Non-Communicable Diseases During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Beyond

Frontline health workers' experiences of providing care for people living with non-communicable diseases during the COVID-19 pandemic in Ghana: a qualitative study

BACKGROUND

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted frontline health workers. However, a neglected dimension of this discourse was the extent to which the pandemic impacted frontline healthcare workers providing non-communicable diseases (NCDs) care. This study aims to understand the experiences of healthcare workers with no prior exposure to pandemics who provided care to people living with NCDs (PLWNCDs).

METHODS

A qualitative study design was employed, using a face-to-face in-depth interviews. Interviews were conducted in primary healthcare facilities in three administrative regions of Ghana, representing the Northern, Southern and Middle Belts. Only frontline health workers with roles in providing care for PLWNCDs were included. Purposive snowballing and convenience sampling methods were employed to select frontline health workers. An open-ended interview guide was used to facilitate data collection, and thematic content analysis was used to analyse the data.

RESULTS

A total of 47 frontline health workers were interviewed. Overall, these workers experienced diverse patient-driven and organisational challenges. Patient-level challenges included a decline in healthcare utilisation, non-adherence to treatment, a lack of continuity, fear and stigma. At the organisational levels, there was a lack of medical logistics, increased infection of workers and absenteeism, increased workload and burnout, limited motivational packages and inadequate guidelines and protocols. Workers coped and responded to the pandemic by postponing reviews and consultations, reducing inpatient and outpatient visits, changing their prescription practices, using teleconsultation and moving to long-shift systems.

CONCLUSION

This study has brought to the fore the experiences that adversely affected frontline health workers and, in many ways, affected the care provided to PLWNCDs. Policymakers and health managers should take these experiences into account in plans to mitigate the impact of future pandemics.

Nutrition and Diet Apps: Brazilian Panorama before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic

In the last decade, we have seen a substantial increase in the development and use of mobile technology to improve diet and healthy eating behaviors.

OBJECTIVE

To describe the characteristics of nutrition and diet apps before and after the COVID-19 pandemic available in Brazil.

METHODS

Nutrition and diet apps were identified using the official Apple and Google stores. The search occurred in January 2020 and May 2022 in Brazil. We extracted the nutritional content and standard indicators (e.g., being developed before or after 2020, number of languages, target population, investment, prices, seller, number of reviews and downloads, consumer rating).

RESULTS

280 apps were launched before and 411 during the COVID-19 period. Most apps were available in at least ten languages (96.6%), with no indication of age (95.6%) or partial or full cost (59%). As for the contents, 18.9% addressed personal diet suggestions; 73.4%, nutritional education; 48.8%, revenues; 35.9%, physical activity with a nutritional guide; 2.3%, nutritional recommendation for eating out; 23.9%, grocery shopping with a scan code; 32.4%, food diary; 18.9%, water intake; and 4.6%, nutrition/diseases. The data show an evolution that may have been boosted by the pandemic and that reveals a trend towards the development of apps with educational content.

CONCLUSION

During the pandemic, there was a positive qualitative and quantitative movement in e-health regarding the promotion of education.

Usability of Telehealth Systems for Noncommunicable Diseases in Primary Care From the COVID-19 Pandemic Onward: Systematic Review

BACKGROUND

During the COVID-19 pandemic, telehealth was expanded without the opportunity to extensively evaluate the adopted technology's usability.

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to synthesize evidence on health professionals' perceptions regarding the usability of telehealth systems in the primary care of individuals with noncommunicable diseases (NCDs; hypertension and diabetes) from the COVID-19 pandemic onward.

METHODS

A systematic review was performed of clinical trials, prospective cohort studies, retrospective observational studies, and studies that used qualitative data collection and analysis methods published in English, Spanish, and Portuguese from March 2020 onward. The databases queried were MEDLINE, Embase, BIREME, IEEE Xplore, BVS, Google Scholar, and grey literature. Studies involving health professionals who used telehealth systems in primary care and managed patients with NCDs from the COVID-19 pandemic onward were considered eligible. Titles, abstracts, and full texts were reviewed. Data were extracted to provide a narrative qualitative evidence synthesis of the included articles. The risk of bias and methodological quality of the included studies were analyzed. The primary outcome was the usability of telehealth systems, while the secondary outcomes were satisfaction and the contexts in which the telehealth system was used.

RESULTS

We included 11 of 417 retrieved studies, which had data from 248 health care professionals. These health care professionals were mostly doctors and nurses with prior experience in telehealth in high- and middle-income countries. Overall, 9 studies (82%) were qualitative studies and 2 (18%) were quasiexperimental or multisite trial studies. Moreover, 7 studies (64%) addressed diabetes, 1 (9%) addressed diabetes and hypertension, and 3 (27%) addressed chronic diseases. Most studies used a survey to assess usability. With a moderate confidence level, we concluded that health professionals considered the usability of telehealth systems to be good and felt comfortable and satisfied. Patients felt satisfied using telehealth. The most important predictor for using digital health technologies was ease of use. The main barriers were technological challenges, connectivity issues, low computer literacy, inability to perform complete physical examination, and lack of training. Although the usability of telehealth systems was considered good, there is a need for research that investigates factors that may influence the perceptions of telehealth usability, such as differences between private and public services; differences in the level of experience of professionals, including professional experience and experience with digital tools; and differences in gender, age groups, occupations, and settings.

CONCLUSIONS

The COVID-19 pandemic has generated incredible demand for virtual care. Professionals' favorable perceptions of the usability of telehealth indicate that it can facilitate access to quality care. Although there are still challenges to telehealth, more than infrastructure challenges, the most reported challenges were related to empowering people for digital health.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

PROSPERO International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews CRD42021296887; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/display_record.php?RecordID=296887.

INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID)

RR2-10.21801/ppcrj.2022.82.6.

Identifying obesity and COVID-19 overlapping risk-factors: Protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis

This systematic review main goal is to identify the common risk factors of obesity and COVID-19 overall, and highlight the ones related to urban settings specifically, using a syndemic framework. COVID-19 highlighted the interaction between infectious diseases and non-communicable diseases. We hypothesise that obesity and COVID-19 share determinants, thus our main goal is to identify the overlapping risk factors and their magnitude of association with both health outcomes. Literature search was conducted in Medline and Embase, Cochrane Library and Epistemonikos, Web of Science and Scopus, ASSIA and SocINDEX and, Google Scholar, in June 2021. Covidence will be used to conduct the title and abstract, and full-text screening, considering the following inclusion criteria: (a) study addresses both health outcomes, (b) full-length articles, (c) study focuses on humans and (d) studies in English. The exclusion criteria will be: (a) study addresses one of the outcomes in combination with other pathologies, (b) not full-length article, (c) study focuses on animals, (d) study not written in English, (e) study focuses on treatment (pharmacological or other), testing (prognostic) or specific patients with other pathologies and (f) study focussed in clinical and/or physiological mechanisms associated with obesity and/or COVID-19. The included studies will be assessed for quality using the Effective Public Health Practice Project for quantitative studies and the tool described by Hawker for qualitative studies. Qualitative results will be assessed using thematic analysis methods to synthesise findings and presented in summary tables. Quantitative results – meta-analysis – will be analysed and presented using Q test and Funnel Plot.

Factors Predicting Progression to Severe COVID-19: A Competing Risk Survival Analysis of 1753 Patients in Community Isolation in Wuhan, China

Most studies of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) progression have focused on the transfer of patients within secondary or tertiary care hospitals from regular wards to intensive care units. Little is known about the risk factors predicting the progression to severe COVID-19 among patients in community isolation, who are either asymptomatic or suffer from only mild to moderate symptoms. Using a multivariable competing risk survival analysis, we identify several important predictors of progression to severe COVID-19-rather than to recovery-among patients in the largest community isolation center in Wuhan, China from 6 February 2020 (when the center opened) to 9 March 2020 (when it closed). All patients in community isolation in Wuhan were either asymptomatic or suffered from mild to moderate COVID-19 symptoms. We performed competing risk survival analysis on time-to-event data from a cohort study of all COVID-19 patients (n = 1753) in the isolation center. The potential predictors we investigated were the routine patient data collected upon admission to the isolation center: age, sex, respiratory symptoms, gastrointestinal symptoms, general symptoms, and computed tomography (CT) scan signs. The main outcomes were time to severe COVID-19 or recovery. The factors predicting progression to severe COVID-19 were: male sex (hazard ratio (HR) = 1.29, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.04-1.58, p = 0.018), young and old age, dyspnea (HR = 1.58, 95% CI 1.24-2.01, p < 0.001), and CT signs of ground-glass opacity (HR = 1.39, 95% CI 1.04-1.86, p = 0.024) and infiltrating shadows (HR = 1.84, 95% CI 1.22-2.78, p = 0.004). The risk of progression was found to be lower among patients with nausea or vomiting (HR = 0.53, 95% CI 0.30-0.96, p = 0.036) and headaches (HR = 0.54, 95% CI 0.29-0.99, p = 0.046). Our results suggest that several factors that can be easily measured even in resource-poor settings (dyspnea, sex, and age) can be used to identify mild COVID-19 patients who are at increased risk of disease progression. Looking for CT signs of ground-glass opacity and infiltrating shadows may be an affordable option to support triage decisions in resource-rich settings. Common and unspecific symptoms (headaches, nausea, and vomiting) are likely to have led to the identification and subsequent community isolation of COVID-19 patients who were relatively unlikely to deteriorate. Future public health and clinical guidelines should build on this evidence to improve the screening, triage, and monitoring of COVID-19 patients who are asymtomatic or suffer from mild to moderate symptoms.

Knowledge of COVID-19 and Its Relationship with Preventive Behaviors and Vaccination among Adults in Northern Thailand's Community

(1) Background: the 2019 coronavirus disease outbreak (COVID-19) has posed a major threat to public health and had a significant impact on all areas of people’s lives. Vaccines against COVID-19 have been developed to control the disease, and an array of personal hygiene measures has been introduced. As a result, information that will support and promote vaccination among populations as well as other health measures against COVID-19 are urgently needed. The goal of this research was to look into the knowledge about COVID-19 and how it relates to preventive behaviors and vaccination among people living in rural areas of northern Thailand. (2) Methods: a cross-sectional study was performed in four upper northern provinces of Thailand. A total of 1524 participants were recruited using the probability sampling technique. Questionnaires were distributed to collect data on general health information, as well as knowledge and preventive behaviors regarding COVID-19. (3) Results: more than half (55.9%) of the participants were female and had not received the COVID-19 vaccine (67.2%). Their mean age was 44.13 years. The majority had moderate COVID-19 knowledge and engaged in preventive behaviors (65.5% and 42.0%, respectively). A linear regression model showed that the COVID-19 knowledge score was related to the COVID-19 preventive behaviors score, with a standardized coefficient of 0.510, after adjusting for age, underlying disease, and body mass index (B = 2.64; 95%CI = 2.42, 2.87). Binary logistic regression revealed that after controlling for age, education, occupation, financial status, and current disease (AOR = 1.87; 95%CI = 1.64–2.13), the score of COVID-19 knowledge was significantly associated with having the COVID-19 vaccine. (4) Discussion: knowledge of COVID-19 is very important for people in rural regions to engage in COVID-19 prevention behaviors and vaccination. Relevant government agencies and health network partners should support proactive education campaigns emphasizing the risk of contracting the disease and its severity in order to promote vaccination against COVID-19 among unvaccinated groups. These campaigns can highlight COVID-19’s positive benefit-risk balance in the short and long term and ensure public safety measures against COVID-19.

Pharmacological Adherence Behavior Changes during COVID-19 Outbreak in a Portugal Patient Cohort

Concerns, behaviours, and beliefs influence how people deal with COVID-19. Understanding the factors influencing adherence behaviour is of utmost importance to develop tailored interventions to increase adherence within this context. Hence, we aimed to understand how COVID-19 affected adherence behaviour in Portugal. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted between 1 March and 3 April 2021. Descriptive statistics were performed, as well as univariable and multivariable regression models. Of the 1202 participants, 476 who were taking at least one medication prescribed by the doctor were selected. Of these, 78.2% were female, and the mean age was 40.3 ± 17.9 years old. About 74.2% were classified as being highly adherent. During the pandemic, 8.2% of participants reported that their adherence improved, while 5.9% had worsened adherence results. Compared with being single, widowers were 3 times more prone to be less adherent (OR:3.390 [1.106–10.390], p = 0.033). Comorbid patients were 1.8 times (OR:1.824 [1.155–2.881], p = 0.010) more prone to be less adherent. Participants who reported that COVID-19 negatively impacted their adherence were 5.6 times more prone to be less adherent, compared with those who reported no changes (OR:5.576 [2.420–12.847], p < 0.001). None of the other variables showed to be significantly associated with pharmacological adherence.

Insight into the Occurrence of Common Non-communicable Diseases at a Population Level and the Potential Impact During the Coronavirus Pandemic - a Need for a Syndemic Healthcare Approach?

People suffering from non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are at an increased risk for severe Covid-19. The aim was to determine the burden of common NCDs at a population level, assess Covid-19 impact while exploring whether a syndemic approach is merited to deal with NCDs and Covid-19. Baseline data from a Malta national representative survey. Individuals with type 2 diabetes (T2DM), hypertension, cardiovascular disease, dyslipidaemia and overweight-obese status were considered. Prevalence for single disease and multimorbidity were used to estimate population burden. Covid-19 impact at a population level was estimated through local Covid-19 infectivity rates. Years of life lost (YLL) and mortality rate were calculated using Covid-19 data and compared to corresponding NCDs data reported by global burden of disease (GBD) study. Half the study population (n = 3947) had a single NCD while a third had multimorbidity. Of these, 6.55% were estimated to be at risk of Covid-19 and require admission. Covid-19 YLL over 12 months was 5228.54 years, which is higher than the estimated YLL for hypertension and T2DM by GBD study for Malta. Health systems and policies should be re-focused to accommodate both Covid-19 and NCDs simultaneously through a targeted syndemic approach with primary healthcare playing a central role.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s42399-021-01064-2.

Assessment of the Health-Promoting Behaviors of Hospitalized Patients with Non-Communicable Diseases During the Second Wave of COVID-19

BACKGROUND

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has affected the health-related behaviors of patients with non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Thus, the factors predicting the health-promoting behaviors (HPBs) of hospitalized patients with NCDs during the second wave of COVID-19 should be examined.

OBJECTIVE

The aims of this study were to determine the relationships among the patients' characteristics, perceived self-efficacy, social support, perception of the benefits of and barriers, and HPBs, and to determine the predictive factors of HPBs among hospitalized patients with NCDs during the second wave of COVID-19.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The study had a cross-sectional predictive correlational design and included 250 patients with NCDs 18 years of age or older hospitalized in a tertiary hospital in Thailand. Descriptive statistics, the chi-square test, the Pearson's correlation coefficient, and stepwise multiple linear regression were used for data analysis.

RESULTS

Most of the participants had a cardiovascular disease (34.0%). Followed by diabetes (28.8%), cancer (11.2%), hypertension (10.0%), heart disease (9.6%), or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (6.4%) and had a moderate level of overall HPBs (M = 106.09; SD = 4.66). Among the six components of the HPBs, the participants achieved the moderate levels in nutrition, interpersonal relations, spiritual growth, and stress management, and low levels in physical-activity and health responsibility. The patients' perception of the benefits and barriers to the adoption of HPBs and perceived self-efficacy and social support were able to predict their HPBs, accounting for approximately 38.0% of the variance of such behaviors.

CONCLUSION

On the basis of our study's results, we suggest that researchers, multidisciplinary teams, the government, and policymakers establish effective interventions, guidelines, and policies for the development of HPBs to prevent and control the spread of COVID-19 particularly among patients with NCDs, and to improve their capacity for high-quality and continuing self-care.