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A survey questionnaire was administered to 146 MEd students enrolled in a teacher-training institute in Singapore to determine the strategies they use to promote engaged reading in the classroom. The majority of the teacher respondents when asked how they motivate students to read, wrote down "Not Applicable," and 38% were unable to write down strategies to promote engaged reading. However, the results further indicate that even the non-devoted readers amongst them were able to identify sound literacy instructional strategies. This paper argues that the desirability of lifelong reading and the need for teachers to be accountable for its promotion should be culturally positioned within locally shaped realities and perceived from within the unique configuration of the results-driven context of the Singaporean educational landscape.

Emerging adulthood is a new stage of development that follows identity explorations during adolescence and precedes adulthood. During this phase, varied perceptions of body image may affect the mental health status of these individuals. This research examined the association between body appreciation (BA) as a measure of body image and mental health outcomes - particularly, depression, anxiety, and stress. A cross-sectional survey was used to ascertain data from 3,127 18-29-yr-old Filipinos (67% female; mean age = 21) residing in the Philippines using an online self-administered questionnaire. BA Scale-2 (BAS-2) measured BA, whereas DASS-21 assessed levels of depression, anxiety, and stress. Associations between BA, and mental health outcomes were estimated using Poisson regression models with a log-link function and a robust variance estimator. A higher BAS-2 score (2nd-4th Quartiles) is associated with a reduced risk of severe/extreme levels of depression, anxiety, and stress than a low BAS-2 score (1st Quartile). Moreover, the association between BA and stress may be stronger among female participants (p-value interaction = 0.01) and late emerging adults (p-value interaction = 0.47). However, effect modification by age and sex was insignificant for the association between BA and anxiety and depression (p-values for interaction > 0.15). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The Dengvaxia® (dengue vaccine) controversy has been identified as one of the main reasons for the measles vaccine hesitancy in the Philippines. Our study aimed to identify various issues related to the Dengvaxia® controversy and to link these issues with the social perspective of measles vaccine refusal. Methods Semi-structured interviews and a focus group discussion using ethnography research were conducted with 41 parents and healthcare workers in Pasay City. Using Victor Turner's Social Drama Theory, our study identified existing social issues relating to the different angles of the Dengvaxia® controversy and the measles vaccine hesitancy. Results Misinformation on the failed Dengvaxia® rollout implementation has challenged the fundamental understanding of the importance of immunization programs. Our findings on vaccine hesitancy in the community showed a complex problem with compounded factors, including medical populism, moral panics and other social views. We described how Pasay City's clinic waiting room became a significantly important scenario where individuals often discuss information, concerns and experiences on vaccines and vaccine hesitancy. Conclusion Our study suggests that the Dengvaxia® controversy may reduce the measles vaccination confidence in the Philippines. Lack of transparency played a crucial role in this dilemma, producing a cascading effect on the other vaccines' safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Objective] The systematic review aims to examine the association between COVID-19 and cognitive dysfunction, including the link between the severity of COVID-19 and the occurrence of cognitive impairment and the potential pathophysiological mechanisms related to brain fog among COVID-19 patients. [Methods] PubMed, Oxford University Press, ProQuest Health and Medical Complete, ScienceDirect, Ovid, HERDIN, Google Scholar, and Cochrane Library databases were accessed to retrieve literature using the PRISMA guidelines. [Results] After critical appraisal, 13 full journal articles were included in the study. The studies showed the most frequent cognitive impairment are attention, memory, and executive function in COVID-19 patients. Compared with healthy controls in three out of four studies, cognitive impairment was only evident in COVID-19 patients. Furthermore, two studies showed no correlation between brain fog and depression, and five studies showed a link between the severity of COVID-19 infection and cognitive impairment. Cases ranging from mild to severe illness presented manifestations of brain fog. However, a disparity in the evidence of the pathophysiology of COVID-19 and cognitive dysfunction exists, prompting the need to investigate further. Additionally, recent studies provide insufficient evidence for direct central nervous system invasion, and there are emerging studies that contrast the presumed pathogenesis of neurological complications from neuroinflammation. [Conclusion] There is an association between COVID-19 and cognitive dysfunction. Manifestation of cognitive dysfunction is present regardless of illness severity. Moreover, there are existing pathophysiological mechanisms of the Coronavirus that lead to cognitive dysfunction in COVID-19 patients; however, additional studies are required to substantiate such mechanisms further. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examined the relationships between blood heavy metals [cadmium (B-Cd), mercury (B-Hg), and lead (B-Pb)] and heart rate-corrected QT interval (QTc), JT interval (JTc), and QRS complex duration (QRSc), electrocardiogram markers of ventricular repolarization and depolarization among 60 traffic enforcers in the MMDA traffic enforcers' health study. We fitted regression models to estimate the mean change effect on QTc, JTc, and QRSc, of B-Cd, B-Hg, and B-Pb concentrations, adjusted for potential confounding factors. We looked at effect modification by sex and smoking status. An interquartile range increase in B-Cd (0.9 μg/L) was related to a 6.6% increase in mean QRSc [95% confidence interval (CI): 2.5, 10.8], and a 1.7% increase in mean QTc (95% CI: 0.2, 3.3). We also found that the associations between B-Cd and QRSc and QTc were higher among participants who were never smokers than ever smokers. Moreover, the association between B-Cd and QRSc was also higher among males than females. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nursing students trained to be health advocates have engaged in cigarette and electronic cigarette (EC) use. Our study aimed to determine the prevalence of cigarette and EC use among nursing students and examine how EC vaping and cigarette smoking are associated with various risk factors. This cross-sectional survey of smoking and vaping was administered to 249 nursing students in a private university in Manila, Philippines. An online-based selfassessment questionnaire (SAQ) that includes socio-demographic information, cigarette and EC usage, Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), and other risk factors was administered using on-campus and online recruitment strategies. Generalized linear models were fitted to estimate the effect of stress and other risk factors on smoking and vaping. Approximately one out of eight were exclusive vapers, one out of 25 were exclusive smokers, and one out of five were both smokers and vapers. The prevalence of smoking/vaping was 47% higher [adjusted prevalence ratio (aPR): 1.47, 95% confidence interval (95% CI): 1.04-2.07, p-value = 0.028] among students with high-stress levels than students with low to moderate stress levels. In addition, students who were sophomores (aPR: 1.69, 95% CI: 1.12-2.53, p-value = 0.012), juniors (aPR: 3.22, 95% CI: 1.91-5.42, p-value < 0.001), and seniors (aPR: 1.53, 95% CI: 0.76-3.08, p-value = 0.230) had a higher prevalence of smoking/vaping compared to freshmen students. Having a positive attitude towards vaping health impacts and a smoker/vaper peer was also associated with a higher prevalence of smoking/vaping. Therefore, effective health communication strategies and policies in universities and the community are recommended to reinforce existing smoking and vaping control efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]