Uptake of in-vitro fertilization among couples attending fertility clinic in a tertiary health institution

Objective:To identify factors that determine the uptake of in-vitro fertilization(IVF),and to determine the predicting effect of the identified factors on the uptake of IVF among couples attending fertility clinic at a tertiary health institution in Benin City,Nigeria.Methods:This study adopted a cross-sectional descriptive design.A self-structured questionnaire tested was validated and administered to 250 couples who attended fertility clinic.Data were collected from March 2021 to June 2021 and were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Science(SPSS)version 21.Data were presented and interpreted using descriptive statistics and inferential statistics such as Chi-square,univariate statistics and multivariate logistic regression analysis.Results:Among 250 couples,154(61.6%)were willing to adopt IVF.The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that catholic religion[odds ratio(OR)0.21,95%confident interval(CI)0.54-0.73],family income(OR 1.50,95%CI 1.10-2.00)and age(OR 1.04,95%CI 1.01-1.10)were the major factors that determined the uptake of IVF,with P-value of<0.001,0.018 and 0.031,respectively.Conclusions:The uptake of IVF could be sustained or improved on,if the government should improve on the cost of living for families,and religious leaders need to be encouraged to pass on the information about IVF to their members to be well guided about the possibilities of IVF.

Effects of mother-child interaction on school adaptation of children according to maternal depression

Objective:Factors influencing school adaptation of school-aged children include both executive function(EF)and parent–child interaction.This study aims to investigate the developmental trajectory of mother–child interaction longitudinally using latent growth model analysis.Methods:A longitudinal descriptive survey study was conducted.The par ticipants comprised of 1,614 mothers and school-aged children,who participated in the Panel Study on Korean Children(6 th–8 th panel surveys).A model was designed and analyzed using latent growth modeling to estimate the pattern of change over time.Results:In the group where the maternal depression was within the normal range,only the path by which the change rate of mother–child interaction affected school adaptation of children was statistically nonsignificant(t=1.007,p=0.314).In the group where maternal depression was mild or higher,only the paths by which the initial value of mother–child interaction affected EF difficulty(t=-2.75,p=0.032)and EF difficulty affected school adaptation(t=-7.876,p<0.001)were statistically significant.Conclusions:This study confirms the research models developed by dividing mother–child interaction into two groups according to depression levels(i.e.,normal range and mild or higher-level depression).The findings provide a basis for construction of individualized interventions.

Validity and reliability of Korean version Competency Assessment Tool-Mental Health

Objective:To establish basic data for identifying the level of mental health care competency of general nurses through verification of the reliability and validity of Competency Assessment Tool-Mental Health in the development of a measurement tool for mental health care competency in Korea.Methods:This study was conducted on nurses working at general wards,excluding those working at the Department of Psychiatry,in five hospitals with 200 beds or more located in Korea.Content,construct,concurrent validity,and internal consistency of the measurement were confirmed.Results:As a result of the construct validity,the section on importance of skills and knowledge for mental health care had 21 items,whereas the section on benefits of additional education had 22 items.The internal consistency of measurement was confirmed as follows:Cronbach’s α=0.96 for the section on importance and 0.96 for the section on benefits section.Conclusions:This study verified the high validity and reliability of the tool in assessing the mental health care competency of nurses,and it is believed to be significant as basic data for enhancing such competency.

The relationship between cardiovascular disease risk factors and gender

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between three socioeconomic sta- tuses and five behavior-related cardiovascular risk factors by gender, based on data from the Third Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination III. Data from 4556 people were analyzed. The propensity toward obesity, hypercholesterolemia, and physical inactivity was significantly higher in women than in men. Hypertension and smoking were significantly more prevalent in men than in women. The differences in the prevalence of cardiovascular disease risk factors by gender is important and should be considered when developing programs to reduce the incidence of cardiovascular diseases.

COVID-19 Pandemic: Psychosocial Distress and Social Burdens Experienced by Cancer Patients at Cancer Diseases Hospital, Lusaka, Zambia

Background: Cancer diagnosis has been reported in some studies to have a significant psychosocial impact on both the patients and their caregivers. The estimated prevalence of psychosocial distress is between 35% and 55%. Commonly encountered psychological issues include and are not limited to fear, anxiety, and emotional distress. Many sources of emotional distress in patients with cancer during the COVID-19 pandemic have been reported to include poorly controlled symptoms arising from a lack of access to symptom control services and treatment. Social distress is associated with social isolation, separation from family and loss of employment. Cancer patients and society have been reported to experience anxiety, despair, and stress due to the COVID-19 restrictions on community movement and hospital appointment rescheduling. The objective of this study was to explore psychosocial distress and social burdens experienced by cancer patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A descriptive phenomenological design was employed to describe “lived experiences of patients with Cancer” during the COVID-19 Pandemic. A total of 20 participants with Cancer and COVID-19 positive were purposefully selected and interviewed. Thematic analysis was utilized for data analysis by the use of themes generated from participants’ responses. Findings: Five major themes emerged: fear, self-isolation compliance, anxiety, low income and emotional distress. The findings of the study indicated that participants experienced fear, emotional distress and anxiety when diagnosed with COVID-19. Conclusion: The experiences of psychosocial distress and social burdens were a result of a lack of psychosocial support by both caregivers and health care workers. This study recommends appropriate health education concerning psychosocial support for cancer patients and the need to have appropriate clinical protocols and materials in allaying anxiety and fear in cancer patients during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Relationship between decreased visual acuity and physical activity time in school age children

Objective:This study aimed to investigate the physical activity of children with decreased visual acuity,thereby providing basic data for developing strategies to enhance the physical activity of school-age children.Methods:The participants were 1,194 children and 1,194 parents who participated in the 10th Korean Children Panel Survey.Logistic regression analysis was conducted to examine the status of the physical activity of children with decreased visual acuity according to the accessibility of community facilities.Results:The mother perceived the accessibility of community facilities as low,children with decreased visual acuity reported 1.20 times shorter over-the-weekend leisure activity time compared with vision-typical children,and they spent 1.41 and 1.33 times shorter on caring for pets and religious activity,respectively.Conclusions:To increase the physical activity of children with decreased visual acuity,family-oriented interventions should be provided.It is also important to establish a community environment with enhanced accessibility of community facilities by examining the level of accessibility perceived by parents.