Acute Adverse Effects of Vaccines Against SARS-COV-2.

Introduction The global struggle against the impact of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-COV-2) on physical and mental health and on economic and social aspects of human life continues even after two and a half years have passed since the emergence of this virus. The development of vaccines was a milestone. By June 2022, billions of people have been vaccinated against the deadly virus. However, like any other vaccine, the various vaccines against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) also cause a variety of adverse effects. Therefore this study aimed to determine the different acute side effects experienced after receiving the vaccines and correlating them with some socio-demographic and biomedical factors.  Methodology This cross-sectional study has a sample size of 467. Study participants were recruited after fulfilling inclusion and exclusion criteria. After gaining approval from the Ethical Review Board (ERB) of CMH Lahore Medical College and Institute of Dentistry, Lahore, Pakistan, an online questionnaire was distributed via social media. The survey questionnaire had a series of questions regarding the socio-demographic and biomedical characteristics of the participants, as well as the type of vaccine they got, followed by questions about the development of adverse effects after each dose (first and second). Data were statistically analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 25.0 (Released 2017; IBM Corp., Armonk, New York, United States). The analysis was carried out in a confidence range of 95%, and a p-value<0.05 was considered statistically significant.  Results Sinopharm (76.0%) was the most frequently received vaccine. Adverse events were reported more after the first dose (79.7%) than in the second (67.2%) (p value 0.001). The reported adverse events after either dose were of mild intensity (p<0.05). None of the individuals reported serious adverse events or hospitalization after getting the shots. Females, younger age groups, and individuals with BMI in the underweight category were more prone to developing symptoms and experiencing difficulty doing routine work after getting the doses. The associations were statistically significant (p<0.05). Blood group (A,B,0,AB), past COVID-19 history, and smoking status were not positively associated with the appearance of symptoms after either dose or with inconvenience doing daily work post-vaccination. Conclusion The vaccines developed against COVID-19 offer benefits that outweigh the few mild adverse effects experienced. None of these symptoms is severe enough to stop an individual from doing routine work or result in morbidity or mortality. Therefore, people should avoid any hesitancy towards getting vaccinated to get past this pandemic.

The Content, Quality, and Behavior Change Techniques in Nutrition-Themed Mobile Apps for Children in Canada: App Review and Evaluation Study.

BACKGROUND: Children increasingly use mobile apps. Strategies to increase child engagement with apps include the use of gamification and images that incite fun and interaction, such as food. However, the foods and beverages that children are exposed to while using apps are unknown and may vary by app type. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to identify the app content (ie, types of foods and beverages) included in nutrition-themed apps intended for children, to assess the use of game-like features, and to examine app characteristics such as overall quality and behavior change techniques (BCTs). METHODS: This analysis used a cross-sectional database of nutrition-themed apps intended for children (≤12 years), collected between May 2018 and June 2019 from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store (n=259). Apps were classified into four types: food games or nongames that included didactic nutrition guides, habit trackers, and other. Food and beverages were identified in apps and classified into 16 food categories, as recommended (8/16, 50%) and as not recommended (8/16, 50%) by dietary guidelines, and quantified by app type. Binomial logistic regression assessed whether game apps were associated with foods and beverages not recommended by guidelines. App quality, overall and by subscales, was determined using the Mobile App Rating Scale. The BCT Taxonomy was used to classify the different behavioral techniques that were identified in a subsample of apps (124/259, 47.9%). RESULTS: A total of 259 apps displayed a median of 6 (IQR 3) foods and beverages. Moreover, 62.5% (162/259) of apps were classified as food games, 27.4% (71/259) as didactic nutrition guides, 6.6% (17/259) as habit trackers, and 3.5% (9/259) as other. Most apps (198/259, 76.4%) displayed at least one food or beverage that was not recommended by the dietary guidelines. Food game apps were almost 3 times more likely to display food and beverages not recommended by the guidelines compared with nongame apps (ß=2.8; P<.001). The overall app quality was moderate, with a median Mobile App Rating Scale score of 3.6 (IQR 0.7). Functionality was the subscale with the highest score (median 4, IQR 0.3). Nutrition guides were more likely to be educational and contain informative content on healthy eating (score 3.7), compared with the other app types, although they also scored significantly lower in engagement (score 2.3). Most apps (105/124, 84.7%) displayed at least one BCT, with the most common BCT being information about health consequences. CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest nutrition-themed apps intended for children displayed food and beverage content not recommended by dietary guidelines, with gaming apps more likely to display not recommended foods than their nongame counterparts. Many apps have a moderate app quality, and the use of consequences (instead of rewards) was the most common BCT.

Determination of COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy Among University Students.

Introduction With the sudden outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-COV-2), vaccines appear to be the most efficient measure in combating spread. However, vaccines are only effective if a community collectively uptakes vaccination. This approach is growing increasingly difficult with the emergence of 'Vaccine Hesitancy.' This paper aims to determine the association between university curricula and the degree of hesitancy for the COVID-19 vaccine. Methods The online questionnaire assessed demographic data, prior knowledge of vaccines, attitude towards COVID-19 vaccines using an adapted version of the WHO Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE) Working Group's Vaccine Hesitancy Survey (VHS) and factors likely to motivate vaccine uptake. By using binary scoring, the degree of hesitancy among students was determined. Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) on VHS revealed underlying causes of hesitancy. To analyze the dependence between hesitancy and curriculum, a chi-squared test was conducted. Results Medical students scored higher for prior knowledge of vaccines (M = 3.54) as opposed to non-medical students (M = 3.49). Medical students responded favorably to COVID-19 vaccines with only 1.37% showing hesitancy for all nine items of VHS, compared to 2.55% of non-medical students. EFA produced three subscales within the VHS: lack of confidence, risk factor concern, and misinformation. The lack of confidence factor accounted for 65% of the data obtained. The chi-square test solidified that vaccine hesitancy is dependent on curriculum. Conclusion The majority of non-medical students showed hesitancy towards obtaining COVID-19 vaccines compared to medical students who were more willing, largely owing to their knowledge and understanding of vaccines.

Association of Working Environment and Anxiety Levels in Clinical Professionals During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Introduction Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a global pandemic and has become a major life-threatening challenge. The sudden and fast spread of the COVID-19 pandemic worldwide caused a sudden increase in the workload of health care workers in parallel with the possible increase in mortality rates and the spread of this disease to a large number of people. Clinicians, who are our frontline warriors, are not only at high risk of catching COVID-19, but their mental health is also at stake. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of anxiety and its association with the working environment in clinical professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods This cross-sectional study collected data from 400 medical doctors through an online survey, carried out for six months. The anxiety of participants was assessed by using the Zung Self Rating anxiety scale (SAS). An anxiety index of greater than or equal to 50 was marked as anxious. Descriptive chi-square analysis and correlation analysis were used. Results This study found that out of a total, 20.1% of the participants suffered from anxiety. Anxiety was found to be positively associated with sociodemographic factors like the age of the doctor (p=0.001), their gender (p=0.000), their working environment (p=0.005), working in basic healthcare units (p=0.015), patient load per week (p=0.005), personal protective equipment (PPE) availability to doctor according to WHO guidelines (p=0.007), and patient compliance with doctors' orders (p=0.009). Conclusion We conclude that professional healthcare workers suffered from anxiety due to working conditions in the COVID-19 pandemic. Specific interventions and steps such as improving staffing and resources, policies to ensure fair distribution of working hours and rest breaks, workplace protections, work-family balance, health professional's emotional stability, and long-term benefits should be taken so as to minimize the lasting effects of these factors.

A qualitative investigation of Muslim and Christian women's views of religion and feminism in their lives.

This qualitative investigation explored a relatively understudied aspect of cultural diversity: feminism and religion in the lives of religiously diverse women. More specifically, structured interviews were used to investigate views of religion, women's issues, gender roles, culture, and feminism for a small group of Muslim and Christian women living in the United States. The data were analyzed using consensual qualitative research methods (Hill, Thompson, & Williams, 1997). Findings indicated a complex relationship between feminism, gender roles, culture, and religion for these women with the majority of the Muslim women reporting that their religion supports feminist principles and identifying themselves as feminist. Christian women were less willing to endorse the feminist label. Implications for multicultural feminist practice are discussed.