Suchergebnisse

Background: Information on health-related quality of life of the patients enables healthcare providers to understand patients' concerns and guides to introduce appropriate treatment care. This study assessed the health-related quality of life of the cancer patients attending a tertiary hospital in Nepal.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 294 cancer patients receiving treatment service from Bhaktapur Cancer Hospital between November 2016 and February 2017. We used the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer, Quality of Life Questionnaire-Core 30 to record the scores in different domains of health-related quality of life. The scores were compared across different socio-economic characteristics using non-parametric tests. Results: Majority of the participants were female (57.5%), of age 50 years and above (64.7%) and had either lung or breast or cervical cancer (49.32%). Participants' median scores of the global health status (overall health) and quality of life, functionality, and symptoms were 83.3, 52.7 and 31.9 respectively. Among functionality, lower mean scores were of role (45.40) and social (53.17) functioning. Among symptoms and single items, higher mean scores were of appetite loss (49.88), fatigue (46.67), insomnia (43.99), and financial difficulty (68.02). The overall health and quality of life varied significantly with different characteristics of the participants.Conclusions: Participants reported a higher score of overall health and quality of life that reflects subjective satisfactory condition. Improving respective functionality and relieving symptoms and difficulty could enhance health-related quality of life in respective domains.Keywords: Cancer; EORTC QLQ-C30; health-related quality of life

Background: Sexual harassment has received global attention and has been recognized as a public health problem with increased physical and mental health risks among the victims. This study attempted to assess understanding, experience, response and effect of sexual harassment among the secondary school female students in Kathmandu, Nepal.Methods: It was a mixed method study conducted among 441 secondary level female students. In quantitative component, a structured questionnaire was used to collect information relating to socio-demographic characteristics, and understanding, experience, response and effect of sexual harassment from 441 participants from three clusters (schools) of Tokha Municipality, Kathmandu. For qualitative method, two focused group discussions were conducted to assess the understanding of and response to sexual harassment. Quantitative and qualitative data were analyzed using Chi square test and thematic analysis method respectively.Results: Around 76% of the participants had experienced some forms of sexual harassment in their life. Sexual harassment was significantly associated with religion and parental occupation. Majority of participants who faced sexual harassment reported that the perpetrators were strangers and they either ignored it or did nothing at the time of events. School, roads and public places were the most common settings where participants encountered sexual harassment.Conclusions: Sexual harassment is prevalent among female secondary students in Kathmandu. However, they lacked a clear understating of and ways to respond to sexual harassment. Raising awareness to recognize and respond to different forms of harassment and to change the victim-blaming attitudes can be a potential strategy for tackling the problem in Nepalese society. Keywords: Abuse; sexual harassment; victimization; violence.

Background: Understanding country-specific factors influencing hypertension care is critical to address the gaps in the management of hypertension. However, no systematic investigation of factors influencing hypertension treatment and control in Nepal is available. This study aimed to systematically review the published literature and synthesise the findings on barriers, enablers, and strategies for hypertension treatment and control in Nepal. Methods: Embase, PubMed, Web of Science, CINAHL, ProQuest and WorldCat, and Nepali journals and government websites were searched for qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods studies on factors or strategies related to hypertension treatment and control in Nepal. Information from qualitative studies was analysed using template analysis, while results from quantitative studies were narratively synthesised. Summary findings were framed under "health system", "provider", and "patient" domains. The protocol was registered in PROSPERO (registration number: CRD42020145823). Results: We identified 15 studies; ten related to barriers and enablers and five to strategies. The identified barriers associated with the health system were: lack of affordable services and lack of resources. The barriers at the provider's level were: communication gaps, inadequate counselling, long waiting hours for appointments, lack of national guidelines for hypertension treatment, and provider's unsupportive behaviours. Non-adherence to medication, irregular follow-up visits, lack of awareness on blood pressure target, poor help-seeking behaviours, reluctance to change behaviours, perceived side-effects of anti-hypertensive medication, self-medication, lack of family support, financial hardship, lack of awareness on blood pressure complications, and comorbidity were barriers identified at patient level. The following enablers were identified: free essential health care services, family support, positive illness perception, and drug reminders. Strategies implemented at the health system, provider ...

BACKGROUND: Migration to India is a common livelihood strategy for poor people in remote Western Nepal. To date, little research has explored the degree and nature of healthcare access among Nepali migrant workers in India. This study explores the experiences of returnee Nepali migrants with regard to accessing healthcare and the perspectives of stakeholders in the government, support organizations, and health providers working with migrant workers in India. METHODS: Six focus group discussions (FGDs) and 12 in-depth interviews with returnee migrants were conducted by trained moderators in six districts in Western Nepal in late 2017. A further 12 stakeholders working in the health and education sector were also interviewed. With the consent of the participants, FGDs and interviews were audio-recorded. They were then transcribed and translated into English and the data were analysed thematically. RESULTS: The interviewed returnee migrants worked in 15 of India's 29 states, most as daily-wage labourers. Most were from among the lowest castes so called-Dalits. Most migrants had had difficulty accessing healthcare services in India. The major barriers to access were the lack of insurance, low wages, not having an Indian identification card tied to individual biometrics so called: Aadhaar card. Other barriers were unsupportive employers, discrimination at healthcare facilities and limited information about the locations of healthcare services. CONCLUSIONS: Nepali migrants experience difficulties in accessing healthcare in India. Partnerships between the Nepali and Indian governments, migrant support organizations and relevant stakeholders such as healthcare providers, government agencies and employers should be strengthened so that this vulnerable population can access the healthcare they are entitled to. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12913-020-05846-7.