Survey to measure the quality of life of patients with tuberculosis in Alexandria, Egypt: a cross-sectional study

Abstract Background Assessment of quality of life (QoL) in patients with tuberculosis (TB) may improve healthcare providers’ understanding of the disease burden. This study aimed to investigate the QoL of patients with TB in Alexandria, Egypt. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted in chest clinics and main chest hospitals in Alexandria, Egypt. A structured interview questionnaire was used to collect data from participants through face-to-face interviews from November 20, 2021, until the June 30, 2022. We included all adult patients aged 18 years or above during the intensive or continuation phase of treatment. The World Health Organization (WHO) WHOQOL-BREF instrument was used to measure QoL, which includes the physical, psychological, social relationships, and environmental health domains. Using propensity score matching, a group of TB free population was recruited from the same setting and completed the questionnaire. Results A total of 180 patients participated in the study: 74.4% were males, 54.4% were married, 60.0% were 18–40 years old, 83.3% lived in urban areas, 31.7% were illiterate, 69.5% reported insufficient income, and 10.0% had multidrug-resistant TB. The TB-free population group had higher QoL scores than the TB patients’ group: (65.0 ± 17.5 vs. 42.4 ± 17.8) for the physical domain, (59.2 ± 13.6 vs. 41.9 ± 15.1) for the psychological domain, (61.8 ± 19.9 vs. 50.3 ± 20.6) for the social domain, (56.3 ± 19.3 vs. 44.5 ± 12.8) for the environment domain, (4.0(3.0–4.0) vs. 3.0(2.0–4.0)) for general health, and (4.0(3.0–4.0) vs. 2.0(2.0–3.0)) for the general QoL, P < 0.0001. Patients with TB aged 18–30 years had the highest environmental score compared with the other age groups (P = 0.021). Conclusions TB had a significant negative impact on QoL, with the physical and psychological domains being the most affected. This finding necessitates strategies to improve QoL of patients with to enhance their compliance to treatment

Intention to vaccinate chronic disease children against COVID-19; a multicenter survey

Abstract Background Vaccination against severe acute respiratory distress syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has gained recognition as a crucial strategy to prevent and reduce the risk of infection, including emerging variants, due to its proven safety, immunogenicity, and effectiveness. This study aimed to evaluate the vaccination hesitancy (VH) among Egyptian parents towards SARS-CoV-2 vaccination, specifically focusing on parents with chronically ill children. Method A multicentered cross-sectional survey was conducted at outpatient clinics of El-Raml Pediatric Hospital, Ministry of Health and Population (MOHP) in Alexandria, Alexandria Main University Hospital for Maternity and Children (AMUH), Al-Galaa Teaching Hospital, General Organization for Teaching Hospitals and Institutes (GOTHI) Cairo, and Pediatric Department, Menoufia University Hospital from May 1st till December 15th, 2022. Parents of children with chronic diseases were recruited using a simple random sampling technique to respond to the validated Arabic version of parental attitudes about childhood vaccination (PACV). Results In this study, we enrolled 527 caregivers, 55.4% of them were aged 30–39 years old, 85.2% were females, and 46.9% had chronic diseases. Commonly mentioned information sources included television and radio (69.8%), and social media (35.3%). Among the parents studied, 59.6% refused vaccination. The predictors of the PACV score were governorate, Menoufia (β = 11.30, 95%CI [5.32, 17.27], p < 0.001), study setting, Menoufia University Hospital (β = -20.07, 95%CI [-25.40, -14.75] and El-Raml Hospital (β = -10.74, 95%CI [-14.50, -6.98], p < 0.001), income; not enough and loans repaid (β = 3.18, 95%CI [0.54, 5.82], p = 0.018) and not enough and loans not repaid (β = 3.57,95%CI [0.08, 7.07], p = 0.045). Conclusions The study reveals geographic and economic factors as predictors of PACV, and emphasizes the need for region-specific interventions and financial barriers to improve vaccine acceptance and child well-being

Quality of life among health care workers in Arab countries 2 years after COVID-19 pandemic

Background: Assessment of the quality of life (QoL) among healthcare workers (HCWs) is vital for better healthcare and is an essential indicator for competent health service delivery. Since the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic strike, the frontline position of HCWs subjected them to tremendous mental and psychological burden with a high risk of virus acquisition. Aim: This study evaluated the QoL and its influencing factors among HCWs residing in the Arab countries. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study using a self-administered online questionnaire based on the World Health Organization QoL-BREF instrument with additional questions related to COVID-19. The study was conducted in three different languages (Arabic, English, and French) across 19 Arab countries between February 22 and March 24, 2022. Results: A total of 3,170 HCWs were included in the survey. The majority were females (75.3%), aged 18–40 years (76.4%), urban residents (90.4%), married (54.5%), and were living in middle-income countries (72.0%). The mean scores of general health and general QoL were 3.7 ± 1.0 and 3.7 ± 0.9, respectively. Those who attained average physical, psychological, social, and environmental QoL were 40.8, 15.4, 26.2, and 22.3%, respectively. The income per capita and country income affected the mean scores of all QoL domains. Previous COVID-19 infection, having relatives who died of COVID-19, and being vaccinated against COVID-19 significantly affected the mean scores of different domains. Conclusion: A large proportion of the Arab HCWs evaluated in this study had an overall poor QoL. More attention should be directed to this vulnerable group to ensure their productivity and service provision