Pre-exposure Prophylaxis Adherence Among Men Who Have Sex With Men: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVES: The effectiveness and efficiency of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) in reducing the transmission of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) among men who have sex with men (MSM) relies on how widely it is adopted and adhered to, particularly among high-risk groups of MSM. The meta-analysis aimed to collect and analyze existing evidence on various factors related to PrEP adherence in MSM, including demographic characteristics, sexual behaviors, substance use, and psychosocial factors. METHODS: The meta-analysis followed the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines. The search included articles published between January 2018 and December 2022, obtained from the PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Scopus databases. The studies that were included in the analysis reported the proportion of MSM who demonstrated adherence to PrEP and underwent quality appraisal using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. RESULTS: Of the 268 studies initially identified, only 12 met the inclusion criteria and were included in the final meta-analysis. The findings indicated that education (odds ratio [OR], 1.64; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.12 to 2.40), number of sexual partners (OR, 1.16; 95% CI, 1.02 to 1.31), engaging in sexual activities with an human immunodeficiency virus-positive partner (OR, 1.59; 95% CI, 1.16 to 2.26), substance use (OR, 0.83; 95% CI, 0.70 to 0.99), and lower levels of depression (OR, 0.55; 95% CI, 0.37 to 0.82) were associated with higher rates of PrEP adherence among MSM. CONCLUSIONS: Despite these findings, further research is necessary to investigate PrEP adherence more comprehensively. The findings of this meta-analysis can be utilized to inform interventions aimed at improving PrEP adherence among MSM and provide directions for future research in this area.

The development and effectiveness of web-based psychological capital intervention on the mental well-being of tourism workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The current COVID-19 situation has forced many tourism businesses to close. Tourism workers have suffered chronic stress, discouragement, despair, and failure to find solutions for their businesses, resulting in deteriorating mental health. A psychological capital intervention (PCI) is therefore deemed necessary as it promotes the mental well-being of tourism workers. This article reports the development of a web-based PCI for the mental well-being of tourism workers and an investigation of its effectiveness using a mixed-methods intervention design. A qualitative approach was used to develop the intervention by conducting interview techniques with 20 tourism entrepreneurs. A content analysis was carried out. The intervention was tested through an experimental research design. The sample comprised 600 tourism workers who undertook a web-based PCI. Data on their mental well-being were collected before the intervention and 1 month afterward and analyzed using ANCOVA. The research revealed that 4 themes are needed for the intervention: having a goal, tolerance of difficulties, inspiration from a role model, and the appropriate way of thinking. An effectiveness examination showed that the web-based PCI improves mental well-being scores significantly. In conclusion, this web-based PCI, which focuses on developing strengths, effectively improves the mental well-being of tourism workers facing difficulties during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lifestyle, clinical, and occupational risk factors of recurrent stroke among the working-age group: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Stroke recurrence is increasing in the working-age population. This study aimed to summarize and evaluate the risk factors for recurrent stroke among the working-age population. Methods: Relevant studies were extracted from several databases following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Fixed- or random-effects estimates of the pooled odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) of risk factors for recurrent stroke were generated based on heterogeneity. Subgroup and publication bias analyses were also performed. Results: Seventeen studies were included in the meta-analysis. Pooled effects results revealed that the risk of recurrent stroke in the working-age group was as follows: Diabetes (OR = 1.85, 95% CI: 1.47, 2.32), hypertension (OR = 1.27, 95% CI: 1.12, 1.44), smoking (OR = 1.52, 95% CI: 1.27, 1.81), history of cardiac disease (OR = 2.86, 95% CI: 2.22, 3.67), history of stroke (OR = 2.45, 95% CI: 1.81, 3.31), and National Institutes of Health stroke severity score (OR = 1.09, 95% CI: 1.03, 1.15). Conclusion: These findings suggest that several factors, such as diabetes, hypertension, smoking, history of cardiac disease and stroke, and severity of a stroke, are potential risk factors for recurrent stroke in the working-age group. Therefore, strategies to reduce those risk factors should be adopted and attention paid to prevent recurrent stroke among working-age populations.

Development and validation of the Thai mental well-being scale.

Mental well-being is a state of positive mental health, but there is currently no valid tool for assessing mental well-being in the Thai population. The purpose of this research was to develop and validate a mental well-being scale for Thai people. Data from 2000 Thai citizens were analyzed to explore the structural components of mental well-being. Exploratory factor analysis (n = 1000) was conducted and determined a mental well-being factor structure consisting of three factors: 1) positive emotion and thinking, 2) positive relationship and 3) positive functioning. Confirmatory factor analysis of a validation group (n = 1000) identified 10 items within these three factors of mental well-being. Psychometric analyses supported internal consistency reliability, as well as convergent and discriminant validity of the scale. The findings suggest that the construction of this new mental well-being scale for Thai people is reliable and valid. This scale will be a useful tool for addressing and identifying mental health problems among the Thai population.