Predictors of Delay in Seeking Health Care among Myocardial Infarction Patients, Minia District, Egypt

Objectives. To determine the barriers that hinder early seeking of medical care among Minia's myocardial infarction patients. Methods. The study was based on individual interviews with 207 men and women with a first confirmed myocardial infarction (MI), admitted to the coronary care units of hospitals in Minia city in the period from April 1 to August 30, 2014. Data was collected via structured questionnaire and patient medical charts. The delay was evaluated by assisting patients to triangulate time of symptom onset and time of professional health care by placing both times in context of daily activities that participants could easily remember. Results. The median (25th, 75th percentiles) delay time was 4 (2, 10) h. Only 32.8% of patients arrived within 2 hours of symptoms onset. Variables that significantly predicted prehospital delay time were patient's misinterpretation of nature of pain with OR 8.98 (95% CI) (3.97-20.32), illiteracy 7.98 (2.77-22.95), age (>65) 5.07 (1.57-16.29), and pain resistance behavior 4.61 (2.04-10.41). Conclusions. Interventions to decrease prehospital delay must focus on improving public awareness of acute myocardial infarction symptoms and increasing their knowledge on early treatment benefits

Predictors of Delay in Seeking Health Care among Myocardial Infarction Patients, Minia District, Egypt

Objectives. To determine the barriers that hinder early seeking of medical care among Minia’s myocardial infarction patients. Methods. The study was based on individual interviews with 207 men and women with a first confirmed myocardial infarction (MI), admitted to the coronary care units of hospitals in Minia city in the period from April 1 to August 30, 2014. Data was collected via structured questionnaire and patient medical charts. The delay was evaluated by assisting patients to triangulate time of symptom onset and time of professional health care by placing both times in context of daily activities that participants could easily remember. Results. The median (25th, 75th percentiles) delay time was 4 (2, 10) h. Only 32.8% of patients arrived within 2 hours of symptoms onset. Variables that significantly predicted prehospital delay time were patient’s misinterpretation of nature of pain with OR 8.98 (95% CI) (3.97–20.32), illiteracy 7.98 (2.77–22.95), age (>65) 5.07 (1.57–16.29), and pain resistance behavior 4.61 (2.04–10.41). Conclusions. Interventions to decrease prehospital delay must focus on improving public awareness of acute myocardial infarction symptoms and increasing their knowledge on early treatment benefits

Smoking prevalence among university students, Minia, Egypt

Cigarette smoking remains the leading cause of preventable disease, disability, and death, killing more than 8 million people a year around the world. Young adults and youths are the vulnerable group which the smoking companies focus on their markets. University students have higher risk to develop smoking habit because they start showing independency; friends have great influence on their behaviours, seeking attraction and popularity as well as being exposed to great social and emotional stresses. This study is conducted to Detect of smoking prevalence among university students, smoking influencing factors and to assess smoking index and its determining factors. This cross-sectional study was conducted among undergraduate students in Minia University, Minia, Egypt, during the period from March–to May, 2019 among 714 students; (426 from Faculty of Medicine and 288 from faculty of Arts and social sciences), using a self-administered questionnaire which include demographic characteristics including age, gender, type of college, study grade, nationality, family structure, socio-economic status and residence status.&nbsp