Teaching adults how to prevent COVID-19 infection by health workers: The application of intervention mapping approach

Explaining barriers to childbearing using the risk communication and community engagement (RCCE) strategy: Based on action research

Background and Aims

Reluctance to childbearing and then the reduction of the total fertility rate are common experiences of developed countries and many developing countries, including Iran, therefore, the purpose of this study was explaining barriers to childbearing using the risk communication and community engagement (RCCE) strategy.

Methods

The study was conducted by action research and according to RCCE during 9 months in Ardabil city. The statistical population consisted of 41 married women aged 15-54 who were eligible for childbearing, these women were purposefully selected from among the people covered by Ardabil health centers and interviewed. Data were collected using open and in-depth interviews by the researcher and analyzed by content analysis.

Results

The results of data analysis led to the extraction of three main categories, personal, familial, and social barriers. The "personal barriers" category was classified into three subcategories, namely mental, belief, and awareness barriers, the "familial barriers" category was classified into two subcategories, namely social and financial barriers, and the "social barriers" category was classified into two subcategories, political and managerial barriers.

Conclusions

According to the results, a set of personal, familial, and social factors could affect childbearing among married women. Identification of these factors can play an effective role in designing educational and managerial programs.

Development of an infectious disease prevention behavior model for public health center workers in a rural area of Indonesia

The Infection Prevention Behavior (IPB) for health personnel at the Surade Public Health Center has not reached the target. The purpose of this study was to develop the IPB model for health personnel which is suitable to be applied in rural areas in Indonesia. The model was developed through a literature review from online journal database in the last 10 years. The model was tested using a cross-sectional design by the Structural Equation Model Partial Least Square (SEM-PLS). Six selected variables had direct and indirect influences on the IPB of health personnel. They were supervision (27.50%), facilities (9.87%), training (10.44%), compensation (16.97%), work climate (10.78%), and work motivation (8.15%). The model was valid and significant. The Q2 showed 95.7% which mean 95.7% of the components in the model could be applied to other Public Health Centers in the rural area. The development of IPB models for health personnel which wass measured from the direct and indirect effects of six variables proved valid and significant to help achievement Public Health Center reach the target of protecting health workers from infectious diseases.

A Safe Return to Campus in Times of COVID-19: A Survey Study among University Personnel to Inform Decision Makers

Halfway through 2021 in the midst of a public health crisis, a new academic year was fast approaching. Dutch universities were preparing to reopen their campuses to students and personnel in a safe manner. As the vaccination uptake was increasing and societies were slowly reopening, inviting students and personnel to campus became the next step to “the new normal”. To absorb this change seamlessly, it was considered important to investigate personnel’s beliefs about returning to campus and their perceptions of a safe working environment. An online survey was conducted among personnel (N = 1965) of Maastricht University, the Netherlands. University personnel’s beliefs about a safe return to campus were assessed. The data were collected between 11 June and 28 June 2021. This study showed that, while most personnel (94.7%) were already vaccinated or willing to do so, not all personnel did feel safe to return to campus in September 2021. Over half of the respondents (58%) thought that the university is a safe place to return to work when the new academic year starts. However, the remainder of personnel felt unsafe or were uncertain for various reasons such as meeting in large groups or becoming infected. Moreover, when returning to campus, employees stated that they would require some time to reacclimate to their former work culture. The group who felt relatively more unsafe indicated that returning in September was too risky and that they worried about being infected. They wanted the safety guidelines to still be in force. On the other hand, the “safe” group stated safely returning to be “certainly possible” and trusted that others would still stick to the prevention guidelines. The findings led to practical recommendations for the University Board as they were preparing for organizing research and teaching for the upcoming academic year in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. A brief intervention was developed: a webinar in which the data were linked to the board’s plans for safe returning. This study demonstrates that university boards may use research among personnel to develop adequate measures promoting safety and feelings of safety among personnel in similar future situations.

The mediating role of compassion in the relationship between COVID-19 anxiety syndrome and COVID-19 burnout

BACKGROUND

The coronavirus has caused fundamental changes in our way of life, leading to a wave of psychological distress associated with the COVID-19 epidemic, including stress, anxiety, perceived threats, and fear. Considering the psychological consequences of COVID-19, the present study was conducted with the aim of mediating the role of compassion in the relationship between COVID-19 anxiety syndrome and COVID-19 burnout.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The design of the present study was descriptive correlation. The present study population included all students of Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences in the academic year 2020. Two hundred and fifty-one students were selected and completed the COVID-19 Anxiety Syndrome Questionnaire, Compassion Scale, and COVID-19 Burnout Scale. Pearson correlation coefficient test and structural equation model were performed using SPSS version 18 and LISREL 8.8.

RESULTS

The results showed that COVID-19 burnout had a positive and significant relationship with the overall score of anxiety syndrome (r = 0.42, P = 0.01), while it has a negative and significant relationship with compassion (r = -0.37, P = 0.01). Compassion also has a significant negative relationship with anxiety syndrome (r = -0.35, P = 0.01). In addition, the results of path analysis showed that compassion plays a mediating role in the relationship between COVID-19 anxiety syndrome and COVID-19 burnout.

CONCLUSION

Based on the findings of the present study, it can be said that compassion acts as a protective factor against the negative effects of anxiety syndrome. Therefore, this factor can be considered in the development of prevention and treatment programs for burnout caused by COVID-19.

Psychological stress and its relation to social distancing among a sample of Saudi during COVID-19 pandemic

BACKGROUND

Over the last year, the world has witnessed an infectious disease (COVID-19) outbreak that has shown a high rate of spread. Therefore, several prevention and mitigation measures have been imposed to control the spread of the virus worldwide. The aim of the current study is to identify the commitment level to social distancing and its relationship to psychological stress among members of Saudi society during COVID-19 pandemic.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The descriptive correlational design was employed in the current study, and the sample of the study consisted of 536 Saudis selected using convenient sampling method. The study was conducted in four cities in Saudi Arabia (Altayef, Mecca, and Najran, in 2020 during COVID-19 pandemic using quantitative survey method. Several analysis methods using SPSS software were used to analyze the data such as mean and standard deviation, three-way ANOVA, Scheffe's test, and Pearson correlation.

RESULTS

The study revealed that the psychological stress and commitment level to social distancing by the study sample during COVID-19 pandemic was moderate, and differences were observed among the study variables. Furthermore, the study revealed a statistically significant negative correlation between the commitment level to social distancing and the exposure to psychological pressures.

CONCLUSION

The study contributed to literature by developing a model to enhance the importance of social distancing of people during COVID-19 pandemic. The study recommends the necessity to provide advice and counseling services that enhance community members' awareness about the application of social distancing during COVID-19 pandemic.