Journal of Public Health Research最新文献

{"title":"Direct medical costs for drug-resistant tuberculosis inpatients at the national lung hospital, Vietnam: A one-year study.","authors":"Do Minh Ngo, An Thi Binh Nguyen, Hanh Duc Nguyen, Hau Van Hoang","doi":"10.1177/22799036261467454","DOIUrl":"10.1177/22799036261467454","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Abstract: </strong>Drug-resistant tuberculosis remains a major global public health challenge due to its complex treatment regimens and prolonged treatment duration. Drug-resistant tuberculosis treatment requires more expensive second-line medications, intensive monitoring, and longer hospitalization, resulting in substantially higher healthcare costs. Vietnam is one of 30 countries with a high burden of tuberculosis and drug-resistant tuberculosis.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>This study aims to investigate direct medical costs and associated factors of the costs in drug-resistant tuberculosis inpatients.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A retrospective study was conducted at the National Lung Hospital. Medical and financial data of 629 inpatients with drug-resistant tuberculosis inpatients who discharged from the hospital from January 1st to December 31st, 2024, were collected.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The median of total inpatient treatment cost for a hospital stay was $707.2, and costs of drugs and intravenous fluids accounted for the highest proportion (38%) of total costs. Length of stays, number of comorbidities, and age were independent predictors of increased the direct medical costs of drug-resistant tuberculosis inpatients.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Treatment costs for DR-TB in Vietnam remain high, highlighting the need for targeted financial support for vulnerable patients.</p>","PeriodicalId":45958,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Public Health Research","volume":"15 3","pages":"22799036261467454"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-07-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13459660/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148714101","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":"Utilization patterns of eye care services among women in outreach camps: A retrospective study from Nepal.","authors":"Ranjan Shah, Alina Sapkota, Sabina Shrestha, Sailesh Kumar Mishra, Manish Gautam, Anil Paudel, Anup Subedi, Nisha Jha, Sanju Maharjan, Reena Yadav, Suruchi Shahi, Chet Raj Pant, Bharat Bahadur Chand, Amrit Poudel, Krishna Khadka","doi":"10.1177/22799036261467468","DOIUrl":"10.1177/22799036261467468","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Vision impairment remains a major global public health concern, with persistent gender disparities in access to eye care services, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Evidence from Nepal suggests inequities in service utilization despite expanded outreach programs. This study aimed to examine gender-specific patterns of eye care service utilization in outreach settings.</p><p><strong>Design and methods: </strong>This retrospective cross-sectional study analyzed secondary data from 43,848 individuals screened at diagnostic, screening, and treatment (DST) and surgical outreach camps organized by 23 Nepal Netra Jyoti Sangh hospitals across all seven provinces of Nepal between 2020-2024. Demographic, clinical, and service-utilization data were summarized descriptively, and associations were tested using chi-square analysis (SPSS v23; p<0.05).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Women accounted for 53.1% (n=23,290) of service users, with slightly higher outreach participation than men (75.6% vs. 74.5%). However, women's participation declined with age, from 78.9% in those under 60 years to 60.5% in those aged ≥80 years. Cataract was the predominant diagnosis (n=42,239; 96.3%), more frequent among women (52.8%), while trauma-related surgeries were more common in men (78.6%). Follow-up rates were higher among patients treated by female surgeons (60.4%) compared to male surgeons (49.1%) (p<0.001). In multivariable analysis, patient gender showed a minimal association with follow up (AOR= 1.04, 95%CI: 1.00 -1.08). In contrast, patient treated by female surgeon was independently associated with higher odds of follow up (AOR:1.45, 95%CI: 1.39 -1.51). Significant provincial variation in follow-up attendance was observed, with significantly higher odds in most provinces compared to Sudurpaschim Province. Patient received service though surgical camp had the highest likelihood of follow up compared to walk-in patients (AOR=3.79).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The finding highlights eye care service utilization varied by gender, age, patient residence, outreach modality in Nepal. Follow up was more influenced by surgeon gender and outreach modalities than by patient gender alone. Targeted, gender-responsive strategies are needed to improve equitable access and strengthen continuity of care, particularly for older women.</p>","PeriodicalId":45958,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Public Health Research","volume":"15 3","pages":"22799036261467468"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-07-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13459664/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148713874","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":"The new era of tuberculosis treatment: Can novel drugs turn the tide?","authors":"Vishal Dattatray Pawar, Rajashri Patil","doi":"10.1177/22799036261468058","DOIUrl":"10.1177/22799036261468058","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":45958,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Public Health Research","volume":"15 3","pages":"22799036261468058"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-07-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13459663/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148713885","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":"Strengthening pandemic preparedness and response through undergraduate education in biomedical and health sciences: A mixed-methods study from Georgia.","authors":"Dea Goderdzishvili, Elza Nikoleishvili","doi":"10.1177/22799036261467438","DOIUrl":"10.1177/22799036261467438","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The COVID-19 pandemic exposed critical gaps in health workforces and highlighted the need to strengthen pandemic preparedness and response within health professions education. This study examines pandemic preparedness within undergraduate biomedical and health sciences education in Georgia and identifies strategies for strengthening future preparedness and response.</p><p><strong>Design and methods: </strong>A mixed-methods design integrated findings from four related studies. Quantitative data were collected and analyzed from final-year students (n = 296) and alumni graduating between 2015 and 2024 (n = 203), assessing perceived preparedness, COVID-19 response participation, and pandemic-related competencies. Qualitative data were collected and analyzed through semi-structured interviews with Georgian educators and curricular committee members (n = 30) and public health experts (n = 21) to identify priorities for curricular reform.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Student preparedness was moderate (M = 3.50, SD = 1.14), while alumni reported lower overall preparedness (M = 2.95, SD = 1.15). Practical skills showed the strongest association with preparedness among students (r = .739), whereas pandemic-related knowledge was the strongest correlate among alumni (r = .698). Participation in COVID-19 response activities and extracurricular training was associated with higher preparedness in both groups. Qualitative findings revealed fragmented curricular integration and emphasized the need for structured training, simulation-based education, experiential learning, interdisciplinary collaboration, and stronger public health communication competencies.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Embedding pandemic preparedness and response competencies into undergraduate biomedical and health sciences education represents a proactive strategy to strengthen health workforce capacity and build more resilient health systems for future public health emergencies.</p>","PeriodicalId":45958,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Public Health Research","volume":"15 3","pages":"22799036261467438"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-07-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13459659/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148714137","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":"Strengthening public health data governance: A Co-regulatory framework for integrating wearable health data into health systems.","authors":"Chien-Hung Sung, Jui-Chu Lin","doi":"10.1177/22799036261465299","DOIUrl":"10.1177/22799036261465299","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This perspective article addresses systemic governance gaps in the integration of wearable health technologies into public health infrastructures. While high-frequency physiological data offer potential for chronic disease management and epidemiological surveillance, they remain largely siloed due to fragmented regulatory frameworks and limited data trustworthiness. Recent empirical evidence underscores the magnitude of this gap: a global meta-analysis of 141,193 participants reports a 77.2% willingness to share health data, while only 26.5% of U.S. wearable users actually share their data with clinicians despite a 78.4% stated willingness.^1,2 We propose the Good Data Service Practice (GDSP) as a conceptual co-regulatory governance framework designed to bridge the limitations of existing regimes such as the European Union (EU) General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the United States (U.S.) Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) in handling continuous, dynamic data streams. Using a transparent, replicable comparative public-health policy analysis with pre-specified document inclusion/exclusion criteria and a structured coding protocol, we examined three purposively selected jurisdictions-the EU, the U.S., and Taiwan-across five operationally defined governance dimensions (consent architecture, accountability allocation, interoperability requirements, oversight capacity, and public-health usability). Drawing on design-science research principles,3 the GDSP framework was iteratively derived from the identified gaps through an explicit gap-to-principle mapping. We theoretically propose-rather than empirically demonstrate-that GDSP creates the institutional preconditions under which wearable data could, in principle, support clinical decision-making and public-health surveillance. No empirical validation, stakeholder consultation, or pilot implementation was conducted; subsequent Delphi consensus, expert panel review, and pilot evaluation are required before policy adoption. This framework offers a policy-relevant governance roadmap for strengthening digital health infrastructures and supporting equitable public health data use.</p>","PeriodicalId":45958,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Public Health Research","volume":"15 3","pages":"22799036261465299"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-07-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13346724/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148425395","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":"Health literacy, dietary behavior and body mass index in male and female Norwegian conscripts. A cross-sectional study.","authors":"Nima Wesseltoft-Rao, Elisabeth Rudjord Hillesund, Nina Cecilie Øverby, Heming Olsen-Bergem, Kristine Vejrup","doi":"10.1177/22799036261461038","DOIUrl":"10.1177/22799036261461038","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Objectives: &lt;/strong&gt;Health literacy (HL) is an important determinant of health behaviors, including diet. In military populations, optimal nutrition is critical for physical performance, readiness, and long-term health. In Norway, first-time military service provides a unique opportunity to influence young conscripts' health habits. This study investigates the relationship between HL and dietary patterns, body mass index (BMI), and meal adherence among Norwegian conscripts, with an emphasis on potential sex differences.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Study design: &lt;/strong&gt;A cross-sectional study.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Methods: &lt;/strong&gt;This cross-sectional study included Norwegian conscripts completing first-time military service. HL was measured using the validated HLS-Q12 instrument. Dietary behaviors, meal patterns, and BMI were assessed using self-reported questionnaire data. A digital questionnaire was sent to Norwegian conscripts completing their first-time military service in 2022 (n=9,991). A total of 2,225 conscripts consented to participate in the study. The survey assessed dietary habits across different military settings, self-reported diet quality, and HL using the HLS-Q12 tool. BMI was calculated from self-reported height and weight. Statistical analyses included chi-square tests and Pearson correlation to explore associations between HL, diet, and BMI.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Results: &lt;/strong&gt;Significant associations were observed between HL and several dietary variables; however, most associations were weak in magnitude. Higher HL was associated with more regular meal patterns and better self-reported diet quality. Additionally, differences between sexes were observed, but effect sizes were generally small. More than half of conscripts had an adequate HL, with males scoring significantly higher than females. Conscripts with adequate HL were more likely to rate their diet as good, follow meal recommendations, and maintain a normal BMI. However, no significant association between HL and BMI was found in the total population; differences appeared in sex-stratified analyses, among female conscripts. Independently of HL, unhealthy snacking and high-sugar drink consumption were more common during field training, whereas conscripts with inadequate HL (iHL) reporting higher sugary snack intake at home. Adequate HL was weakly but significantly correlated with higher self-reported diet quality, more frequent adherence to regular meals, and lower sugary snack consumption. This could mean that HL was associated with self-reported dietary intentions but not outcomes like BMI.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Conclusions: &lt;/strong&gt;HL may be associated with dietary behaviors among conscripts. However, given the weak associations and study limitations, the findings should be interpreted with caution. Although more than half of the conscripts had adequate HL, iHL was prevalent among Norwegian conscripts. Poorer self-reported diet quality and lower adherence to regular meal patterns is a","PeriodicalId":45958,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Public Health Research","volume":"15 3","pages":"22799036261461038"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-07-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13346719/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148425359","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":"Effect of isometric exercises and self-care activities on primary dysmenorrhea among secondary school students: A quasi-experimental study.","authors":"Walaa Ibrahim Abdelkhalik, Eman Alshawish, Eman A Fadel, Tamer Mahmoud Elsaid, Hanan Mohamed Elsayed","doi":"10.1177/22799036261465943","DOIUrl":"10.1177/22799036261465943","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Primary dysmenorrhea has a main impact on quality of teenagers 'life, productivity and daily activities. Due to the potential risks associated with pharmacological treatments, non-pharmacological approaches have gained importance in managing primary dysmenorrhea. In this study, isometric exercises and self-care activities were combined into a structured program aimed at alleviating menstrual pain.</p><p><strong>Aim: </strong>The current study was conducted to evaluate the effect of isometric exercises and self-care activities on primary dysmenorrhea among secondary school students.</p><p><strong>Design: </strong>A quasi-experimental research design was utilized.</p><p><strong>Sample: </strong>A purposive sample of 97 secondary school students who had primary dysmenorrhea was recruited for the research for ten weeks.</p><p><strong>Setting: </strong>two schools; Dr. Mohamed Rabie Falah Studied for Girls and Mohamed Nasr Abdeen Compound Schools at Diarb Negem City, Zagazig, Sharkia Governate.</p><p><strong>Tools: </strong>three tools were used; 1) A structured Interview Questionnaire, 2) Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), and 3) Abdominal muscles force measuring tests.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The mean age was of the studied students was15.89± 0.54 years. There was a highly statistical significant difference in pain intensity among studied students pre and post-intervention (p= 0.001). In which mean & SD of pain intensity pre-intervention was 7.61 ± 1.91 compared to 4.68 ± 2.39 post-intervention.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The study hypothesis was accepted. There were highly statistically significant differences pre and post intervention. A combined structured program of isometric exercises and self-care activities was effective for reducing intensity of primary dysmenorrhea among secondary school students.</p><p><strong>Recommendation: </strong>Designing and implementing efficient programs to raise awareness of students about different benefits of isometric exercises and self-care activities on primary dysmenorrhea intensity.</p>","PeriodicalId":45958,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Public Health Research","volume":"15 3","pages":"22799036261465943"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-07-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13338518/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148406213","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":"Tailoring TB services for improved treatment adherence in Ghana - A mixed-methods study.","authors":"Jacob Solomon Idan, Austin Arinze Obeifum, Aliyu Mohammed","doi":"10.1177/22799036261465328","DOIUrl":"10.1177/22799036261465328","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Tuberculosis remains a significant health challenge in Ghana. While differentiated service delivery models have shown benefits in HIV care, their application to TB care for key populations other than persons with HIV is limited. This study aimed to assess the effect of the current untailored, facility-based TB care model on treatment adherence and explore preferences for Differentiated Service Delivery (DSD) among key populations in Ghana.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A convergent parallel mixed-methods study was conducted in Ghana from October to December 2023. Participants included children, informal miners, persons with HIV, prisoners, rural poor, and smokers. Quantitative data were collected from 439 participants using REDCap-based structured questionnaires. Qualitative data were gathered through indepth and focus group interviews and analysed with Stata v.16 and Atlast.Ti respectively. Poisson generalized linear regression analysis was used to assess the association between lack of tailored services and medication adherence.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Qualitative findings revealed that the current untailored model presents rigid facility schedules, and a lack of nutritional support, which discourages adherence. Quantitative analysis confirmed that a lack of tailored services was significantly associated with lower treatment adherence scores in adjusted (aRR: 0.82, 95% CI: 0.68, 0.98) analyses. Prisoners had significantly lower adherence compared to persons with HIV (aRR: 0.52, 95% CI:0.28,0.88). Participants expressed strong preferences for DSD models, specifically community-based care with peer educators or community health workers (n=382, 87.0%) and mobile clinics (n=365, 83.1%).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The current untailored, facility-based approach is associated with suboptimal treatment adherence. Key populations prefer DSD models that are community-based, augmented with mobile services, integrated with existing HIV and child health platforms, and supported by peer educators.</p>","PeriodicalId":45958,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Public Health Research","volume":"15 3","pages":"22799036261465328"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-07-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13332254/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148391730","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":"Psychological autopsy studies of physician and nurse suicide: A narrative summary and synthesis of circumstantial and psychological aspects of death.","authors":"Elizabeth Kreuze, Elizabeth I Merwin, Maureen Underwood, Janet York","doi":"10.1177/22799036261465285","DOIUrl":"10.1177/22799036261465285","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The aim of this review was to identify and examine psychological autopsy studies of physician and nurse suicide, with the overriding goal of better understanding circumstantial and psychological aspects of death. To the best of our knowledge, this represents the first review to examine psychological autopsy studies of physicians and nurses. A variety of search strategies were utilized. A literature search was conducted using medical databases, reference lists from articles were hand-searched, articles from academic websites were hand-searched, and articles from organizational websites were hand-searched. In total, eight psychological autopsy studies on physician suicide and one psychological autopsy study on nurse suicide were included. Physician and nurse suicide decedents from England and Wales, Finland, Thailand, and the United States were examined using psychological autopsy. Sociodemographic characteristics, occupational status, method(s) of suicide, location of suicide, and presence of a suicide note were inconsistently reported. Alternatively, histories, contributing factors, and circumstances preceding death were consistently reported. Specifically, physician and nurse suicide decedents often had history of mental health concerns, psychiatric hospitalization, and suicide attempt(s). Physician and nurse suicide decedents also often experienced current mental health concerns at time of death, particularly depressive disorders. Alcohol and substance use disorder sometimes occurred concomitantly. Taken together, additional research may be important in updating the evidence base. Additional psychological autopsy studies that include physician and nurse suicide decedents from different global regions may also be important in building the evidence base and in determining the generalizability of findings. Collectively, additional research is important, as psychological autopsy studies may provide important implications for research, surveillance, prevention, and intervention.</p>","PeriodicalId":45958,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Public Health Research","volume":"15 3","pages":"22799036261465285"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-07-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13332251/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148391518","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":"Factors associated with medication adherence and perceived treatment barriers among Nepali women with polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome: A cross- sectional study.","authors":"Sajana Basnet, Nirmal Raj Marasine, Shishir Paudel, Poonam Pant, Sabina Sankhi","doi":"10.1177/22799036261465332","DOIUrl":"10.1177/22799036261465332","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Effective management of Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome (PMOS) depends on sustained medication adherence, yet evidence on adherence patterns and treatment barriers in low-resource settings remains limited.</p><p><strong>Objectives: </strong>This study assessed factors associated with medication adherence and perceived treatment barriers among Nepalese women with PMOS.</p><p><strong>Design: </strong>Cross-sectional study.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A total of 145 women aged 18-49 years diagnosed with PMOS at an infertility center in Kathmandu were enrolled between December 2023 and May 2024. Data were collected via face-to-face interviews using the General Medication Adherence Scale (GMAS) and a Barriers Assessment Questionnaire. Chi-square tests and unadjusted odds ratios (uOR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) identified associations.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Suboptimal adherence was observed in 66.3% of participants and 65.5% reported high treatment barriers. The factors associated withsuboptimal adherence included never-married status (uOR: 4.01; 95% CI: 1.87-8.43), lower educational attainment (illiterate: uOR: 1.40; 95% CI: 1.02-4.46; primary level: uOR: 1.38; 95% CI: 1.12-5.22), homemaker (uOR: 0.61; 95% CI: 0.29-0.88) or unemployed status (uOR: 0.91; 95% CI: 0.28-0.98), residence outside Kathmandu Valley (uOR: 0.95; 95% CI: 0.48-0.98), and smoking (uOR: 10.8; 95% CI: 1.23-95.2). High barriers were more likely among homemakers (uOR: 1.33; 95% CI: 1.13-2.80) and those outside Kathmandu Valley (uOR: 2.49; 95% CI: 1.21-5.14). Limited resources (p=0.028) and perceived symptomatic relief (p=0.011) were significantly associated with adherence.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Medication adherence was suboptimal, with barriers shaped by sociodemographic and healthcare access factors. Targeted interventions, rural outreach, patient education, and improved resource availability are essential to optimize PMOS treatment outcomes.</p>","PeriodicalId":45958,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Public Health Research","volume":"15 3","pages":"22799036261465332"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-07-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13332269/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148391480","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}