Impact of Continuous Professional Education on Leadership for Rehabilitation Professionals in Bangladesh: A Pilot Study

Background: In healthcare and rehabilitation profession, continuous professional education (CPE) is deemed as an essential tool by institutions, regulatory bodies and organizations. It is considered to be a safeguard to professional practice to ensure patient safety and efficient service delivery. Leadership program is an emerging subject that integrates technical, management and leadership skill that found indispensable to enhance ultimate professional development. Objective: The purpose of this article is to explore the potential impact of CPE on leadership training for rehabilitation professionals in Bangladesh. Methodology: This pilot study was a mixed methods study. 20 rehabilitation professionals participated in the study. Quantitative data were collected by structured questionnaire and qualitative data were obtained by face to face video recording interviews. Quantitative data were analyzed by Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS)   and thematic analysis was considered for qualitative data. Result: Study findings showed that 95% of the participants (n=19) were in their 2nd to 3rd decade of life, there mean age were 26 and male participation (n=12) were higher than female (n=8). Highest academic qualification was master’s degree and none of the participants attended leadership training before. Overall objective, planning and atmosphere of the training course, quality of trainers and time management seemed effective and satisfactory to the participants they agreed with. Leadership qualities and elements have profound impacts on knowledge and attitude towards positivity in performing professional duties and Responsibilities. The training also enhances motivation to be a skilled professional in clinical practice, also encourages serving with outmost excellence towards patients or clients. Conclusion: The study demonstrates that education on leadership to professionals have an impact on motivation and positivity towards developing technical, management and professional skills. The study may have impact on developing diverse qualities of a professional in personal and organizational perspective; this can be explored by continuing education on leadership and evaluation of the behavioral changes, professional and management skills in rehabilitation professionals’ serving in an organization in longer run

Knowledge, attitudes, and fear of COVID-19 during the Rapid Rise Period in Bangladesh

The study aims to determine the level of Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice (KAP) related to COVID-19 preventive health habits and perception of fear towards COVID-19 in subjects living in Bangladesh. Design: Prospective, cross-sectional survey of (n = 2157) male and female subjects, 13–88 years of age, living in Bangladesh. Methods: Ethical approval and trial registration were obtained before the commencement of the study. Subjects who volunteered to participate and signed the informed consent were enrolled in the study and completed the structured questionnaire on KAP and Fear of COVID-19 scale (FCV-19S). Results: Twenty-eight percent (28.69%) of subjects reported one or more COVID-19 symptoms, and 21.4% of subjects reported one or more co-morbidities. Knowledge scores were slightly higher in males (8.75± 1.58) than females (8.66± 1.70). Knowledge was significantly correlated with age (p < .005), an education level (p < .001), attitude (p < .001), and urban location (p < .001). Knowledge scores showed an inverse correlation with fear scores (p < .001). Eighty-three percent (83.7%) of subjects with COVID-19 symptoms reported wearing a mask in public, and 75.4% of subjects reported staying away from crowded places. Subjects with one or more symptoms reported higher fear compared to subjects without (18.73± 4.6; 18.45± 5.1). Conclusion: Bangladeshis reported a high prevalence of self-isolation, positive preventive health behaviors related to COVID-19, and moderate to high fear levels. Higher knowledge and Practice were found in males, higher education levels, older age, and urban location. Fear of COVID-19 was more prevalent in female and elderly subjects. A positive attitude was reported for the majority of subjects, reflecting the belief that COVID-19 was controllable and containable

Clinical presentation of post-COVID pain and its impact on quality of life in long COVID patients: a cross-sectional household survey of SARS-CoV-2 cases in Bangladesh

Background Pain is one of the prevalent Long COVID Symptoms (LCS). Pain interferes with the quality of life (QoL) and induces disease burden. Purpose The study aimed to elicit the clinical presentation of pain and determine the relationships between QoL and pain in LCS. Methods This household cross-sectional study of 12,925 SARS-CoV-2 cases between July and December 2021 was carried out in eight administrative divisions of Bangladesh. Stratifed random sampling from the cases retrieved from the Ministry of Health was employed. Symptom screening was performed through COVID-19 Yorkshire Rehabilitation Scale, and long COVID was diagnosed according to World Health Organization (WHO) criteria. The analyses were conducted using IBM SPSS (Version 20.00). Results The prevalence of pain in long COVID was between 01 and 3.1% in the studied population. The study also found fve categories of pain symptoms as LCS in Bangladesh: muscle pain 3.1% (95% CI; 2.4–3.8), chest pain 2.4% (95% CI; 1.8–3.1), joint pain 2.8% (95% CI; 2.2–2.3), headache 3.1% (95% CI; 2.4–3.8), and abdominal pain 0.3% (95% CI; 0.01–0.5). People with LCS as pain, multiple LCS, and longer duration of LCS had signifcantly lower quality of life across all domains of the WHOQOL-BREF (P<0.001) compared to asymptomatic cases. Conclusion Three out of ten people with long COVID experience painful symptoms, which can signifcantly reduce their quality of life. Comprehensive rehabilitation can improve the symptoms and reduce the burden of the disease

The assessment of musculoskeletal disorders, quality of life, and comorbidities in older people in Bangladesh

Musculoskeletal disorders are debilitating conditions that significantly impact the state of health, especially in older people. The study, which employed a cross-sectional design and practical sampling, included 206 participants among them 124 (62.2%) were men and 82 (39.8%) were women, from all over Bangladesh with musculoskeletal issues of varying severity and impact. The mean age of the participants was 64.9 (SD 4.3). The study was carried out between January and June of 2022. The majority of participants experienced musculoskeletal pain. Back pain was the most commonly complained of symptom among the participants (74.9%). It was also common to have limited mobility as a result of arthritic change, which eventually affected daily activities like taking care of oneself. To improve the health of the older adult population, more studies must be conducted to identify the many factors that contribute to musculoskeletal issues. The development of effective prevention and rehabilitation programs must then be based on this knowledge

Profile of long COVID symptoms needing rehabilitation: a cross-sectional household survey of 12,925 SARS-CoV-2 cases between July and December 2021 in Bangladesh

Background and aims : It is important to determine the profile of long COVID (LC) symptoms within the scope of rehabilitation in Bangladesh. This study’s objective was to estimate the newly experienced long COVID symptoms needing rehabilitation by determining the prevalence and spectrum of impairments due to LC in Bangladesh. Methods A Cross-sectional household survey of 12,925 COVID-19 patients confirmed by RT-PCR from 24 testing facilities in Bangladesh. LC was diagnosed according to WHO working group definition. COVID-19 Yorkshire Rehabilitation Scale (C19-YRS) was used to determine the symptom responses, symptom severity, new long COVID symptoms, and scope of rehabilitation. Results The population proportion of LC symptoms requiring rehabilitation interventions are 0.22 [95% CI, 0.20–0.24] in Bangladeshi people diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2. Among them, 0.08 [95% CI, 0.07–0.09] had mild, 0.07 [95% CI, 0.06–0.09] had moderate, and 0.05 [95% CI, 0.04–0.06] had severe long COVID symptoms (LCS). There was a significant positive correlation between LCS and functional disabilities (r=0.889, p<0.001), while a negative correlation was observed between the severity of symptoms and overall health (r=-0.658, p<0.001). In comparison to the pre-COVID status, 17 new LCS were observed and the increase in the scope of rehabilitation intervention among LCS ranged between 0.01 [95% CI, 0.001–0.01] and 0.21 [95% CI, 0.19–0.22]. In Bangladesh, 59% (n=334) of the LC cases are out of reach for any rehabilitation interventions. Conclusion Nearly one-fourth of Bangladeshi Post-COVID-19 have long COVID (LC). Seventeen symptoms (LCS) were observed and more than half of the populations having long COVID are out of reach of any rehabilitation facilities

Community Coping Strategies for COVID-19 in Bangladesh: A Nationwide Cross-Sectional Survey

It is important to know the community coping strategies during the rapid uprise of a pandemic, as this helps to predict the consequences, especially in the mental health spectrum. This study aims to explore coping strategies used by Bangladeshi citizens during the major wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Design: Prospective, cross-sectional survey of adults living in Bangladesh. Methods: Participants were interviewed for socio-demographic data and completed the Bengali-translated Brief-COPE Inventory. COPING indicators were categorized in four ways, such as approach, avoidant, humor, and religion. Results: Participants (N = 2001), aged 18 to 86 years, were recruited from eight administrative divisions within Bangladesh (mean age 31.85 ± 14.2 years). The male-to-female participant ratio was 53.4% (n = 1074) to 46.6% (n = 927). Higher scores were reported for approach coping styles (29.83 ± 8.9), with lower scores reported for avoidant coping styles (20.83 ± 6.05). Humor coping scores were reported at 2.68 ± 1.3, and religion coping scores at 5.64 ± 1.8. Both men and women showed similar coping styles. Multivariate analysis found a significant relationship between male gender and both humor and avoidant coping (p &lt; 0.01). Male gender was found to be inversely related to both religion and approach coping (p &lt; 0.01). Marital status and education were significantly related to all coping style domains (p &lt; 0.01). The occupation was related to approach coping (p &lt; 0.01). Rural and urban locations differed in participants’ coping styles (p &lt; 0.01). Exploratory factor analysis revealed two cluster groups (factors 1 and 2) of mixed styles of coping. Conclusions: Participants in this study coped with the COVID-19 pandemic by utilizing mixed coping strategies. This study finds female gender, the married, elderly, and rural populations were adaptive to positive approaches to coping, whereas the male and educated population had the avoidant approach to coping

The Influence of Board Structure on GRI-Based Sustainability Reporting: Evidence from Turkish Listed Companies

The primary objective of this study is to test the link between board structure and Global Reporting Initiative (GRI)-based sustainability reporting. Using a logistic regression model that included a sample of the 64 largest companies listed on Borsa Istanbul (BIST), the Turkish stock exchange, we determined that the board size as well as the existence of a board committee (i.e., corporate social responsibility, environmental or sustainability committee) is significantly and positively related to GRI-based sustainability reporting. However, to our surprise, we also determined that companies with national diverse boards are less likely to publish GRI-based sustainability reports. Further, our findings revealed that board independence and board gender diversity are not significant predictors of GRI reporting. The overall findings of this study imply that the board structure occupies a limited role in determining corporate decisions with respect to sustainability reporting practices. This research contributes to the literature by enhancing our understanding of the association between board structure and sustainability reporting in a developing country, namely Turkey. Further, it contributes to the literature by empirically investigating the relationship between board diversity and GRI-based sustainability reporting, which has been rarely examined in prior research