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Maintaining mental health is essential for professions with higher stress levels and challenging environments, including emergency specializations. In this study, the occurrence of distress, anxiety, and depression among a group of ambulance and hospital emergency care professionals was assessed (n = 202). A cross-sectional, quantitative, descriptive online survey was conducted, including the internationally validated Beck depression inventory (BDI), the perceived stress scale (PSS-14), and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). Statistical analyses involved descriptive statistics, the χ2-test, Mann-Whitney U test, Kruskal-Wallis test, Dunn-Bonferroni test, logistic regression (LR), Cramer coefficient (Cramer's V), Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, and Spearman's rank correlation coefficient (rs). Based on the results, female professionals are more likely to have depressive symptoms (OR = 2.6, 95% CI = 1.3-5.1), perceived stress (OR = 1.2, 95% CI = 1.2-4.1), and anxiety (OR = 2.1, 95% CI = 1.0-4.1) than male professionals. Perceived stress levels decreased proportionally with increasing years spent working in healthcare (OR = 7.4, 95% CI = 7.1-8.3). Extended work shifts of 12 or 24 h increase the risk of perceived stress and anxiety in emergency care workers (p = 0.02). Customized stress management interventions are needed to mitigate the amplified mental strain associated with gender, working years, and longer shifts in the emergency care sector to sustain their mental health and well-being.
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INTRODUCTION: Regular physical activity is recommended to patients with chronic coronary syndrome (CCS). However, vigorous physical exercise occurs as a risk factor of sudden cardiac death (SCD). The effect of short-term and irregular exercise is controversial. The aim of this research is to assess the role of regular training in the incidence of SCD and to identify risk factors among patients with CCS participating in a long-term training program. METHODS: Data of risk factors, therapy, and participation were collected retrospectively for a 10-year period, assessing the length and regularity of participation. The incidence of SCD and related mortality was registered. ANOVA, χ2 test, and multinominal logistic regression and stepwise analysis were performed. RESULTS: The Incidence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) was higher (p < 0.01) and taking beta-blockers (BBs) was lower (p = 0.04) in the SCD group. Irregular training, lack of BBs, smoking, and CKD increased the risk of SCD, while female sex, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, angiotensin II receptor blockers (ACEI/ARBs), and BBs decreased the risk of SCD. CONCLUSIONS: Taking ACEI/ARBs and BBs proved to be a protective factor, emphasizing the use of optimal medical therapy. Assessment of cardiac risk factors and control of comorbidities also proved to be important. The occurrence of SCD was connected to irregular physical activity, probably relating to the adverse effects of ad hoc exercising.
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Recently, online education has been gaining prominence in university life. Our survey aimed to examine sleep quality and perceived stress levels among students at the University of Pécs Faculty of Health Sciences. A cross-sectional, quantitative, descriptive survey was conducted between February and March 2023. The online survey included the Hungarian versions of the internationally validated Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS) and Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). Statistical analysis involved descriptive statistics, independent t-tests, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests (p < 0.05). We analyzed 304 responses, and females dominated (n = 270; 88.8%). Students in a relationship had significantly higher AIS scores (t = -2.470; p = 0.014). Medium average (2.50-3.49) students and those who rarely/never exercise showed significantly higher AIS and PSS (p ≤ 0.05). Students on the phone/watching a series during online education, daily laptop/TV use for more than 2 h, and pre-sleep use of smart devices for more than 60 min also negatively affected AIS and PSS scores (p ≤ 0.05). Nursing, physiotherapy, and radiography students were the most affected regarding insomnia and perceived stress (p ≤ 0.05). Our survey shows that excessive smart device use and lack of exercise are associated with higher stress levels and poorer sleep quality.
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AIM: Teaching Basic Life Support (BLS) in schools is a key initiative to improve the survival rates after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. Low-cost training materials can reach a wider population. Our aim was to compare the effectiveness of using teaching cards with the traditional instructor-led and combined methods on BLS skills and attitude and to evaluate the long-term effects after two months. METHODS: A quasi-experimental combination design study. Two hundred sixty-three schoolchildren aged 6 to 10 years were assigned to three groups with different methods to teach BLS: teaching card group (n = 100), traditional instructor-led teaching group (n = 91), combined teaching group (n = 72). BLS skills and attitude were measured and compared before the training (T0), after the training (T1), and two months later (T2). RESULTS: BLS skills improved in every group at T1 compared to T0 (p < 0.001) and remained higher at T2 than at T0 in almost all cases (p < 0.001). Skill performance was similar in most of the skills between the three groups at T1. The best skill scores acquired were calling the ambulance and the correct hand position by chest compression. Positioning the head during check the breathing was more effective in the traditional group (48.4%) and combined group (61.1%) than in the teaching card group (19.0%) (p < 0.001) at T1. However, some skills improved significantly in the teaching card group at T2: check breathing for 10 s (p = 0.016); positioning the head by check breathing (p < 0.001); and positioning the head by ventilation (p = 0.011). Attitude did not change significantly in any of the groups (p > 0.05). Furthermore, the level of attitude was inferior in the teaching card group compared with the traditional (p = 0.005), and the combined groups (p = 0.049). CONCLUSION: Using low-cost materials for teaching BLS for young schoolchildren can improve their skills, however, could not improve attitudes. Teaching cards were not inferior compared to traditional and combined methods in some skills but inferior in others. Therefore, hands-on training opportunity is still important. Teaching cards are useful for long-term learning. To learn correctly the whole sequence of BLS is difficult for 6 to 10 years-old children, however, they are able to learn more BLS-related skills separately.