Determinants of active aging and quality of life among older adults: systematic review

IntroductionPopulation demography across the globe shows an increasing trend in the aging population due to better healthcare, improved nutrition, advanced health-related technology, and decreased fertility rate. Despite these advancements, there remains a knowledge gap in understanding the association between active aging determinants and quality of life (QoL) among older adults, particularly within diverse cultural contexts, which has not been adequately explored in previous research. Therefore, understanding the association between active aging determinants and QoL can help policymakers plan early interventions or programs to assist future older adults in both aging actively and optimizing their quality of life (QoL), as these two factors have a bidirectional relationship.ObjectiveThis study aimed to review evidence regarding the association between active aging and quality of life (QoL) among older adults and to determine the most widely used study designs and measurement instruments in studies conducted between 2000 and 2020.MethodsRelevant studies were identified by a systematic search of four electronic databases and cross-reference lists. Original studies examining the association between active aging and QoL in individuals aged 60 years or older were considered. The quality of the included studies and the direction and consistency of the association between active aging and QoL were assessed.ResultsA total of 26 studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in this systematic review. Most studies reported a positive association between active aging and QoL among older adults. Active aging had a consistent association with various QoL domains including physical environment, health and social services, social environment, economic, personal, and behavioral determinants.ConclusionActive aging had a positive and consistent association with several QoL domains among older adults, backing the notion that the better the active aging determinants, the better the QoL among older adults. Considering the broader literature, it is necessary to facilitate and encourage the active participation of older adults in physical, social, and economic activities for the maintenance and/or improvement of QoL. Identifying other possible determinants and enhancing the methods to improve those determinants may help improve the QoL among older adults

A nationwide survey of psychological distress among Indonesian residents during the COVID-19 pandemic

The Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has become a public health emergency. The speed at which COVID-19 become pandemic and spread all over the world is alarming. A critical aspect of this type of pandemic is on the mental health of the community. This survey aimed to describe psychological distress in Indonesia's general population during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data collection began on 1st April 2020 to 30th April 2020. An online survey using Google Form with snowball sampling method used in this study. A modified version of the COVID-19 peri-traumatic distress index (CPDI) with 24 items used. The survey questionnaire included socio-economic and demographic variables. The study's total responses were 1,287, with 33 excluded from the analysis because of incomplete responses or not meeting inclusion criteria. Results showed that 63.5% of respondents reported having normal or no distress, 34% were having mild to moderate levels of distress, and 2.8% having severe distress. Age is the only variable that correlates with the level of distress. Healthcare workers and the general population showed no significant differences in the level of distress. During the early break of the COVID-19 pandemic, around 40% of respondents rated their psychological state having moderate to severe distress. These findings can be used to develop better psychological intervention measures and prevention of mental health during the pandemic

Analysis of the Factors Influencing the Coding Quality in East Java Hospital of Indonesia: Diabetes Mellitus as A Case Study

Code precision has received significant attention due to the increased utilization of encoded procedural data. Coding errors have been documented in multiple research investigations. This study aims to assess the variables that affect coding quality. The prevalence of diabetes has increased substantially in the past two decades and is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality. Method: This study was conducted in 2 hospitals in East Java, Indonesia, that were selected through simple random sampling from a population of hospitals meeting the predefined inclusion criteria. The bed capacities of these hospitals are 211, with details of 62 and 149, respectively, for the specialised ones. The sample in this study was 60 medical record files taken randomly in 2022 in the case of diabetes mellitus. The result showed coding quality testing uses six elements: reliability, accuracy, relevancy, timeliness, completeness, and legibility. Data analysis was carried out analytically using the Fisher Exact test. The results of the study from 60 samples showed that four elements were significant out of a total of 6 aspects of coding quality elements. The four essential elements consisted of Accuracy (p=0.001), Reliability (p=0.001), Completeness (p=0.046), and Legibility (p=0.046). Reliability elements also impact coding accuracy or vice versa (p=0.001); Completeness also affects Legibility and vice versa (p=0.046). The odds ratio value of each component shows that Reliability and Accuracy are 8.782, which means that Reliability can increase Accuracy 8 times and vice versa. Meanwhile, completeness and legibility are at 3.818, which means completeness also increases legibility by three times and vice versa. The Hospitals should consider four significant coding quality elements, including completeness, accuracy, reliability, and legibility, for use in coding audits. Timeliness and Relevance were insignificant

The effect of vitamin D deficiency on glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

Multiple factors are involved in the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), but an imbalance between free radical formation and antioxidant removal is the main cause of diabetic complications. Micronutrients with antioxidant properties may have a role in the development of diabetes mellitus (DM) and its complications. Vitamin D has recently been found to have membrane antioxidant effect and a relationship to the development of T2DM, as it can modify its risk. Whether vitamin D deficiency has an effect on hyperglycemia in diabetic patients or not need further study. Our aim was to examine the effect of vitamin D deficiency on glycemic control in T2DM. We examined the vitamin D levels of 100 patients with T2DM and correlated them with fasting blood sugar and glycated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels. High levels of fasting blood sugar and HbA1c levels were significantly associated with vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D deficiency negatively affects glycemic control in patients with T2DM

Determinants of active aging and quality of life among older adults : systematic review

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Demographic and work-related factors associated with burnout, resilience, and quality of life among healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross sectional study from Malaysia

IntroductionThe healthcare setting is a stressful and demanding work environment, and healthcare workers face a continuous expansion of their job roles and responsibilities. Past studies have shown that factors affecting burnout, resilience, and quality of life among healthcare workers merit further research, as there were inconsistent findings, especially with regards to the influence of demographic and work-related factors. Therefore, this study aims to determine whether demographic and work-related factors are associated with burnout, resilience, and quality of life among healthcare workers.MethodThis cross-sectional study was conducted between February 15, 2022 and March 15, 2022, among 394 healthcare workers from Putrajaya and Selangor hospitals, Malaysia. Maslach Burnout Inventory, World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF 26 inventory, and Brief Resilience Scale were utilized to capture information on burnout, quality of life, and resilience, respectively.ResultsThe mean score of physical health of participants who work more than 10 h (11.38) is lower than participants who work from 8 to 10 h (13.00) and participants who work 7 h daily (13.03), p-value < 0.001. Similarly, the mean score of psychological health of participants who work more than 10 h (12.35) is lower than participants who work from 8 to 10 h (13.72) and participants who work 7 h daily (13.68), p-value = 0.001. Higher income levels were associated with high resilience and quality of life.ConclusionIt is imperative that healthcare practitioners and policy makers adopt and implement interventions to promote a healthy workplace environment, address ethical concerns, and prevent burnout among healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Managing the issue of long working hours could possibly result in improved resilience, burnout, and quality of life among healthcare workers. Despite this study able to tickle out some policy specific areas where interventions are needed, identifying effective solutions and evaluating their efficiency will require larger and interventional studies

Comparative analysis of neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio and derived neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio with respect to outcomes of in-hospital coronavirus disease 2019 patients: A retrospective study

Introduction and objectivesIn patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), several abnormal hematological biomarkers have been reported. The current study aimed to find out the association of neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and derived NLR (dNLR) with COVID-19. The objective was to compare the accuracy of both of these markers in predicting the severity of the disease.Materials and methodsThe study was conducted in a single-center having patients with COVID-19 with a considerable hospital stay. NLR is easily calculated by dividing the absolute neutrophil count (ANC) with the absolute lymphocyte count (ALC) {ANC/ALC}, while dNLR is calculated by ANC divided by total leukocyte count minus ANC {ANC/(WBC-ANC)}. Medians and interquartile ranges (IQR) were represented by box plots. Multivariable logistic regression was performed obtaining an odds ratio (OR), 95% CI, and further adjusted to discover the independent predictors and risk factors associated with elevated NLR and dNLR.ResultsA total of 1,000 patients with COVID-19 were included. The baseline NLR and dNLR were 5.00 (2.91–10.46) and 4.00 (2.33–6.14), respectively. A cut-off value of 4.23 for NLR and 2.63 for dNLR were set by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. Significant associations of NLR were obtained by binary logistic regression for dependent outcome variables as ICU stay (p < 0.001), death (p < 0.001), and invasive ventilation (p < 0.001) while that of dNLR with ICU stay (p = 0.002), death (p < 0.001), and invasive ventilation (p = 0.002) on multivariate analysis when adjusted for age, gender, and a wave of pandemics. Moreover, the indices were found correlating with other inflammatory markers such as C-reactive protein (CRP), D-dimer, and procalcitonin (PCT).ConclusionBoth markers are equally reliable and sensitive for predicting in-hospital outcomes of patients with COVID-19. Early detection and predictive analysis of these markers can allow physicians to risk assessment and prompt management of these patients

The obstacles to combat against COVID-19 pandemic and the remedies: Bangladesh scenario

Background: Bangladesh has been going through the austerity of the unique COVID-19 for more than a year like several other nations in the world in spite of concerted efforts taken by the government along with other concerned authorities who have advocated compulsory guidelines involving social distancing procedures accompanied by lockdown to have control over the pandemic. In this paper, the barriers faced by the government to protect people from the COVID-19 pandemic have been investigated. Also, the number of daily infected people against the number of daily tests has been underlined to comprehend the overall pandemic picture in Bangladesh. Design and Methods: A descriptive study has been carried out to investigate the obstacles to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic for this country. The intensity of the outbreaks of the pandemic in this country is stated from March 8, 2020, to February 12, 2021. Secondary data have been employed from different sources to serve the goals of the study. Results: The poor management in the health sector of Bangladesh has been an issue of major concern during the early stage of COVID-19 which incorporates deficiency of medical equipment, lack of facilities for testing COVID-19, poor patient management, and uncertainty in the medication system. Finally, some recommendations have been proposed for the concerned organizations to tackle the current pandemic and as well in the future. Conclusions: To control this COVID-19 pandemic, it is necessary to find the difficulties and discover the remedies which have been done in this paper for the Bangladesh perspective

Value of biochemical markers in predicting outcome of COVID-19 infection in University Hospital, Alexandria, Egypt

This paper aims to examine the value of different biochemical markers in predicting the outcome of COVID-19 infection. A total of 140 patients with confirmed COVID-19 infection by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), different biochemical markers were tested, their relation to the outcome of the disease was monitored, and the most reliable tests were determined. The study found a significant correlation between all evaluated biochemical markers and severity of the disease, including C-reactive protein (CRP), D-dimer, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), Aspartate aminotransferase (AST), prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT). In addition, ferritin, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), procalcitonin (PCT) and Pro- Brain natriuretic peptide (proBNP) demonstrated highly sensitivity and specificity as well as significant prognostic performance. These markers were also independently significant in predicting mortality. Early assessment of biochemical markers in patients with COVID-19 can help clinicians in tailoring treatment and providing more intensive care to those with greater mortality risk. In particular, the assessment of ferritin, LDH, procalcitonin and proBNP can independently predict mortality