Prevalence and associated risk factors for mental health problems among young adults in Fiji Island during COVID-19: a cross-sectional study

IntroductionThe COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on mental health globally. To understand the impact of the pandemic on mental health in Fiji, this study aimed to investigate the prevalence of anxiety disorder and depression among the young adults.MethodAn online survey was conducted to assess the prevalence of anxiety disorder and depression among the general population in Suva, Fiji during the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 1,119 Fiji adults participated in the study. The study was conducted between May 20 to June 30, 2022, using a snowball sampling via social media platforms. The Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) and Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) scales were used to measure anxiety and depression, respectively. The COVID-19 related stressors was evaluated using the adapted SARS stressors assessment. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the factors influencing mental health among respondents.ResultsThe result shows that a significant portion of individuals experienced each of the stressors, with the highest prevalence seen for hearing information about the severity of COVID-19. The prevalence of anxiety and depression was found to be 45% and 49%, respectively. Being female, having pre-existing illness and COVID-19 stressors were a risk factor to develop anxiety and depression. On the other hand, employed individuals and having high BMI was a protective factor against developing depression during COVID-19 lockdown.ConclusionThese findings highlight the importance of addressing the mental health needs of the Fijian population during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond

Knowledge, attitudes and practices of healthcare professionals toward the novel coronavirus during the early stage of COVID-19 in a lower-and-middle income country, Bangladesh

Healthcare workers (HCWs) are at an increased risk of COVID-19 infection because of their direct exposure to suspected and confirmed coronavirus patients in healthcare facilities. This condition is even more acute in low-and lower-middle-income countries (LMICs). Given the poor healthcare settings of Bangladesh, it is challenging to halt the spread of infection without proper knowledge, attitudes, and good behavioral practices (KAPs). Therefore, this study conducted a cross-sectional study from May 5 to 31, 2020, with 203 healthcare professionals to determine the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) toward COVID-19. Participants were doctors, nurses, dentists, and allied health professionals. A self-administered questionnaire including several KAP-related items aligned with the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines was distributed over various online platforms to collect data. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted to determine the factors influencing KAP levels. The majority of participants were male (52.22%). The prevalence of high knowledge levels, positive attitudes, and good practices were 51.23, 45.81, and 49.75%, respectively. Social media was the most common source for seeking coronavirus information. Workers at private institutions were less likely (OR = 0.56, 95% CI = 0.30–0.95, p < 0.05) to be knowledgeable than workers at public institutions. Doctors had more positive attitudes than other healthcare professionals. Older participants showed high rates of good behavioral practices (OR = 1.05, 95% CI = 1.06–1.32, p < 0.05) than younger ones. Workers at private institutions had a better practice level toward COVID-19 (OR = 2.11, 95% CI = 1.17–3.83) than those at public institutions. These results point to the necessity for proper training programs for medical professionals that help them gain confidence to deliver the correct treatment to their patients and the need to implement preventative steps during pandemics

Mental distress links with physical activities, sedentary lifestyle, social support, and sleep problems: A Syrian population cross-sectional study

BackgroundMental diseases are very widespread and difficult to treat, affecting around 12% of the global population in 2019. Since social interaction is crucial to human existence and loneliness has been proven to be a significant predictor of depressive symptoms, it stands to reason that social connection problems would also contribute to depression. Physical inactivity seems to weaken and aggravate insulin tolerance alterations, glucose homeostasis, and plasma triglyceride levels, thereby influencing one's mood and happiness. This suggests that physical inactivity may be a significant risk factor for mental illness. This research contributes to our understanding of the mental health situation in Syria by exploring associations between a set of measurable characteristics that may be adjusted.MethodsAn online quantitative cross-sectional study was conducted between March and April 2022 in Syria, using a structured questionnaire that assesses data on behaviors of health, health in general, wellbeing, and adult population quality of life.ResultsAmong 1,224 respondents (371 men and 853 women), women have shown higher levels of mental distress, sleep issues, low engagement in structured activities, and a difficult work environment than men. Women experiencing mental anguish have reported being more sedentary, participating in less scheduled activities, and receiving less social support.ConclusionsThere are observable connections between high sedentary time and women experiencing mental distress. The mental health of Syrian women in distress was associated with a lack of participation in both organized activities and physical exercise in their free time. Furthermore, sleep issues and financial troubles were seen in persons with mental diseases of both males and females

COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptance Rate and Its Factors among Healthcare Students: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis

Healthcare students are clinicians-in-training likely to come into contact with COVID-19 as much as other frontline healthcare professionals. It is therefore necessary to prioritize vaccinations for this group. We conducted a global systematic assessment of COVID-19 vaccine acceptance rates and related factors among healthcare students using the PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases and keyword searches in March of 2022. We found 1779 articles with relevant information and 31 articles that matched our inclusion criteria. We performed a random-effects meta-analysis and quality assessment using the eight-item Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal test for cross-sectional studies. A total of 30,272 individuals from 16 countries were studied. Most of the studies were carried out in the U.S. (n = 6), China (n = 5), Poland (n = 5), India (n = 2), Italy (n = 2), and Israel (n = 2). The prevalence of the COVID-19 vaccine acceptance rate was 68.8% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 60.8–76.3, I2 = 100%), and the prevalence of the vaccine hesitancy rate was 25.8% (95% CI: 18.5–33.8, I2 = 99%). In country-specific analyses, Romania showed the highest acceptance rate (88.0%, 95% CI: 44.5–100%), while Iraq showed the lowest acceptance rate (66.2%, 95% CI: 35.5–90.8%). In time-trend analyses, we found that acceptance rates among healthcare students decreased over time. Students concerned about potentially serious side effects of the vaccine were less willing to accept the vaccine. National and international interventions should be adopted to reduce COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy rates among these important frontline workers

Spatial-temporal analysis of urban eco-environmental quality of an urban area using geo-spatial techniques: The case of Dhaka megacity, Bangladesh

This study determined the spatio-temporal changes of urban eco-environmental quality (UEEQ) of a rapidly growing megacity-Dhaka, Bangladesh, based on the Pressure-State-Response (PSR) framework. A comprehensive index with the combination of five vegetation indices and four urban indices that met the Pressure-State-Response (PSR) framework integrated through principal component analysis (PCA) was developed to assess urban eco-environmental quality index (UEQI) in 2000 and 2020. The results found that the high proportion of UEQI in the study area was very poor to poor and clustered in the city center and western periphery. Moran’s I and LISA confirmed the non-randomness pattern of UEQ in the city. The findings could provide a quantitative foundation for decision makers to balance eco-environmental quality and urbanization

Storm protection service of the Sundarbans mangrove forest, Bangladesh

Storm protection service of mangrove is often undervalued. This paper empirically assessed the damage avoided by the Sundarbans mangrove forest in 15 villages of southwest coastal Bangladesh, considering the super cyclone Sidr as reference point. The extent of damage of the cyclone was estimated for three situations: (1) villages protected by mangrove and within a polder, (2) villages not protected by mangrove but within a polder, and (3) villages not protected by mangrove and not within a polder. A questionnaire survey was conducted on 300 households selected from these villages by stratified random sampling. Significant differences in all the considered damage assessment attributes were obtained comparing the villages protected by mangrove with those not protected by mangrove. Quantifiable monetary loss associated with the cyclone was TK 69,726 (US$ 1025) per household in the villages sheltered by mangrove, which was about half compared to the villages not in the shadow of mangrove. Loss incurred per household was highest in villages that are not protected by mangrove and polder. Although local people highly valued the storm protection service of the Sundarbans mangrove forest, it is necessary to be emphasized in the disaster management policy of Bangladesh