Awareness of COVID-19 influences on the wellness of Thai health professional students: An ambulatory assessment during the early "new normal" informing policy

Life Satisfaction Before and During COVID-19 Pandemic in Thailand

Objective: To investigate prevalence of life satisfaction in the Thai population before and during the COVID-19 epidemic, and factors associated with life satisfaction during the epidemic. Methods: Multistage sampling was used to draw a sample from the Thai population. A total of 3,115 Thai participants age 15 years or older from a nationally-representative longitudinal survey in 2019 and in 2021 were included in this study. The study applied the Scale with Life Satisfaction (SWLS) instrument to measure life satisfaction among the Thai population before and during the COVID-19 epidemic. Multiple regression analysis was used to investigate the association between life satisfaction and other variables. The follow-up survey response rate for individuals was 44.8%. Results: An average life satisfaction score during the COVID-19 epidemic (in 2021) was 22.4 which decreased from 25.5 before the COVID-19 epidemic (in 2019). More than one-third of the participants (36.5%) reported having less life satisfaction during the epidemic, which was nearly 20 percentage points higher than before the epidemic (17.7%). Controlling for life satisfaction in 2019, the analysis found statistical associations between demographic and economic characteristics and health-related behaviours, and life satisfaction during 2021. People in the older age cohorts (p ≤ 0.001), in a rural area (p ≤ 0.05), having higher education (p ≤ 0.001), still being employed (p ≤ 0.01) and becoming unemployed (p ≤ 0.01) had higher life satisfaction. The possibility of higher life satisfaction was also found in people who maintained good health (p ≤ 0.01), sufficient physical activity (p ≤ 0.001), and fruit and vegetable intake (p ≤ 0.01). People with income loss during the epidemic had lower life satisfaction (p ≤ 0.05). Conclusion: The findings suggest that policies and systems for resilience and social protection are needed for empowering individuals-especially the poor and vulnerable-to cope with crises, and improve health and wellbeing outcomes.

Screening of Asian Natural Materials to Promote β-Endorphin Synthesis

Since the recent coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic and the lifestyle changes it necessitated, the demand for mental health treatment has skyrocketed, with long wait lists for both psychological and psychiatric care. Over-the-counter supplements and home remedies are increasingly sought. In this study, we screened natural materials and blended supplements from Asia that may improve the mood and mental health of humans by testing cell viability and expression of the proopiomelanocortin gene as a marker of β-endorphin production in rat hypothalamus neuron cells. Among 23 tested samples, 3 samples produced significantly higher cell viability in R-HTH-507 cells than the control treatment. In a real-time-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) experiment, 7 samples showed significant β-endorphin synthesis activity. This is the first report that the Asian natural materials Areca catechu, Moringa oleifera, Lignosis rhinocerus, and Aegle marmelos promote β-endorphin synthesis; further investigation will identify the active ingredients in the blended samples. These results suggested that these Asian natural materials have great potential to expand the range of treatments for mental health.

The Thai version of the Nijmegen questionnaire

Purpose

The Nijmegen questionnaire is a screening tool for detecting hyperventilation syndrome. The present study aimed to cross-culturally adapt the questionnaire to Thai language and test its psychometric properties for screening hyperventilation syndrome, in which the prevalence is increasing due to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.Design/methodology/approach: The Thai version of the Nijmegen questionnaire (NQ-TH) was generated following a cross-cultural adaptation guideline including initial translation, synthesis of forward translation, back translation, expert committee review, and prefinal testing. Fifty control participants and one-hundred patients with symptoms related to hyperventilation syndrome were enrolled in this study for the determination of psychometric properties. Content validity, construct validity, internal consistency reliability, and test-retest reliability of the NQ-TH were assessed. Its discriminant ability and cutoff point for screening hyperventilation syndrome were also revealed.

Findings

The obtained IOC and disappeared floor and ceiling effects indicated excellent content validity of the questionnaire. There were significant correlations between the total scores of the NQ-TH and other questionnaires and recorded respiratory measurements obtained from the patients, i.e., SF-36-TH (r = -0.257), HADS-TH (r = 0.331), RR (r = 0.377), and BHT (r = -0.444). This supported the construct validity of the NQ-TH. An acceptable internal consistency was also observed (Cronbach's alpha = 0.789). Test-retest repeatability of the questionnaire was high (ICC = 0.90). Moreover, the NQ-TH reliability was also ensured by calculated MDC (2.68). The cutoff point of the NQ-TH was at 20 with 98% sensitivity and 94% specificity.Originality/value: The NQ-TH established by the present study is a valid and reliable tool for screening hyperventilation syndrome among Thais.

Health-Risk Behaviors, COVID-19 Preventive Behaviors, and the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Working-Age Population of Bangkok, Thailand

Although studies have extensively discussed the effects of COVID-19 on global health behaviors, little is known about the extent of COVID-19 preventive behaviors and their negative effects on the working-age population of Bangkok, Thailand. Therefore, this study aimed to examine health-risk behaviors, COVID-19 preventive behaviors, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic among the Thai working-age population. An online cross-sectional survey was conducted among working-age adults through a self-administered questionnaire. Data were analyzed with descriptive statistics and stepwise multiple regression. Of the 313 Thai participants (227 females, 72.5%), 84.0% had high levels of health-risk behaviors for preventing COVID-19 infection, most respondents (89.1%) had high levels of knowledge about COVID-19, and most respondents (61.7%) had high levels of overall COVID-19 preventive behaviors. Stepwise multiple regression revealed that health-risk behaviors (β = 0.445), knowledge of COVID-19 (β = 0.148), gender (β = 0.145), and age (β = 0.133) were predictive of COVID-19 preventive behaviors. Additionally, most respondents (48.9%) had moderate overall effects from COVID-19. Based on our findings, these factors must be considered when implementing public policies to improve COVID-19 preventive behaviors among the currently employed working-age population. In addition, appropriate interventions must be established and evaluated for the pandemic's long-term effects.

Awareness regarding COVID-19 and its effects on mental health among pre-professional health sciences students at King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for health sciences in Riyadh and Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

In light of the outbreak caused by the COVID-19 and its impact on the physical and mental wellbeing, we explored the consequences of this pandemic on the mental health among pre-professional health sciences students and their awareness regarding the virus. A descriptive observational cross-sectional study was conducted at King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences (KSAU-HS) in Jeddah and Riyadh campuses. Data was collected from 770 participants using an online questionnaire, and statistical analysis was performed using SPSS. The majority of the participants (87.5%) considered governmental authorities as their main source of information, and therefore, they were up to date on the general information regarding COVID-19. For findings on mental health, it was found that 61.9% were exhibiting variant degrees of depression, as well as 50% expressing signs of extremely severe anxiety. However, 50.9% of the participants expressed no signs of stress during this pandemic. An association was found between gender and mental health showing females to have higher tendencies to express signs of extremely severe depression, anxiety, and stress. An association was also found between parents' marital status and anxiety. Analysis revealed that participants with separated parents were the least among the participants to show no signs of anxiety, as well as reporting the highest numbers in the "extremely severe" anxiety category. With the increased awareness and higher than normal levels of the investigated mental illnesses, we advise that proper action should be considered to address this issue.

Examination of Pandemic Awareness, Death Anxiety, and Spiritual Well-Being in Elderly Individuals

This study aimed to examine the relationships between the variables of pandemic awareness, death anxiety, and spiritual well-being and reveal whether the participants' perceptions of pandemic awareness, death anxiety, and spiritual well-being differed according to various sociodemographic characteristics. The study population is comprised of individuals aged 65 years and over in Edirne, Turkey. The data obtained from 449 people in the study were analyzed using various statistical methods. According to the results of the regression analysis performed in the study, the increase in the participants' pandemic awareness was found to reduce their death anxiety and increase their spiritual well-being statistically. Moreover, the increase in the participants' death anxiety statistically reduced their spiritual well-being.

Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Regarding “New Normal” Guidelines and Quality of Life Among Thai People During the COVID-19 Outbreak: An Online Cross-Sectional Survey

In Thailand, strict prevention and control strategies have been implemented to mitigate the rapid spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). “New normal” guidelines and a series of mobile health applications have been introduced by the healthcare sector and implemented to aid the disease control monitoring and prevention of widespread outbreaks. This study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) regarding “new normal” guidelines and quality of life (QOL) among Thai people during the COVID-19 outbreak, and to determine the association between KA, QOL, and practices. An online cross-sectional survey was conducted from 7 June to 12 September 2021 among Thai people in Public Health Region 6 aged ≥ 18 years old. Of the 506 survey participants, 80.3% were female, and 65.0% were 25–59 years old. The survey revealed that 52.2% of participants were classified as having more accurate knowledge, 58.9% were classified as having more positive attitudes, and 80.8% were classified as having more frequent practices regarding “new normal” guidelines, and 54.7% had high QOL. Of the participants, 93.7% agreed that “people who have been fully vaccinated should wear a mask while outside,” and 95.5% wore a face mask outdoors in crowded places. However, 60.9% of participants misunderstood some details regarding online applications for contact tracing and vaccination services, 44.2% felt that these applications were difficult to use, and 33.4% rarely or never downloaded or used these applications. In logistic regression analyses, accurate knowledge of COVID-19 was associated with higher education, being a government employee, monthly family income > 30,000 Thai Baht, and regular use of social media. More positive attitudes regarding “new normal” guidelines and high QOL were associated with positive practices. High QOL was associated with older age, and higher education. Enhancement of attitudes and QOL is also important for improving practices in the general population during the COVID-19 pandemic. Significant factors identified in KAP will be crucial for developing effective prevention and control programs to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. To implement mobile health applications effectively, more work is required to improve the ease of use and promotion strategies.