PLOS ONE

Abstract Background: Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are common health issue during pregnancy, often lead to adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes if left untreated, low knowledge contribute to high UTI rates, particularly in resource-limited settings like Jordan. To assess the knowledge levels about UTIs among pregnant women in Jordan and its association with socio-demographic characteristics. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 500 pregnant women attending anten...

Background: Cesarean section is one of the most commonly performed surgical procedures worldwide and is frequently associated with moderate to severe postoperative pain. While overall pain after cesarean delivery is well described, evidence comparing pain intensity and analgesic use between primary and repeat cesarean sections remains limited. Objective: To compare postoperative pain severity and total analgesic consumption within the first 24 hours among women undergoing primary versus repeat c...

Introduction Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) is invasive to measure. Therefore, in clinical care, estimated GFR is derived from serum levels of endogenous filtration markers such as creatinine and cystatin C. Multiple studies from high income countries showed differences between estimated glomerular filtration rate based on cystatin C (eGFRcys) and creatinine (eGFRcr). This study aimed to assess the agreement between eGFRcys and eGFRcr in Ethiopian children and identify factors influencing high...

The recent Lancet Commission on Nigerias health system highlighted high out of pocket expenditures on health and underfunding of the public health sector as major obstacles to Nigerias achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. Nigeria has sought to address these gaps by extending health insurance coverage. This paper measures health insurance coverage and access to care in Nigeria circa 2023, using the first round of the Peoples Voice Survey (PVS). We analyze health insurance coverage by...

Background: workforce innovative solutions are warranted to respond to the critical global lack of healthcare professionals and sustain delivery of quality patient care. The Patient Care Technician program was one of the strategies implemented to address this challenge by developing a timely pool of workforce who can take non-complex tasks, alleviating workload on other professionals such as registered nurses. However, since this strategy was recently introduced, its implementation and impact on...

Background: Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) survival depends on timely bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and quick defibrillation via automated external defibrillator (AED). However, access to CPR education and willingness to intervene are not equitably distributed. Within the Muslim community, intersecting religious identity, language, immigration-related concerns, and other social determinants of health may affect CPR/AED education, bystander response, and ultimately OHCA out...

Background: Psychological readiness to return to sport and subjective knee function are critical outcomes following ACL reconstruction (ACLR), yet they do not always progress in parallel. An athlete may demonstrate high subjective knee function but low psychological readiness, suggesting a mental barrier to return, or conversely, report high readiness despite persistent functional limitations, raising concerns of overconfidence and reinjury risk. Understanding how these domains change together d...

BackgroundDiabetes mellitus (DM) remains a major global health challenge and is associated with vision-threatening complications, including diabetic macular edema (DME), a leading cause of visual impairment. Dyslipidemia has been implicated in the development of macular edema through mechanisms involving vascular permeability, endothelial dysfunction, and chronic inflammation. However, evidence regarding the relationship between lipid abnormalities and macular edema remains inconsistent across s...

Academic institutions privilege norms of continuous productivity and uninterrupted availability, creating conformity pressures that systematically disadvantage those who deviate from an implicit template of the ideal academic. This study explores how doctoral students and faculty in the health sciences perceive the reproduction of social homogeneity. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with nine participants at a German university hospital. Data were analysed using reflexive thematic anal...

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 ...

Objectives: Compare Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) Return to Sport after Injury (ACL-RSI) scores over time following ACL reconstruction (ACLR) between male and female patients aged 15 to 25 years with primary ACL injuries and ACL reinjuries. Design: Retrospective cohort design. Setting: Sports physical therapy clinics. Participants: 332 patients aged 15-25 years who underwent ACLR following either primary ACL injury or ACL reinjury, either contralateral or ipsilateral graft reinjury, and had a...

BackgroundAdapted dance is a promising rehabilitation intervention for physical and psychosocial impairments in people with chronic stroke. However, in-person attendance is hindered by limited community ambulation, transportation, and schedule conflicts. At-home participation with a live-streamed dance program could address these issues, but psychosocial benefits may be diminished because of reduced social interactions. The primary objective of this study was to assess the feasibility and safety...

Purpose: Human anatomy remains foundational to clinical practice, yet reduced instructional hours raise concerns about graduate competence and preparedness for patient care. Although trainees often report confidence, supervisors may perceive deficiencies, creating a gap between self-assessment and external evaluation. This study examined stakeholder perspectives on anatomical competence within physical therapy education to identify areas of discordance in perceived capability. Methods: A cross-s...

Background: In low- and middle-income countries, the burden of hypertension is increasing. Medication adherence is a critical component of reducing hypertension-related cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk and death. There are many barriers to hypertension medication adherence, including challenges with access to and possession of medication. To address these challenges, we aim to implement a strategy in rural western Kenya that combines peer delivery of medications and health information technolog...

This study compared the effects of a 25-min nap opportunity and a 10-min non-sleep deep rest (NSDR) condition on perceptual, cognitive, and physical performance in physically active young adults. Sixty participants (26 female, 34 male; 22 {+/-} 4 years) were randomly assigned to one of three groups (nap, NSDR, control; n = 20 each). All groups completed identical assessments immediately, 20 min, and 40 min post-intervention. Mixed-effects models, adjusted for sex, prior-night sleep, and weekly p...

BackgroundPostoperative delirium is a common complication in surgical patients, and is associated with a multitude of negative outcomes, including mortality, dementia, and increased healthcare costs. Therefore, a better understanding of what factors contribute to postoperative delirium, especially those that can be easily obtained, is important. MethodsWe conducted a retrospective cohort study using patients from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care (MIMIC)-IV database. Adult patient...

Background Older adults' walking has so far been evaluated using standardised assessments of walking capacity within a clinical setting. By taking the evaluation out of the laboratory into the real world, this study provides first evidence of the ability of Digital Mobility Outcomes (DMOs) to detect changes over time and the Minimal Important Difference (MID) in patients after proximal femoral fracture (PFF). This will guide the implementation of DMOs in research and clinical care. Methods For t...

Background: Nursing interns are at high risk of psychological distress due to academic and clinical stressors. While poor sleep quality is linked to anxiety and depression, the buffering role of social support remains underexplored in this population. Aims: To explore the role of social support in regulating the relationship between sleep and mental health among nursing interns. Methods: A total of 396 nursing interns completed self-administered questionnaires including the Pittsburgh Sleep Qual...

Background The microbial aetiology of early childhood caries (ECC) in sub-Saharan African populations remains poorly characterised, with most studies focusing on conventional cariogenic pathogens like Streptococcus mutans. This study aimed to characterise the salivary microbial profile of children with ECC in urban Kano, northern Nigeria. Methods In this cross-sectional study of 162 children aged 3-5 years in urban Kano, unstimulated saliva samples were collected and analysed using standard bact...

Background Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly being integrated into healthcare systems, with growing applications in clinical decision support, workflow optimization, and population health management. While substantial investments have been made in digital infrastructure, the successful adoption of AI in primary care depends critically on the readiness, awareness, and educational preparedness of healthcare professionals. Global health authorities emphasize the need for ethically ground...