| 1. |
- Akhtar, M., et al.
(författare)
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dmLT Adjuvant Enhances Cytokine Responses to T Cell Stimuli, Whole Cell Vaccine Antigens and Lipopolysaccharide in Both Adults and Infants
- 2021
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Ingår i: Frontiers in Immunology. - : Frontiers Media SA. - 1664-3224. ; 12
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Enhancement of mucosal immune responses in children and infants using novel adjuvants such as double mutant heat labile toxin (dmLT) is an important goal in the enteric vaccine field. dmLT has been shown to enhance mucosal IgA responses to the oral inactivated enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) vaccine ETVAX. dmLT can enhance IL-17A production from adult T cells, which may increase the production and secretion of mucosal IgA antibodies. However, the adjuvant mechanism remains to be fully elucidated and might differ between infants and adults due to age-related differences in the development of the immune system. The main objective of this study was to determine how dmLT influences antigen presenting cells and T cells from infants compared to adults, and the role of IL-1 beta for mediating the adjuvant activity. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from Bangladeshi infants (6-11 months) and adults (18-40 years) were stimulated with the mitogen phytohaemagglutinin (PHA), the superantigen Staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB), ETVAX whole cell component (WCC) or E. coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS) +/- dmLT, and cytokine production was measured using ELISA and electrochemiluminescence assays. The adjuvant dmLT significantly enhanced SEB- and PHA-induced IL-17A, but not IFN-gamma responses, in PBMCs from both infants and adults. Blocking experiments using an IL-1 receptor antagonist demonstrated the importance of IL-1 signaling for the adjuvant effect. dmLT, ETVAX WCC and LPS induced dose-dependent IL-1 beta responses of comparable magnitudes in infant and adult cells. Depletion experiments suggested that IL-1 beta was mainly produced by monocytes. dmLT enhanced IL-1 beta responses to low doses of WCC and LPS, and the adjuvant effect appeared over a wider dose-range of WCC in infants. dmLT and WCC also induced IL-6, IL-23 and IL-12p70 production in both age groups and dmLT tended to particularly enhance IL-23 responses to WCC. Our results show that dmLT can induce IL-1 beta as well as other cytokines, which in turn may enhance IL-17A and potentially modulate other immunological responses in both infants and adults. Thus, dmLT may have an important function in promoting immune responses to the ETVAX vaccine, as well as other whole cell- or LPS-based vaccines in infants in low- and middle-income countries.
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| 2. |
- Hawlader, M. D. H., et al.
(författare)
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Quality of life of COVID-19 recovered patients : a 1-year follow-up study from Bangladesh
- 2023
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Ingår i: Infectious Diseases of Poverty. - : Springer Nature. - 2095-5162. ; 12:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: The COVID-19 pandemic posed a danger to global public health because of the unprecedented physical, mental, social, and environmental impact affecting quality of life (QoL). The study aimed to find the changes in QoL among COVID-19 recovered individuals and explore the determinants of change more than 1 year after recovery in low-resource settings. Methods: COVID-19 patients from all eight divisions of Bangladesh who were confirmed positive by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction from June 2020 to November 2020 and who subsequently recovered were followed up twice, once immediately after recovery and again 1 year after the first follow-up. The follow-up study was conducted from November 2021 to January 2022 among 2438 individuals using the World Health Organization Quality of Life Brief Version (WHOQOL-BREF). After excluding 48 deaths, 95 were rejected to participate, 618 were inaccessible, and there were 45 cases of incomplete data. Descriptive statistics, paired-sample analyses, generalized estimating equation (GEE) analysis, and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to test the mean difference in participants’ QoL scores between the two interviews. Results: Most participants (n = 1710, 70.1%) were male, and one-fourth (24.4%) were older than 46. The average physical domain score decreased significantly from baseline to follow-up, and the average scores in psychological, social, and environmental domains increased significantly at follow-up (P < 0.05). By the GEE equation approach, after adjusting for other factors, we found that older age groups (P < 0.001), being female (P < 0.001), having hospital admission during COVID-19 illness (P < 0.001), and having three or more chronic diseases (P < 0.001), were significantly associated with lower physical and psychological QoL scores. Higher age and female sex [adjusted odd ratio (aOR) = 1.3, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.0–1.6] were associated with reduced social domain scores on multivariable logistic regression analysis. Urban or semi-urban people were 49% less likely (aOR = 0.5, 95% CI 0.4–0.7) and 32% less likely (aOR = 0.7, 95% CI 0.5–0.9) to have a reduced QoL score in the psychological domain and the social domain respectively, than rural people. Higher-income people were more likely to experience a decrease in QoL scores in physical, psychological, social, and environmental domains. Married people were 1.8 times more likely (aOR = 1.8, 95% CI 1.3–2.4) to have a decreased social QoL score. In the second interview, people admitted to hospitals during their COVID-19 infection showed a 1.3 times higher chance (aOR = 1.3, 95% CI 1.1–1.6) of a decreased environmental QoL score. Almost 13% of participants developed one or more chronic diseases between the first and second interviews. Moreover, 7.9% suffered from reinfection by COVID-19 during this 1-year time. Conclusions: The present study found that the QoL of COVID-19 recovered people improved 1 year after recovery, particularly in psychological, social, and environmental domains. However, age, sex, the severity of COVID-19, smoking habits, and comorbidities were significantly negatively associated with QoL. Events of reinfection and the emergence of chronic disease were independent determinants of the decline in QoL scores in psychological, social, and physical domains, respectively. Strong policies to prevent and minimize smoking must be implemented in Bangladesh, and we must monitor and manage chronic diseases in people who have recovered from COVID-19. Graphical Abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.]
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| 3. |
- Ahmed, Anisuddin, et al.
(författare)
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Measuring the effectiveness of an integrated intervention package to improve the level of infection prevention and control : a multi-centre study in Bangladesh
- 2024
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Ingår i: Journal of Hospital Infection. - : Elsevier. - 0195-6701 .- 1532-2939. ; 145, s. 22-33
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Infection prevention and control (IPC) is a critical component of delivering safe, effective and high -quality healthcare services, and eliminating avoidable healthcare -associated infections (HAIs) in health facilities, predominantly in populationdense settings such as Bangladesh.Aim: Our study aimed to assess the effect of an integrated intervention package in improving the IPC level of the health facilities in Bangladesh.Methods: We conducted a pre -post intervention study in six district hospitals (DHs) and 13 Upazila Health Complexes (UHCs) in the six districts of Bangladesh. Baseline and endline assessments were conducted between March and December 2021 using the adapted World Health Organization Infection Prevention and Control Assessment Framework (WHO-IPCAF) tool. The IPCAF score, ranging from 0-800, was calculated by adding the scores of eight components, and the IPC promotion and practice level was categorized as Inadequate (0 -200), Basic (201-400), Intermediate (401-600) and Advanced (601-800). The integrated intervention package including IPC committee formation, healthcare provider training, logistics provision, necessary guidelines distribution, triage/flu corners establishment, and infrastructure development was implemented in all facilities.Results: The average IPCAF score across all the facilities showed a significant increase from 16% (95% CI: 11.5-20.65%) to 54% (95% CI: 51.4-57.1%). Overall, the IPCAF score increased by 34 percentage points (P<0.001) in DHs and 40 percentage points (P<0.001) in UHCs. Following the intervention, 12 (three DHs, nine UHCs) of 19 facilities progressed from inadequate to intermediate, and another three DHs upgraded from basic to intermediate in terms of IPC level.Conclusion: The integrated intervention package improved IPCAF score in all facilities.
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| 4. |
- Akhtar, M., et al.
(författare)
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Kinetics of antibody-secreting cell and fecal IgA responses after oral cholera vaccination in different age groups in a cholera endemic country
- 2017
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Ingår i: Vaccine. - : Elsevier BV. - 0264-410X. ; 35:2, s. 321-328
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Immune responses to oral enteric vaccines in children and infants may be influenced by factors such as age, previous priming with related microorganisms and breast feeding. In this study, we aimed to determine optimal time points to assess immune responses to oral enteric vaccines in different clinical specimens. This was done by investigating antibody secreting cell (ASC) and fecal antibody responses on different days after vaccination using the licensed oral cholera vaccine Dukoral, containing cholera toxin B-subunit (rCTB) and inactivated Vibrio cholerae bacteria, as a model vaccine. Two vaccine doses were given 2 weeks apart to infants (6-11 months), young children (12-18 months), toddlers (19 months-5 years) and adults in a cholera endemic country (Bangladesh). IgA ASC responses, as determined by the antibodies in lymphocyte supernatant (ALS) assay, plasma IgA and IgG responses and secretory IgA (SIgA) responses in extracts of fecal samples were evaluated 4/5 and 7 days after each vaccination. After the first vaccine dose, anti-CTB ALS IgA responses in adults and toddlers were high and comparable on day 5 and 7, while responses were low and infrequent in young children. After the second dose, highest ALS responses were detected on day 5 among the time points studied in all age groups and the responses declined until day 7. In contrast, plasma IgA and IgG anti-CTB responses were high both on day 5 and 7 after the second dose. Fecal SIgA responses in young children and infants were highest on day 7 after the second dose. Our results suggest that ASC/ALS responses to two doses of the oral cholera vaccine Dukoral and related oral vaccines should be analyzed earlier than previously recommended (day 7) at all ages. Fecal antibody responses should preferably be analyzed later than ASC/ALS responses to detect the highest antibody responses. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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| 5. |
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| 6. |
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| 7. |
- Chowdhury, F., et al.
(författare)
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A phase I/II study to evaluate safety, tolerability and immunogenicity of Hillchol®, an inactivated single Hikojima strain based oral cholera vaccine, in a sequentially age descending population in Bangladesh
- 2021
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Ingår i: Vaccine. - : Elsevier BV. - 0264-410X. ; 39:32, s. 4450-4457
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends the use of oral cholera vaccines (OCVs) as part of an integrated control program, both in highly endemic settings and during cholera epidemics. The available and internationally recommended WHO-prequalified OCVs (Dukoral, Shanchol, Euvichol) contain multiple heat and formalin-killed V. cholerae strains of Inaba and Ogawa serotypes. MSD Wellcome Trust Hilleman Laboratories Pvt. Ltd. in technical collaboration with University of Gothenburg, Sweden has developed a new single strain OCV, Hillchol. This vaccine consists of formaldehyde-inactivated whole cell El Tor V. cholerae O1 bacteria engineered into the Hikojima serotype for stable expression of both the Ogawa (AB) and Inaba (AC) LPS antigens on the bacterial surface. We evaluated the safety and immunogenicity of this novel and potentially much less expensive OCV in comparison with Shanchol. Methods: We conducted a randomized, non-inferiority, age-descending clinical trial of OCV (Hillchol vs. Shanchol) in the Mirpur area of Dhaka city from July 2016 to May 2017. This study was carried out in three different age cohorts (1–<5, 5–17 and ≥18 years old). Two doses of vaccine were given at 14 days intervals to 560 healthy participants. Findings: No serious adverse events were reported. There were no significant differences in the rates of adverse events between the test vaccine (Hillchol) and the comparator (Shanchol) group. Serum vibriocidal antibody responses in all age groups combined were comparable for all the O1 Ogawa (59% vs. 67%; 90% CI of difference: −14.55, −0.84) and Inaba (70% vs. 71%; 90% CI of difference: −7.24, 5.77) serotypes, showing that the Hillchol vaccine was non-inferior to Shanchol. This new vaccine was also non-inferior to Shanchol in the different age strata. Conclusion: The safety and immunogenicity profile of the new OCV Hillchol is comparable to Shanchol in persons residing in a cholera-endemic setting. ClinicalTrials.gov number: NCT02823899. © 2021
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| 8. |
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| 9. |
- Jolly, Yeasmin N., et al.
(författare)
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Evaluation of surface water quality near pollution sources in Buriganga River and deciphering their probable emergence, ecological, and health risk aspects
- 2023
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Ingår i: Regional Studies in Marine Science. - : Elsevier BV. - 2352-4855. ; 63
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Potentially toxic elements (PTEs) contamination in Buriganga river water, provoked by the point and non-point sources, has recently become a major health concern. Concentration, pollution degree, drinking and irrigation water potentiality, and associated health risks are the factors considered for this study. This study ascertained a mean pH, EC, TDS, and salinity value of 6.96, 86.25 mu S/cm, 51.86 mg/L, and 86.56%, respectively, revealing that it is safe for drinking and agricultural purposes. Furthermore, the mean value of major anion (NO-23: 1.16, SO-24 : 13.40, PO-34 : 0.66, Cl-1 : 14.71 mg/L) and major cations (Na+1 : 16.95, K+1 : 4.26, Ca+2 : 17.63, and Mg+2 : 5.47 mg/L) also estimated safe for human consumption and agricultural use. Trace element evaluation index (TEI) value was found to vary among the sites and ranging from 4.40 to 10.50, indicating moderate pollution and risk imposed by the single PTEs can be ranked as Mn>Fe>Pb>As>Cu>Zn. Nemerow index and comprehensive pollution index value stipulated an insignificant to moderate pollution by the studied elements. Consequently, no ecological risk was posed via elements studied in the proposed sites. The emerging sources for PTEs are confined to both anthropogenic and lithogenic derivations. Non-carcinogenic risk assessment stipulated that the river water was safe for adults and children as the estimated Hazard Quotient (HQ) and Hazard Index (HI) value was found below the threshold value (HQ/HI<1). Total carcinogenic risk was calculated at 7.44E-08 and 1.60E-08 for adults and children, respectively, specifying no risk, and water from the sites was evaluated as suitable for agricultural irrigation purposes on the basis of estimated indices.
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| 10. |
- King, C, et al.
(författare)
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Community participatory learning and action cycle groups to reduce type 2 diabetes in Bangladesh (D:Clare): an updated study protocol for a parallel arm cluster randomised controlled trial
- 2023
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Ingår i: Trials. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1745-6215. ; 24:1, s. 218-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The “Diabetes: Community-led Awareness, Response and Evaluation” (D:Clare) trial aims to scale up and replicate an evidence-based participatory learning and action cycle intervention in Bangladesh, to inform policy on population-level T2DM prevention and control.The trial was originally designed as a stepped-wedge cluster randomised controlled trial, with the interventions running from March 2020 to September 2022. Twelve clusters were randomly allocated (1:1) to implement the intervention at months 1 or 12 in two steps, and evaluated through three cross-sectional surveys at months 1, 12 and 24. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we suspended project activities on the 20th of March 2020. As a result of the changed risk landscape and the delays introduced by the COVID-19 pandemic, we changed from the stepped-wedge design to a wait-list parallel arm cluster RCT (cRCT) with baseline data. We had four key reasons for eventually agreeing to change designs: equipoise, temporal bias in exposure and outcomes, loss of power and time and funding considerations.Trial registrationISRCTN42219712. Registered on 31 October 2019.
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| 11. |
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| 12. |
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| 13. |
- Onabolu, B., et al.
(författare)
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Integrating policy, system strengthening, research and harmonized services delivery for scaling up drinking water safety in Bangladesh
- 2018
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Ingår i: Environmental Arsenic in a ChangingWorld - 7th International Congress and Exhibition Arsenic in the Environment, 2018. - London : CRC Press/Balkema. - 9781138486096 ; , s. 535-537
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- The WASH Sector Development Plan (2011–2025) recognizes the absence of harmonized approaches as the root challenge to scaling up drinking water safety in Bangladesh. UNICEF is supporting the Government of Bangladesh (GoB) through the Department of Public Health Engineering (DPHE) and Policy Support Branch to re-engineer its approach to drinking water safety by integrating policy, systems strengthening & sustainable services delivery at national and sub-national levels. Some of the key contributions to the sector include the implementation of the UNICEF-DPHE Arsenic Safe Union model with the declaration of 106 Arsenic Safe Villages, reduction in arsenic contamination rates of new tubewells, a system for preventing elite capture of water points, and the adoption of the ASU model in a $240 million arsenic mitigation drinking water project using domestic resources. Relatedly, a Policy Support Branch has been established, the sector coordination mechanisms revised, WASH bottleneck analysis is ongoing & the National Implementation Plan on Arsenic has been reviewed: Next steps include the professionalisation of drilling by local drillers through a partnership with KTH, Sweden, the GoB and UNICEF.
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| 14. |
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| 15. |
- Pires, M, et al.
(författare)
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Equity impact of participatory learning and action community mobilisation and mHealth interventions to prevent and control type 2 diabetes and intermediate hyperglycaemia in rural Bangladesh: analysis of a cluster randomised controlled trial
- 2022
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Ingår i: Journal of epidemiology and community health. - : BMJ. - 1470-2738 .- 0143-005X. ; 76:6, s. 586-594
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- A cluster randomised trial of mHealth and participatory learning and action (PLA) community mobilisation interventions showed that PLA significantly reduced the prevalence of intermediate hyperglycaemia and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and the incidence of T2DM among adults in rural Bangladesh; mHealth improved knowledge but showed no effect on glycaemic outcomes. We explore the equity of intervention reach and impact.MethodsIntervention reach and primary outcomes of intermediate hyperglycaemia and T2DM were assessed through interview surveys and blood fasting glucose and 2-hour oral glucose tolerance tests among population-based samples of adults aged ≥30 years. Age-stratified, gender-stratified and wealth-stratified intervention effects were estimated using random effects logistic regression.ResultsPLA participants were similar to non-participants, though female participants were younger and more likely to be married than female non-participants. Differences including age, education, wealth and marital status were observed between individuals exposed and those not exposed to the mHealth intervention.PLA reduced the prevalence of T2DM and intermediate hyperglycaemia in all age, gender and wealth strata. Reductions in 2-year incidence of T2DM of at least 51% (0.49, 95% CI 0.26 to 0.92) were observed in all strata except among the oldest and least poor groups. mHealth impact on glycaemic outcomes was observed only among the youngest group, where a 47% reduction in the 2-year incidence of T2DM was observed (0.53, 95% CI 0.28 to 1.00).ConclusionLarge impacts of PLA across all strata indicate a highly effective and equitable intervention. mHealth may be more suitable for targeting higher risk, younger populations.Trial registration numberISRCTN41083256.
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| 16. |
- Rahman, F., et al.
(författare)
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Insomnia and job stressors among healthcare workers who served COVID-19 patients in Bangladesh
- 2023
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Ingår i: BMC Health Services Research. - 1472-6963. ; 23:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: The global outbreak of COVID-19 has created unprecedented havoc among health care workers, resulting in significant psychological strains like insomnia. This study aimed to analyze insomnia prevalence and job stressors among Bangladeshi health care workers in COVID-19 units. Methodology: We conducted this cross-sectional study to assess insomnia severity from January to March 2021 among 454 health care workers working in multiple hospitals in Dhaka city with active COVID-dedicated units. We selected 25 hospitals conveniently. We used a structured questionnaire for face-to-face interviews containing sociodemographic variables and job stressors. The severity of insomnia was measured by the Insomnia Severity Scale (ISS). The scale has seven items to evaluate the rate of insomnia, which was categorized as the absence of Insomnia (0–7); sub-threshold Insomnia (8–14); moderate clinical Insomnia (15–21); and severe clinical Insomnia (22–28). To identify clinical insomnia, a cut-off value of 15 was decided primarily. A cut-off score of 15 was initially proposed for identifying clinical insomnia. We performed a chi-square test and adjusted logistic regression to explore the association of different independent variables with clinically significant insomnia using the software SPSS version 25.0. Results: 61.5% of our study participants were females. 44.9% were doctors, 33.9% were nurses, and 21.1% were other health care workers. Insomnia was more dominant among doctors and nurses (16.2% and 13.6%, respectively) than others (4.2%). We found clinically significant insomnia was associated with several job stressors (p < 0.05). In binary logistic regression, having sick leave (OR = 0.248, 95% CI = 0.116, 0.532) and being entitled to risk allowance (OR = 0.367, 95% CI = 0.124.1.081) showed lower odds of developing Insomnia. Previously diagnosed with COVID-19-positive health care workers had an OR of 2.596 (95% CI = 1.248, 5.399), pointing at negative experiences influencing insomnia. In addition, we observed that any training on risk and hazard increased the chances of suffering from Insomnia (OR = 1.923, 95% CI = 0.934, 3.958). Conclusion: It is evident from the findings that the volatile existence and ambiguity of COVID-19 have induced significant adverse psychological effects and subsequently directed our HCWs toward disturbed sleep and insomnia. The study recommends the imperativeness to formulate and implement collaborative interventions to help HCWs cope with this crisis and mitigate the mental stresses they experience during the pandemic.
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