COVID-19 Experiences, Behaviors, Beliefs, and Well-Being Among Students and Employees at a University In Rural Appalachia: A Cross-Sectional Study

Introduction: In response to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, most universities experienced drastic operational changes with shifts to online learning, work-from-home policies, and social distancing measures. These changes have caused concern for social isolation and mental health. Purpose: This cross-sectional study explores differences in COVID-19 experiences, behaviors, beliefs, and well-being among students and employees (faculty and staff) at a rural Appalachian university. Methods: Data were collected with an online anonymous survey in September-October 2020 using convenience sampling. The survey measured multiple domains including COVID-19-related 1) beliefs, 2) symptoms and diagnoses, 3) exposure and preventive behavior, and 4) social, mental, and financial health. Chi-square tests and linear regression models were used to determine differences in survey responses between students and employees. Results: The final sample used for analysis included 416 respondents. The majority of respondents believed COVID-19 was a serious disease and followed mask and social distancing guidelines, although employees were more likely to adhere to mask and social distancing guidelines compared to students. Most of the respondents (\u3e50%) reported feeling more stressed, anxious, and sad since the pandemic began. Students were more impacted by the pandemic compared to employees as measured by the mental, social, and financial impact scale. A limitation of this study was that convenience sampling was used instead of a probability sampling technique, which limits the inference that can be made from the results. Implications: There may be a need for greater mental health support among university employees and students. However, future studies should confirm these findings

Prevalence and Factors of Self-medication with Antibiotics in Claiborne County, Tennessee

Introduction: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a serious concern to public health, causing an estimated 35,000 deaths annually in the U.S. Misuse of antimicrobials increases the rate of AMR. Self-medication with antibiotics (SMA) is a primary contributor to AMR that can be addressed through education. SMA has been reported at rates of 3% to 66% in the U.S. but has not been evaluated in Appalachia.1 Low health literacy and barriers to accessing care have been correlated with SMA and are common in many areas of Appalachia. Purpose: This study aims to assess factors associated with SMA, demographic differences in knowledge of / beliefs about SMA, and describe practices and beliefs of those who self-medicate in the Cumberland Gap region. Methods: Structured interviews were conducted in a rural health clinic and in a dental office to ascertain demographic information, knowledge of appropriate antibiotic use, and behaviors associated with self-medication. Inferential statistics (chi-squared, Fisher’s exact, and ANOVA tests) were conducted. Results: In the last 3 years, 41% of the 78 respondents had practiced SMA. A higher percentage of those who believed that antibiotics are used to treat viral infections have self-treated compared to those who did not hold that belief. Of those who SMA, convenience was the most common reason, while the common symptoms treated were congestion and fever. Implications: The current study provides a first estimate of SMA in the Central Appalachian Region and finds the prevalence to be higher than previously reported in other regions of the U.S. Future studies could include larger, more representative samples and longitudinal study designs to confirm these findings

Antibodies to C1q in systemic lupus erythematosus: Characteristics and relation to FcγRIIA alleles

Antibodies to C1q in systemic lupus erythematosus: Characteristics and relation to FcγRIIA alleles. Autoantibodies to the collagen-like region of the first complement component (C1qAB) are found in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), particularly those with renal disease. In a cohort of 46 SLE patients with diffuse proliferative glomerulonephritis, we found declining C1qAB titers in 77% of treatment responders and in only 38% of treatment non-responders (P < 0.03). To further characterize this autoantibody, we tested 240 SLE patients for the presence of C1qAB. Positive titers were found in 44% of patients with renal disease and 18% of patients without renal disease (χ2 P < 0.0003). Analysis of IgG subclass revealed IgG2 C1qAB alone in 34%, IgG1 C1qAB alone in 20%, and both IgG1 and IgG2 in 46% of patients. Fewer than 10% of patients had measurable titers of IgG3 or IgG4 C1qAB. The pathogenic role of these IgG2-skewed C1qAB may relate to impaired immune complex clearance by the mononuclear phagocyte system: IgG2 antibodies are efficiently recognized by only one IgG receptor, the H131 allele of FcγRIIa (FcγRIIa-H131). In contrast, FcγRIIa-R131, which is characterized by minimal IgG2 binding, has recently been associated with lupus nephritis. In our C1qAB positive patients, the presence of FcγRIIA-R131 was associated with an increased risk for renal disease. Autoantibodies to C1q may have pathogenic significance in SLE patients with genetic defects in the ability to clear IgG2 containing immune complexes

Prevalence of emergency contraceptive pill use among Spanish adolescent girls and their family and psychological profiles

The Author(s). 2018 Open Access This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated.Background:Adolescent girls’ family context and psychological characteristics play important roles in their sexual behavior, including the use of the emergency contraceptive pill (ECP). This study aims to (1) determine the prevalence of ECP use among girls who have had sexual intercourse and (2) comparatively analyze their family and psychological profiles according to whether they have used ECPs. Methods:The sample of 1735 Spanish girls aged 15 to 18 came from a representative sample of the 2014 edition of the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study. Of this sample, 398 girls had sexual intercourse and reported their ECP use. Data collection for the HBSC study was performed through an online questionnaire to which adolescents responded anonymously in school. Data analyses were descriptive and bivariate and were performed with the statistical program IBM SPSS Statistics 23.Results:The results demonstrated that 30.65% of girls who had sexual intercourse used ECPs. Noticeable differences in paternal knowledge and communication with the father were observed between girls who used the ECP at least once and those who did not use it. In contrast, differences between girls who used the ECP once and those who used it twice or more were pronounced with regard to parental knowledge, communication with parents, maternal affection,life satisfaction, sense of coherence and depression. Conclusions:This work demonstrates a high prevalence of ECP use and a more positive family and psychological profile for girls who used ECP once compared with those who used it twice or more.Peer reviewedFinal Published versio