Karbala Journal of Medicine

Motivators and Barriers to Physical Activity among Healthcare Providers in Karbala City

Waleed Khalid Al-Najafi — 2024-08-01

Background: Physical inactivity is a major risk factor for non-communicable diseases and premature mortality. Promoting physical activity among healthcare professionals is important, yet little research has examined this population in Iraq.

Aim: to assess physical activity motivators and barriers to physical activity among health providers in Karbala City, Iraq.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 800 healthcare professionals from selected hospitals and primary care centers in Karbala using validated questionnaires on physical activity (IPAQ), motivation (SMS-28), and barriers. Physical activity levels, motivations, and barriers were analyzed overall and by socio-demographics.

Results: Approximately one-third (33.6%) were classified as physically inactive. No significant differences existed across gender, age groups, or type of healthcare staff. Key motivators were intrinsic factors like accomplishment, experience stimulation and knowledge. Top barriers were fear of injury, lack of skill, and social influences.

Conclusion: High rates of physical inactivity among healthcare professionals highlight the need for targeted workplace strategies, leveraging intrinsic motivation and addressing barriers around skills, environment and safety concerns. Further research should explore causative factors and assess the impact of tailored interventions. Healthcare organizations play a pivotal role in prioritizing staff wellness to catalyze broader cultural shifts.

Keywords: Karbala, health providors, physical activity, motivators, barriers

A newly Diagnosed Female Breast Cancer in Karbala: Demographic, Clinical, and Histopathological Characteristics

anwar alhashimy — 2024-08-01

Abstract:

Background: Breast cancer is considered as a significant public health issue due to its high incidence, prevalence, and mortality rate. It is a multi - faceted disease with both environmental and genetic causal factors. It is the first of the 10 most popular tumors triggering public concern in Iraq, compensating for 20% of all cancers and approximately 33 percent of total of female cancers.

Materials and methods: This retrospective study was accomplished at the Breast Clinic, Al-Hussein Teaching Medical City, Karbala province, Iraq from September 2020 to March 2021. The study enrolled a randomly selected group of women (70 patients) newly diagnosed as breast cancer. The study included all women attending the breast clinic diagnosed a breast cancer based on clinical examination in combination with positive imaging findings and confirmed by pathological assessment. The data was collected for those patients including; demographical, clinical and histopathological findings and were statistically analyzed.

Results: The mean age at time of diagnosis was (52.24±10.52) years and the mean body mass index was (26.80±4.23 kg/m²). A family history of breast cancer was recorded in (21.4%) of patients. most patient were presented with painless palpable mass (74.3%). Stage II breast cancer was the most frequent stage and invasive ductal carcinoma was the most common histological type (74.3%). Most cases were expressed positive for both estrogen and progesterone receptors while was negative in (84.3%) for human epidermal growth factor receptor 2.

Conclusion: a significant proportion of breast cancer patients in Iraq have locally advanced disease with the most common complaint being a painless breast lump at time of diagnosis.

Key words: breast cancer, invasive ductal carcinoma, immunohistochemistry.

The Value Diagnostic of Procalcitonin and Complete Blood Count in Patients with Sepsis due to Community -Acquired Pneumonia.

Jaafar Salman Jasim AL-Banaa — 2024-08-01

Background :Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) the acute infection of lung tissue in a patient who has acquired it from the community.The most common bacterial pneumonia complications are sepsis .it is a life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by a deregulated host response to infection . Objective : This research aims to to find potential value diagnostic for Procalcitonin (PCT) and Complete Blood Count (CBC) markers, which could provide diagnostic and prognostic value markers for community -acquired pneumonia and sepsis. Materials and Methods: The samples were (120) participated divided into (20) patients of sepsis due to CAP , (60) patients with bacterial CAP and (40) control were collected blood samples from both males and females patients between the age of (23-95 years) and the average age was (54.9 , 72.5 and 51.4 years) for the three groups in the study. All the samples were diagnosis by doctor specializing in respiratory and chest diseases, at Imam Al-Sadiq Hospital in Babylon Governorate, and a doctor specializing in Internal Medicine at Imam Al-Hussein Medical City in Kerbela Governorate during the period December 2022 to June 2023. the PCT were estimated by using automated a combination of Up-converting Phosphor Technology (UPT) and immunochromatography and CBC results by using automated haematology analyzers Sysmex XN -2000. Results: the results showed high significant differences regarding most investigated parameters (PCT,WBC, Lym, Mono,Gra , Lym % , Mono%, Gra%, HCT and N/L ratio .) at P value < 0.000 expect HGB at P value < 0.002 and PLT / L at P value < 0.001 while PLT there is no significant differences at P value < 0.094 and also showed the PCT, WBC,GRA,GRA % ,N/L ratio and PLT/L ratio were elevated in patients of CAP and sepsis due to CAP compared to control while reduced the results of the LYM, LYM %,HGB and HCT in patients of CAP and sepsis due to CAP compared to control .Conclusion: Our results showed that PCT , WBC , GRA , GRA% ,NLR and PLR were more valuable marker for the diagnosis the patients with CAP and Sepsis due to CAP than other CBC parameters.

the Influence of perceived leadership styles on burnout among nurses

اسراء نعمة — 2024-08-01

The study examines the relationship between nurses' job burnout and leadership styles in Karbala city teaching hospitals. The research was conducted in Iraq, in the city of Karbala, and included 324 nurses to explore how leadership styles and demographic factors affect job burnout. The results reveal a relationship between leadership style and reduced burnout among nurses, suggesting that effective leadership can positively impact nurses' well-being. Most of the participants were young people, and females constituted a large proportion of the sample. This study emphasizes the importance of leadership in alleviating nurse burnout and improving overall job satisfaction.