Oral health knowledge, attitudes, and practices and oral health-related quality of life among stroke inpatients: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Stroke patients have poor oral hygiene, experience oral dysfunction due to disease factors, and have impaired oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL). This study aimed to determine the oral health knowledge, attitudes, and practices of stroke inpatients, assess the OHRQoL of these patients, and identify their correlates. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, 281 stroke inpatients aged between 22 and 88 years (57.94 ± 10.94) were conveniently selected from three hospitals in Guangzhou, China. OHRQoL was measured among these stroke patients using a Chinese version of the Oral Health Impact Profile-14 (OHIP-14). SPSS 26.0 was used for statistical analysis. Mean scores, standard deviations, and frequency distributions were obtained. The Mann-Whitney U test, Kruskal‒Wallis H test, Spearman's correlation, and multiple linear regression were used in the analysis. RESULTS: The mean score of the patients' OHRQoL was 8.37 ± 6.67, with the highest score in the pain or discomfort of the mouth dimension (3.11 ± 2.13) and pain being the most common negative effect (13.5%). In multiple linear regression analysis, significant differences were found between patients only in age (P = 0.008), toothache (P < 0.001), self-rated oral health (P < 0.001), time since last dentist visit (P = 0.037) and reason for not having visited a dentist in the past year (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The OHRQoL of patients hospitalised with stroke was moderate, and oral conditions still need to be improved. Increasing age, toothache, a longer time since the last dental visit and the reason for not visiting a dentist in the past year had a negative effect on OHRQoL, and better self-rated oral health had a positive effect. Therefore, in clinical work, greater attention should be given to elderly stroke patients, patients with poor oral status and poor oral health behaviours, timely assessment of patients' swallowing function, nutritional function, and self-care ability, and early and targeted oral health interventions and guidance.

The Stroke Stigma Scale: a reliable and valid stigma measure in patients with stroke.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study is to analyse the psychometric properties of the Stroke Stigma Scale, a novel scale to assess perceived stigma of patients with stroke. DESIGN: This is a psychometric study. SETTING: Neurology or rehabilitation units in three hospitals in China. SUBJECTS: A total of 288 patients with stroke. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASURES: The content validity of the Stroke Stigma Scale was assessed through expert consultation. Criterion validity was evaluated based on the scale's relationships with the Stigma Scale for Chronic Illness and the Self-rating Depression Scale. Construct validity was assessed using exploratory factor analysis, and internal consistency was tested with Cronbach's α. RESULTS: The final version Stroke Stigma Scale consists of 16 items. It showed strong positive correlations with both the Stigma Scale for Chronic Illness (ρ = 0.89, P < 0.001) and the Self-rating Depression Scale (ρ = 0.82, P < 0.001). The exploratory factor analysis revealed four components of the Stroke Stigma Scale: internalized stigma, physical impairment, discrimination experience, and social isolation, which were strongly associated with our perceived stroke stigma model. Cronbach's α for the total scale was 0.92, and that of each subscale was 0.77-0.86. The test-retest reliability with intra-class correlation coefficients of the total scale was 0.92 (P < 0.001), and intra-class correlation coefficients of each subscale were 0.74-0.89 (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The Stroke Stigma Scale is a reliable and valid measure of perceived stigma in patients with stroke, which may be useful in stigma prevention and stroke rehabilitation.

Refining and psychometric evaluation of the falling risk assessment tool in ophthalmology inpatients.

AIMS: The aim of this study was to refine the Falling Risk Assessment Tool in Ophthalmology Inpatients (FRAT) and assess its psychometric properties. DESIGN: A cross-sectional design was used. METHODS: A convenience sample of 730 patients in the ophthalmology department was recruited in a level A tertiary hospital in Guangdong Province from July 2021 to January 2022. Data were analysed using item analysis, interrater reliability, content validation, internal consistency reliability and exploratory factor analysis. RESULTS: Five factors were extracted, accounting for 63.039% of the variance. The interrater reliability of the tool was 0.97. Cronbach's α was 0.658. The I-CVI was 0.75-1.00, the S-CVI/UA was 0.95 and the adjusted mean values of Kappa for indicators ranged from 0.72 to 1.00, as evaluated by the expert group. The FRAT showed satisfactory reliability and validity, and can be used to measure the fall risk assessment in ophthalmology inpatients. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: After explaining the purpose, the patients received our fall risk assessment and answered the corresponding questionnaire questions.

[Prediction of absorption of 10-hydroxycamptothecin in small intestines of rats with its partition coefficients in phases of liposomes and water].

This paper explore the possibility of using the partition of 10-hydroxycamptothecin in the phases of liposome and water to predict the absorption of the drug in small intestine of rats. In order to certify this theory, the in vivo absorption model have been used to study the absorption of 10-hydroxycamptothecin in the small intestine of rats while altering the pH of the medium. The correlation has been explored between the partition of drug in the phases of liposome and water and the absorption of drug in the small intestines of rats. And it was found that the partition of 10-hydroxycamptothecin in the phases of liposome and water and the absorption of the drug in small intestines of rats altered with the changes of pH, and there existed a good relative coefficient between them. All of these indicated that partition of 10-hydroxycamptothecin in phases of liposome and water can be used to predict its absorption in small intestines of rats.

Stigma experienced by Chinese patients with stroke during inpatient rehabilitation and its correlated factors: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Stroke-related stigma can have a negative effect on patients, and is associated with stereotyping, prejudice, and discrimination; however, the exact stigma experienced by patients remains ambiguous. Objectives: To evaluate the stigma experienced by patients with stroke, determine associated factors, and explore relationships between stigma and early rehabilitation. Methods: Overall, we examined 288 patients with stroke. Patient characteristics were determined through medical records and investigations, while stigma status (comprising total stigma, internalized stigma, and enacted stigma), depression level, functional independence, and functional outcome were also assessed. Demographic and clinical characteristics were evaluated through univariate analysis, and significant variables were further analyzed through linear regression. The relationships between stigma and early rehabilitation (depression, functional independence, and functional outcomes) were also analyzed. Results: The sample's total stigma, internalized stigma, and enacted stigma scores were 47.76 ± 18.00, 30.07 ± 12.25, and 17.69 ± 6.37, respectively. Employment status before stroke, caregivers, physical impairment, and number of impairments were all relevant to all types of stigma (P< .05). The regression analysis showed that caregivers and physical impairment are the two main predictors of total, internalized, and enacted stigma (P< .01). The correlation analysis revealed that stigma is associated with depression (r = 0.671 ~ 0.690, P< .001), functional independence (r = -0.562~-0.707, P< .001), and functional outcomes (r = 0.436 ~ 0.637, P< .001). Conclusions: Stigma was moderate, and internalized stigma may be more apparent; therefore, physicians should pay more attention to patients who report or show signs of experiencing stroke-related stigma.