Cardiorespiratory health represents the ability of the heart and lungs to supply oxygenated blood to working muscles, while maintaining pulmonary function and quality of life. Regular aerobic exercise is important for the prevention and management of cardiopulmonary impairments. Nordic walking engages both upper and lower extremities, causing greater oxygen consumption and higher energy expenditure, leading to improved cardiopulmonary health. Aiming to systematically synthesize the available evidence on the effects of Nordic walking on cardiorespiratory health, this scoping review search was conducted across PubMed, ScienceDirect, Physiotherapy Evidence Database, and Scopus between January 2015 and November 2025. The articles were selected based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria, complying with the Population–Concept–Context framework. Data were extracted using the standardized charting form, capturing study characteristics, intervention protocols, and cardiorespiratory outcomes. Out of 256 records identified, seven studies met the inclusion criteria. The included study outcomes were Volume of Oxygen Maximum/ Volume of Oxygen Peak, six-minute walk test, metabolic equivalents, heart rate, and blood pressure in cardiac patients, post-menopausal women, older adults, and normal individuals. Most studies reported improvements in aerobic capacity, functional endurance, and exercise tolerance following Nordic walking across both clinical and community populations. Nordic walking appears to be an effective, safe, and low-cost exercise intervention for improving cardiorespiratory fitness, functional capacity, and exercise tolerance.
Mosquitoes are vectors for various deadly diseases, such as chikungunya, dengue fever, filariasis, haemorrhagic fever, Japanese encephalitis, malaria, yellow fever, the West Nile virus, and Zika fever. Mosquito-borne diseases affect millions of people every year. Consequently, mosquito control is essential for public health, particularly in tropical areas. Various synthetic chemicals, such as pyrethrum, picaridin, dimethyl phthalate, dimethyl carbonate, organophosphates, and carbamates, are widely used in mosquito control. These compounds can be broadly classified into insecticides (e.g., pyrethrum, organophosphates, and carbamates) and insect repellents (e.g., picaridin and dimethyl phthalate) based on their mode of action. However, their extensive use is associated with adverse effects, including biomagnification, environmental pollution, persistence (non-biodegradability), and toxicity to non-target organisms. To overcome these effects, we must seek alternatives. Conversely, plant-based phytochemicals are predominantly active in mosquito control initiatives due to their efficiency, environmental safety, and suitability as a viable alternative to synthetic larvicides. This review provides evidence that various plant extracts can control Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus mosquito populations. This control is crucial for reducing the incidence of mosquito-borne diseases. By exploring various locally available plant extracts, this study highlights research gaps, guides future studies, and promotes eco-friendly vector management.
loods are among the most frequent natural disasters globally and are recognized as drivers of infectious disease outbreaks. Knowledge of local endemic disease patterns may help anticipate post-flood risks. This narrative review examines how flooding may amplify these risks, drawing on the 2025 Hat Yai flood to identify clinical and public health preparedness priorities.Potential mechanisms include pathogen mobilization, vector breeding, host susceptibility, and healthcare system disruption. During the 2025 flood, approximately 1,300 millimetres of rainfall were recorded, with floodwaters peaking between 22 and 25 November. Five of six major hospitals became inoperable, leaving Songklanagarind Hospital as the sole functioning facility for over 700,000 people. Routine surveillance data are presented descriptively. Reported leptospirosis cases peaked one to two weeks after the flood, while dengue, melioidosis, and diarrheal disease showed differing temporal patterns. Higher rates of carbapenem-resistant organism detection and central line-associated bloodstream infection were reported in November and December than in the preceding months, coinciding with staffing shortages, intensive care unit (ICU) expansion, and increased patient transfers. However, these temporal patterns do not establish causation. Surveillance disruption may have affected reporting completeness and accuracy, limiting interpretation.Preparedness priorities informed by local endemic disease patterns include maintaining clinical awareness of flood-associated infections, preventing healthcare-associated infections, establishing contingency plans for healthcare disruption, and strengthening surveillance through automation. The 2025 Hat Yai experience underscores the need to integrate these priorities into preparedness for future floods.
Objective: Caregivers of patients with metastatic prostate cancer often face physical and emotional strain. Guided by the Informal Caregiving Integrative Model (ICIM), this study aimed to identify factors predicting reported caregiving burden and its impact on quality of life (QoL) among Thai caregivers.Material and Methods: This cross-sectional correlational study involved 116 caregivers at a Thai university hospital. Data were collected via interviewer-administered questionnaires, including the Zarit Burden Interview and the WHOQOL-BREF. Analysis included descriptive statistics, Spearman correlation, and logistic regression.Results: Caregivers reported a low average burden score (median = 3.00, IQR = 13.00) and a high level of QoL (mean = 99.35, SD = 9.13). Binary logistic regression analysis revealed that caregiver health status, patient symptom intensity, and illness duration were significant determinants of caregiving burden (p < 0.05), with a high predictive accuracy of 88.8%. The model also identified caregiver education level, patient illness duration, and reported caregiving burden as significant predictors of QoL, achieving a predictive accuracy of 81.9%.Conclusion: The findings suggest that caregiver characteristics and clinical factors influence reported burden and QoL. In the Thai context, family support and cultural values likely mitigate perceived strain. Careful interpretation of these reported scores is recommended due to the potential social desirability bias. Healthcare providers should prioritize caregiver health and provide disease-specific guidance to sustain high QoL for both caregivers and patients.
Objective: Xerosis cutis is a common dermatological complication in diabetes mellitus and is associated with impaired skin barrier function. This study compared the efficacy of 10% urea cream and 0.1% hyaluronic acid cream in improving skin hydration, reducing transepidermal water loss (TEWL), and alleviating xerosis severity in diabetic patients. Material and Methods: A prospective split-body clinical trial was conducted in 30 adults with diabetic xerosis. Participants applied 10% urea cream to one lower leg and 0.1% hyaluronic acid cream to the contralateral leg twice daily for 28 days. Skin hydration, TEWL, and xerosis severity were evaluated using Corneometer® CM 825, Tewameter® TM Hex, and the Overall Dry Skin Score, respectively, at baseline, day 14±1, and day 28±1. Statistical analyses were performed using paired tests with a significance set at p-value<0.05.Results: At day 28, the increase in skin hydration was significantly greater with urea cream than with hyaluronic acid cream (mean difference: 2.71 arbitrary units; 95% confidence interval: 0.56–4.86; p-value=0.015), corresponding to a moderate effect size (Cohen’s dz ≈ 0.47), suggesting a clinically meaningful difference.Conclusion: In patients with diabetic xerosis, ten percent urea cream provided superior enhancement of skin hydration relative to 0.1% hyaluronic acid cream, whereas both formulations showed similar efficacy in improving barrier function and reducing clinical xerosis severity.
