International Research in Medical and Health Sciences

Prevalence and Associated Factors of Hypertension among Health Workers: A Systematic Review

Mike Mwale — 2024-03-29

Background: There is an increasing burden of hypertension which has devastating consequences as it is associated with premature death and cardiovascular disease. Hypertension affects people from different walks of life, including healthcare workers. However, the prevalence of hypertension and risk factors among healthcare workers remain poorly understood. This systematic review was therefore conducted to determine the prevalence of hypertension and its associated factors among healthcare workers.

Methods: The PubMed/Medline, Science Direct, and Google Scholar databases were searched for relevant literature. The review included studies published from 1990 to 2023 that provided information on the prevalence of hypertension and associated factors among healthcare workers. Titles and abstracts were used to review retrieved studies and full texts were screened for eligibility.

Results: A total of 21 studies were included in the review. The prevalence of hypertension among healthcare workers ranges from 13 to 40%. Several factors have been found to be associated with hypertension among healthcare workers, including male gender, being married, increasing age, increasing BMI, smoking, and workplace stress.

Conclusion: Healthcare workers are at a high risk of hypertension and pre-hypertension and implementing workplace wellness programs and providing regular blood pressure monitoring education can significantly improve their overall health outcomes.

Investigating the Relationship between Test Anxiety and Study Habits in Students: A Study in Southwest Iran

Pouriya Darabiyan — 2024-03-29

Introduction: Investigating students' study habits and exam anxiety leads to measuring their desired learning level. Therefore, this study was conducted with the aim of investigating the relationship between Test anxiety and study habits in students of Behbahan Faculty of Medical Sciences in 2021.

Methods: This research is of descriptive-correlation type, which is available by using a demographic information checklist, PSSHI study habits questionnaire, Test anxiety questionnaire (TAI), and sampling method. Its statistical population included all students of Behbahan Faculty of Medical Sciences. SPSS version 21 statistical software and descriptive and inferential statistical tests using independent t-tests, analysis of variance, and chi-square were used for data analysis.

Results: A total of 120 students participated in this research. Our results showed that students' test anxiety was mild and their study habits were relatively favorable and moderate.

Conclusion: The habit and skill of studying is one of the most important factors affecting the academic progress of students. Substitutes and effective study habits are very effective in minimizing test anxiety in better learning.

Are Covid-19 Diagnostic Tests being stopped in the Community? A Study in the Period from October 2022 to March 2024 in a General Medicine Office of Toledo (Spain)

Jose Luis Turabian — 2024-03-31

Background: Since the disappearance of the health alarm in many countries COVID-19 tests are carried out in health services only in certain situations, so people with symptoms in the community frequently opted to be tested at home, but it has been reported that the demand for tests has dramatically decreased.

Objective: Analyze the rate of COVID-19 tests carried out both in health services and at home by the patient and subsequently communicated to the General Practitioner.

Methodology: An observational, longitudinal, and prospective study of adult patients in general medicine from October 1, 2022, to March 1, 2024

Results: From October 2022 to March 2024 (18 months), 133 COVID-19 tests were recorded on a population of 2,000 people treated in the consultation, both carried out in the health services and in the patient's home and subsequently communicated to the GP. The COVID-19 test rate per semester with respect to the consultation population was progressively lower in a statistically significant way: 2.90% from October 2022 to March 2023, 2.15% from April 2023 to September 2023, and 1.60% from October 2023 to March 2024 (X2= 9.6768; p= .00792). The rate of positive versus negative COVID-19 tests per semester with respect to the total number of tests performed, showed significant differences: (71% positive and 29% negative from October 2022 to March 2023; 81% positive and 19% negative from April 2023 to September 2023; and 47% positive and 53% negative from October 2023 to March 2024; X2= 10.3636. p= .005618).

Conclusion: In the general practice setting in Toledo, Spain, from October 2022 to March 2024, a progressive and significant decrease in the number of COVID-19 tests performed both in health services and at home is observed. However this behavior seems to be supported by a lower positivity rate in the tests carried out. However, this may pose a risk to public health and people's behaviors, in addition to limiting diagnostic capacity.

Morphometric Study of the Canthal Parameters among the Isoko and Urhobo Ethnic Groups in Delta State, Nigeria

Okoro Ogheneyebrorue Godswill — 2024-03-31

Clinician geneticists, surgical reconstructive specialists, and anthropologists of the skull and face depend heavily on canthal measures, which vary from person to person. The aim of this research is to compare the canthal measurements of two different ethnic groups in Nigeria. The study's sample consisted of people living in the Nigerian cities of Udu and Oleh, ranging in age from 18 to 45. The inner and outer canthal distances, or ICD and OCD, were expressed in millimeters. The standard formula was used to calculate the Canthal Index (CI). The data were statistically examined using the independent sample t-test. In statistics, a p-value of 0.05 was used to assess significance. The results demonstrated the sexual dimorphism of the Urhobo ethnic group in terms of Outer Canthal Distance (OCD), with males having a significantly higher mean value and Isoko males having a higher insignificant mean value than Isoko females. Males had slightly higher mean ICDs than females in both ethnic groupings. There was no statistically significant difference between the OCD and ICD scores of Urhobo males and females compared to Isoko males and females despite Urhobo males and females having higher mean values. While Isoko males had greater insignificant CI values than Isoko females, Urhobo females had higher insignificant CI values overall. Urhobo and Isoko respondents' mean CI differences were statistically different.