Proceedings of the International Conference on Public Health

INFECTION PREVENTION AND CONTROL TRAINING AMONG HEALTHCARE WORKERS: A SURVEY OF GAPS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE AT A NAMIBIAN HOSPITAL

Makhutsisa Charlotte Mokoatle — Thu, 23 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0530

Infection prevention and control is crucial in preventing the spread of infections in hospital settings and healthcare workers play a vital role in preventing such healthcare associated infections. However, globally, hospitals in low- and middle-income countries experience challenges in infection prevention and control. Such challenges shown in private hospitals to be attributed to a “lack of trained staff”, and insufficient information and technology support, which therefor necessitate research in public settings. A quantitative cross-sectional study was conducted at a hospital in Namibia using non-probability convenience sampling to recruit 118 healthcare workers as participants. The study looked to identify gaps in the training of healthcare workers in infection prevention and control at the hospital. A self-administered pre coded questionnaire with was used as the research instrument to collect data. Data collected was entered on a customised Microsoft excel spreadsheet before being exported to Statistical Package for Social Science version 28 for analysis. Notably, 23% of participants felt that they had not received enough training in infection prevention and control practices during their training as health professionals. A considerable 55.9% of participants did not receive training in infection prevention and control when they started working at the hospital. In addition, 53.4% of participants did not receive any training on proper selection and use of personal protective equipment. Significantly, 71.2% of participants did not receive any follow-up training in infection prevention and control at the hospital. The study findings highlight the need for improvement in programmes targeted at training of healthcare workers on infection prevention and control in hospitals. Such training remains critical during clinical practice whilst training to be healthcare professionals, at entry into healthcare service and continuously along the provision of healthcare service to curb and prevent the spread of infections amongst patients, healthcare workers themselves and visitors to the hospitals.

ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS AS PREDICTORS OF COVID-19 INFECTION, RECOVERY, AND DEATH RATES

Ade Heryana, Wiku Adisasmito, Cicilya Candi — Thu, 23 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0530

The Covid-19 pandemic provided lesson-learnt that ineffective epidemic control was took place when it is only prioritized on individual level and disregard the regional level. This research aims to identify the regional economic characteristics as a basis to districts/cities level pandemic control. This study analyzed infection, recovery, and death cases during the peak wave of the Delta variant on 26 May to 15 July 2021. Data were collected from 128 cities/districts of Java-Bali isles. Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) model was applied to investigate the correlation between intercorrelated health outcomes such as infection, recovery and death cases with regional economic characteristics. The results were divided into three economic characteristic domains that significantly affected the pandemic severity. Firstly, poverty characteristic as poor people density each 10.000 km² is prevention factor for infectious cases and risk factor for recovery cases. Second, income characteristics i.e. informal worker’s income and formal worker’s wage are the predictors for pandemic severity. Informal worker’s income is risk factor for infectious and death cases, meanwhile formal worker’s is prevention factor for death case. Third, industry characteristic significantly is the predictor for infection and recovery case. Infection case could be prevented by the regional characteristics involve workforce ratio, trade and service workforce, and middle-up enterprise. Recovery case could be prevented by workforce density characteristic and more in risky by trade and service workforce, and middle-up enterprise characteristics. This research provided the basic framework to determine non-pharmaceutical interventions as pandemic countermeasures including mobility and social interaction restriction, work from home, centralized isolation facilities, and empowering hospitalization and intensive-care resources.

Is Desirable Dietary Pattern (DDP) Related to Stunting in Indonesia? Analysis of Food Consumption Pattern based on DDP Score 2018-2022

Anggit Gantina — Tue, 31 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0530

Indonesia is still struggling with stunting as a public health problem. Food consumption patterns are one of the direct factors that influence nutritional problems. The unbalanced diet of Indonesian people yet, as indicated by the Desirable Dietary Pattern (DDP) score, potentially renders nutritional problems. The study aims to analyze the relationship between DDP score and stunting prevalence during 2018-2022 in Indonesia. This study was a quantitative study with a cross-sectional study design. This study used secondary data DDP scores from the National Food Agency and data on stunting prevalence among children aged 0−59 months from Basic Health Research 2018, Indonesia Child Nutrition Status Survey 2019, stunting prevalence published data 2020 from the Secretariat of the Vice President Indonesia and Indonesia Nutritional Status Survey 2021-2022. The DDP refers to a variety of food and nutrition intake that is calculated based on energy (calorie) consumption, the percentage of different food groups, and numerically stated as a score. The DDP score for a group of foods is calculated by multiplying the energy percentage of each food by a rating, and a higher DDP score indicates a more varied and nutritionally balanced diet. DDP score and stunting prevalence among children aged 0-59 months data were used in this study for five years, from 2018-2022. The results showed that the DDP score 2018-2022 was negatively correlated with stunting prevalence (p<0.05) by linear regression analysis. DDP score increase is related to reducing the prevalence of stunting. Increasing the quality of food consumption driven by increasing food affordability, healthy and nutritious food availability is an important factor in increasing DDP scores as an effort to reduce the prevalence of stunting

ASSESSING KNOWLEDGE OF TUCK SHOP OWNERS ON FOOD SAFETY IN RELATION TO HYGIENE, FOOD POISONING AND CERTIFICATE OF ACCEPTABILITY IN VOSLOORUS, CITY OF EKURHULENI, SOUTH AFRICA

Fun-one Caine — Tue, 31 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0530

Abstract

World Health Organization reported on the global burden of food-borne diseases by stating that the high death rates in regions such as Africa, has the highest burden of food-borne diseases per population. The incident that occurred in Soweto and other parts of South Africa over the safety of food being sold at tuck shops led to community uproar and panic. The primary objective of the study was to assess the knowledge of tuck shop owners on food safety in relation to hygiene, food poisoning and Certificate of Acceptability (CoA). A quantitative cross-sectional study was used. Participants without Certificate of Acceptability were included. A self-administered questionnaire was used for data collection. The study population was 324 with a sample size of 100%. Data was captured into Microsoft Excel and exported to Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) for analysis. Tuck shop owners with primary and secondary education were significantly likely to be knowledgeable about food safety (OR) 5.88, 95%CI (2.34-14.63), (OR) 1.72, 95%CI (0.89-3.39). Participants who were purchasing food products at a retail shop or food warehouse with a Certificate of Acceptability (n=227; 70.1%) were significantly likely to be knowledgeable about food safety. The participants that did not know food poisoning were significantly more likely males in both crude odds ratio12.03 95% CI (2.87-50.48) and adjusted analysis AOR 8.91, 95% CI (1.89-42.08). About (n=84; 25.9%) of participants did not believe most deaths are also caused by food poisoning from poor hygiene (OR 8.80 95% CI (2.68-28.91) and AOR 8.67, 95%CI (1.83-40.85). The study has shown that tuck shops can be a public health threat in the community due to lack of knowledge of tuck shop owners on food safety and food poisoning which could lead to food poisoning outbreaks and subsequently death.

COST-EFFECTIVENESS ANALYSIS OF ADJUVANT OSIMERTINIB IN RESECTED EGFR-MUTATED EARLY-STAGE NON-SMALL CELL LUNG CANCER IN THAILAND

Thu, 23 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0530

Lung cancer is the most common cancer and the leading cause of cancer death worldwide. One-third of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients are diagnosed in resectable stage, for which curative surgery is the cornerstone of treatment. Adjuvant osimertinib, a third-generation epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR TKI), was shown to significantly reduce recurrence and prolong survival for completely resected EGFR-mutated NSCLC. We performed a cost-effectiveness analysis of adjuvant osimertinib compared to placebo in patients with resected stage IB to IIIA EGFR-mutated NSCLC using Thailand’s societal perspective. A Markov model estimated the lifetime costs and health benefits of osimertinib versus placebo, including three health states: disease-free, recurrent disease, and death, tracked over a lifetime using 4-week cycles. Results were reported as 2023 USD incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) gained. The result showed that a virtual patient receiving osimertinib had 2.36 more QALYs than one receiving the placebo, at an incremental cost of 62,604.90 USD. Compared to the placebo group, treatment with adjuvant osimertinib had an ICER of 26,474.02 USD/QALY gained. Therefore, osimertinib was not cost-effective at the Thai willingness-to-pay (WTP) threshold of 4,619 USD/QALY gained. The drug price would need to be reduced by at least 85.07% for osimertinib to be cost-effective. In summary, adjuvant osimertinib for resected EGFR-mutated NSCLC patients is not cost-effective according to Thailand’s current WTP threshold. Negotiating drug costs and managed entry agreements could improve patient access to this effective treatment.

CROSS-SECTIONAL POPULATION STUDIES: PREVALENCE OF METABOLIC SYNDROME AND ASSOCIATED RISK FACTORS AMONG MEN IN INDONESIA

Kirana Anggraini — Thu, 23 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0530

: The prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) is rapidly increasing globally. An individual with MetS faces a fivefold increased risk of developing Type II diabetes (T2DM). Indonesia is positioned fifth among the ten countries with the highest prevalence of diabetes patients globally. Diabetes mellitus is a chronic illness that ranks third in mortality in Indonesia. Men with prediabetes have a greater susceptibility to developing T2DM attributable to diminished insulin sensitivity compared to women. This research aimed to ascertain the prevalence and risk factors of MetS among males in Indonesia. The study employed a cross-sectional design involving 9,220 men aged 15 to 97 years, sourced from RISKESDAS 2018. MetS is defined based on 3 criteria (JIS, NCEP/ATPIII, IDF). The risk factors for MetS include body mass index, smoking index, physical activity, alcohol use, intake of unhealthy foods, and consumption of fruits and vegetables. Data analysis with the Chi-square test and multiple logistic regression. The highest prevalence of MetS was recorded using JIS criteria at 19.5%, followed by NCEP/ATP III and IDF criteria at 10.7% and 11.0%, respectively. The prevalence of MetS and its components rises with advancing age. Factors associated with MetS were ages 30-79 years, overweight status, Grade 1 obesity, Grade 2 obesity, Grade 3 obesity, a smoking index of 200-400, a smoking index > 400, moderate physical activity, and poor physical activity. Temuan penelitian ini akan membantu merancang program pencegahan untuk mengendalikan peningkatan prevalensi MetS pada pria di Indonesia.

RISK FACTORS OF PULMONARY TUBERCULOSIS IN CHILDREN (0-14 YEARS): SYSTEMATIC LITERATURE REVIEW

Thu, 23 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0530

Pulmonary tuberculosis poses a major global health challenge, particularly among children. Accurate and early diagnosis is critical for effective treatment, yet diagnosing pulmonary tuberculosis in children is often complicated by their nonspecific clinical symptoms and the difficulties in collecting samples. This study aims to identify the risk factors and comorbidities associated with tuberculosis in children. The research methodology employed is a systematic literature review (SLR), with data gathered by documenting all relevant international journal articles sourced from four databases such as Google Scholar, PubMed, Scopus, and ProQuest. During the review process using the PRISMA Flow Diagram, only 7 of the 152 records were initially identified after applying inclusion and exclusion criteria. Key results reveal that HIV infection greatly increases the risk of tuberculosis in children due to weakened immune systems. Malnutrition is another significant factor, with undernourished children facing a much higher risk of contracting tuberculosis. Breastfeeding practices were also found to influence tuberculosis rates, with improper practices associated with higher incidences. Additionally, a history of contact with tuberculosis patients and lower socioeconomic status were found to increase the likelihood of developing the disease. Vitamin D deficiency was also identified as a potential factor influencing tuberculosis outcomes in children. This study highlights several key risk factors for pediatric pulmonary tuberculosis. Tackling these issues through comprehensive healthcare measures could improve early detection and targeted interventions, so it has better health outcomes for children at risk. The government's policy strategy regarding End TB 2030 is also the basis for what must be done immediately to prevent an increase in pulmonary tuberculosis mortality rates.

PERCEPTIONS, USES, AND BENEFITS OF HERBAL MEDICINES IN TREATING UTERINE FIBROIDS AMONG BLACK WOMEN IN SOUTH AFRICA

Njabulo Mbanda — Thu, 23 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0530

Studies on racial disparity of uterine fibroids (UFs) indicate that Black women are three times more at risk of being diagnosed than other racial groups. Yet most available trusted medical treatments for UFs and public health policy overlook this common illness as well as the needs of Black women. This study examines the perceptions, uses and benefits of herbal medicines used for the treatment of UFs amongst South African women. Online testimonies and reviews from clients were retrieved from the suppliers' online pages (n=60) and social media platforms: Instagram (n=6) and TikTok (n=18). Data analysed through thematic analysis revealed seven themes. i.e. i): regulating the menstrual cycle, ii)' relief from unpleasant menstrual symptoms', iii) 'proof that the medicines are working -confirmed by a medical practitioner', iv) 'proof that the medicines are working confirmed by medical practitioner', v)' reasons for using herbal medicines', vi)' time lapse before feeling the effects of the herbal medicines and vii)' other female reproductive benefits'. Women appreciate the ability of herbal medicines to relieve menstrual pains, regulate the cycle, and improve overall sexual reproductive health. However, the research gaps in ascertaining herbal medicines' efficacy still need to be addressed. Further studies are required to investigate the correlation between reduced symptomology, a placebo effect, the mechanism of action and the associated safety profile of herbal medicines.

THE EFFECTIVENESS OF SAFE WORK PERMIT SYSTEM TRAINING IN IMPROVING WORKPLACE SAFETY UNDERSTANDING: PRE-POST TEST INTERVENTION STUDY

Marta Rinza — Thu, 23 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0530

Applying the Safe Work Permit System (SIKA) training is one approach to reduce the number of accidents. Before implementation, SIKA training is crucial as it lays the groundwork for field implementation, followed by a supervision process, weekly audits, and monthly reviews. The SIKA training material provided consists of six material modules, namely SIKA basics, organization-role-responsibility, risk assessment, permit-to-work, audit, and energy isolation. This study adopts an intervention method by providing training designed to evaluate the effectiveness of training in improving participants' understanding of work safety. It aims to evaluate the effectiveness of SIKA training in improving workers' understanding of safety. We used a quantitative approach to conduct a statistical analysis of the collected data, which involved a total of 187 participants divided into 8 training batches. This study employed the paired T-test as its statistical test. The paired sample test's significance value of 0.001, smaller than alpha, leads to the rejection of H0 and the acceptance of H1. Safe Work Permit System Training has a significant impact on improving understanding of work safety. The number of participants who were above the passing grade when the pre-test was only 42 participants (22.46%) increased dramatically to 144 participants (77.01%). SIKA training shows its effectiveness in improving understanding of work safety through a significant increase in results between pre-test and post-test results. However, we need to implement individual monitoring and evaluation after training to close the understanding gap.

BARRIERS AND SUPPORT SYSTEMS FOR EXCLUSIVE BREASTFEEDING AMONG WORKING MOTHERS IN INDONESIA: A SOCIO-CULTURAL AND POLICY PERSPECTIVE

Ni Wayan Dian Ekayanthi, Besral — Thu, 23 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0530

Despite the well-documented health benefits of breastfeeding for both mothers and infants, reintegration into the workforce postpartum presents a significant challenge. WHO (2023) stated that only 20% of countries worldwide require employers to provide paid maternity leave and facilities for breastfeeding or expressing breast milk. A rapidly growing female labor force participation rate exceeding 38.98% in Indonesia makes fostering supportive workplace environments critical. This study investigates the role of workplace social support in promoting breastfeeding practices among working mothers in Indonesia. This qualitative literature review employed Scopus, Science Direct, ProQuest, Google Scholar, and Crossref to understand essential forms of workplace breastfeeding social support, through the keywords “social support" and “exclusive breastfeeding” and workplace and "working mothers" and Indonesia. A comprehensive search of relevant databases yielded 1145 articles. Through a rigorous selection process, 23 articles were identified, published between 2012 and May 2024, comprising 11 quantitative and 12 qualitative studies. The primary barriers to breastfeeding in the workplace are: 1) lack of lactation facilities, 2) insufficient workplace support, and 3) unsupportive workplace policies. The review identified three crucial categories of workplace social support: informational support (providing access to lactation consultants, educational materials, and current information), instrumental support (implementing formalized breastfeeding policies, dedicated lactation facilities, extended maternity leave, flexible work arrangements, workload adjustments, and childcare options near workplaces), and peer support (facilitating participation in breastfeeding support groups and fostering communication networks among mothers). By implementing comprehensive social support, workplaces can empower working mothers to provide breast milk for their infants. Workplaces should provide dedicated facilities and resources to support mothers in nursing or expressing breast milk, fostering an environment that promotes exclusive breastfeeding among working mothers. Limitation: this article is a secondary review that relies on the quality of existing studies, although the studies were conducted through a rigorous selection process.

PREVALENCE AND RISK FACTORS OF COMPUTER VISION SYNDROME AMONG UNIVERSITY STUDENTS DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY

Bukola Oluwarinde, Nonhlanhla Tlotleng, Vusumuzi Nkosi — Thu, 23 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0530

Online schooling and prolonged screen time can cause eye strain, dry eyes, watery eyes, itching, and headaches in college students. This study investigates how spending more time on screens during online classes affects the eye health of university students in South Africa. The study involved 349 university students attending online classes during the COVID lockdown. Data were collected via questionnaires, and univariate and multiple logistic regression analyses were used to evaluate association strengths. The prevalence of Computer Vision Syndrome among students was 68%, a higher prevalence of CVS was found among female students (63%) compared to male students (37%). Results from the adjusted model showed that female students were more likely to report CVS than male students (OR = 1.70, 95% CI: 1.07-2.67, p=0.023). Students within the age group 26-35 were less likely to report CVS as compared to students within the age group 18-25 (OR = 0.40, 95% CI: 0.22-0.72, p =0.002). Postgraduate students were less likely to report CVS than undergraduate students (OR = 0.41, 95% CI: 0.25-0.67, P <0.001). Students with more than one gadget were more likely to report having CVS, 2 gadgets (OR = 2.73, 95% CI: 1.32-5.62, p=0.007) and >2 gadgets (OR = 2.47, 95% CI: 0.99-6.14, P= 0.005). Students with family history of eye-defect were more likely to report eye defect (OR = 2.59, 95% CI: 1.53-4.38. P<0.001). CVS has a high prevalence amongst university students. Frequent pauses during screen use using customized apps or the 20-20-20 rule (to focus on 20 feet every 20 minutes for 20 seconds) should be performed by students while using their gadgets.

YOUTH TUBERCULOSIS TROOPS: MOBILIZING CASE FINDING FOR TB ELIMINATION IN INDONESIA

Rulliana Agustin, Dumilah Ayuningtyas, Adang Bachtiar; Shania Nursiah Hasri — Thu, 23 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0530

This research explores the role of adolescents in tuberculosis (TB) prevention through the Laskar TB (Youth Tuberculosis Troops) program in Indonesia. A qualitative research design was employed, with data collected from 52 adolescent volunteers and committee members of the organization through in-depth interviews and focus group discussions. The study highlights the success of the “Goes To School” program, which effectively increased adolescents’ knowledge about TB and empowered them to become health advocates by disseminating information within their communities. The study also examined the recruitment methods used to attract participants, noting that a combination of formal and informal approaches proved to be effective in engaging youth. However, challenges were identified in sustaining member participation, as many adolescents did not consistently engage in the program’s activities. Despite these challenges, the study concludes that engaging adolescents as active participants and change agents in health education can significantly contribute to raising awareness about TB and advancing the goal of TB elimination. The findings suggest that youth-led initiatives, when properly structured and supported, can play a crucial role in community-based health interventions.