Peritoneal dialysis (PD)-associated fungal peritonitis, although rare, presents significant challenges in diagnosis and management. Here, we present the first case of PD-related peritonitis attributed to Psathyrella candolleana and highlight a potential route of infection through contamination from the PD catheter belt. A 37-year-old female, with a history of heart and lung transplantation and undergoing continuous ambulatory PD, presented with acute abdominal pain and cloudy PD effluent (PDE). Genetic analysis of PDE and PD catheter tip confirmed diagnosis of P. candolleana. Treatment was successful without any relapses with timely PD catheter removal and an extended course of antifungal therapy. The root cause analysis suspected the dirt-stained PD catheter belt as the origin of contamination. In conclusion, this is the first case of P. candolleana infection in PD-related peritonitis. Preventive strategies should prioritize hygiene practices, including the PD belt to mitigate the risk of contamination and subsequent infections of such pathogens.

BACKGROUND: Students in school are more likely to be sick from communicable diseases like diarrheal illnesses, acute respiratory infections, and other illnesses linked to poor personal hygiene. Poor hygiene practices are common among school children and put their health at risk, which in turn has several consequences. These include significant school absences, transmission of infectious diseases to other students, and missed workdays for parents and guardians. However, there is limited evidence on the level of personal hygiene practice and its associated factors among school students. Thus, this study was aimed at determining personal hygiene practice level and its associated factors among elementary school grade (5-8) students in Fiche town, Oromia, Ethiopia, in 2022.
METHODS: A cross-sectional study design was conducted from April 29 to May 29, 2022, in Fiche town, Oromia regional state, among 534 elementary school students. A multi-stage probability sampling technique was used to select the individual students. A structured questionnaire was used to collect the data. The data was entered into epi-data version 4.6 and analyzed by SPSS version 26.0. Variables that scored a p-value less than 0.2 during bivariate analysis were included in multilevel logistic regression models to determine factors associated with personal hygiene practice. The odds ratio with a 95% confidence interval was estimated, and the level of significance was set at [Formula: see text] 0.05.
RESULTS: The magnitude of good personal hygiene (scored above the mean) was 59.2% (95% confidence interval (CI)) (55.1-63.0). A considerable proportion of students scored more than 50% in latrine use (62.5%), regular hand-washing (55.4%), and oral hygiene (55.20%) practices. Being female, having good personal hygiene knowledge, doing hygiene inspections at school, and having latrine accessibility was significantly associated with good personal hygiene among elementary school students.
CONCLUSIONS: Considerable proportion of elementary school students in Fiche town have score poor personal hygiene practice. Interventions aimed that target improving knowledge of personal hygiene and hygiene inspection at school are crucial to enhance the personal hygiene among elementary school students.

OBJECTIVE: The vaginal microbiota offers valuable insights into women\'s sexual health and the risk of developing sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and bacterial vaginosis. Despite the public health implications of changes in the vaginal environment, existing data on this topic remain sparse.
METHODS: Following the PRISMA statement guidelines, we consulted five bibliographic databases, focusing on five main daily habits and behaviors. We included only studies published up to October 2023, investigating the influence of personal hygiene, sexual behaviors, hormonal contraception, smoking, alcohol consumption, and psychosocial stress on the vaginal microbiota using next-generation sequencing.
RESULTS: Based on our inclusion criteria, we incorporated 37 studies into this review. Hormonal contraception and personal hygiene were found to promote eubiosis of the vaginal microbiota. In contrast, sexual behaviors, smoking, alcohol consumption, and psychosocial stress were associated with an increased susceptibility to bacterial vaginosis, STIs, and severe pelvic inflammatory diseases due to a modified vaginal microbiota. Black ethnicity emerged as a confounding factor, with this population showing unstable vaginal microbiota. Oral contraception and a stable male sexual partner were found to favor Lactobacillus colonization, acting as a protective factor. Conversely, non-hormonal contraception and unprotected or non-penile/vaginal sexual activity increased the incidence of vaginal inflammation and bacterial vaginosis by disturbing the vaginal microbiota and reducing Lactobacillus abundance.
CONCLUSIONS: Daily habits and lifestyle can influence the composition of the vaginal microbiota, thereby affecting vaginal health. Disturbances in the vaginal microbiota could be associated factors for STIs and vaginosis. Therefore, prioritizing more appropriate management of the vaginal microbiota is crucial.

UNASSIGNED: Health care workers (HCW) in Emergency Medical Services (EMS) frequently come into contact with carriers of methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains and may acquire and transmit them to patients. However, there is little data on MSSA and MRSA colonization of medical personnel in the emergency services. Additionally, few studies have analyzed the association between personal hygiene of staff and colonization. Therefore, we examined the prevalence of MSSA and MRSA in EMS staff of two German regions and evaluated their personal hygiene behavior.
UNASSIGNED: Throat and nasal swabs from 300 EMS workers were analyzed. Both direct and pre-enriched cultures of the swabs were cultivated on culture media to identify MSSA and MRSA. Results were analyzed together with questionnaires about sociodemographic data and a self-assessment of hygiene behavior. Statistical analysis was done using the R statistical software.
UNASSIGNED: Of the total 300 swabs, 55% were from paramedics, 39% were from emergency medical technicians (EMT) and 5% were from emergency physicians. With 1%, the MRSA prevalence was comparable to that of the German population, while the MSSA rate - 43.7% - was higher than expected. Colonization with MSSA was significantly associated with poor hand hygiene and male sex, and was inversely correlated to time on the job in EMS.
UNASSIGNED: The sample size of 300 and a MRSA prevalence of 1% made a meaningful analysis of potential influencing factors on the prevalence of MRSA infeasible. The comparatively high prevalence of MSSA and the association with decreasing frequency of hand antisepsis suggests an influence of personal hygiene on MSSA colonization. HCW in EMS should be encouraged to make use of their personal protective equipment and practice frequent hand hygiene. The implementation of diagnostic tools such as the Hand Hygiene Self-Assessment Framework of the WHO could be utilized to reveal problems in organizations, followed by an individual program to promote hand hygiene.
UNASSIGNED: : Beschäftigte in Rettungsdiensten und Krankentransporten haben häufig mit Trägern von Methicillin-empfindlichen Staphylococcus aureus-Stämmen (MSSA) und Methicillin-resistenten Staphylococcus aureus-Stämmen (MRSA) Kontakt, können diese erwerben und auf Patienten übertragen. Allerdings gibt es nur wenige Daten über die MSSA- und MRSA-Kolonisierung von medizinischem Personal im Rettungsdienst. Darüber hinaus haben nur wenige Studien den Zusammenhang zwischen der persönlichen Hygiene des Personals und der Kolonisierung mit MSSA bzw. MRSA analysiert. Daher wurde die Prävalenz von MSSA und MRSA bei Rettungsdienstpersonal in zwei deutschen Regionen untersucht und ihr persönliches Hygieneverhalten bewertet.
UNASSIGNED: Es wurden Rachen- und Nasenabstriche von 300 Mitarbeitern von Rettungsdiensten untersucht. Sowohl direkte als auch angereicherte Kulturen der Abstriche wurden auf Nährböden kultiviert, um MSSA und MRSA zu identifizieren. Die Ergebnisse wurden zusammen mit Fragebögen zu soziodemografischen Daten und einer Selbsteinschätzung des Hygieneverhaltens ausgewertet. Die statistische Analyse wurde mit der Statistiksoftware R (Version 4.1.3) durchgeführt.
UNASSIGNED: Von den 300 Abstrichen stammten 55% von Notfallsanitätern, 39% von Rettungssanitätern und 5% von Notärzten. Die MRSA-Prävalenz war mit 1% vergleichbar mit der der deutschen Bevölkerung, während die MSSA-Rate mit 43,7% höher war als erwartet. Die Besiedlung mit MSSA stand in signifikantem Zusammenhang mit schlechter Händehygiene, männlichem Geschlecht und umgekehrt mit der Dauer der Tätigkeit im Rettungsdienst.
UNASSIGNED: Die Stichprobengröße von 300 und eine MRSA-Prävalenz von 1% erlauben keine aussagekräftige Analyse potenzieller Einflussfaktoren auf die MRSA-Prävalenz. Die vergleichsweise hohe Prävalenz von MSSA und der Zusammenhang mit der abnehmenden Häufigkeit der Händedesinfektion lässt auf einen Einfluss der persönlichen Hygiene auf die MSSA-Kolonisierung schließen. Die Mitarbeiter des Gesundheitswesens im Rettungsdienst sollten dazu angehalten werden, ihre persönliche Schutzausrüstung zu benutzen und die Indikationen der Händedesinfektion einzuhalten. Die Anwendung von Diagnoseinstrumenten wie dem Händehygiene-Selbstbewertungsrahmen der WHO könnte genutzt werden, um Probleme in Organisationen aufzudecken, gefolgt von einem individuellen Programm zur Förderung der Händehygiene.

UNASSIGNED: The burden of food-borne diseases is becoming a global problem. The aim of this study was to assess and compare personal hygiene knowledge among street food vendors and canteen food handlers in the Kano metropolis.
UNASSIGNED: An explanatory sequential mixed methods study was carried out using a structured interviewer-administered questionnaire, focus group discussion guide and observation checklist, to assess and compare personal hygiene knowledge among street food vendors and canteen food handlers in Kano metropolis, Nigeria. Quantitative data was analyzed at univariate, bivariate and multivariate levels using SPSS version 20.0 at a 5% α level of significance. Thematic analysis was used to analyze verbatim transcripts from qualitative interviews.
UNASSIGNED: The response rates were 305/310 (98.4%) and 288/310 (92.9%) among street food vendors and canteen food handlers, respectively. The proportions of street food vendors and canteen food handlers with poor, fair and good knowledge of personal hygiene were (29.5% versus 19.8%), (51.8% versus 54.2%) and (18.7% versus 26.0%), respectively (p=0.009). There was a statistically significant association between education and knowledge of personal hygiene among street food vendors (p=0.03) and canteen food handlers (p=0.04). Though slightly better among canteen food handlers, narratives by the two groups of food handlers pointed to the general lack of awareness of basic personal hygiene which was supported by the findings from observation.
UNASSIGNED: Personal hygiene knowledge was poor among the two groups of food handlers; therefore, the Government should ensure legislation and enforcement involving training of food vendors, periodic medical examination, and issuance of fitness certificate to all food vendors.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the study was to examine whether individuals with a diagnosis of schizophrenia differ in personal hygiene (PH) from controls and to assess the importance of gender, clinical characteristics, and body self (body experience and body image) for PH.
METHODS: Eighty-two subjects with a diagnosis of schizophrenia in stable mental state and 82 control subjects were studied. All subjects completed the Personal Hygiene Scale (PHS), the Body Self Questionnaire, and answered the questions in Cenestopathy Interview. To confirm the validity of patients\' replies, PHS was also completed by medical staff.
RESULTS: Subjective assessment of PH correlated with ratings made by medical personnel. The patient group subjects rated their PH worse than controls. Men rated their PH worse than women. In the case of male patients, hygienic deficits were associated with numerous disturbances in body experience (cenestopathy, disturbances in interpreting and regulating body states, and disturbances in body identity) while in the case of women with schizophrenia they were related only to difficulties in interpreting and regulating body states and negative symptoms.
CONCLUSIONS: Individuals with a diagnosis of schizophrenia in a stable mental state manifest deficits in personal hygiene that are related not so much to negative body image as to a disturbed body experience. The determinants of hygiene deficits in schizophrenia are gender-dependent. The study did not include individuals with severe illness, which helps to understand the lack of correlation between negative symptoms of schizophrenia and PH in the male study group.

In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, across six correlational studies in four different countries (total N = 4937), we examined the link between citizens\' anger with and admiration for the government\'s actions and decisions (i.e., system-based anger and admiration) and engagement in preventive behaviour. The internal meta-analyses showed that individuals who admired the government\'s actions were more likely to adopt personal hygiene and social distancing behaviour. Yet, the link between emotions and preventive behaviour differed concerning the target of emotions, especially for anger. Specifically, anger about restrictions imposed by the government was negatively related to preventive behaviours, but this relationship was not significant when the target of anger was the government\'s overall handling of the pandemic. Our findings emphasise the importance of citizens\' emotions and the targets of those emotions during the crisis.

Background Personal Hygiene behavior and practices play a major role in health promotion and disease prevention. Socio-demographic, behavioral, and psychological factors sway a person\'s overall adaptation of good practices. Disease burden leading to loss of productivity and its influence on the economy cannot be overstated. As medical professionals come in contact with a large number of people, they carry the potential to be super-spreaders in disease outbreaks. Thus, it is of utmost importance that medics and paramedics maintain hygiene to the highest standards. Method This cross-sectional study comprised 323 young adult participants from Muslim Town, Faisalabad. A structured questionnaire containing close-ended questions was used for data collection regarding personal hygiene behavior and practices. Dependency between various qualitative categorical variables and hygiene practices was analyzed using Chi-squared tests. Results It was found that although the majority of the participants followed good hygiene for most of the practices; laziness, lack of relevant education, improper time management, and unreliable water supply posed a significant barrier to good practices. Females had demonstrably better practices compared to males. Urbanity did not have a significant correlation with the results.  Conclusion We conclude that a rigorous program of awareness and education regarding this subject is the need of the hour to facilitate an improvement in predictive and preventive health care and reduce morbidity and mortality. Steps should be taken to ease the barriers that are obstructing optimal hygienic practices.

OBJECTIVE: The study was to survey personal hygiene practice related to genito-urinary tract and menstrual hygiene management in female adolescents in order to obtain basic information for health education.
METHODS: With a descriptive survey design, 389 adolescents were recruited via convenience sampling in Korea. Survey instrument was the feminine and menstrual hygiene practice and perception of vaginal douching. Data were collected from a self-administered structured questionnaire.
RESULTS: Mean age of adolescents was 16.09 and menarche was at 13.21. While washing hands after urination/defecation was highly performed, wipe front to back and wash with soap and water were reported as being not well done. Twenty-eight percent reported douching habit. More positive beliefs about douching were reported by adolescents who practiced douching. Menstrual hygiene management was very appropriate with changing sanitary pads regularly with hand washing; but less performed for limiting bathing activity during menstrual periods and washing hands after activity of genito-urinary area.
CONCLUSIONS: Some adolescents practiced inadequate hygiene practices especially for body cleansing during menstrual period and vaginal douching. It is important to develop and implement school health education programs on feminine and personal hygiene for adolescents to help them perform adequate health behaviors.

BACKGROUND: Smart bathroom technology offers unrivaled opportunities for the automated measurement of a range of biomarkers and other data. Unfortunately, efforts in this area are mostly driven by a technology push rather than market pull approach, which decreases the chances of successful adoption. As yet, little is known about the use cases, barriers, and desires that potential users of smart bathrooms perceive.
OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate how participants from the general population experience using a smart sensor-equipped toilet seat installed in their home. The study contributes to answering the following questions: What use cases do citizens see for this innovation? and What are the limitations and barriers to its everyday use that they see, including concerns regarding privacy, the lack of fit with everyday practices, and unmet expectations for user experience?
METHODS: Overall, 31 participants from 30 households participated in a study consisting of 3 (partially overlapping) stages: sensitizing, in which participants filled out questionnaires to trigger their thoughts about smart bathroom use and personal health; provotyping, in which participants received a gentle provocation in the form of a smart toilet seat, which they used for 2 weeks; and discussion, in which participants took part in a web-based focus group session to discuss their experiences.
RESULTS: Participants mostly found the everyday use of the toilet, including installation and dismantling when necessary, to be relatively easy and free of complications. Where complications occurred, participants mentioned issues related to the design of the prototype, technology, or mismatches with normal practices in using toilets and hygiene. A broad range of use cases were mentioned, ranging from signaling potentially detrimental health conditions or exacerbations of existing conditions to documenting physical data to measuring biomarkers to inform a diagnosis and behavioral change. Participants differed greatly in whether they let others use, or even know about, the seat. Ownership and control over their own data were essential for most participants.
CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that participants felt that a smart toilet seat could be acceptable and effective, as long as it fits everyday practices concerning toilet use and hygiene. The range of potential uses for a smart toilet seat is broad, as long as privacy and control over disclosure and data are warranted.