Influence of well-being and quality of work-life on quality of care among healthcare professionals in southwest, Nigeria

The Nigerian healthcare industry is bedevilled with infrastructural dilapidations and a dysfunctional healthcare system. This study investigated the influence of healthcare professionals' well-being and quality of work-life (QoWL) on the quality of care (QoC) of patients in Nigeria. A multicentre cross-sectional study was conducted at four tertiary healthcare institutions in southwest, Nigeria. Participants' demographic information, well-being, quality of life (QoL), QoWL, and QoC were obtained using four standardised questionnaires. Data were summarised using descriptive statistics. Inferential statistics included Chi-square, Pearson's correlation, independent samples t-test, confirmatory factor analyses and structural equation model. Medical practitioners (n = 609) and nurses (n = 570) constituted 74.6% of all the healthcare professionals with physiotherapists, pharmacists, and medical laboratory scientists constituting 25.4%. The mean (SD) participants' well-being = 71.65% (14.65), QoL = 61.8% (21.31), QoWL = 65.73% (10.52) and QoC = 70.14% (12.77). Participants' QoL had a significant negative correlation with QoC while well-being and quality of work-life had a significant positive correlation with QoC. We concluded that healthcare professionals' well-being and QoWL are important factors that influence the QoC rendered to patients. Healthcare policymakers in Nigeria should ensure improved work-related factors and the well-being of healthcare professionals to ensure good QoC for patients

The genetic architecture of the human cerebral cortex

The cerebral cortex underlies our complex cognitive capabilities, yet little is known about the specific genetic loci that influence human cortical structure. To identify genetic variants that affect cortical structure, we conducted a genome-wide association meta-analysis of brain magnetic resonance imaging data from 51,665 individuals. We analyzed the surface area and average thickness of the whole cortex and 34 regions with known functional specializations. We identified 199 significant loci and found significant enrichment for loci influencing total surface area within regulatory elements that are active during prenatal cortical development, supporting the radial unit hypothesis. Loci that affect regional surface area cluster near genes in Wnt signaling pathways, which influence progenitor expansion and areal identity. Variation in cortical structure is genetically correlated with cognitive function, Parkinson's disease, insomnia, depression, neuroticism, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

Exploring the life experiences of stroke survivors in Nigeria using the interpretive phenomenological analysis

Abstract Background The consequence of living as a stroke survivor has received significant attention in literature from different parts of the world. Enriching social relations and other factors are reported to influence the post-stroke experience. Differences in health systems, cultural factors and available resources have made it apt to explore the experience of life after a stroke in Nigerian stroke survivors. This study explored the lived experiences of Nigerian adult stroke survivors, with a focus on their concerns, hopes, dreams and daily routine experiences. Methods This qualitative study employed a phenomenological approach based on in-depth interviews with stroke survivors. Interpretative phenomenological analysis was used to analyse the in-depth exploration of the personal experiences of these stroke survivors and the meanings they attached to that experience. Results The participants in this study described their experiences, emphasising both the visible loss of mobility and emotional issues related to their condition. Three superordinate themes were identified: (1) stroke presentation; (2) affect, coping, and adaptation; and (3) social supports. Conclusion The study concluded that the experience of Nigerian stroke survivors is unique as it is a blend of supportive and non-supportive care scenarios, which is greatly associated with environmental and other intrinsic variables. Post-stroke mobility strongly influences the overall stroke experience

Quality of life and burden of informal caregivers of stroke survivors

Stroke rehabilitation has concentrated on patient-focused intervention, which has reduced the level of disabilities and has increased the number of stroke survivors being managed at home by caregivers. This study was aimed at determining the level of strain experienced by the caregivers of stroke survivors and the quality of life (QoL) of these caregivers. The QoL and caregiving burden among informal caregivers of stroke survivors seen at the physiotherapy outpatient clinic of two hospitals in south-western Nigeria were documented. Participants completed the Personal Wellbeing index for QoL measurement and Modified Caregivers Strain Index for measurement of Caregivers Burden Score. A total of 130 informal caregivers of stroke survivors participated in this study. The mean age of caregivers was 41.1 ± 14.0 years, while that of stroke survivors was 60.4 ± 10.9 years. Among the stroke survivors, 75 (57.8%) were female, whereas 74 (56.9%) of the caregivers were males. The results showed that caregivers' burden was inversely correlated to their QoL (p < 0.001). The lower functional status of the stroke survivors, as recorded by modified Rankin score and Barthel Index, was significantly associated with lower QoL and higher caregiver strain index of the caregivers

Best practice of prefabrication implementation in the Hong Kong public and private sectors

Prefabrication has been developed since the 1970s. The technologies have been further developed and improved for the past thirty years. The successful implementation of quality control and construction efficiency has been addressed with support from the public sector. The technologies however did not receive attention from the private sector since prefabrication requires dimensional coordination and standardization in the designs. This situation has changed from 2002 as the Hong Kong government promotes incentives schemes, i.e. gross floor area concessions for private developers to encourage them to adopt prefabrication techniques. This paper discusses and evaluates the best practice of prefabrication implementation in the Hong Kong public and private sectors using two leading case studies. Their adoption of prefabrication, construction methods and cost effectiveness are investigated. Discussions on effective implementation for the sectors have also been explored. The findings provide ameliorated understanding on the best practice of the implementation of prefabrication and provide courage for further improvement and implementation for the industry

A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Malaria Test Positivity Outcomes and Programme Interventions in Low Transmission Settings in Southern Africa, 2000&ndash;2021

Malaria is one of the most significant causes of mortality and morbidity globally, especially in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) countries. It harmfully disturbs the public&rsquo;s health and the economic growth of many developing countries. Despite the massive effect of malaria transmission, the overall pooled proportion of malaria positivity rate in Southern Africa is still elusive. Therefore, the objective of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to pool estimates of the incidence of the malaria positivity rate, which is the first of its kind in South African countries. A literature search is performed to identify all published articles reporting the incidence of malaria positivity in Southern Africa. Out of the 3359 articles identified, 17 studies meet the inclusion for systematic review and meta-analysis. In addition, because substantial heterogeneity is expected due to the studies being extracted from the universal population, random-effects meta-analyses are carried out to pool the incidence of the malaria positivity rate from diverse diagnostic methods. The result reveals that between-study variability is high (&tau;2 = 0.003; heterogeneity I2 = 99.91% with heterogeneity chi-square &chi;2 = 18,143.95, degree of freedom = 16 and a p-value &lt; 0.0001) with the overall random pooled incidence of 10% (95%CI: 8&ndash;13%, I2 = 99.91%) in the malaria positivity rate. According to the diagnostic method called pooled incidence estimate, the rapid diagnostic test (RDT) is the leading diagnostic method (17%, 95%CI: 11&ndash;24%, I2 = 99.95%), followed by RDT and qPCR and RDT and loop mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP), respectively, found to be (3%, 95%CI: 2&ndash;3%, I2 = 0%) and (2%, 95%CI: 1&ndash;3%, I2 = 97.94%).Findings of the present study suggest high malaria positive incidence in the region. This implies that malaria control and elimination programmes towards malaria elimination could be negatively impacted and cause delays in actualising malaria elimination set dates. Further studies consisting of larger samples and continuous evaluation of malaria control programmes are recommended

Psychological climate in occupational safety and health : the safety awareness of construction workers in South China

The number of accidents on construction sites has been depressingly high in the last 10 years. A broad variety of safety measures have been implemented on sites, such as encouraging workers to put on personal protective equipment and launching regular safety toolboxes. This has tended to strengthen safety awareness and improved compliance with safety regulations. The study of discrepancies in psychological climate among workers and how psychological climate interacts with external factors thus plays a prime role in understanding safety. This paper examines external factors with psychological climate that the workers possess on their safety awareness. A questionnaire survey was conducted in the construction industry in South China (Shenzhen, Hong Kong and Macau). A research hypothesis model is thus developed for understanding the interrelationship among parameters with respect to workers' psychological conditions. It emerged that two external factors ‒ physical working environment and social influence ‒ affect psychological conditions, whereas negative affectivity, risk-taking tendency and perceived utility of safety measures affect the safety awareness of the workers. Of these, the physical working environment has the strongest influence on negative affectivity and the perceived usefulness of safety measures has the strongest influence on safety awareness