Assessment of supportive care needs among cervical cancer patients under treatment in Nepal: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUNDS: The perceived supportive care needs (SCNs) of cancer patients are essential components of a care program. The first step in planning and intervening for supportive care is the proper identification of the SCNs of cancer patients. Cervical cancer (CC) is the most prevalent cancer among Nepali women. The authors assess SCNs and their predictors among CC patients under treatment by using a validated Nepali version supportive care need survey short form (SCNS- SF 34 N). METHODS: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in 5 cancer treatment hospitals in Nepal. A culturally adapted and psychometrically validated Nepali version SCNS -SF- 34 N was completed by a convenience sample of 218 CC patients. Data were analyzed by using descriptive (frequency, percentage, mean, median) and inferential (Chi-square P-value and binary logistic regression analysis) statistics. RESULTS: The study showed that 99% of the respondents were in need of some level (low, moderate, high) of supportive care. The psychological domain, physical daily living, health system information, patient care support and sexuality domain ranked from first to fifth for SCNs with mean and standard deviations 70.29 ± 18.84, 63.25 ± 23.15, 57.90 ± 21.11, 56.46 ± 21.92 and 46.06 ± 34.16, respectively. Binary logistic regression found causal association between SCNs and variables "occupation (p-value = 0.007), and type of hospital (p-value = 0.000)" at a 95% confidence level. CONCLUSION: Nepali CC patients perceive and experience many unmet SCNs, with psychological SCNs being the first priority. It is essential that the SCNs of patients may need to be known by their close family members, care providers, CC related program. so that they can offer intervention as per patients' needs.

The supportive care needs survey short form 34 (SCNS-SF34): translation and cultural adaptation into the Nepali language among patients with cervical cancer in Nepal.

BACKGROUND: A questionnaire developed in one language must be translated and adapted when it will be used with patients speaking a different language and care should be taken to maintain equivalence between the source language (SL) version and its translated version. The objective of this study was to test the linguistic and cultural validity of a Nepali language version of the Supportive Care Need Survey - Short Form 34 (SCNS-SF34) used with the Nepali population. METHODS: Translation of the SCNS-SF34 was carried out by following Beaton's guidelines and Consensus-based Standards for the Selection of Health Status Measurement Instruments (COSMIN) by a research team. The translated version was administered to patients with cervical cancer in Nepal. The following steps were performed as part of the study: translation, content validity assessment, reliability assessment and measurement of errors. RESULTS: The study reports item content validity (I-CVI) was > 0.78 and scale content validity (S-CVI) was - 0.89, 0.91 and 0.90 respectively in semantic, cultural, and conceptual aspects. The study found a content validity ratio (CVR) of 0.9 to 1, Cronbach's α of 0.90, correlation significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed), and clarity of the questionnaire at 91.29%. The standard error of measurement (SEM) and small detectable changes (SDC) for overall care need scores were measured 2.70 and 7.47 respectively. All items were accepted as per the original SCNS-SF34. Following the respondents' suggestions, simpler Nepali words were chosen in some items to replace the words in the preliminary Nepali version of SCNS-SF34. CONCLUSION: Preliminary findings show that the Nepali translation of SCNS-SF34 is practical and applicable to the Nepali population. Financial supportive care needs, supportive care for caretakers and problems during patient hospital stays are essential to include in the questionnaire to further explore supportive care needs.

Family resilience and its influencing factors among advanced cancer patients and their family caregivers: a multilevel modeling analysis.

BACKGROUND: Cancer is highly prevalent worldwide. Family resilience is a positive variable that helps families burdened by advanced cancer to cope effectively. This study aimed to describe the family resilience of advanced cancer patients and caregivers in dyads and identify its influencing factors at the individual and dyadic levels. METHODS: This multisite cross-sectional study was conducted in oncology units in five tertiary hospitals in China. A total of 270 advanced cancer patient-caregiver dyads were recruited between June 2020 and March 2021. Patients' and caregivers' family resilience was measured by the Family Resilience Assessment Scale. Data on potential influencing factors, including demographic and disease-related characteristics as well as family sense of coherence, psychological resilience, perceived social support, symptom burden, and caregiver burden, were collected. Multilevel modeling analysis was adopted to control for the interdependence of the dyads. RESULTS: A total of 241 dyads were included in the data analysis. The mean ages of patients and caregivers were 53.96 (SD 15.37) and 45.18 (SD 13.79) years, respectively. Most caregivers were spouses and adult children (45.6% and 39.0%, respectively). Patients reported a higher mean family resilience score than caregivers (152.56 vs. 149.87, respectively). Undergoing fewer than two types of treatment and a lower symptom burden of patients predicted higher patient (B = -9.702, -0.134, respectively) and caregiver (B = -5.462, -0.096, respectively) family resilience. Patients also reported higher family resilience under the following conditions: 1) were on a medical insurance plan other than the new rural cooperative medical system (B = 6.089), 2) had a better family sense of coherence (B = 0.415), 3) whose caregivers were unmarried (B = 8.618), perceived lower social support (B = -0.145) and higher psychological resilience (B = 0.313). Caregivers who were ≤ 44 years old (B = -3.221), had similar previous caregiving experience (B = 7.706), and had a stronger family sense of coherence (B = 0.391) reported higher family resilience. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings highlight the importance of adopting a dyadic approach when caring for advanced cancer patients and their caregivers. Dyadic longitudinal research is suggested to discover more modifiable factors of family resilience and tailored interventions are needed to obtain optimal dyadic outcomes.

The distinct experience of supportive care needs among cervical cancer patients: A qualitative study.

INTRODUCTION: Patients with cervical cancer report experiencing physical, psychological, economic, and social problems daily. An exploration of supportive care needs is important for patients and their families to cope with diagnosis, treatment, recovery or even death. OBJECTIVE: This study explores the perceived supportive care needs of Nepali patients with cervical cancer who are undergoing cancer treatment. METHODS: A descriptive qualitative research design was utilized with semi-structured interviews to probe patients with cervical cancer's supportive care needs. The study was conducted at a cancer-specific hospital in Nepal. Purposive sampling was used to recruit 30 patients with cervical cancer. Qualitative thematic analysis techniques were employed to identify the supportive care needs of Nepalese patients with cervical cancer. RESULTS: Supportive care needs were identified with five main themes and sixteen sub-themes: 1) psychological trauma (regret on delaying medical consultation, fear of disease, death and dying, ambivalence about the future and treatment, feeling of loss, caring/rearing of children, feeling and burden to partner/family); 2) financial distress (loss of income and challenges with treatment costs); 3) sexual disharmony; 4) physical dependency on others for day-to-day care and; 5) hunger for information (cause of disease, prognosis of disease, dietary counseling, and information on sexuality). CONCLUSION: Recognizing the supportive care needs of patients with cervical cancer during treatment by health care professional and family members is vital to facilitate optimal care at the hospital and home for overall improvement in the patient's quality of life. Acknowledgment that the expensive treatment regime creates an economic and psychological burden for the patients.

The effect of cognitive behavioural therapy integrated with activity pacing on cancer-related fatigue, depression and quality of life among patients with breast cancer undergoing chemotherapy in Ethiopia: A randomised clinical trial.

Fatigue is a common symptom experienced by 80% of individuals who receive chemotherapy and is one of the major factors that affect quality of life (QoL) of patients with breast cancer. Our study aimed to assess the effect of cognitive behavioural therapy integrated with activity pacing (CBT-AP) on cancer-related fatigue among patients with breast cancer undergoing chemotherapy. A parallel-group, randomised controlled trial was conducted. Severely fatigued patients were randomly assigned to the CBT-AP or usual care (UC) groups using a computer-generated random sequence. The new intervention was designed for seven sessions: three 2-hour face-to-face and four 30-minute telephone sessions. The primary outcome (fatigue severity) and the secondary outcomes (depression and QoL) were assessed at the end of the intervention and after 3 months. The data were analysed by repeated measures analyses of covariance (RM-ANCOVA). CBT-AP had a significant time effect (P < .001, ηp2  = 0.233) in reducing fatigue from baseline (adjusted mean = 7.48) to the end of the intervention (adjusted mean = 6.37) and the 3-month follow-up (adjusted mean = 6.54). Compared to the UC group, the CBT-AP group had lower fatigue and depression scores, and higher global health status scores. The group × time interaction revealed a significant reduction in fatigue and depression in the CBT-AP group compared to the UC group. Therefore, CBT-AP appears to be effective in reducing fatigue and depression and improving QoL in patients with breast cancer undergoing chemotherapy. It is highly recommended to integrate a CBT-AP intervention in routine cancer care.

Home-based multidisciplinary interventions on skin adverse reactions in EGFR-TKI-treated patients with lung cancer: a protocol for a randomised controlled trial.

INTRODUCTION: Here, we provide a feasible, well-designed protocol of a randomised controlled trial for the assessment of the effects of a home-based multidisciplinary intervention on the severity of skin adverse drug reactions and health-related indicators in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) under epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR-TKI) therapy. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: The study will be a two-group, parallel randomised controlled trial conducted at patients' homes by a multidisciplinary team in Zhengzhou in Henan Province, China. Patients with NSCLC who received EGFR-TKI therapy and experienced adverse skin reactions will be randomised and receive either ordinary care or home-based multidisciplinary interventions. The intervention will be divided into an intensive stage (6 weeks) and a maintenance stage (6 weeks) with baseline and follow-up assessment. Interventions in the intensive stage will include general interventions such as health education, follow-up, behaviour guide and social support and targeted interventions such as skill training, coping with adverse drug reaction and problem-solving. The measures that will be carried out in maintenance stage are continuous interventions consisted of an intensive intervention. The multidisciplinary team will be responsible for managing skin adverse drug reactions as required at patients' homes. Data collection and analysis will be performed by researchers at baseline, the end of the sixth week of intervention and the third month after the intervention. The primary outcome is the degree of skin adverse drug reactions, while the secondary outcomes, for example, self-management ability, quality of life, outpatient visits and health economics indicators, will also be presented. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This study was reviewed and approved by the Ethics Committee of Zhengzhou University (No. ZZUIRB-2020-97). Findings will be available to patients, clinicians, nurses, pharmacists, community medical staff, funders and health policymakers through peer-reviewed publications, social media and patient support groups. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: Chinese Clinical Trials Registry (ChiCTR2000040643).

A pilot study of cognitive behavioural therapy integrated with activity pacing for fatigued breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy in Ethiopia.

Background: Fatigue is a common symptom in breast cancer patients, and it is one of the major factors that influence the quality of life (QoL). Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) has been recommended to manage cancer-related fatigue. In this study, CBT will be integrated with activity pacing (AP), which can help breast cancer patients achieve a balance between activity and rest. Therefore, this pilot study aimed to investigate the acceptability, feasibility, and efficacy of the CBT-AP intervention. Methods: A total of 10 fatigued breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy were included in the study. The acceptability and feasibility of the study were measured by the patient recruitment rate, attrition rate, intervention fidelity, intervention compliance, and therapist's and participant's evaluations of the intervention. The outcomes were measured at baseline and at 6 weeks of intervention. Results: The pre-post study suggested that CBT-AP was found to be acceptable and feasible for fatigued breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. Among 27 eligible participants, 10 (37.03%) participants accepted our invitation to participate in the study. One participant dropped out from the intervention because of serious illness, and the dropout rate was 10%.Both the intervention fidelity and intervention compliance were found to be satisfactory.Fatigue severity [Brief Fatigue Inventory (BFI)] was reduced in 77.77% of participants from baseline to 6 weeks of intervention. The global health status/QoL scale and physical, emotional, and social functioning scales were improved from baseline to 6 weeks of intervention. All symptom scales, except constipation, diarrhea, and financial difficulties, were decreased after the intervention. Depression [Public Health Questionnaire (PHQ)-9] was reduced in 55.55% of participants. Conclusion: This study suggested that CBT-AP is an acceptable, feasible, and potentially efficacious intervention to reduce fatigue and improve the QoL of breast cancer patients. The efficacy of a CBT-AP programme is going to be investigated in subsequent larger randomized clinical trials.

Quality of life and its influencing factors among breast cancer patients at Tikur Anbessa specialised hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: Quality of life (QoL) has become an important measure for evaluating cancer patients' treatment and prognosis. Breast cancer patients are at an increased risk of experiencing poor QoL during active treatment of cancer. This study aimed to assess QoL and it's influencing factors among breast cancer patients using the newly updated breast cancer specific tool of the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer EORTC Breast Cancer Specific Quality of Life Questionnaire QLQ-BR45. METHODS: An institutional based crossectional study was conducted with 248 breast cancer patients at Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital (TASH). Descriptive statistics, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), and linear regression were used to describe and analyze the data. RESULTS: The participant's Global health status/QoL mean score was 65.6. Among the functional scales, future perspective scored the lowest (57.1, SD ± 37.3). The highest mean score on the symptom scales/items were financial difficulties (50, SD ± 38.6), followed by appetite loss (37.4, SD ± 36.4) and fatigue (34.3, SD ± 27.1) while the lowest symptom score was diarrhoea (6.4 ± 18.4). EORTC QLQ-BR45, future perspective (mean = 57.1, SD ± 37.3) and upset by hair loss (41.8, SD ± 34.6) were the most affected functioning and symptoms scales respectively. An increased stage of tumor was associated with more pain (P = 0.041), appetite loss (P = 0.042), and arm symptoms (P = 0.003). Patients who had no comorbidity had better physical (P < 0.001), cognitive (P = 0.013), and social (P = 0.009) function. CONCLUSION: These specific functional scales and symptoms should be assessed individually to address unmet needs. Clinicians could design psychosocial interventions to improve these function and to reduce symptoms.

Translation and validation of the EORTC QLQ-BR45 among Ethiopian breast cancer patients.

This study aimed to examine the validity and reliability of the EORTC QLQ-BR45 questionnaire among breast cancer patients in Ethiopia. This study included 248 breast cancer patients who completed the QLQ-BR45 and QLQ-C30 questionnaires. The internal reliability, test-retest reliability, and the content, concurrent, convergent, divergent, and clinical validity of the tool were examined. The statistical analyses included Cronbach's α coefficient, Pearson's correlation coefficient, standardised root mean square residual (SRMR), comparative fit index (CFI), t-test, and root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA). All items were marked as relevant, and item-level content validity index (I-CVI) scores ranged from 0.83 to 1. The S-CVI/Ave was calculated by dividing the sum of I-CVI values by the total number of items, which was found to be 0.94. The average CVR value was 0.76. The Cronbach's α coefficient was 0.80 for all domains. All subscales met the minimal standards of reliability except the arm symptom scale (0.66). The test-retest reliability coefficient was 0.77 for all domains. Seven out of the 12 hypothesised scales showed positive correlations (r > 0.40) between the QLQ-BR45 and QLQ-C30 scales. Multitrait scaling analysis showed that the item-scale correlations exceeded the 0.40 criterion for item-convergent validity for 11 of the 12 hypothesised scales. The correlation coefficients between an item and its own subscale were significantly higher than with other subscales. The EORTC QLQ-BR45 had good reliability and validity, and it can be used to measure the quality of life of breast cancer patients in Ethiopia.

Breast Self-Examination Knowledge and its Determinants among Female Students at Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia: An Institution-Based Cross-Sectional Study.

Introduction: Breast self-examination is a noninvasive, low-cost screening method for breast cancer detection. A thorough awareness of breast self-examination enables the early detection of breast abnormalities and dramatically lowers breast cancer complications and mortality. The purpose of this study was to investigate the level of knowledge about breast self-examination and its associated factors among female students at Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia. Methods: An institution-based cross-sectional study design was employed. The final calculated sample size was 407, and participants were recruited using a proportionate stratified random sampling approach. For data entry and coding, EPI Data 3.1 statistical software was utilized, and for data analysis, SPSS version 18 was employed. The data was described using descriptive analysis. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to determine the strength of the association between the predictor and the outcome variables. A 95% confidence interval and a p-value of less than 0.05 were used to declare statistical significance. Results: The findings of this study revealed that 49.9% of respondents possessed good breast self-examination knowledge. Previously, urban residents were about two times more likely to have good knowledge of BSE than their rural counterparts (AOR =2.16, 95% CI (1.18-39.91), p =0.011). The odds of having good BSE knowledge were about three times more likely among those who had a good attitude than those who had a poor attitude (AOR =3.17, 95% CI (2.02-4.74), p <0.001). Those who knew someone with a diagnosis of breast cancer were almost three times more likely to have good knowledge than those who did not know (AOR =2.95, 95% CI (1.77-4.91), p <0.001). Conclusion: According to the findings of this survey, less than half of the students who participated had good knowledge of breast self-examination. This justifies raising awareness about breast self-examination among female students.

The Effect of Peer-Led Navigation Approach as a Form of Task Shifting in Promoting Cervical Cancer Screening Knowledge, Intention, and Practices Among Urban Women in Tanzania: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: Even though the government's priorities in preventing cervical cancer are implemented in urban areas, the screening rate remains unsatisfactory at 6%, compared to 70% recommended by the world health organization. The ongoing public health education has not resulted in sufficient screening rates. The study aims to assess peer-led navigation (PLNav) in promoting cervical cancer screening knowledge, intention, and practices among urban women in Tanzania. Since PLNav is the form of task shifting, it involves delegating cervical-cancer-related tasks from healthcare professionals to community health workers (CHWs). METHODS: It is a community-based randomized controlled trial conducted in Dar es Salaam in Tanzania March-Sept 2020. The PLNav involved the CHWs delivering health education, counselling and navigation assistance to community women (COMW). The CHWs help women who have never undergone cervical cancer screening (CCS) and those who have undergone CCS but with a precancerous cervical lesion to overcome screening barriers. The data related to PLNav were analyzed by descriptive statistics, an independent-samples t-test, repeated measures ANOVA and linear regression. RESULTS: The repeated measures ANOVA across time showed that PLNav intervention on mean knowledge score changes was statistically significant in the intervention group compared with the control group's usual care, [F (1, 43) = 56.9, P < .001]. At the six-month follow-up, 32 (72.7%) out of 44 participants from the intervention group had screened for cervical cancer, and only one participant (2.3%) from the control group screened. The PLNav intervention on CCS uptake changes was statistically significant in the intervention group compared with usual care in the control group [F (1, 43) = 100.4, P < .001]. The effect of time on CCS uptake in the intervention and control groups was statistically significant [F (1.64, 70.62) = 73.4, P < .001]. CONCLUSION: Peer-led navigation (PLNav) was effective in promoting cervical cancer screening knowledge, intention, and uptake.

The relationship between medication literacy and skin adverse reactions in non-small-cell lung cancer patients undergoing targeted EGFR-TKI therapy.

BACKGROUND: High medication literacy is the basis of rational medication application and is essential for the management of severe adverse drug reactions. The objective of the present study was to assess the level of medication literacy and determine the association between medication literacy and skin adverse drug reactions in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients undergoing targeted epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR-TKI) therapy. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study conducted from May to September 2020. In total, 296 NSCLC patients undergoing targeted EGFR-TKI therapy were recruited from hospitals in Henan, China. Structured questionnaires were used to evaluate skin adverse drug reactions and medication literacy. Pearson correlation analysis and binary logistic regression analysis were carried out to identify the correlations between medication literacy and the severity of skin adverse drug reactions in the recruited patients. RESULTS: The research sample consisted of 296 patients with a response rate of 92.5%. The mean score of skin adverse drug reactions and the mean score of medication literacy were 1.83 ± 0.91 and 6.54 ± 2.78, respectively. In total, 188 patients (63.5%) were considered to have moderate medication literacy. According to the binary logistic regression analysis, the following factors were associated with severe skin adverse drug reactions: age (B = - 3.929, P = 0.000), sex (B = -4.062, P = 0.000), educational level (B = 2.712, P = 0.002), comorbidity (B = 3.297, P = 0.001), eczema history (B = 2.996, P = 0.001), nutritional status (B = -4.891, P = 0.000), blood interleukin-6 level (B = -2.143, P = 0.013), blood high-sensitivity C-reactive protein level (B = -4.015, P = 0.000), combination of drugs (B = -3.183, P = 0.048) and medication literacy (B = - 1.503, P = 0.000). Subgroup analysis showed that in addition to medication literacy, some other factors including education level, comorbidity, nutritional status, blood interleukin-6 level and combined drug application were common factors that contributed to various adverse skin drug reactions in NSCLC patients under targeted EGFR-TKI therapy. CONCLUSION: The low medication literacy of the investigated NSCLC patients undergoing targeted EGFR-TKI therapy was correlated with a high proportion of severe skin adverse drug reactions. In addition, factors other than medication literacy including education level, comorbidity, nutritional status, blood interleukin-6 level and the combinatorial application of drugs were also related to the severity of various adverse skin drug reactions. A comprehensive and targeted intervention may be beneficial to improve medication literacy and control severe skin adverse drug reactions in NSCLC patients.

Mortality and Loss to Follow-Up Among HIV-Exposed Infants After Option B+ Guideline Implementation in Amhara Regional State Referral Hospitals, Ethiopia.

Background: Prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV program (PMTCT) is a comprehensive approach that aimed for the wellbeing of all HIV-infected women, to prevent new HIV infection among infants born to HIV-positive mothers, and providing management for HIV-positive women and infants. Nevertheless, there was considerably high attrition within the prevention of mother-to-child transmission programs that was merely because of loss to follow-up (LTFU) followed by mortality. In resource-limited countries, one-third of infected children die before 1 year, and more than half of them die before 2 years. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence or incidence of mortality and LTFU among infants born from HIV-positive mothers in the Amhara regional state referral hospitals, Ethiopia. Methods: This study was conducted in five Amhara regional state referral hospitals' prevention of mother-to-child transmission departments. A simple random sampling technique with proportional allocation was used to assess the outcomes of 221 exposed infants. A retrospective cohort design was used in selecting the 221 exposed infants' document from the referral hospitals of the region, Amhara. The exposed infants' profiles were documented between January 1, 2014 and May 30, 2017. Results: This study described attritions (death and loss-to-follow-up) of exposed babies in PMTCT departments of Amhara regional state referral hospitals in Ethiopia. In this study, low LTFU with zero death was reported. Residence, immunization status of babies, and place of delivery were independent factors of LTFU. Conclusions: The cumulative incidence of mortality in this study was zero. This assured that the recommended option is substantial for the elimination of HIV-caused death in 2030 as per WHO plan. However, the cumulative incidence of LTFU was not zero.

Study Protocol of CBT-AP Trial: A Randomized Controlled Trial of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Integrated with Activity Pacing for Fatigued Breast Cancer Patients Undergoing Chemotherapy.

PURPOSE: This paper reports the methodology for undertaking a randomized controlled trial to assess the combined effect of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and activity pacing on fatigue experienced by breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. METHOD: Fifty-eight patients experiencing severe fatigue will be randomized to a CBT group or usual care group. The intervention will be given for 6 sessions by a trained oncology nurse. Primary and secondary outcome measures will be assessed at baseline, the sixth week of intervention and at the third month post intervention. The primary outcome measure is fatigue (Brief Fatigue Inventory) and secondary outcome measures include depression (Patient Health Questionnaire) and quality of life (European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire). The protocol is designed using the SPIRIT guidelines which is one of the EQUATOR checklists. DISCUSSION: This is the first RCT that will determine the efficacy of CBT by integrating with activity pacing to reduce fatigue among breast cancer patients receiving chemotherapy. The intervention design is novel in addressing multiple precipitating and perpetuating factors of fatigue and integrated with activity pacing in CBT. CONCLUSION: If the intervention is effective, this therapeutic approach can be incorporated into a routine health care for breast cancer patients receiving chemotherapy. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The study have been registered in Pan-African Clinical Trial Registry (website) on August 24, 2020. The trial registration number is PACTR202008881026130.

A five-year trend in pre-eclampsia admission and factors associated with inpatient eclampsia: a retrospective study from a resource-limited hospital in northeast Ethiopia.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the 5-year trend of pre-eclampsia admission, magnitude and factor associated with inpatient eclampsia among deliveries involving pre-eclampsia which have been attended at one of the resource-limited public hospitals in northeast Ethiopia. DESIGN: Retrospective medical record review study. SETTING: Woldia General Hospital Medical archive, Woldia town, Ethiopia. PARTICIPANTS: All antenatal admission and deliveries involving pre-eclampsia attended from 2011 to 2016 at the hospital were included in the review. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: Trend of pre-eclampsia admission was determined using non-parametric Mann-Kendall correlation. Case management, clinical and patient-related factors were tested for possible association with the development of inpatient eclampsia using binary logistic regression. P value less than 0.05 considered significant. RESULT: Across the 5-year period, there were 8764 deliveries attended at the hospital's labour and delivery ward, of them 241 (2.76%) were co-diagnosed with pre-eclampsia. The trend showed marginal decrement through years (tau-b correlation coefficient (Tb)=-0.4, p=0.035) with the highest caseload (4.4%) observed on year 2013/2014. The rate of inpatient eclampsia was 19.6 per 10 000 births and the likelihood of its occurrence among pre-eclamptic women was 7.1% (95% CI 2.7% to 11.5%). In multivariate analysis, being multigravida (adjusted OR (AOR) 0.154, 95% CI 0.029 to 0.831) and spontaneous onset of labour (AOR 5.628, 95% CI 1.1247 to 9.401) were associated with inpatient eclampsia. CONCLUSION: In the study setting, the overall magnitude of pre-eclampsia admission was comparable with the global average, but its yearly trend showed marginal decrement from 2011 to 2016. High rate of inpatient eclampsia might indicate undertreatment which alarms further study and/or corrective measures. Waiting for spontaneous onset of labour could increase the risk of developing inpatient eclampsia whereas neither type of anticonvulsant nor duration of its usage has made significant association.

The effect of cognitive behavioral therapy on the quality of life of breast cancer patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

PURPOSE: Several lines of clinical research support the efficacy of Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) with a large number of population and various disease conditions, however, the true effects of CBT interventions on Quality of Life of breast cancer patients remain unknown. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy on the Quality of Life of breast cancer patients. METHODS: A systematic review of articles published using Web of Science (1950-January 2020); Medline via EBSCO (1992-January 2020); Science direct via ELSEVIER (1996-January 2020); SCOPUS (2004-January 2020); and PubMed (1946-January 2020 excluding Medline from 1992-January 2020) were included. Additional studies were included after  checking reference lists of all relevant studies; searching ongoing trials and research registers and manual search. Data extraction was conducted by two independent authors and a third independent author checked the data extraction. The PRISMA statement was adopted. RESULT: Eleven Randomized controlled trials (RCT) with 1690 breast cancer patients were included in this review. The overall effect size of cognitive behavioral therapy on QoL of breast cancer patients was medium 0.39 (95% CI 0.12-0.66, P < 0.00001, I2 = 83%). Five studies had shown statistically significant improvement in functional and symptoms scales in the treatment group than the control group. CONCLUSION: CBT is effective in improving the Quality of Life of breast cancer patients. In future research, further randomized controlled trials with adequate randomization, allocation concealment, and appropriate blinding may be needed.

Predictors of uptake of cervical cancer screening among women in Urban Tanzania: community-based cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVES: The proportion of women screened for cervical cancer in Tanzania remains small at 6-21%. Even though some studies have been conducted to address barriers, the screening uptake remains low, which denotes the presence of unidentified barriers. The main objective of this study is to assess the predictors in the uptake of cervical cancer screening (CCS) among women in Tanzania. METHODS: This is a community-based cross-sectional study conducted to obtain quantitative data through validated questionnaires to assess predictors of CCS. RESULTS: 1013 (91.8%) of the respondents had not been screened for cervical cancer. Three predictors of CCS were identified in this study; screening intention, health beliefs, and knowledge level. 600 (54.4%) of respondents had no screening intention. 552 (50%) had negative health beliefs, and 585 (53%) had inadequate knowledge of cervical cancer and CCS. Respondents who had no intention to screen were 0.482 (AOR) times less likely to uptake CCS (P = 0.002; 95% CI: 0.305, 0.761). CONCLUSIONS: The ongoing community-awareness raising campaigns should be coupled with community knowledge-raising campaign, and there should be an establishing of peer-supporting screening programs in communities.

Prevalence and associations of active trachoma among rural preschool children in Wadla district, northern Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: Trachoma is a neglected eye disease and an important cause of preventable corneal blindness. In endemic areas, initial infection can occur in early childhood and following a recurrent episodes, it progresses to scarring and visual impairment. Trachoma disappeared from high income countries through enhancements of hygiene and sanitation but the disease is still a challenge in developing countries. In Ethiopia, data indicate that Amhara is the region with the highest prevalence of active trachoma. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence and associations of active trachoma among rural preschool children in Wadla district, Amhara region, Ethiopia. METHODS: In this study, 596 children were screened for signs of active trachoma by using cluster-sampling technique. Following pre-testing of the survey instrument in a different district, questions about socio-demographic status were delivered for heads of households. Integrated eye care workers, previously trained to undertake trachoma screening for one month, performed eye examination. The logistic regression model was used to look for associations of active trachoma. RESULTS: The prevalence of active trachoma among rural preschool children in Wadla district was 22%. Low economic status (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]3.8 (95%CI 1.3-11.4), being 37-48 months old (4.2;1.5-12.0), living in a house with thatched roof (4.4;1.4-13.6), presence of flies in a home (4.6;2.1-9.9), once-weekly face-washing frequency (8.6;2.5-29.3), having a face that had not been washed for longer than a week (10.6;2.9-37.7), and not using soap (4.5;1.8-11.3) had association to active trachoma. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of active trachoma among rural pre-school children in Wadla district was high. This indicates that Trachoma is still a public health problem in the district. This high prevalence calls for further interventions to prevent future trachomatis blindness.