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Perceptions of Australias e-cigarette regulations and recommendations for future reforms: a qualitative study of adolescents and adults

Por: Brierley · M.-E. E. · Yaw · S. J. L. · Jongenelis · M. I.
Objective

To assess public perceptions of the effectiveness of e-cigarette regulations in minimising use among adolescents and those who have never smoked. Specifically, we explored (1) perceived effectiveness of current regulations relating to e-cigarettes and (2) ideas for further regulations that could reduce use.

Design and participants

Focus groups (n=16) were conducted with Australian adolescents (14–17 years), young adults (18–24 years) and adults (25–39 years). Groups were stratified by age, gender and e-cigarette use status. Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis.

Setting

Focus groups were conducted in-person in two major Australian cities.

Results

Groups lacked a comprehensive understanding of e-cigarette regulations in Australia. When informed of these regulations, half of the groups considered the prescription model for nicotine e-cigarette products to be effective when enforced appropriately. Almost all groups considered access to non-nicotine products problematic. All groups suggested a range of demand reduction regulations, including plain packaging, health warnings, flavour restrictions and increased vape-free areas. Most groups (predominantly those who had never vaped) also recommended supply reduction regulations such as banning all e-cigarettes. The need for supply reduction measures to include addiction and mental health supports was discussed.

Conclusions

The regulations recommended by participants largely align with those that are to be introduced in Australia, indicating that these reforms are likely to be accepted by the public. Ensuring these reforms are complemented by formal supports for young people experiencing nicotine dependence and related mental health concerns is critical.

Acceptance of COVID-19 vaccine and associated factors among healthcare workers in Katsina state: a cross-sectional study in Northwest Nigeria

Por: Abubakar · A. T. · Suleiman · K. · Ahmad · S. I. · Yahaya · S. S. · Bello · U. I. · Suleiman · B. A. · Haladu · S. A. · Al-Mustapha · A. I. · Abubakar · M. I.
Objectives

Healthcare workers were prioritised to receive the COVID-19 vaccine in Nigeria. Administration of COVID-19 vaccination in Nigeria was challenging because of a lack of trust in vaccine safety and vaccine effectiveness among healthcare workers, who are expected to provide reliable information about vaccines and vaccine-preventable diseases in the communities. Hence, their acceptance and attitudes towards COVID-19 preventive practices could influence the acceptance of the vaccine by the local population. This cross-sectional study assessed the acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccine among healthcare workers in Katsina State. We predicted the variables that increased the vaccine acceptance using logistic regression analysis.

Setting

This hospital-based study was conducted at primary, secondary and tertiary healthcare facilities in Nigeria.

Participants

A total of 793 healthcare workers were included in this study. Of these, 65.4% (n=519) were male.

Outcome measures

To assess acceptance of COVID-19 vaccine measures, and factors increasing acceptance among healthcare workers.

Results

Of the healthcare workers, 80% (638) were tested for the SARS-CoV-2, of whom 10.8% (n=65) tested positive. Approximately 97% (n=765) of them believed that the COVID-19 vaccine was safe, and 90% (n=714) received the first dose of the vaccine. Healthcare workers between 30 and 39 years were more likely to accept the vaccine (aOR: 7.06; 95% CI 2.36 to 21.07; p

Conclusions

Our findings showed that the age and prior COVID-19 testing were the main factors influencing the acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccine. There was high acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccine among healthcare workers in Katsina State, Nigeria. Future studies should focus on the completion of doses and serological testing for immunity.

Cohort profile: the Pregnancy Risk Infant Surveillance and Measurement Alliance (PRISMA) - Pakistan

Por: Naz · S. · Jaffar · A. · Yazdani · N. · Kashif · M. · Hussain · Z. · Khan · U. · Farooq · F. · Nisar · M. I. · Jehan · F. · Smith · E. · Hoodbhoy · Z.
Purpose

Pakistan has disproportionately high maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality. There is a lack of detailed, population-representative data to provide evidence for risk factors, morbidities and mortality among pregnant women and their newborns. The Pregnancy Risk, Infant Surveillance and Measurement Alliance (PRISMA) is a multicountry open cohort that aims to collect high-dimensional, standardised data across five South Asian and African countries for estimating risk and developing innovative strategies to optimise pregnancy outcomes for mothers and their newborns. This study presents the baseline maternal and neonatal characteristics of the Pakistan site occurring prior to the launch of a multisite, harmonised protocol.

Participants

PRISMA Pakistan study is being conducted at two periurban field sites in Karachi, Pakistan. These sites have primary healthcare clinics where pregnant women and their newborns are followed during the antenatal, intrapartum and postnatal periods up to 1 year after delivery. All encounters are captured electronically through a custom-built Android application. A total of 3731 pregnant women with a mean age of 26.6±5.8 years at the time of pregnancy with neonatal outcomes between January 2021 and August 2022 serve as a baseline for the PRISMA Pakistan study.

Findings to date

In this cohort, live births accounted for the majority of pregnancy outcomes (92%, n=3478), followed by miscarriages/abortions (5.5%, n=205) and stillbirths (2.6%, n=98). Twenty-two per cent of women (n=786) delivered at home. One out of every four neonates was low birth weight (

Future plans

The PRISMA cohort will provide data-driven insights to prioritise and design interventions to improve maternal and neonatal outcomes in low-resource regions.

Trial registration number

NCT05904145.

Prevalence of cyberbullying victimisation and its association with family dysfunction, health behaviour and psychological distress among young adults in urban Selangor, Malaysia: a cross-sectional study

Por: Samsudin · E. Z. · Yaacob · S. S. · Xin Wee · C. · Mat Ruzlin · A. N. · Azzani · M. · Jamil · A. T. · Muzaini · K. · Ibrahim · K. · Suddin · L. S. · Selamat · M. I. · Ahmad Saman · M. S. · Abdullah · N. N. · Ismail · N. · Yasin · S. M. · Azhar · Z. I. · Ismail · Z. · Rodi Isa · M. · Moha
Background

Cyberbullying is a growing public health concern with clear, negative impacts on the mental, physical and social health of targeted victims. Previous research on cyberbullying has largely focused on examining its occurrence among children and adolescents. The present study aims to examine the prevalence of cyberbullying victimisation and its association with family dysfunction, health behaviour and psychological distress among young adults in Selangor, Malaysia.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted in a locality within Selangor, sampling a total of 1449 young adults. The Cyberbullying and Online Aggression Survey was used to measure cyberbullying victimisation. The Family APGAR scale, General Health Questionnaire, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and single-item measures were used to assess family dysfunction, psychological distress and health behaviour, respectively.

Results

The 1-month prevalence of cyberbullying victimisation among young adults was 2.4%. The most common cyberbullying act experienced was mean or hurtful comments about participants online (51.7%), whereas the most common online environment for cyberbullying to occur was social media (45.8%). Male participants (adjusted OR (AOR)=3.60, 95% CI=1.58 to 8.23) had at least three times the odds of being cyberbullied compared with female participants. Meanwhile, participants with higher levels of psychological distress had increased probability of being cyberbullied compared with their peers (AOR=1.13, 95% CI=1.05 to 1.21).

Conclusions

As evident from this study, cyberbullying victimisation prevails among young adults and is significantly related to gender and psychological distress. Given its devastating effects on targeted victims, a multipronged and collaborative approach is warranted to reduce incidences of cyberbullying and safeguard the health and well-being of young adults.

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