I have read and reviewed the article titled, “Impact of a mass media campaign on breast cancer symptoms awareness and screening uptake in Malaysia: findings from a quasi-experimental study.” I would like to congratulate the authors on such a successful article and make some recommendations.
Your introduction was very strong, and your problem statement was clearly articulated. In the article, the impact on media campaigns had improved awareness about some breast cancer symptoms through mass media platforms. It was good that you displayed the high mortality rates within various years due to late detection. It was also good that you showed the correlation between the- high incidence of late detection and how mass media campaigns can improve awareness due to their lack of it in Malaysia; while also making recommendations such as nationwide education programs. For example, your statement, “in high-income countries, mass media campaigns have improved symptoms awareness and increased the number of BC referrals” along with other statements proved that mass media campaigns are effective in the promotion of awareness of breast cancer.
I agree with your statement, “there appears to be a need for mass media campaigns to be tailored to particular subpopulations or hard-to-reach subgroups, especially in the context of multicultural societies.” Hence, there is improvement needed in terms of your campaign reach. Consider aiming to in...
I have read and reviewed the article titled, “Impact of a mass media campaign on breast cancer symptoms awareness and screening uptake in Malaysia: findings from a quasi-experimental study.” I would like to congratulate the authors on such a successful article and make some recommendations.
Your introduction was very strong, and your problem statement was clearly articulated. In the article, the impact on media campaigns had improved awareness about some breast cancer symptoms through mass media platforms. It was good that you displayed the high mortality rates within various years due to late detection. It was also good that you showed the correlation between the- high incidence of late detection and how mass media campaigns can improve awareness due to their lack of it in Malaysia; while also making recommendations such as nationwide education programs. For example, your statement, “in high-income countries, mass media campaigns have improved symptoms awareness and increased the number of BC referrals” along with other statements proved that mass media campaigns are effective in the promotion of awareness of breast cancer.
I agree with your statement, “there appears to be a need for mass media campaigns to be tailored to particular subpopulations or hard-to-reach subgroups, especially in the context of multicultural societies.” Hence, there is improvement needed in terms of your campaign reach. Consider aiming to influence those difficult to reach subgroups (subpopulations and multicultural societies) by going into the communities itself because it may be unsuccessful to reach them by mass media campaigns alone.
Additionally, I supposed it was good that you viewed breast cancer from a local perspective, considering the need for awareness and screening in Malaysia. However, the implications of screening should be considered. According to one study, they point out that breast cancer screening can have unfavourable effects and that the public must understand the process of screening exams and the risks of breast cancer screening because most often women only know about the screening but not the risks associated with examinations (Siddhapura, 2016).
While the impact of mass media campaigns on the awareness of breast cancer is greatly effective and has great advantages for the public, it poses disadvantages as well. It is good to consider the already diagnosed women with breast cancer. According to Rees and Bath (2000), it was indicated that many breast cancer participants found mass media sources such as magazines to be frightening and depressing due to their current condition of breast cancer. Therefore, it is important that editors of mass media sources consider these women, become aware of such dichotomy, and provide more precise, truthful and less exaggerated information about breast cancer (Rees & Bath, 2000).
Moreover, previous studies indicated that mammography, most common type of screening is associated with a small amount of radiation, which can be harmful. It was also indicated that screening procedures may pose a risk of false alarm, in which the mammography detects an abnormality that looks like cancer but turns out to be benign. BC screenings also poses a risk for interval cancers and overdiagnosis (Heywang-Kobrunner et al., 2011).
It is essential to consider both aspects when performing a mass media campaign and that it would be a lot better for the positive BC individuals and the general public.
Dear Editor,
I found your article very informative. I completely agree that most weight loss programs today and, in the past, have tend to focus mostly on eating healthy and exercise, which may be important when it comes to short term weight loss goals and maintenance. However some health and fitness programs have started to integrate the social aspect of weight loss into their programs.
Outland (2010) agrees that weight loss and maintenance should focus less on counting calories and exercising and approach the process of weight loss holistically. Outland adds that giving more attention to achieving and maintaining and individual’s homeostasis would lead to a successful weight loss journey. From a holistic perspective “best health” can be achieved only when homeostasis is maintained (Outland, 2010).
As your research pointed out, obesity can be influenced by physical, emotional and social components of an individual’s everyday life. Therefore, weight loss and weight maintenance should be approached holistically. A 2018 study carried out by the Inter-American Development Bank found that overweight and obesity is rising among all age groups in The Bahamas. With obesity being a growing problem here in the Bahamas, approaching wellness and weight loss holistically, giving more attention to social relationships and meaningful activities, may lead to better successful completion of weight loss programs and overall wellness.
Dear Editor,
I found your article very informative. I completely agree that most weight loss programs today and, in the past, have tend to focus mostly on eating healthy and exercise, which may be important when it comes to short term weight loss goals and maintenance. However some health and fitness programs have started to integrate the social aspect of weight loss into their programs.
Outland (2010) agrees that weight loss and maintenance should focus less on counting calories and exercising and approach the process of weight loss holistically. Outland adds that giving more attention to achieving and maintaining and individual’s homeostasis would lead to a successful weight loss journey. From a holistic perspective “best health” can be achieved only when homeostasis is maintained (Outland, 2010).
As your research pointed out, obesity can be influenced by physical, emotional and social components of an individual’s everyday life. Therefore, weight loss and weight maintenance should be approached holistically. A 2018 study carried out by the Inter-American Development Bank found that overweight and obesity is rising among all age groups in The Bahamas. With obesity being a growing problem here in the Bahamas, approaching wellness and weight loss holistically, giving more attention to social relationships and meaningful activities, may lead to better successful completion of weight loss programs and overall wellness.
References
Jessen-Winge, C., Ilvig, P. M., Thilsing, T., Lee, K., Fritz, H., & Christensen, J. R. (2020). Health professionals’ perceptions of weight loss programmes and recommendations for future implementation: a qualitative study. BMJ Open, 10(11), e039667. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2020-039667
Cleo, G., Hersch, J., & Thomas, R. (2018). Participant experiences of two successful habit-based weight-loss interventions in Australia: a qualitative study. BMJ Open, 8(5), e020146. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2017-020146
The purpose of this article was to analyze transition programs in order to assess what is being done about the bullying, violence, and high-stress situations that new graduate nurses endure when transitioning to the workplace. The study seeks to disseminate newfound information to educators, clinical practitioners, managers, and nurse preceptors to start a productive conversation on the topic and encourage change. It is an important and very relevant topic to discuss as the mistreatment of NGNs is highly related to the high turnover rates and poor retention rates in many health care facilities. Though the transitional programs have been noted to be affected in improving retention rate by preparing students to take their skills from theory to practice, nursing students and new graduate nurses still suffer at the hands of experienced nurses, nursing managers, and colleagues. This issue contributes to the nursing shortage which is an international issue in nursing.
As a student nurse who has experienced this type of animosity during practicums and internships, the outcome of this study seems essential. The nurses-eat-their-young mentality is very prevalent in many healthcare settings and it can deter nurses from wanting to remain in the field. NGNs are trained on how to operate within their new work environment but are not prepared for the hostility that is doled out by their supposed co-workers and superiors. This can deplete retention rates as the...
The purpose of this article was to analyze transition programs in order to assess what is being done about the bullying, violence, and high-stress situations that new graduate nurses endure when transitioning to the workplace. The study seeks to disseminate newfound information to educators, clinical practitioners, managers, and nurse preceptors to start a productive conversation on the topic and encourage change. It is an important and very relevant topic to discuss as the mistreatment of NGNs is highly related to the high turnover rates and poor retention rates in many health care facilities. Though the transitional programs have been noted to be affected in improving retention rate by preparing students to take their skills from theory to practice, nursing students and new graduate nurses still suffer at the hands of experienced nurses, nursing managers, and colleagues. This issue contributes to the nursing shortage which is an international issue in nursing.
As a student nurse who has experienced this type of animosity during practicums and internships, the outcome of this study seems essential. The nurses-eat-their-young mentality is very prevalent in many healthcare settings and it can deter nurses from wanting to remain in the field. NGNs are trained on how to operate within their new work environment but are not prepared for the hostility that is doled out by their supposed co-workers and superiors. This can deplete retention rates as the work environment becomes unconducive.
According to Bakon et al. (2018), “In general graduate programs aim to improve practice by identifying weaknesses and therefore improve professional skill development, improving clinical competence and confidence and assisting with socialization and integration into the clinical nursing environment”. Their study also analyzed these transitional programs and a section of its analysis content was dedicated to the importance of mentorship. It was found that Registered Nurses saw guidance of the novice nurses as an unwanted responsibility on top of their heavy patient care load. Many times this can breed resentment toward the new nurses as they become associated with more work rather than more help. Due to them having trained extensively, they (NGNs) are expected to be a relief to the health care team, not a burden of excesses handholding and stress. Thus, the high-stress environment does weigh on all parties. However, many of these programs do not address this problem, so Alshawush et al. may seek to explore that avenue.
By using already established tools to analyze the programs the authors achieve a sense of validity in their results. However, the tool used may not be as flexible to the needs of the research and may generalize the data attained.
A recommendation would be for the authors to encourage transitioning programs to incorporate a seminar for nurses who already apart of the workforce to attend. This seminar would be conducted within the last month before transition programs for NGNs would end. This will allow nurses to get a refresher course on proper workplace behavior, discuss violence and bullying in the workplace and how it can harm the system as a whole, as well how to be an encouraging and helping force for NGNs to guide them whilst entering this new environment.
References
Bakon, S., Craft, J., Wirihana, L., Christensen, M., Barr, J., Tsai, L. (2018). An integrative review of graduate transition programs: Developmental considerations for nursing management. Nurse Education in Practice, 28, 80-85. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nepr.2017.10.009
This response is in relation to the captured article above published on April 2, 2019. I would like to firstly express how your research is very detailed and informative. While reading the study, I understood the importance and effectiveness of providing community-based Hypertension improvement projects to assist in controlling high blood pressure. Over the years there has been a rapid increase in the number of persons diagnosed with Hypertension and as a result, it has become a major public health burden. The statistical evidence presented in this study about blood pressure in Ghana indicates the need for innovative methods for hypertension management.
The main outcome of the research which is concerned with hypertension control and alterations in diastolic blood pressure and systolic blood pressure was accomplished. The research revealed there was a decrease in blood pressure as well as an increase in hypertension management from patients who remained in the program for 6 or 12 months. However, similar to other studies the main challenge with community-based improvement projects is poor levels of follow-up or adherence to clinic appointments. In a study conducted by Aje and Olamide (2017) it revealed that 16.7% of hypertensive patients missed more than 30% of scheduled medical appointments. According to the authors, some of the causes for missed clinical appointments were due to forgetfulness, insufficient funds for transportation, and overlapping obligations. It i...
This response is in relation to the captured article above published on April 2, 2019. I would like to firstly express how your research is very detailed and informative. While reading the study, I understood the importance and effectiveness of providing community-based Hypertension improvement projects to assist in controlling high blood pressure. Over the years there has been a rapid increase in the number of persons diagnosed with Hypertension and as a result, it has become a major public health burden. The statistical evidence presented in this study about blood pressure in Ghana indicates the need for innovative methods for hypertension management.
The main outcome of the research which is concerned with hypertension control and alterations in diastolic blood pressure and systolic blood pressure was accomplished. The research revealed there was a decrease in blood pressure as well as an increase in hypertension management from patients who remained in the program for 6 or 12 months. However, similar to other studies the main challenge with community-based improvement projects is poor levels of follow-up or adherence to clinic appointments. In a study conducted by Aje and Olamide (2017) it revealed that 16.7% of hypertensive patients missed more than 30% of scheduled medical appointments. According to the authors, some of the causes for missed clinical appointments were due to forgetfulness, insufficient funds for transportation, and overlapping obligations. It is important that community-based improvement projects for Hypertension management take into consideration the follow-up rate to ensure effective public health impact in blood pressure control.
I agree with the study regarding appropriate incentives should be put in place to keep program staff fully engaged and avoid program fatigue. Incentives are powerful levers that can be utilized by companies to recruit, maintain, inspire, satisfy, and optimize employee efficiency (Guidelines: Incentives for health professionals, 2008). Community health programs rely heavily on public involvement if nurses and other members of the team are actively working to motivate and encourage persons to engage in the program it can become draining resulting in fatigue. Program coordinators should consider financial or non-financial incentives in order to boost performance outcomes and keep the staff motivated.
This timely research gave insight into the effectiveness of community-based improvement projects and also identified challenges and ways to improve them so that they can bring about the most impact on public health.
References
Aje, A., & Olamide, O. (n.d.). Missed medical appointment among hypertensive and diabetic outpatients in a tertiary healthcare facility in Ibadan, Nigeria. Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research, 16(6), 1417-1424. doi:10.4314/tjpr.v16i6.28
Guidelines: Incentives for health professionals. (2008). https://www.who.int/workforceallia nce/document s/Incentives_Guidelines%20EN.pdf.
Ashara McQueen, Nursing Student, The University of The Bahamas
As it relates to the above mentioned article that was published on March 29th 2020 in Volume10, Issue 3 on BMJ Open. I found that this was a very interesting article as it relates to age related changes of older adults, that will most definitely spark the interest of those involved in gerontology and geriatric research. As I read this article, it is evident that frailty can be associated with disability among dwelling older adults. I agree with the author that although frailty and disability may intertwine thus their concepts are absolutely different. This judgement can simply be gathered based on the definitions that were provided and stated explicitly as it relates to the term’s frailty and disability. However, there are factors that are strongly associated with frailty and disability such as socioeconomic status, ethnicity and life style.
Furthermore, the results from this study shows the prevalence of more than half of the percentage of older frail adults displayed greater instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) while the remaining smaller percentage displayed greater basic activities of daily living (BADL). In addition, high count of IADL limitations were associated with being frail.
Other authors conducted a study on prevalence of frailty among dwelling older adults and their sociodemographic factors associated with frailty. Kendhapedi and Devasenapathy (2019), found a high sign...
Ashara McQueen, Nursing Student, The University of The Bahamas
As it relates to the above mentioned article that was published on March 29th 2020 in Volume10, Issue 3 on BMJ Open. I found that this was a very interesting article as it relates to age related changes of older adults, that will most definitely spark the interest of those involved in gerontology and geriatric research. As I read this article, it is evident that frailty can be associated with disability among dwelling older adults. I agree with the author that although frailty and disability may intertwine thus their concepts are absolutely different. This judgement can simply be gathered based on the definitions that were provided and stated explicitly as it relates to the term’s frailty and disability. However, there are factors that are strongly associated with frailty and disability such as socioeconomic status, ethnicity and life style.
Furthermore, the results from this study shows the prevalence of more than half of the percentage of older frail adults displayed greater instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) while the remaining smaller percentage displayed greater basic activities of daily living (BADL). In addition, high count of IADL limitations were associated with being frail.
Other authors conducted a study on prevalence of frailty among dwelling older adults and their sociodemographic factors associated with frailty. Kendhapedi and Devasenapathy (2019), found a high significant rate of fear of falling and falling associated with frailty among older people. Furthermore, South India prevalence of frailty among older people were high when compared to low-income and middle-income countries. The authors in this article also investigated the prevalence of frailty and prefrailty among community-dwelling older adults in low-income and middle-income countries. Siriwardhana et al. (2018), found that prevalence of frailty and prefrailty were higher in community-dwelling older adults in upper middle-income countries in comparison with high income countries among dwelling older people.
Overall, I found this study to be profound as it focuses on the association of frailty and disability on dwelling older people as mentioned. It provides information that is useful pertaining to age related changes and those factors that are associated with it. Also noting, that older adults either experience both frailty and disability or one or the other. Since older adults are of a vulnerable group, effective measures should be in place to protect the physical and mental health of older adults. Thus allowing for future prevention and intervention as it relates to frailty and disability. In addition, efficient and effective interventions can delay frailty among older people that can reduce the mortality and morbidity rate.
References
Kendhapedi KK & Devasenapathy N. (2019). Prevalence and factors associated with frailty among community-dwelling older people in rural Thanjavur district of South India: a cross-sectional study. British Medical Journal, 9 (10), 1-9. https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/9/10/e032904
Siriwardhana DD, Hardoon S, Rait G, et al. (2018). Prevalence of frailty and prefrailty among community-dwelling older adults in low-income and middle-income countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis. British Medical Journal, 8(3), 1-17. https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/8/3/e018195
1. thank you for your interest in the study and the findings of this study and your recommendation that it should influence countries to enact smoke-free air laws to aid in the reduction of health effects of secondhand smoke cases as these laws are conclusively effective.
2 . Just wanted to let you know that all the exemptions in the law were not added by public health authorities. The public health department and advocates are working so hard to remove these exemptions. Now and because of COVID19 casinos were closed, and it was recommended that when they open back should open smoke free.
3. I totally agree with you that chefs specifically those who work in a grilling like environment should wear a protective masks to reduce the amount of particulate matter inhaled from that environment.
Letter to the editor:
In correspondence to your article Impact of transition programmes for students and new graduate nurses on workplace bullying, violence, stress and resilience: a scoping review protocol published on the October 9, 2020. I would firstly, like to commend you on such a well written, informative, educational article. I myself enjoyed reviewing this article, being a 4th year nursing student attending the university of the Bahamas school of nursing. As an almost graduate nursing student reading this article informed me of the reasoning for internship and residency in the nursing school, and it’s purpose to prepare Newly graduated nurses(NGN’s) for the work field experience. This article aimed to focus on the importance of internship and residency preparing graduate nursing students for the workplace,bullying, violence, stress and resilience (Alshawush, et.al,2020). However, results from this research study indicated that Internships and residency may prepare graduate students for the work field but, not for the expectance of violence and bullying from staff.As a nursing student I agree on the article theory that internship does not prepare you for the bullying that senior nurses and staff subjects newly graduated nurses to. From experience, the term “nurses eat their young “ has been subjected to become a new reality as senior nurses who are suppose to guide, and support the younger nurses transitioning, bully, and mistreat them instead.Similarly, An...
Letter to the editor:
In correspondence to your article Impact of transition programmes for students and new graduate nurses on workplace bullying, violence, stress and resilience: a scoping review protocol published on the October 9, 2020. I would firstly, like to commend you on such a well written, informative, educational article. I myself enjoyed reviewing this article, being a 4th year nursing student attending the university of the Bahamas school of nursing. As an almost graduate nursing student reading this article informed me of the reasoning for internship and residency in the nursing school, and it’s purpose to prepare Newly graduated nurses(NGN’s) for the work field experience. This article aimed to focus on the importance of internship and residency preparing graduate nursing students for the workplace,bullying, violence, stress and resilience (Alshawush, et.al,2020). However, results from this research study indicated that Internships and residency may prepare graduate students for the work field but, not for the expectance of violence and bullying from staff.As a nursing student I agree on the article theory that internship does not prepare you for the bullying that senior nurses and staff subjects newly graduated nurses to. From experience, the term “nurses eat their young “ has been subjected to become a new reality as senior nurses who are suppose to guide, and support the younger nurses transitioning, bully, and mistreat them instead.Similarly, Andrew’s and D’ambra, (2013) discovered that newly qualified nurses experience high levels of stress, anxiety and feelings of isolation from senior nurses during the transitional phase. Nonetheless, senior nurses are suppose to make graduate nurses feel welcomed when transition but, they find it hard to invite the newly graduates as beginners. Speaking from experience it is not an easy task as a nursing student working amongst senior nurses. Although internship programs are created to bridge the gap between academic preparations and and clinical practice (Alshawush, et.al,2020) it does not prepare student nurses for the reality of different type of attitudes and bullying.This, intimidates newly graduated nurses increaseing the nurse turn over percentage.There is a known shortage in the nursing profession therefore, it is important to try and retain NGN’s. This evolving issue can be resolved by using many different strategies. One recommendation may be to educate the NGN’s about the reality of the bullying that occurs in the workplace. This can prepare nursing students on what to expect, just as internship would teach them how to prepare for the clinical area.
References
Alshawush, K.,Hallett, N., Bradbury-Jones, C. (2020).Impact of transition programmed for student and new graduate nurses on workplace bullying, violence, stress, and resilience: a scoping review protocol. BMJ Open, 10(10), e038893.https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2020-038893
D’ambra, A. M., & Andrew’s, D. R. (2013). Incivility, retention and new graduate nurses: An integrated review of the literature. Journal of Nursing Management, 22(6), 735-742. https://dpi.org/10.1111/jonm.12060
This response is in relation to the above captioned article published on May 4, 2017. Firstly, I must express how intriguing the research is. As I read the article, I became more aware of some of the negative effects that alopecia has on persons living with this autoimmune disease.
This study revealed that even though persons living with alopecia may chose to wear wigs to prevent negative reactions from others and boost their confidence, wearing wigs also causes negative reactions. With the socially constructed notion of beauty standards, I understand why persons may feel uncomfortable in social settings without a wig. Moreover, the study also shows that living with alopecia can cause depression, anxiety, and social anxiety.
This research shows the correlation between hair and self-esteem. Like mentioned in the study other research shows that wearing wigs as a form of the treatment modalities in severe alopecia areata, can improve quality of life in patients with alopecia areata by enhancing their self-esteem and social adjustment (Park, Kim, Park, Yun, & Kim, 2018). Additionally, the results of this study show the correlation of persons diagnosed with alopecia and the psychological effects associated with the autoimmune disease.
While I do agree that the need for psychological interventions is needed, it should be noted that many persons living with alopecia may not want therapy but rather a cure. As (De Zoya, 2013) states the...
This response is in relation to the above captioned article published on May 4, 2017. Firstly, I must express how intriguing the research is. As I read the article, I became more aware of some of the negative effects that alopecia has on persons living with this autoimmune disease.
This study revealed that even though persons living with alopecia may chose to wear wigs to prevent negative reactions from others and boost their confidence, wearing wigs also causes negative reactions. With the socially constructed notion of beauty standards, I understand why persons may feel uncomfortable in social settings without a wig. Moreover, the study also shows that living with alopecia can cause depression, anxiety, and social anxiety.
This research shows the correlation between hair and self-esteem. Like mentioned in the study other research shows that wearing wigs as a form of the treatment modalities in severe alopecia areata, can improve quality of life in patients with alopecia areata by enhancing their self-esteem and social adjustment (Park, Kim, Park, Yun, & Kim, 2018). Additionally, the results of this study show the correlation of persons diagnosed with alopecia and the psychological effects associated with the autoimmune disease.
While I do agree that the need for psychological interventions is needed, it should be noted that many persons living with alopecia may not want therapy but rather a cure. As (De Zoya, 2013) states the extent to which a person may engage in psychotherapy may depend on the convincing ability of the dermatologist. A cure would provide a permanent solution to their problems and may deter the feelings of anxiety and depression as it was stated in your research that the wearing of wigs can increase or cause these feelings regardless. You also mentioned in your results that wearing a wig increased the likelihood of the participants constantly worrying if others noticed it was a wig or the wig coming off which further proves that a cure would be much preferred over psychological interventions. With the stigma surrounded with hair and the effects it can have on those suffering from hair loss, this intriguing study offers an insight of the negative effects hair loss has on persons. Additionally, it should be noted that since there is no known cause for alopecia a notable recommendation would be to explore the exact causes of alopecia which may help to produce a cure. This intriguing study may help to increase further research regarding the topic.
Dear Editor:
This is a response to the article Household Sanitation personal Hygiene practices are
associated with child stunting in rural India: Cross-sectional analysis of surveys, published May
19, 2015. I must add that the research conducted was quite astonishing. The correlation between
water, sanitation, and hygiene practices in the study revealed that a lack of basic amenities can be
detrimental to future generations. The studies that were conducted by previous research focused
more on nutritional deficits than the environment itself which has proven to be a contributor to
the increasing numbers of children that experience stunt in growth. When a mother gives birth
one of the primary concerns that healthcare provides have is the weight of the child. In this
study, one of the first people to be identified as the blame for the stunt in a child’s impairment is
the mother. Stating that during the pregnancy the mother did not have a proper dietary intake to
facilitate a healthy baby. However, there is no considers for mothers that simply cannot avoid
eating healthy during their pregnancy.
Furthermore, the study indicated that India is a hotspot when it comes to child stunting,
but in poor countries, this can be likely because people cannot afford the finer things in life. I
agree with the author despite mother reporting that they participated in handwashing techniques
before f...
Dear Editor:
This is a response to the article Household Sanitation personal Hygiene practices are
associated with child stunting in rural India: Cross-sectional analysis of surveys, published May
19, 2015. I must add that the research conducted was quite astonishing. The correlation between
water, sanitation, and hygiene practices in the study revealed that a lack of basic amenities can be
detrimental to future generations. The studies that were conducted by previous research focused
more on nutritional deficits than the environment itself which has proven to be a contributor to
the increasing numbers of children that experience stunt in growth. When a mother gives birth
one of the primary concerns that healthcare provides have is the weight of the child. In this
study, one of the first people to be identified as the blame for the stunt in a child’s impairment is
the mother. Stating that during the pregnancy the mother did not have a proper dietary intake to
facilitate a healthy baby. However, there is no considers for mothers that simply cannot avoid
eating healthy during their pregnancy.
Furthermore, the study indicated that India is a hotspot when it comes to child stunting,
but in poor countries, this can be likely because people cannot afford the finer things in life. I
agree with the author despite mother reporting that they participated in handwashing techniques
before feeding children or after using the bathroom other factors contribute to this problem. The
study recognizes that when children begin to crawl and walk, they are likely to contract
infections. Specifically, the study identifies the primary cause of this stunting is children that
ingest human and animal fecal Bacteria and intestinal worms (Rah et al.,2015). As a result, these
children that suffer from malnutrition have a decrease in appetite. https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/5/2/e005180 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK557526/
The study reported that the participants were children between the ages of 0-23 months.
According to Sigmund Feud, during the first stage of development oral desire is the center of
pleasure for an infant (Lantz & Ray,2020). This means that babies engage in pleasure through
sucking, eating, and tasting. So, it is no surprise that children in the rural parts of Indian are
prone to the development of Disease. Despite the advances in infrastructure for some homes
many people lack the means to have proper standards of living. A suggestion that healthcare
provides can render to mothers are to ensure that the area where the child is place is cleaned. In
regard to placing items in the mouth purchase the child a teething ring to prevent foreign objects
from entering the mouth or sanitize toys frequently. The study utilized three different populations
which helped to provide more diversity in the responses. The issue that the study detects was
that 53% of the household which accounted for 624 million people defecated in the open (Rah et.
al,2015). This showed that the problem is not solely the people but the government system in
India.
This infrastructure of outside toiletry places everyone at risk of developing the disease
because there is no way to limit the spread of bacteria. In the case of an outside toilet persons can
try to sanitize the facility before using it. In addition, the study observed a correlation between
mothers and caregivers that have no education. In my opinion, educational status is irrelevant
because one does not need to go to a fancy school to understand what is good or bad for health.
Regarding children when a baby is born often healthcare providers instruct the baby with the
expectations that parents, or guardians may follow. So, in this instance, the same can be done.
The study reveals that children crawling on the floor and walking is how they make themselves
suspectable to stunt grown. Hence, we can educate the mothers from poor socio-economic
backgrounds to ensure that the area where she puts the child down is clean, also ensure that they https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/5/2/e005180 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK557526/
wash the children’s toys and hands frequently not just look after themselves. In this research, the
environment plays a vital role in the progression of this disease. So, controlling the
environmental factors is a start.
In conclusion, the flow of the article was clear and concise. The authors provide a
detailed justification of Child Stunting that is affecting Indians. The paper was well organized
and answered a lot of questions that I had regarding the connection between sanitation and
Hygiene. I took a liking to how the researchers identified the environment as a contributor to the
problem. At the beginning of the article, researchers attempted to blame the mother for the poor
nutritional status of the child but in a country that is an economic challenge, there is not much
that a person can do when their lively hood is limited. The article highlighted that despite
washing hands frequently the problem was bigger than basic hygiene. Overall, the organization
of the study help to clarify any misconceptions that the audience may have. In the future, the
study can be featured by researching the environmental factors that can be controlled to limit the
effects of Child Stunting.
Sincerely,
Greann Lubin
Bachelor of Science Nursing Student
University of the Bahamas
In Finland, the problem of bad indoor air in schools and other municipal buildings is a matter of a continuous public debate that pops up frequently and discussed in media. The problem has been acknowledged officially1,2. Because the problem of mold-infested public buildings cannot be solved quickly due to inadequate financial resources to replace all the old buildings which life cycle has come to an end (built in early seventies) there is a need to find alternative explanations above that of an inadequate environmental quality. Psychologization of the problems experienced by pupils, children in day care units or occupants of hospitals3 and other municipal buildings4 is a strategy of denial. This strategy is the switching of the responsibility of municipalities to children or their guardians who have imposed neuroticism on their offsprings and aggravate worries about the indoor air.
Any good study on the impact of indoor air on the occupant’s health is welcome. Each study should have an aim of solving the problems and should be ethical. The paper by Savelieva et al was widely publicized by the Finnish media 5-7. It was eagerly reported that health problems experienced by the pupils are not explained only by the indoor air but by the psychological factors (the word explained is bolded by us; see the translations of titles of the publications in the Finnish media 5,6). Further popularization of the results of the paper of Savelieva et al. resulted in the misinterpret...
In Finland, the problem of bad indoor air in schools and other municipal buildings is a matter of a continuous public debate that pops up frequently and discussed in media. The problem has been acknowledged officially1,2. Because the problem of mold-infested public buildings cannot be solved quickly due to inadequate financial resources to replace all the old buildings which life cycle has come to an end (built in early seventies) there is a need to find alternative explanations above that of an inadequate environmental quality. Psychologization of the problems experienced by pupils, children in day care units or occupants of hospitals3 and other municipal buildings4 is a strategy of denial. This strategy is the switching of the responsibility of municipalities to children or their guardians who have imposed neuroticism on their offsprings and aggravate worries about the indoor air.
Any good study on the impact of indoor air on the occupant’s health is welcome. Each study should have an aim of solving the problems and should be ethical. The paper by Savelieva et al was widely publicized by the Finnish media 5-7. It was eagerly reported that health problems experienced by the pupils are not explained only by the indoor air but by the psychological factors (the word explained is bolded by us; see the translations of titles of the publications in the Finnish media 5,6). Further popularization of the results of the paper of Savelieva et al. resulted in the misinterpretation of the message of the article. The problems experienced by pupils of the Finnish schools started to get an explanation through the prism of psychosocial factors (see the title of Mediuutiset and Helsingin Sanomat (HS)). The claim was that according to the results of the study numerous factors can aggravate the symptoms which are biological, psychological and social (HS). The paper of Savelieva et al. gave an impetus to present an alternative explanation by shifting the responsibility from the municipality to the families that impose worries on small children about the quality of indoor air.
Here, we want to present a few comments on the paper.
Firstly, the quality of indoor air has not been measured, and the results of these measurements have not been presented. The assessment “was based on all existing data from each school, and no special visits to the schools were done”. In other words, the title of the paper is misleading. There is no single mention on what data has been used and what were the parameters checked by the specialists whose data was used for the scientific article.
Secondly, the questionnaire was addressed to small children who responded electronically with a help of teachers. We wonder how reliable the assessment of worries by small children is, and whether small children can analyse their feelings and attitudes. Such subjective data acquisition may not be reliable enough to draw scientific conclusions that are often the basis for political decisions. Importantly, the questions were not open but were introductory. We think that most persons utilizing municipal buildings in Finland and who may have so-called unexplained symptoms when asked whether they are worried about the indoor air would give a positive answer.
Thirdly, the response rate from the parents was only 20% (year 2017) that dropped to 13% (2018) meaning that parents may not feel confident neither with the study design nor with a priori expectations, the purposes or aims of this study.
Further, only respiratory symptoms were inquired in this study whereas there is extensive evidence that bad indoor air can cause systemic symptoms such as fatigue8, a plethora of neurological8, gastro-intestinal (and skin problems3,4,8,9.
Also, the permission from an Ethical Committee was not mentioned in the paper.
Most importantly, as the authors state in their article, the study was cross-sectional. This design may find out only association but not explanations. The word explanation points out causality. The Cambridge dictionary gives the meaning of the word explanation “the details or reasons that someone gives to make something clear or easy to understand”. As they state in their article ” cross-sectional design of this study does not allow to determine the direction of the association between psychosocial factors especially worries, and respiratory symptoms”. In the article the authors state correctly that it is not possible based on the found association to say whether worries are secondary to experienced respiratory symptoms or primary. However, they wrote “Psychosocial factors, especially worry about indoor air quality explained more of the variance between schools in respiratory symptoms than … ”. In our opinion, worries are likely to be consequences because usually people cannot be afraid or worried of something if they never knew what to be afraid or worried about.
Based on what has been said above, we believe that it is harmful to misinterpret the findings of this paper. We hope that the responsible authors of this paper do their utmost best to correct the misleading information about the results of their article given by the Finnish media. We hope that the authors will emphasize that they found only association, not explanation. We also hope that the paper by Savielieva et al. will not lead away from the basic problem solution: each child whoever (s)he is with neuroticism or not and with any personality traits should be given a safe and clean working environment.
References
1. Reijula K, Ahonen G, Alenius H, Holopainen R, Lappalainen S, Palomäki E ja Reiman M. [Rakennusten kosteus- ja homeongelmat]. Finnish parlia‑
mentary audit committee, report 01/2012.
2. Lampi J, Hyvärinen A, Erhola M, Haahtela T , Haukipuro K, Haverinen‑Shaughnessy U, et al , Healthy people in healthy premises:
the Finnish Indoor Air and Health Programme 2018–2028. Clin Transl Allergy (2020) 10:4 https://doi.org/10.1186/s13601-020-0308-1
3. Hyvonen S, Lohi J, Tuuminen T. Moist and mold exposure is associated with high prevalence of neurological symptoms and MCS in a Finnish hospital workers cohort. Saf Health Work 2020;11:173-177.
4. Hyvönen S, Poussa T, Lohi J, Tuuminen T. High prevalence of neurological sequelae and multiple chemical sensitivity among occupants. Arch Environ Occup Health 2020 https://doi.org/10.1080/19338244.2020.1781034
5. Helsingin Sanomat. Koulun sisäilman laatu selittää koululaisten oireilusta vain pienen osan. (The quality of indoor air at school explains the symptoms of pupils only to a small extend). STT, published 30.10. 2020 6.03
6. Mediuutiset 30.10.2020 Sisäilmalaatu ei selitä koululaisten oireilua - Jo huoli sisäilmasta voi vaikuttaa oireisiin, (The quality of indoor air does not explain the symptoms of pupils. Worries about indoor air may cause the symptoms) update 30.102020 09:58
7. Yle Uutiset, Uusimaa 30.10.2020 (minutes 03.08-03.28)
8. Tuuminen T, Jääskeläinen T, Vaali K , Polo O. Dampness and mold hypersensitivity syndrome and vaccination as risk factors for chronic fatigue syndrome . Autoimm Rev 2019; 18:107-108
9. Luosujärvi R A, Husman T M, Seuri M, Pietikäinen M A, Pollari P, Pelkonen J, Hujakka H T, Kaipiainen-Seppänen O A, Aho K. Joint symptoms and diseases associated with moisture damage in a health center. Clin Rheumatol 2003 22:381-5.
Tamara Tuuminen, MD, specialist in clinical microbiology
Adjunct Prof. in medical microbiology
Ville Valtonen, Head (retired), Division of Infectious Diseases,
Helsinki University Central Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
professor, specialist in internal medicine and infectious diseases MD
Kirsi Vaali, Adjunct Prof. in Pharmacology
Jouni Lohi, MD, specialist and Adjunct Professor in general practice
Dear Editor,
I have read and reviewed the article titled, “Impact of a mass media campaign on breast cancer symptoms awareness and screening uptake in Malaysia: findings from a quasi-experimental study.” I would like to congratulate the authors on such a successful article and make some recommendations.
Your introduction was very strong, and your problem statement was clearly articulated. In the article, the impact on media campaigns had improved awareness about some breast cancer symptoms through mass media platforms. It was good that you displayed the high mortality rates within various years due to late detection. It was also good that you showed the correlation between the- high incidence of late detection and how mass media campaigns can improve awareness due to their lack of it in Malaysia; while also making recommendations such as nationwide education programs. For example, your statement, “in high-income countries, mass media campaigns have improved symptoms awareness and increased the number of BC referrals” along with other statements proved that mass media campaigns are effective in the promotion of awareness of breast cancer.
Show MoreI agree with your statement, “there appears to be a need for mass media campaigns to be tailored to particular subpopulations or hard-to-reach subgroups, especially in the context of multicultural societies.” Hence, there is improvement needed in terms of your campaign reach. Consider aiming to in...
Dear Editor,
I found your article very informative. I completely agree that most weight loss programs today and, in the past, have tend to focus mostly on eating healthy and exercise, which may be important when it comes to short term weight loss goals and maintenance. However some health and fitness programs have started to integrate the social aspect of weight loss into their programs.
Outland (2010) agrees that weight loss and maintenance should focus less on counting calories and exercising and approach the process of weight loss holistically. Outland adds that giving more attention to achieving and maintaining and individual’s homeostasis would lead to a successful weight loss journey. From a holistic perspective “best health” can be achieved only when homeostasis is maintained (Outland, 2010).
As your research pointed out, obesity can be influenced by physical, emotional and social components of an individual’s everyday life. Therefore, weight loss and weight maintenance should be approached holistically. A 2018 study carried out by the Inter-American Development Bank found that overweight and obesity is rising among all age groups in The Bahamas. With obesity being a growing problem here in the Bahamas, approaching wellness and weight loss holistically, giving more attention to social relationships and meaningful activities, may lead to better successful completion of weight loss programs and overall wellness.
References
Jessen-Wing...
Show MoreDear Editor,
The purpose of this article was to analyze transition programs in order to assess what is being done about the bullying, violence, and high-stress situations that new graduate nurses endure when transitioning to the workplace. The study seeks to disseminate newfound information to educators, clinical practitioners, managers, and nurse preceptors to start a productive conversation on the topic and encourage change. It is an important and very relevant topic to discuss as the mistreatment of NGNs is highly related to the high turnover rates and poor retention rates in many health care facilities. Though the transitional programs have been noted to be affected in improving retention rate by preparing students to take their skills from theory to practice, nursing students and new graduate nurses still suffer at the hands of experienced nurses, nursing managers, and colleagues. This issue contributes to the nursing shortage which is an international issue in nursing.
As a student nurse who has experienced this type of animosity during practicums and internships, the outcome of this study seems essential. The nurses-eat-their-young mentality is very prevalent in many healthcare settings and it can deter nurses from wanting to remain in the field. NGNs are trained on how to operate within their new work environment but are not prepared for the hostility that is doled out by their supposed co-workers and superiors. This can deplete retention rates as the...
Show MoreThis response is in relation to the captured article above published on April 2, 2019. I would like to firstly express how your research is very detailed and informative. While reading the study, I understood the importance and effectiveness of providing community-based Hypertension improvement projects to assist in controlling high blood pressure. Over the years there has been a rapid increase in the number of persons diagnosed with Hypertension and as a result, it has become a major public health burden. The statistical evidence presented in this study about blood pressure in Ghana indicates the need for innovative methods for hypertension management.
Show MoreThe main outcome of the research which is concerned with hypertension control and alterations in diastolic blood pressure and systolic blood pressure was accomplished. The research revealed there was a decrease in blood pressure as well as an increase in hypertension management from patients who remained in the program for 6 or 12 months. However, similar to other studies the main challenge with community-based improvement projects is poor levels of follow-up or adherence to clinic appointments. In a study conducted by Aje and Olamide (2017) it revealed that 16.7% of hypertensive patients missed more than 30% of scheduled medical appointments. According to the authors, some of the causes for missed clinical appointments were due to forgetfulness, insufficient funds for transportation, and overlapping obligations. It i...
Ashara McQueen, Nursing Student, The University of The Bahamas
Show MoreAs it relates to the above mentioned article that was published on March 29th 2020 in Volume10, Issue 3 on BMJ Open. I found that this was a very interesting article as it relates to age related changes of older adults, that will most definitely spark the interest of those involved in gerontology and geriatric research. As I read this article, it is evident that frailty can be associated with disability among dwelling older adults. I agree with the author that although frailty and disability may intertwine thus their concepts are absolutely different. This judgement can simply be gathered based on the definitions that were provided and stated explicitly as it relates to the term’s frailty and disability. However, there are factors that are strongly associated with frailty and disability such as socioeconomic status, ethnicity and life style.
Furthermore, the results from this study shows the prevalence of more than half of the percentage of older frail adults displayed greater instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) while the remaining smaller percentage displayed greater basic activities of daily living (BADL). In addition, high count of IADL limitations were associated with being frail.
Other authors conducted a study on prevalence of frailty among dwelling older adults and their sociodemographic factors associated with frailty. Kendhapedi and Devasenapathy (2019), found a high sign...
1. thank you for your interest in the study and the findings of this study and your recommendation that it should influence countries to enact smoke-free air laws to aid in the reduction of health effects of secondhand smoke cases as these laws are conclusively effective.
2 . Just wanted to let you know that all the exemptions in the law were not added by public health authorities. The public health department and advocates are working so hard to remove these exemptions. Now and because of COVID19 casinos were closed, and it was recommended that when they open back should open smoke free.
3. I totally agree with you that chefs specifically those who work in a grilling like environment should wear a protective masks to reduce the amount of particulate matter inhaled from that environment.
Letter to the editor:
Show MoreIn correspondence to your article Impact of transition programmes for students and new graduate nurses on workplace bullying, violence, stress and resilience: a scoping review protocol published on the October 9, 2020. I would firstly, like to commend you on such a well written, informative, educational article. I myself enjoyed reviewing this article, being a 4th year nursing student attending the university of the Bahamas school of nursing. As an almost graduate nursing student reading this article informed me of the reasoning for internship and residency in the nursing school, and it’s purpose to prepare Newly graduated nurses(NGN’s) for the work field experience. This article aimed to focus on the importance of internship and residency preparing graduate nursing students for the workplace,bullying, violence, stress and resilience (Alshawush, et.al,2020). However, results from this research study indicated that Internships and residency may prepare graduate students for the work field but, not for the expectance of violence and bullying from staff.As a nursing student I agree on the article theory that internship does not prepare you for the bullying that senior nurses and staff subjects newly graduated nurses to. From experience, the term “nurses eat their young “ has been subjected to become a new reality as senior nurses who are suppose to guide, and support the younger nurses transitioning, bully, and mistreat them instead.Similarly, An...
Dear Editor:
This response is in relation to the above captioned article published on May 4, 2017. Firstly, I must express how intriguing the research is. As I read the article, I became more aware of some of the negative effects that alopecia has on persons living with this autoimmune disease.
This study revealed that even though persons living with alopecia may chose to wear wigs to prevent negative reactions from others and boost their confidence, wearing wigs also causes negative reactions. With the socially constructed notion of beauty standards, I understand why persons may feel uncomfortable in social settings without a wig. Moreover, the study also shows that living with alopecia can cause depression, anxiety, and social anxiety.
This research shows the correlation between hair and self-esteem. Like mentioned in the study other research shows that wearing wigs as a form of the treatment modalities in severe alopecia areata, can improve quality of life in patients with alopecia areata by enhancing their self-esteem and social adjustment (Park, Kim, Park, Yun, & Kim, 2018). Additionally, the results of this study show the correlation of persons diagnosed with alopecia and the psychological effects associated with the autoimmune disease.
While I do agree that the need for psychological interventions is needed, it should be noted that many persons living with alopecia may not want therapy but rather a cure. As (De Zoya, 2013) states the...
Show MoreDear Editor:
Show MoreThis is a response to the article Household Sanitation personal Hygiene practices are
associated with child stunting in rural India: Cross-sectional analysis of surveys, published May
19, 2015. I must add that the research conducted was quite astonishing. The correlation between
water, sanitation, and hygiene practices in the study revealed that a lack of basic amenities can be
detrimental to future generations. The studies that were conducted by previous research focused
more on nutritional deficits than the environment itself which has proven to be a contributor to
the increasing numbers of children that experience stunt in growth. When a mother gives birth
one of the primary concerns that healthcare provides have is the weight of the child. In this
study, one of the first people to be identified as the blame for the stunt in a child’s impairment is
the mother. Stating that during the pregnancy the mother did not have a proper dietary intake to
facilitate a healthy baby. However, there is no considers for mothers that simply cannot avoid
eating healthy during their pregnancy.
Furthermore, the study indicated that India is a hotspot when it comes to child stunting,
but in poor countries, this can be likely because people cannot afford the finer things in life. I
agree with the author despite mother reporting that they participated in handwashing techniques
before f...
In Finland, the problem of bad indoor air in schools and other municipal buildings is a matter of a continuous public debate that pops up frequently and discussed in media. The problem has been acknowledged officially1,2. Because the problem of mold-infested public buildings cannot be solved quickly due to inadequate financial resources to replace all the old buildings which life cycle has come to an end (built in early seventies) there is a need to find alternative explanations above that of an inadequate environmental quality. Psychologization of the problems experienced by pupils, children in day care units or occupants of hospitals3 and other municipal buildings4 is a strategy of denial. This strategy is the switching of the responsibility of municipalities to children or their guardians who have imposed neuroticism on their offsprings and aggravate worries about the indoor air.
Show MoreAny good study on the impact of indoor air on the occupant’s health is welcome. Each study should have an aim of solving the problems and should be ethical. The paper by Savelieva et al was widely publicized by the Finnish media 5-7. It was eagerly reported that health problems experienced by the pupils are not explained only by the indoor air but by the psychological factors (the word explained is bolded by us; see the translations of titles of the publications in the Finnish media 5,6). Further popularization of the results of the paper of Savelieva et al. resulted in the misinterpret...
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