Sri Lanka Child Growth Cohort (SLCGC): a population-based study on growth faltering of children.

Purpose: This paper aims to describe the study design and baseline characteristics of the Sri Lanka Child Growth Cohort (SLCGC), which was established to assess the timing, pattern and determinants of growth faltering in infants and young children in Sri Lanka.

Participants: A retrospective cohort study was conducted among term-born babies (≥37-week gestation), currently aged between 12 and 24 months. A sample of 1875 mother-child pairs were recruited using two-stage stratified cluster sampling method.

Physiotherapy training and education prior to elective Caesarean section and its impact on post-natal quality of life: a secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Caesarean section (CS) is associated with numerous complications that lead to the delayed return to functional activities that have a negative influence on the post-natal quality of life (QOL). It is evident that providing regular evidence-based physiotherapy training and education prior to elective CS helps to enhance the post-natal QOL by improving physical, mental, social, and general well-being. The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of physiotherapy training and education prior to elective CS on post-natal QOL.

The burden of hospital admissions for skeletal dysplasias in Sri Lanka: a population-based study.

Background: Skeletal dysplasias are a diverse group of rare disorders in the chondro-osseous tissue that can have a significant impact on patient's functionality. The worldwide prevalence of skeletal dysplasias at birth is approximately 1:5000 births. To date, disease burden and trends of skeletal dysplasias in the Sri Lankan population have not been described in any epidemiological study.

Impacts of disrespectful care and abusive care practices in maternity units and potential interventions to improve the quality of care in low- and middle-income countries: A narrative review.

This review article explored the impacts of disrespectful care and abusive care practices and the potential interventions to eliminate those practices. Respectful maternity care is a fundamental right for all women. It ensures that women are able to exercise their rights in maternity care.

Assessment of resilience levels among Sri Lankan nurses: Is there room for improvement?

Background: Developing resilience at work is an effective primary preventive measure for occupational stress. The study aimed to adopt a tool and measure current resilience levels and determine the association of work-related characteristics on resilience among Sri Lankan nurses.

Methods: Translated, culturally adapted and validated Resilience at Work Scale- Sinhala version (RAW-S) was used to measure resilience levels in a sample of 855 government nurses from a health district.

Health Impact Assessment (HIA): A Comparative Case Study of Sri Lanka and Wales: What Can a Developing Country Learn From the Welsh HIA System?

The health impact assessment (HIA) is increasingly recognized around the world as an effective governance tool to incorporate Health in All Policies to address the wider determinants of health. However, it is still poorly recognized and practiced in many developing countries, including Sri Lanka, where its applicability is most appropriate considering the complexity of social determinants of health and inequalities. This comparative case study aimed to explore the barriers for implementation of HIA in Sri Lanka in the areas of supportive policy framework, institutional infrastructure, capacity-building, and multi-sectoral collaboration and to compare them with a successful HIA system in a developed country (Wales) with a view toward identifying the "best practices" applicable in a developing country context.

High resilience leads to better work performance in nurses: Evidence from South Asia.

Aim: To find out how resilience level is related to work performance of nurses.

Background: Resilience is a developable and teachable skill which helps to recover from adversities and continue functioning above the norm. Though combating negative effects at work such as burnout is widely researched, harnessing positive organisational effects such as work performance through resilience is yet to be well-established.