Advances in Public Health

Background. Thailand tends to have more access to online media. In 2020, the northeastern region had the highest usage rate. Especially school-age children have the highest usage rate. If misused for a long time, the consequences can adversely affect health in many aspects. Their parents should closely supervise and monitor them for this health problem. However, parents have limitations in caring because they have to work a lot. The aim was to study factors that influence working-age parents in holistic health care (HHC) of school-age children using online media in northeast Thailand. Materials and Methods. This research was a descriptive study, with a sample of parent amount 222. The questionnaire performed an item-objective congruence (IOC) = 0.60–1.00, the content validity index (CVI) = 0.90, and the Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was 0.93. The data collected then include the characteristics, use of online media, health problems, and health care. Finally, data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, frequency, percentage, standard deviation, and multiple regressions. Result. The results of the study are factors that influenced HHC with statistical significance () including the child’s gender, the child’s age, the child’s class, the type of internet, activities, the device, and the device owner. In addition, it was holistic health problems of school-age children such as physical, emotional, social, and intellectual. Importantly, these could explain the variation for HHC of 21.2% (adjusted R² = 0.212), and the standard error in the model estimation was 25.06 (SEE = 25.06). Conclusion. Factors that influence school-age children’s health care are beneficial to preventing and solving health problems by using online media. Parents or health care professionals can use it as a guide to develop more effective health care strategies and policies. Ultimately, it will help to promote better health for children in an ever-changing digital world.

Background. Copper is an essential trace element found in the human body in an oxidized (Cu II) and reduced (Cu I) form. It plays a crucial role in the integrity and function of proteins and enzymes. Short-term and long-term exposure to copper can result in harmful effects and lead to clinical manifestations in multiple bodily systems, including the gastrointestinal tract, liver, kidneys, eyes, respiratory, cardiovascular, central nervous, endocrine, and hematopoietic systems. Objective. The purpose of this study is the importance of early recognition and diagnosis of copper poisoning immediate and necessary measures and the use of chelators. Materials and Methods. In this review article, authors from Pub Med, Scopus, and a toxicologic emergencies reference book from 1996 to 2024 are used. Result. An excessive increase in copper level produces reactive oxygen species that can cause lipid peroxidation in cell membranes, direct oxidation of proteins, and the breakdown of DNA and RNA molecules. All of these can generally be reasons for cell death. Conclusion. Assessing levels of copper in whole blood, free serum copper, 24-hr urine copper, liver biopsy for copper concentration, and ceruloplasmin play a crucial role in the diagnosis. The blood copper concentration is directly related to the severity of poisoning. Treatment for copper poisoning typically involves removing the source of exposure and administering medications to help remove the excess copper from the body. Supportive care for copper intoxication usually includes managing vomiting, correcting fluids and electrolytes, and stabilizing vital signs. Chelators like D-penicillamine, succimer, trientine, tetrathiomolybdate, and PBT-2 have been utilized in treatment.

Dengue is a major public health problem in Sarawak, Malaysia. Since 2011, the Ministry of Health of Malaysia has created an electronic database (e-Dengue) for all dengue cases in Malaysia. This database of cases includes socio-demographic and locality data, clinical symptoms and signs, and results from rapid dengue assays. This study analyses data extracted from this database to describe the epidemiology and determine which factors are more likely to indicate or predict an outbreak of dengue. A total of 14,020 cases from 2013 to 2022 were extracted, with 4,636 cases reported from outbreaks. The highest incidence was 112.22 per 100,000 population in 2016, with 2,773 cases. Over this period, there were 37 deaths, with the highest in 2016 with seven deaths. The case fatality rate ranged from 0.12% to 0.75%. Predictors of outbreaks include younger age (0.984 (0.980–0.989)), female (1.584 (1.387–1.821)), cases from rural areas (0.398 (0.346–0.458)), unemployed (1.179 (1.005–1.383)), students (1.450 (1.163–1.808)). For clinical markers, rash (1.315 (1.056–1.638)) and NS1 antigen test positivity (3.474 (2.952–4.088)) were a predictor of outbreaks, while diarrhoea (0.160 (0.055–0.465)) was a predictor for single cases. Although rainfall, climate change, and population density are known predictors of dengue, socio-demographic factors, clinical signs, and NS1 antigen are additional predictors of dengue that will allow for early detection and control.

Background. Adherence to tuberculosis (TB) treatment is essential for curing the disease and for preventing drug resistance. Most studies report that substance abuse is associated with high discontinuation of TB treatment, which is a barrier to the effective management of the TB control and prevention program. Insufficient data exist on the effects of the nyaope drug use on TB treatment adherence among patients with the disease. Hence, the current study aimed to qualitatively explore the perceptions of caregivers regarding the influence of nyaope and alcohol use on tuberculosis treatment adherence among tuberculosis patients in Limpopo Province, South Africa. Materials and Methods. Qualitative, exploratory and descriptive designs were used. The nonprobability purposive sampling method was used to select eight TB focal nurse and eight facility operational managers from eight selected community health centers in Limpopo Province. Data were collected through in-depth interviews, and it was guided by data saturation. Data were analyzed using Colaizzi’s method. Trustworthiness was ensured, and ethical considerations were observed in the study. Results. The study results of the study show four individual major themes that emerged from the data analysis: (1) challenges in treatment adherence; (2) disruption of follow-up and DOT support systems; (3) reluctance toward social support; and (4) resistance to health educational and counseling interventions. Conclusion. The study reveals that nyaope and alcohol use significantly impede TB treatment adherence. In response, the conclusion advocates for integrating services within healthcare facilities to enhance TB treatment effectiveness. This proposed integration aims to create a cohesive and interconnected healthcare system capable of identifying, supporting, and treating TB patients with substance abuse issues more effectively. The study recommends incorporating the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test questionnaire for all newly diagnosed TB patients. This proactive measure will enable early identification of individuals who may be experiencing harmful or hazardous alcohol use. Following the identification process, it is advisable to offer further counseling to those in need and link them to a deaddiction center for specialized support. This approach not only aids in the comprehensive care of TB patients but also addresses underlying issues that could potentially hinder their treatment adherence and overall recovery.

Globally, overweight and obesity among children have been acknowledged as a growing public health concern. In sub-Saharan Africa, the prevalence of overweight and obesity is high. In Uganda, there is a significant burden of overweight and obesity. This study was conducted to determine the prevalence and associated factors that influence overweight and obesity among primary school children in Southwestern Uganda. A cross-sectional study utilized a self-administered questionnaire and anthropometric tools to collect data. A three-stage sampling procedure was used to select four schools that participated in this study. A total of 422 children participated in our study. Participant’s weight and height were measured using SECA Scale, Model 885, and a wall-mounted stadiometer, respectively. Data were analyzed using STATA v11.0. The prevalence of overweight/obesity was descriptively analyzed. Associated factors were determined using bivariate and multivariate analysis. Findings revealed that 54.3% of participants were walking to school compared to 45.7% that were cycling/bicycling and 76.3% playing and doing household chores as opposed to 23.7% that spent their leisure time through reading and watching TV, 74.2% took more than two meals per day, and 79.4% often took vegetables and fruits compared to 20.6% that took them most of the time. The study found an overall prevalence of 20% for overweight/obesity. There was a statistical association between overweight/obesity and ownership of residence (O.R.: 0.4, 95% C.I.: 0.2–0.8), modes of transport (O.R.: 8.2, 95% C.I.: 3.4–20.0), leisure time activities (O.R.: 0.4, 95% C.I.: 0.2–0.7), frequency of consuming vegetables and fruits (O.R.: 2.8, 95% C.I.: 1.4–5.5), and the type of school attended (O.R.: 0.2, 95% C.I.: 0.1–0.4). However, only the mode of transport (A.O.R.: 5.0, 95% C.I.: 1.9–13.0) was independently associated with overweight/obesity on multivariate logistic regression analysis. Girls who participated in our study were more overweight than boys. Overweight/obesity existed more in private schools than public schools. Modes of transport were only found to be strongly associated with overweight/obesity. There is a need to establish evidence-based strategies to inform policy on prevention of childhood overweight/obesity.

South Africa is facing a high burden of COVID-19 pandemic with low-vaccine coverage in the African Region. We aimed to investigate the temporal changes and impacts in health behaviors on vaccine acceptability in pre-, during-, and post-vaccine roll-out periods. In this cross-sectional study, we used the combined data from the nationally conducted “COVID-19 Vaccine Surveys (CVACS)” (May 2020–February/March 2022). Semiparametric regression models were used to capture the nonlinear association between the vaccine acceptability and health behaviors. Our study provided compelling evidence for a substantial decline in COVID-19 vaccine trust which shifted from 62%–70% to 26%–42% overtime. Participants younger than 40 years of age were less likely to receive the vaccine before it became available. However, this association changed in the postvaccine period with significant uptake in vaccine acceptance in younger groups. South Africans who identified themselves as black were more likely to intend to receive (aORs ranged: 1.93−3.60) and to trust the vaccine’s safety and efficacy (aORs ranged:1.79−1.23) in all time periods. “Mask wearing” and “frequent hand washing” were the most commonly reported behaviors. Given the lower rates of vaccine acceptability and a reduction in preventative health behaviors, monitoring the spread of infections is crucial and may have significant clinical and epidemiological implications.