Introduction: Studies worldwide reported increased levels of stress among parents of children with autism due to the unique caregiving challenges. While research has shown that parents' and autistic child's demographics and behavioral characteristics are associated with psychological distress among caregivers of children with autism, very few studies have investigated the impact of the caregiver's unmet needs on various aspects of the perceived family burden.Methods: This cross-sectional study examined the prevalence of stress, anxiety and depressive symptoms among a wide range of 146 parents with different sociodemographic characteristics, social support and unmet needs who care for children with autism spectrum disorder. These parents were recruited from autism non-governmental organizations and the National Children's Rehabilitation Center in Astana, Kazakhstan, a post-Soviet country in Central Asia. Multiple linear regression analyses were utilized to examine the relationship of parental psychological distress variables with social support, unmet needs and parental and child sociodemographic characteristics.Results: Significantly higher levels of stress and depression were reported among parents who perceived their needs as being unmet or extremely unmet as addressed by societal acceptance as compared to parents who reported adequate levels of needs met by social acceptance. Employed parents and parents with a higher level of perceived friends' support had less symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression.Conclusions: Increasing public awareness about autism and providing early detection and interventions for distressed caregivers of children with autism may be helpful in improving healthy functioning of parents and the entire family.

Background: Globally, Nigeria ranks third among the countries with the highest number of People Living with HIV (PLHIV). Given that HIV/AIDS knowledge is a key factor that determines the risk of transmission and certain attitudes towards PLHIV, there is a need to understand the trend of HIV knowledge within the population for the purpose of assessing the progress and outcome of HIV prevention strategies. The aim of the study was to understand the trends of HIV/AIDS knowledge and attitude towards PLHIV between 2007 to 2017 among Nigerian women, and to investigate change in the factors associated with HIV/AIDS knowledge and attitude towards PLHIV over years. Methods: Data were derived from three Nigerian Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (2007, 2011 and 2016–2017) among women aged 15–49 years old from each geo-political zone (South South, South East, South West, North East, North West, North Central) in Nigeria. Participants who did not answer questions related to HIV/AIDS knowledge and attitude were excluded from the study. The final sample sizes were 17,733 for 2007, 26,532 for 2011 and 23,530 for 2017. In descriptive statistics, frequencies represented the study sample, while percentages represented weighted estimates for the population parameters. Rao-Scott chi-square test for complex survey design studies was used to assess bivariable associations. Factors associated with outcome variables were examined using the survey-weighted multivariable logistic regression models for the complex survey design while controlling for potential confounding variables. Results: There was a relatively high level of HIV/AIDS knowledge level in 2007 and 2016–2017 surveys (64.6 and 64.1%, respectively), however a decrease in HIV/AIDS knowledge trend was observed in 2011 (45.6%). The positive attitude towards PLHIV progressively increased across the years (from 40.5 to 47.0% to 53.5%). Multivariable analysis revealed that women who had a higher educational level, higher wealth index, and lived in urban areas had higher odds for HIV/AIDS knowledge and positive attitude towards PLHIV across the years. In addition, the Northern zones had predominantly higher knowledge and attitude levels. Conclusions: Our study found increasing tendency for high HIV/AIDS knowledge and positive attitude towards PLHIV over the years. Women’s age, wealth index, education level and residence were consistently associated with knowledge and attitude over the years. There is a need for more pragmatic HIV/AIDS-related knowledge action plan to target to cover all age groups, all geo-political zones while paying close attention to the rural areas and the less educated women. In addition, more replicative studies of HIV/AIDS knowledge and attitude trends is crucial in monitoring of the progress of HIV interventions in the country in the coming years.

Introduction: In Kazakhstan, a post-Soviet country in Central Asia, salt intake is estimated as high, potentially contributing to the morbidity and mortality from cardiovascular diseases. The aim of this study was to explore salt intake in residents of the capital of Kazakhstan, Nur-Sultan.Methods: An online cross-sectional survey of knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors on salt intake among young adult residents of the capital city of Kazakhstan was conducted (n = 237). Bivariate and multivariate linear regression analyses were performed.Results: Although 95% (n=225) reported knowledge on the adverse health effects of high salt intake, older respondents were more aware of its association with high blood pressure (p = 0.007), heart disease (p = 0.037), and heart attack (p = 0.002). Only one-third (n=79) correctly identified the recommended level of daily salt intake. Females reported more awareness of Kazakhstani people consuming salt more than recommended (p = 0.0027) and that processed products constituted the major source of salt in diet (p = 0.007). General dietary concern (p < 0.001), high self-assessment of salt intake (p < 0.001), and older age (p = 0.012) were found to be adjusted predictors of salt-reducing behavior.Conclusion: Lack of reported knowledge on salt-health relationship is of concern, especially among young males. A greater dietary concern and individual awareness of the excessive salt consumption is likely to assist in reducing salt intake. Further studies are required to validate the findings of this pilot study on a bigger population level in order to provide a basis for future salt related interventions and policy changes in Kazakhstan.

Introduction: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) remains a significant global health problem, and the number of new cases is increasing in Central Asia, including Kazakhstan. This study aimed to examine the association of a range of demographic, physical health and psychosocial factors with the mental health of people living with HIV in Kazakhstan, applying the two‐continua model of mental health, which holds that mental wellbeing and mental illness are two distinct continua that are interrelated in their contributions to overall mental health. The study findings can inform future interventions aimed to prevent mental illness and promote the mental wellbeing of people living with HIV . Methods: This cross‐sectional study was conducted in collaboration with the Kazakhstan Union of people living with HIV . The online survey link was disseminated via social networks of people living with HIV in various regions of Kazakhstan from January to February 2024. The questionnaire included questions on sociodemographic characteristics, general health information and standardized validated scales to measure flourishing, depressive and anxiety symptoms, HIV‐related stigma, and social support. Descriptive, bivariate and multivariate multinomial regression analyses were performed in STATA software version 18. Results: A third of the sample was flourishing (33.53%) without depressive or anxiety symptoms, while 15.29% of participants were flourishing despite mental illness, 30.59% were not flourishing and had no mental illness, and 20.59% were experiencing mental illness and not flourishing. Participants with higher social support were more likely to flourish and have no symptoms of depression or anxiety, while flourishing despite mental illness was associated with the unemployment status of people living with HIV . High internalized stigma was associated with the increased risk of having depression or anxiety symptoms and low mental wellbeing, while better physical health and older age had a protective effect against mental illness and languishing. Conclusions: Study findings suggest that enhancing access to social support and reducing HIV‐related stigma are key to improving mental wellbeing among people living with HIV in Kazakhstan, especially among individuals of younger age, and those with worse physical condition. Applying the dual continuum model of mental health and integrating mental wellbeing scales in physical and psychological examinations of people living with HIV is recommended to better determine their service needs and provide tailored interventions to those most in need.

Background: Depression and anxiety are common during perinatal periods, representing a considerable public health concern during global pandemic. Only few studies have examined the influence of emotional disturbances on satisfaction with maternity care. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of satisfaction with prenatal care and to examine its association with depression and anxiety among pregnant women in Kazakhstan. Methods: Participants were recruited to this online cross-sectional survey in the outpatient clinic in Novoshamalgan, Almaty region (n = 174) in December-January, 2022. A single-item measure of satisfaction was used by asking a question “How satisfied are you with health services?”, scored on a 5-point Likert scale. A simplified 2-item Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale and 2-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale were used to measure depressive and anxiety symptoms. Results: Majority of women were very satisfied or satisfied (n = 128; 74%), while less than a third of the sample (n = 46; 26%) were dissatisfied with the received care. The prevalence of depression in the total sample was higher, compared to the prevalence of anxiety (34% versus 18%). Multivariable logistic regression showed that dissatisfaction with prenatal care was associated with older age, not attending check-ups regularly, and being employee of private company or student. Depression increased the odds of being dissatisfied by 2.6 times (95% CI 1.19∼5.79); while obstetric issues and anxiety were not associated with satisfaction. Perception of women about inadequate solution of the problem of antenatal depression was a significant predictor of dissatisfaction (AOR 6.87; 95% CI 1.81∼26.12). Conclusions: Depressed women in our study were less satisfied with prenatal care. Further investigation of the perception of women about specific aspects of perinatal health services is suggested. Providing a quality, patient-centered care is needed to support pregnant women during the current pandemic. Key messages:

This study aimed to examine factors associated with stigmatizing attitudes toward people with mental illness among mental health professionals in Kazakhstan, the largest upper-middle-income country in Central Asia. The cross-sectional online survey was conducted among psychiatrists, narcologists (drug addiction specialists), psychotherapists, psychiatry residents and mental health nurses from all regions of Kazakhstan using the 15-item Opening Minds Stigma Scale for Healthcare Providers (OMS-HC). The mean stigma score was 40.1 of a possible 75, with higher stigma observed among older professionals ( β = 3.32; 95% CI: 1.24, 5.39) and those working in the drug addiction field ( β = 1.99; 95% CI: 0.32, 3.66). Male professionals had lower stigma scores ( β = −3.29; 95% CI: −5.57, −1.02). Perception of mental health work as less respectable ( β = 6.43; 95% CI: 3.26, 9.60) and skepticism about the positive impact of the field ( β = 2.69, 95% CI: 0.52, 4.86) were associated with higher stigma; while having relatives or friends suffering from mental health issues ( β = −2.36; 95% CI: −3.95, −0.77) and prior psychotherapy exposure ( β = −2.12; 95% CI: −3.98, −0.26) were associated with lower levels of stigma. These findings can inform future targeted interventions on reducing stigma within healthcare settings, and promoting a more supportive and inclusive environment for both patients and providers.