Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness

IntroductionMedication errors (MEs) are common events in the hospital that compromises the patient safety. Despite high prevalence of MEs being reported, there is a limited information at the outpatient settings. MethodThis study assessed the prevalence and characteristics of MEs by analyzing the data of pharmacist-led interventions recorded between 1st November 2024 to 30th September 2025 at the outpatient department of pharmacy, Jigme Dorji Wangchuck National Referral Hospital (JDWNRH). Resu...

BackgroundNeonicotinoid pesticides are systemic insecticides with neurotoxic potential and environmental persistence, raising concerns about chronic low-dose exposure in humans and impacts on ecosystems. In Japan, regulatory restrictions are generally less stringent than in the European Union, yet risk perception among young adults remains underexplored. ObjectiveTo examine factors associated with university students interest in pesticide-related issues, focusing on family discussions about env...

BackgroundNomophobia, characterised by the dread or anxiety of being without access to a mobile phone, has become an increasing behavioural issue among young adults, especially university students. Excessive reliance on smartphones has been linked to psychological suffering, impaired everyday functioning, and negative academic results. Nonetheless, information about the prevalence and determinants of nomophobia among university students in Bangladesh is scarce. This study aimed to evaluate the p...

IntroductionGrowing evidence suggests pesticide exposure can affect emotional well-being; limited research exists across adolescence and young adulthood. We examined cross-sectional and longitudinal associations of pesticide biomarkers with anxiety and depression scores. MethodsWe analyzed 646 participants from Ecuadorian agricultural communities: 510 in 2016 (ages 11-17y) and 485 in 2022 (17-24y). Twelve urinary insecticide metabolites were measured. Validated questionnaires assessed depressio...

Purpose To quantify and compare the peak force applied on the glottis during endotracheal intubation across five laryngoscopy techniques, two intubation conditions (standard and simulated laryngospasm), and two operator experience levels, and to assess the effects of stylet use and operator anthropometric characteristics on applied force. Methods This prospective, manikin-based experimental study enrolled 50 operators (30 experienced, 20 less experienced). Each performed endotracheal intubation ...

BackgroundThis study argues that the crisis in South Korean essential medicine stems from "allocation failure" driven by economic and legal disincentives, rather than an absolute shortage. We evaluate the efficacy of the medical school quota expansion policy by analyzing workforce mismatch in the "Vital 5" specialties. (Internal Medicine, General Surgery, Obstetrics & Gynecology, Pediatrics, and Cardiothoracic Surgery). MethodsWe developed two quantitative models: (1) a Social Sunk Cost model t...

BackgroundThe body roundness index (BRI), calculated from height and waist circumference, is a novel obesity metric proposed as an alternative to body mass index (BMI). Although the BRI is reportedly associated with mortality risk, little is known about how the performance of the BRI and BMI compare. MethodsWe used data from the SKDB, a regional healthcare database in Shizuoka, Japan, that includes data from >2 million people from 2012 to 2022. Individuals aged 40 to 74 years who received a Spe...

BackgroundPharmaceutical care is a patient-centered practice model in which pharmacists assume responsibility for identifying, preventing, and resolving medication-related problems to optimize therapeutic outcomes. In Nigeria, pharmaceutical care activities within hospital settings have expanded over time; however, evidence describing the frequency of specific pharmacist intervention activities and the structural barriers influencing their delivery at the facility level remains limited. Objecti...

BackgroundAdverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are widespread and have detrimental long-term effects in many aspects including physical and mental health, education and employment. Medical students are presumed to have had high rates of exposure and suffer consequences that might hinder their progression in undergraduate or postgraduate level. ObjectiveThe study aimed to determine the prevalence of adverse childhood experiences among different sociodemographic groups of medical students and eli...

BackgroundThe World Health Organization (WHO) defines self-medication as taking medicine by someone to treat a health problem on their own, without a professional or doctor consultation. Self-medication is a growing public health concern globally, including in Afghanistan. This study aims to assess the prevalence of self-medication and its associated factors among the residents of Kandahar city. MethodologyAn analytical cross-sectional study was conducted in 12 districts of Kandahar city. A tot...

Collecting water in rural sub-Saharan Africa is primarily performed by women. Climate change may affect water resources, damage infrastructure, and limit availability of water for collection. These changes could affect large numbers of rural households and the amount of time they spend collecting water. This study uses national surveys to assess associations between precipitation, surface runoff, and temperature on water collection labor over a 32-year period in rural sub-Saharan Africa. Our out...

BackgroundRisk communication is critical in shaping public response during infectious disease outbreaks. This study quantitatively examined whether Nigerian media coverage during the 2024 cholera outbreak reflected a proactive or reactive risk communication pattern. MethodsA Python-based systematic content analysis was conducted on 352 unique news articles published by major Nigerian media sources in 2024. K-Means was used to cluster and quantify thematic patterns, TextBlob for sentiment polari...

Large language models (LLMs) are increasingly used by the public to seek health information, yet their reliability in addressing common vaccine myths remains unclear. We conducted an exploratory multi-vendor evaluation of three LLMs (GPT-5, Gemini 2.5 Flash, Claude Sonnet 4) using officially curated vaccination myths from Germanys public health institution and two realistic user framings as prompts: a curious skeptic and a convinced believer. All model responses were independently evaluated by t...

ObjectiveThis study aimed to adapt and validate Levensteins Perceived Stress Questionnaire (PSQ) within the Ecuadorian sociocultural context. The PSQ measures perceived stress across two temporal frames: general (past two years) and specific (past month). MethodsThe research followed five sequential phases. Study 1: linguistic and cultural adaptation through standardized translation, back-translation, expert review, and a pilot test with 300 participants. Study 2: item refinement with an additi...

Indigenous, mountain communities residing upstream of Bhumibol Dam, Thailand, rely on vulnerable natural water sources for their water supply, yet remain unaware of the associated health risks. This study assessed the water quality, usage patterns and contamination pathways across six villages upstream of Bhumibol Dam to shed light on the obstacles to sustainable water security . Samples from 38 water sources of drinking and/or non-drinking water, soil, and the edible parts of crops were subject...

Depression is a common and clinically significant mental health condition among university students, particularly those experiencing academic failure and course repetition, and is associated with adverse effects on cognitive functioning, emotional regulation, and academic performance. This study evaluated the efficacy of an internet-based cognitive behavioural therapy (iCBT) intervention, MoodGYM, in reducing depressive symptoms among repeating undergraduate students at the University of Zambia ...

IntroductionThe 2025 establishment of Singapores Communicable Diseases Agency (CDA) as the countrys national public health agency included creation of a One Health Office (OHO). OHOs establishment supports the pre-existing One Health whole-of-government approach, consisting of multisectoral collaborations via five government agencies spanning human, animal, and environment-related health. Singapores One Health approach includes several unique features designed to stimulate preparedness, preventi...

BackgroundEmerging in January 2020, the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic quickly exposed the limitations of traditional contact tracing and overwhelmed the contact tracing efforts of US health departments. In response, Kaiser Permanente partnered with the Public Health Institute to launch the California Contact Tracing Support Initiative. This innovative, clinically integrated program aimed to link Kaiser Permanente members diagnosed at their facilities directly with contact tracing and supportive clinical c...

1.AI is already finding its way into the diagnostic radiology realm of various regions around the world, but there is still a lack of evidence on the situation in LMICs. This qualitative study examined the research problem through the perspectives of clinicians regarding the adoption of AI-Radiology in Karachi, Pakistan, using the Technology Acceptance Model and interpreting the results into practice and policy using the Problem Driven Iteration Adaptation lens. 13 clinicians (radiologists, tert...

BackgroundSea fish traditionally serves as a protein source and plays a crucial and indispensable role in providing nutrition for the people of Bangladesh. However, frequent consumption may potentially indicate health risks through contamination with toxic heavy metals. The main purpose of this study is to evaluate the levels of heavy metal concentrations (Cr, Fe, Ni, Mn, Cu, and Pb) in selected sea fish from Chattogram and Coxs Bazar districts in Bangladesh. MethodsA wet digestion technique wa...