The impacts of cancer treatment on lifestyle habits and mental health in Vietnamese women: an exploratory qualitative study.

AIMS: This qualitative study explores the experiences of women after cancer treatment in terms of habit changes and mental health impact. METHOD: The study involved 10 women who had undergone cancer treatment, recruited from three major hospitals in Hanoi, Vietnam. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, which were transcribed and analyzed using thematic analysis. RESULTS: The findings of the study shed light on the various factors influencing lifestyle behavior and mental health changes among women after cancer treatment. Ten participants, aged 39 to 64 years, shared experiences including dietary changes, sleep disruptions, and reliance on non-scientific sources for health decisions. Initially shocked by their diagnosis, many transitioned to acceptance, adopting a "giving-in" attitude. Cultural beliefs, word-of-mouth sharing, and social support networks played significant roles in shaping post-treatment lifestyle changes, coping mechanisms, information-seeking behaviors, and mental health. CONCLUSION: The study highlights the need for accessible and scientifically verified information for women after cancer treatment to make informed decisions about their health. It emphasizes the importance of addressing traditional beliefs and promoting evidence-based practices. Moreover, the study underscores the importance of social support and relationships in coping with the challenges of post-cancer experiences.

The detection of zoonotic microorganisms in Rhipicephalus sanguineus (brown dog ticks) from Vietnam and the frequency of tick infestations in owned dogs.

Dog owners are greatly concerned about tick infestations in their pets. The prevalence and dispersion of ticks and their disease-causing microorganisms have been limited from the viewpoint of dog owners in Vietnam. This study investigated the presence of tick infestation and the pathogens associated with it in canines that were brought to veterinary hospitals in Vietnam. In the survey, 1,423 dogs participated from February to October 2022. Molecular and morphological methods were utilized to identify ticks and the associated pathogens. In addition,risk variables linked to tick infestation were documented and analyzed using statistical methods. The total exposure to the brown dog tick (Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato) was 29.01%. Nam Dinh has the highest tick prevalence among the research areas. Tick infestation reached its highest point between June and September in the northern region of the country, with distinct seasons showing a strong correlation with tick infestation in dogs. Out of 177 tick pools examined, 146(82.49%) tested positive for at least one infection. Mycoplasma spp. (78.53%) was the most common, followed by Anaplasma spp. (37.29%), Rickettsia felis (5.08%), Babesia vogeli, and Hepatozoon canis (2.82%). In the current study, there was a statistically significant link between tick infestation and characteristics such as age, breed, body size, lifestyle, and bathing frequency. Understanding the seasonal behavior of vector ticks is crucial for identifying individuals or animals susceptible to tick-borne diseases. Studying the distribution of ticks and their ability to carry and disseminate zoonotic germs in specific places could assist veterinarians and policymakers in implementing effective strategies to manage zoonotic infections.

A comprehensive picture of using standardized nursing languages in long-term care systems: An integrative review.

PURPOSE: This integrative review was conducted to provide a comprehensive picture of the use of standardized nursing languages (SNLs) in long-term care (LTC) systems. METHODS: A comprehensive search was performed with terminological variants of "standardized terminology" and "long-term care" in eight electronic databases up to December 2021. Eligible studies were further identified by screening the reference lists of publications that met the inclusion criteria. The quality of the included studies was appraised using the Joanna Briggs Institute checklists. The study findings were organized into themes, which represent the focus of the study. FINDINGS: Eighty-one publications that studied 12 SNLs in 17 countries are presented in this review. The Omaha System, NANDA-I, NIC, and NOC were the most common SNLs. Study foci were classified into five themes: evaluating the applicability of 10 SNLs (n = 22), characterizing nursing care using six SNLs (n = 16), developing core sets and tools based on seven SNLs (n = 15), documenting nursing care by using four SNLs (n = 14), and implementing intervention programs based on six SNLs (n = 14). CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING: SNLs can be used for various purposes, and the available evidence supports the expansion of their utilization. Further studies should continue to identify gaps in the existing versions of SNLs to reflect the LTC nursing process in multiple societies. Additionally, the successful use of SNLs requires background knowledge of nursing informatics; therefore, preparation should be started in the nursing curriculum and continued in healthcare facilities, including LTC settings. These research findings will assist healthcare managers, researchers, and policymakers in the LTC field in effectively utilizing SNLs.

Digital home-based post-treatment exercise interventions for female cancer survivors: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Although exercise benefits female cancer survivors, clinical decision-making regarding timing, frequency, duration, and intensity is lacking. Optimizing exercise interventions in this population is necessary. This study aimed to describe existing digital home-based exercises and to assess their effectiveness at improving physical health in female cancer survivors upon completion of therapy. DESIGN: We conducted a systematic review using articles from Web of Science, Embase and Medline (Ovid). We included intervention studies examining the effects of digital home-based exercise programs on post-treatment recovery in female cancer survivors. Rob2 and ROBIN I were used to assess quality of studies. Quality-of-life, fatigue score, and physical performance were assessed using meta-analysis. RESULTS: This study involved 1578 female cancer survivors in 21 interventions. Following guidelines and supervised exercise with coaches led to better outcomes than interventions without guidelines, programs without coaches, or lower intensity exercise. Exercise led to significant improvement in some physical performance outcomes. Significant improvements were seen in physical performance outcomes, including the 6-min walk test, metabolic equivalent task, and number of steps per day. CONCLUSION: Providing cancer survivors with standard guidelines for home-based, coach-supervised, vigorous exercise on digital platforms could improve their physical function, health, and quality-of-life.

Developing an Online Health Community Platform for Facilitating Empowerment in Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion.

This study aimed to develop an online health community platform for facilitating the empowerment of people with chronic diseases dwelling in the community regarding disease prevention and health promotion. The user-centered design approach included four main steps: (1) identifying the health problems and needs of target users, (2) developing the content of the platform, (3) constructing the platform, and (4) pilot testing, refinement, and finalization. An online health community platform available both in a mobile application and a Web-enabled application has been launched to facilitate empowerment and self-management by people with chronic conditions. The main components of the application comprised (1) screening for chronic diseases and health problems, (2) setting personal goals for health promotion and action planning to achieve the goals themselves, (3) offering an online health community with shared group goals that help users engage with their peers to attain their goals, and (4) creating one's own online health community and inviting others to participate. The platform has the potential to encourage people with chronic conditions to proactively engage in their own health promotion. Future studies are needed to determine the impact of the application on self-management and empowerment for its users.

Factors Influencing Training Transfer Among Infection Control Professionals Participating in Infectious Disease Training.

INTRODUCTION: Infectious disease training is considered vital in health care systems to improve knowledge, skills, and work performance of infection control professionals. However, the extent to which trainees effectively transfer knowledge, skills, and attitudes that they acquire through training has received little attention. This study aimed to identify factors influencing training transfer of infection control professionals receiving infectious disease training. METHODS: This cross-sectional study selected infection control professionals who completed an infectious disease training program provided by Korea Human Resources Development Institute for Health and Welfare. A self-reported questionnaire was used to collect data on sociodemographic variables, trainee characteristics, training design, work environment, and training transfer. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS (version 26.0). RESULTS: The mean age of the 139 participants was 41.45 years, and 77% were female participants. Regression analysis indicated that the following factors significantly influenced the training transfer of infection control professionals and thereby decrease morbidity and mortality: for trainee characteristics, transfer experience (ß = 0.205, P = 0.012) and motivation to learn (ß = 0.196, P =0.016); for training design, learning objectives (ß = 0.269, P = 0.021), goals (ß = 0.356, P =0.023), and methods (ß = 0.365, P = 0.020); and for the work environment, supervisor support (ß = 0.275, P =0.024) and colleague support (ß = 0.474, P = 0.022). CONCLUSION: Future training programs for improving training transfer should focus more on strategies to improve the motivation for training transfer. Trainees should be guided on (1) how to apply training knowledge in specific clinical contexts to improve their performance and (2) potential methods to get support from their supervisors and colleagues during training.

eHealth interventions for the informal caregivers of people with dementia: A systematic review of systematic reviews.

OBJECTIVES: To systematically synthesize existing evidence on the implementation and effectiveness of eHealth interventions for the informal caregivers of people with dementia. METHODS: A systematic review of systematic reviews was conducted following the Cochrane methodological recommendations. Data were searched from MEDLINE/Ovid, Embase, CINAHL, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and PsycInfo. Methodological quality was appraised independently using the AMSTAR 2. RESULTS: Nineteen reviews were included. The methodological quality of reviews varied from high to critically low. The eHealth interventions provided multiple components covering informative, psychoeducation, communication, psychotherapeutic, and psychosocial support. Interventions were delivered via the Internet, telephones, and combined technologies. The evidence varied, but was generally positive regarding depression, anxiety, caregiver burden, stress, self-efficacy, knowledge, and skill improvements. No evidence was found on the coping competence of caregivers. CONCLUSIONS: eHealth interventions are widely applied and benefit informal caregivers, but still lacking high methodological quality. More rigorous research is necessary to produce robust evidence for this changing field.

Exploring the Health and Social Needs of Community Residents Using an Online Community Care Platform: Linkage to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to analyze the outcomes of the Comprehensive Health and Social Need Assessment (CHSNA) system, which identifies community residents' health and social needs, and to link these needs with the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF). METHODS: Adult community residents in a metropolitan city in Korea were recruited. They were asked to assess their health and social needs via the CHSNA system, which was integrated into an online community-care platform. Three assessment steps (basic health assessment, needs for activities of daily living, and in-depth health assessment) associated with five ICF components were used to evaluate physical health impairment, difficulties in activities and participation, and environmental problems. The final list of health and social needs was systematically linked to the domains and categories of the ICF. Only data from participants who completed all three assessment steps were included. RESULTS: Wide ranges of impairments and difficulties regarding the daily living activities, physical health, and environmental status of the community were recorded from 190 people who completed assessments of their health and social needs by the CHSNA system. These participants reported various health and social needs for their community life; common needs corresponded to the ICF components of body functions and activities/participation. CONCLUSIONS: The ICF may be suitable for determining the health-related problems and needs of the general population. Possible improvements to the present system include providing support for completing all assessment steps and developing an ICF core set for an enhanced understanding of health and social needs.

Diagnostic value of recombinant nanoluciferase fused Toxoplasma gondii antigens in Luciferase-linked Antibody Capture Assay (LACA) for Toxoplasma infection in pigs.

Toxoplasmosis is a widespread protozoan zoonosis. Since ingesting undercooked meat harboring Toxoplasma gondii cyst is considered one of the major transmission routes to humans, the screening of T. gondii in meat-producing animals can reduce the risk of food-borne toxoplasmosis in humans. Among serological diagnostic methods, Luciferase-linked Antibody Capture Assay (LACA) has been found to be a promising platform with high sensitivity and specificity. In this study, we aimed to evaluate recombinant nanoluciferase fused-T. gondii antigens (rNluc-GRA6, rNluc-GRA7, rNluc-GRA8 and rNluc-BAG1) for their potential use in LACA for pigs. As a result, the sensitivity of GRA6-, GRA7-, GRA8- and BAG1-LACA were 70.0%, 80.0%, 80.0% and 30.0% with specificity 87.0%, 81.5%, 74.1% and 50.0%, respectively. The cocktail LACA using a mixture of rNluc-GRA6, rNluc-GRA7 and rNluc-GRA8 indicated higher sensitivity (90.0%) and a similar specificity (96.3%) in comparison with the commercial ELISA kit. Compared to the Dye-Test as a reference test, cocktail LACA showed strong agreement (kappa value=0.811) when we assessed pig sera collected at the slaughterhouse. In addition, we also successfully established the rapid LACA format for the detection of Toxoplasma infection in pigs (called Rapid-LACA) in which the test could be performed within 30 min. In Rapid-LACA, the protein A pre-coated/blocked plates could be preserved at -30°C, 4°C or room temperature conditions for at least two months without compromising on the quality of assay.

Prevalence of and risk factors associated with depression among nursing students acting on the frontline of COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional study.

Introduction: The widespread devastation caused by the ongoing waves of COVID-19 imposed a significant burden on the healthcare labor force. At the frontline in the battle against the deadly COVID-19 virus, nursing students in Vietnam were at a much-increased risk of developing mental health conditions. This study aims to identify the prevalence of depression and its related factors, along with coping strategies used by nursing students in the COVID-19 pandemic in Vietnam. Materials and methods: The study was cross-sectional in nature, with convenient sampling at the epicenters of COVID-19 outbreaks in Vietnam (N = 191) from April to November 2021. After conducting a questionnaire pilot, the data was collected strictly using an internet-based approach. The Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21 items were used to identify the risk of depression among nursing students. The Chi-square test was used to assess the differences between coping strategies among nursing students. A multivariate logistic regression model was used to identify risk factors associated with depression. Findings: The percentage of nursing students affected by depression was 21.5%, and almost half of the nursing students (49.2%) had no coping strategies for dealing with mental health concerns. Among the remaining nursing students, video-based mental consultation was the most popular method (25.7%). Being females (AOR: 2.7, 95% CI: 1.1-6.7), collecting bio-samples (AOR: 2.9, 95% CI: 1.4-6.2), providing support to vaccination spots (AOR: 2.3, 95% CI: 1.1-5.1), and not vaccinating against COVID-19 (AOR: 3.1, 95% CI: 1.1-9.1) were found as risk factors for depression among nursing students. Conclusion: Our research revealed a significant number of nursing students suffering from depressive symptoms and underscoring the need for more effective methods of dealing with this condition. Depression management and coping skills focusing on female populations and those whose direct contacts with infectious sources should be implemented in the nursing curricula and continuous training credits. Those trainings, would support future nurses in handling crisis situations better.

ICT-based person-centered community care platform (IPC3P) to enhance shared decision-making for integrated health and social care services.

BACKGROUND: Community care is a care model with the aim of shifting care services from being hospital based toward community-based care. Advances in platforms based on information and communications technology (ICT) with a person-centered approach provide the potential to improve the delivery of health and social care services toward community-based settings. OBJECTIVES: The aims of this study were to describe the ICT-Based Person-Centered Community Care Platform (IPC3P) and to determine its impact on health- and social-care-related shared decision-making and quality of life among community residents. METHODS: An online platform was developed with the aim of enhancing community care. The platform had four components: (1) comprehensive health and social needs assessment system, (2) personalized community care planning, (3) needs-based health and social care services delivery, and (4) health community engagement. Community residents were invited to use and evaluate the impact of the IPC3P on their quality of life and shared decision-making regarding health and social care services. They provided feedback about the platform by completing two surveys: at baseline (before using the platform) and 6 months after using the platform. RESULTS: Data of 164 community residents were analyzed in this study. Between baseline and after using the platform, the quality of life reported by the participants increased significantly in all domains, with clear improvements also noted for shared decision-making about health and social care services. The IPC3P received positive feedback from the participants for its usability, familiarity, and ease of use. Some participants also reported their desire for the addition of more functions that support health communities. CONCLUSION: The IPC3P has the potential to enhance the involvement of community residents in their own care. The findings of this study can be used to support the wider implementation of the IPC3P to promote person-centered community care.

Genetic characterization and risk factors for feline hemoplasma infection in semi-domesticated cats in Bangkok, Thailand.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Stray cats are a reservoir for various zoonotic diseases relevant to public health in Thailand. The vector-borne infection, hemoplasmosis, also known as infectious anemia, is one such disease carried by domestic and wild felids. This study focuses on molecular characterization and phylogenetic analysis of hemoplasma in semi-domesticated cats in Bangkok, Thailand. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In total, 473 blood samples were collected from 53 temple communities in 34 metropolitan districts and assayed using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to amplify partial 16S rRNA genes for hemoplasma detection. Risk factors for hemoplasma infection (gender, age, free-roaming, and ectoparasite exposure) were analyzed using Chi-square tests, logistic regression, and odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) using R software (version 3.6.1). A phylogenetic tree was established from genetic characterization of hemoplasmas. RESULTS: In total, 180 samples (38.05%) were positive for hemoplasma. Of half of the positive sequenced samples, 83.33% were infected with Candidatus Mycoplasma haemominutum (CMhm), 13.33% with Mycoplasma haemofelis (Mhf), and 3.33% with Candidatus Mycoplasma turicensis (CMt). Cats over 5 years old were more likely to be infected than younger cats (p<0.005, OR=3.8, 95% CI=1.64-4.78). Cats were diagnosed as positive based on PCR assays in 97% (33/34) of districts surveyed. The phylogenetic tree showed two majority clusters with three clades of feline hemotropic mycoplasma. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, the survey shows the prevalence (38.05%) and distribution of feline hemoplasma in semi-domesticated cats. This information will contribute to effective prevention and control strategies to minimize infections by feline vector-borne pathogens in Thailand.