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Cubelo F, Parviainen A, Vehviläinen-Julkunen K, Palaganas E. Foreign-born nurses as COVID-19 survivors in the Nordic region: A descriptive phenomenological study. Scand J Caring Sci 2024; 38:438-450. [PMID: 38404224 DOI: 10.1111/scs.13249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2023] [Revised: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 02/04/2024] [Indexed: 02/27/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE In 2020, amid limited COVID-19 vaccination access, many nurses from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) groups in the United States of America and United Kingdom succumbed to the virus. No fatalities among Filipino foreign-born nurses (FBNs) in the BAME groups were recorded in the Nordic region. This study explored the experiences of Filipino FBNs in the Nordic region who, during the initial 2020 pandemic wave, cared for COVID-19 patients, contracted the virus and subsequently recovered. METHODS The research employed a descriptive phenomenological methodology to explore the experiences of six Filipino FBNs who had recovered from COVID-19 in various regions of the Nordic countries, including Finland (n = 1), Sweden (n = 1), Denmark (n = 2), Norway (n = 1) and Iceland (n = 1). Data collection occurred through online videoconferencing between September 2020 and February 2021, utilising a semi-structured approach. The data analysis was conducted following Sundler and colleagues' qualitative thematic analysis, which is grounded in descriptive phenomenology. RESULTS The data analysis yielded three primary themes and twelve sub-themes, which explored the experiences of Filipino FBNs with COVID-19 infection. The study demonstrated that unclear national guidelines impacted nurses' preparedness in caring for COVID-19 patients, contributing to their susceptibility to contracting the virus. The lack of occupational healthcare services for nurses during and after the pandemic affected their work morale in an unfamiliar setting. CONCLUSION The study provided valuable insights into the experiences of Filipino FBNs during the COVID-19 pandemic, emphasising the need for clearer guidelines, enhanced training and improved support for healthcare workers. It highlighted the psychological impact of COVID-19, emphasising the importance of mental health support and stigma reduction efforts. The study also emphasised the significance of improving occupational health services to support the well-being and recovery of healthcare workers during and after the pandemic, with implications for developing comprehensive strategies to protect frontline healthcare workers in health crises.
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Affiliation(s)
- Floro Cubelo
- School of Wellbeing and Culture, Oulu University of Applied Sciences, Oulu, Finland
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Nursing Science, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
- International and Management Affairs, the Filipino Nurses Association in the Nordic Region, Oulu, Finland
| | - Anndra Parviainen
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Nursing Science, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Katri Vehviläinen-Julkunen
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Nursing Science, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
- Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Erlinda Palaganas
- University of the Philippines, College of Nursing, Manila, Philippines
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Midzi N, Mutsaka-Makuvaza MJ, Charimari LS, Mangwiro P, Manengureni T, Mugadza G. Factors affecting hand hygiene practice during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Zimbabwean population: a qualitative study. BMC Infect Dis 2024; 24:385. [PMID: 38594631 PMCID: PMC11003113 DOI: 10.1186/s12879-024-09277-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2024] [Accepted: 04/01/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Practicing hand hygiene is recommended as one of the key preventive measures for reducing the transmission of COVID-19 and other infectious agents. However, it is often not practiced frequently enough or correctly by the public. We aimed to identify barriers to and facilitators of hand hygiene in the Zimbabwean population during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS A qualitative study was conducted with a purposive sample of health workers, village health workers, church leaders, traditional healers, teachers, youth leaders and the general population selected from ten districts across the country from September to October 2022. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 3 key informant interviews per site. In addition, one homogenous focus group discussion was also conducted per site using a focus group discussion guide. The data were recorded on audiotapes, transcribed verbatim, and translated into English. All the analyses were performed manually using thematic analysis. RESULTS Two themes were identified as facilitators of hand hygiene. These include individual factors (knowledge of hand hygiene practices and how they are performed) and access-related factors (access to hand washing infrastructure, soap, and sanitizers). Among the barriers to hand hygiene, four themes were identified: individual factors (knowledge gaps in proper hand washing, lack of conviction about hand hygiene, and habitual behaviour), access-related factors (lack of access to hand washing infrastructure, soap, and sanitizers), safety concerns (concern about the side effects of sanitizers), and sociocultural and religious factors (social customs, cultural beliefs, values, and religious practices). CONCLUSION During public health emergencies, there is a need for people to access uninterrupted, on-premises water supplies to promote compliance with hand hygiene. The provision of clean water and hand washing facilities is critical for vulnerable communities to afford them the opportunity to improve quality of life and facilitate resilience in the event of future pandemics. Community engagement is important for identifying vulnerability factors to provide appropriate mitigatory measures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas Midzi
- National Institute of Health Research, Ministry of Health and Child Care, Harare, Zimbabwe
| | - Masceline Jenipher Mutsaka-Makuvaza
- National Institute of Health Research, Ministry of Health and Child Care, Harare, Zimbabwe.
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, School of Medicine and Pharmacy, University of Rwanda, Butare, Rwanda.
| | | | | | - Tonderai Manengureni
- National Institute of Health Research, Ministry of Health and Child Care, Harare, Zimbabwe
| | - Gladys Mugadza
- University of Zimbabwe, College of Health Sciences, Harare, Zimbabwe
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Yoosefi Lebni J, Irandoost SF, Ziapour A, Ahmadi A, Mehedi N, Azizi SA. Identification of causes and consequences of Kolberi among Iranian Kurdish women: a grounded theory study. BMC Womens Health 2023; 23:648. [PMID: 38053054 PMCID: PMC10696815 DOI: 10.1186/s12905-023-02791-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 11/19/2023] [Indexed: 12/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Women turn to Kolberi for various reasons, which cause numerous challenges for them. Thus, it is imperative to identify these causes and problems. Since no study has ever been undertaken to deal with this participant, the present research aims to identify the causes and consequences of Kolberi among Kurdish women in Iran. METHOD The present research uses the grounded theory approach to investigate 28 female Kurdish Kolbers. To achieve several participants, purposive, snowball, and theoretical sampling methods were used, while face-to-face semi-structured interviews were used to gather data. The process of data collection and analysis took 10 months, from April to December 2022. The data were analyzed using the Strauss and Corbin method and MAXQDA-20018 software. The Guba and Lincoln criteria were also met to increase the trustworthiness of the results. FINDINGS Analysis of the data led to 143 initial codes, 31 subcategories, and 9 main categories: Causal condition (individual characteristics and economic factors); predisposing conditions (social and cultural factors, familial factors); intervening conditions (advantages and characteristics of Kolberi); strategies (strengthening compatibility with Kolberi); and consequences (individual problems, social problems and positive consequences). CONCLUSION Measures such as training occupational skills for women and providing employment conditions for them, increasing social, financial, and mental support for women without guardians, creating border markets, and expanding women's handicrafts can help prevent female Kolberi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javad Yoosefi Lebni
- Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Lorestan University of Medical Sciences, Khorramabad, Iran
| | - Seyed Fahim Irandoost
- Department of Community Medicine, School of Medicine, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran
| | - Arash Ziapour
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Health Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Ahmad Ahmadi
- Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Allameh Tabataba'i University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Nafiul Mehedi
- Department of Social Work, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Sylhet, Bangladesh
| | - Seyyed Amar Azizi
- Students Research Committee, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran.
- University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
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Al-Abdulla O, Kallström A. Community engagement and adherence to COVID-19 prevention measures in Northwest Syria: a systematic review. Med Confl Surviv 2023; 39:229-246. [PMID: 37122087 DOI: 10.1080/13623699.2023.2198894] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2022] [Accepted: 03/31/2023] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has increased the burden on the collapsing health system in northwest Syria. The situation was exacerbated by the low rates of adherence to preventive measures and acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccine. In this study, we systematically analysed studies related to Risk Communication and Community Engagement programs, and community awareness in northwest Syria in order to determine the most widespread prevention methods, the community's perspectives and knowledge of epidemic prevention, and the factors that prevent effective community engagement and uptake of COVID-19 prevention precautions in an area that has been suffering from the scourge of conflict for more than ten years. Based on the research findings, low adherence to COVID-19 prevention measures is mainly due to external factors related to socioeconomic status, scarcity of resources, and poor living conditions. Therefore, this study suggested that integrated multi-sectoral humanitarian programs that address these factors holistically are more effective than solely public health interventions in involving the community to become an active part of the Risk Communication and Community Engagement programs and ensuring their effectiveness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Orwa Al-Abdulla
- Institute of Public Health and Clinical Nutrition, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
- Strategic Research Center ÖZ SRC, Gaziantep, Turkey
| | - Agneta Kallström
- Institute of Public Health and Clinical Nutrition, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
- Strategic Research Center ÖZ SRC, Gaziantep, Turkey
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Asa GA, Fauk NK, Gesesew HA, Foley KM, Lunnay B, Ward PR. Understanding public perceptions in social media responses to posts about acute severe hepatitis of unknown etiology in Indonesia: a qualitative study. BMC Infect Dis 2023; 23:306. [PMID: 37158814 PMCID: PMC10165573 DOI: 10.1186/s12879-023-08195-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 03/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Acute Severe Hepatitis of Unknown Etiology (ASHUE) emerged as a new global outbreak in Indonesia early May 2022, coinciding with the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to understand public reactions and responses to the emergence of ASHUE Indonesia and to Government-led disease prevention responses. Understanding how the public perceived government-led preventive messaging about the hepatitis outbreak is crucial to controlling viral spread - particularly given the rapid and unforeseen emergence of ASHUE coincided with COVID-19 and public trust in the Indonesian Government to manage health outbreaks was already tenuous. METHODS Social media users' responses to information disseminated via Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter were analyzed to understand public perceptions about ASHUE outbreak and their attitudes toward Government-led prevention measures. Data were extracted on a daily basis from 1st May 2022 to 30th May 2022 and analyzed manually. We inductively generated the codes, from which we formed a construct and then grouped to identify themes. RESULTS A total of 137 response comments collected from 3 social medial platforms were analyzed. Of these, 64 were from Facebook, 57 were from YouTube, and 16 were from Twitter. We identified 5 main themes, including (1) disbelief in the existence of the infection; (2) suspicion about a potential new business after COVID-19; (3) suspicion that COVID-19 vaccine(s) are the cause; (4) religion-related fatalism and (5) trust in government measures. CONCLUSIONS The findings advance knowledge about public perceptions, reactions and attitudes towards the emergence of ASHUE and the efficacy of disease countermeasures. The knowledge from this study will provide an understanding of why disease prevention measures might not be followed. It can be used to develop public awareness programs in Indonesia about both the ASHUE and its possible consequences and the available healthcare support.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregorius Abanit Asa
- Research Centre for Public Health, Equity and Human Flourishing (PHEHF), Torrens University Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
- Sanggar Belajar Alternatif (SALT), Atambua, Nusa Tenggara Timur, Indonesia
| | - Nelsensius Klau Fauk
- Research Centre for Public Health, Equity and Human Flourishing (PHEHF), Torrens University Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
- Institute of Resource Governance and Social Change, Kupang, Indonesia
| | - Hailay Abrha Gesesew
- Research Centre for Public Health, Equity and Human Flourishing (PHEHF), Torrens University Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
- College of Health Sciences, Mekelle University, Mekelle, Tigray, Ethiopia.
| | - Kristen Marie Foley
- Research Centre for Public Health, Equity and Human Flourishing (PHEHF), Torrens University Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Belinda Lunnay
- Research Centre for Public Health, Equity and Human Flourishing (PHEHF), Torrens University Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Paul Russell Ward
- Research Centre for Public Health, Equity and Human Flourishing (PHEHF), Torrens University Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
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An Ethnographic Study of Multiple Factors Influencing Perceptions, Attitudes, and Observance of COVID-19 Preventive Measures among Rural and Urban Slum Dwellers in Ghana. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 2023:1598483. [PMID: 36761244 PMCID: PMC9904884 DOI: 10.1155/2023/1598483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2021] [Revised: 10/03/2022] [Accepted: 11/01/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Background The COVID-19 pandemic and government-led interventions to tackle it have had life-changing effects on vulnerable populations, especially rural and urban slum dwellers in developing countries. This ethnographic study explored how the Ghanaian government's management of COVID-19, socio-cultural factors, infrastructural challenges, and poverty influenced community perceptions, attitudes, and observance of COVID-19 prevention measures in Ghana. Methods The study employed focused ethnography using in-depth interviews (IDIs), focus group discussions (FGDs), and nonparticipant observations to collect data from an urban slum and a rural community as well as from government officials, from October 2020 to January 2021. The data were triangulated and analyzed thematically with the support of qualitative software NVivo 12. All ethical procedures were followed. Results The Ghanaian government's strategy of communicating COVID-19-related information to the public, health-related factors such as health facilities failing to follow standard procedures in testing and tracing persons who came into contact with COVID-19-positive cases, poverty, and lack of social amenities contributed to the poor observance of COVID-19 preventive measures. In addition, the government's relaxation of COVID-19 restrictions, community and family values, beliefs, and misconceptions contributed to the poor observance of COVID-19 preventive measures. Nevertheless, some aspects of the government's intervention measures and support to communities with COVID-19 prevention items, support from nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and high knowledge of COVID-19 and its devastating effects contributed to positive attitudes and observance of COVID-19 preventive measures. Conclusion There is a need for the government to use the existing community structures to engage vulnerable communities so that their concerns are factored into interventions to ensure that appropriate interventions are designed to suit the context. Moreover, the government needs to invest in social amenities in deprived communities. Finally, the government has to be consistent with the information it shares with the public to enhance trust relations.
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Mohammadi A, Pishgar E, Fatima M, Lotfata A, Fanni Z, Bergquist R, Kiani B. The COVID-19 Mortality Rate Is Associated with Illiteracy, Age, and Air Pollution in Urban Neighborhoods: A Spatiotemporal Cross-Sectional Analysis. Trop Med Infect Dis 2023; 8:85. [PMID: 36828501 PMCID: PMC9962969 DOI: 10.3390/tropicalmed8020085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2022] [Revised: 01/23/2023] [Accepted: 01/24/2023] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
There are different area-based factors affecting the COVID-19 mortality rate in urban areas. This research aims to examine COVID-19 mortality rates and their geographical association with various socioeconomic and ecological determinants in 350 of Tehran's neighborhoods as a big city. All deaths related to COVID-19 are included from December 2019 to July 2021. Spatial techniques, such as Kulldorff's SatScan, geographically weighted regression (GWR), and multi-scale GWR (MGWR), were used to investigate the spatially varying correlations between COVID-19 mortality rates and predictors, including air pollutant factors, socioeconomic status, built environment factors, and public transportation infrastructure. The city's downtown and northern areas were found to be significantly clustered in terms of spatial and temporal high-risk areas for COVID-19 mortality. The MGWR regression model outperformed the OLS and GWR regression models with an adjusted R2 of 0.67. Furthermore, the mortality rate was found to be associated with air quality (e.g., NO2, PM10, and O3); as air pollution increased, so did mortality. Additionally, the aging and illiteracy rates of urban neighborhoods were positively associated with COVID-19 mortality rates. Our approach in this study could be implemented to study potential associations of area-based factors with other emerging infectious diseases worldwide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alireza Mohammadi
- Department of Geography and Urban Planning, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil 56199-11367, Iran
| | - Elahe Pishgar
- Department of Human Geography, Faculty of Earth Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran 19839-69411, Iran
| | - Munazza Fatima
- Department of Geography, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Bahawalpur 63100, Pakistan
- Department of Geography, University of Zurich, CH-8006 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Aynaz Lotfata
- Geography Department, Chicago State University, Chicago, IL 60628-1598, USA
| | - Zohreh Fanni
- Department of Human Geography, Faculty of Earth Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran 19839-69411, Iran
| | | | - Behzad Kiani
- Centre de Recherche en Santé Publique, Université de Montréal, 7101, Avenue du Parc, Montreal, QC H3N 1X9, Canada
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Hoseinzadeh M, Sa’adAbadi Z, Maleki Kambakhsh S, Babazadeh S. Dentists' lived experience of providing dental care during the COVID-19 pandemic: A qualitative study in Mashhad, Iran. FRONTIERS IN ORAL HEALTH 2023; 4:1095240. [PMID: 36937504 PMCID: PMC10015384 DOI: 10.3389/froh.2023.1095240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 03/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Background This study aimed to explore the lived experiences of dentists practicing in Mashhad, Iran, during the COVID-19 pandemic and identify possible influencing factors for providing dental health in this era. Methods Sixteen dentists took part in this qualitative phenomenological study. Semi-structured face-to-face interviews were performed and evaluated using a qualitative content analysis approach. The MAXQDA program (2020) was used to code and classify the data. Purposive sampling, audio recording, member checking, and peer review were employed to verify transferability, reliability, and validity. The interview transcripts were transcribed, and sentences and remarks relevant to the study's goal were retrieved and classified. Results Six hundred twenty-eight codes were extracted after several readings of the texts. Five core themes and fourteen sub-themes were determined after deleting repeated themes and axial coding. The main five themes included: "Coping with the COVID-19 pandemic", "Alternations in providing dental care," "Infection control," "COVID-19-related news and information sources", and "Positive and negative aspects of COVID-19 in dental care ". Conclusions During the COVID-19 pandemic, dentists noted various challenges in delivering routine dental treatment, including a lack of resources, reliable and straightforward guidelines for dentists, and governmental policies for dental facility restrictions. Dentists concluded that financial, educational, and financial support from the government would significantly enhance the delivery of community dental care services. With the right strategies and lessons learned, dentists may be better prepared for future challenges in global health care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melika Hoseinzadeh
- Student Research Committee, Faculty of Dentistry, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | | | - Sara Maleki Kambakhsh
- Dental Caries Prevention Research Center, Faculty of Dentistry, Qazvin University Medical Sciences, Qazvin, Iran
| | - Saber Babazadeh
- Department of Community Oral Health, Faculty of Dentistry, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
- Correspondence: Saber Babazadeh
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Olal E, Mukunya D, Oloya JN, Baguma S, Okot C, Alema NO, Acullu D, Ochula DO, Atim PO, Odong PO, Okot GS, Pebolo FP, Oyat FWD, Ikoona EN, Aloyo J, Kitara DL. Prevalence and Factors Associated With Compliance With COVID-19 Presidential Lockdown Measures: A Cross-Sectional Study. INQUIRY : A JOURNAL OF MEDICAL CARE ORGANIZATION, PROVISION AND FINANCING 2023; 60:469580231201258. [PMID: 37803931 PMCID: PMC10559722 DOI: 10.1177/00469580231201258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2023] [Revised: 07/31/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 10/08/2023]
Abstract
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is one of the most severe global health uncertainties to date. Although significant global effort has been put into implementing COVID-19 pandemic control measures such as lockdowns, travel restrictions, and hygiene precautions, the transmission is expected to resurface once these efforts are discontinued. We aimed to determine the prevalence and factors associated with compliance with presidential 53-day lockdown measures in June-July 2021 in northern Uganda. In this cross-sectional study, 587 adult participants (≥18 years old) from northern Uganda were selected using a systematic sampling method. Data collection involved interviewer-administered questionnaires with an internal validity of Cronbach's α = .72. Socio-demographic characteristics of participants were described, and multivariable modified Poisson regressions were performed to assess prevalence ratios between dependent and selected independent variables, with respective P values at 95% confidence intervals. All analyses were conducted using Stata 17.0. Participants' compliance with the presidential lockdown directives was high at 88%(95% CI: 85%-90%). Compliance with the presidential directives was more likely among participants who agreed to the lockdown measures [adjusted Prevalence Ratio, aPR = 1.28 (95% CI: 1.10-1.49; P = .001)] compared to those who did not, and more likely among those who were afraid of death from COVID-19 [aPR = 1.08 (95% CI: 1.01-1.15; P = .023)] than those who did not. However, compliance was less likely among males [aPR = 0.91 (95% CI: 0.86-0.97; P = .002)] compared to females, those aged 35 to 44 years [aPR = 0.87 (95% CI: 0.79-0.97; P = .013)] compared to those less 25 years; and unmarried [aPR = 0.89 (95% CI: 0.82-0.97; P = .011)] compared to the married. Compliance with the COVID-19 presidential lockdown measures in northern Uganda was high. The factors associated with compliance were the fear of death and agreement with presidential lockdown measures. However, compliance was less likely among males, unmarried persons, and persons aged 35 to 44. The authors recommend more community engagements, participation, sensitization, mobilization, and simultaneous application of multiple public health approaches to improve compliance and control of COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmanuel Olal
- Yotkom Medical Centre, Kitgum, Uganda
- Uganda Medical Association, Gulu City, Uganda
| | - David Mukunya
- Busitema University, Mbale, Uganda
- Nikao Medical Center, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Johnson Nyeko Oloya
- Uganda Medical Association, Gulu City, Uganda
- Moroto Regional Referral Hospital, Moroto, Uganda
| | - Steven Baguma
- Uganda Medical Association, Gulu City, Uganda
- Gulu Regional Referral Hospital, Gulu City, Uganda
| | - Christopher Okot
- Uganda Medical Association, Gulu City, Uganda
- Gulu Regional Referral Hospital, Gulu City, Uganda
| | | | - Denis Acullu
- Uganda Medical Association, Gulu City, Uganda
- Aga Khan Hospital, Mombasa, Kenya
| | - Denish Omoya Ochula
- Uganda Medical Association, Gulu City, Uganda
- Lamwo District Local Government, District Health Office, Padibe, Uganda
| | - Pamela Okot Atim
- Uganda Medical Association, Gulu City, Uganda
- St. Joseph’s Hospital, Kitgum District, Uganda
| | - Patrick Olwedo Odong
- Uganda Medical Association, Gulu City, Uganda
- Amuru District Local Government, District Health Office, Amuru, Uganda
| | - Godfrey Smart Okot
- Uganda Medical Association, Gulu City, Uganda
- Dr. Ambrosoli Memorial Hospital, Kalongo, Uganda
| | | | | | | | - Judith Aloyo
- Uganda Medical Association, Gulu City, Uganda
- Rhites-N, Acholi, Gulu City, Uganda
| | - David Lagoro Kitara
- Uganda Medical Association, Gulu City, Uganda
- Gulu University, Gulu City, Uganda
- Gulu Centre for Advanced Medical Diagnostics, Research, Trainings, and Innovations (GRUDI BIONTECH), Gulu, Uganda
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Falla-Aliabadi S, Heydari A, Fatemi F, Yoshany N, Lotfi MH, Sarsangi A, Hanna F. Impact of social and cultural factors on incidence, transmission and control of Coronavirus disease in Iran: a qualitative study. BMC Public Health 2022; 22:2352. [PMID: 36522718 PMCID: PMC9753076 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-022-14805-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION COVID-19 pandemic has had mixed reactions from nations, people and governments about ways to cope with, prevent and control the disease. The current study identifies social, cultural and policy factors affecting the incidence and control of Coronavirus disease in Iran. METHODS A qualitative study consists of content analysis as well as the views of 20 experienced and knowledgeable subjects specialized in social and cultural health management. The data were gathered using three semi-structured interviews and then continued by 17 semi-structured interviews. Data analysis was done using Graneheim approach. After each interview, the recorded audio files transcript and reviewed. Then codes extracted and divided to categories and sub-categories. RESULTS There are distinct social and cultural factors in coping with Coronavirus disease. These consisted of three categories of governance, individual and community related factors. A total of 17 subcategories and 215 primary codes that were extracted from the text of interviews as variables of the study and in relation to the research question. Ten subdomains of governance including vaccination, political issues, knowledge, support services, administrative services, transportation, health and treatment, culturalization, legislation and, managerial and financial policies impacted the spread and mitigation of the pandemic at various levels. CONCLUSION The management of pandemics requires a comprehensive capacity for identifying and determining social and cultural criteria. A healthy partnership between governments and the community may be required to remove unnecessary obstacles that hinder public health attempt to alleviate the risk. The obtained criteria and indicators from this study may be utilized by policy makers in an attempt to strengthen protocols for mitigating pandemics. Further studies may be warranted to confirm these findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saeed Falla-Aliabadi
- Department of Health in Emergencies and Disasters, School of Public Health, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran
- Accident Prevention and Crisis Research Center, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran
| | - Ahad Heydari
- Department of Health in Disaster and Emergencies, School of Medicine, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran
| | - Farin Fatemi
- Social Determinant of Health Research Center, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran
| | - Nooshin Yoshany
- Department of Health education and Promotion, Social Determinants of Health Research Center, School of Public Health, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran
| | - Mohammad Hasan Lotfi
- Departments of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran
| | - Alireza Sarsangi
- GIS and Remote Sensing Department, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Fahad Hanna
- Program of Public Health, Torrens University Australia, Melbourne, VIC Australia
- Higher Education College, Chisholm Institute, Dandenong, VIC Australia
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Partovi Y, Farahbakhsh M, Tabrizi JS, Gholipour K, Koosha A, Sharbafi J, Wilson A. The challenges facing programs for the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases in Iran: a qualitative study of senior managers' viewpoints. BMC Health Serv Res 2022; 22:1354. [PMID: 36380327 PMCID: PMC9664430 DOI: 10.1186/s12913-022-08778-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2021] [Accepted: 11/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Despite significant achievements in the prevention and control of NCDs in Iran, these conditions are still the biggest challenges to Iran's healthcare system and are estimated to account for 78.1 percent of all deaths. Therefore, this study aimed to reflect on the potential challenges standing in the way to implement the relevant policies, empower the dimensions of governance, and react in an effective and timely manner by Iran's healthcare system to NCDs. METHODS This study was conducted with a qualitative approach using the conventional content analysis method. A total of 46 senior managers involved in the prevention and control of NCDs at the medical sciences universities across Iran were recruited through the purposive sampling method and were interviewed via semi-structured interviews. Graneheim and Lundman's approach was utilized to analyze the data. RESULTS According to the analysis of the senior managers' viewpoints, current challenges to implement the program for the prevention and control of NCDs in Iran could be placed into six main categories, including financing, human resources, infrastructure and inputs, legal, executive, administrative, as well as inter-sectoral collaboration, and management and policy-making challenges with their own sub-categories. CONCLUSION The results revealed that financing was the biggest challenge to successfully implementing the program for the prevention and control of NCDs in Iran. However, strengthening Iran's healthcare system in the field of the prevention of NCDs demanded more innovative measures and strategies, such as the empowerment of human resources, the effective use of intra- and inter-sectoral collaboration, and non-governmental organizations and charities, along with the exploitation of evidence-based studies during policy-making and decision-making processes, with no need for financial resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yegane Partovi
- Department of Health Policy and Health Services Management, School of Management and Medical Informatics, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Mostafa Farahbakhsh
- Research Center of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Jafar Sadegh Tabrizi
- Health Services Management Research Centre, School of Health Management and Medical Information, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
| | - Kamal Gholipour
- Health Services Management Research Center, School of Management and Medical Informatics, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Ahmad Koosha
- National Public Health Management Center, School of Public Health, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Jabreil Sharbafi
- East Azerbaijan Provincial Health Centre, NCD Department, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Andrew Wilson
- Menzies Centre for Health Policy, School of Public Health, the University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
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12
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Yoosefi Lebni J, Pavee S, Saki M, Ziapour A, Ahmadi A, Khezeli M. Determinants of observing health protocols related to preventing COVID-19 in adult women: A qualitative study in Iran. Front Public Health 2022; 10:969658. [PMID: 36062115 PMCID: PMC9437289 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.969658] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The best way to prevent COVID-19 is to observe health protocols. Therefore, identifying the reasons of following these protocols in order to plan and make intervention seems necessary. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to identify the determinants of observing health protocols related to prevention of COVID-19 among the Iranian adult women with a qualitative approach. Method In this qualitative study, the conventional content analysis approach was used. saturation was obtained after face-to-face semi-structured interviews with 38 women from Kermanshah who were selected through purposeful sampling and snowball sampling. Guba and Lincoln criteria were used for the strength of the research and Graneheim and Lundman method was used for its analysis. Results After analyzing the interviews, 5 categories, 12 subcategories and 110 initial codes were obtained. Categories and sub-categories were: 1- Individual factors (personality traits, health literacy about COVID-19); 2- Perceived risk having underlying disease in oneself and family, history of getting COVID-19 and death in close relatives; 3- Fear of the destructive consequences of the disease (concern about the economic consequences of getting the disease, concern about the treatment process); 4- Social and cultural factors (social monitoring, religious insight, ability to properly manage social interactions, impressionability from important others); 5- Environmental factors (supportive living environment, access to health and anti-infective materials). Conclusion Increasing the adherence of adult women to health instructions related to COVID-19 requires interventions at different levels of individual, environmental and social, and without accurate knowledge of the customs and culture of a society effective interventions cannot be established.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javad Yoosefi Lebni
- Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Lorestan University of Medical Sciences, Khorramabad, Iran
| | - Saeede Pavee
- Master of Tourism Planning, Department of Geography and Tourism Planning at Kharazmi University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mandana Saki
- Social Determinants of Health Research Center, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Lorestan University of Medical Sciences, Khorramabad, Iran
| | - Arash Ziapour
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Health Institute, Imam-Ali Hospital, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Ahmad Ahmadi
- Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Allameh Tabataba'i University, Tehran, Iran,*Correspondence: Ahmad Ahmadi
| | - Mehdi Khezeli
- Social Development and Health Promotion Research Center, Health Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran,Mehdi Khezeli
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13
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Hadian M, Jabbari A, Abdollahi M, Hosseini E, Sheikhbardsiri H. Explore pre-hospital emergency challenges in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic: A quality content analysis in the Iranian context. Front Public Health 2022; 10:864019. [PMID: 36062086 PMCID: PMC9428312 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.864019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2022] [Accepted: 07/25/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Background pre-hospital emergency is a community-oriented system that responds to the medical needs of the injured or patients with acute and emergency illnesses outside of health care facilities until they are transferred to a medical center. This study aimed to explore pre-hospital emergency challenges in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. Material and methods This study was conducted as a qualitative content analysis in Iran. Using the purposive sampling method, data were collected through in-depth individual interviews with 28 prehospital paramedic personnel from November 2020 to November 2021. Graneheim and Lundman's conventional content analysis methods were used to analyze the data and for the trustworthiness of the data, this study used Lincoln and Guba's recommendations. Results After multiple rounds of analyzing and summarizing the data and taking into consideration similarities and differences, four main categories and 10 subcategories were created based on the results of the data analysis and including (1) Culture and Community. (2) Service delivery (3) Human resources; (4) Medical supplies and equipment. Conclusion According to the findings of this study emergency medical system employees are suffering from a range of psychiatric problems as a result of a lack of equipment and job overload, which has a detrimental impact on the quality of pre-hospital emergency care. Therefore, emergency care senior management should develop comprehensive guidelines, provide more equipment and minimize professional challenges to improve the quality and safety of pre-hospital emergency care services.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marziye Hadian
- Health Services Management, Student Research Committee of School of Management and Medical Information, Health Management and Economics Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Alireza Jabbari
- Health Services Management, Health Management and Economics Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Mahdieh Abdollahi
- Department of Nursing, Zarand Branch, Islamic Azad University, Zarand, Iran
| | - Elaheh Hosseini
- Health Services Management, Health Management and Economics Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Hojjat Sheikhbardsiri
- Health in Disasters and Emergencies Research Center, Institute for Futures Studies in Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
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14
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Yoosefi Lebni J, Irandoost SF, Sedighi S, Ahmadi S, Hosseini R. Identifying the determinants of non-injection of covid-19 vaccine: A qualitative study in Urmia, Iran. Front Public Health 2022; 10:927400. [PMID: 35991053 PMCID: PMC9386546 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.927400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective Extensive vaccination coverage is one of the most effective ways to control COVID-19 vaccine, but the tendency to inject the vaccine is always hampered and there are various determinants of non-injection. Hence, the present study was done with the aim of identifying the determinants of non-injection of COVID-19 vaccine with a qualitative approach in the city of Urmia in Iran. Methods The present study was conducted with a qualitative approach and conventional content analysis method among 36 people who refused to be vaccinated. Access to participants and data collection was done in person (28 interviews) and online (8 interviews) through targeted sampling and snowball method and semi-structured interviews. Data management was performed using MAXQDA-2018 software and its analysis was performed by Graneheim and Lundman method. Also, Guba and Lincoln criteria were observed to improve the quality of results. Results After analyzing the data, 3 main categories and 11 subcategories were obtained including (1) Individual factors (fear of short-term side effects of vaccine, personality traits, distrust of vaccines and pharmaceutical companies), (2) Socio-cultural factors (conspiracy theory, social learning, misconceptions about COVID-19, fatalism), legal and managerial factors (incomplete information, difficult and irregular access to vaccination centers, lack of restrictions and compulsion to be vaccinated, lack of incentives to be vaccinated). Conclusion The results showed that various determinants were involved in the non-injection of COVID-19 vaccine. Therefore, efforts to increase vaccination coverage require comprehensive measures at different levels and cross-sectoral cooperation between governmental and non-governmental institutions and organizations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javad Yoosefi Lebni
- Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Lorestan University of Medical Sciences, Khorramabad, Iran
| | - Seyed Fahim Irandoost
- Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Clinical Research Institute, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran
| | - Sardar Sedighi
- Faculty of Physical Education, Sports Management Group, Tabriz University, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Sina Ahmadi
- Social Determinants of Health Research Center, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Rana Hosseini
- Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Clinical Research Institute, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran
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15
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Hashemi F, Hoepner L, Hamidinejad FS, Abbasi A, Afrashteh S, Hoseini M. A survey on the correlation between PM 2.5 concentration and the incidence of suspected and positive cases of COVID-19 referred to medical centers: A case study of Tehran. CHEMOSPHERE 2022; 301:134650. [PMID: 35452646 PMCID: PMC9016534 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.134650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2022] [Revised: 04/01/2022] [Accepted: 04/15/2022] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
COVID-19, one of the greatest health challenges of the present century, has infected millions of people and caused more than 6 million deaths worldwide. The causative agent of this disease is the new virus SARS-CoV-2; which continues to spread globally and sometimes with new and more complex aspects than before. The present study is an observational study aimed to investigate the role of AQI; PM2.5 and its relationship with the incidence of suspected cases (SC) and positive cases (PC) of COVID-19 at different levels of the air quality index (AQI) in Tehran, the capital of Iran in the period from Feb 20th, 2020 to Feb 22nd, 2021. Data on AQI were collected online from the air monitoring website of Air Quality Control Company under the supervision of Tehran Municipality. The data on suspected and positive cases were obtained from the Iranian Ministry of Health. The results and statistical analysis (Pearson correlation test) showed that with the increase of AQI level, the number of suspected cases (SC) and positive cases (PC), also increased (P-value<0.01). The average daily number of suspected and positive COVID-19 cases referred to medical centers, at different levels of the AQI was as follows: level II: yellow, moderate (SC: Nave = 466; PC: Nave = 223), level III: orange, unhealthy for sensitive groups (SC: Nave = 564; PC: Nave = 275), and Level IV: red, unhealthy (SC: Nave = 558; PC: Nave = 294). The results of the GEE for seasonal comparison (winter as reference season), showed that there is an epidemiological pattern in autumn with colder weather compared to other seasons in both suspected (Cl: %95, B = 408.94) and positive (Cl: %95, B = 83.42) cases of COVID-19. The results of this study will serve policymakers as an informative tool for guidance on the importance of the role of air pollution in viral epidemics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fallah Hashemi
- Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Health, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
| | - Lori Hoepner
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, School of Public Health, SUNY Downstate Health Sciences Center, Brooklyn, New York, USA.
| | - Farahnaz Soleimani Hamidinejad
- Department of Medicine, O.O. Bogomolets National Medical University, Kyiv, Ukraine; Department of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Alireza Abbasi
- Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Health, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
| | - Sima Afrashteh
- Department of Epidemiology, Faculty of Public Health, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
| | - Mohammad Hoseini
- Research Center for Health Sciences, Institute of Health, Department of Environmental Health, School of Health, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
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16
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Mohammadi F, Masoumi Z, Oshvandi K, Khazaei S, Bijani M. Death anxiety, moral courage, and resilience in nursing students who care for COVID-19 patients: a cross-sectional study. BMC Nurs 2022; 21:150. [PMID: 35698221 PMCID: PMC9189788 DOI: 10.1186/s12912-022-00931-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2022] [Accepted: 06/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Being on the frontline of the battle against COVID-19, nurses and nursing students have been under considerable psychological stress and pressure. The present study is done to explore death anxiety, moral courage, and resilience in nursing students caring for COVID-19 patients in the south of Iran. Methods The present study is cross-sectional research conducted between September and December 2021. A total of 420 senior nursing students (nursing interns) who were undergoing their clinical training courses were invited to participate in the study by convenience sampling method from three hospitals affiliated with the University of Medical Sciences of Southern Iran. Data were collected using a demographics survey, Nurses’ Moral Courage Questionnaire, Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, and Templer’s Death Anxiety Scale. Results The nursing students participating in this study had a death anxiety mean score of 12.78 ± 1.17. The results showed that there was a significant and indirect correlation between death anxiety on the one hand and moral courage (r = -0.91, p < 0.001) and resilience (r = -0.89, p < 0.001) on the other in nursing students caring for patients with COVID-19. Also, it was found that there was a significant and direct correlation between the students’ resilience and moral courage scores (r = 0.91, p < 0.001). Conclusion The nursing students caring for COVID-19 patients had experienced high levels of death anxiety in the past few months. Considering the persistence of the COVID-19 crisis in Iran and other countries, there is an urgent need for measures to preserve and improve the physical, mental, and spiritual health of nursing students, enhance their moral courage and resilience and reduce their death anxiety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fateme Mohammadi
- Chronic Diseases (Home Care) Research Center and Autism Spectrum Disorders Research Center, Department of Nursing, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran
| | - Zahra Masoumi
- Department of Nursing, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran
| | - Khodayar Oshvandi
- Mother and Child Care Research Center, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran
| | - Salman Khazaei
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Health , Health Sciences Research Center, Health Sciences & Technology Research Institue, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran
| | - Mostafa Bijani
- Department of Medical Surgical Nursing, Fasa University of Medical Sciences, Fasa, Iran.
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17
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Amiri P, Moulaei K, Bahaadinbeigy K, Ghaemi MM, Sheikhtaheri A. The information‐seeking behavior of medical sciences students toward COVID‐19 in mass and social media: A cross‐sectional study. Health Sci Rep 2022; 5:e648. [PMID: 35620539 PMCID: PMC9125876 DOI: 10.1002/hsr2.648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2021] [Revised: 05/03/2022] [Accepted: 05/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Background and Aims During the COVID‐19 pandemic, college students can access health‐related information on the Internet to improve preventative behaviors, but they often judge the merits of such information and create challenges in the community. The aim of this study was to investigate information‐seeking behaviors in regard to COVID‐19 among students at Kerman University of Medical Sciences (KUMS) with the help of mass and social media. Methods The present study is a cross‐sectional study, which was conducted using an online researcher‐made questionnaire. An invitation to participate in the study was sent to 500 students at KUMS, of which 203 were selected according to the inclusion criteria and completed the questionnaire. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data. Results COVID‐19 news was mostly obtained through social media platforms such as WhatsApp, Telegram, Instagram, radio, and television, as well as online publications and news agencies. Social media platforms such as WhatsApp, Telegram, Instagram, and satellite networks such as BBC contained the most rumors about COVID‐19. Some of the most common misconceptions regarding COVID‐19 were as follows: “COVID‐19 is the deadliest disease in the world,” “COVID‐19 is a biological attack,” and “COVID‐19 disappears as the air temperature rises.” In addition, most of the virtual training provided through mass media focused on “refraining from visiting holy places and crowded locations such as markets,” “observing personal hygiene and refraining from touching the eyes, nose, and mouth with infected hands,” and “the role of quarantine in reducing the incidence of COVID‐19.” Conclusion Our findings demonstrated that during the pandemic, students used social media platforms the most to obtain health‐related information and these media have a significant impact on their willingness to engage in preventative behaviors and take the COVID‐19 risk seriously.
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Affiliation(s)
- Parasto Amiri
- Student Research Committee, Department of Health Information Management Kerman University of Medical Sciences Kerman Iran
| | - Khadijeh Moulaei
- Student Research Committee, Department of Health Information Management Kerman University of Medical Sciences Kerman Iran
| | - Kambiz Bahaadinbeigy
- Medical Informatics Research Center, Institute for Futures Studies in Health Kerman University of Medical Sciences Kerman Iran
| | - Mohammad Mehdi Ghaemi
- Medical Informatics Research Center, Institute for Futures Studies in Health Kerman University of Medical Sciences Kerman Iran
| | - Abbas Sheikhtaheri
- Department of Health Information Management, School of Health Management and Information Sciences Iran University of Medical Sciences Tehran Iran
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18
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Yoosefi Lebni J, Enayat H, Irandoost SF, Dehghan AA. Exploring the Challenges of Afghan Refugee Women Facing COVID-19: A Qualitative Study in Iran. Front Public Health 2022; 10:838965. [PMID: 35433606 PMCID: PMC9008478 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.838965] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2021] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective Afghan refugee women in Iran confront many problems in dealing with COVID-19 due to their fragile conditions. Therefore, the aim of this study was to explore the challenges of Afghan refugee women in the face of COVID-19 in Iran with a qualitative approach. Methods The present study was conducted with a qualitative approach among Afghan refugee women in Iran. Data were collected through semi-structured face-to-face and telephone interviews and were saturated with 30 women. Both targeted and snowball sampling were used. Data were analyzed using conventional qualitative content analysis and Graneheim and Lundman method. Guba and Lincoln criteria were observed to evaluate the quality of research results. Results 143 primary codes, 12 subcategories and five main categories were obtained from data analysis. The main categories include little knowledge and information (limited access to information resources, incomplete knowledge about COVID-19), family challenges (intensified experience of violence and conflict in the family, problems related to childbirth and pregnancy), socio-economic challenges (exacerbation of economic problems, high-risk living conditions, social isolation, limited support of social and health organizations), health issues (problems related to treatment, injustice in providing services and facilities) and problems after the death of a COVID-19 patient (burial challenges for immigrants; lack of funeral rites). Conclusion Afghan refugee women in Iran are very vulnerable facing COVID-19 due to their fragile conditions. Social and health institutions and organizations need to provide more support to these women so that they can protect their health and that of their families against COVID-19 and the damage caused by it.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javad Yoosefi Lebni
- Social Development and Health Promotion Research Center, Health Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Halime Enayat
- Department of Sociology, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Seyed Fahim Irandoost
- Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Clinical Research Institute, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran
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19
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Afrash MR, Kazemi-Arpanahi H, Shanbehzadeh M, Nopour R, Mirbagheri E. Predicting hospital readmission risk in patients with COVID-19: A machine learning approach. INFORMATICS IN MEDICINE UNLOCKED 2022; 30:100908. [PMID: 35280933 PMCID: PMC8901230 DOI: 10.1016/j.imu.2022.100908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2022] [Revised: 02/18/2022] [Accepted: 03/06/2022] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction The Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic stunned the health systems with severe scarcities in hospital resources. In this critical situation, decreasing COVID-19 readmissions could potentially sustain hospital capacity. This study aimed to select the most affecting features of COVID-19 readmission and compare the capability of Machine Learning (ML) algorithms to predict COVID-19 readmission based on the selected features. Material and methods The data of 5791 hospitalized patients with COVID-19 were retrospectively recruited from a hospital registry system. The LASSO feature selection algorithm was used to select the most important features related to COVID-19 readmission. HistGradientBoosting classifier (HGB), Bagging classifier, Multi-Layered Perceptron (MLP), Support Vector Machine ((SVM) kernel = linear), SVM (kernel = RBF), and Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) classifiers were used for prediction. We evaluated the performance of ML algorithms with a 10-fold cross-validation method using six performance evaluation metrics. Results Out of the 42 features, 14 were identified as the most relevant predictors. The XGBoost classifier outperformed the other six ML models with an average accuracy of 91.7%, specificity of 91.3%, the sensitivity of 91.6%, F-measure of 91.8%, and AUC of 0.91%. Conclusion The experimental results prove that ML models can satisfactorily predict COVID-19 readmission. Besides considering the risk factors prioritized in this work, categorizing cases with a high risk of reinfection can make the patient triaging procedure and hospital resource utilization more effective.
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Key Words
- AUC, Area under the curve
- Artificial intelligent
- CDSS, Clinical Decision Support Systems
- COVID-19
- COVID-19, Coronavirus disease 2019
- CRISP, Cross-Industry Standard Process
- Coronavirus
- HGB, Hist Gradient Boosting
- LASSO, Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator
- ML, Machine learning
- MLP, Multi-Layered Perceptron
- Machine learning
- Readmission
- SVM, Support Vector Machine
- XGBoost, Extreme Gradient Boosting
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Reza Afrash
- Department of Health Information Technology and Management, School of Allied Medical Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hadi Kazemi-Arpanahi
- Department of Health Information Technology, Abadan Faculty of Medical Sciences, Abadan, Iran
- Student Research Committee, Abadan Faculty of Medical Sciences, Abadan, Iran
| | - Mostafa Shanbehzadeh
- Department of Health Information Technology, School of Paramedical, Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Ilam, Iran
| | - Raoof Nopour
- Department of Health Information Management, Student Research Committee, School of Health Management and Information Sciences Branch, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Esmat Mirbagheri
- Department of Health Information Management, School of Health Management and Information Sciences, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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20
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Ahmadi S, Irandoost SF, Ahmadi A, Yoosefi Lebni J, Mohammadi Gharehghani MA, Baba Safari N. Explaining Experiences, Challenges and Adaptation Strategies in COVID-19 Patients: A Qualitative Study in Iran. Front Public Health 2022; 9:778026. [PMID: 35186867 PMCID: PMC8850373 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2021.778026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2021] [Accepted: 12/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Getting COVID-19 makes a person confront numerous individual, physical, psychological, family and social challenges. Therefore, the present study was conducted to explain the experiences, challenges and adaptation strategies in patients with COVID-19 in Tehran, Iran. METHODS The present study was performed with a qualitative approach and phenomenological method among 33 patients with COVID-19. From July 20 to September 21, access to participants and data collection were done in person (15 people) and by phone (18 people) through targeted sampling and snowball and semi-structured interviews. Data management was carried out using MAXQDA-2018 software and its analysis was done by the Colaizzi analysis method. Guba and Lincoln's criteria were also observed to improve the quality of results. RESULTS After analyzing the data, two main categories and 17 subcategories were obtained, including (1) experiences and challenges (ignoring the disease, blaming, physical health disorders, mental problems, guilt, and remorse, being blamed, living a life of disappointment and ambiguity, emotional challenges, frustrating reactions from others, helplessness and limitation) and (2) disease adaptation strategies (spirituality, learning about COVID-19, doing valuable and fun activities, participating in treatment, strengthening one's spirit and hope, trying to make up for past mistakes and virtual communication). CONCLUSIONS Based on the results, interventions and policies such as increasing people's health knowledge and literacy to get acquainted with the symptoms of the disease and prompt referral for diagnosis and treatment, teaching stress and psychological pressure management techniques, instructing families to continue emotional and social support for patients and strengthening and reproducing the strategies patients use, along with teaching disease coping skills, harnessing the potential of cyberspace and the media can make it easier to tolerate illness and get back to life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sina Ahmadi
- Department of Social Welfare Management, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Social Welfare Management Research Center, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Seyed Fahim Irandoost
- Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Clinical Research Institute, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran
| | - Ahmad Ahmadi
- PhD in Educational Technology, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Allameh Tabataba'i University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Javad Yoosefi Lebni
- Health Promotion Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Nafe Baba Safari
- PhD in Anthropology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
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21
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Wijesinghe MSD, Ariyaratne VS, Gunawardana BMI, Rajapaksha RMNU, Weerasinghe WMPC, Gomez P, Chandraratna S, Suveendran T, Karunapema RPP. Role of Religious Leaders in COVID-19 Prevention: A Community-Level Prevention Model in Sri Lanka. JOURNAL OF RELIGION AND HEALTH 2022; 61:687-702. [PMID: 34812996 PMCID: PMC8609254 DOI: 10.1007/s10943-021-01463-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/09/2021] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected all countries irrespective of their state of development. In countries with traditional societies, religious leaders have been acknowledged as key stakeholders in community engagement activities, including disease prevention. A community-level prevention model was established in 2020 by the Health Promotion Bureau (HPB), Sri Lanka, which incorporated mobilisation of the clergy to support the prevention and response schemes to COVID-19 with non-governmental stakeholders. This model was part of a more extensive community engagement network established by the HPB in cooperation with the country offices for WHO and UNICEF. Building trust, empowering behavioural traits applicable to minimise risks from COVID-19, leadership and coordination, message dissemination, addressing stigma and discrimination, supporting testing procedures, contact tracing activities and vaccination, building community resilience, spiritual and psychosocial support, and welfare provision are some of the useful factors that were identified in the model. Furthermore, a much broader and holistic approach is needed to focus on health behaviours and social and cultural aspects in a multi-faceted nature. This paper highlights a novel COVID-19 prevention model with active involvement of religious leaders that can be implemented in low resource settings. Our experience from Sri Lanka demonstrates the feasibility of implementing this model to mitigate the disastrous situation following the COVID-19 outbreak.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Vinya S. Ariyaratne
- Sarvodaya Shramadana Movement, No.98, Rawathawatta Road, Moratuwa, Sri Lanka
| | | | | | | | - Praveen Gomez
- Alliance Development Trust, No.95, Galle Road, Dehiwala, Sri Lanka
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22
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Perez-Cepeda M, Arias-Bolzmann LG. Sociocultural factors during COVID-19 pandemic: Information consumption on Twitter. JOURNAL OF BUSINESS RESEARCH 2022; 140:384-393. [PMID: 35034997 PMCID: PMC8743443 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2021.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2021] [Revised: 10/13/2021] [Accepted: 11/03/2021] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
The purpose of the research is to describe the sociocultural factors that emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic. Twitter is used as an instrument for data collection. The study is qualitative and uses the netnographic method. To analyze the flow of messages posted on Twitter, the model proposed by Perez-Cepeda and Arias-Bolzmann (2020), which describes sociocultural factors, is taken as a basis. The semantics that people use are a type of functional knowledge that reveals sociocultural factors. Sentiments were analyzed through lexicon-based methods, which are the most suitable. The categorization and classification of the data are performed based on the information that users post on Twitter. The tweets related to COVID-19 describe the sociocultural issues and the level of sentiment around the pandemic. The discussion centers on the COVID-19 pandemic, information consumption, lexicon, sociocultural factors and sentiment analysis. The study was limited to the social media Twitter; another limitation was not to consider the social group of the users who interact with @pandemic_Covid-19, official account of the World Health Organization (WHO). This research contributes to the social sciences, focusing on sociocultural interaction through the use of the social network Twitter. It describes the link between sociocultural factors and the level of sentiment on issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maximiliano Perez-Cepeda
- Universidad Católica de Santiago de Guayaquil, Address Av. Pdte. Carlos Julio Arosemena Tola, Guayaquil, Ecuador
| | - Leopoldo G Arias-Bolzmann
- CENTRUM Graduate Business School, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, Address Jirón Daniel Alomía Robles 125 Urbanización Los Álamos de Monterrico, Santiago de Surco, Lima 33, Peru
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Askari MS, Treleaven E, Ghimire D, Axinn W, Hermosilla S. COVID-19 worries, concerns and mitigation behaviours: A snapshot of Nepal during the first wave. Trop Med Int Health 2022; 27:165-173. [PMID: 34932242 PMCID: PMC8906281 DOI: 10.1111/tmi.13713] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To understand COVID-19 worries and how they influence COVID-19 mitigation behaviours, especially in communities prior to case surges, in Nepal. METHODS Data related to COVID-19 impacts on life disruptions were collected from households in the Chitwan Valley Family Study, a 25-year community panel study, during February-April 2021. COVID-19 worry was measured by the extent of respondent concern for themselves or household members getting COVID-19 in the prior 2 weeks. 11 items examined COVID-19 mitigation behaviours. Logistic regression models assessed associations between socio-demographic characteristics and COVID-19 worry and then the influence of worry on any mitigation behaviour and behaviour type adjusting for age, education, sex, ethnicity and COVID-19 exposure, accounting for neighbourhood clustering. RESULTS Of 2,678 households with a responding adult, ages 18-88, 394 (14.7%) reported moderate-to-extreme COVID-19 worry and 1,214 (45.3%) engaged in three or more mitigation behaviours. Prevalence of mitigation behaviours was higher among those with COVID-19 worry (e.g. avoided crowds: 62.7% versus 40.5% in those with minimal worry). Respondents self-reporting COVID-19 had higher odds of worry (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 2.73, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.13, 6.57). Odds of any mitigation behaviour were higher among those with COVID-19 worry compared to those with minimal worry (aOR: 6.19, 95% CI = 1.88, 20.35). CONCLUSIONS COVID-19 mitigation behaviours were more common in people with COVID-19 worry. To address current and potential future waves of the pandemic, public health efforts should include informational campaigns about mitigation behaviours particularly for those unconcerned with COVID-19 risks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melanie S. Askari
- Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA
| | - Emily Treleaven
- Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA
| | - Dirgha Ghimire
- Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA
- Institute for Social and Environmental Research–Nepal, Chitwan, Nepal
| | - William Axinn
- Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA
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Ahmadi S, Jorjoran Shushtari Z, Shirazikhah M, Biglarian A, Irandoost SF, Paykani T, Almasi A, Rajabi-Gilan N, Mehedi N, Salimi Y. Social Determinants of Adherence to COVID-19 Preventive Guidelines in Iran: A Qualitative Study. INQUIRY : A JOURNAL OF MEDICAL CARE ORGANIZATION, PROVISION AND FINANCING 2022; 59:469580221084185. [PMID: 35349357 PMCID: PMC8968392 DOI: 10.1177/00469580221084185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Adherence to COVID-19 preventative guidelines may be influenced by a variety of factors at the individual, societal, and institutional levels. The current study sought to investigate the social factors of adherence to those preventive measures from the perspective of health professionals. METHODS In October 2020, we performed qualitative research in Tehran, Iran, using the directed content analysis method. For the preparation of our interview guide and data analysis, we employed the WHO conceptual framework of socioeconomic determinants of health. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 health professionals and policymakers who were chosen using a purposive sampling approach. MAXQDA-18 software was used to analyze the data. The Goba and Lincoln criteria were used to assess the quality of the results. RESULTS There are 23 subcategories and 9 categories, which include socio-economic and political context (unstable macroeconomic environment, poor management of the pandemic, media and knowledge transfer), cultural and social values (fatalism, cultural norms, value conflicts, social customs), socio-economic positions (livelihood conditions), social capital (social cohesion, low trust), living conditions (housing conditions), occupational conditions (precarious employment), individual characteristics (demographic characteristics, personality traits, COVID-19 knowledge, and attitude), psycho-social factors (normalization of the disease, social pressure, and stigma), and health system leadership (health system problems, not taking evidence-based decisions, non-comprehensive preventive guidelines, non-operational guidelines, inadequate executive committee) were obtained. CONCLUSION To limit the new COVID-19 transmission, people must be encouraged to follow COVID-19 prevention instructions. Improving adherence to COVID-19 preventive guidelines necessitates dealing with the complexities of responding to social determinants of those guidelines. Increasing public health literacy and knowledge of COVID-19, informing people about the consequences of social interactions and cultural customs in the spread of COVID-19, strengthening regulatory lockdown laws, improving guarantees for adhering to preventive guidelines, providing easy access to preventive supplies, and strengthening financial support for households with precarious employment are all important.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sina Ahmadi
- Social Determinants of Health Research Center, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Department of Social Welfare Management, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Zahra Jorjoran Shushtari
- Social Determinants of Health Research Center, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Marzieh Shirazikhah
- Social Determinants of Health Research Center, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Akbar Biglarian
- Social Determinants of Health Research Center, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Seyed Fahim Irandoost
- Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Clinical Research Institute, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran
| | - Toktam Paykani
- Social Development and Health Promotion Research Center, Gonabad University of Medical Sciences, Gonabad, Iran
| | - Ali Almasi
- Social Development & Health Promotion Research Center, Health Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Nader Rajabi-Gilan
- Social Development & Health Promotion Research Center, Health Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Nafiul Mehedi
- Department of Social Work, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Sylhet, Bangladesh
| | - Yahya Salimi
- Social Development & Health Promotion Research Center, Health Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
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Yoosefi Lebni J, Irandoost SF, Safari H, Xosravi T, Ahmadi S, Soofizad G, Ebadi Fard Azar F, Hoseini AS, Mehedi N. Lived Experiences and Challenges of the Families of COVID-19 Victims: A Qualitative Phenomenological Study in Tehran, Iran. INQUIRY : A JOURNAL OF MEDICAL CARE ORGANIZATION, PROVISION AND FINANCING 2022; 59:469580221081405. [PMID: 35225048 PMCID: PMC8886310 DOI: 10.1177/00469580221081405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Being COVID-19 positive and then dying causes a slew of personal, familial, and social issues for family members. Therefore, the current study was carried out to analyze the lived experiences and issues of COVID-19 victims' families in Tehran, Iran. The phenomenological approach was used in the qualitative analysis of 21 first-degree relatives of COVID-19 victims. From August 22 to October 21, 2020, data was gathered by phone (4 people) and in-person (17 people) using semi-structured interviews. The subjects were chosen through purposeful and snowball sampling. The MAXQDA-2018 program was used to organize the data, and the Colaizzi analytical technique was used to analyze it. Guba and Lincoln's criteria were also used to assess the findings' quality. After analyzing the data, 2 main categories and 14 subcategories were extracted, including (1) challenges in caring for a COVID-19 patient (being rejected, limited access to medical facilities, dissatisfaction with the behavior of medical staff, disruption of family life, the challenge of managing family members' behavior with the patient, and living with doubts and worries (2) challenges after a COVID-19 patient's death (incomplete farewell to the corpse, unbelievability of the death, ambiguity and tension in the burial process, lonely burial, the twinge of conscience, worry about not respecting the deceased, incomplete condolences, and abandonment). The troubles of victims' families can be ameliorated by developing the skills of caring for COVID-19 patients at home, providing medical and psychological services to families before and after the patient's death, appropriately informing the families to guarantee them about dignity and respect and respect of the deceased at the interment, and developing a culture of virtual condolence to provide emotional support to survivors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javad Yoosefi Lebni
- Health Promotion Research Center, 440827Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Seyed Fahim Irandoost
- Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Clinical Research Institute, 37555Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran
| | - Hossein Safari
- Health Promotion Research Center, 440827Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.,School of Nursing and Midwifery, 113106Qazvin University of Medical Sciences, Qazvin, Iran
| | - Tareq Xosravi
- 201574Islamic Azad University Sanandaj Branch, Sanandaj, Iran
| | - Sina Ahmadi
- Social Welfare Management Research Centre, Department of Social Welfare Management, 48533University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Goli Soofizad
- School of Public Health and Safety, 556492Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Farbod Ebadi Fard Azar
- Health Promotion Research Center, 440827Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ava Sadat Hoseini
- Department of Health Education and Health Promotion, School of Health, 440827Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Nafiul Mehedi
- Department of Social Work, 113074Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Sylhet, Bangladesh
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Exploring the experiences of operating room health care professionals' from the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. BMC Surg 2021; 21:434. [PMID: 34953491 PMCID: PMC8709905 DOI: 10.1186/s12893-021-01437-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2021] [Accepted: 12/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The operating room nurses have encountered several challenges during the current COVID-19 Pandemic, which subsequently impact their clinical performance. The present study aimed to investigate the experiences of operating room health care professionals' regarding the COVID-19 pandemic challenges in southern Iran. Methods This is a descriptive qualitative study. The required data were collected using in-depth and semi-structured interviews. Accordingly, 19 operating room health care professions were included in this study through purposive sampling. The data were collected from February 2020 to August 2021 and then analyzed using the Granheim and Lundman’s method. Results Three main themes and 9 sub-themes were presented in this study. They included: 1- Challenges of applying protocols and standards of care in the COVID-19 pandemic in the operating room (lack of specific guidelines regarding care protocols and standards for crisis management of Covid-19 in the operating room and impossibility of keeping social distance in the operating room). 2- Professional challenges (tedious and hard work, professional burnout, lack of adequate support by the managers and lack of personal protective equipment). 3-Psychological crises (indescribable anxiety and worry, parenting stress, and weakened resilience). Conclusion Based on the findings of the present study, it was indicated that lack of a specific guideline in the COVID-19 pandemic led to a sense of indecision and confusion among operating room staff. In this regard, performing tedious tasks, feelings of tiredness and exhaustion, lack of support by the authorities, and lack of access to adequate facilities and equipment were reported as the professional challenges of the healthcare staff in the current COVID-19 pandemic, which consequently affected the quality of care and patient’s safety. It seems that hospital officials can use the results reported in this study for efficient planning and effective management during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Developing Machine Learning and Statistical Tools to Evaluate the Accessibility of Public Health Advice on Infectious Diseases among Vulnerable People. COMPUTATIONAL INTELLIGENCE AND NEUROSCIENCE 2021; 2021:1916690. [PMID: 34925484 PMCID: PMC8683224 DOI: 10.1155/2021/1916690] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2021] [Accepted: 11/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Background From Ebola, Zika, to the latest COVID-19 pandemic, outbreaks of highly infectious diseases continue to reveal severe consequences of social and health inequalities. People from low socioeconomic and educational backgrounds as well as low health literacy tend to be affected by the uncertainty, complexity, volatility, and progressiveness of public health crises and emergencies. A key lesson that governments have taken from the ongoing coronavirus pandemic is the importance of developing and disseminating highly accessible, actionable, inclusive, coherent public health advice, which represent a critical tool to help people with diverse cultural, educational backgrounds and varying abilities to effectively implement health policies at the grassroots level. Objective We aimed to translate the best practices of accessible, inclusive public health advice (purposefully designed for people with low socioeconomic and educational background, health literacy levels, limited English proficiency, and cognitive/functional impairments) on COVID-19 from health authorities in English-speaking multicultural countries (USA, Australia, and UK) to adaptive tools for the evaluation of the accessibility of public health advice in other languages. Methods We developed an optimised Bayesian classifier to produce probabilistic prediction of the accessibility of official health advice among vulnerable people including migrants and foreigners living in China. We developed an adaptive statistical formula for the rapid evaluation of the accessibility of health advice among vulnerable people in China. Results Our study provides needed research tools to fill in a persistent gap in Chinese public health research on accessible, inclusive communication of infectious diseases' prevention and management. For the probabilistic prediction, using the optimised Bayesian machine learning classifier (GNB), the largest positive likelihood ratio (LR+) 16.685 (95% confidence interval: 4.35, 64.04) was identified when the probability threshold was set at 0.2 (sensitivity: 0.98; specificity: 0.94). Conclusion Effective communication of health risks through accessible, inclusive, actionable public advice represents a powerful tool to reduce health inequalities amidst health crises and emergencies. Our study translated the best-practice public health advice developed during the pandemic into intuitive machine learning classifiers for health authorities to develop evidence-based guidelines of accessible health advice. In addition, we developed adaptive statistical tools for frontline health professionals to assess accessibility of public health advice for people from non-English speaking backgrounds.
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Shushtari ZJ, Salimi Y, Ahmadi S, Rajabi-Gilan N, Shirazikhah M, Biglarian A, Almasi A, Gharehghani MAM. Social determinants of adherence to COVID-19 preventive guidelines: a comprehensive review. Osong Public Health Res Perspect 2021; 12:346-360. [PMID: 34965686 PMCID: PMC8721272 DOI: 10.24171/j.phrp.2021.0180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2021] [Revised: 10/13/2021] [Accepted: 11/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Adherence to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) preventive guidelines (ACPG) is an important strategy to control the COVID-19 pandemic effectively. The present study aimed to identify and summarize the social determinants of ACPG among the general population. A comprehensive review was performed from December 2019 to February 2021 through searching electronic databases. Two independent reviewers assessed and selected relevant studies. Next, the characteristics and main findings of the included studies were summarized. Finally, the World Health Organization's conceptual framework of social determinants of health was used to synthesize the identified social determinants of ACPG. Forty-one of 453 retrieved articles met the inclusion criteria. The study results showed different patterns of ACPG among various communities. Furthermore, 84 social determinants were identified and categorized into structural and intermediary determinants. ACPG is a set of complex behaviors associated with different individual sociodemographic and behavioral characteristics; living and working conditions; COVID-19 knowledge, attitudes, and risk perceptions; exposure to sources and information level; leisure activities; social support; trust; social norms; psychosocial well-being; socio-economic position; and the socio-economic and political context. Interventions to promote ACPG among the general population should consider the identified social determinants of ACPG.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zahra Jorjoran Shushtari
- Social Determinants of Health Research Center, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Yahya Salimi
- Department of Social Welfare Management, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Sina Ahmadi
- Social Development & Health Promotion Research Center, Health Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Nader Rajabi-Gilan
- Department of Social Welfare Management, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Marzieh Shirazikhah
- Social Determinants of Health Research Center, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Akbar Biglarian
- Social Determinants of Health Research Center, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ali Almasi
- Department of Social Welfare Management, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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Bijani M, Karimi S, Khaleghi A, Gholampoor Y, Fereidouni Z. Exploring senior managers' perceptions of the COVID-19 Crisis in Iran: a qualitative content analysis study. BMC Health Serv Res 2021; 21:1071. [PMID: 34627238 PMCID: PMC8501323 DOI: 10.1186/s12913-021-07108-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2021] [Accepted: 10/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Identification of the experience of senior managers in tackling biological crises can be a roadmap for future crisis management planning. The aim of the present study was to investigate the experiences of senior managers during the COVID-19 crisis. METHODS This is a descriptive qualitative research. Data were collected using in-depth and semi-structured individual interviews. Accordingly, 20 senior managers of medical universities with experience in managing the COVID-19 crisis were enrolled in the study using purposive sampling. Data were collected from February 2020 to May 2021. For data analysis, qualitative content analytical approach was used. RESULTS According to the results, 4 main themes and 10 sub-themes were obtained; they included dealing with issues and challenges in the face of COVID-19 disease (Structural challenges, Cultural challenges, Educational challenges, COVID-19 complexity); individual and managerial competencies (Individual competencies, Managerial competencies); comprehensive, accountable, and efficient management (Comprehensive and accountable management, efficient management); and professional and organizational self-efficacy (Professional self-efficacy, organizational self-efficacy) were obtained. CONCLUSIONS In the present study, a number of senior managers' experiences in the COVID-19 crisis management were identified. Managers and policymakers of the health system are suggested to use the results of the present study to effectively manage the crisis and improve crisis management in various health-related areas by providing an effective cultural and organizational context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mostafa Bijani
- Department of Medical Surgical Nursing, Fasa University of Medical Sciences, Fasa, Iran
| | - Shahnaz Karimi
- Department of Medical Education, Medical Education Research Center, Fasa University of Medical Sciences, Fasa, Iran
| | - Aliasghar Khaleghi
- NonCommunicable Diseases Research Center (NCDRC), Fasa University of Medical Sciences, Fasa, Iran
| | - Yousef Gholampoor
- NonCommunicable Diseases Research Center (NCDRC), Fasa University of Medical Sciences, Fasa, Iran
| | - Zhila Fereidouni
- Department of Medical Surgical Nursing, Fasa University of Medical Sciences, Fasa, Iran
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Exploring the barriers to Pap smear test in Iranian women: a qualitative study. BMC WOMENS HEALTH 2021; 21:287. [PMID: 34362366 PMCID: PMC8348840 DOI: 10.1186/s12905-021-01428-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2020] [Accepted: 07/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cervical cancer is one of the most frequent types of cancer in females. The Pap smear is one of the most essential ways of diagnosing and screening for this malignancy, and any failure can be caused by a number of causes. The current study sought to investigate barriers to Pap smear in Iranian women. METHOD This qualitative content analysis study was conducted in Iran in 2019. Data was gathered through focus groups and individual semi-structured interviews with 32 women and health professionals. The interviewees were chosen using a combination of purposive and theoretical sampling. The data was then analyzed using the content analysis approach developed by Graneheim and Lundman. Guba and Lincoln's criteria for establishing trustworthiness were explored. RESULTS Data analysis resulted in the identification of four primary categories, seventeen subcategories, and 186 original concepts. The main categories include weakness of health system, difficult accessibility, low health literacy, and socio-cultural factors. CONCLUSION By informing women about the necessity and importance of Pap smear, providing the conditions, facilities, and equipment to facilitate the testing process, and paying more attention to cultural and social factors in cervical cancer and Pap smear planning, interventions, and policies, barriers to Pap testing can be eliminated.
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Yoosefi Lebni J, Ziapour A, Mehedi N, Irandoost SF. The Role of Clerics in Confronting the COVID-19 Crisis in Iran. JOURNAL OF RELIGION AND HEALTH 2021; 60:2387-2394. [PMID: 34052942 PMCID: PMC8164828 DOI: 10.1007/s10943-021-01295-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/20/2021] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Clerics were an authoritative and prominent group in society during the spread of the COVID-19 in Iran. Some of them contributed to social welfare services to assist Iranians. However, others engaged in improper activities, such as calling the COVID-19 pandemic a hoax, standing against the quarantine rules, questioning the scientific methods of preventing COVID-19, and offering incorrect strategies that affected prevention and treatment. Yet, clerics are powerful social assets in Iranian society who have the status to help minimize the spread and effects of pandemics upon Iranian people. As a result, their assistance and influence must be used to combat the COVID-19 crisis. This paper argues that clerics in Iran should motivate people to uphold and obey health norms in four ways: (1) health promotion and encouragement, (2) material and instrumental support, (3) spiritual support, and (4) the mobilization of people to combat the disease. Conversely, it highlights the negative roles of clerics, such as (1) opposing social restrictions and opposing the closure of religious places, (2) countering the scientific-hygienic principles appropriate to COVID-19 prevention, and (3) opposing vaccination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javad Yoosefi Lebni
- Health Promotion Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Arash Ziapour
- Research Center for Environmental Determinants of Health (RCEDH), Health Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Nafiul Mehedi
- Department of Social Work, ShahJalal University of Science and Technology, Sylhet, Bangladesh
| | - Seyed Fahim Irandoost
- Department of Public Health, School of Health, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran.
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Maserat E, Keikha L, Davoodi S, Mohammadzadeh Z. E-health roadmap for COVID-19 vaccine coverage in Iran. BMC Public Health 2021; 21:1450. [PMID: 34301231 PMCID: PMC8300070 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-021-11419-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2021] [Accepted: 06/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Vaccination is the effective and long-term pharmacological solution to deal with COVID-19. Information technology (IT) and electronic immunization can be effective in accelerating and improving vaccine coverage. The aim of this paper is to develop multi-dimensional framework of e-health roadmap to response Covod-19 pandemic and examine the role of IT for improving vaccine distribution in Iran. METHODS The study methodology was based on a two-stage Delphi method which included literature studies at the beginning. Key steps in creating a roadmap in this study include definition, development and evaluation. The initial conceptual model was developed after literature review. Proposed roadmap was reviewed and evaluated in two stages based on the Delphi method by experts in the fields of E-health. RESULTS In the e-health roadmap model, 14 stages of vaccine distribution were presented in three phases of vaccination and then were determined the type of technology in each phase. The 4 conceptual models were approved based on the two stages Delphi approach in a survey of 14 e-health experts. In the second phase of the Delphi process, the selected items were sent back to the specialists to verification. Then e-health roadmap was confirmed by experts and was finalized the approved model. CONCLUSIONS The technology-based roadmap is one plan in the form of a transfer strategy that aligns goals with specific technical solutions and helps to meet them. This roadmap empowers decision makers to decide on alternative paths and achieve goals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elham Maserat
- Department of Medical Informatics, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Leila Keikha
- Health Information Management, Department of Medical Library and Information Sciences School of Allied Medical Sciences, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, Iran
| | - Somayeh Davoodi
- Department of Health Information Management, School of Paramedicine, Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences, Bandar Abbas, Iran
| | - Zeinab Mohammadzadeh
- Department of Health Information Technology, School of Management and Medical Informatics, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
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Yoosefi Lebni J, Irandoost SF, Xosravi T, Ahmadi S, Ziapour A, Soofizad G, SoleimanvandiAzar N. Explaining the problems faced by Iranian housewives during the COVID-19 quarantine period, and their adaption strategies: A qualitative study. WOMEN'S HEALTH (LONDON, ENGLAND) 2021; 17:17455065211063291. [PMID: 34842000 PMCID: PMC8640282 DOI: 10.1177/17455065211063291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2021] [Revised: 11/01/2021] [Accepted: 11/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Housewives have several problems during the quarantine phase; so, the current study was designed to describe the challenges faced by Iranian housewives during the quarantine period in relation to COVID-19 and compatibility measures for it. METHODS The current research employed a qualitative methodology and a traditional content analysis method on 34 quarantined women in Tehran. Purposive sampling and snowballing were used to find participants, and semi-structured interviews were used to gather data. The Guba and Lincoln criteria were also employed to assess the quality of the study findings. RESULTS After analyzing the data, 4 main categories and 18 subcategories were extracted, including (1) individual problems (personal health problems, life with fear and anxiety, low mental health, lifestyle imbalance, Internet addiction); (2) family problems (violence and conflict in the family, tension in managing family members, disruption of the educational and economic situation of family members, intensification of domestic tasks and roles); (3) social problems (social isolation, disregard for social customs, restricted access to cyberspace); and (4) compatibility strategies (spirituality, strengthening family relationships, division of tasks between family members, optimal use of leisure, positive use of cyberspace, development of individual skills). CONCLUSION Their problems can be ameliorated by providing contraception to housewives, improving their mental health and reducing their worries and fears, modeling a healthy lifestyle during quarantine, offering solutions that reduce violent behavior and manage family conflict, and expanding their access to virtual communications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javad Yoosefi Lebni
- Health Promotion Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Seyed Fahim Irandoost
- Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Clinical Research Institute, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran
| | - Tareq Xosravi
- Islamic Azad University Sanandaj Branch, Sanandaj, Iran
| | - Sina Ahmadi
- Department of Social Welfare Management, Social Welfare Management Research Centre, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Arash Ziapour
- Social Development & Health Promotion Research Center, Health Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Goli Soofizad
- School of Public Health and Safety, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Neda SoleimanvandiAzar
- Preventive Medicine and Public Health Research Center, Psychosocial Health Research Institute, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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