Attitudes, beliefs and practice of Egyptian healthcare workers towards seasonal influenza vaccination

Attitudes, beliefs and practice of Egyptian healthcare workers towards seasonal influenza vaccination
 
Sally Adel Hakim (1), Wagdy Amin (2), Mohamed Farouk Allam (1,3), Asmaa M. Fathy (4), Amira Mohsen (5)
 
1. Department of Community, Environmental and Occupational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.
2. Ministry of Health and Population, Chest Directorate, National Tuberculosis Control Program, Cairo, Egypt.
3. Department of Family Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.
4. Community Medicine Department, National Research Centre, Cairo, Egypt.
5. World Health Organization Country Office, Cairo, Egypt.

Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses 2021;00:1-11 [First Published:  11 June 2021].
 
DOI: 10.1111/irv.12868
 
Abstract
 
Background: Seasonal influenza vaccination is highly recommended for healthcare workers (HCWs) every year to protect them and reduce the risk of disease transmission at workplaces. Relatively few studies addressed influenza vaccination in the Eastern Mediterranean Region. Objectives: The main objective of this study was to explore the attitudes, beliefs and practice of Egyptian HCWs towards seasonal influenza vaccine. Methods: This is a nationwide cross-sectional study. Data were collected through self-administered structured questionnaire. A sample of 3534 HCWs (physicians and nurses) was collected from different levels of healthcare facilities. Results: The proportion of seasonal influenza vaccine uptake during the last season was 30.7% while the percentage of ever vaccinated was 46.8%. The most identified reason for non-compliance was lack of trust about vaccine efficacy and its adverse events. Around 80% of participants expressed positive attitude towards influenza vaccine and the vast majority (98%) agreed to uptake the vaccine during pandemic. There was significant positive association between attitude score and influenza vaccine uptake. Raising awareness about vaccine and ensuring vaccine availability were the main suggestions by HCWs to improve vaccine uptake. Conclusions: Although there was positive attitude towards influenza vaccine, yet vaccination coverage was suboptimal particularly among those working in university hospitals. Educational messages and operational strategies addressing motivators and barriers that emerged from this study are needed to optimize vaccine uptake.
 
KEYWORDS: attitude, belief, cross sectional study, Egypt, healthcare workers, influenza vaccination, practice.
 
Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses 2021;00:1-11 [First Published:  11 June 2021].
 
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/irv.12868

Validity and feasibility of the self-assessment vitiligo extent score among Egyptian patients

Validity and feasibility of the self-assessment vitiligo extent score among Egyptian patients
 
Marwa Abdallah (1), Ahmed Nassar (1), Miriam Samir (1), Abd-Elrahman Reda (1), Aya Hassan (1), Moahmed F. Allam (2), Rania Mahmoud Elhusseiny (1)
 
1. Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Andrology, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University Hospital, Abbassia, Cairo, Egypt.
2. Depatment of Family Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University Hospital, Abbassia, Cairo, Egypt.
 
Indian Journal of Dermatology, Venereology and Leprology [Epub ahead of print: 2021-05-31]
 
DOI: 10.25259/IJDVL_498_20
 
Vitiligo extent score is one of the reliable instruments recently validated and used by physicians to assess the extent of non-segmental vitiligo. However, according to the World Health Organization, if the patients themselves could score the extent of their vitiligo, it could bring about the participation of the patients in assessing the prognosis of their disease. Self-assessment vitiligo extent score was previously validated in patients with fairer skin types allowing them to score their vitiligo extent in an easy way.
Further validation of the self-assessment vitiligo extent score on a different ethnic population (Middle East/North African), darker skin types with various cultural and educational levels would add to the generalisability of the new scoring system.
Our study showed that self-assessment vitiligo extent score demonstrated excellent feasibility and validity (highly significant correlation with vitiligo extent score) in an Egyptian patient population.
 
Keywords: Extent; feasibility; self-assessment; VES; SA-VES; vitiligo.
 
Abdallah M, Nassar A, Samir M, Reda A, Hassan A, Allam MF, et al. Validity and feasibility of the self-assessment vitiligo extent score among Egyptian patients. Indian J Dermatol Venereol Leprol doi: 10.25259/IJDVL_498_20
 
https://ijdvl.com/validity-and-feasibility-of-the-self-assessment-vitiligo-extent-score-among-egyptian-patients/

Is There a Benefit of Vitamin D Supplementation in Deficient Children and Adolescents Suffering from Obesity? A Meta-Analysis

Is There a Benefit of Vitamin D Supplementation in Deficient Children and Adolescents Suffering from Obesity? A Meta-Analysis

 

May Fouad Nassar (1), Ehab Khairy Emam (1), Mohamed Farouk Allam (2)

1. Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.

2. Department of Family Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.

 

Global Pediatric Health 2021;8:1-7 (First Published May 27, 2021)

DOI: 10.1177/2333794X211018352

 

Abstract

This systematic review/meta-analysis aims to highlight the effect of vitamin D supplementation in deficient children suffering from obesity. Published clinical studies on vitamin D supplementation in obese children and adolescents with vitamin D deficiency were identified through a comprehensive MEDLINE/PubMed search (from July 1966 to November 2017). Outcomes intended after vitamin D supplementation were improvements in vitamin D status, BMI alterations and appetite changes. The inclusion criteria were children aged 2 to 18 years of both sexes in clinical trials that specified the oral and/or intramuscular dose of vitamin D supplementation. Ten studies were retrieved, but only 6 were relevant. First, supplemented obese children and adolescents were compared to non[1]obese controls; thereafter, supplemented obese children and adolescents were compared to matching obese peers given placebo. Pooled risks from the 2 studies that evaluated the number of obese and non-obese children and adolescents who improved upon vitamin D supplementation revealed that obesity poses a risk for not benefiting from the vitamin D supplementation regardless of the dose and the duration of supplementation. Pooled results from the 6 retrieved studies that compared supplemented obese children and adolescents to matching non-obese or obese peers given placebo revealed significantly lower vitamin D levels in obese participants than in non-obese peers. Vitamin D levels are significantly lower in obese children and adolescents with obesity, posing a risk for not benefiting from vitamin D supplementation regardless of the dose and duration of supplementation.

 

Keywords: adolescents, children, clinical trials, obesity, supplementation, vitamin D.

 

Global Pediatric Health 2021;8:1-7 (First Published May 27, 2021)

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/2333794X211018352 

Effect of COVID-19 Lockdown on Young Egyptian Soccer Players

Effect of COVID-19 Lockdown on Young Egyptian Soccer Players
 
May Fouad Nassar (1), Mohamed Farouk Allam (2), Mennatallah Osama Shata (1).
1. Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.
2. Department of Family Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.
 
Global Pediatric Health [First Published May 8, 2021].
 
DOI: 10.1177/2333794X211012980
 
Abstract
The present study was designed to highlight the physical and psychological health hazards that a young Egyptian soccer team faced during the first COVID-19 wave lockdown. The study included 37 young Egyptian male soccer players. History taking and anthropometric measurements were taken. Two questionnaires were filled covering the athletes’` sleep habits and quality of life (QoL). Finally, the mothers were asked to fill in a questionnaire concerned with depression, anxiety, and stress. More than 50% of the enrolled athletes gained weight during the lockdown especially those without compliance to home exercises. The mothers’ anxiety score correlated positively with the increased body mass index (BMI) of the athletes. The athletes mean QoL Score worsened significantly and significant negative correlation was found between the increased BMI and the change of QoL. The increased BMI was significantly reported among the athletes who didn’t do home exercises and had a negative correlation with their QoL change throughout the lockdown. The mothers’ anxiety had a possible reflection on their youngsters’ weight gain. These findings highlight the need for weight control when outdoors physical activity is restricted during pandemics with better compliance to home exercising schedules and less screen time.
 
Keywords: athletes, BMI, COVID-19, depression, pandemic, quality of life.
 
Global Pediatric Health [First Published May 8, 2021].
 
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/2333794X211012980

ICU admission of COVID-19 patients: Identification of risk factors

ICU admission of COVID-19 patients: Identification of risk factors

Shaimaa H Fouad (1), Mohamed Farouk Allam (2), Sara Ibrahim (3), Ahmed Ashraf Okba (4), Sylvia W Roman (1), Amr Hosny (5) & Mayada Moneer (1)

 

1. Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.

2. Department of Family Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.

3. Department of Clinical Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.

4. Department of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.

5. Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.

 

Egyptian Journal of Anaesthesia 2021;37(1):202-207.

 

DOI: 10.1080/11101849.2021.191943

 

ABSTRACT

 

Background. The WHO has declared COVID-19 as a global pandemic with a rapidly increasing number of patients at a rate exceeding the limits of health-care resources. Some people seem to be at higher risk of worse prognosis and increased mortality. Identifying these vulnerable groups is a necessity.

 

Aim of study. To identify the risk factors associated with ICU admission in COVID-19 patients.

 

Methodology. We present a retrospective study where the clinical data of patients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 infection were collected from Ain-Shams University Isolation-Hospital records on admission from 10 April 2020 to 30 July 2020 to identify risk factors in patients requiring ICU admission during hospital stay.

 

Results. Of 323 subjects diagnosed by the RT-PCR as positive COVID-19, 62 (19.2%) of which were admitted at the ICU. The mean age of the subjects was 46.6 ± 16 years. Significant morbidities were associated with higher age groups (p value 0.000), smokers (p value 0.004), Cairo-residents (p value 0.009), being a health-care provider (p value 0.001) and hypertensive patients (p value 0.000).

 

Conclusions. Elderly, smokers, diabetic and hypertensive need further attention during disease course. Our results call for further investigations of risk factors for COVID-19 severity; preferably on large prospective cohorts, to increase their validity.

 

KEYWORDS: COVID-19; patient stratification; prognosis; hospital; ICU; severity; risk factors; COVID-19 vaccinations.

 

Egyptian Journal of Anaesthesia, 2021;37(1):202-207.

 

DOI: 10.1080/11101849.2021.191943

 

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/11101849.2021.1919433?needAccess=true