Burnout as a predictor of depression: a cross-sectional study of the sociodemographic and clinical predictors of depression amongst nurses in Cameroon

Background: Depression is a debilitating mental health condition which affects an estimated 350 million people worldwide annually. Nurses are twice as likely to suffer from depression than professionals in other professions. This leads to a considerable loss of efficiency and productivity. We sought to determine the prevalence and predictors of depression among nurses in Cameroon. Methods: Cross-sectional analysis carried out over 6 months (January – June 2018) using nurses from public and private healthcare institutions sampled consecutively in the two English-speaking regions (North west and South west regions) of Cameroon. The nurses were handed a structured, printed, self-administered questionnaire to fill and hand in at their earliest convenience. Depression and burnout were assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire – 9 and the Oldenburg Burnout Inventory respectively. Results: A total of 143 nurses were recruited (mean age: 29.75 ± 6.55 years; age range: 20–55 years, 32.87% male). The overall prevalence of depression was 62.24%. Independent predictors of depression after multivariable analysis were: Number of night shifts a week (adjusted odds ratio: 1.58; p value: 0.045, 95% CI; 1.01, 2.48) and Total Oldenburg Burnout Inventory score (adjusted odds ratio: 1.21, p value: 0.001; 95% CI; 1.08, 1.35). Recreational drug use was also found to perfectly predict the outcome – depression. Conclusion: Depression is highly prevalent among nurses in the English-speaking regions of Cameroon. Accurate predictors could prove vital for early detection and management of affected individuals. Predictors presented herein require further investigation via multicentric nationwide studies, to obtain more generalizable results. Keywords: Burnout syndrome, Nurses, Depression, Cameroon, Oldenburg burnout inventory, Patient health Questionnaire-

Overview of the MOSAiC expedition: Snow and sea ice

Year-round observations of the physical snow and ice properties and processes that govern the ice pack evolution and its interaction with the atmosphere and the ocean were conducted during the Multidisciplinary drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate (MOSAiC) expedition of the research vessel Polarstern in the Arctic Ocean from October 2019 to September 2020. This work was embedded into the interdisciplinary design of the 5 MOSAiC teams, studying the atmosphere, the sea ice, the ocean, the ecosystem, and biogeochemical processes. The overall aim of the snow and sea ice observations during MOSAiC was to characterize the physical properties of the snow and ice cover comprehensively in the central Arctic over an entire annual cycle. This objective was achieved by detailed observations of physical properties and of energy and mass balance of snow and ice. By studying snow and sea ice dynamics over nested spatial scales from centimeters to tens of kilometers, the variability across scales can be considered. On-ice observations of in situ and remote sensing properties of the different surface types over all seasons will help to improve numerical process and climate models and to establish and validate novel satellite remote sensing methods; the linkages to accompanying airborne measurements, satellite observations, and results of numerical models are discussed. We found large spatial variabilities of snow metamorphism and thermal regimes impacting sea ice growth. We conclude that the highly variable snow cover needs to be considered in more detail (in observations, remote sensing, and models) to better understand snow-related feedback processes. The ice pack revealed rapid transformations and motions along the drift in all seasons. The number of coupled ice–ocean interface processes observed in detail are expected to guide upcoming research with respect to the changing Arctic sea ice

Knowledge, Attitudes, Perceptions, and Practices towards Cardiovascular Disease Risk Prevention and Management in Patients Living with HIV in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Qualitative Systematic Review

Background: Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are projected to bypass HIV as the most common cause of death in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) by the year 2030. People living with HIV (PLHIV) are more likely to develop and suffer from complications of CVD compared to their HIV negative counterparts. CVD prevention is therefore critical in this group to maintain positive health outcomes and improve health indices in the entire region. To achieve this, it is important to assess patients’ understanding of CVD risks and explore their perceptions and practices, to design targeted interventions. This review was therefore performed to synthesise the best available qualitative evidence of the knowledge, attitudes, perceptions, and practices of CVD risk prevention and management from the perspective of PLHIV. Methods: Three electronic databases (MEDLINE, CINAHL, PUBMED) were searched for references up to August 2021. Six records from Malawi, Kenya, and South Africa were retrieved and synthesised through a thematic analysis approach. PLHIV in most of the studies had poor knowledge and perceptions about CVD risks. Results: Analysed data were categorised under two broad themes, namely, knowledge and perceptions, and attitudes and practices. Psychological factors such as stress and denial of HIV status and behavioural factors such as poor diet, physical inactivity, and taking antiretrovirals (ARVs) were often cited as the cause of CVDs. Patients were aware of the dangers of CVDs such as sudden death, vision loss, and heart attacks but had varied attitudes and practices towards its prevention. Financial hardship, unavailability of medication, and hearsay were the main factors that prevented adoption and adherence to both lifestyle measures and medical treatment. Conversely, social, community, family, and peer support, as well as the fear of developing life-threatening complications, motivated some PLHIV to adopt health-seeking behaviours and medical management. Conclusions: These findings highlight the need for improved patient education and multi-morbid health promotion. It also stresses the need for health policy reforms, and an integrated approach to HIV and CVD treatment and care in SSA

Determinants of burnout syndrome among nurses in Cameroon

Abstract Objectives Burnout syndrome is common amongst medical personnel. The objective of this study was to identify determinants of burnout syndrome among nurses in the north west and south west regions of Cameroon. Results A cross-sectional analysis during the months of January–June 2018 was carried out recruiting nurses consecutively after consent from state-owned and private hospitals in the English-speaking regions of Cameroon. Burnout was assessed using the Oldenburg Burnout Inventory (OLBI). Univariable regression analysis used to identify determinants of burnout syndrome among 143 nurses (mean age 29.75 ± 6.55 years) showed that being in a personal relationship (Beta = 2.25) significantly explained 3.8% of the variation in burnout (R2 = 3.8, F (1, 125) = 4.89, p = 0.029)

Sub-acute intestinal obstruction – a rare complication of Plasmodium falciparum malaria in an adult: a case report

Abstract Background Malaria remains a major public health problem in most tropical countries. It occasionally presents with both typical and atypical signs and symptoms. Gastrointestinal manifestations are common in malaria endemic areas but intestinal obstruction as a complication is extremely rare. Case presentation We present the case of a 42-year-old black African man who presented with signs and symptoms of intestinal obstruction and was diagnosed as having Plasmodium falciparum malaria. He was successfully treated with both parenteral and orally administered antimalarial medication and the intestinal obstruction subsequently resolved. Conclusion With intestinal obstruction being an important cause of morbidity and mortality, we report this case to highlight this rare complication of malaria and therefore increase physicians’ awareness and prompt diagnosis and management

Prevalence and factors associated with overweight and obesity in selected health areas in a rural health district in Cameroon: a cross-sectional analysis

BackgroundOverweight and obesity are major public health problems worldwide, with projections suggesting a proportional increase in the number of affected individuals in developing countries by the year 2030. Evidence-based preventive strategies are needed to reduce the burden of overweight and obesity in developing countries. We assessed the prevalence of, and factors associated with overweight and obesity in selected health areas in West Cameroon.MethodsData were collected from a community-based cross-sectional study, involving the consecutive recruitment of participants aged 18 years or older. Overweight and obesity were defined according to the WHO classification. The statistical software R (version 3.5.1, The R Foundation for statistical computing, Vienna, Austria) was used for statistical analysis. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to assess independent factors associated with overweight and obesity, and obesity.ResultsRecords of 485 participants were included for analysis. The age and sex-standardized prevalence of overweight, obesity, and overweight and obesity were 31.1% (95% CI, 27.0–35.2), 18.9% (95% CI, 14.9–22.9), and 50.1% (95% CI, 45.7–54.6), respectively. In multivariable analysis, being female (adjusted OR [aOR] = 2.79, 95% CI = 1.69–4.63), married (aOR = 3.90, 95% CI = 2.23–6.95), and having secondary or tertiary education (aOR = 3.27, 95% CI = 1.77–6.17) were associated with higher odds of overweight and obesity, while current smokers had lower odds of overweight and obesity (aOR = 0.37, 95% CI = 0.16–0.82) when compared to their respective counterpart. Compared to their respective reference categories, being female being (aOR = 3.74, 95% CI = 2.01–7.30), married (aOR = 2.58, 95% CI = 1.37–5.05) and having secondary or tertiary education (aOR = 2.03, 95% CI = 1.00–4.23) were associated with higher odds of obesity after adjustments for confounding.ConclusionWe observed a high prevalence of overweight and obesity in this study. The odds of overweight and obesity was higher in females, married participants, and those with higher levels of education. Community-based interventions to control overweight and obesity should consider targeting these groups