ABSTRACT
@#<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Introduction:</strong> The bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccine is used for the prevention of tuberculosis (TB) worldwide. Evidence reports a much lower incidence of COVID-19 in TB-endemic areas implying a possible protective mechanism of BCG in countries with mandated BCG policies. The objective of the study is to synthesize and critically evaluate the effectiveness of national BCG vaccination policies in reducing infection and severity of COVID-19 in their native population.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Methods:</strong> Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, a comprehensive search using pre-identified keywords will be done in PubMed, Cochrane, HERDIN Plus, WPRIM, Web of Science and EBSCO databases. After the initial selection of studies based on eligibility criteria, methodological appraisal will be conducted using the Joanna Briggs Institute appraisal instruments and an adapted quality assessment checklist for ecologic studies. Relevant data will be extracted and synthesized including reporting descriptive and inferential statistics to interpret results.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Results:</strong> The study will generate a systematic review synthesizing evidence regarding the effects of BCG in curtailing the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Discussion:</strong> The battle against the COVID-19 pandemic is far from over, and as such, further studies must be undertaken to verify the evidence behind initial strategies in battling it. This includes the use of BCG in decreasing COVID-19 incidence and mortality. The results of the review can ultimately guide health authorities and policy makers create evidence-based decisions regarding BCG vaccination policies and clinical trials related to COVID-19 control and prevention.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Systematic Review Registration:</strong> PROSPERO, CRD42021244060</p>
Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Mycobacterium bovisABSTRACT
Objective@#Games promoting nutrition education are helpful tools to improve nutrition knowledge. Healthy Foodie is an interactive web-based nutrition game for Filipino children. This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of Healthy Foodie on the nutrition knowledge of children aged 7 to 10 years old.@*Methodology@#This study had 2 phases. In Phase 1, we developed and validated the Healthy Foodie nutrition game application and Nutrition Knowledge Questionnaire involving 46 participants. The Nutrition Knowledge Questionnaire was divided into 2 15-item questionnaires: Part 1 pertained to Food Group Knowledge and Part 2 on Food Frequency Knowledge. Phase 2 was the implementation of the game and questionnaire. This was a randomized controlled trial conducted in two elementary schools in Manila, involving 360 participants divided equally into control and experimental groups. @*Results@#For Phase 1, internal consistency of the questionnaire using the Kuder-Richardson Formula 20 was 0.75 for part 1 and 0.70 for Part 2. In Phase 2, comparing the adjusted posttest mean Food Group Knowledge scores, there was statistically higher score (F=111.84, p=0.0001) in the experimental group (11.57±0.20) compared to the control (8.51±0.20). In the adjusted posttest mean Food Frequency Knowledge scores, there was a statistically higher score (F=56.12, p=0.0001) in the experimental group (10.70±0.15) compared to the control (9.07±0.15).@*Conclusion@#A nutrition game-based intervention such as Healthy Foodie is effective as a reinforcement intervention to previous standard nutrition education of school-aged children
Subject(s)
Health Education , Video GamesABSTRACT
Objective@#The study aims to develop and validate the Filipino version of Thyroid-disease specific quality of life Patient Reported Outcome (ThyPROph) questionnaire, and to conduct a pilot study comparing the quality of life of patients with Graves’ disease at University of Santo Tomas Hospital (USTH) after receiving radioactive iodine ablation (RAI) or anti-thyroid drug (ATD) using the validated ThyPROph. @*Methodology@#This study has 2 phases. Phase 1 is the development and validation of the ThyPROph with prior translation and pretesting to Graves’ disease patients. Phase 2 is the pilot study involving 58 euthyroid patients with Graves’ disease recruited to answer the validated ThyPROph. All of the participants completed the ThyPROph. A cross sectional comparative design was used to compare health-related quality of life (HRQoL) under two modes of treatment for Graves’ disease: RAI and ATD. Likewise, correlation of the domains with the demographics was determined using Pearson correlation coefficient and Spearman rank signed test. @*Results@#For the phase 1 study, internal consistency exists across all domains of ThyPROph with Cronbach’s alpha of 0.839. Overall, discriminant validity falls within range of 0.028-0.606 and convergent validity showed moderate correlations. Phase 2 study showed that there is a significant difference in the domains “goiter symptoms” (p=0.0209), “emotional susceptibility” (p=0.0067) and “impaired daily life” (p=0.0463). The HRQoL is significantly better in the RAI group based on these three domains. Statistically significant correlations exist between goiter grade and goiter symptoms domain (p=0.0001), gender and impaired daily life domain (p=0.016), cosmetic complaints domain with age (p=0.002), marital status (p=0.046), and disease duration (p=0.005). @*Limitations@#Results are not powered to achieve the primary objective because complications of Graves’ disease were excluded. The reliability of the domains is reduced. A prospective randomized study is more ideal. @*Conclusion@#Quality of life of patients with Graves’ disease as assessed by ThyPROph is significantly better with RAI compared to ATD. RAI therapy can be considered as the better treatment option in our setting especially for patients who have noticeable goiters with symptoms attributable to their goiters, and those with emotional instability.
Subject(s)
Graves Disease , Quality of Life , Antithyroid AgentsABSTRACT
Objective@#Women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) are at increased risk to develop type 2 diabetes. This study aims to determine the incidence of postpartum diabetes and/or glucose intolerance among Filipino GDM patients who delivered at a tertiary hospital in Manila and to compare the risk factors present among these women. @*Methodology@#173 Filipino patients were included in this 3-year prospective cohort study. Demographics, clinical variables, and feto-maternal outcomes were recorded. 124 patients returned for follow-up and postpartum glycemic status was determined using 75g oral glucose tolerance test.@*Results@#The incidence of diabetes and prediabetes postpartum was 7.3% and 34.7% respectively. Logistic regression analysis showed that multigravid patients (OR=2.84; 95% CI 1.20,6.70) and those with postpartum obesity (OR=2.84; 95% CI 1.20,6.70) are more likely to have prediabetes. Diagnosis of GDM at an earlier trimester increases the odds of having postpartum diabetes (OR=3.05; 95% CI 1.02,9.18). Also, if the body mass index falls under obese class II postpartum, the probability increases 115 times (95% ci 3.96,3357.83; p=0.006). @*Conclusion@#The incidence of postpartum glucose intolerance among Filipino women with GDM is high. Clinicians should be more vigilant and strategies to implement compliance to postpartum glucose testing must be formulated to increase rates of follow-up testing among these women.