Prevalence and associated factors related to arm, neck and shoulder complaints in a selected sample of computer office workers
Noha
Elshaer
Community Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt
author
text
article
2017
eng
Background: Globally, there is an expansion in computer-related work, which may have contributed to an increased burden of complaints of the arm, neck and/or shoulder (CANS). The study was conducted to determine the prevalence and factors associated with CANS among computer office workers (OWs) in Alexandria.Participants and Methods: Computer OWs at four banks and two telecommunication companies (n=211) were included in a cross-sectional study in 2016. Data were collected using the self-administered Musculoskeletal Upper Extremity Questionnaire-Arabic version. Potentially related factors were examined using bivariate and multivariate analyses.Results: The sample comprised 95 (45.02%) males and 116 (54.97%) females. Overall, 72% aged 25–35 years. Prevalence with 95% confidence interval (CI) for CANS was 0.73 (95% CI: 0.66–0.79), 0.69 (95% CI: 0.62–0.75) and 0.70 (95% CI: 0.64–0.76), respectively. The majority of the complaints were minor (86%). Factors significantly associated with neck complaints were female sex (P=0.03), inappropriate office equipment (P=0.02), task complexity (P<0.01), break autonomy (P=0.02) and low decision authority (P=0.05). Factors significantly associated with arm/hand complaints were female sex (P=0.01), awkward body posture (P=0.05), break autonomy (P<0.01) and low break quality (P=0.04)Conclusion: The study revealed high prevalence of CANS and highlighted associated factors, namely, task complexity, inappropriate office equipment, low decision authority, low break quality and female sex. Improving ergonomic conditions, reducing job demands, and increasing job control are crucial to reduce CANS among computer OWs.
Journal of Egyptian Public Health Association
Egyptian Public Health Association
0013-2446
92
v.
4
no.
2017
203
211
https://epx.journals.ekb.eg/article_22466_9f58f99a68f2a1fd51b9af73fca423d2.pdf
dx.doi.org/10.21608/EPX.2018.22041
Health-related quality of life in healthy children and adolescents of HIV-infected parents in Alexandria, Egypt
Mona
Ashry
Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University
author
Hany
Ziady
Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University
author
Maha
Hameed
Hospital of Hepatology, Gastroenterology and Infectious Diseases, Alexandria, Egypt
author
Fatma
Mohammed
Hospital of Hepatology, Gastroenterology and Infectious Diseases, Alexandria, Egypt
author
text
article
2017
eng
Background: Egypt as part of the Eastern Mediterranean region is facing a growing HIV epidemic. Developments in the National HIV Program are associated with an increase in survival of HIV-positive persons. This study aimed to assess health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of healthy children/adolescents of HIV-positive parents compared with healthy children/adolescents of healthy HIV-negative parents.Participants and Methods: A cross-sectional comparative study was conducted. Healthy children aged 3–17 years old of all HIV-positive parents registered in the national HIV treatment center in Alexandria Fever Hospital during the year 2016 were enrolled (n=33) and compared with a comparable group of children of healthy parents (n=33). The HRQOL of studied groups was assessed by interviewing parents using Kinder Lebensqualität Fragebogen questionnaire revised parents’ version.Results: Among the HIV-positive persons, 54.5% of their children had poor to fair HRQOL compared with only 9.1% of children of healthy parent group. They had significantly lower HRQOL scores in ; the physical, mental, family, and friends domains (P<0.05). Adolescents of HIV-positive parents had significantly lower HRQOL score compared with children (P=0.028). Parents’ education was the only independent predictor of daughter/son’s HRQOL (b=13.073, P=0.014).Conclusion: HIV-positive status of parents negatively affects the HRQOL of their children. Development of organized social and mental support services to families with HIV-affected member/s within the Egyptian National HIV program is highly recommended with specific focus on adolescents and children, especially those having lower educated parents.
Journal of Egyptian Public Health Association
Egyptian Public Health Association
0013-2446
92
v.
4
no.
2017
212
219
https://epx.journals.ekb.eg/article_22470_c238938145c391aa061f4522316b10af.pdf
dx.doi.org/10.21608/EPX.2018.22042
Unmet healthcare needs for older people attending the outpatients’ clinics of a university hospital in Cairo, Egypt: a qualitative study
Shaimaa
Abd El-Fatah
Public Health and Community Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt
author
text
article
2017
eng
Background: Egypt is experiencing significant changes in age structure mostly among the older population, which is expected to quadruple over the period 2010–2050. There is no easy, quick-fix recipe for elders’ health needs assessment. Qualitative methods are required to explain what is already known. This study aimed to assess the unmet healthcare needs of the elders attending the outpatients’ clinics of the Cairo University Hospital.Patients and Methods: A qualitative design with a thematic content analysis of semistructured interviews was used to assess the unmet healthcare needs of elders above 60 years of age, attending the outpatients’ clinics of Cairo University Hospital.Results: The most bothersome complaints were the overcrowding and abnormally long waiting times followed by the falsely claimed free of charge governmental services. Besides, the lack of outpatient long-term management was coupled with the fact that some of the needed health services were unavailable, not easily accessible, and insufficient. Moreover, worthless dealing was the most prominent theme in patients’ opinions regarding bad healthcare providers, starting from verbal or nonverbal aggression and prejudice to inadequate information provision for the improvement of elders’ health.Conclusion: Problems facing older patients in the outpatients’ clinics included lack of follow-up services, fractional treatment by the health providers, and absence of internal complaints mechanism. Their suggestions for improvement focused on improving the communication skills of healthcare providers and establishing continuity of the care system. Inevitable improvements in the clinics’ services include: establishment of a geriatric clinic with a multidisciplinary clinical team in addition to enhancing communication and health education with the elders, negotiating to arrive at the best therapeutic options, and fostering motivation and skills needed for self-care.
Journal of Egyptian Public Health Association
Egyptian Public Health Association
0013-2446
92
v.
4
no.
2017
220
227
https://epx.journals.ekb.eg/article_22472_3b582cc99dd06b2b0af2094b494da8d6.pdf
dx.doi.org/10.21608/EPX.2018.22043
Prevalence, health and social hazards, and attitude toward early marriage in ever-married women, Sohag, Upper Egypt
Ahmed
Hamed
Public Health and Community Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine, Sohag University, Sohag, Egypt
author
Fouad
Yousef
Public Health and Community Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine, Sohag University, Sohag, Egypt
author
text
article
2017
eng
Background: Early marriage is associated with many social, physical, and health problems and it is common in many developing countries including Egypt. Many factors affect the decision of the timing of marriage. In this study, we aim to estimate the prevalence, social and health hazards and to identify the attitudes and factors that affect attitudes toward early marriage.Patients and Methods: This cross-sectional study was done in Sohag, Upper Egypt. Random samples of ever-married women aged 20–60 years were taken from six districts. A questionnaire was designed to collect the data.Results: The prevalence of early marriage is about 60%. The associated self-reported health and social hazards included: anemia (18%), hemorrhage (27.5%), uterine prolapse (37%), preterm (36%), low birth weight (31%), delayed immunization of infants (94%), separation from the husband (17%), and discontinuation of education (23%). About 42% of the studied population supported early marriage. Reasons for supporting include: to prevent premarital promiscuity (35%) and difficulty to get married later (28%). Reasons for not supporting include: being harmful to mothers (26%), difficulty in childcare, and discontinuation of education (18% each). Final models of factors significantly affecting women’s attitudes indicated that the factors for not supporting early marriage were: attaining higher education and believing that early marriage is due to ignorance, is more common among relatives, and causes health or social problems.Conclusion: Early marriage is still very common in Sohag. Including the hazards of early marriage in the curriculum of preparatory and secondary schools as well as encouraging girls to complete their education up to the university stage will help in decreasing this problem.
Journal of Egyptian Public Health Association
Egyptian Public Health Association
0013-2446
92
v.
4
no.
2017
228
234
https://epx.journals.ekb.eg/article_22474_bac7fcef817a2bd51f030840bfdd61ec.pdf
dx.doi.org/10.21608/EPX.2018.22044
Knowledge and misconceptions of Saudi women about sexually transmitted infections
Amal
Balbeesi
Department of Dermatology, King Khalid University Hospital, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
author
Saad
Mohizea
Department of Dermatology, King Khalid University Hospital, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
author
text
article
2017
eng
Background: Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are increasingly becoming one of the most important health challenges , especially among women, as they bear long-term consequences such as infertility and cervical cancer owing to STIs. This study aimed to assess the knowledge and misconceptions of Saudi women about STIs.Participants and Methods: A descriptive study was conducted among adult women attending the dermatology clinic at King Saud University Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for reasons other than STIs. They were randomly approached and asked to complete an anonymous prevalidated questionnaire. Uneducated females were guided by an interviewer during the filling up of the survey questionnaire. Of 1150 women approached, 843 adult Saudi women responded to the survey (response rate: 73.3%).Results: The mean age was 30.6±10.9 years. Knowledge of STIs was highest for HIV (85.9%) and lowest for genital warts (17.0%). Respondents believed that genital pruritus, foul discharge, and painful micturition are symptoms of STIs (71.1, 69.1, and 56.4%, respectively). A considerable percentage believed that STIs are transmitted by masturbation (54.8%), sleeping on contaminated beds (39.3%), and by eating and drinking from contaminated utensils (26.3%) whereas 8% believed that STIs are transmitted by shaking hands. Nearly two-thirds of women thought that condoms protect against STIs. Knowledge on the modes of transmission and symptoms of STIs was significantly correlated with younger age, higher level of education, and higher monthly income.Conclusion and recommendations: Despite the huge campaigns and information about STIs seen on the internet and television by these women, there is still scarcity of knowledge on the more important aspects of STIs, especially the recognition of clinical features and modes of transmission/spread of STIs. There is still a need for health authorities to intensify information-dissemination campaigns about STIs to the grassroots level, particularly among women in Saudi Arabia.
Journal of Egyptian Public Health Association
Egyptian Public Health Association
0013-2446
92
v.
4
no.
2017
235
239
https://epx.journals.ekb.eg/article_22476_422e22076d16689c72995700b7958b7a.pdf
dx.doi.org/10.21608/EPX.2018.22045