The Journal of the Egyptian Public Health Association最新文献

{"title":"Prevalence, awareness, attitudes, practices, and associated factors of obesity among adults in Makkah, Saudi Arabia.","authors":"Enas Alfalogy, Nahla H Hariri","doi":"10.1186/s42506-025-00189-9","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s42506-025-00189-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Obesity is becoming increasingly prevalent throughout the world, impairing both life expectancy and quality of life. Despite existing knowledge and awareness about obesity, significant gaps remain in understanding its associated factors and the effectiveness of interventions. This study estimates the prevalence of obesity, identifies its associated factors, and assesses participants' awareness, attitudes, and practices concerning obesity.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted among 368 adults visiting primary care facilities in Makkah, Saudi Arabia. A structured, pre-validated questionnaire adapted from previous research was used to collect demographic information and assess respondents' awareness, attitude, and practices regarding obesity.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The mean age of the participants was 41.8 ± 2.2 years, and 57.6% were females. Most respondents (97.8%) did not smoke, 32.1% had a family history of obesity, 86.1% consumed an unhealthy diet, and 76.6% did not engage in physical exercise. Approximately 37% of participants were overweight or obese. The study found that 85.9% of participants had a good awareness of obesity, 51.4% demonstrated a favorable attitude, and 33.4% exhibited adequate practices regarding obesity. A considerable proportion of participants (56.3%) recognized obesity based on self-perception. Approximately 38% of participants consumed high-calorie meals when stressed, 24.7% did not get sufficient sleep, and 64.4% did not drink enough water. Most of the participants (91.6%) perceived obesity as a disease, and 60.3% were satisfied with their body shapes. The logistic regression analysis demonstrated that the strongest predictors of obesity were poor awareness of obesity (OR = 10.6, p < 0.001), followed by irregular exercise (OR = 6.3, p < 0.05), and being female (OR = 4.8, p < 0.001). Adequate water intake was found to decrease the likelihood of obesity (OR = 0.1, p < 0.001).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Obesity is prevalent among adults in Makkah. Despite a favorable attitude and a good awareness of most aspects relating to obesity, inappropriate practices are common. Additional action and decisions are required to put awareness and attitude into practice.</p>","PeriodicalId":22819,"journal":{"name":"The Journal of the Egyptian Public Health Association","volume":"100 1","pages":"9"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12045844/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143982925","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"High frequency and duration of social media exposure during the COVID- 19 pandemic are associated with mental health problems among employees at an Egyptian university.","authors":"Ghada O Wassif, Mohamed Y El-Awady, Mariam W Nagi, Isis M Mossad","doi":"10.1186/s42506-025-00191-1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s42506-025-00191-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The COVID-19 pandemic posed a significant threat to public health, particularly mental well-being. Due to the rapid spread of the virus and quarantine restrictions, social media usage increased dramatically. Excessive and unregulated social media use may negatively impact mental health, contributing to heightened feelings of helplessness and anxiety. This study aimed to examine the relationship between the frequency and duration of social media use and symptoms of depression and anxiety among employees at Ain Shams University during the COVID-19 pandemic.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A cross-sectional analytical study was conducted over 6 months, from September 1, 2021, to March 31, 2022, among 405 employees at Ain Shams University. A stratified random sampling method was employed in two stages. First, the university's faculties were categorized into four disciplines: humanities and social sciences, natural sciences, mathematics, statistics, computer science and engineering, and medical and health sciences. Second, two faculties were randomly selected from each discipline to ensure representative sampling. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire, which included the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) and the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) scales to assess anxiety and depression levels.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 405 participants were enrolled, comprising 203 males and 202 females, with a mean age of 42.15 ± 10.72 years (range: 20.00-59.00). The majority (77%) held a university degree, and 68.9% were married. A history of COVID-19 infection was reported by 38.3% of participants, and 78.8% used social media to stay updated about the pandemic. Approximately, half of the participants accessed social media three to four times per day, spending an average of 2 to 3 h daily. According to the PHQ-9 scale, 40.7% of employees who accessed social media six or more times per day experienced severe depression symptoms. Similarly, based on the GAD-7 scale, 41.6% of employees who accessed social media six or more times daily reported severe anxiety symptoms.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The findings suggest a concerning association between frequent COVID-19-related social media exposure and symptoms of depression and anxiety. These results highlight the potential mental health risks associated with excessive social media use, emphasizing the need for mental health awareness programs and strategies to combat misinformation during crises.</p>","PeriodicalId":22819,"journal":{"name":"The Journal of the Egyptian Public Health Association","volume":"100 1","pages":"8"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12041407/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144015246","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Mental health literacy: a comparative study on stigmatizing attitude and help-seeking behavior towards mental disorders between adolescents and adults.","authors":"Amal M I Goda, Salwa A Abd Elhamid, Ghada O Wassif","doi":"10.1186/s42506-025-00184-0","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s42506-025-00184-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Mental health awareness has the potential to contribute to the prompt identification and effective management of mental disorders. The negative perception connected to mental conditions presents a significant challenge for individuals seeking mental health services and the professionals providing them. This study aims to compare mental health literacy-encompassing knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors-between adults and adolescents attending Ain Shams University Hospitals' outpatient clinics and identify the socio-demographic factors that could predict these components.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The present survey was carried out during the years 2022-2023 on 369 individuals, who were 11 years or older. An Arabic questionnaire, validated and tested for reliability, was employed to evaluate knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors related to mental disorders. The tools consisted of three validated scales: the Mental Health Knowledge Schedule (MAKS), the Community Attitudes towards Mental Illness (CAMI), and the Reported and Intended Behavior Scale (RIBS).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Adults demonstrated significantly higher knowledge scores (46.33 ± 4.69 vs. 43.16 ± 4.92, p ≤ 0.01) and behavior scores (16.66 ± 3.56 vs. 15.53 ± 3.71, p ≤ 0.01), while adolescents exhibited more favorable attitudes (99.03 ± 17.43 vs. 90.74 ± 11.78, p ≤ 0.01). Higher knowledge was associated with being female, having a university education, living in urban areas, and being employed. Favorable attitudes were linked to adolescents, males, rural residents, and lower educational levels. At the same time, positive behaviors were associated with being female, having a university education, living in urban areas, being employed, and knowing someone with a mental illness. Regression analysis highlighted education and urban residence as consistent predictors across all mental health literacy components, with employment and familiarity with mental illness further enhancing behavior scores.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>This study highlights significant differences in mental health literacy between adults and adolescents, with adults exhibiting higher knowledge and behavior scores and adolescents demonstrating more favorable attitudes. Socio-demographic factors, particularly education, urban residence, and employment, emerged as consistent predictors influencing knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors. These findings underscore the need for targeted interventions, such as incorporating mental health education into curricula, launching stigma-reduction campaigns, and improving access to mental health services, particularly in rural areas.</p>","PeriodicalId":22819,"journal":{"name":"The Journal of the Egyptian Public Health Association","volume":"100 1","pages":"7"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12037945/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144035792","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A reliable tool for assessment of acceptance of e-consultation service in hospitals: the modified e-consultation Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) questionnaire.","authors":"Rasha Ashmawy, Sally Zeina, Ehab Kamal, Khaled Shelbaya, Nermeen Gawish, Sandy Sharaf, Elrashdy M Redwan, Azza Mehanna","doi":"10.1186/s42506-025-00187-x","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s42506-025-00187-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Innovative approaches like e-consultation services are critical for improving access to healthcare and promoting equity, particularly in under-resourced settings. Despite their growing prominence, limited tools are available to assess healthcare professionals' acceptance and satisfaction with these services. This study aimed to validate the modified e-consultation TAM questionnaire as a reliable instrument for assessing physicians' perspectives on e-consultation service.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This study focuses exclusively on physicians receiving (not providing) e-consultation service within the Egyptian Ministry of Health and Population. The tool used for assessing their acceptance of the service consists of three sections: demographic data, items assessing perceived usefulness (PU) and perceived ease of use (PEU) of e-consultation, and questions addressing physicians' satisfaction, challenges, and suggestions to improve e-consultation services. The questionnaire was subjected to thorough validation, including face validity evaluated by an expert panel and construct validity which was assessed through factor analysis.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The modified e-consultation TAM questionnaire demonstrated excellent internal reliability, with Cronbach's alpha coefficient exceeding 0.92 for both PU and PEU. Exploratory factor analysis identified two domains, PU and PEU, explaining 81.17% of the variance, with factor loadings ranging from 0.661 to 0.912. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) confirmed the two-factor model, with standardized factor loadings between 0.80 and 0.95, a Comparative Fit Index (CFI) of 0.95, and a Root Mean Square Error of Approximation (RMSEA) of 0.084.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The modified e-consultation TAM questionnaire proves to be a reliable and valid tool for evaluating physicians' acceptance of and satisfaction with e-consultation service. This tool offers potential for future research and practical applications, providing valuable insights to improve the implementation of e-consultation services and inform strategies for advancing healthcare access and equity globally.</p>","PeriodicalId":22819,"journal":{"name":"The Journal of the Egyptian Public Health Association","volume":"100 1","pages":"6"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12014876/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144054979","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Impact of health awareness on myocardial infarction.","authors":"Ahmed Magdy, Seham Elmarayed, Bassem Zarif, Mohamed Sabry, Ahmed Alsawah, Mohamed E Hasan, Khaled M Ismaeil, Mohamed Salama","doi":"10.1186/s42506-025-00186-y","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s42506-025-00186-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Health awareness plays a major role in determining the outcomes of serious medical conditions especially when response time is crucial. STEMI (ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction) patients are prone to serious compilations if they do not receive the appropriate treatment on time. Many factors affect the health awareness of the community, including educational level, previous exposure to similar situations, and exposure to health awareness materials. Those who do not know the symptoms of myocardial infarction will present late to the hospital and are exposed to a higher risk of complications. This study aims to assess the relationship between the health awareness of STEMI patients and the time of presentation to the emergency room (ER).</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A cohort observational study was conducted at the National Heart Institute in Egypt gathering data on 263 STEMI patients presenting for primary percutaneous intervention. All the demographic and clinical necessary data was collected by the researchers in the emergency room, catheterization lab, and during the hospital admission of the patient. This study is a part of our larger cohort study on the relationship between education/health awareness of patients and outcomes of myocardial infarction.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Data from 166 eligible patients were analyzed showing a significant correlation between health awareness and time of presentation to the ER in STEMI patients (p < 0.05). Additionally, there was a significant correlation between educational level and time of presentation to the ER (p < 0.05). The mean time from chest pain to arrival at the ER was 9.5 h. That is far beyond the range recommended internationally. Males, smokers, and younger age patients were significantly more likely to present earlier than their counterparts (p < 0.05).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Both educational level and health awareness of cardiac symptoms are associated with early presentation to the ER in STEMI patients. Developing health awareness activities targeting various population groups regarding cardiac symptoms and how to deal with them and including health education in different educational curricula are recommended.</p>","PeriodicalId":22819,"journal":{"name":"The Journal of the Egyptian Public Health Association","volume":"100 1","pages":"5"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-03-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11947391/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143721417","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Predictors of stages of adoption of colorectal cancer screening among adults attending primary healthcare centers in Turkey.","authors":"Elif Dönmez, Nadire Ercan Toptaner, Elvan E Ata, Zeynep Dülger, Onur Acar","doi":"10.1186/s42506-025-00185-z","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s42506-025-00185-z","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Despite the proven effectiveness of colorectal cancer (CRC) screening in reducing mortality, adherence rates for fecal occult blood testing (FOBT) and colonoscopy remain low among Turkish adults. This study aimed to assess the stages of adoption of CRC screening behaviors, identify the factors influencing adoption, and examine the perceived benefits and barriers to screening.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A cross-sectional study was conducted in Istanbul's Anatolian region from May to June 2022, involving 498 adults aged 50-70 years. Multistage cluster sampling was used to select 20 primary healthcare centers. A structured questionnaire was administered to assess sociodemographic characteristics, health perceptions, knowledge of colorectal cancer (CRC) screening, and readiness for screening based on the transtheoretical model. The benefits and barriers to screening were evaluated using the Turkish version of \"The Instruments to Measure CRC Screening Benefits and Barriers.\"</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The participants (mean age: 59.10 ± 5.71 years) showed greater recognition of colonoscopy (68.7%) than FOBT (39.8%). Most participants were in the precontemplation stage for FOBT (58.6%) and colonoscopy (63.9%). Perceptions of benefits were associated with education, employment, income, health status, familial CRC history, and screening knowledge (p < 0.05). Perceived barriers were linked to lack of knowledge and provider recommendations (p < 0.05). The participants in the precontemplation stage reported fewer benefits and more barriers compared to those in advanced stages (p < 0.05).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Colonoscopy is more widely recognized than FOBT among the Turkish adult population; however, a significant proportion remains in the precontemplation stage for screening. Perceptions of benefits and barriers are influenced by sociodemographic factors, health status, and CRC knowledge. Interventions addressing these barriers and raising awareness could improve CRC screening uptake and help reduce the disease burden.</p>","PeriodicalId":22819,"journal":{"name":"The Journal of the Egyptian Public Health Association","volume":"100 1","pages":"4"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-03-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11876507/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143543501","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Developing and standardizing a tool to assess the health education needs of diabetic patients at Jazan Armed Forces Hospital.","authors":"Hassan A Abdelwahid, Hesham M Dahlan, Gassem M Mojemamy, Turki J Al-Harbi, Nouf Y Indarkiri, Ayla M Tourkmani","doi":"10.1186/s42506-025-00183-1","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s42506-025-00183-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Determining the health educational needs of people living with diabetes is essential in developing patient-centered, structured health education programs that aim to improve the outcome of diabetes care.</p><p><strong>Objectives: </strong>To develop a tool for the identification of the health education needs of individuals living with diabetes in the Jazan Armed Forces Hospital (JAFH) and to standardize the questionnaire through the assessment of its reliability and validity.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A cross-sectional design was used in the present work, which included 303 participants living with diabetes. The researchers and an expert panel in family medicine and endocrinology created a comprehensive and mutually exhaustive questionnaire covering every potential area of health education needs. It included a 15-item section with questions on a 5-point Likert scale for determining the participants' needs for health education. Cronbach's alpha was used to determine the Likert scale's reliability. Exploratory factor analysis was used to determine the Likert scale's construct validity.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The total number of males was 123 (40.6%) and that of females was 180 (59.4%). Their mean ages were 55.9 ± 12.9, ranging from 18 to 94 years. The reliability of the 15-item Likert scale was 83%, and it increased to 90% when the redundant items (n = 5) were eliminated. The test had an 86% test-retest reliability when repeated. Also, the final 10-item Likert scale has significant face, content, and construct validity. Two components with eigenvalues over 1 (generic knowledge about diabetes, and diabetes and travel) could be extracted out of the 10-item Likert scale.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The final 10-item Likert scale offers a good degree of validity and reliability for determining the health education needs of individuals living with diabetes. The two Likert scale components (general information on diabetes, and diabetes and travel) and their contributing items were identified from the questionnaire, which is standardized and helpful in both practice and research, in order to ascertain patients' needs and develop structured health education programs. The component \"General information about diabetes\" exhibited significant associations with the following items: diabetes risk factors and prevention; common oral agents for treating hypoglycemia; HbA1c (glycosylated hemoglobin) and normal blood glucose levels; and acute problems related to diabetes, such as hypoglycemia and diabetic ketoacidosis. On the other hand, diabetes and fasting; chronic complications of diabetes; and the significance of the yearly eye screening were the Likert scale items that contributed more to Component 2 (diabetes and travel).</p>","PeriodicalId":22819,"journal":{"name":"The Journal of the Egyptian Public Health Association","volume":"100 1","pages":"3"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-02-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11832968/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143441875","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Prevalence of symptoms suggestive of sleep apnea among children and its impact on academic performance.","authors":"Silvia D Boyajian, Muna A Salameh, Kholoud Alzyoud, Enas A Amaireh, Lujayn Badah, Malek Al Qutami, Mira Alsharayri, Osama Abubaker, Rzan Shwashreh","doi":"10.1186/s42506-025-00182-2","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s42506-025-00182-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common condition in pediatrics that requires prompt recognition and management to minimize its negative impact on their health and development. Data on the prevalence of OSA among school-age minors in Jordan is scarce. This study aims to estimate the prevalence of OSA in children and adolescents and identify factors that make them more likely to have OSA and its impact on academic achievement.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This school-based cross-sectional study was conducted from January to March 2023. A questionnaire including information on demographic variables, school performance, and a validated sleep-related breathing disorder (SRBD) scale for pediatrics was distributed to 1798 students in schools all over Amman. The prevalence of OSA (defined as SRBD score > 33%) was reported as a proportion along with its 95% confidence interval.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Out of the 2000 questionnaires distributed, 1798 were analyzed. Among these, 1079 (60%) were from children aged 5 to 10 years, and 719 (40%) were from adolescents aged 11 to 18 years. The prevalence of high risk for OSA (HR-OSA) was higher among adolescents than in children (25.6% vs. 20.8%). Adolescents with unemployed fathers were more likely to be HR-OSA (33.70 vs 17.57%, p < 0.001). In contrast, paternal employment did not affect the prevalence of HR-OSA in children. Sleep talking, bruxism, and sweating during sleep were more common among children with positive SRBD. Nocturnal enuresis (NE) was associated with positive SRBD in children and adolescents. HR-OSA was associated with poor academic performance in both study groups.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>HR-OSA is highly prevalent in Jordanian children and adolescents. HR-OSA can occur alongside other sleep disorders, and it significantly impairs the academic performance of affected individuals. This study found an association between high risk for OSA and other sleeping disorders (sleep talking, sleep bruxism, and sweat during sleeping) and nocturnal enuresis which needs to be confirmed in larger studies.</p>","PeriodicalId":22819,"journal":{"name":"The Journal of the Egyptian Public Health Association","volume":"100 1","pages":"2"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-02-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11788269/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143081103","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Antimicrobial use in animal farms in Egypt: rates, patterns, and determinants.","authors":"Nada ElSayed, Amira Amine, Laila El-Attar, Mohamed E K Amin","doi":"10.1186/s42506-024-00180-w","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s42506-024-00180-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>While antimicrobial use (AMU) in human healthcare has received significant attention as a key driver of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), less emphasis has been placed on AMU practices and attitudes in animal husbandry. To address this gap, this study examines the patterns and underlying drivers of AMU on animal farms.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A survey instrument was distributed to farm staff in 150 animal farms across 15 Egyptian governorates. Farms were selected from a list curated by a private platform specialized in Egypt's poultry and cattle industry. An online search was conducted to identify additional farms not included in the list or when the contact information was unavailable. The instrument covered key items related to AMU including types of antimicrobials used, indications, their perceived benefits, and the feed conversion ratio (FCR). Using the theory of reasoned action (TRA) as a guiding theoretical framework, this study assesses key factors influencing the AMU behavior of farm personnel.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Out of 150 farm personnel invited to fill out the survey forms, 111 (74%) responded and agreed to participate. All surveyed personnel reported using antimicrobials, and almost two-thirds (65%) reported using them for non-therapeutic purposes. Non-therapeutic use of antimicrobials, however, had no impact on FCR across all farm types (poultry, cattle, and mixed). The most used antimicrobials were penicillins (81%), followed by macrolides (78%) and tetracyclines (72%). Half of the studied farms reported using colistin, with more than half of this segment (55%) reporting using it for non-therapeutic purposes. Farm personnel's AMU behavior was associated with the TRA constructs: perceived benefits of antimicrobials (attitude) and perceived AMU behavior in other farms (subjective norm).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Antimicrobials are unanimously used in animal farms in Egypt, including those classified as last-resort options, such as colistin. Using antimicrobials for disease prevention or growth promotion did not decrease the FCR. Interventions that target the farm personnel's attitude and the subjective norm should be carried out to change their behavior regarding the use of antimicrobials. Egyptian guidelines for AMU in livestock are urgently needed, along with training to raise awareness of AMR and safer practices. The use of last-resort drugs like colistin should be banned in animal farming, and national surveillance systems should monitor AMU and AMR trends.</p>","PeriodicalId":22819,"journal":{"name":"The Journal of the Egyptian Public Health Association","volume":"100 1","pages":"1"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11743412/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143011948","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Metabolic syndrome prediction based on body composition indices.","authors":"Buthaina Alkhatib, Aliaa Orabi, Lana M Agraib, Islam Al-Shami","doi":"10.1186/s42506-024-00181-9","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s42506-024-00181-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is an important public health issue that has been lately linked as a growing concern worldwide.</p><p><strong>The objective: </strong>To find out which anthropometric and body composition indices can prognosticate MetS in Jordanian adult females.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A sample of 656 Jordanian adult females was recruited (January-March 2024) in the middle of Jordan. Weight, height, waist and hip circumference, lipid profile (triglycerides and high-density lipoprotein), fasting plasma glucose, and blood pressure were measured. Fat mass index (FMI), body mass index (BMI), fat-to-muscle ratio, and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) were calculated. The presence or absence of MetS was the outcome of interest. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses were used to examine the predictive accuracy of the indices, and the area under the curve (AUC) was measured.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>40.6% had MetS, and their mean age was 45.5 years. 90.2% of the participants with MetS were obese based on body fat percentage. The MetS participants had significantly higher means of all the anthropometric indices except the fat-to-muscle ratio. None of the MetS participants were underweight, and 70.8% and 73.8% were obese based on BMI and WHR, respectively (p < 0.001). The highest proportion of the MetS participants (35.5%) was within the Q4 of the FMI compared to those without MetS (p<0.001). The discrimination ability for all indices was almost equal in predicting the existence of MetS (fair prediction power; AUC = 0.66-0.72), except for the fat-to-muscle ratio, which had poor prediction power.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Fat mass %, muscle mass %, FMI, BMI, and WHR could be used as predictors of MetS in Jordanian females, while the fat-to-muscle ratio was not. We suggested that more extensive sample size studies from both genders and different age categories are necessary to develop a superior predictor for MetS in Jordan.</p>","PeriodicalId":22819,"journal":{"name":"The Journal of the Egyptian Public Health Association","volume":"99 1","pages":"34"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-12-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11663827/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142877705","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}