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The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence and associated factors of depressive symptoms and perceived stress among people with Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in Nepal. Using a cross-sectional design, we collected data from 481 participants with T2DM in Kavrepalanchok and Nuwakot districts of Nepal. Depressive symptoms and perceived stress were assessed using Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and Perceived Stress Scale, respectively. Associated independent variables were examined using binary logistic regression analyses. Of 481 participants, 123 (25.8%) had depressive symptoms (PHQ-9 score ≥5) and 156 (32.4%) experienced perceived stress. Low monthly income (

Background: Good oral health is an important part of healthy ageing, yet there is limited understanding regarding the status of oral health care for older people globally. This study reviewed evidence (policies, programs, and interventions) regarding oral health care for older people., Methods: A systematic search of six databases for published and grey literature in the English language by the end of April 2022 was undertaken utilising Arksey and O'Malley's scoping review framework., Results: The findings from oral health policy documents (n = 17) indicated a lack of priorities in national health policies regarding oral health care for older people. The most common oral health interventions reported in the published studies (n = 62) included educational sessions and practical demonstrations on oral care for older adults, nurses, and care providers. Other interventions included exercises of facial muscles and the tongue, massage of salivary glands, and application of chemical agents, such as topical fluoride., Conclusion: There is currently a gap in information and research around effective oral health care treatments and programs in geriatric dental care. Efforts must be invested in developing guidelines to assist both dental and medical healthcare professionals in integrating good oral health as part of healthy ageing. Further research is warranted in assessing the effectiveness of interventions in improving the oral health status of the elderly and informing approaches to assist the integration of oral health into geriatric care., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Introduction: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and depression are closely linked. People with T2DM are at increased risk of developing depression and vice versa. T2DM and depression comorbid conditions adversely affect Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQOL) and management of T2DM. In this study, we assessed depression and HRQOL among patients with T2DM in Dhaka, Bangladesh., Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in two tertiary-level hospitals in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Data were collected from 318 patients with T2DM. A set of standard tools, PHQ-9 (for assessing depression) and EuroQol-5D-5L (for assessing the HRQOL), were used. Statistical analyses, including Chi-square and Fisher's exact tests, Wilcoxon (Mann-Whitney), and Spearman's correlation coefficient tests, were performed using SPSS (v.20)., Results: The majority of the patients (58%) were females, with a mean age (standard deviation) of 52 ± 10 years, and 74% of patients lived in urban areas. The prevalence of depression was 62% (PHQ-9 score ≥ 5). Over three-quarters (76%) reported problems in the anxiety/ depression dimension of EQ-5D, followed by pain/discomfort (74%), mobility (40%), self-care (36%), and usual activities (33%). The depression and T2DM comorbid condition were associated with all the five dimensions of EQ-5D (χ2 statistics with df = 1 was 52.33, 51.13, 52.67, 21.61, 7.92 for mobility, self-care, usual activities, pain/discomfort, and anxiety/ depression dimensions respectively, p- < 0.01). The mean EQ-5D index (0.53 vs. 0.75) and the mean EQ-5D VAS (65 vs. 76) both showed lower values in T2DM patients with depression compared to T2DM patients without depression (Wilcoxon test, p- < 0.001)., Conclusions: We conclude that the majority of the patients with T2DM had comorbid conditions, and the HRQOL was negatively affected by comorbid depression in T2DM patients. This suggests the importance of timely screening, diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up of comorbid depression in T2DM patients to improve overall health and QOL., (© 2023. Wuhan University Global Health Institute.)

Background: Behavioral interventions targeted at managing Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) may have a positive effect on quality of life (QOL). Limited reviews have synthesized this effect in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). This review and meta-analysis synthesised available evidence on the effect of behavioral interventions to manage T2DM on the QOL of people with T2DM in LMICs., Methods: Electronic databases PUBMED/MEDLINE, SCOPUS, CINAHL, Embase, Web of Science and PsycINFO were searched from May to June 2022. Studies published between January 2000 and May 2022, conducted in LMICs using randomized controlled trial design, using a health behavior intervention for T2DM management, and reporting QOL outcomes were included. Difference in QOL change scores between the intervention and control group was calculated as the standardized mean difference (SMD) of QOL scores observed between the intervention and control groups. Random-effects model was used for meta-analysis., Results: Of 6122 studies identified initially, 45 studies met the inclusion criteria (n = 8336). Of them, 31 involved diabetes self-management education and 14 included dietary and/or physical activity intervention. There was moderate quality evidence from the meta-analysis of mean QOL (n = 25) that health behavior intervention improved the QOL of people with T2DM (SMD = 1.62, 95%CI = 0.65-2.60 I2 = 0.96, p = 0.001). However, no significant improvements were found for studies (n = 7) separately assessing the physical component summary (SMD = 0.76, 95%CI = -0.03-1.56 I2 = 0.94, p = 0.060) and mental component summary (SMD = 0.43, 95%CI = -0.30-1.16 I2 = 0.94, p = 0.249) scores. High heterogeneity and imprecise results across studies resulted in low to moderate quality of evidence., Conclusion: The findings suggest that health behavior interventions to manage T2DM may substantially improve the QOL of individuals with T2DM over short term. However, due to low to moderate quality of evidence, further research is required to corroborate our findings. Results of this review may guide future research and have policy implications for T2DM management in LMICs., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2023 Karki et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Background: This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of suicidal behaviors, i.e. suicidal ideation (SI), suicidal plan (SP), and suicidal attempt (SA) among adolescents with a focus on parental and peer support in eight South-East Asian countries including Bangladesh, Bhutan, Indonesia, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand., Method: Data were drawn from Global School-based Student Health Survey (GSHS) covering 42,888 adolescents aged 11-17 years. Weighted prevalence of SI, SP, and SA along with country specific prevalence was computed and binary logistic regression was used to identify associated risk factors., Results: Among 42,888 adolescents 19,113 (44.9%) were males and 23,441 (55.1%) females. Overall prevalence of SI, SP and SA is 9.10%, 10.42% and 8.54%, respectively. Myanmar demonstrated the lowest SI (1.07%) and SP (0.18%) whereas lowest SA was found in Indonesia (3.79%). Maldives had the highest prevalence of SI, SP and SA which were 14.13%, 19.02% and 13.38% respectively. Overall suicidal behaviors were associated with being female [AOR: SI-1.26 (1.06,1.50), SP-1.34 (1.14,1.57)], high levels of sedentary behavior [AOR: SI-2.08 (1.62,2.66), SP-1.86 (1.49,2.32), SA-1.96 (1.45,2.64)], involvement in physical fighting [AOR: SI-1.30 (1.07,1.58), SP-1.37 (1.14,1.65), SA-1.50 (1.17,1.90)], being seriously injured [AOR: SI-1.40 (1.17,1.67), SP-1.44 (1.22,1.69), SA-1.74 (1.39,2.17)], being bullied [AOR: SI- 1.68 (1.39,2.02), SP-1.34 (1.12,1.60), SA-1.88 (1.50,2.36)], feeling lonely (most of time or always) [AOR: SI-3.41(2.60,4.46), SP-1.92 (1.48,2.47), SA-2.25 (1.62,3.13)], lack of parental support (never checking homework) [AOR: SI-1.59 (1.25,2.02), SP-1.52 (1.22,1.90)] and not having close friends [AOR: SI-2.19 (1.66,2.89), SP-2.26 (1.74,2.94), SA-4.23 (3.10,5.78)]., Conclusion: Though prevalence of suicidal behaviors varies, a range of cross-cutting risk factors exists that warrant further examination. We recommend focusing on strengthening parental and peer support, targeted programs addressing physical activity, bullying, loneliness and mental-health of adolescents., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest No conflict declared., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Aims/introduction: The global burden of diabetes mellitus is rising substantially, with a further increase in cardiovascular and kidney disease burden. These public health problems are highly prevalent in low- and middle-income countries, including Nepal. However, there is limited evidence on cardiac and renal conditions among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. We determined the status of electrocardiogram (ECG) abnormalities and renal impairment among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus in Nepal., Methods: We carried out a cross-sectional study in Tulsipur Sub-Metropolitan City of Nepal using a multistage stratified sampling technique to recruit patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. We used World Health Organization stepwise approach to surveillance (WHO STEPS) questionnaires and carried out resting ECG to collect data of 345 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Logistic regression analysis assessed the factors associated with ECG abnormalities and renal impairment., Results: The study showed that 6.1% of participants had major ECG abnormalities (95% confidence interval [CI] 3.8-8.6%), which were associated with hypertension (P = 0.01%) and low socioeconomic status (P = 0.01). The proportion of major and/or minor ECG abnormalities was 47.8% (95% CI 40.5-51%), and were significantly associated with age (odds ratio [OR] 1.04, 95% CI 1.01-1.07), higher education (OR 3.50, 95% CI 1.31-9.33), unemployment (OR 3.02, 95% CI 1.08-8.48), body mass index (OR 1.09, 95% CI 1.02-1.17) and duration of type 2 diabetes mellitus >5 years (OR 2.42, 95% CI 1.19-4.93). The proportion of renal impairment was 3.5% (95% CI 1.5-4.5%) which was associated with older age (OR 1.08, 95% CI 1.00-1.17) and hypertension (OR 12.12, 95% CI 1.07-138.22)., Conclusion: A significant proportion of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus had ECG abnormalities and renal impairment, which were significantly associated with hypertension. Therefore, hypertension management and early screening are essential to prevent future cardiorenal complications among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus., (© 2023 The Authors. Journal of Diabetes Investigation published by Asian Association for the Study of Diabetes (AASD) and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.)

Background: The aim of this study is to assess the current status of metabolic and behavioural risk factors for cardiovascular diseases among the adult population in South and Southeast Asia using World Health Organization (WHO) STEPS data., Methods: We used WHO STEPS surveys data in ten South and Southeast Asian countries. Weighted mean estimates of prevalence of five metabolic risk factors and four behavioural risk factors were calculated by country and overall region. We used random-effects meta-analysis to generate country and regional pooled estimates of metabolic and behavioural risk factors, using the DerSimonian and Laird inverse-variance method., Finding: Around 48,434 participants aged 18-69 years were included in this study. Overall 32.00% (95% CI: 31.15-32.36) of individuals in the pooled sample had one metabolic risk factor, 22.10% (95% CI: 21.73-22.47) had two, and 12.38% had three or more (95% CI: 9.09-14.00). Twenty-four percent (95% CI: 20.00-29.00) of individuals in the pooled sample had only one behavioural risk factor, 49.00% (95% CI: 42.00-56.00) had two, and 22.00% had three or more (95% CI: 16.00-29.00). Risk of high three or more metabolic risk factors was higher among women, those of older age, and those with a higher education., Interpretation: The existence of multiple metabolic and behavioural risk factors among the South and Southeast Asian population demand appropriate prevention strategies to halt the progress of non-communicable disease burden within the region., Funding: Not applicable., Competing Interests: All authors declare no competing interests., (© 2023 Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Diabetes increases the risk of oral health complications. This review aimed to synthesise the current evidence on the oral health knowledge, attitudes and practices of people living with diabetes in South Asian countries and provide recommendations on possible strategies for addressing the gaps in oral health care in this population, including the role of non-dental professionals. Using a scoping review framework, six electronic databases (Ovid Medline, CINAHL, ProQuest Central, Scopus, Web of Science and Embase) were searched to identify the relevant literature published between January 2000 and December 2021. The data were extracted into three main categories based on the review's aims, and further refined into sub-categories. A total of 23 studies were included. The review identified that while people with diabetes living in South Asian countries had some level of awareness about oral health and limited care practices to maintain good oral health, there were gaps in knowledge, and there were areas where their oral health practices and attitudes could be improved. The findings suggest a need for developing targeted oral health policies as well as implementing integrated oral health care interventions involving non-dental professionals to improve the oral health outcomes of people with diabetes.

Health behavior interventions implemented in Asian countries often lack economic evaluations that effectively address the problems of type 2 diabetes mellitus. This review systematically assessed the existing literature on economic evaluation of health behavior interventions to prevent and manage type 2 diabetes mellitus for people living in Asian countries. Eligible studies were identified through a search of six bibliographic databases, namely, PubMed, Scopus, Public Health Database by ProQuest, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature Complete, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. Randomized controlled trials of health behavior interventions and studies published in the English language from January 2000 to May 2022 were included in the review. The search yielded 3867 records, of which 11 studies were included in the review. All included studies concluded that health behavior interventions were cost-effective. Eight of these studies undertook an evaluation from a health system perspective, two studies used both societal and health system perspectives, and one study utilized a societal and multi-payer perspective. This review identified the time horizon, direct and indirect medical costs, and discount rates as the most important considerations in determining cost effectiveness. These findings have implications in extending health behavior interventions to prevent and manage type 2 diabetes mellitus in low-resource settings, and are likely to yield the most promising outcomes for people with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Background: Modifiable non-communicable disease (NCD) risk factors are becoming increasingly common among adolescents, with clustering of these risk factors in individuals of particular concern. The aim of this study was to assess global status of clustering of common modifiable NCD risk factors among adolescents., Methods: We used latest available data from nationally representative survey for 140 countries, namely the Global School-based Student Health Survey, the Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children and the longitudinal study of Australian Children. Weighted mean estimates of prevalence with corresponding 95% confidence intervals of nine NCD risk factors - physical inactivity, sedentary behaviour, insufficient fruits and vegetable consumption, carbonated soft drink consumption, fast food consumption, tobacco use, alcohol consumption and overweight/obesity - were calculated by country, region and sex., Findings: Over 487,565 adolescents, aged 11-17 years, were included in this study. According to trend analysis, prevalence of four or more NCD risk factors increased gradually over time. Prevalence of four or more NCD risk factors was 14.8% in 2003-2007 and increased to 44% in 2013-2017, an approximately three-fold increase (44.0%). Similar trends were also observed for three and two risk factors. Large variation between countries in the prevalence of adolescents with four or more risk factors was found in all regions. The country level range was higher in the South-East Asia Region (minimum Sri Lanka = 8%, maximum Myanmar = 84%) than Western Pacific Region (minimum China = 3%, maximum Niue = 72%), European Region (minimum Sweden = 13.9%, maximum Ireland = 66.0%), African Region (minimum Senegal = 0.8%, maximum Uganda = 82.1%) and Eastern Mediterranean Region (minimum Libya = 0.2%, maximum Lebanon = 80.2%). Insufficient vegetable consumption, insufficient fruit consumption and physically inactivity were three of the four most prevalent risk factors in all regions., Interpretation: Our results suggest a high prevalence of four or more NCD risk factors in adolescents globally, although variation was found between countries. Results from our study indicate that efforts to reduce adolescent NCD risk factors and the associated health burden need to be improved. These findings can assist policy makers to target the rollout of country- specific interventions., Funding: None., Competing Interests: All authors declare no competing interests., (© 2022 The Author(s).)

Background: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the most common complication of diabetes mellitus (DM). To prevent morbidity and mortality among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), optimization of glycemic status and minimizing CVD risk factors is essential. As Nepal has limited data on these CVD risk parameters, we assessed the prevalence of poor glycemic control, CVD risk factors, and their clustering among patients with T2DM., Methods: Using a cross-sectional study design, we collected data of 366 patients with T2DM. We applied a multistage cluster sampling technique and used the WHO STEPS tools. Binary logistic and Poisson regression was applied to calculate odds and prevalence ratio of clustering of risk factors, considering P< 0.05 statistically significant., Results: The mean age of participants was 54.5±10.7 years and 208 (57%) were male. The prevalence of poor glycemic control was 66.4% (95% C.I: 61.5-71.2). The prevalence of smoking, alcohol users, inadequate fruit and vegetables intake and physical inactivity were 18% (95% C.I:14 to 21.9), 14.8% (95% C.I:11.1 to 18.4), 98.1% (95% C.I: 96.7-99.4), and 9.8% (95% C.I:6.7-12.8), respectively. Overall, 47.3% (95% C.I: 42.1-52.4) were overweight and obese, 59% (95% C.I: 52.9-63) were hypertensive, and 68% (95% C.I: 63.2-72.7) had dyslipidemia. Clustering of two, three, four, five and more than five risk factors was 12.6%, 30%, 30%,19%, and 8.7%, respectively. Four or more risk factors clustering was significantly associated with gender, age, level of education, T2DM duration, and use of medication. Risk factors clustering was significantly higher among males and users of anti-diabetic medications with prevalence ratio of 1.14 (95% C.I:1.05-1.23) and 1.09 (95% C.I: 1.09-1.18)], respectively., Conclusions: The majority of the patients with T2DM had poor glycemic control and CVD risk factors. Policies and programs focused on the prevention and better management of T2DM and CVD risk factors should be implemented to reduce mortality in Nepal., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Background: The aim of this study is to assess the current status of non-communicable disease (NCD) risk factors amongst adolescents in Bangladesh. We also critically reviewed the existing policy responses to NCD risk among adolescents in Bangladesh., Methods: This study used a mixed method approach. To quantify the NCD risk burden, we used data from the Global School-based Student Health Survey conducted in Bangladesh. To understand policy response, we reviewed NCD-related policy documents introduced by the Government of Bangladesh between 1971 and 2018 using the WHO recommended NCD Action Plan 2013-2020as study framework. Information from the policy documents was extracted using a matrix, mapping each document against the six objectives of the WHO 2013-2020 Action Plan., Results: Almost all adolescents in Bangladesh had at least one NCD risk factor, and there was a high prevalence of concurrent multiple NCD risk factors; 14% had one NCD risk factor while 22% had two, 29% had three, 34% had four or more NCD risk factors. Out of 38 policy documents, eight (21.1%) were related to research and/or surveys, eight (21.1%) were on established policies, and eleven (29%) were on legislation acts. Three policy documents (7.9%) were related to NCD guidelines and eight (21.1%) were strategic planning which were introduced by the government and non-government agencies/institutes in Bangladesh., Conclusions: The findings emphasize the needs for strengthening NCD risk factors surveillance and introducing appropriate intervention strategies targeted to adolescents. Despite the Government of Bangladesh introducing several NCD-related policies and programs, the government also needs more focus on clear planning, implementation and monitoring and evaluation approaches to preventing NCD risk factors among the adolescents in Bangladesh., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Background: The number of people with multimorbidity is surging around the world. Although multimorbidity has been introduced in policy and practice in developed countries, developing countries like Nepal have not considered it as a matter of public health urgency due to the lack of enough epidemiological data. Multimorbidity profoundly affects older adults' wellbeing; therefore, it is crucial to estimate its prevalence and determinants. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of multimorbidity among older adults in Eastern Nepal and identify its correlates., Methodology: A community-based cross-sectional survey was conducted in three districts of Eastern Nepal. Data were collected between July and September 2020, among 847 Nepali older adults, aged 60 and older, where study participants were recruited through a multi-stage cluster sampling technique. Semi-structured interviews were conducted at the community settings to collect data. Logistic regression assessed correlates of multimorbidity. SAS 9.4 was used to run all statistical tests and analyses., Results: More than half (66.5%) of the participants had at least one of the five non-communicable chronic conditions; hypertension (31.6%), osteoarthritis (28.6%), chronic respiratory disease (18.0%), diabetes (13.5%), and heart disease (5.3%). The prevalence of multimorbidity was 22.8%. In the adjusted model, increased age (for 70-79 years, OR: 3.11, 95% CI: 1.87-5.18; for 80 + years, OR: 4.19, 95% CI: 2.32-7.57), those without a partner (OR: 1.52, 95% CI: 1.00-2.30), residing in urban areas (OR: 1.71, 95% CI: 1.16-2.51), and distant from health center (OR: 1.66, 95% CI: 1.04-2.64) were significantly associated with multimorbidity., Conclusions: This study found one in five study participants had multimorbidity. The findings will assist policymakers and stakeholders in understanding the burden of multimorbidity among the older population and identifying the groups in most need of health promotion intervention. Future interventions may include developing horizontal multimorbid approaches and multisectoral strategies specifically tailored to meet the needs of those populations., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Objectives: Rheumatic fever (RF) and rheumatic heart disease (RHD) remain among the major heart problems among children in Nepal. Although these conditions are preventable and treatable, the lack of proper knowledge and resources to diagnose and manage these conditions in rural health centres is a key concern. This study assessed the impact of educational sessions to improve the knowledge of healthcare workers in the early recognition, diagnosis, and management of RF and RHD in rural far-western Nepal., Design, Setting and Participants: This study used a pretest and post-test interventional design and was conducted among 64 healthcare workers in two primary healthcare centres and a peripheral district-level hospital in Achham district in the far-western region of Nepal. A self-administered questionnaire was used before and after the educational sessions. Data were analysed using SPSS V.21., Results: The overall test scores increased from 10 (SD=2.4) pre-intervention to 13.8 (SD=1.9) post-intervention (p<0.001). Similarly, participant confidence (graded 1-5) in differentiating bacterial from viral sore throat rose from 3.6 (SD=1.08) pre-intervention to 3.98 (SD=1.09) post-intervention (p<0.05). Confidence in managing RF increased from 3.9 (SD=0.88) pre-intervention to 4.30 (SD=0.8) post-intervention (p<0.001)., Conclusion: The findings suggest that the investigated educational sessions are promising with respect to improving the knowledge and confidence of healthcare workers in the early recognition, diagnosis, and management of RF and RHD at the primary healthcare level. Further studies with a larger sample size and conducted in different parts of the country are warranted to assess the effectiveness and impact of scaling up such educational interventions in Nepal., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2022. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Introduction: There is an urgent need to reduce the burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), particularly in low-and middle-income countries, where the greatest burden lies. Yet, there is little research concerning the specific issues involved in scaling up NCD interventions targeting low-resource settings. We propose to examine this gap in up to 27 collaborative projects, which were funded by the Global Alliance for Chronic Diseases (GACD) 2019 Scale Up Call, reflecting a total funding investment of approximately US$50 million. These projects represent diverse countries, contexts and adopt varied approaches and study designs to scale-up complex, evidence-based interventions to improve hypertension and diabetes outcomes. A systematic inquiry of these projects will provide necessary scientific insights into the enablers and challenges in the scale up of complex NCD interventions., Methods and Analysis: We will apply systems thinking (a holistic approach to analyse the inter-relationship between constituent parts of scaleup interventions and the context in which the interventions are implemented) and adopt a longitudinal mixed-methods study design to explore the planning and early implementation phases of scale up projects. Data will be gathered at three time periods, namely, at planning (T P ), initiation of implementation (T 0 ) and 1-year postinitiation (T 1 ). We will extract project-related data from secondary documents at T P and conduct multistakeholder qualitative interviews to gather data at T 0 and T 1. We will undertake descriptive statistical analysis of T P data and analyse T 0 and T 1 data using inductive thematic coding. The data extraction tool and interview guides were developed based on a literature review of scale-up frameworks., Ethics and Dissemination: The current protocol was approved by the Monash University Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC number 23482). Informed consent will be obtained from all participants. The study findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications and more broadly through the GACD network., Competing Interests: Competing interests: JvO reports Horizon2020 grants (643 692 and 825432) outside the submitted work. AGT declares funding from the National Health & Medical Research Council (NHMRC, Australia: GNT1042600, GNT1122455, GNT1171966, GNT1143155, GNT1182017), Stroke Foundation Australia (SG1807), and Heart Foundation Australia (VG102282) outside the submitted work. ML-P declares support from Fogarty International Centre, National Institutes of Health [R21TW009982], under the Global Alliance for Chronic Diseases (GACD) Diabetes ProgramProgramme. MEE reports grant funding from the Argentinian Ministry of Health (MoH) under the GACD program. AS declares funding from the Japan Agency for Medical Research & Development, as part of the GACD, outside the submitted work. FJH is partially funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) and the Medical Research Council (MRC), and is a member of the Action on Salt, and World Action on Salt, Sugar and Health (WASSH). AB declares grants from the MoH Argentina, National Institutes of Health, and World Diabetes Foundation, outside the submitted work. AP declares grant and fellowship support from the NHMRC outside the submitted work, Member of the Board of Directors, The George Institute India, and past Member of the Board of Directors, Heart Health Research Center, Beijing, PRC. RJ declares grant, outside the submitted work, from WHO Geneva, WHO South-East Asia Region (SEARO), Elrha Research for Health in Humanitarian Crises (R2HC), (Wellcome Trust, UK AID and NHS), DBT/ Wellcome Trust India Alliance and Gates Foundation. In the past 3 years, MDH has received research funding from American Heart Association, Verily, and AstraZeneca for research unrelated to this manuscript and has patents pending for heart failure polypills. The George Institute for Global Health has a patent, license, and has received investment funding with intent to commercialize fixed-dose combination therapy through its social enterprise business, George Medicines. None of the others authors has any conflict of interest to declare., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2022. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Background: Hypertension is the most common modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular diseases in South Asia. Machine learning (ML) models have been shown to outperform clinical risk predictions compared to statistical methods, but studies using ML to predict hypertension at the population level are lacking. This study used ML approaches in a dataset of three South Asian countries to predict hypertension and its associated factors and compared the model's performances., Methods: We conducted a retrospective study using ML analyses to detect hypertension using population-based surveys. We created a single dataset by harmonizing individual-level data from the most recent nationally representative Demographic and Health Survey in Bangladesh, Nepal, and India. The variables included blood pressure (BP), sociodemographic and economic factors, height, weight, hemoglobin, and random blood glucose. Hypertension was defined based on JNC-7 criteria. We applied six common ML-based classifiers: decision tree (DT), random forest (RF), gradient boosting machine (GBM), extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost), logistic regression (LR), and linear discriminant analysis (LDA) to predict hypertension and its risk factors., Results: Of the 8,18,603 participants, 82,748 (10.11%) had hypertension. ML models showed that significant factors for hypertension were age and BMI. Ever measured BP, education, taking medicine to lower BP, and doctor's perception of high BP was also significant but comparatively lower than age and BMI. XGBoost, GBM, LR, and LDA showed the highest accuracy score of 90%, RF and DT achieved 89 and 83%, respectively, to predict hypertension. DT achieved the precision value of 91%, and the rest performed with 90%. XGBoost, GBM, LR, and LDA achieved a recall value of 100%, RF scored 99%, and DT scored 90%. In F1-score, XGBoost, GBM, LR, and LDA scored 95%, while RF scored 94%, and DT scored 90%. All the algorithms performed with good and small log loss values <6%., Conclusion: ML models performed well to predict hypertension and its associated factors in South Asians. When employed on an open-source platform, these models are scalable to millions of people and might help individuals self-screen for hypertension at an early stage. Future studies incorporating biochemical markers are needed to improve the ML algorithms and evaluate them in real life., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Islam, Talukder, Awal, Siddiqui, Ahamad, Ahammed, Rawal, Alizadehsani, Abawajy, Laranjo, Chow and Maddison.)

Background: COVID-19 has greatly impacted older adults with pre-existing noncommunicable conditions (hereafter called pre-existing conditions) in terms of their access to essential healthcare services. Based on the theory of vertical health equity, this study investigated access to healthcare by Nepali older adults with pre-existing conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic., Methods: A cross-sectional study surveyed 847 randomly selected older adults (≥60 years) in three districts of eastern Nepal. Survey questionnaires, administered by trained community health workers, collected information on participants reported difficulty obtaining routine care and medications during the pandemic, in addition to questions on demographics, socioeconomic factors and pre-existing conditions. Cumulative scores for pre-existing conditions were recoded as no pre-existing condition, single condition and multimorbidity for the analyses. χ 2 tests and binary logistic regressions determined inferences., Results: Nearly two-thirds of the participants had a pre-existing condition (43.8% single condition and 22.8% multimorbid) and reported experiencing difficulty obtaining routine care (52.8%) and medications (13.5%). Participants with single (OR 3.06, 95% CI 2.17 to 4.32) and multimorbid (OR 5.62, 95% CI 3.63 to 8.71) conditions had threefold and fivefold increased odds of experiencing difficulty accessing routine care. Findings were similar for difficulty obtaining medication (OR single: 3.12, 95% CI 1.71 to 5.69; OR multimorbid: 3.98, 95% CI 2.01 to 7.87) where odds were greater than threefolds., Conclusions: Older adults with pre-existing conditions in Nepal, who require routine medical care and medication, faced significant difficulties obtaining them during the pandemic, which may lead to deterioration in their pre-existing conditions. Public health emergency preparedness should incorporate plans for both managing the emergency and providing continuing care., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2022. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Introduction: Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) have become the leading public health problems worldwide and the cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) is one of the major NCDs. Female Community Health Volunteers (FCHVs) in Nepal are the key drivers to implementing frontline health services. We explored the potential for engaging FCHVs for CVD risk screening at the community level in Nepal., Methods: We used multiple approaches (quantitative and qualitative) for data collection. The trained FCHVs administered CVD risk screening questionnaire among 491 adults in rural and urban areas and calculated the CVD risk scores. To maintain consistency and quality, a registered medical doctor also, using the same risk scoring chart, independently calculated the CVD risk scores. Kappa statistics and concordance coefficient were used to compare these two sets of risk screening results. Sensitivity and specificity analyses were conducted. Two focus group discussions among the FCHVs were conducted to determine their experiences with CVD risk screening and willingness to engage with CVD prevention and control efforts., Results: The mean level of agreement between two sets of risk screening results was 94.5% (Kappa = 0.77, P<0.05). Sensitivity of FCHV screening was 90.3% (95% CI: 0.801-0.964); and the specificity was 97% (95% CI: 0.948, 0.984). FCHVs who participated in the FGDs expressed a strong enthusiasm and readiness to using the CVD risk screening tools. Despite their busy workload, all FCHVs showed high level of motivation and willingness in using CVD risk screening tools and contribute to the prevention and control efforts of NCDs. The FCHVs recommended needs for providing additional training and capacity building opportunities., Conclusion: We conclude that there is a potential for engaging FCHVs to use simple CVD risk screening tools at the community level. The findings are promising, however, further studies engaging larger number of FCHVs and larger population would warrant feasibility of such tools within the existing healthcare systems in Nepal., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Competing Interests: Competing interests: The authors completed the ICMJE Declaration of Interest Form (available upon request from the corresponding author) and declare no completing interests.

Background: Psychoactive substance use among youth is an emerging public health issue in Nepal. This exploratory study aimed to better understand the drivers of psychoactive substance use among Nepalese youth in Rupandehi district of Nepal., Materials and Methods: This study used a qualitative approach for data collection. Both in-depth interviews (IDI, seven participants) and focus group discussions (FGD, 13 participants) were conducted among study participants who self-reported as psychoactive substance users or had history of psychoactive substance use. Participants for IDI were aged between 11 and 24 years and between 18 and 35 years old for FGDs. Semi-structured interview guides were prepared separately for IDIs and FDGs. Interviews were conducted in Nepali language and were audio recorded, which were there transcribed and translated into English for coding and analyses. In addition, interviews notes were taken by two research assistants. An inductive thematic analysis was used to analyze the data., Results: This study identified a range of drivers of psychoactive substances use among Nepalese youths. Themes included (i) socio-cultural factors, (ii) individual factors, (iii) academic environment, (iv) physical environment and the (v) influence of media. The socio-cultural factors were categorized into sub-themes of family relationships, ethnic identity and psychoactive substance use and lack of social acceptance. Individual factors included peer pressure, stress relief and coping with financial challenges. Accessibility and availability of psychoactive substances in the surrounding environment and lack of monitoring and reinforcement of rules/ law and regulations were other drivers to psychoactive substance use among this Nepalese youth cohort., Conclusion: Our study identified several important drivers of psychoactive substance use among youth in the Rupandehi district of Nepal. Future works are anticipated to further explore youth initiation and use of psychoactive substances and support the design of interventions that address these risk factors to reduce and prevent subsequent harms., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Background: Hypertension is a major global public health problem. Elevated blood pressure can cause cardiovascular and kidney diseases. We assessed the effectiveness of health education sessions and home support programs in reducing blood pressure among patients with uncontrolled hypertension in a suburban community of Nepal., Methods: We conducted a community-based, open-level, parallel-group, cluster randomized controlled trial in Birendranagar municipality of Surkhet, Nepal. We randomly assigned four clusters (wards) into intervention and control arms. We provided four health education sessions, frequent home and usual care for intervention groups over six months. The participants of the control arm received only usual care from health facilities. The primary outcome of this study was the proportion of controlled systolic blood pressure (SBP). The analysis included all participants who completed follow-up at six months., Results: 125 participants were assigned to either the intervention (n = 63) or the control (n = 62) group. Of them, 60 participants in each group completed six months follow-up. The proportion of controlled SBP was significantly higher among the intervention participants compared to the control (58.3% vs. 40%). Odds ratio of this was 2.1 with 95% CI: 1.01-4.35 (p = 0.046) and that of controlled diastolic blood pressure (DBP) was 1.31 (0.63-2.72) (p = 0.600). The mean change (follow-up minus baseline) in SBP was significantly higher in the intervention than in the usual care (-18.7 mmHg vs. -11.2 mmHg, p = 0.041). Such mean change of DBP was also higher in the intervention (-10.95 mmHg vs. -5.53 mmHg, p = 0.065). The knowledge score on hypertension improved by 2.38 (SD 2.4) in the intervention arm, which was significantly different from that of the control group, 0.13 (1.8) (p<0.001)., Conclusions: Multiple health education sessions complemented by frequent household visits by health volunteers can effectively improve knowledge on hypertension and reduce blood pressure among uncontrolled hypertensive patients at the community level in Nepal., Trial Registration: ClinicalTrial.gov: NCT02981251., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Background: Access to and utilization of health services have remained major challenges for people living in low- and middle-income countries, especially for those living in impaired public health environment such as refugee camps and temporary settlements. This study presents health problems and utilization of health services among Forcibly Displaced Myanmar Nationals (FDMNs) living in the southern part of Bangladesh., Methods: A mixed-method (quantitative and qualitative) approach was used. Altogether 999 household surveys were conducted among the FDMNs living in makeshift/temporary settlements and host communities. We used a grounded theory approach involving in-depth interviews (IDIs), focus group discussions (FGDs), and key informant interviews (KIIs) including 24 IDIs, 10 FGDs, and 9 KIIs. The quantitative data were analysed with STATA., Results: The common health problems among the women were pregnancy and childbirth-related complications and violence against women. Among the children, fever, diarrhoea, common cold and malaria were frequently observed health problems. Poor general health, HIV/AIDS, insecurity, discrimination, and lack of employment opportunity were common problems for men. Further, 61.2% women received two or more antenatal care (ANC) visits during their last pregnancy, while 28.9% did not receive any ANC visit. The majority of the last births took place at home (85.2%) assisted by traditional birth attendants (78.9%), a third (29.3%) of whom suffered pregnancy- and childbirth-related complications. The clinics run by the non-governmental organizations (NGOs) (76.9%) and private health facilities (86.0%) were the most accessible places for seeking healthcare for the FDMNs living in the makeshift settlements. All participants heard about HIV/AIDS. 78.0% of them were unaware about the means of HIV transmission, and family planning methods were poorly used (45.2%)., Conclusions: Overall, the health of FDMNs living in the southern part of Bangladesh is poor and they have inadequate access to and utilization of health services to address the health problems and associated factors. Existing essential health and nutrition support programs need to be culturally appropriate and adopt an integrated approach to encourage men's participation to improve utilization of health and family planning services, address issues of gender inequity, gender-based violence, and improve women empowerment and overall health outcomes., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has affected all age groups worldwide, but older adults have been affected greatly with an increased risk of severe illness and mortality. Nepal is struggling with the COVID-19 pandemic. The normal life of older adults, one of the vulnerable populations to COVID-19 infection, has been primarily impacted. The current evidence shows that the COVID-19 virus strains are deadly, and non-compliance to standard protocols can have serious consequences, increasing fear among older adults. This study assessed the perceived fear of COVID-19 and associated factors among older adults in eastern Nepal., Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted between July and September 2020 among 847 older adults (≥60 years) residing in three districts of eastern Nepal. Perceived fear of COVID-19 was measured using the seven-item Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S). Multivariate logistic regression identified the factors associated with COVID-19 fear., Results: The mean score of the FCV-19S was 18.1 (SD = 5.2), and a sizeable proportion of older adults, ranging between 12%-34%, agreed with the seven items of the fear scale. Increasing age, Dalit ethnicity, remoteness to the health facility, and being concerned or overwhelmed with the COVID-19 were associated with greater fear of COVID-19. In contrast, preexisting health conditions were inversely associated with fear., Conclusion: Greater fear of the COVID-19 among the older adults in eastern Nepal suggests that during unprecedented times such as the current pandemic, the psychological needs of older adults should be prioritized. Establishing and integrating community-level mental health support as a part of the COVID-19 preparedness and response plan might help to combat COVID-19 fear among them., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

The COVID-19 pandemic has been the most challenging public health issue which not only affected the physical health of the global population but also aggravated the mental health conditions such as stress, anxiety, fear, depression and anger. While mental health services are seriously hampered amid this COVID-19 pandemic, health services, particularly those of Low- and Middle- Income Countries (LMICs) are looking for alternatives to provide psychosocial support to the people amid this COVID-19 and beyond. Community Health Workers (CHWs) are an integral part of the health systems in many LMICs and played significant roles such as health education, contact tracing, isolation and mobilization during past emergencies and amid COVID-19 in many LMICs. However, despite their potentials in providing psychosocial support to the people amid this COVID-19 pandemic, they have been underutilized in most health systems in LMICs. The CHWs can be effectively engaged to provide psychosocial support at the community level. Engaging them can also be cost-saving as they are already in place and may cost less compared to other health professionals. However, they need training and supervision and their safety and security needs to be protected during this COVID-19. While many LMICs have mental health policies but their enactment is limited due to the fragility of health systems and limited health care resources. CHWs can contribute in this regard and help to address the psychosocial vulnerabilities of affected population in LMICs during COVID-19 and beyond., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Mistry, Harris-Roxas, Yadav, Shabnam, Rawal and Harris.)

Nurses, short in production and inequitable in the distribution in Bangladesh, require the government's efforts to increase enrolment in nursing education and a smooth career progression. Given the importance of an assessment of the current nursing scenario to inform the decision makers and practitioners to implement the new policies successfully, we analyzed relevant policies on education, career, and governance of nurses in Bangladesh. We used documents review and qualitative methods such as key informant interviews ( n  = 13) and stakeholder analysis. We found that nursing education faced several backlashes: resistance from diploma nurses while attempting to establish a graduate (bachelor) course in 1977, and the reluctance of politicians and entrepreneurs to establish nursing institutions. Many challenges with the implementation of nursing policies are attributable to social, cultural, religious, and historical factors. For example, Hindus considered touching the bodily excretions as the task of the lower castes, while Muslims considered women touching the body of the men immoral. Nurses also face governance challenges linked with their performance and reward. For example, nurses have little voice over the decisions related to their profession, and they are not allowed to perform clinical duties unsupervised. To improve the situation, the government has made new policies, including upliftment of nurses' position in public service, the creation of an independent Directorate General, and improvement of nursing education and service. New policies often come with new apprehensions. Therefore, nurses should be included in the policy processes, and their capacity should be developed in nursing leadership and health system governance.

Background: High maternal mortality is still a significant public health challenge in many countries of the South-Asian region. The majority of maternal deaths occur due to pregnancy and delivery-related complications, which can mostly be prevented by safe facility delivery. Due to the paucity of existing evidence, our study aimed to examine the factors associated with place of delivery, including women's preferences for such in three selected South-Asian countries., Methods: We extracted data from the most recent demographic and health surveys (DHS) conducted in Bangladesh (2014), Nepal (2016), and Pakistan (2017-18) and analyzed to identify the association between the outcome variable and socio-demographic characteristics. A total of 16,429 women from Bangladesh (4278; mean age 24.57 years), Nepal (3962; mean age 26.35 years), and Pakistan (8189; mean age 29.57 years) were included in this study. Following descriptive analyses, bivariate and multivariate logistic regressions were conducted., Results: Overall, the prevalence of facility-based delivery was 40%, 62%, and 69% in Bangladesh, Nepal, and Pakistan, respectively. Inequity in utilizing facility-based delivery was observed for women in the highest wealth quintile. Participants from Urban areas, educated, middle and upper household economic status, and with high antenatal care (ANC) visits were significantly associated with facility-based delivery in all three countries. Interestingly, watching TV was also found as a strong determinant for facility-based delivery in Bangladesh (aOR = 1.31, 95% CI:1.09-1.56, P = 0.003), Nepal (aOR = 1.42, 95% CI:1.20-1.67, P<0.001) and Pakistan (aOR = 1.17, 95% CI: 1.03-1.32, P = 0.013). Higher education of husband was a significant predictor for facility delivery in Bangladesh (aOR = 1.73, 95% CI:1.27-2.35, P = 0.001) and Pakistan (aOR = 1.19, 95% CI: 0.99-1.43, P = 0.065); husband's occupation was also a significant factor in Bangladesh (aOR = 1.30, 95% CI:1.04-1.61, P = 0.020) and Nepal (aOR = 1.26, 95% CI:1.01-1.58, P = 0.041)., Conclusion: Our findings suggest that the educational status of both women and their husbands, household economic situation, and the number of ANC visits influenced the place of delivery. There is an urgent need to promote facility delivery by building more birthing facilities, training and deployment of skilled birth attendants in rural and hard-to-reach areas, ensuring compulsory female education for all women, encouraging more ANC visits, and providing financial incentives for facility deliveries. There is a need to promote facility delivery by encouraging health facility visits through utilizing social networks and continuing mass media campaigns. Ensuring adequate Government funding for free maternal and newborn health care and local community involvement is crucial for reducing maternal and neonatal mortality and achieving sustainable development goals in this region., Competing Interests: All authors declare no conflict of interest.

Importance: Smoking cessation is frequently followed by weight gain; however, whether weight gain after quitting reduces the health benefits of quitting is unclear., Objective: To examine the association between weight change after smoking cessation and the risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVD), type 2 diabetes, cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and all-cause mortality., Design, Setting, and Participants: This cohort study analyzed data from a nationally representative sample of Australian adults aged 18 years or older who were studied between 2006 and 2014. Smoking status and anthropometric measurements were self-reported annually. Cox proportional hazards regressions were used to determine the hazard ratios (HRs) for the association between changes in weight and body mass index (BMI) and the risk of CVD, type 2 diabetes, cancer, COPD, and mortality. Data were analyzed in January 2019., Exposures: Annual self-reported smoking status; years since quitting., Main Outcomes and Measures: Weight gain after quitting, incident CVD, type 2 diabetes, cancer, COPD, and all-cause mortality., Results: Of a total 16 663 participants (8082 men and 8581 women; mean [SD] age, 43.7 [16.3] years), those who quit smoking had greater increases in weight (mean difference [MD], 3.14 kg; 95% CI, 1.39-4.87) and BMI (MD, 0.82; 95% CI, 0.21-1.44) than continuing smokers. Compared with continuing smokers, the HRs for death were 0.50 (95% CI, 0.36-0.68) among quitters who lost weight, 0.79 (95% CI, 0.51-0.98) among quitters without weight change, 0.33 (95% CI, 0.21-0.51) among quitters who gained 0.1 to 5.0 kg, 0.24 (95% CI, 0.11-0.53) among quitters who gained 5.1 to 10 kg, and 0.36 (95% CI, 0.16-0.82) among quitters who gained more than 10 kg. The HRs for death were 0.61 (95% CI, 0.45-0.83) among quitters who lost BMI, 0.86 (95% CI, 0.51-1.44) among quitters without change in BMI, 0.32 (95% CI, 0.21-0.50) among quitters who gained up to 2 in BMI, and 0.26 (95% CI, 0.16-0.45) among quitters who gained more than 2 in BMI., Conclusions and Relevance: This cohort study found that smoking cessation was accompanied by a substantial weight gain; however, this was not associated with an increased risk of chronic diseases or an attenuation of the mortality benefit of cessation.

Objectives: This study's objectives were to estimate the prevalence of major non-communicable conditions and multimorbidity among older adults in rural Nepal and examine the associated socioeconomic and behavioural risk factors., Design: This was a community-based cross-sectional study conducted between January and April 2018., Setting: Rural municipalities of Sunsari and Morang districts in eastern Nepal., Participants: 794 older Nepalese adults, 60 years and older, were recruited using a multistage cluster sampling approach., Primary Outcome Measures: Prevalence of four major non-communicable chronic conditions (osteoarthritis, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and multimorbidity., Results: Almost half (48.9%: men 45.3%; women 52.4%) of the participants had at least one of four non-communicable chronic conditions, and 14.6% (men 12.5%; women 16.8%) had two or more conditions. The prevalence of individual conditions included: osteoarthritis-41.7% (men 37.5%; women 45.9%), cardiovascular disease-2.4% (men 2.8%; women 2.0%), diabetes-5.3% (men 6.0%; women 4.6%) and COPD-15.4% (men 13.3%; women 17.5%). In the adjusted model, older adults aged 70-79 years (adjusted OR (AOR): 1.62; 95% CI: 1.04 to 2.54), those from Madhesi and other ethnic groups (AOR: 1.08; 95% CI: 1.02 to 1.72), without a history of alcohol drinking (AOR: 1.53; 95% CI: 1.18 to 2.01) and those physically inactive (AOR: 5.02; 95% CI: 1.47 to 17.17) had significantly higher odds of multimorbidity., Conclusions: This study found one in seven study participants had multimorbidity. The prevalence of multimorbidity and associated socioeconomic and behavioural correlates need to be addressed by integrating social programmes with health prevention and management at multiple levels. Moreover, a longitudinal study is suggested to understand the temporal relationship between lifestyle predictors and multimorbidity among older Nepalese adults., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2021. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

COVID-19, caused by SARS-CoV-2, was first reported in Wuhan, China and is now a pandemic affecting over 218 countries and territories around the world. Nepal has been severely affected by it, with an increasing number of confirmed cases and casualties in recent days, even after 8 months of the first case detected in China. As of 26 November 2020, there were over 227,600 confirmed cases of COVID in Nepal with 209,435 recovered cases and 1,412 deaths. This study aimed to compile public data available from the Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP), Government of Nepal (GoN) and analyse the data of 104 deceased COVID-19 patients using IBM SPSS (Version 25.0). Additionally, this study also aimed to provide critical insights on response of the GoN to COVID-19 and way forward to confront unprecedented pandemic. Figures and maps were created using the Origin Lab (Version 2018) and QGIS (Version 3.10.8). Most of the reported cases were from Bagmati Province, the location of Nepal's capital city, Kathmandu. Among deceased cases, >69% of the patients were male and patients ≥54 years accounted for 67.9% ( n = 923). Preliminary findings showed respiratory illness, diabetes, and chronic kidney diseases were the most common comorbid conditions associated with COVID-19 deaths in Nepal. Despite some efforts in the 8 months since the first case was detected, the government's response so far has been insufficient. Since the government eased the lockdown in July 2020, Nepal is facing a flood of COVID-19 cases. If no aggressive actions are taken, the epidemic is likely to result in significant morbidity and mortality in Nepal. The best way to curb the effect of the ongoing pandemic in a resource-limited country like Nepal is to increase testing, tracing, and isolation capacity, and to set up quality quarantine centers throughout the nation. A comprehensive health literacy campaign, quality care of older adults and those with comorbidity will also result in the effective management of the ongoing pandemic., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Rayamajhee, Pokhrel, Syangtan, Khadka, Lama, Rawal, Mehata, Mishra, Pokhrel and Yadav.)

Background : Diabetic individuals must adhere to their medications to control their glucose levels and prevent diabetes-related complications. However, there is limited evidence of medication adherence in patients with type 2 diabetes in Bangladesh. Objectives : We assessed the level of adherence and factors associated with low adherence to anti-diabetic medication among patients with type 2 diabetes at different health facilities in southern Bangladesh. Methods : This cross-sectional study included 2,070 patients with type 2 diabetes who presented at five health facilities in the Chittagong Division between November 2018 and June 2019. We assessed medication adherence using a self-reported, structured, eight-item questionnaire and performed multiple logistic regression to investigate the factors associated with low medication adherence. Results : The overall prevalence of low medication adherence was 46.3% (95% CI: 41.4-55.8%) of our study population. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that males (OR: 1.37; 95% CI: 1.13-1.67), those with a family income of < 233 USD (OR: 1.54, 95% CI: 1.17-2.03), and those with a diabetic ulcer (OR: 1.42, 95% CI: 1.04-1.94) showed low adherence. Diabetic ulcers, retinopathy, and obesity were relatively more elevated among diabetic patients with low medication adherence. Conclusion : Low medication adherence among patients with type 2 diabetes in southern Bangladesh is a key public health challenge. Factors such as male sex, low annual family income, and diabetic ulcers were associated with low medication adherence. Patient counseling and awareness programs may enhance medication adherence among people with type 2 diabetes. Our findings will help physicians and public health workers to develop targeted strategies to increase awareness of the same among their patients.

Background/objective: The increasing burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in Nepal underscores the importance of strengthening primary healthcare systems to deliver efficient care. In this study, we examined the barriers and facilitators to engaging community health workers (CHWs) for NCDs prevention and control in Nepal., Design: We used multiple approaches including (a) review of relevant literature, (b) key personnel and stakeholders' consultation meetings and (c) qualitative data collection using semistructured interviews. A grounded theory approach was used for qualitative data collection and the data were analysed thematically., Setting: Data were collected from health facilities across four districts in Nepal and two stakeholder consultative meetings were conducted at central level., Participants: We conducted in-depth interviews with CHWs (Health Assistants, Auxiliary Health Workers, Auxiliary Nurse Midwife) (n=5); key informant interviews with health policymakers/managers (n=3) and focus group discussions (FGDs) with CHWs (four FGDs; total n=27). Participants in two stakeholder consultative meetings included members from the government (n=8), non-government organisations (n=7), private sector (n=3) and universities (n=6)., Results: The CHWs were engaged in a wide range of public health programmes and they also deliver NCDs specific programmes such as common NCDs screening, provisional diagnosis, primary care, health education and counselling, basic medication and referral and so on. These NCD prevention and control services are concentrated in those districts, where the WHO, Package for prevention and control of NCDs) program is being implemented. Some challenges and barriers were identified, including inadequate NCD training, high workload, poor system-level support, inadequate remuneration, inadequate supply of logistics and drugs. The facilitating factors included government priority, formation of NCD-related policies, community support systems, social prestige and staff motivation., Conclusion: Engaging CHWs has been considered as key driver to delivering NCDs related services in Nepal. Effective integration of CHWs within the primary care system is essential for CHW's capacity buildings, necessary supervisory arrangements, supply of logistics and medications and setting up effective recording and reporting systems for prevention and control of NCDs in Nepal., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2020. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Background: Suicidal ideation and anxiety are common among adolescents although their prevalence has predominantly been studied in high income countries. This study estimated the population prevalence of suicidal ideation and anxiety and their correlates with peer support, parent-adolescent relationship, peer victimization, conflict, isolation and loneliness across a range of low-income, lower-middle-income, upper-middle-income countries and high-income countries (LMIC-HICs)., Methods: Data were drawn from the Global School-based Student Health Survey (GSHS) of adolescents aged 12-17 years between 2003 and 2015 in 82 LM-HICs from the six World Health Organization (WHO) regions. For those countries with repeated time point data in this study, we used data from the most recent survey. We estimated weighted prevalence of suicidal ideation and anxiety by country, region and at a global level with the following questions:- "Did you ever seriously consider attempting suicide during the past 12 months?" and " During the past 12 months, how often have you been so worried about something that you could not sleep at night ?". We used multiple binary logistic regression to estimate the adjusted association between adolescent age, sex, socioeconomic status, peer support, parent-adolescent relationship, peer victimization, conflict, isolation and loneliness with suicidal ideation and anxiety., Findings: The sample comprised of 275,057 adolescents aged 12-17 years (mean age was 14.6 (SD 1.18) years of whom 51.8% were females). The overall 12 months pooled prevalence of suicidal ideation and anxiety were 14.0% (95% CI 10.0-17.0%) and 9.0% (7.0-12.0%) respectively. The highest pooled prevalence of suicidal ideation was observed in the Africa Region (21.0%; 20.0-21.0%) and the lowest was in the Asia region (8.0%, 8.0-9.0%). For anxiety, the highest pooled prevalence was observed in Eastern Mediterranean Region (17.0%, 16.0-17.0%) the lowest was in the European Region (4.0%, 4.0-5.0%). Being female, older age, having a lower socioeconomic status and having no close friends were associated with a greater risk of suicidal ideation and anxiety. A higher levels of parental control was positively associated with a greater likelihood of experiencing suicidal ideation (OR: 1.65, 1.45-1.87) and anxiety (1.53, 1.30-1.80). Parental understanding and monitoring were negatively associated with mental health problems. Similarly, the odds of experiencing suicidal ideation and anxiety were higher among adolescents who had been experiencing peer conflict (1.36, 1.24-1.50; 1.54, 1.40-1.70), peer victimization (1.26, 1.15-1.38; 1.13, 1.02-1.26), peer isolation (1.69, 1.53-1.86; 1.76, 1.61-1.92) and reported loneliness (2.56, 2.33-2.82; 5.63, 5.21-6.08)., Interpretations: Suicidal ideation and anxiety are prevalent among adolescents although there is significant global variation. Parental and peer supports are protective factors against suicidal ideation and anxiety. Peer based interventions to enhance social connectedness and parent skills training to improve parent-child relationships may reduce suicidal ideation and anxiety. Research to inform the factors that influence country and regional level differences in adolescent mental health problems may inform preventative strategies., Funding: None., Competing Interests: All other authors declare no competing interests., (© 2020 Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

The burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) continues to grow in Vietnam, and reducing the burden of NCDs is a national priority. This study explored perspective of community health workers (CHWs), known as Village Health Workers (VHWs) in Vietnam, and public health leaders towards potential of expanding VHWs' role to deliver NCDs prevention and control services, and determined barriers and facilitators. We conducted focus group discussions (FGDs) with VHWs ( n  = 24) and in-depth interviews (IDIs) with public health administrators ( n  = 13). The findings show that VHWs in Vietnam deliver multiple public health services, including several NCDs related services. Perceived barriers include lack of policy support, shortages of trained health personnel, lack of training, imbalanced workload and inadequate remuneration. Perceived barriers include lack of policy support, shortages of trained health personnel, lack of training, imbalanced workload and inadequate remuneration. Facilitators include government commitment to NCDs prevention and control, priority on capacity building, professional recognition and provision of incentives with availability of appropriate resources. While additional quantitative studies are needed to supplement the current qualitative findings, the current results inform the policy and intervention development in engaging VHWs in the delivery of community-based NCDs prevention and control initiatives in Vietnam.

Method: Using MeSH keywords, we searched major electronic databases including Medline, EMBASE, CINAHL, and PsycINFO in order to identify relevant publications published between January 2000 and October 2018. We included 19 qualitative studies which met inclusion criteria and were focused on physical activity determinants among adults., Results: Determinants emerging from these studies were grouped into six themes: (i) urban environment, (ii) financial constraints, (iii) work-life integration, (iv) community engagement, (v) social support, and (vi) psychosocial factors. After conceptualising these six themes into a social ecological model, we identified potential research gaps for physical activity among adults with low socioeconomic status living in industrialized countries., Conclusion: Our major insight was that, in industrialized countries, physical activity overlooks potential strengths to maintain health and well-being of those people with low socioeconomic status. A more complex understanding of contradictions between positive and deficit frames would lead to more critical insights of research gaps of physical activity in adult population with low socioeconomic status., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2020 Lal B. Rawal et al.)

Introduction: Resource-constrained countries (RCCs) have the highest burden of cervical cancer (CC) in the world. Nonetheless, although CC can be prevented through screening for precancerous lesions, only a small proportion of women utilise screening services in RCCs. The objective of this study was to examine the magnitude of inequalities of women's knowledge and utilisation of cervical cancer screening (CCS) services in RCCs., Methods: A total of 1,802,413 sample observations from 18 RCC's latest national-level Demographic and Health Surveys (2008 to 2017-18) were analysed to assess wealth-related inequalities in terms of women's knowledge and utilisation of CCS services. Regression-based decomposition analyses were applied in order to compute the contribution to the inequality disparities of the explanatory variables for women's knowledge and utilisation of CCS services., Results: Overall, approximately 37% of women had knowledge regarding CCS services, of which, 25% belonged to the poorest quintile and approximately 49% from the richest. Twenty-nine percent of women utilised CCS services, ranging from 11% in Tajikistan, 15% in Cote d'Ivoire, 17% in Tanzania, 19% in Zimbabwe and 20% in Kenya to 96% in Colombia. Decomposition analyses determined that factors that reduced inequalities in women's knowledge of CCS services were male-headed households (- 2.24%; 95% CI: - 3.10%, - 1.59%; P < 0.01), currently experiencing amenorrhea (- 1.37%; 95% CI: - 2.37%, - 1.05%; P < 0.05), having no problems accessing medical assistance (- 10.00%; 95% CI: - 12.65%, - 4.89%; P < 0.05), being insured (- 6.94%; 95% CI: - 9.58%, - 4.29%; P < 0.01) and having an urban place of residence (- 9.76%; 95% CI: - 12.59%, - 5.69%; P < 0.01). Similarly, factors that diminished inequality in the utilisation of CCS services were being married (- 8.23%;95% CI: - 12.46%, - 5.80%; P < 0.01), being unemployed (- 14.16%; 95% CI: - 19.23%, - 8.47%; P < 0.01) and living in urban communities (- 9.76%; 95% CI: - 15.62%, - 5.80%; P < 0.01)., Conclusions: Women's knowledge and utilisation of CCS services in RCCs are unequally distributed. Significant inequalities were identified among socioeconomically deprived women in the majority of countries. There is an urgent need for culturally appropriate community-based awareness and access programs to improve the uptake of CCS services in RCCs.