Dataset Information

Impact of Covid-19 pandemic on surgical practice in Kurdistan, Iraq: An online cross-sectional survey.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

The COVID-19 pandemic is a major challenge to healthcare services in the world. It has negatively impacted surgical practice, and health workers. We aimed to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on surgical practice in the Kurdistan Region, Iraq.

Methods

An online cross-sectional study using an online survey was performed between 13 April to 29 April, 2020 in the Kurdistan Region, Iraq. An online cross-sectional study using an online survey was performed between 13 April to 29 April, 2020 in the Kurdistan Region, Iraq. A total of 241 surgeons, aged 28-70 years (mean range 22.2 ± 7.9 SD), were recruited to this study. The questionnaire was designed to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on surgeons' practices. Participants completed a self-developed online questionnaire.

Results

The majority of participants (44.39%) were general surgeons, followed by urologists (17.01%). Approximately 82.57% of surgeons performed surgeries during the COVID-19 pandemic and 60.31% undertook emergency surgeries only. There was no significant difference between men and women (P = 0.41) and different age groups (P = 0.08). Only 28.22% of surgeons had access to full personal protective equipment (PPE), and 41.18% believed that wearing PPEs severely affected their skills. Results also found that surgeons aged between 28 and 34 years were more pledged to the use of PPEs, than other age groups (P = 0.001). The use of PPEs during surgeries was significantly higher in the Sulaymaniyah province (P = 0.001). The surgical services were also severely impacted in the Sulaymaniyah province than in the other provinces (p = 0.001).

Conclusion

The COVID-19 pandemic severely affected surgical practice in the Kurdistan Region, particularly in the Sulaymaniyah province. Males, and young surgeons showed a higher commitment level for using PPE. Additional training and precautions are needed to increase awareness about COVID-19 among surgeons, and the importance of using PPE during surgery.

SUBMITTER: Hussein NR

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7609234 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Similar Datasets

Project description:The rapid spread of monkeypox (mpox) has been declared as a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC). The present study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitude, and worry levels of the general population in the Kurdistan region of Iraq regarding the ongoing mpox multi-country outbreak. An online cross-sectional survey was conducted between 27-30 July 2022, using a convenience sampling method. The questionnaire was adapted from previous studies addressing the same topic. The independent Student's t-test, one-way ANOVA, and logistic regression were used to assess possible factors associated with knowledge, attitude, and worry toward mpox. A total of 510 respondents were included in the final analysis. The participants showed a moderate level of mpox knowledge, a neutral attitude towards mpox, and a relatively moderate worry level. The logistic regression analysis showed that age, gender, marital status, religion, level of education, and place of residence were associated with mpox knowledge; however, the significant variables in the multivariate regression analysis were gender, religion, level of education, and residential area. Gender and residential area were associated with attitudes toward mpox; however, the significant variables in the multivariate regression analysis were gender and residential areas. The worry toward mpox was influenced by gender, marital status, religion, and place of residence, yet the significant variables in the multivariate regression analysis were gender, religion, educational level, and residential area. In conclusion, the Kurdish population had moderate knowledge, a neutral attitude, and a moderate level of worry about mpox. Considering the continuous rapid rise in mpox cases in several countries, and its possible risk as pandemic amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, proactive control measures, adequate disease prevention strategies, and preparedness plans need to be formulated and immediately implemented to tackle the appearance of fears among people, and to safeguard the mental health of the public.

Project description:BackgroundIn the past few months, the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has caused extensive economic and social damage.ObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to assess the impact of COVID-19-related measures on partner relationships and sexual and reproductive health in China.MethodsFrom May 1 to 5, 2020, 3500 young Chinese individuals were recruited through WeChat or Weibo to participate in a survey to obtain information on sexual and reproductive health (eg, sexual desire, frequency of sexual intercourse, sexual satisfaction, etc). The questionnaire also collected demographic data (eg, age, race, education, current financial status, sexual orientation, relationship status, etc).ResultsIn total, 967 participants were included in the sexual health analysis. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and related containment measures, 22% of participants (n=212) reported a decrease in sexual desire; 41% (n=396) experienced a decrease in the sexual intercourse frequency; 30% (n=291) reported an increase in the frequency of masturbation; 20% (n=192) reported a decrease in alcohol consumption before or during sexual activities, and 31% (n=298) reported a deterioration in partner relationships during the pandemic. The logistic regression analysis indicated that the following influenced partner relationships: accommodations during the pandemic (P=.046; odds ratio [OR] 0.59; 95% CI 0.30-0.86); exclusive relationship status (yes or no) (P<.001; OR 0.44; 95 % CI 0.27-0.73); sexual desire (P=.02; OR 2.01; 95% CI 1.38-2.97); and sexual satisfaction (P<.001; OR 1.92; 95% CI 1.54-2.50). COVID-19 also caused disruptions in reproductive health services such as prenatal and postnatal care, childbirth and abortion services, contraception availability, and the management of sexually transmitted infections.ConclusionsOur results show that many young people have wide-ranging issues affecting their sexual and reproductive health due to the COVID-19 pandemic and related containment measures. Strategies and guidelines are needed to safeguard the sexual and reproductive health of young people during this pandemic.

Project description:BackgroundCOVID-19 has posed a global threat due to substantial morbidity and mortality, and health education strategies need to be adjusted accordingly to prevent a possible epidemic rebound.ObjectiveThis study aimed to evaluate the perceptions of COVID-19 among individuals coming to, returning to, or living in Jiangsu Province, China, and determine the impact of the pandemic on the perceptions of the public.MethodsIn this study, an online questionnaire was distributed to participants between February 15 and April 21, 2020. The questionnaire comprised items on personal information (eg, sex, age, educational level, and occupation); protection knowledge, skills, and behaviors related to COVID-19; access to COVID-19-related information; and current information needs. Factors influencing the knowledge score, skill score, behavior score, and total score for COVID-19 were evaluated using univariate and multivariate analyses. The time-varying reproduction number (Rt) and its 95% credible interval were calculated and compared with the daily participation number and protection scores.ResultsIn total, 52,066 participants were included in the study; their average knowledge score, skill score, behavior score, and total score were 25.58 (SD 4.22), 24.05 (SD 4.02), 31.51 (SD 2.84), and 90.02 (SD 8.87), respectively, and 65.91% (34,315/52,066) had a total protection score above 90 points. For the knowledge and skill sections, correct rates of answers to questions on medical observation days, infectiousness of asymptomatic individuals, cough or sneeze treatment, and precautions were higher than 95%, while those of questions on initial symptoms (32,286/52,066, 62.01%), transmission routes (37,134/52,066, 71.32%), selection of disinfection products (37,390/52,066, 71.81%), and measures of home quarantine (40,037/52,066, 76.90%) were relatively low. For the actual behavior section, 97.93% (50,989/52,066) of participants could wear masks properly when going out. However, 19.76% (10,290/52,066) could not disinfect their homes each week, and 18.42% (9589/52,066) could not distinguish differences in initial symptoms between the common cold and COVID-19. The regression analyses showed that the knowledge score, skill score, behavior score, and total score were influenced by sex, age, educational level, occupation, and place of residence at different degrees (P<.001). The government, television shows, and news outlets were the main sources of protection knowledge, and the information released by the government and authoritative medical experts was considered the most reliable. The current information needs included the latest epidemic developments, disease treatment progress, and daily protection knowledge. The Rt in the Jiangsu Province and mainland China dropped below 1, while the global Rt remained at around 1. The maximal information coefficients ranged from 0.76 to 1.00, which indicated that the public's perceptions were significantly associated with the epidemic.ConclusionsA high proportion of the participants had sufficient COVID-19 protection knowledge and skills and were able to avoid risky behaviors. Thus, it is necessary to apply different health education measures tailored to work and study resumption for specific populations to improve their self-protection and, ultimately, to prevent a possible rebound of COVID-19.

Project description:BackgroundPandemic fatigue is defined as feelings of demotivation to follow preventive measures against COVID-19, together with decreased trust in government and frequency of information-seeking behaviors.ObjectiveThis study aims to analyze the psychometric properties of the COVID-19-specific pandemic fatigue scale according to classical test theory (CTT) and Rasch model approaches in the general Spanish population.MethodsThis was a cross-sectional study in a representative sample of 1018 adults who completed an online survey in November 2020 in the framework of the COVID-19 Snapshot Monitoring (COSMO)-Spain project. The assessments included the 6-item COVID-19 Pandemic Fatigue Scale (CPFS) and other COVID-19-related variables: COVID-19 infection, adherence to preventive behaviors, information-seeking behavior, self-efficacy, worry, and cognitive and affective risk perception. Data quality, acceptability, reliability, and validity were analyzed according to CTT, and the fit to the Rasch model, unidimensionality, appropriateness of the response scale, item local independency, reliability (person-separation index [PSI]), and item-person distribution were also calculated.ResultsThe mean CPFS score was 17.06 (SD 5.04, range 6-30), with higher scores for women, younger participants, participants who never seek information on COVID-19, those who think they would contract a mild disease in case of infection, those with higher level of worry about coronavirus/COVID-19, and those who felt depressed or felt the coronavirus/COVID-19 is spreading slowly (all P<.01). The Cronbach alpha for the CPFS was 0.74. In the confirmatory factor analysis, one factor was identified (root mean square error of approximation [RMSEA]=.02; comparative fit index [CFI]=.99; χ25=8.06, P=.15). The CPFS showed good fit to the Rasch model (χ 224=42.025, P=.01, PSI=.642), unidimensionality (binomial 95% CI -.005 to .045), and item local independency.ConclusionsOur results suggest that the CPFS has moderate reliability and internal consistency and it is composed of a single dimension. It is a useful tool to ascertain the level of pandemic fatigue in the general population, which may help to guide the communication and information strategies to face the COVID-19 pandemic.

Project description:ObjectivesWe aim to reveal how loneliness relates to suicidal ideation following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.DesignCross-sectional online survey.SettingCommunity cohort study in Japan.ParticipantsThe second wave of a large web-based survey, Japan COVID-19 and Society Internet Survey, was conducted in February 2021, and we analysed the data of 6436 men and 5380 women who were aged 20-59 years.Main outcome measuresThe prevalence ratios (PRs) of suicidal ideation due to loneliness, depression, social isolation and decline in income during the pandemic and other sociodemographic and economic information were adjusted in the analysis.Statistical methodsEstimations were conducted by separating a male and female sample. The survey weight (inverse probability weighting) was applied for analyses, and a Poisson regression model was used with all the potential confounders adjected.ResultsOverall, 15.1% of male and 16.3% of female participants were found to have had suicidal ideation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Among them, 23% of male and 20% of female participants experienced suicidal ideation for the first time. The results of the Poisson regression suggested that those who were feeling lonely had higher PRs for suicidal ideation (4.83 for men (95% CI, 3.87 to 6.16) and 6.19 for women (95% CI, 4.77 to 8.45)). The relationship between loneliness and suicidal ideation remained robust even after adjusting for depression, although there were declines in PRs. Additionally, the results showed that those who were lonely, and continued to feel lonely during the pandemic, had the highest PRs of suicidal ideation.ConclusionLoneliness had both direct and indirect effects on suicidal ideation mediated through depression. Those who felt lonelier during the pandemic had the highest risk of suicidal ideation. It is necessary to adopt national measures focused on providing psychological support to people who feel lonely to prevent them from taking their own lives.