month low-impact aerobic exercise intervention. This study was conducted in the work area of the Surakarta City Health Service from June to August 2023. Cardiorespiratory fitness was measured using the Harvard Step Test, and quality of life was assessed through the World Health Organization Quality of Life Brief Version (WHOQOL-BREF) questionnaire. The effect of low-impact aerobic exercise on cardiorespiratory fitness and quality of life was analyzed using the non-parametric test Wilcoxon Test.Results: Most respondents were aged 60–65 years (66.7%) and female (71.5%). The study revealed a significant improvement in both cardiorespiratory fitness (p=0.025) and quality of life (p<0.000) among the elderly participants after low-impact aerobic exercise intervention.Conclusion: Low-impact aerobic exercise has an effect on increasing cardiorespiratory fitness and  quality of life in the elderly. This finding is expected to be one of the main therapies that can help maintain the health and well-being of the geriatric population

Occurrence of Gastritis Is Related to Stress among Health Science Students

Background: Gastritis is among the top 10 health issues in Indonesia, with stress as the primary factor. Stress can put students at risk, leading to stress management neglect. This study aimed to find the relationship between stress and the occurrence of gastritis among students, especially those majoring in Health Sciences.Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study conducted in October 2022–March 2023 on 273 Health Science students at the University of Jember, Indonesia, using a simple random sampling method. Data on suspected gastritis occurrence with stress was analysed, using the Spearman's rank correlation test.Results: The majority of respondents were female (84.2%) aged 22 years (50.2%) and were at the post-proposal seminar stage (55.7%). Stress level was moderate (41.8–46.9%). There was a relationship between the type of stress and the suspected gastritis occurrence (p<0.05). The type of stress that was strongly associated with suspected occurrence of gastritis was social-related stressor (r= 0.316).Conclusions: The study highlights the impact of stress on physical health and encourages the use of mental health services on campus to prevent and address related issues. Further studies are needed to explore other contributing factors. A better healthy lifestyle among students with health sciences background is recommende

Spatial Pattern Analysis of Dating Status as a Risk Factor on Adolescent Sexual Activity in Surabaya, Indonesia

Background: Many adolescents misinterpret the definition of sexual activity, which is only generalized as having sex. In fact, many other activities can trigger the emergence of sexually transmitted infections. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze various factors that influence the occurrence of sexual activity in adolescents.Methods: This study used a cross-sectional analytical design with non-probability sampling involving 152 active college students aged 18-24 years from Surabaya, Indonesia. Data was collected using a questionnaire about their experiences of sexual activity at a young age. The questionnaire was distributed online in July–August 2023. The data obtained was analyzed using the chi-square test and simple logistic regression. Then, Q-GIS software was used to describe data spatially. Results: Dating relationship status had an association with the occurrence of sexual activity (p-value= 0.00; OR: 8.84; 95%CI: 3.34 - 23.40). Spatial data showed that sexual activity of students in the eastern region of Surabaya City had a relatively high rate compared to other regions. Conclusion: Dating relationship status is associated with sexual activity. This study also shows that students who have ever dated and who have had sexual relations is directly proportional in each region in Surabaya. Awareness and education of adolescents about healthy sexual activities should be increased to protect them from the negative impacts of premarital sex

Prevalence of Hypertension and Its Relationship with Stress Levels among Medical Students in Jakarta, Indonesia

Background: Stress can occur in all groups, including late adolescents and university students. Repetitive and persistent exposure to stress can induce many other conditions, one of which is hypertension. Aging and the presence of risk factors could increase the prevalence of hypertension. This study aimed to determine the relationship between stress levels and the prevalence of hypertension in pre-clinical medical students.Method: This study used an analytical observational study design with a cross-sectional approach and simple random sampling of 212 pre-clinical medical students at the Atma Jaya Catholic University of Indonesia. The measuring instrument used was the K10 questionnaire, followed by blood pressure screening. The Kruskal-Wallis test using SPSS facilitated the univariate and bivariate data analysis.Results: The majority of the 212 respondents were female (61.8%), aged ranging from 18–21 years. Stress was identified in 49.1% of respondents, with mild stress (20.3%), moderate stress (15.6%), and severe stress (13.2%). Hypertension was detected in 11.8% of respondents, with 9.4% and 2.4% as grade 1 and 2 hypertension, respectively. High-normal blood pressure was detected in 20%. There was no significant relationship between stress levels and prevalence of hypertension among these pre-medical students (p-value for systolic pressure = 0.1318 and p-value for diastolic pressure = 0.8314).  Conclusion: Although there is no relationship between stress levels and hypertension in medical students, however, concerns need to be emphasized regarding prevalence of hypertension stress. Further thorough evaluation and intervention are needed to prevent future complications in future medical doctors. Therefore, a healthy lifestyle is encouraged

Effect of Yoga on Depression Levels in Older People Living in Nursing Home

Background: Older people, especially those living in nursing homes, have a higher risk of experiencing depressive disorders. This condition may lead to decreased physical health, decreased social and cognitive function, and increased risk of suicide attempts. One intervention to help the older people overcome depression is yoga. This study aimed to assess the effect of yoga on depression level in older people living in nursing homes.  Methods: This study applied a one-group pre-and post-test design. The Geriatric Depression Scale–15 (GDS-15) was used to measure depression levels. Participants were recruited from one of the nursing homes in Jakarta, Indonesia. Yoga intervention was performed directly in the nursing home 3 times a week for 9 weeks with   each practice duration of 40 minutes. The paired t-test was used to evaluate the statistical difference in depression scores between pre-and post-intervention. Result: There were 29 out of a total of 68 residents were interviewed after the inclusion and exclusion study was conducted, resulting in 18 respondents who experienced depression and participated in yoga intervention. The majority respondents had mild depression (10 of 12). There was a significant difference in depression scores before and after doing yoga activities (t=11; p<0.001).Conclusion: Yoga can be an effective intervention to reduce depression among older people in nursing homes and yoga as a form of physical activity for the elderly may improve their wellness and enhance quality of life

25-hydroxyvitamin D Serum Level and Risk of Knee Osteoarthritis in the Elderly

Background: Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative joint disease that commonly affects the elderly, particularly in the knees. The OA may lead to chronic pain, physical limitations, depression, and significantly impact an individual's ability to participate in social, occupational, and community activities, ultimately reducing quality of life. Vitamin D has been suggested as a factor that may help reduce the risk of knee OA in older adults. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels and the risk of knee OA among elderly.Methods: This cross-sectional study involved elderly residents of a nursing home in North Jakarta, Indonesia. Data was collected through interviews and physical examinations of both knees following the American Rheumatism Knee OA diagnostic criteria. Participants who met these criteria were classified as high-risk for knee OA. Blood samples were taken to measure 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) levels using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The Chi-square test was used for bivariate analysis.Results: Of the 48 participants involved, the majority were female (64.6%) and aged between 70-79 years (47.9%). A total of 22.9% of participants were classified as 25(OH)D insufficient and 25% were deficient. Interestingly, 62.5% were at high risk of knee OA. There was a significant association between 25(OH)D levels and the risk of knee OA (p=0.031).Conclusions: The 25(OH)D serum level has a significant association with the risk of knee OA. Increasing sunlight exposure through daily outdoor activities and considering vitamin D supplementation can help mitigate the risk of knee OA, thereby improving bone health and preventing OA in the elderly

Nuclear Changes Features in Buccal Mucosa Smear of Adult Male Smokers Using Pappaniculou Staining

Background: Tobacco smoke contains a combination of chemicals that could be harmful to the buccal mucosa as the first part of the body that has been exposed. Damage to the buccal epithelial cells has the potential to become a malignant lesion. This study aimed to describe changes in the nuclear epithelial of the buccal mucosa using Pappaniculou staining as an indicator of mucosal damage in smokers.Methods: This was a descriptive analytical study, involving adult male participants from Bale Endah District, Bandung Regency, Indonesia aged >35 years, who had smoked for ≥10 years. Buccal mucosa smear was taken, and the features of nuclear epithelial changes were observed per 500 cells, each at 400x magnification with Pappaniculou stain to evaluate the features of micronucleus, broken egg, karyorrhexis, karyolysis. Those who did not smoke were recruited as a control group.Results: Smokers were mostly light active smokers or kretek cigarettes, with a smoking duration of ≥15 years. The frequency of micronucleus (p<0.001), broken eggs (p<0.001), karyorrhexis (p=0.001), karyolysis (p=0.003) in the buccal mucosal epithelial was significantly different between the smoker and non-smoker groups.Conclusions: All epithelial nuclear changes have shown significant differences between smoker and non-smoker groups. Nuclear epithelial features in smoker may be associated with future malignancies, therefore, smoking cessation programs are necessary to substantially reduce tobacco use, thus fostering a healthy lifestyle for everyone

Family Support in Adherence to Oral Anti-Diabetic Medications among Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Background: Adherence to medication is an important aspect in type 2 diabetes mellitus management. One of the factors that determine medication adherence is family support. This study aimed to analyze the relationship between family support and adherence to oral anti-diabetic medications in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.Methods: This study was a quantitative, non-experimental correlational study with a cross-sectional method conducted in December 2022–January 2023 on patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus at the Pasirkaliki Public Health Center, Bandung City, Indonesia.  The study used a minimal sampling method. Data collection analysis was performed using the SPSS program with the Chi-square test.Results: In total, 50 respondents were included, of whom the majority (n30; 60%) had good family support, whereas 17 (34%) had sufficient family support, and only 3 (6%) had poor family support. A good level of medication adherence was indicated by 39 (78%). There was a significant relationship between family support and adherence to oral anti-diabetic medications in type 2 diabetes mellitus (p=0.003).Conclusions: A good relationship between family support and adherence to oral anti-diabetic medications is crucial in enhancing quality of life and wellness among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Research related to other factors that affect adherence to oral anti-diabetic medications warrant further studies

Exploring the Therapeutic Potential of Mimosa pudica L. in Indonesian Traditional Medicine

Background: Traditional medicine and traditional healers have a long history of treating diseases in Indonesia. One of the plants that has been used by traditional healers (battra) is Mimosa pudica L. (MP), which is easily found throughout Indonesia. This study aimed to explore the therapeutic potential of traditional herbal medicine containing MP by battra in Indonesia. Methods: This study used a descriptive method using secondary data from the Research on Medicinal Plants and Herbal Medicine (Riset tumbuhan obat dan jamu/RISTOJA), which was conducted in 2012, 2015 and 2017 by the Ministry of Health Indonesia. This study analyzed the utility of MP from 106 concoctions made by 90 battras, from 80 ethnic groups in 23 provinces of Indonesia. Concoctions were categorised based on the parts used, and the herbs’ composition, including preparation and administration. Results: Mimosa pudica L. (MP) in 106 concoctions divided into 48 single-plant uses and 70 multi-plants uses, to treat 38 diseases. The most concoctions were for skin diseases (10 concoctions), followed by rheumatism and gout (9), tumor/cancer and cough (8), haemorrhoids (7), diabetes (6), low back pain (4), and jaundice (4). The most common administration was orally (65.1%). The leaves were the most widely used in herbal medicine, by drinking after being boiled in water.Conclusions: This study provides information on the use of Mimosa pudica L. (MP) concoctions by battra from various ethnic groups and provinces in Indonesia. MP has a variety of pharmacological activities that are consistent with its use in traditional medicine, even potentially addressing age-related diseases such as antidiabetic, anticholesterol, and antihyperlipidemic. Further studies are needed to evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of multi-ingredient herbal medicines, as well as its preparation and administration in relation to hygiene

Comparison between Keros and Gera Classifications on Paranasal Sinuses Computed Tomography Scan in One Teaching Hospital in Medan, Indonesia

Background: Functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS) is a surgical procedure for chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). Keros and Gera classification can be used to evaluate the height and angle of the lateral lamella (LL) on computed tomography (CT) scan of the paranasal sinuses (PNS) which is the most dangerous area and at risk of injury during FESS. This study aimed to analyze the difference between Keros and Gera classifications on CT scans of PNS.Methods: This study was a cross-sectional study using the results of PNS CT scans from 94 patients at Prof. Dr. Chairuddin Panusunan Lubis Universitas Sumatera Utara Hospital, Medan, Indonesia for the period January–December 2022. The Keros and Gera classification of PNS CT scan were compared based on age and gender and then analyzed using the Chi-Square test. The results were significant if the p-value < 0.05.Results: The most common type of right-sided Keros classification was type 2 (54.3%) and left-sided was type 1 (56%), while the most common type of right-sided and left-sided Gera classification were type 2 (67% and 80.8%). A significant difference was found between the Keros and Gera classification types (p <0.001).  The higher the Keros type did not guarantee the higher Gera type, each type of Keros could be paired with each type of Gera.Conclusions: There is a significant difference between Keros and Gera classification on the results of PNS CT scan of patients. Keros classification alone is not enough to identify the high-risk areas at the skull base, therefore, a combination with Gera classification needs to be evaluated by a radiologist to help the clinician in planning a safer FESS