SUBJECT CATEGORY: PUBLIC HEALTH | July 8, 2026
Epidemiological Study of Diurnal Temperature and Humidity Variability and the Resurgence of Meningococcal Meningitis in Three Contrasting Ecological Zones of Kaduna State, Nigeria
Abdu Bello Gololo, Abdulganiyu Galadima Mohammed, Abdulkadir Afeez Kayode, Naziru Abdulkabir, Maryam Abdulazeez Abba, Abdul Aderoju Sabtiya
Page no 88-98 |
https://doi.org/10.36348/sb.2026.v12i06.001
Meningitis remains a public health problem associated with high morbidity and mortality rates worldwide. Meningococcal meningitis is a contagious disease causing more number of deaths particularly in Sub-Saharan African region. Climate change remains the major threat to public health worldwide. This study aims at evaluating the association between the incidence of meningococcal meningitis and the diurnal temperature and humidity variability in Kaduna State, Nigeria. A longitudinal spatiotemporal epidemiological design was adopted in this study. The population of this study includes households located within the ecological zones and residents of the study area. A total of 213 participants were selected using multistage sampling technique. The data were collected using structured questionnaires and observation checklists. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics using SPSS. The association between the incidence of meningococcal meningitis and the diurnal temperature variability and humidity was examined by correlation analysis. The results showed that most of the respondents (24.88 %) were aged between 30 and 34. The percentage of male and female respondents was 33.80 % and 66.20 %, respectively. It was observed that almost all the respondents (96.24 %) attended tertiary education. Most of the participants (63.85 %) in this study were living in urban areas. During dry season, more than half (53.05 %) of the respondents experienced high temperatures in their areas. Majority of the respondents (88.73 %) indicated that heat increased during certain months in their areas. According to more than half of the respondents (53.99 %) the humidity level in their areas is low. The occurrence and incidence of meningococcal meningitis was significantly associated with increase diurnal temperature and low humidity in the study area.
ORIGINAL RESEARCH ARTICLE | July 8, 2026
Impact of Communication Satisfaction on Safety Culture among Operating Theatre Nurses in Saudi Arabia
Hind Awaji, Turki Al Mutairi, Mishal Al Onaizi, Hanan Al Rashidi, Khaled Alshamrani, Andiswa Mazibu, Joyce Lynn Opinga Machnouk, Shanmugapriya Chinnasamy, Mary Rose Gayle Aguila, Masoudha Saad Althubaity, Tabisa Ndabambi
Page no 154-163 |
https://doi.org/10.36348/sjnhc.2026.v09i07.001
Background: Effective communication is an essential element of effective healthcare team and patient safety. Global research emphasises the need of effective communication for patient safety and nurse satisfaction, however language obstacles and hierarchical structures continue to impair Saudi Arabian healthcare environments. Previous studies have examined communication and safety culture independently, with limited evidence of studies that explore the relationship between nurses’ communication satisfaction and their perceptions of patient safety culture within Saudi operating theaters. Objectives: This study aimed at evaluating the relationship between nurses’ communication satisfaction and culture of safety among operating theatre nurses in a tertiary hospital in Saudi Arabia. Research Design & Setting: A cross-sectional correlational design was used to conduct this study in a military tertiary hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. A convenience sampling method was used to sample a total of 116 participants operating theatres in the hospital. Methods & Materials: Data collected using two validated instruments: the Communication Satisfaction Questionnaire (CSQ) and the Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture (HSOPS) to examine how communication satisfaction affects patient safety culture. Analysis: analysis conducted through SPSS using descriptive statistics, repeated-measures ANOVA, t-tests, and Pearson correlation. While One Way ANOVA used for data scoring, Cronbach’s Alpha used to assess the reliability coefficient. Results: Showed a Pearson correlation of r = 0.206 with p < 0.05, showing a weak but statistically significant relationship. In organizational and healthcare research, these findings suggest a significant association, even when the strength is ordinary. This positive correlation means that as communication satisfaction increases, nurses’ perceptions of patient safety culture also improve. Conclusion: A significant positive correlation is found between overall satisfaction and overall patient safety perception. The findings consistently highlight communication as a central component of a strong and healthy safety culture.
ORIGINAL RESEARCH ARTICLE | July 8, 2026
Formulation and Evaluation of Sustained-Release Matrix Tablets of Diltiazem Hydrochloride Utilizing Novel Natural Biopolymer Blends
Yadav S, Birla B.N, Jaiswal N, Bele D.S
Page no 435-443 |
https://doi.org/10.36348/sjmps.2026.v12i07.002
Background: The oral approach to medication administration remains highly preferred due to its convenience and improved patient compliance compared to parenteral methods. Oral controlled-delivery systems maintain consistent therapeutic drug levels, thereby maximizing safety and reducing side effects. Among these, matrix sustained-release tablets are highly favored for their manufacturing simplicity, cost-effectiveness, and resistance to dose dumping. Objective: This research aimed to develop and optimize sustained-release matrix tablets of Diltiazem Hydrochloride—a calcium channel blocker for hypertension and angina characterized by a short elimination half-life (3.5 hours) and low bioavailability (30–40%) due to extensive first-pass metabolism—using the natural biopolymers Tamarind gum and Cassia roxburghii gum as release modifiers. Methods: Preformulation Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy was performed to evaluate drug-polymer compatibility. Powder blends were characterized for flow properties prior to compression. The formulated tablets were evaluated for physical parameters per official Indian Pharmacopoeia (IP) standards, alongside in-vitro dissolution testing. Results: FTIR spectra revealed no chemical interactions between the drug and the natural gums. The powder blends exhibited favorable flow properties, with an angle of repose between 25° and 33° and a Carr's Index ranging from 9.0 to 19.0. All compressed tablets met IP specifications for hardness, thickness, friability, weight variation, and content uniformity. In-vitro drug release studies demonstrated that the optimized formulation, DH13, successfully prolonged drug release, achieving a maximum dissolution of 99.94% at 12 hours. Kinetic modeling indicated that the release mechanism strictly adhered to the Higuchi model, exhibiting a high correlation coefficient (R2 = 0.980). Furthermore, accelerated stability testing (40 °C±2°C 75 ± 5%) of the optimized DH13 batch over 30 days showed no significant changes in physical appearance, chemical content, or dissolution profiles. Conclusion: The study demonstrates that the optimized natural polymer-based matrix tablet (DH13) provides a robust, stable, and highly reproducible 12-hour sustained-release profile suitable for the effective oral administration of Diltiazem Hydrochloride.
Organizations are recognizing the potential of workforce diversity as a source of innovation more and more but empirical evidence on this connection is torn. This paper is an analysis of the role of demographic, cognitive, and experiential diversity in determining the outcome of innovations, and the role of the climate of inclusion in affecting the same. The study is a quantitative study that relies on a complete use of secondary data to draw the conclusions as a result of the theories of management of performance within a team and the sociological approach to identity and group interaction. They have collected data based on the publicly available annual reports, sustainability reports, and human-resources disclosures of ten medium and large companies operating in the technology, manufacturing, and service sectors. Diversity ratios, education diversity index, experiential diversity, inclusion rating, patents, research and development expenditures, number of new products were obtained. The relationships were analysed using descriptive statistics, correlations and simple regression equations. Findings show that there are positive relationships between cognitive and experiential diversity and innovation indicators but demographic diversity has a positive relationship with innovation only when accompanied with high inclusion scores. These results support the claim that diversity is not enough and should be followed by an inclusive climate that allows sharing the knowledge and participating in the activities equally. The research adds a fairly easy yet significant piece of evidence to the workforce diversity research, as it allows managers and researchers to gain insights into the use of diversity at work in order to be innovative.
ORIGINAL RESEARCH ARTICLE | July 6, 2026
Evaluation of Youth Football Development Programs Using the CIPP Model: Evidence from Seyegan United Football School
Hidayati, Sulistiyono, Nevitaningrum
Page no 174-179 |
https://doi.org/10.36348/jaspe.2026.v09i07.002
This study evaluated the youth football development program at Seyegan United Football School in Sleman, Indonesia, using the Context, Input, Process, and Product (CIPP) evaluation model. It addresses the limited evaluation of youth football development programs at the local football school level, particularly within the Indonesian context. An evaluative qualitative design with a descriptive-inductive approach was employed, involving 15 participants: three administrators, three coaches, and nine athletes. Data collection methods included observation, semi-structured interviews, and documentation, with analysis conducted using the interactive model of Miles and Huberman. The findings indicate that the context and input components were sufficient, the process component was good, and the product component was very good. These results demonstrate that the program has established a clear organizational foundation, sufficient human resources and facilities, structured training implementation, and positive competitive outcomes. Nevertheless, the program continues to face challenges related to funding limitations, administrative capacity, stakeholder support, athlete discipline, and achieving long-term performance targets. In conclusion, the program has shown positive progress; however, its sustainability will require stronger institutional support, broader collaboration, and more systematic monitoring and evaluation.
ORIGINAL RESEARCH ARTICLE | July 6, 2026
Flood and Heat Risks to Urban Health in West Africa Occasioned by Climate Change: An Empirical Analysis
Oviemova Nathan Agoro, Ebikapaye Okoyen
Page no 188-198 |
https://doi.org/10.36348/sjbr.2026.v11i07.001
The incorporation of empirical data from 2021 to 2025 underscores climate change as a primary determinant of urban health in West Africa, with Nigeria bearing the greatest impact. The study found that increased disease severity was the major factor. The data in the review illustrate an unhealthy climate that drives up illness rates. The numbers presented indicate that the annual heat-wave exposure per person increased from 28 days in 2021 to 33.2 days in 2024, with a concurrent 8.6% increase in heat-related mortality. Lagos is the city that experiences the most rapid urban heat, with the earth’s surface temperature rising by 4.5°C from 2000 to 2022. Major flood events typically trigger outbreaks; the 2024 disaster displaced 1.3 million people and resulted in 7,485 cholera cases (Case Fatality Rate 4.3%), with a 63% increase in acute watery diarrhea. Social vulnerabilities largely shape health outcomes, so those effects hit harder in poor and informal areas with little or no infrastructure to mitigate risks. Among other risk factors in these locations, indoor temperatures can reach 35–40°C during heat waves, which is followed by a hospitalization spike of 15–25% at the time, and post-flood malaria cases can increase by 125%. The convergence of climate hazards with poverty, fragile health systems, and spontaneous urbanization exacerbates health crises in a compounded manner. Heat-health action plans, resilient urban planning enforcement, and the WASH infrastructure investment to safeguard the fast-growing urban population are among the core measures that need to be taken.
ORIGINAL RESEARCH ARTICLE | July 6, 2026
Autonomy of Health Worker Professions and Hospital Governance from a Positive Legal Perspective in Indonesia
Iskandar Zulkarnaen, Hieronymus Soerjatisnanta, M. Fakih
Page no 269-272 |
https://doi.org/10.36348/sijlcj.2026.v09i07.002
This article examines the dialectical tension between medical clinical autonomy and hospital corporate governance in Indonesia. By analyzing the paradigm shift brought by Health Law No. 17 of 2023 and Government Regulation No. 28 of 2024, this study redefines clinical autonomy not as a private privilege, but as a public legal mandate designed to protect patient safety. The research employs a normative legal method to dissect the implementation of Corporate Clinical Governance (CCG) and its collision with corporate efficiency models (managed care). The findings reveal that CCG inherently requires organizational subordination, fundamentally invalidating the “pure partnership” illusion often utilized by hospitals to externalize liability. The study proposes the concept of “Bifurcation of Authority,” which functionally separates a doctor’s clinical-professional sovereignty from the hospital’s administrative-managerial authority. This bifurcation necessitates a shift from personal liability to enterprise liability, ensuring that legal protection and clinical immunity align with fair labor practices under a permanent employment contract (PKWTT).