Background: Dementia is one of the world’s greatest public health issues. Most people with dementia receive home care, and family members are vulnerable to feeling burdened and depressed that reinforces the need for caregiver-driven services to mitigate these negative effects. Objective: The purpose of this research was to evaluate the effect of the psychoeducational program on burden and quality of life of family caregivers for people with dementia. Methods: This randomized controlled trial (RCT) was conducted on 60 family caregivers. Participants were randomly assigned to receive either the 8-session psychoeducational program (study group) or routine care only (control group). The demographic data of the caregivers and their patients, the burden of caregivers using Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI), and the quality of life of the patients using Quality of Life in Alzheimer Disease (QoL-AD) questionnaire were measured before and after the psychoeducational program and compared between the study group and the control group. Results: The results revealed that 80% of the family caregivers were female and 42% were daughters. The mean ± SD of the baseline burden was 61 ± 13.7 and 60.9 ± 10 in the study and the control group, respectively. ZBI burden score in the study group demonstrated a significant drop after the psychoeducational program compared to the control group. Logistic regression analysis showed that caregivers who received the psychoeducational program have OR (95% CI) of 14 (3.1-67.8) compared to those who did not receive the psychoeducational program. Conclusions: Psychoeducational program is effective in reducing the family caregivers’ perceived burden. These findings need to be considered in developing comprehensive dementia care programs to well increase the strategies that help caregivers to deal with their patients.

Introduction: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common disorder that affects women during their reproductive age. Previous studies have suggested that PCOS may be linked to some mental disorders. Aim: The study aimed to estimate the perceived stress among adolescents with PCOS and investigate the relationship between PCOS symptoms and perceived stress scale (PSS) in adolescents. Methods: This was a case control study with 72 participants (between 11 and 19 years); 36 adolescents with PCOS and 36 matched controls were recruited from family medicine and gynecological outpatient clinics at Cairo University hospitals. They participated in a structured interview using a pre-designed questionnaire. Full general examination was conducted, including anthropometric measures, acne staging, and hirsutism staging using the Ferriman–Gallwey score. We assessed the severity of stress over the previous month of interview using the 10-item perceived stress scale (PSS-10). Results: There was a statistically significant difference in PSS scores among adolescents with and without PCOS; most cases with severe PSS scores were found to have PCOS. The mean score of PSS was higher in PCOS adolescents (20.416) than in the non-PCOS control group (18.8), but with no statistical significance. There was no significant correlation between the severity of PSS in PCOS adolescents and BMI, WC, acne or hirsutism severity; there was only weak positive correlation between PSS score and DBP (r=0.167). Conclusion: PCOS adolescents have higher incidence of severe perceived stress; however, degree of PSS was independent of BMI, WC, acne or hirsutism severity and shows only weak correlations with DBP. Our results urge the need for implementing a holistic approach that should include stress reduction programs to help adolescents get ready for their adult life.

Background: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a major worldwide healthcare problem with subsequent serious complications including cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Hence, taking cognizance of HBV impact is critical for future planning of its control and prevention. Objectives: To assess the prevalence of HBV in Egypt, analyse the demographic characteristics of HBV-infected patients and examine the common routes of its transmission. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study of data from the Egyptian Health Issues Survey (EHIS), which employed a nationally representative sample of 16,004 individuals. The survey participants were categorized into two groups: group A, HBV positive, and group B, HBV negative. Comparative analysis was performed to identify demographic features and define possible risk factors. Results: The total number of participants included in the study was 16,004. The mean age (± SD) was 33.5 (± 12.4) years. The prevalence of HBV was 1.52%. Demographic analysis showed that HBV was more prevalent among males, married people, people with jobs and smokers (P = 0.0011, 0.002, < 0.001 and 0.0036) respectively. Employing an adjusted multivariate logistic regression model, we observed an increased likelihood of HBV infection in married adults who received cupping without blood and who did not know if they had schistosomiasis injection therapy. Conclusion: The application of special screening programs to highly susceptible patients and treatment optimization is recommended for the elimination of HBV. EHIS indicates the likely success of the previous Egyptian control plan for viral hepatitis through reducing several risk factors.