Nevin Manimala

Curationis. 2025 Feb 18;48(1):e1-e9. doi: 10.4102/curationis.v48i1.2618.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: A cervical cancer diagnosis has several implications for women’s lives. Living with cervical cancer in the context of sub-Sahara Africa’s unique challenges can have a devastating effect on psychosocial health.

OBJECTIVES: This study describes the publication output reporting psychosocial implications of cervical cancer for women living in sub-Saharan Africa.

METHOD: A scoping review was conducted using the keywords Africa and cervical cancer in combination with psychosocial, psychological, social, spiritual, cultural and financial to search five databases. A data extraction sheet was developed to capture the relative data, which was analysed using content analysis and descriptive statistics. Of the 294 articles initially identified, 18 were included in the review.

RESULTS: The majority of the studies (66.7%; n = 12) were qualitative. They focussed on five psychosocial domains – psychological including a lack of knowledge, misunderstanding and unmet information needs, the omnipresent experience of fear and sexual problems as well as social, cultural, spiritual and financial implications.

CONCLUSION: Work focussing on the psychosocial implications of cervical cancer in women living in sub-Saharan Africa is limited. Only one study focussed specifically on a psychosocial domain, the rest reported little about psychosocial issues. There is an urgent need for research that focusses exclusively on psychosocial health, separate from other studies.Contribution: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study synthesising research conducted on this specific topic. We mapped the extent of the current evidence base, identified gaps and highlighted areas requiring additional inquiry.

PMID:40035106 | DOI:10.4102/curationis.v48i1.2618

S Afr Fam Pract (2004). 2025 Feb 28;67(1):e1-e9. doi: 10.4102/safp.v67i1.6020.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: In Namibia, the Omuthiya Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) Clinic has indicated that nine older adolescents (15-19 years) out of 125 adolescents active on ART have defaulted and become lost to care. This represents an 89% retention rate among older adolescents compared to a 97% retention rate for the adult population in the same facility. There is a lack of information on the extent of ART adherence among older adolescents, particularly in terms of viral suppression rates. This study aims to measure the level of adherence to ART treatment among adolescents enrolled at the Omuthiya ART Clinic in the Oshikoto Region, Namibia.

METHODS: From November to December 2020, a cross-sectional study was conducted among 100 adolescents living with HIV (ALHIV) at the Omuthiya ART Clinic. Data were collected through structured questionnaires and analysed using descriptive statistics and logistic regression.

RESULTS: The study found that 24% of adolescent patients on ART treated at the Omuthiya ART Clinic are non-adherent to treatment. A significant association found was between education level and adherence (p = 0.008), alcohol use and adherence (p = 0.022) and memory aids use and adherence (p 0.001).

CONCLUSION: Adolescents’ adherence to ART at the Omuthiya ART Clinic is influenced by educational level, alcohol use, and memory aid use. Further research is needed to explore other potential factors influencing adherence.Contribution: These findings may be used to develop ongoing strategies and targeted interventions that prioritise a patient-centred care approach, recognising the autonomy of adolescents. In addition, they highlight the importance of a supportive family environment in managing HIV and improving ART adherence.

PMID:40035102 | DOI:10.4102/safp.v67i1.6020

S Afr Fam Pract (2004). 2025 Feb 20;67(1):e1-e7. doi: 10.4102/safp.v67i1.6050.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Men who have sex with men (MSM) are regarded as a key population that needs specialised healthcare services to address their healthcare needs. This is because of their sexual practices. Men who have sex with men encounter positive and negative experiences when accessing healthcare services in public health care facilities. This study explored and described the experiences of MSM about accessing healthcare services in public healthcare facilities. The study was conducted in Ekurhuleni district, situated in the East of Gauteng province, South Africa.

METHODS: A descriptive, explorative, qualitative approach was employed to investigate the experiences of MSM about accessing healthcare services. In-depth interviews were conducted with 17 MSM aged 18 years and above.

RESULTS: Overall, MSM had both negative and positive experiences when accessing healthcare services. However, mainly the negative in the public healthcare facilities, whereas positive were experienced in the private healthcare facilities.

CONCLUSION: The negative experiences of MSM, the judgemental and discriminatory attitudes of healthcare workers towards them and the scarcity or unavailability of resources and healthcare services to address their specific healthcare needs in healthcare facilities have created interpersonal and structural barriers, which prevent MSM from accessing healthcare services.Contribution: These findings suggest the need for the training of healthcare workers to be truly caring, the allocation of resources and healthcare services to addressing MSM-specific healthcare needs in healthcare facilities and the creation of an accommodating environment for them.

PMID:40035099 | DOI:10.4102/safp.v67i1.6050

S Afr Fam Pract (2004). 2025 Feb 18;67(1):e1-e8. doi: 10.4102/safp.v67i1.5779.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Cultural and religious illnesses such as spirit possessions are health conditions that are not easily understood by healthcare providers in mental healthcare service institutions. Mental health care providers’ understanding is guided by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition (DSM-5) that seems to not recognise cultural and religious illnesses as a disorder that needs distinct care. The study explored mental healthcare providers’ understanding of cultural and religious illnesses that could assist spirit-possessed persons to receive proper management and early referrals to traditional health practitioners and faith healers who are expects in cultural and religious illnesses.

METHODS: Hermeneutic phenomenology explored 12 mental healthcare providers’ understanding of cultural and religious illnesses. In-depth individual interviews were conducted with 12 mental healthcare providers who were selected through a purposive sampling technique. Data were collected from two mental healthcare institutions in the Gauteng province of South Africa that provide mental healthcare services. Data analysis followed Heidegger’s and Gadamer’s philosophies and Van Manen’s six steps.

RESULTS: The findings revealed that mental healthcare providers understood cultural and religious illnesses as mental illness that is unclassified, a calling for a person to become a traditional health practitioner, a demonic spirit and/or witchcraft. The term ‘unclassified disorder’ denotes that there are no specific criteria that could be used to classify an illness.

CONCLUSION: Understanding of cultural and religious illnesses could assist mental healthcare providers that ill-nesses that do not respond to psychiatric treatment can be referred to traditional health practitioners with expert cultural and religious assessment.Contribution: The study could assist MHCPs to acknowledge and take culture and religion into account when providing care to person with cultural and religious illness. Considering the culture and religion of the spir-it-possessed person could be an attempt to move towards a holistic understanding of health needs that highlight the continuous connections between mind, body, and soul.

PMID:40035098 | DOI:10.4102/safp.v67i1.5779

J Frailty Sarcopenia Falls. 2025 Mar 1;10(1):28-36. doi: 10.22540/JFSF-10-028. eCollection 2025 Mar.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: While chronological aging does not necessarily impair oncological outcomes after radical prostatectomy, the role of frailty remains less clear. This study aimed to evaluate whether frailty significantly affects early continence rates following radical prostatectomy and to explore the potential association between frailty and postoperative complications.

METHODS: A retrospective cohort study of 212 patients undergoing radical prostatectomy was conducted. Preoperative frailty assessment employed a multimodal evaluation encompassing cardiovascular, respiratory, neurological, and urinary systems, supplemented by conventional risk measures such as physical performance status and biochemical markers. The primary endpoint was early continence recovery, while secondary outcomes included 30-day postoperative complications.

RESULTS: Comparative analysis revealed no statistically significant differences in baseline characteristics, oncological outcomes, or complication rates between the open and robotic-assisted surgical cohorts. However, frailty was strongly associated with reduced early continence recovery, irrespective of surgical technique (p<0.001). No significant association was detected between frailty and 30-day postoperative complications (p=0.36).

CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights frailty as a pivotal predictor of early continence outcomes. The lack of association between frailty and postoperative complications suggests that comprehensive frailty assessment may be more relevant for anticipating functional recovery than predicting immediate surgical risks. These findings support integrating frailty evaluation into preoperative decision-making frameworks.

PMID:40035086 | PMC:PMC11872250 | DOI:10.22540/JFSF-10-028

J Frailty Sarcopenia Falls. 2025 Mar 1;10(1):18-27. doi: 10.22540/JFSF-10-018. eCollection 2025 Mar.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: This study examines relationships between frailty, concerns about falling (CaF), and fall risk in community-dwelling older adults (≥60 years old).

METHODS: Frailty, CaF, and fall risk were cross-sectionally assessed using the FRAIL, short FES-I, and STEADI questionnaires in 178 participants. Spearman correlations, logistical regression, and ordinal regression analysis were performed.

RESULTS: 38.2% of participants were robust, 48.9% pre-frail, and 12.9% frail. Logistic regressions revealed that frail individuals were 91.4% more likely to have CaF compared to non-frail individuals, and individuals with lower fall risk were 5.7 times less likely to have CaF than those with no fall risk. Pre-frail individuals were more likely to have fall risk than non-frail individuals. Individuals with low CaF were 6 times less likely to have fall risk than those with high CaF. Ordinal logistic regressions revealed that for individuals with no CaF and no fall risk, the odds of being frail were 69.5% and 86.7% lower, respectively, than those with high CaF and high fall risk.

CONCLUSIONS: Frailty relationships with fall risk and CaF indicate the importance of addressing frailty to aid in fall prevention in older adults. Further, addressing the CaF mentality is important in fall prevention in older adults. ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT05778604.

PMID:40035084 | PMC:PMC11872253 | DOI:10.22540/JFSF-10-018

Front Surg. 2025 Feb 17;12:1526384. doi: 10.3389/fsurg.2025.1526384. eCollection 2025.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Nonunion of femoral neck fractures following internal fixation presents a significant challenge, particularly in young patients. This study evaluated the efficacy of valgus osteotomy in treating femoral neck fracture nonunion after failed internal fixation in young adults.

METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted including a total of 23 male patients with a mean age of 32.9 years, who underwent valgus osteotomy for femoral neck fracture nonunion. The procedure involved lateral closing wedge osteotomy at the subtrochanteric level, followed by fixation with a dynamic hip screw (DHS). The postoperative follow-up period exceeded one year.

RESULTS: Significant improvements in biomechanical parameters were observed. The mean neck-shaft angle increased from 118.91° to 139.26° (p < 0.001), whereas the Pauwels angle decreased from 62.07° to 46.91° (p < 0.001). The median Harris Hip Score improved from 63 to 96 (p < 0.001). Limb length demonstrated a trend toward improvement, increasing from a median of 73.30-74.50 cm, although this was not statistically significant (p = 0.077). Union was achieved in 22 of 23 patients, with a median healing time of 8.5 months.

CONCLUSION: Valgus osteotomy is an effective treatment for femoral neck fracture nonunion in young adults, offering improved biomechanics, good union rates, and enhanced functional outcomes. This technique is a viable option for preserving the native hip joint in challenging patients.

PMID:40035071 | PMC:PMC11872901 | DOI:10.3389/fsurg.2025.1526384

Front Surg. 2025 Feb 17;12:1458366. doi: 10.3389/fsurg.2025.1458366. eCollection 2025.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: In recent years, percutaneous endoscopic unilateral laminotomy for bilateral decompression (PE-ULBD) has been used to treat degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) and has achieved good results. Some researchers have conducted statistical analysies and evaluated the efficacy of this technology. In this systematic review and single-arm meta-analysis, the effectiveness of PE-ULBD as a surgical method for treating single segment LSS was evaluated from the perspective of evidence-based medicine. The aim was to provide a scientific basis for the clinical application of this technology in LSS treatment.

METHODS: A systematic review was performed in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. A total of 396 studies published before May 29, 2024 were collected from the PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure(CNKI), and WanFang databases.

RESULTS: Eight retrospective studies were found with 287 patients who met the inclusion criteria set for the systematic review and single-arm meta-analysis. We used the methodological index for non-randomized studies (MINORS) scale to evaluate the quality of the included studies. The results indicated that significant difference in VAS scores between preoperative and postoperative back and leg pain and the difference between the control results recorded before and after the two types of pain scores was statistically significant (P < 0.05). In addition, the difference between the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) scores recorded in the different groups before and after surgery was statistically significant (P < 0.05). Although the results showed high heterogeneity, a sensitivity analysis showed that there was no significant deviation in other results except for the VAS and ODI score for leg pain in the preoperative and three-month postoperative groups. Secondary clinical outcomes included an average operational time of 97.15 min (95% CI = 82.83, 111.47), an average intraoperative bleeding volume of 26.52 ml (95% CI = 10.51, 42.52), an average hospital stay of 4.16 days (95% CI = 2.96, 5.35), and an incidence of complications of 0.10 (95% CI = 0.06, 0.14).

CONCLUSION: Our results indicate that the PE-ULBD technique has significant short and long-term clinical efficacy for the treatment of single-segment LSS and is worthy of clinical application and promotion.

PMID:40035070 | PMC:PMC11873088 | DOI:10.3389/fsurg.2025.1458366

Front Neurosci. 2025 Feb 17;19:1529572. doi: 10.3389/fnins.2025.1529572. eCollection 2025.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the optimal stimulation intensity and reference range of the unilateral centrifugation subjective visual vertical (UC-SVV) test and to fill the technical gap in otolithic function evaluation in patients with peripheral vestibular diseases.

METHOD: Forty healthy subjects (median age 28 years) underwent a UC-SVV test at rotation speeds of 60, 120, 180, and 240 deg./s using the Neuro Kinetics Inc. (NKI) I-Portal 6.0 NOTC rotating chair system. The deviation angles of the UC-SVV line in the centre and left/right positions at each rotation speed were recorded and analysed.

RESULTS: Forty healthy subjects completed the test. The deviation angle of the UC-SVV line differed according to the rotation speed (60, 120, 180, and 240 deg./s). At each rotation speed, the position of the rotation axis (left/centre/right position) affected the deviation angle and direction of the UC-SVV line. At each position of the rotation axis, the rotation speed also affected the deviation angle. When the rotation chair was translated to the left and right positions, the UC-SVV line deviated to the right and left sides, respectively, and the deviation angle increased with increasing rotation speed. The deviation angle at 60 deg./s was significantly less than that at 180 and 240 deg./s (p < 0.001). When the rotation axis was in the centre position, the absolute value of the SVV deviation was less than 0.3, and there was no statistically significant difference at any rotation speed.

CONCLUSION: This study preliminarily discussed the deviation direction and angle of the UC-SVV line under different stimulation intensities in a range of healthy middle-aged subjects. The optimal stimulation intensity for the UC-SVV test is suggested to be 180 or 240 deg./s. Specifically, the peak rotation speed could be 180 deg./s if the subject is unable to tolerate high-speed rotation. This study provides support for improving this technology for evaluation of otolith function and its diagnostic significance in peripheral vestibular diseases.

PMID:40035062 | PMC:PMC11872882 | DOI:10.3389/fnins.2025.1529572

Int J Nurs Stud Adv. 2025 Feb 15;8:100307. doi: 10.1016/j.ijnsa.2025.100307. eCollection 2025 Jun.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Although patient safety education is receiving increased attention, nursing students’ patient safety competency remains moderate. As an important source of future caregivers for many primary health hospitals, the level of patient safety competence of higher vocational nursing students directly affects the delivery of nursing care, which in turn affects patient safety, the patient’s disease healing process, and their outcomes. There is a lack of evidence to support the factors that influence patient safety competence among nursing students.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this research was to explore the factors that impact patient safety competency among Chinese higher vocational nursing students.

DESIGN: An explanatory sequential mixed research design was used in this study.

METHODS: The quantitative part was a cross-sectional survey. Convenient sampling was used to conduct a questionnaire survey on 523 nursing students from a vocational college in Chongqing using the general information questionnaire, The metacognition ability scale, the general self-efficacy scale, the self-directed learning skill scale, patient safety nurse competency evaluation scale. Multiple linear regression and serial mediating effect test were used to analyze the impact factors. Qualitative research was then conducted to explain the initial quantitative research results. The qualitative research part used purposive sampling to conduct semi-structured interviews with 16 higher vocational nursing students, and the data was analyzed through content analysis. Quantitative and qualitative data are mapped to the Capability, Opportunity, Motivation, Behavior (COM-B) model.

RESULTS: The quantitative findings found that metacognition had a statistically significant indirect predictive effect on patient safety competence through general self-efficacy and self-directed learning, with an indirect effect value of 0.034 (95 % CI [0.017, -0.013]). Combining quantitative and qualitative results, The Capability, Opportunity, Motivation, Behavior (COM-B) model and theoretical domains framework captures a series of factors, including Competence (professional knowledge and skills); Opportunities (resources, public opinion); Motivation (metacognitive abilities, personality, roles, beliefs, goals).

CONCLUSIONS: This study provides evidence for a serial mediating role of general self-efficacy and self-directed learning in the relationship between metacognition ability and patient safety competency, contributing to a psychological understanding of the underlying mechanisms of patient safety competency. Therefore, when developing interventions, consideration should be given to promoting positive behaviours in higher vocational nursing students concerning general self-efficacy and self-directed strategies to enhance metacognition, boost patient safety competency, and safeguard patient safety.

PMID:40035058 | PMC:PMC11872605 | DOI:10.1016/j.ijnsa.2025.100307