Childhood asthma represents a heterogeneous disease resulting from the interaction between genetic factors and environmental exposures. Currently, finding reliable biomarkers is necessary for the clinical management of childhood asthma. However, only a few biomarkers are being used in clinical practice in the pediatric population. In the long run, new biomarkers for asthma in children are required and would help direct therapy approaches. This study aims to identify potential childhood asthma biomarkers using a genetic-driven biomarkers approach. Herein, childhood asthma-associated Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) were utilized from the GWAS database to drive and facilitate the biomarker of childhood asthma. We uncovered 466 childhood asthma-associated loci by extending to proximal SNPs based on r² > 0.8 in Asian populations and utilizing HaploReg version 4.1 to determine 393 childhood asthma risk genes. Next, the functional roles of these genes were subsequently investigated using Gene Ontology (GO) term enrichment analysis, a Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway, and a protein–protein interaction (PPI) network. MCODE and CytoHubba are two Cytoscape plugins utilized to find biomarker genes from functional networks created using childhood asthma risk genes. Intriguingly, 10 hub genes (IL6, IL4, IL2, IL13, PTPRC, IL5, IL33, TBX21, IL2RA, and STAT6) were successfully identified and may have been identified to play a potential role in the pathogenesis of childhood asthma. Among 10 hub genes, we strongly suggest IL6 and IL4 as prospective childhood asthma biomarkers since both of these biomarkers achieved a high systemic score in Cytohubba’s MCC algorithm. In summary, this study offers a valuable genetic-driven biomarker approach to facilitate the potential biomarkers for asthma in children.

Antiretroviral treatment (ART) appropriately and regularly used decreases the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) viral load in the bloodstream, preventing HIV-infected people from spreading the infection to others. Disparities in ART adoption persists in East and Southern Africa, with low HIV-positive status knowledge being the primary factor. We investigated individual and household characteristics of HIV-positive status awareness among adults with long-term HIV infection in four East and Southern African countries: Eswatini, Malawi, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe. The study analyzed data from surveys conducted in Eswatini, Malawi, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe in 2015–2016. Only individuals who tested positive for HIV through rapid tests were included in the analysis. Those who already knew they were HIV-positive were categorized as aware, while those who reported being negative, never tested, or didn’t know their status were categorized as unaware. Statistical models were used to examine various factors related to HIV awareness. Pooled and country-specific odds ratios were computed. The percentage of people who knew they had HIV ranged from 58% (Tanzania and Malawi) to 87% (Eswatini). After adjusting for other variables, young persons in all countries were less likely to be aware of their HIV-positive status. Gender, marital status, education, working status, household wealth, and urbanization level of households were also associated with HIV-positive status awareness but inconsistent across countries. HIV-positive status awareness in these four East and Southern African nations remained unsatisfactory as compared to the United Nations’ 95% guideline, indicating that testing and knowledge of HIV testing in this region still has a lot of potential for improvement. The observed variations among nations may be attributable to differences in HIV pandemic culture and policies. The findings of this study will assist governments determining which subpopulations to target to boost adoption of HIV testing services, as well as in designing and development of policies.

Objectives: The study investigated the association between indoor air pollution (IAP) and risk factors for acute respiratory infection (ARI) symptoms in children under 5 years of age.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using data derived from Indonesia Demographic and Health Survey in 2017. Binary logistic regression modeling was employed to examine each predictor variable associated with ARI among children under 5 years of age in Indonesia.Results: The study included a total of 4936 households with children. Among children under 5 years old, 7.2% reported ARI symptoms. The presence of ARI symptoms was significantly associated with the type of residence, wealth index, and father’s smoking frequency, which were considered the sample’s socio-demographic characteristics. In the final model, living in rural areas, having a high wealth index, the father’s smoking frequency, and a low education level were all linked to ARI symptoms.Conclusions: The results revealed that households in rural areas had a substantially higher level of reported ARI symptoms among children under 5 years old. Furthermore, the father’s smoking frequency and low education level were associated with ARI symptoms.

The government of Indonesia provides programs to make it easier for adolescents to access mental health services. Adolescents are very vulnerable to mental and emotional health disorders, but there is low coverage of mental health services in primary health care. This study uses the theory of health belief models to examine how adolescents perceive having access to mental health services. This study used a cross-sectional design for 55 unmarried adolescents (15-24 years old) in Yogyakarta with a total sampling technique. Most adolescents (83.6%) perceive many barriers to accessing mental health services, so their self-efficacy becomes low (53.7%). Nevertheless, they have cues to act reasonably well (58.2%). Adolescents who perceive barriers (p-value = 0.007) and cues to action (p-value = 0.031) have a significant relationship with the behaviour of accessing mental health services. Meanwhile, perceived susceptibility (p-value = 0.909), perceived severity (p-value = 0.420), perceived benefits (p-value = 0.980), and self-efficacy (p-value = 1,000) did not have a significant relationship. The findings demonstrated that adolescents have sound cues to action in accessing mental health services, but low self-efficacy is thought to be the barrier.

Introduction: The prevalence of depression among children under 15 in Kulon Progo Regency reaches 6%, while emotional and mental disorders affect 8%, with only 9% of affected individuals receiving adequate treatment. Parental behaviour influences the utilisation of mental health services for adolescents, shaping how service needs are assessed. Limited mental health resources and negative parental attitudes further exacerbate adolescent mental health conditions. Aims: This study aims to evaluate parental attitudes toward access to mental health services for adolescents. Method: Using a cross-sectional design, a total of 107 biological parents of adolescents aged 10 to 24 years were selected using purposive sampling. Result: This study finds that perceived severity, perceived threat, and cues to action significantly influence parental behaviour in seeking mental health services (p < 0.05). While 57% of parents reported inappropriate use of services and perceived no benefits from them, 51.4% acknowledged no access barriers. However, only 49.5% demonstrated strong self-efficacy, and 53.3% failed to take timely action. Conclusion: The findings underscore the need for interventions that equip parents with practical knowledge and skills to obtain appropriate mental health services for their adolescent.

Background: The existence of a 'treatment gap' is indicated by the high frequency of individuals with mental health disorders and the low number of individuals obtaining formal treatment. It refers to the prevalence of mental problems and the proportion of people who are treated or the percentage of people who need but do not receive treatment. Aims: The study is aimed to determine the utilisation of mental health services (MHS). Methods: This study is qualitative, using a case study approach. The primary informants were six mental health workers and youth health program holders from three Primary Health Care (PHC) with the most significant number of mental health cases. Meanwhile, five youths receiving or actively undergoing treatment at the PHC served as supporting or triangulation informants. An in-depth interview guide is used in the instrument. Results: Health insurance, waiting time and duration of services, and accessibility to services play a supportive role in MHS utilization, while family and health worker support, facilities, and infrastructure do not. Adolescent and family ignorance, the presence of community stigma, the availability of human and financial resources, and health promotion media are all barriers to the utilization of MHS. Conclusion: The PHC in the Kulon Progo area is responsible for acquiring human resources, fostering collaboration across sectors, and creating health promotion media to fulfil its obligations.