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The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) is a globally recognized classification for health components and health-related factors, which has been recommended by the World Health Organization for use in medical rehabilitation. In the practice of a rehabilitation doctor dealing with patients suffering from juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME), the ICF is used to establish a rehabilitation diagnosis and formulate the goal of rehabilitation, as well as to implement its basic principles. It provides better insight into a range of difficulties patients with JME might face at the level of personal health and in everyday life.

Objective Preconception and prenatal carrier screening is designed to provide reproductive risk information, but carriers for some autosomal recessive or X-linked conditions also have personal health risks. This study investigated the prevalence of and inclusion of personal health implications in pre- and post-test counseling. Methods Twelve genetic conditions with personal health risks for carriers included on carrier screening panels but not otherwise screened routinely were identified (e.g., Gaucher disease with Parkinson's disease risk). A retrospective review was performed of patients with a positive carrier screen for one of these conditions at our center from 2012-2019. Results Of 6,147 individuals that had carrier screening for one of the twelve conditions, 96 (1.56%) did not report a known family history and screened positive for one of the conditions. Testing was ordered largely by reproductive endocrinologists (51.0%) and genetic counselors (35.4%). Most individuals did not receive pre- (96.8%) or post-test (64.6%) counseling about personal health risks. Post-test counseling was performed principally by genetic counselors (97.1%). For carriers of conditions with guidelines for specialist referral, most individuals (75.9%) were referred. Conclusion Expanded genetic carrier screening increasingly identifies individuals with personal health implications, but patients are frequently not counseled before or after testing. These findings stress the importance of developing guidelines for practitioners about expanded carrier screening counseling and follow-up. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Introduction The early COVID‐19 pandemic rapidly transformed healthcare and medical education. We sought to evaluate the professional and personal impact of the pandemic on 2019–2020 Breast Surgical Oncology (BSO) fellows in Society of Surgical Oncology approved programs to capture the experience and direct future changes. Methods From July 15, 2020 to August 4, 2020 a survey was administered to the American Society of Breast Surgeons' fellow members. The survey assessed the impact of the pandemic on clinical experience, education/research opportunities, personal health/well‐being, and future career. Responses were collected and aggregated to quantify the collective experience of respondents. Results Twenty‐eight of fifty‐seven (54%) eligible fellows responded. Twenty‐one (75%) indicated the clinical experience changed. Twenty‐seven (96%) reported less time spent caring for ambulatory breast patients and sixteen (57%) reported the same/more time spent in the operating room. Fourteen (50%) stated their future job was impacted and eight (29%) delayed general surgery board examinations. Stress was increased in 26 (93%). Personal health was unaffected in 20 (71%), and 3 (10%) quarantined for COVID‐19 exposure/infection. Conclusion The COVID‐19 pandemic altered the clinical experience of BSO fellows; however, the operative experience was generally unaffected. The creation of frameworks and support mechanisms to mitigate potential challenges for fellows and fellowship programs in the ongoing pandemic and other times of national crisis should be considered.

Background The COVID19 pandemic is one of the greatest modern global healthcare crises. The resultant morbidity and mortality of public and healthcare professionals has led to psychological impacts and economic repercussions. We set out to assess the concerns of doctors in training during this crisis. Methods A questionnaire was developed and delivered via Survey Monkey to doctors in training from 27 March to 6 April 2020, 2 weeks prior to the expected surge in Ireland and UK. The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) was incorporated to gauge respondent stress as they prepared for the COVID19 impact. Results A total of 285 participants engaged with 197 (69%) completing all questions. Almost 86% of respondents had been trained in donning and doffing personal protective equipment (PPE), and nearly 85% felt confident in the process. Overall, most respondents felt somewhat prepared (60%) or well prepared (20%) to treat COVID19 patients. However, 42% worried that their hospital would struggle, or not cope at all; in particular, 91% highlighted the risk of running out of PPE. Family health (86%), personal health (72%), and social life (47%) topped the list of junior doctor concerns. According to the PSS, the majority of respondents (62%) had moderate stress. Conclusions This survey is the first to measure the concerns of doctors in training in Ireland as regards the COVID19 pandemic. Worries included PPE exhaustion and personal and family health. A significant majority had moderate stress. Additional supports for doctors in training are essential to aid stress and manage concerns better.

Clinical decision-making regarding treatments based on personal characteristics leads to effective health improvements. Machine learning (ML) has been the primary concern of diagnosis support according to comprehensive patient information. A prominent issue is the development of objective treatment processes in clinical situations. This study proposes a framework to plan treatment processes in a data-driven manner. A key point of the framework is the evaluation of the actionability for personal health improvements by using a surrogate Bayesian model in addition to a high-performance nonlinear ML model. We first evaluate the framework from the viewpoint of its methodology using a synthetic dataset. Subsequently, the framework is applied to an actual health checkup dataset comprising data from 3132 participants, to lower systolic blood pressure and risk of chronic kidney disease at the individual level. We confirm that the computed treatment processes are actionable and consistent with clinical knowledge for improving these values. We also show that the improvement processes presented by the framework can be clinically informative. These results demonstrate that our framework can contribute toward decision-making in the medical field, providing clinicians with deeper insights., 効果的な健康改善プランを提案するAIを開発 --個別化医療における健康介入への活用に期待--. 京都大学プレスリリース. 2021-05-28.

BackgroundThe proportion of elderly is on the rise both in Europe and in Hungary. The challenge is to increase the number of years spent in good health as well as to improve quality of life of those 60 years and above. This study focuses on the impact of physical activity on this age group.MethodsA nationally representative sample of 2000 respondents were surveyed in an age range of 15–74. Our data concerns those being 60–74 years of age. The focus of our investigation was level and impact of physical activity in the group above. First, we used Chi-squared tests and correspondence analysis to identify the deviation in the answers of different groups in our sample. After we built a hierarchical linear regression model to get a deeper understanding of the impact of physical activity for elderly.ResultsThose reporting no physical/sports activity at all have to do with the negative culture of exercising. Only 9.3% reported being engaged with any sports; 72% reported no regular exercising throughout their lives. The relationship between sport activity and self-reported health was significant (p = 0.009, Cramer’s V = 0.2). Elderly were characterized by walking, hiking and less intense sports.ConclusionsThose who actively exercised in this research reported better health outcomes than those who stopped or had never been engaged in any sports. We conclude that of all variables tested, physical activity was most effective to improve personal health of the elderly in this sample. Compared to European data on physical activity of elderly populations, Hungary seems to fall behind and needs to consider concentrated efforts to improve the future health of its senior populace.

Objective: Health information-seeking is an essential component of health-related behavior and decision-making. Access to personal health records (PHRs), offered by healthcare providers, is an essential tool to access health information. However, little is known about predictive factors of use of PHRs as a medium of health information among women. In this study, we explored health information-seeking’s decision processes through PHRs among middle-aged and older women susceptible to developing breast cancer. Methods: We used data from the 2014 Health Information National Trends Survey in the United States and employed a 2-part Hurdle model. The study sample included 1159 women aged 40 to 75 years. Results: The Hurdle estimation found that health information-seeking through PHRs consists of 2 distinct decision processes: (1) the use of PHRs and (2) the frequency of use; different sets of factors are associated with each decision process. Women’s demographic characteristics were found to be the primary factors for PHR use. In contrast, socioeconomic factors, salience, self-efficacy, and general health status were more likely to be the main factors affecting the frequency of use. Conclusions: Based on the findings, providing greater access to PHRs to women, particularly those with health needs or concerns, should be considered by policymakers. Additionally, the issue of the digital divide in PHR use should be addressed.

Background Immense volumes of personal health information (PHI) are required to realize the anticipated benefits of artificial intelligence in clinical medicine. To maintain public trust in medical research, consent policies must evolve to reflect contemporary patient preferences. Methods Patients were invited to complete a 27-item survey focusing on: (a) broad versus specific consent; (b) opt-in versus opt-out approaches; (c) comfort level sharing with different recipients; (d) attitudes towards commercialization; and (e) options to track PHI use and study results. Results 222 participants were included in the analysis; 83% were comfortable sharing PHI with researchers at their own hospital, although younger patients (≤ 49 years) were more uncomfortable than older patients (50 + years; 13% versus 2% uncomfortable, p Conclusions While most patients were willing to share their PHI with researchers within their own institution, many preferred a transparent and reciprocal consent process. These data also suggest a generational shift, wherein younger patients preferred more specific consent options. Modernizing consent policies to reflect increased autonomy is crucial in fostering sustained public engagement with medical research.

The outbreak of the COVID-19 coronavirus infection that has spread throughout the world has had a major impact on the health of the global community, including mental health. Stress that arises during the COVID-19 pandemic could be in the form of fear and anxiety about personal health and the health of other loved ones, changes in sleep and diet patterns, aggravating physical conditions, especially in someone with chronic illness. This activity is one solution that is expected to broaden the audience's insight about maintaining the mental health of families during the COVID-19 pandemic. This activity is carried out through CISCO WEBEX Meeting media. The outputof this activity was the increase of level of knowledge of the audiences 37.5%, the publication of activities on youtube media and publication articles in a journal.

The Government of the Republic of Indonesia has issued Presidential Decree of the Republic of Indonesia number 11 of 2020 concerning the Determination of the 2019 Corona Virus Disease Public Health Emergency (COVID-19). In this Presidential Decree, the President designated Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) as a type of disease that causes a Public Health Emergency. As well as establishing a Public Health Emergency for Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-l9) in Indonesia, which must be made in accordance with the provisions of laws and regulations. In addition to issuing Presidential Decree number 11 of 2020, the government also issued Government Regulation 21/2020 concerning Large-Scale Social Restrictions in the context of Accelerating the Management of Corona Virus Disease (COVID-19). PP 21 of 2020 concerning Large-Scale Social Restrictions in the context of the Acceleration of Handling of Corona Virus Disease (COVID-19) regulates the Implementation of Large-Scale Social Restrictions stipulated by the Minister of Health and can be carried out by the Regional Government based on the approval of the Minister of Health. One of the efforts to maintain health is by applying personal hygiene so as not to become a carrier of the virus for other people. Based on WHO recommendations as well as the Surabaya City PSBB, residents are asked to implement PHBS according to WHO recommendations. This PKM is more functioned to provide information back to the public regarding PHBS efforts in accordance with WHO recommendations for maintaining personal health. It is hoped that with the implementation of this activity, the residents of the orphanage will be more aware of personal hygiene and also apply health protocols in their daily lives so that they can break the chain of transmission of Covid 19.

Japan's leaders began 2020 with grand ambitions to make it a historic year. Tokyo was set to welcome the world for the Summer Olympics, Japan's first since 1964, and Abe Shinzō, the powerful prime minister, planned to realize his party's 65-year-old dream: revising Japan's never-amended, US-drafted 1947 constitution. By spring, however, it was clear that COVID-19 had other plans. Despite public health outcomes better than in any other G7 member, daily life was severely disrupted, and the domestic political and economic fallout for Japan was significant. By late summer, circumstances were improving, but both Abe's popularity and his personal health had suffered. He resigned in September, ending the longest prime-ministership in Japanese history. Though COVID-19 and the end of the Abe Era were the major storylines of Japan in 2020, a subplot was, paradoxically, remarkable continuity in national politics and foreign affairs. © 2021 by The Regents of the University of California.

PURPOSE: Patients are frequently asked to share their personal health information. The objective of this study was to compare the effects on patient experiences of 3 electronic consent (e-consent) versions asking patients to share their health records for research. METHODS: A multi-arm randomized controlled trial was conducted from November 2017 through November 2018. Adult patients (n = 734) were recruited from 4 family medicine clinics in Florida. Using a tablet computer, participants were randomized to (1) a standard e-consent (standard), (2) an e-consent containing standard information plus hyperlinks to additional interactive details (interactive), or (3) an e-consent containing standard information, interactive hyperlinks, and factual messages about data protections and researcher training (trust-enhanced). Satisfaction (1 to 5), subjective understanding (0 to 100), and other outcomes were measured immediately, at 1 week, and at 6 months. RESULTS: A majority of participants (94%) consented to future uses of their health record information for research. No differences in study outcomes between versions were observed at immediate or 1-week follow-up. At 6-month follow-up, compared with the standard e-consent, participants who used the interactive e-consent reported greater satisfaction (B = 0.43; SE = 0.09; P

Background. Primary care residents are expected to provide lifestyle counseling and preventive services for patients with chronic diseases; also, physicians’ personal lifestyle practice impacts patient care. The purpose of this article is to assess healthy lifestyle behaviors and attitudes to engage in lifestyle counseling and preventive services among residents and fellows in different training levels and specialty. Methods. A cross-sectional pilot study was conducted on medical residents and fellows (n = 57). Surveys collected information on lifestyle behaviors and perceptions of lifestyle counseling and preventive services. Comparisons of study measures were made across residents’ specialty and training levels. Fisher’s exact and analysis of variance tests were used for statistical analysis. Results. There were several significant differences in perceptions of counseling and screening by specialty and training level. There were no significant differences in personal lifestyle behaviors between all resident specialties and training levels. Conclusion. Our findings suggest that there are opportunities to improve healthy lifestyle behaviors and perceptions of lifestyle counseling and preventive services among residents in different specialties and training levels. This knowledge can inform development of training programs in lifestyle and preventive medicine practice during residency and fellowship.

BACKGROUND: Sleep disturbances are common during pregnancy and are associated with the development of adverse pregnancy outcomes. Personal health monitors (PHM) can facilitate change in health behaviors, though few studies have examined their use in improving sleep during pregnancy. This pilot study aimed to characterize sleep changes during pregnancy in women participating in a self-management intervention using a PHM. PARTICIPANTS/METHODS: Participants with low risk, singleton pregnancies from Western Massachusetts were randomized at 24 weeks gestation to receive sleep education only (n=12) or sleep education, and PHM intervention (n=12). The single-session sleep education was given at baseline by a registered nurse. Sleep quality, duration, efficiency, disturbances, daytime sleepiness, and fatigue were assessed at baseline and 12 weeks follow-up using questionnaires. We described mean ± standard deviation within and between-group changes in each sleep outcome from baseline to 12 weeks follow-up. RESULTS: The PHM arm experienced larger sleep quality improvements and daytime sleepiness than the sleep-education only arm, but the differences were not statistically significant. In the PHM arm, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) score decreased (i.e., sleep quality increased) 1.22 ±2.39 (p=0.16), and the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) score decreased (i.e., daytime sleepiness decreased) 1.11 ±2.08 (p=0.15). In the sleep-education arm PSQI decreased 0.57±2.37 (p=0.55) and ESS decreased 1.29±2.93 (p=0.29). Neither group experienced statistically significant changes in sleep duration, efficiency, disturbances, or fatigue. CONCLUSION: Sleep education with PHM may improve or prevent decreases in sleep outcomes during pregnancy. Further investigation in larger trials is warranted.

Context Review of the origins, history, and attributes of primary care demonstrates continued challenges for the future of primary care and care delivery. The profession of athletic training may benefit from a critical self-review to examine its readiness to assist in reinventing primary care. Objective To explore parity between primary care attributes and athletic training practice and promote a timely and relevant discussion of primary care and public health integration native to athletic training practice, competency-based education with an emphasis on milestones, and the development of clinical specialists to prepare a well-trained workforce. Background General practitioners developed educational reforms through graduate medical education that resulted in primary care as it is known today. Graduate medical education has refined its assessment of students to include milestones for the purpose of describing the progression of clinical competence with identifiable behaviors. The development of future clinical specialists in primary care will also involve competence in public health. Recommendation(s) Practicing clinicians and educators should begin to critically explore the congruencies between the primary care attributes and athletic training practice. It is important to conceptualize traditional models of care within the frameworks of primary care and public health, given that athletic training practice routinely engages patients at personal, community, and environmental levels. The athletic training skill mix should be purposefully presented within interprofessional health care teams in primary care so that stakeholders can appropriately integrate athletic trainers (ATs) at the point of first contact. It is plausible that continued structural changes in the traditional practice settings will be required to facilitate integration of ATs into primary care. Conclusion(s) The impact of ATs in ambulatory settings and primary care possesses a foundation in the current literature. The ATs are uniquely suited to create a symbiotic pattern of care integrating both primary care and public health for improved outcomes.

In recent years, scholars have increasingly revealed the importance of celebrities in society, among them celebrity politicians. These celebrities not only influence political attitudes but also serve as role models for many individuals. Yet, little is known regarding what types of role models’ politicians serve as in the context of health. To fill this gap, we examined three influential contemporary political leaders: Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu, and the type of mediated role models each possibly comprise in the context of healthy living. By conducting a qualitative content analysis, we analyzed 90 articles from 2018 to 2019 from two leading newspapers in each of the three politician’s countries, namely Russia, the USA, and Israel as well as the respective politician’s Facebook pages. Our findings point to three types of potential role models’ as political leaders: a health-promoting model (Putin), a hybrid model (Trump), and a model of non-existence (Netanyahu), as the literature points to mediated role models influencing individuals’ beliefs and behaviors. This study contributes to the understanding of mediated types of role models’ politicians potentially serve as in the context of health vital to people’s personal health.

Individuals with diabetes often do not adequately adhere to self-management regimens. Personal Health Record (PHR) systems can aid patients with diabetes in managing their disease by encouraging patient provider communication, providing education and lifestyle information, and providing tools for disease management. While demonstrated to be a useful tool, PHR acceptance among chronic disease patients is low. This study investigated the influence of certain patient characteristics on interest in PHR features. Patients were asked to rate how often they would likely use certain PHR features. Statistical analysis was performed on the data. The analysis revealed several patterns regarding desired features for patients with respect to patient knowledge, technology experience, and health state. Designers of these systems should consider how these factors can influence system use. Strategies for encouraging patients to continually use these systems should also be considered.

OBJECTIVE: Behavioral health homes, which provide primary medical care onsite in mental health clinics, face challenges in integrating information across multiple health records. This study tested whether a mobile personal health record improves quality of medical care for individuals treated in these settings. METHODS: This randomized study enrolled 311 participants with a serious mental illness and one or more cardiometabolic risk factor across two behavioral health homes to receive a mobile personal health record app (n=156) or usual care (n=155). For the intervention group, a secure mobile personal health record app (mPHR) provided participants with key information about diagnoses, medications, and lab values, and allowed them to track health goals. The primary study outcome was a chart-derived composite measure of quality of cardiometabolic and preventive services. RESULTS: At 12-month follow up, participants in the mPHR group maintained high quality of care (70% of indicated services at baseline and 12-month follow-up), in contrast to a decline in quality for the usual care group (71% at baseline and 67% at follow up) resulting in a statistically significant but clinically modest differential impact between the intervention and usual care group. No differences between the study groups were found in secondary self-reported outcomes including delivery of chronic illness care, patient activation, or mental or physical health related quality of life. CONCLUSIONS: A mobile personal health record was associated with a statistically significant but clinically modest differential benefit for quality of medical care in individuals with serious mental illness and cardiovascular comorbidity. Clinicaltrials.gov registry number: NCT01890226. The study was approved by the EmoryUniversity Institutional Review Board

This paper examines the effectiveness of using personal health records (PHRs), which contains detailed health information to improve the use of recommended screening mammography among women at potential risk for breast cancer. It also explores the potential of PHR in reducing disparities in recommended mammography use experienced by minority and underserved women. The primary data used for this study were obtained from the 2015 Health Information National Trends Survey, and they were supplemented by the 2016 Area Health Resource Files. The study sample included women aged 40–75 years with no prior diagnosis of cancer. Because the use of PHRs as a key predictor of breast cancer screening may be endogenously determined, we used the instrumental variable (IV) approach to correct for estimation bias. We found a significant and positive association between the use of PHRs and recommended mammography use among women, with the likelihood of mammography screening increasing with more frequent use of PHRs. Furthermore, the effects of PHR use on mammography screening were found to be greater among Hispanic and Black women and those living in non-metropolitan areas compared with White women and those living in metropolitan areas, respectively. The use of PHRs for health information seeking can empower women at potential risk for breast cancer to participate in recommended screening mammography, particularly among those underserved and racial/ethnic minorities. Policymakers should consider developing policies and programs that can promote PHR use by women, especially medically underserved and minority women.

Pharmacists are accessible and positioned to facilitate health behavior change among patients with chronic diseases. The readiness of pharmacy students to practice lifestyle medicine is unclear. Do...

Primary caregivers of children with developmental disabilities encounter unique challenges that can affect their overall health and well-being. This pilot study sought to explore the definitions of and experiences with health-promoting self-care in primary caregivers of children with developmental disabilities. Thirteen primary caregivers of children with developmental disabilities ranging in age from 3 to 21 years participated in a semi-structured interview to explore their health-promoting self-care, their current and future goals for health and wellness, and their interest in use of technology to facilitate self-care. Across participant responses, 10 themes emerged overall. The following number of themes emerged within each general topic area: general assessment of health and well-being (n = 2); personal assessment of self-care behaviors (n = 3); defining features of health and well-being categories (n = 2); top endorsed health-promoting needs (n = 1); and technologies to support self-care (n = 2). Findings demonstrated commonalities across the experiences of caregivers in some domains. However, caregivers also endorsed differing barriers and needs for support across areas affecting personal health and well-being. Results provide support for further investigation into the utility of interventions to promote caregiver self-care for their health and well-being, particularly in the area of social support.

Maintenance in HIV care is important to achieve optimal personal health and HIV viral load suppression for young people living with HIV (PLWH). Prior studies have identified incarceration as a risk factor for poor long-term HIV outcomes. We assessed the relationship between incarceration and missed visits among young PLWH in the US. Longitudinal data were collected on a cohort of PLWH (n=910), ages 12–24, from 14 adolescent trial network sites across the US. Incarceration histories were self-reported, missed HIV care appointments and viral load measurements were ascertained by records review. The time from study entry to missed visits was modeled using Cox proportional hazards models. The cohort was mostly male (78%) and African American (75%) with a median age of 22. Prior incarceration (i.e., being put in jail, prison, or juvenile detention, or held overnight after an arrest) had been experienced by 39% of the cohort, with a median number of times incarcerated of 2 (IQR: 1–3). The hazard ratio for missed HIV care visits comparing those with incarceration histories to those without was 1.27 (95% CI: 1.06, 1.54). After adjustment for study site, age, gender, and race the hazard ratio was 1.53 (95% CI: 1.26, 1.86). While time to re-connection to care after a missed visit did not differ between the two groups, HIV viral loads upon returning to care were more likely to be unsuppressed among those with incarceration history compared to those without (RR: 1.28, 95% CI: 0.95, 1.74). This association was attenuated to the null after adjustment for suppression of viral load at the visit prior to the missed visit. Young PLWH with incarceration histories are at higher risk of missing HIV care visits.

The present research aimed to study the dynamic correlation between per capita health expenditure (PCHE) and economic growth in Mongolia. The data from the period of 1993-2018 were used. A Vector Autoregressive (VAR) model was established between per capita gross domestic product (PGDP) and PCHE. Variance decomposition as well as impulse response function was used to analyze the dynamic relationship among variables. The results revealed that correlation was found between PCHE and PGDP with obvious one-way Granger causality. Moreover, the results showed that economic development had positive impact on PCHE growth for 1 - 3 (short term) years in Mongolia. However, the response of the two variables was gradually eradicated in the long term by impulse response function. The contribution rate of PGDP on PCHE increased from 0% to 18.14% by six periods. This study recommended that Mongolian policymakers not only increase the budget to the health but rather oversee the budget spending, increase public health expenditure and improve private health insurance system, which leads to the upgraded national health and can reduce personal health burden.

The consequences of past COVID-19 infection for personal health and long-term population immunity are only starting to be revealed. Unfortunately, detecting past infection is currently a challenge, limiting clinical and research endeavors. Widely available anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody tests cannot differentiate between past infection and vaccination given vaccine-induced anti-spike antibodies and the rapid loss of infection-induced anti-nucleocapsid antibodies. Anti-membrane antibodies develop after COVID-19, but their long-term persistence is unknown. Here, we demonstrate that anti-membrane IgG is a sensitive and specific marker of past COVID-19 infection and persists at least one year. We also confirm that anti-receptor binding domain (RBD) Ig is a long-lasting, sensitive, and specific marker of past infection and vaccination, while anti-nucleocapsid IgG lacks specificity and quickly declines after COVID-19. Thus, a combination of anti-membrane and anti-RBD antibodies can accurately differentiate between distant COVID-19 infection, vaccination, and naïve states to advance public health, individual healthcare, and research goals.

Older adults are relatively physically active compared to other age group. A lack of physical activity (PA) can cause chronic diseases including osteoarthritis of knee (OA knee) and might eventually reduce quality of life (QOL). This present study was aimed to investigate association between levels of PA and OA knee with levels of QOL in community-dwelling older adults. One thousand and sixty-seven community-dwelling older persons were recruited to this descriptive study. PA activity questionnaire was invented. Standardized Oxford knee score and World Health Organization’s Quality of Life scale (WHOQOL-BREF) were used to measure OA knee and QOL levels. Results showed that levels of PA in older adults were significantly associated with levels of OKS (χ2 = 78.565, P-value < .001) and levels of OA knee in older adults were significantly associated with levels of overall QOL (χ2 = 57.738, P-value < .001). Pearson’s correlation also showed interrelation among PA, OA knee, and QOL. In conclusion, PA, OA knee, and QOL are interrelated. Therefore, close monitoring and design of proper PA activity should be implemented in community-dwelling older adults with OA knee.

A large number of catering study programs of western countries have a current lack of subjects in nutrition education. Food preparation professionals do not have a substantive nutrition education and the guidance skills necessary to present healthy food to their customers. Guidance skills and subjects such as nutrition and its implications on personal health and public health should be introduced in catering study programs and culinary training. These updates could be a cheap and smart approach for bringing together the catering sector and health.

IntroductionAdolescents living with HIV (ALWH) face an elevated risk of poor health outcomes when transitioning into adult-oriented care; however, evidence-based interventions to support ALWH during this high-risk period are lacking, especially in Latin America. We conducted a pilot study of a community-based intervention designed to improve outcomes among ALWH transitioning to adult HIV care in Lima, Peru.MethodsFrom October 2019 to January 2020, we enrolled adolescents transitioning to adult HIV care, either due to a recent diagnosis or having aged out of their pediatric clinic. ALWH previously lost from care during the transition process were also invited to participate. The nine-month intervention consisted of (1) logistical, adherence and social support delivered by entry-level health workers who accompanied adolescents during their transition to adult HIV care and (2) group sessions to improve health-related knowledge, skills and social support. We assessed intervention feasibility and effectiveness in improving medication adherence, psycho-social outcomes, and transition readiness after 6, 9, and 12 months.ResultsWe enrolled 30 ALWH, ages 15-21 years; 11 were recently diagnosed and 19 had been living with HIV since infancy or early childhood. Participants included ten men who have sex with men, four young pregnant women and six adolescents who were previously lost during the transition to adult HIV care. Intervention participation was high with 90% of ALWH attending at least one in-person social support session and all attending at least one live online session. No ALWH withdrew from the intervention, study, or antiretroviral therapy. In transition readiness, we observed within-person improvements related to personal health (+1.9 points, pConclusionWe identified a community-based intervention that is feasible and potentially effective for bridging the transition to adult HIV care among a diverse group of ALWH in Peru. A larger-scale effectiveness evaluation, including biological endpoints, is warranted.

The rapid development of COVID-19 vaccines is a tremendous scientific response to the current global pandemic. However, vaccines per se do not save lives and restart economies. Their success depends on the number of people getting vaccinated. We used a survey experiment to examine the impact on vaccine intentions of a variety of public health messages identified as particularly promising: three messages that emphasize different benefits from the vaccines (personal health, the health of others, and the recovery of local and national economies) and one message that emphasizes vaccine safety. Because people will likely be exposed to multiple messages in the real world, we also examined the effect of these messages in combination. Based on a nationally quota representative sample of 3,048 adults in the United States, our findings suggest that several forms of public messages can increase vaccine intentions, but messaging that emphasizes personal health benefits had the largest impact.

Introduction Laparoscopic bariatric surgery is necessary for obese patients who cannot control body weight through daily diet and exercise, or other non-surgical ways. Three kinds of laparoscopic bariatric surgery, namely Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, sleeve gastrectomy, and sleeve gastrectomy with jejunal bypass, are available for weight loss in clinical practice, but their comparative effects are unclear. In this study, these were compared to illustrate their clinical effects. Methods A case–control study was conducted on 175 participants who fulfilled the inclusion criteria of laparoscopic bariatric surgery, while the controls were the same subjects before and after surgery, as well as with different surgeries specifically. Standardized weight loss measures were compared using analysis of covariance, with months from surgery as the covariant, including percentage total weight loss and excess body mass index (BMI) loss. Results A total of 175 patients were enrolled in this study (age 38 ± 10 years; BMI 46 ± 5 kg/m2), with a mean postsurgery follow-up of 18 ± 6 months. No significant difference was included among the enlisted patients before bariatric surgery. However, after surgery according to personal health indexes of patients and professional assessment by doctors, patients specifically receiving one of Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, sleeve gastrectomy, and sleeve gastrectomy with jejunal bypass had no significant difference between weight loss and BMI, while the most important factors were dietary control and exercise after bariatric surgery. Conclusion This study suggests that bariatric surgery is only a prerequisite for weight loss, and the long-term dietary control and exercise can help patients achieve optimal weight loss.

Objectives: To assess social media and search engines used to find health information in Saudi patients and their companions and to describe their perceptions, attitudes, and practices. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out on 374 patients and their companions at a tertiary care hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The data were collected between January and March 2018 using a self-administrated questionnaire adopted from the literature and developed in Arabic. The questionnaire was validated and modified by the researchers to fulfill the purpose of this study. The questionnaire contains 4 sections (25 questions), divided into a demographic section and the 3 sections assessing perceptions, attitudes, and practices. Results: Eighty-five percent sought health information using social media; of whom 293 (78.3%) used WhatsApp, 237 (63.4%) used YouTube, and 46 (12.3%) used Facebook. Furthermore, 72% searched information for themselves and 52% for a family member. Approximately 28% of participants had used social media for medical consultations. The reliability of health information on social media was met for 51% of participants, and 81.4% claimed that the health information obtained was knowledgeable. However, only 29% share their personal health experience with the public on social media. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that the majority of the participants used social media platforms to find information related to their health conditions, while approximately one third received direct medical consultations online. Public awareness to use reputable sources for health information is needed. Saudi Med J 2019; Vol. 40 (12): 1294-1299 doi: 10.15537/smj.2019.12.24682 How to cite this article: Marar SD, Al-Madaney MM, Almousawi FH. Health information on social media. Perceptions, attitudes, and practices of patients and their companions. Saudi Med J 2019; 40: 1294-1299. doi: 10.15537/smj.2019.12.24682

OBJECTIVES: To describe, using mixed-methods, perceptions of access to sexually transmitted infection test results via electronic personal health record (PHR) and correlates of willingness to adopt its use. PARTICIPANTS: Students at a mid-Atlantic historically Black college. METHODS: Focus-groups and interviews were conducted to explore themes on sexual health-related PHR-use (n=35). Codes were operationalized into survey measures assessing beliefs in a cross-sectional sample (n=354). Exploratory factor analysis identified latent factors among survey items. Multiple logistic regression models measured correlates of adoption willingness. RESULTS: Three qualitative themes emerged on relative advantages, barriers, and functionality of PHRs. 57.6% of survey participants were willing to use PHRs for sexual health services. Reliable latent factors, centering on PHR convenience and functionality, were positively associated with adoption willingness. CONCLUSIONS: Data highlights interest among Black college-age youth in adopting PHRs for comprehensive sexual health-related services. Adoption may be boosted with tailored designs responsive to expressed service needs.

EnglishObjective: To assess the quality when filling out a health follow-up instrument for children in a town in northeastern Brazil. Method: It is a cross-sectional study involving 204 children who received care at 16 family health units. This study analyzes how they filled out the child’s health card (CS) and the Child’s Health Record (CSI), the differences between both and the associated factors. Results: the filling out was unsatisfactory in 37.2% of the CS and 50.5% of the CSI. Regarding the CSIs, the correct filling out was observed less often in the following cases: supply of iron supplements (0%), development checkups (1.1%), prenatal care (9.9%), feeding after stopping the breastfeeding (17.6%), and growth curves (0%-27.5%). There was a lower percentage of correct filling out for the CSIs regarding the baby’s name, type of labor and weight indication in the graph. Newborns from married mothers (p = 0.045) and female babies (p = 0.017) showed lower probability of inappropriate filling out of both CSs and CSIs, respectively. Conclusion: The instrument for health surveillance in children is being underused. Keywords: personal health records; primary health care; health promotion; health knowledge, attitudes and practice; health policy, planning and administration; health management portuguesObjetivo: avaliar a qualidade do preenchimento do instrumento de acompanhamento da saude da crianca em um municipio do nordeste brasileiro. Metodo: estudo transversal envolvendo 204 criancas assistidas em 16 unidades de saude da familia. Analisou-se o preenchimento do Cartao da Crianca (CC) e da Caderneta de Saude da Crianca (CSC), diferencas entre os mesmos e fatores associados. Resultados: o preenchimento foi insatisfatorio em 37,2% dos CC e 50,5% das CSC. Na CSC, observou-se menor frequencia de preenchimento correto para: suplementacao com ferro (0%), desenvolvimento (1,1%), pre-natal (9,9%), alimentacao na alta da maternidade (17,6%) e graficos de crescimento (0%-27,5%). A CSC teve menor percentual de preenchimento correto para nome da crianca, tipo de parto e anotacoes do peso no grafico. Criancas de maes com companheiro (p = 0,045) e meninas (p = 0,017) apresentaram menor chance de preenchimento inadequado do CC e da CSC, respectivamente. Conclusao: ha subutilizacao do instrumento de vigilância a saude da crianca.

The objective of the systematic review is to explore adult patients' experiences using electronic personal health records (e-PHRs) for chronic non-communicable disease self-management.Self-management is a key component of chronic disease management. One of the strategies to support self-management in patients with chronic disease is the use of e-PHRs. Electronic personal health records offer patients the opportunity to actively engage with their own health information, promote continuity of care and collaboration through disease tracking, and provide patients and providers with an ongoing connection. To adopt e-PHRs and maximize any benefits for chronic disease management, they should align with patients' values and preferences.The review will include qualitative studies that explore the experiences of adult patients (aged 18 years and over) with a chronic non-communicable disease who have used e-PHR for the self-management of their condition. This review will consider studies conducted in any setting or country.The systematic review will be conducted in accordance with the JBI methodology for systematic reviews of qualitative evidence, with meta-aggregation as the method of synthesis. Published studies will be searched in CINAHL, PubMed, PsycINFO, Embase and Scopus. Gray literature will also be considered. Critical appraisal and data extraction will be conducted using the appropriate JBI tools. Extracted data will be aggregated and analyzed to produce a set of synthesized findings that can be used to develop evidence-informed recommendations for the use of e-PHRs in chronic disease self-management.PROSPERO CRD42019133301.

Objective: To identify the health status and well-being of the professional automobile drivers and associated risk factors that affect their health. Study Design and Setting: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 350 professional automobile drivers operating on local and long routes in Karachi, Pakistan Methodology: The study was done at various locations in the city of Karachi from September to November 2017. The subjects were asked for their personal health related complaints and medical illnesses. Further, this research also has the complimentary purpose to measure anxiety and depression among professional drivers. Anxiety was measured using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-2 Item Scale (GAD-2) and Patient Health Questionnaire2-Item Depression Module (PHQ- 2) was used to measure, depression. SPSS version 21.0 was used for data entry and its analysis. A written informed consent about the study was provided to the subjects with questionnaire. This study was approved by the Institutional/Ethical review board of Karachi Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS). Results: Amongst the 350 participants 48% were long route and 52% were local route automobile drivers. The result indicate that professional automobile drivers were suffering from backache (56%), Joint pain (36%), Hypertension (44%), Diabetes Mellitus (21%), Anxiety (87%) and Depression (38%). Tobacco addiction was found in (94%) of total respondents. Conclusion: Health status of the professional drivers and their well-being was found unsatisfactory. Multiple factors such as working environment and sociodemographic factors are inevitably linked to their health status and wellbeing

Purpose Self-care in chronic disease is increasingly important. In glaucoma services, there is an unmet need for a self-care tool such as a patient passport. This study aims to evaluate adoption of a new self-care tool, the Glaucoma Patient Passport (GPP) within a tertiary hospital glaucoma service. Patients and methods The GPP was designed following consultation exercises between patients and clinicians at the first and second UK National Glaucoma Think Tanks. A patient questionnaire, comprising a mixed methods quantitative and qualitative research approach was used to explore the utility of GPP, patient attitude to GPP and barriers to adoption, 6 months after GPP receipt. Results GPP feedback was received from 62 patients. On-going utilization of the GPP after receipt was high, at 84%, with patients most commonly using the GPP at home, to "look for information." Seventy-three percent reported improved knowledge of glaucoma care since using the GPP, with two-thirds (63%) reporting that the GPP had improved their glaucoma care. Three main themes were identified in exploring barriers to GPP adoption; clinician involvement in GPP use, GPP size, and GPP use in visual impairment. Conclusion Implementation and adoption of the world's first GPP were a success. GPP utility was high and patient attitudes were predominantly positive, with improved self-care. However, several areas were identified for future GPP improvement. The GPP has the potential to improve patient self-care in glaucoma, bridging the care gap created by the increased workload in glaucoma services.

Background: Although much has been written about the potential power of the association between physicians’ personal health practices and those of their patients, we found few objective studies of this relationship. We therefore investigated this association using objectively measured health care indicators. Aim of the study: The aim of the study was to show the association between physicians’ own screening/immunization practices and their patients screening/immunization practices. Material and methods: We assessed 8 indicators of quality of health care (screening and vaccination practices) for primary care physicians (n=1488) and their adult patients (n = 1 886 791) in Israel’s largest health maintenance organization. The physicians were also patients in this health care system Results: For all 8 indicators, patients whose physicians were compliant with the preventive practices were more likely (p < 0.05) to also have undergone these preventive measures than patients with noncompliant physicians. We also found that more similar preventive practices showed somewhat stronger relations. For example, among patients whose physician had received the influenza vaccine, 49.1% of eligible patients received influenza vaccines compared to 43.2% of patients whose physicians did not receive the vaccine (5.9% absolute difference, 13.7% relative difference). This is twice the relative difference (7.2%) shown for pneumococcal vaccine—eligible patients of influenza-vaccinated versus non vaccinated physicians (60.9 vs 56.8%).When we examined the rates of un-related practices, we found that, for example,mammography rates were identical for patients whose physicians did and did not receive the influenza vaccine Conclusions: We found a consistent, positive relation between physicians’ and patients’preventive health practices. Objectively establishing this healthy doctor—healthy patient relationship should encourage preventionoriented health care systems to better support and evaluate the effects on patients of improving the physical health of medical students and physicians.

Objectives This study sought to examine depression prevalence among chronic total occlusion (CTO) patients and compared symptom improvement among depressed and nondepressed patients after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Background Depression in cardiovascular patients is common, but its prevalence among CTO patients and its association with PCI response is understudied. Methods Among 811 patients from the OPEN-CTO (Outcomes, Patient Health Status, and Efficiency in Chronic Total Occlusion Hybrid Procedures) registry, we evaluated change in health status between baseline and 1-year post-PCI, as measured by the Seattle Angina Questionnaire (SAQ) and the Rose Dyspnea Score. Depression was defined using the Personal Health Questionnaire-8. The independent association between health status and depression following PCI was assessed using multivariable regression. Results Among the 811 patients, 190 (23%) screened positive for major depression, of whom 6.3% were on antidepressant therapy at intervention. Depressed patients experienced more baseline angina, but by 1-year post-PCI they experienced greater improvements than nondepressed patients (change in SAQ Summary: 31.4 ± 22.4 vs. 24.2 ± 20.0; p Conclusions Depression is common among CTO PCI patients, but few were treated with antidepressants at baseline. Depressed patients had more severe baseline angina and significant improvement in health status after PCI. (Outcomes, Patient Health Status, and Efficiency in Chronic Total Occlusion [OPEN-CTO]; NCT02026466)

Falls among older people are a major economic and public health problem. Due to the demographic change and aging of populations, there is an urgent need for accurate screening tools to identify those at risk to target effective falls prevention strategies. Clinical fall risk assessments are costly and time-consuming and thus cannot be performed frequently. Technologies provide means for assessing fall risk during daily living, making self-evaluations and fast methods for fall risk assessment for professional use. This study collects and evaluates existing technological solutions for fall risk assessment including various different sensor technologies. The study also presents one easy to use solution for assessing fall risk and suggests a concept-design for integrating sensor-based solutions into the Finnish national Kanta Personal Health Record. The optimal solution for technological fall risk assessment is still unclear. A wide implementation still requires extensive validation studies, adoption to health care processes and novel IoT -solutions for collecting large amounts of sensor data. Thorough methods should be utilised in designing the privacy and security aspects of fall risk assessment solutions, as well as different user profiles, to allow suitable interfaces and visualisations to users. It should always be clear what kind of data are collected from users and how the data are utilised. The consent of the users should also always be collected.

Biospecimen donation is essential for studies of cancer prevention, early detection, and treatment. Donations from minority groups, for whom the cancer burden is high, are infrequent and inadequate for research purposes. The obstacles to donation of biospecimens by African Americans and other minority groups must be identified. Patients aged 18-85 years were surveyed based on the clinic visited (group A: GI/primary care and group B: oncology with confirmed cancer diagnosis) and analyzed as separate groups. The validated biobanking attitudes and knowledge survey (BANKS) as well as pancreatic cancer questions were used. In group A, 278/292 surveys were completed (5/6 patients participated). In group B, 54/59 surveys were completed (4/5 patients participated). There were low mean scores on the BANKS knowledge sections, specifically in regard to specimen ownership and the separation of research and medical records. Also, two major concerns limited donation: (1) fear that personal, medical, and family medical information may be stolen from the biobank; and (2) mistrust that biospecimens could be used for unintended purposes. Low knowledge about biospecimen acquisition, added to mistrust, warrant community-based, and patient education in an effort to improve attitudes, increase participation, and regain healthy therapeutic alliances.

Risk adopts an ambiguous position between health and illness/disease and is culturally salient in various health-related everyday practices. Previous research on risk experience has mostly focused on the illness/disease side of this risk ambiguity. Persons at risk have typically been defined as patients (of some kind) and their condition as a form of proto-illness. To allow for the cultural proliferation of health risk and to account for the health side of risk ambiguity, I chose to focus on elevated cholesterol, a condition both intensely medicalised and connected to the everyday practice of eating, among participants (n = 14) recruited from a consumer panel and approached not as patients, but as individuals concerned about their cholesterol. Utilising the biographical disruption framework developed by Bury, I show how the risk experience of my participants differed from the chronic illness experience. Instead of patients-in-waiting suffering from a proto-illness, they presented themselves as 'chronically healthy individuals' (Varul 2010), actively trying to avoid becoming patients through a responsible regimen of personal health care. The results call for a more nuanced approach to the risk experience, which accounts for both sides of the risk ambiguity.

Background In Italy the Law 9/2012 prescribed the total closure of forensic psychiatric hospitals (OPGs) and the conversion to a care model based on residential units in the community employing only clinical personnel (Residenze per l'Esecuzione delle Misure di Sicurezza – REMS) and fully integrated in public mental health services. The aim of this study is to report sociodemographic, clinical and criminological characteristics of patients admitted in Volterra REMS since it opened on 01/12/15 up to 31/12/17. Methods Sociodemographic and clinical information was collected from official documents (clinical files, ward reports) and from patients' personal health records. Psychiatric diagnoses were made by REMS psychiatrists according to the DSM-5 criteria. Criminological information was obtained from patients' criminal records. Results Volterra REMS patients' characteristics are similar to those of samples of OPGs patients (unmarried socially disadvantaged males with an average age of 40, no offsprings, low education, high rates of Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders and medical comorbidity). However, the REMS model presents a very high turnover rate: during the study period 61 patients were admitted while 32 were discharged. Being assisted by public mental health services before committing the crime increased the probability of discharge. In non-EU patients long acting injectable antipsychotics were used more frequently than in community ones. Substance-Related Disorders are the main psychiatric comorbidity and resulted as being more frequent in bipolar patients than in other patients. Conclusions Due to the high patients' turnover, we expect a progressive change in sociodemographic, clinical and criminological features of the REMS population. The REMS model provides a return for mentally disordered criminals to the care of local public mental health services which are recovering after many years some of their most challenging patients ensuring their deinstitutionalization and reintegration into society.

Objetivo: evaluar la presencia de Conductas Alimentarias de Riesgo (CAR) en una población del noroeste de México, así como su correlación con el Índice de Masa Corporal (IMC) y la Satisfacción Corporal (SC). Metodología: estudio correlacional transversal con 141 estudiantes de 11 a 15 años de una escuela de educación básica secundaria del municipio de Nuevo Casas Grandes, Chihuahua, México. Se evaluaron las CAR, la SC, el peso y la talla. Con el IMC calculado, los participantes fueron clasificados en Bajo peso, Peso normal y Sobrepeso, además, se les pidió que ellos se autoclasificaran en alguna de estas categorías; se tenía así, dos estados nutricionales, el calculado y el percibido. Resultados: las CAR están presentes en el 5.67% de la muestra; destaca al ejercicio como conducta compensatoria a los atracones. Solo el 65.54% de los estudiantes presentaron IMC normal, sin embargo, el 80.85% se percibieron con peso normal, sin tenerlo; no hay correlación entre el IMC y las CAR. El 12.06% de los participantes está insatisfecho con su cuerpo y existe una correlación entre la SC y las CAR. Ningún estudiante satisfecho presenta CAR. Limitaciones: el instrumento utilizado para detectar CAR no posee fines diagnósticos, sin embargo, permite realizar tamizajes para detectar si existe o no el riesgo de padecer Trastornos de la Conducta Alimentaria (TCA). Nuestros resultados demuestran que este riesgo existe en Nuevo Casas Grandes. De todos los aspectos posibles para estudiar la percepción de la imagen corporal, solo se consideró la satisfacción corporal, sería interesante más estudios regionales que evalúen más variables. Es necesario realizar un estudio de las presentes características con una cobertura mucho mayor a la actual. Conclusiones. Las CAR están presentes en los jóvenes de Nuevo Casas Grandes, Chihuahua y no están correlacionadas con el IMC, pero sí con la SC. Esta satisfacción no se relaciona ni con la estructura corporal (IMC calculado) ni con la percepción que se tiene del mismo (IMC percibido).

The basic way to prevent cerebral stroke in symptomatic 70–99% stenosis of internal carotid artery (ICA) is an open or endovascular surgical procedure. Psychological research done so far among ICA stenosis patients focused on cognitive functioning changes. The objective was to assess attitude to surgery in relation to self-efficacy, life quality perception, and health locus of control in ICA stenosis patients. Materials and Methods: The study involved 53 asymptomatic ICA stenosis patients, aged from 53 to 81. Four scales were applied: Generalized Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES), Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS), Multidimensional Health Locus of Control Scale (MHLC), and a simple scale to examine the attitude to surgery, where “−10” stands for the maximally negative attitude, “0”—neutral, and “+10”—maximally positive. The obtained results were put to statistical analysis. Results: It was found that women and men assessed their attitude to the surgery as positive (M = 7.92, SD = 3.094), though the men estimated it slightly higher (M = 8.03, SD = 3.02) than the women (M = 7.67, SD = 3.37). The mean value of self-efficacy was high (M = 32.53, SD = 6.231), and slightly higher for the men (M = 32.79, SD = 5.576) compared to the women (M = 31.87, SD = 7.836). The patients generally tended to manifest the external personal health locus of control (M = 28.62, SD = 3.17). The runner-up was internal health locus of control (M = 26.02, SD = 3.775), and the next one—external impersonal aspect (chance/luck) (M = 23.57, SD = 4.457). The mean assessment of the patients’ own life quality proved to be above average (M = 23.60) but varied (SD = 5.95). The women perceived the quality of their lives as better (M = 24.33, SD = 6.422) than the men (M = 23.32, SD = 5.818). Very strong positive correlations were found between self-efficacy and life quality assessment (p &lt, 0.001) and between the internal and external personal aspects of health locus of control (p &lt, 0.007) in the women, and positive correlations were found between the attitude to surgery and internal health locus of control (p &lt, 0.021) in the men. Conclusions: When breaking the news of a need to have a surgical intervention due to ICA stenosis, the physician should strongly refer to the value of human life and health. The message should arise from external (in the case of women) or internal (in the case of men) motivation to undergo surgery, and enhance the patient’s conviction that the disease should be considered a challenge which must be taken to reverse their unfavorable situation and improve life quality.

Using an online survey, we examined the relationships between the perceived usefulness, sensitivity, and anonymity of personal health data and people’s willingness to share it with researchers. An analysis of 112 responses showed that people’s willingness and perceptions are related to the type of the data, their trust in the data’s anonymity, and their personal sociodemographic characteristics. In general, we found that people do not completely trust that their identities remain anonymous when sharing data anonymously with researchers. We also found that they are more willing to share personal health data with researchers if they perceive it as useful for public health research, not sensitive, and if they trust that their identity will remain anonymous after sharing it. We also found that people’s age, gender, occupation, and region of residence may be related to their perceptions regarding the sharing of personal health data.

Purpose The purpose of the current study was to explore physical activity (PA) levels, exercise preferences, and perceived barriers to PA in childhood cancer survivors. Methods This cross-sectional study surveyed 120 childhood cancer survivors aged 8-18 years from the pediatric oncology center in South Korea between March and August 2017. The modified Exercise & Quality of Life questionnaire, Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey, and Godin Leisure-Time Questionnaire were used to assess PA levels, preferences, and exercise barriers. Results Among 120 participants (72 boys, 48 girls) whose average age at the time of the survey was 14.57 ± 3.00 years and the average age at diagnosis was 8.22 years, the three most common diagnoses were acute leukemia (43.3%), brain tumor (13.3%), and malignant lymphoma (10.8%). Only 16 participants (5%) met the PA recommendations for children (at least 60 min of moderate PA per day). The most preferred sporting activities included soccer, basketball, strengthening exercises, badminton, dance, and taekwondo. They generally had positive attitudes toward exercise, and more than 63% of participants intended to exercise the following month. The five most prevalent perceived barriers to exercise were lack of time, poor health, reluctance to sweat, lack of exercise skills, and no exercise partners. Conclusions While most childhood cancer survivors did not meet the PA recommendation, most of them agreed that exercise was beneficial, and they intended to participate in the exercise. Exercise and PA programs should be tailored to the personal health and preferences of childhood cancer survivors.

Background Urticaria is an acute or chronic inflammatory dermatosis that is characterized by erythematous, edematous, itchy, and transient urticarial plaques that cover the skin and mucous membranes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the knowledge of consulting staff on urticaria in Yaounde, Cameroon, as well as the attitudes and practices resulting from it. Methods We conducted a descriptive cross-sectional study. The participants were enrolled from January to April 2017 in 25 health facilities in Yaounde, Cameroon. The sample consisted of health personnel including doctors, nurses, and nursing aids. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire; the evaluation scores for each heading were established. Data processing was done using the SPSS software Version 21. Results We recruited 101 participants, with a sex ratio of 0.4 (73/101 were female); 44.6% of the participants were doctors, and 50% of our participants had less than 5 years of professional experience. The level of knowledge on urticaria was insufficient for 40.6% of the staff enrolled. Attitudes towards urticaria were incorrect for 36.6% of staff, and 95% of our sample had harmful practices. Conclusion Our study reveals that skills of the health care provider regarding urticaria are generally poor and do not enable them to ensure an adequate management of the disease.

Background Contemporary personal health record (PHR) technologies offer a useful platform for individuals to maintain a lifelong record of personally reported and clinically sourced data from various points of medical care. Objective This paper presents an integrative review and synthesis of the extant literature on PHRs. This review draws upon multiple lenses of analysis and deliberates value perspectives of PHRs at the product, consumer, and industry levels. Methods Academic databases were searched using multiple keywords related to PHRs for the years 2001-2020. Three research questions were formulated and used as selection criteria in our review of the extant literature relevant to our study. Results We offer a high-level functional utility model of PHR features and functions. We also conceptualize a consumer value framework of PHRs, highlighting the applications of these technologies across various health care delivery activities. Finally, we provide a summary of the benefits of PHRs for various health care constituents, including consumers, providers, payors, and public health agencies. Conclusions PHR products offer a myriad of content-, connectivity-, and collaboration-based features and functions for their users. Although consumers benefit from the tools provided by PHR technologies, their overall value extends across the constituents of the health care delivery chain. Despite advances in technology, our literature review identifies a shortfall in the research addressing consumer value enabled by PHR tools. In addition to scholars and researchers, our literature review and proposed framework may be especially helpful for value analysis committees in the health care sector that are commissioned for the appraisal of innovative health information technologies such as PHRs.