Explore the vast range of titles available.

The COVID-19 pandemic has become a major public health challenge globally with countries of the world adopting unprecedented infection prevention and control (IPC) measures to urgently curtail the spread of the COVID-19 virus. The knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) of the people toward COVID-19 is critical to understanding the epidemiological dynamics of the disease and the effectiveness, compliance and success of IPC measures adopted in a country. This study sought to determine the levels of KAP toward COVID-19 among residents of north-central Nigeria. A cross-sectional online survey with a semi-structured questionnaire using a Snowball sampling technique was conducted during the national lockdown. Data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics, analysis of variance (ANOVA), Pearson’s correlation and regression tests. From a total of 589 responses received, 80.6, 59.6, 90.4 and 56.2% were from respondents between ages 18–39 years, males, had a college (Bachelor) degree or above and reside in urban areas respectively. Respondents had good knowledge (99.5%) of COVID-19, gained mainly through the internet/social media (55.7%) and Television (27.5%). The majority of the respondents (79.5%) had positive attitudes toward the adherence of government IPC measures with 92.7, 96.4 and 82.3% practicing social distancing/self-isolation, improved personal hygiene and using face mask respectively. However, 52.1% of the respondents perceived that the government is not doing enough to curtail COVID-19 in Nigeria. Pearson’s correlation showed significant relationship between knowledge of COVID-19 and attitude towards preventive measures (r = 0.177, p = 0.004, r = 0.137, p = 0.001). Although 61.8% of the respondents have no confidence in the present intervention by Chinese doctors, only 29.0% would accept COVID-19 vaccines when available. This study recorded good knowledge and attitudes among participants, however, community-based health campaigns are necessary to hold optimistic attitudes and practice appropriate intervention measures devoid of misconceptions.

This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of depression, anxiety, stress, and inadequate sleeping among the public in Egypt during the novel Corona Virus Disease (COVID-19) pandemic. An online snowball sampling approach was used to collect data from netizens in four Egyptian governorates between 16 and 30 April 2020. A semi-structured questionnaire was designed to assess sociodemographic characteristics, sleeping hours per day, and psychological disturbances (depression, anxiety, and stress) of participants using the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21. Out of 1629 participants, 48.1% were aged ≤ 30 years, 42.4% were men, and 20.0% were working in the health sector. The participants reported a high prevalence of depression (67.1%: mild to moderate 44.6% and severe to very severe 22.5%), anxiety (53.5%: mild to moderate 30.6% and severe to very severe 22.9%), stress (48.8%: mild to moderate 33.8% and severe to very severe 15.0%), and inadequate sleeping (< 6 h/day) 23.1%. Female sex, working in sectors other than the health sector, watching/reading COVID-19 news ≥ 2 h/day, and lack of emotional support from family and society were associated with a high prevalence of severe to very severe depression, anxiety, and stress. In conclusion, the psychological impacts of COVID-19 on the public in Egypt were enormous, therefore, providing psychological support and counsel is warranted.

Servant Leadership is a holistic approach whereby leaders act with morality, showing great concern for the company’s stakeholders and engaging followers in multiple dimensions, such as emotional, relational and ethical, to bring out their full potential and empower them to grow into what they are capable of becoming. Servant leadership has been linked through various mediators to positive individual and collective outcomes, including behavioral, attitudinal, and performance. Among follower attitudinal outcomes, the present study aims at deepening the relationship between servant leadership and employee engagement in a large Italian consulting firm; first, by assessing the implementation of a servant leadership approach through a survey based on SL-7; second, by qualitatively investigating the servant leadership experiences lived by junior employees and their influence on individual engagement though a semi-structured questionnaire. The findings of the study suggest that employee engagement is positively influenced by servant leadership through various mediators, either leader-centered, such as empowerment, team-centered, such as team cohesion, organization-centered, such as positive organizational climate, job-centered, such as challenging tasks, and employee-centered, such as proactive personality. Some factors also emerged to hinder the relationship between servant leadership and employee engagement, particularly those related to the working environment: namely, high pressure, poor work-life balance and remote-working. The article also provides theoretical and practical implications and identifies potential areas for future research on servant leadership.

Studies suggest that people in the early stages of Alzheimer’s dementia (AD), a disease first described in 1906, do not have sufficient support to cope with the disease process after a diagnosis (Solomon, 2016). AD is a neurodegenerative syndrome, caused by the progressive accumulation of plaques of amyloid beta proteins and tau proteins, which has no cure and eventually leads to death (Alzheimer’s Association, 2018). Support for people living with dementia, such as support groups, provides spaces in which they can feel free of stigma, understood, in safe environments and receive cognitive stimulation that contributes to their quality of life (Yale, 1995). The scarcity of information about the care preferences, available activities and rights of people living with dementia in Puerto Rico is a very under-researched area that could benefit the quality of life of said population (Vega, J., 2013). The present study, under the qualitative narrative life research approach, sought to address the experiences of people with Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) in the initial stages. The theoretical framework derived from the study on support groups for people with dementia by Yale (2009) and Frankl’s Logotherapy theory (2003) was used. The interviews, via virtual means, were carried out with six individuals chosen under the clinical criteria of a neurologist specializing in AD in a memory clinic in the metropolitan area of Puerto Rico. Through the administration of semi-structured questionnaires and the subsequent analysis of the counts, the need for additional services to those already available for said population was identified.

Marine plastic pollution is a critical environmental challenge facing policymakers globally. To reduce marine plastic pollution by engaging the people, this study estimated the determinants of waste disposal approach by households, their willingness to participate in road gutters/drainage channels cleanup program and the number of man-days they are willing to contribute. The study used a total of 600 households drawn from 30 enumeration areas. A semi-structured questionnaire was employed in data collection. Means, percentages, multinomial logit model and Heckman selection model were employed in data analysis. The study found that most (67.42 percent) of the households in the coastal city of Lagos engage in illegal waste disposal. Some variables, household size, involvement in previous community cleanup activities, receipt of waste management information, payment of waste management fee, and having a dumpster in a locality, significantly reduce the likelihood of illegal waste disposal. The study also found that most (75.50 percent) of the households were willing to clean up road gutters/drainage channels; however, most (83.20 percent) were only willing to contribute one man-day (eight hours) in a week. Gender and previous participation in voluntary service significantly influenced both households’ willingness to participate and the number of the man-days they are willing to contribute. Women are more likely to participate and contribute man-days to the activity. Education, household size and amount paid as waste management fee significantly reduced the number of man-days households are willing to contribute. In contrast, the provision of information on waste management significantly increased the number of days they are likely to participate. The study recommended providing waste management information and dumpsters to reduce illegal waste disposal, mobilizing citizens, especially women, the less educated and low waste fee-paying households, through well-packaged information about plastic pollution.

The emigration of doctors from Nigeria has been on the increase in recent years, with no obvious efforts to manage or mitigate the negative impacts of this growing trend on the already weak health system. This study assessed the emigration intentions of doctors undergoing residency training at the premier tertiary healthcare center in Nigeria and the factors that influence these intentions. This mixed-method study was cross-sectional in design. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to identify the factors that influence the emigration intentions of resident doctors at the University College Hospital, Ibadan, Southwest Nigeria. In-depth interviews (IDIs) were also conducted to further explore the push and pull factors identified from the survey and their migration preferences. A total of 244 resident doctors completed the questionnaires and 10 participated in the IDIs. Overall, 57.4% of the respondents had emigration intentions and 34.8% had made various attempts at emigrating. Major factors that encouraged resident doctors to emigrate to developed countries included better working and living conditions, good salary and the opportunity for career advancement in destination countries. Family ties was the single most important factor that deterred resident doctors from emigrating. The UK was found to be the top preferred destination. Strategic approaches and multisectoral collaborations will be required to address doctors’ emigration from Nigeria. These efforts should be targeted at not just the health sector but should also include the social and economic aspects of the lives of resident doctors, to improve their living conditions.

Abstract OP 8: Health Services 6, B304 (FCSH), September 3, 2025, 15:45 - 16:45 Aim This study aimed to explore the pathways and barriers to accessing mental health care among patients presenting to the Department of Psychiatry, Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital. Specifically, it sought to: (1) examine the patterns of mental health service access; (2) identify instrumental, attitudinal, and stigma-related barriers; (3) analyze the association between pathways of care and relevant demographic and clinical variables; and (4) examine the association between barriers to care and these variables. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted with a purposive sample of 326 new patients attending the outpatient and inpatient services of the Department of Psychiatry, TUTH, after approval from the Institutional Review Committee. Data were collected using a semi-structured questionnaire, the Nepali-translated WHO Encounter Form, and the Barriers to Access Care Evaluation (BACE v3) tool. Socio-demographic and clinical factors were assessed, and statistical analyses were performed to identify patterns and associations. Results Most participants (83.7%) were aged 18–60 years, with a slight female predominance (52.5%). The most common first point of contact was medical practitioners (42.6%), followed by psychiatric services (35%). However, delays in accessing care were significant, with a mean duration of 93 weeks and a median of 13 weeks to the first contact. The barriers identified included instrumental challenges such as financial constraints and service unavailability, attitudinal barriers like low perceived need, and stigma-related barriers. Notably, stigma was a pervasive issue influencing help-seeking behavior. Statistical analysis revealed significant associations between barriers and socio-demographic factors, such as education and employment status. Conclusion The findings highlight the complex interplay of pathways and barriers influencing access to mental health care in Nepal. Instrumental and stigma-related barriers remain significant obstacles, underscoring the need for targeted interventions, including public awareness campaigns, enhanced resource allocation, and culturally appropriate task-shifting models to improve care access.

Abstract EP3.2, e-Poster Terminal 3, September 3, 2025, 13:05 - 14:00 Background Immigrants in Philadelphia, PA (US) contribute positively to its vibrant cultural and economic landscape. A recent analysis demonstrated areas with distinctly high versus low social progress (i.e., basic needs, well-being, opportunities), underscoring a geographic social disparity. North Philadelphia is home to 12% of foreign-born individuals; Multiple socio-economic and cultural barriers influence this disparity. Effective engagement strategies with immigrant populations within an academic healthcare system are warranted. Methods A community-engaged approach with community-based organizations (CBOs) to advance our knowledge of health care services for immigrants was utilized. Informed by a directory of immigrant-serving organizations across Philadelphia, organizations were invited to Meet-and-Greet conversations. A semi-structured questionnaire guided baseline assessment of: (1) services provided and populations served; (2) challenges and gaps; (3) opportunities for collaboration. A thematic analysis of conversation notes underscored gaps in access to health/social services, and opportunities for academia-community collaborations. Results Fifty-four immigrant-serving organizations were identified, and Meet-and-Greet conversations were completed with 14 (26%). Of those engaged: 9/14 (64.3%) were CBOs; 3/14 (21.4%) academic partners; and 2/14 (14.3%) government agencies. Themes on access barriers and knowledge gaps of health/social services included: medical-legal knowledge, language interpretation, navigation of services, and immigrant eligibility for public programs. Conclusions A community-engaged and -informed approach to building ground-level knowledge and establishing partnerships with CBOs leads to meaningful and actionable programming to improve immigrant-centered health/social care access. Informed by these themes and in collaboration with a community-partner champion, we will co-create an inclusive immigrant health training series to healthcare providers to address identified gaps.

Abstract EP1.4, e-Poster Terminal 1, September 4, 2025, 11:35 - 13:00 Aim The fundamental human right to health is recognized in numerous international and national documents and reinforced by the UN Sustainable Development Goals. To achieve universal healthcare access, policymakers and stakeholders in migration and health require evidence on effective and sustainable solutions to overcome barriers, considering cost and context. While many high-income healthcare systems incorporate health economic criteria in reimbursement decisions, the evidence base for migrants remains limited. This study aimed to identify existing economic studies, assess expert perspectives on the role of economic arguments in migration health discussions, and determine key topics that need further exploration. Methods Using a semi-structured survey, we examined migration health experts’ perspectives on the relevance of economic considerations and identified key research questions in the field from their perspective. A rapid literature review was conducted in May 2023 across two databases, SCOPUS and WEB OF SCIENCE. The review articles and survey responses were analyzed using inductive thematic content analysis. Results The survey indicates that the most relevant concerns are healthcare costs and factors influencing health determinants, such as limited integration into the care system. The rapid literature review highlights cost as a key barrier to equitable healthcare, frequently mentioned as a challenge but often lacking comprehensive economic analysis. Conclusion These findings indicate it is time to bridge silos by proactively engaging economists and migration health researchers in interdisciplinary knowledge building to use more economically sound arguments and rigorous analyses as a basis for decision-making related to migration health.

Meaningful action and engagement are needed in a time of rapid planetary change and biodiversity loss. They cannot be achieved through scientific outputs alone, and scientists are increasingly recognizing the need to work with a diverse range of collaborators to communicate their research and engage society. We used a semi-structured survey of 34 previous artistic collaborators with our research group, the Adrift Lab, to collect information on their motivations, rewards, challenges, and lessons learned from a wide array of projects ranging from furniture and jewelry design to documentary filmmaking. Clear patterns emerged, including that participating in an art-science collaboration with Adrift Lab resulted in a greater sense of community, an ability and empowerment to make meaningful contributions to environmental issues, and inspiration for artists to shift the focus of their work, leading to additional, environmental-focused collaborations with other scientists. How artists discovered Adrift Lab’s research and the reasons they chose to engage with our research was somewhat unexpected, with more traditional modes of outreach such as conference presentations and the Adrift Lab website having little influence. Instead, artists often selected Adrift Lab as a collaborator based on their perception that our group was approachable and readily shared ideas and knowledge. These results highlight the willingness of many artists to collaborate with scientists, the mutual benefits of these relationships, and advice for others looking for unique ways, small or large, to engage with new audiences. We conclude with our own recommendations for scientists who wish to collaborate with artists and our enthusiastic advice to do so.