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Dec 2025 DOI 10.14302/issn.3070-5835.jcpn-25-5939
Objective To assess knowledge, attitude and willingness towards organ donation of nurses in Tibebe-Ghion Specialized Hospital, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia, 2023. Method A hospital based cross-sectional study was conducted from March 1 to May 30, 2023, using a census of all eligible nurses (N=215). Data were collected with a structured questionnaire adapted from validated tools. Binary logistics regression was used to identify factors associated with willingness to donate, with results presented as adjusted odds ratios with 95% confident intervals. Results The overall response rate of this study was 98% (n=206). The mean age was 29.5 (±4.8) years, and 55.8% were male. Overall, 61.7% (95% CI: 54.9-68.5) of nurses had good knowledge, and 45.6% (95% CI: 38.8-52.5) had a favorable attitude. In multivariable analysis, female sex (AOR=3.50, 95% CI: 1.18-3.92, p<0.001) and greater years of experience (AOR=2.15, 95% CI: 1.18-3.92, p=0.012) were independent predictors of willingness. Conclusion While a majority of nurses were willing to donate organs, significant gaps in knowledge and legal awareness persist. Female nurses and those with more experience were more willing to donate. Targeted educational interventions are recommended to address knowledge deficits and foster a more supportive environment for organ donation advocacy.
Apr 2023 DOI 10.14302/issn.2641-4538.jphi-23-4412
Background People may have both negative and positive attitudes about other people, their way of living and those attitudes can be influenced by various factors. LGBTIQ individuals are facing various difficulties and barriers to run their daily life due to different attitudes of people. Attitudes may be different from person to person influenced by their knowledge, acceptance behaviour and understanding. By finding out the associated factors that influences the attitude of people we can change people’s view towards LGBTIQ individuals. Each and every person deserves to be treated equally regardless of their gender, sexual orientation, and preferences. Methods This was a cross-sectional study in which the sample size was 423 and the study population was nursing students. A simple random sampling method was used to select sample for the study. Self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data. The collected data was entered in EPI 3.1 and analyzed using SPSS 25. A descriptive statistic was used to find out the frequency and percentage and analysis (chi-square) was used to find out the association between the dependent and independent variables. A p-value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results Results showed that 87.2% have positive attitudes towards LGBTIQ individuals, and the majority (56.6%) have knowledge about homosexuality. Similarly, more than two-thirds (82.7%) of respondents were not homophobic, and 50.4% showed positive stereotypes about LGBTIQ individuals. Religion (p=0.030), caste (p=0.001) and Family type (p=0.016) were statistically significant with regard to the attitudes of students towards LGBTIQ. Conclusion The majority of students had positive attitudes towards LGBTIQ individuals and few had negative attitudes. Almost half of the respondents had adequate knowledge about homosexuality. The majority of students were not homophobic and few were homophobic. Half had positive stereotypes and about other half had negative stereotypes.
Oct 2022 DOI 10.14302/issn.2641-4538.jphi-22-4343
Most hospitals have infection prevention and control committees but some of them are struggling to maintain and to apply infection prevention and control protocols due to lack of enough resources. Healthcare workers’ (HCWs) knowledge, attitude and practices (KAP) of infection prevention and control procedures are crucial for effective infection prevention and control (IPC). The study aimed to assess HCW’s KAP towards IPC in Rwanda. A cross-sectional hospital based study was directed in three hospitals in Karongi district from February to March 2022. Data were collected from 215 healthcare workers using a pre-tested self-administered questionnaire using a stratified sampling technique. Data were collected, checked, coded, and entered into the Kobo Collect Toolbox before being transferred to SPSS version 21 for analysis. Bivariate and multiple logistic regression analyses were performed. The KAP Score was also calculated. P-values of less than 0.05 were considered statistically significant. We found that 50.7% of HCWs were males, 63.3% were between the ages of 18 and 58.2% had a secondary education. The overall 78.6% of HCWs demonstrated high level of knowledge, 79.5% with a positive attitude, and 63.3% with good IPC practice. The results revealed that being over 45 years old(AOR=3.1;95%,CI=(2.16-5.25; p=0.024) having university level(AOR=3.3); 95%CI=(1.56-7.56;p=0.035), working experience between 5-10years(AOR=1.7; 95%CI=(1.37-5.45); (p=0.003), having high level of knowledge (AOR=2.7;95%CI: (1.68–7.95; p=0.045)and positive attitude(AOR=2.3; 95%CI:(1.36-7.72); p=0.017) towards IPC were associated with IPC good practice. Improving institutional supplies such as hand hygiene supplies, PPE, water supply and other facilities can improve safe infection prevention and control.
Oct 2022 DOI 10.14302/issn.2641-4538.jphi-22-4294
Aim Covid 19 is a pandemic that has ravaged the world resulting in thousands of deaths. This study aims to assess the knowledge, risk perception, and attitude of health care workers (HCWs) to the pandemic. Methodology This was a hospital based descriptive cross sectional study conducted among health care workers who were staff of the hospital. Data collected includes socio demographic characteristics, data on knowledge, risk perception and attitude. Results A total of 288 HCWs participated in the study. Participants had good knowledge at 95.6%, major source of knowledge includes internet/social media 68.8%, radio 34.6% and television 28.3%. About 92.6% of the respondents also had positive attitude while 89.75 of the respondents had a positive risk perception. Conclusion Overall, there was a high level of knowledge, high positive attitude and a high risk perception in the study. Consequently, to ensure that this high level is maintained, there is need for continuous health education and promotion.
Aug 2022 DOI 10.14302/issn.2641-4538.jphi-22-4245
This study investigated the healthcare provider’s knowledge and attitudes towards induced abortion in Rwanda. A total of 152 healthcare providers from six public hospitals in Kigali city participated in this study. Questionnaires were used to record data on demographics, level of knowledge and attitudes towards abortion law then be cleaned, coded and entered into Excel sheet. Then all data were exported into SPSS version 22 for final cleaning and analysis. The study findings revealed that 54.6% were female, 56.0% were single, and 73% participants said that they attended formal training on abortion care. The study findings revealed that 23.70% healthcare providers had poor knowledge towards legal abortion law, and 57.20% had positive attitude with regards to induced abortion law. The findings revealed that religion and formal training on abortion care were among the factors which were strongly influencing attitudes of health care providers towards induced abortion where protestants were unlikely to have positive attitude with regards to induced abortion (AOR=0.277; 95% CI=0.027-0.377; P=<0.001) compared to participants belonged to catholic religion and participants who were not trained were unlikely to have positive attitude with regards to induced abortion (AOR=0.696; 95% CI=0.056-0.721; P=0.048) compared to trained respondents. It concludes that marital status, category of caregiver, religion, formal training on abortion and level of knowledge were the main risk factors of level of attitude towards induced abortion. More training about induced abortion are highly needed among health care providers to increase related knowledge as well as to eliminate negative attitude towards induced abortion.
May 2022 DOI 10.14302/issn.2641-4538.jphi-22-4189
In Rwanda, CVDs accounts around 14% of all death. Studies on knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) would be of great value in helping public health professionals develop targeted programs and measure the effectiveness of interventional programs. The main objective of this study was to analyze the KAP about CVDs among adult patients attending public health centers located in the City of Kigali, Rwanda. A total of 384 adult patients were enrolled in this study. A structured questionnaire was used. Data entry and analysis was done using SPSS version 21. Findings were presented as frequencies and percentages in tables. For determining the KAP-levels, the overall scores were determined for each respondent by adding up the scores through the KAP-related questions. The mean age was 36.4 years, primary school (57.3%), married (62.8%), self-employed (40.9%), and females predominated (61.5%). The knowledge mean score was 14.2 and 76% had high level of knowledge of CVD risks and prevention. The average attitude score for all respondents was 17.6 and 22.9% of the respondents showed negative attitude towards CVDs prevention. Research findings revealed that 36.5 % were not practicing physical activity and exercise. The mean practice score for all respondents was 3.9 and 70% of respondents had negative practice towards CVDs prevention. Poor CVDs prevention practices were observed among the study participants. Therefore, it is necessary to establish more effective educational interventions intended to promote positive health behaviors related CVD prevention
Sep 2021
Background This study was done to assess knowledge, attitude and preventive practices towards sexually transmitted infections among secondary school students in Mlimba Division, Ifakara, Tanzania. Method A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in March 2021. A total of 365 secondary school students (193 male; 172 female) aged between 12 and 23 years were surveyed by using a pretested self-administered questionnaire. Results The study found the majority 95.9% had heard of STDs, 77.8% knew symptoms of STDs, 86.8% knew mode of transmission, 94.0% knew the importance of use of condom during sexual intercourse. Among the sexually-active students, 70.7% had practiced sexual intercourse and 42.2% used condom during sexual intercourse. Conclusion The risky behavior practiced by the sexually-active students in this study is alarming. There is a need to introduce STD education curriculum in secondary schools so that appropriate intervention on STDs can be implemented.
Dec 2020 DOI 10.14302/issn.2641-4538.jphi-20-3624
Report has shown that there is an increase of respiratory disease among bars attendants over time whereby in 2011, 32% of bars attendants reported respiratory diseases. The purpose of this study was to assess the knowledge and attitudes of bar attendants towards second-hand smoke (SHS) at work place in Nyarugenge District, Rwanda. This was a cross-sectional study using mixed methods of both qualitative and quantitative. A total of 384 bar attendants participated in the study. Quantitative data were analyzed using SPSS version 21 while qualitative data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Descriptive analysis using frequency and percentages was computed. he qualitative data was analyzed using thematic analysis. The majority of respondents (66.4%) were within the age group of 28-37 years, 60.2% of respondents were males, 60.9% of respondents were illiterate, and 57.3% of respondents were single at the time of data collection.The majority (78.6%) of the study respondents knew that Smoking is dangerous to human health. The cited consequences of SHS include air pollution that enter the respiratory system and damage the lungs, dizziness and others. All respondents agreed that people who smoke should not be allowed to smoke in public places. Improving bar attendants’ access to health education on SHS and encouraging continuous and constant exposure would significantly increase the knowledge and attitude levels of bar attendants towards SHS.
Aug 2020 DOI 10.14302/issn.2641-5526.jmid-20-3494
Introduction Antimicrobial stewardship (ASP) is of the utmost importance as a way to optimize the use of antimicrobials to prevent the development of resistance and improve patient outcomes. So, it is worthwhile to assess the knowledge, attitude and awareness regarding antimicrobial stewardship in hospitals. Objective The aim of this study is to assess knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) of prescribers towards antimicrobial stewardship at hospitals in Khartoum state and to identify the associations between prescriber’s demographic information and their knowledge. Methodology This descriptive cross-sectional study multi-centered study conducted in 10 hospitals at Khartoum state -Sudan, during period from November to December 2018. Study population included all prescribers who is available at study’s hospitals during study period and willing to participate in the study. A self-administered questionnaire addressing participants’ knowledge, attitudes, and practice (KAP) regarding antibiotic resistance and ASP distributed in the selected hospitals among attending house-officers, registrars and consultants completed then analyzed. Results Of the 294 medical staff targeted, 287 responded to the survey (response rate 97.6%). Only (26.4%) were familiar with the term ASP and (31.5%) claimed that it is effective in reducing resistance. (43.0%) of respondents believe that ASP play vital role on antibiotic prescribing. Only (9.5%) had ASP in their hospital and (13.5%) having policy and team. (45.3%) of participants had good level of knowledge about antimicrobial stewardship, but majority show negative attitude (63.1%), and poor practices (92.0%) regarding ASP. There was no observed correlation between knowledge and attitude, knowledge with practice (p-value ≥ 0.05). Only attitude with practice shows significance correlation (P=0.0001), which means that prescribers with positive attitude had the better practices towards antimicrobial stewardship. Age, occupation and experience are the only significant predictors of prescriber's knowledge and attitude towards antibiotic stewardship, while no association between these factors and practice. Conclusion The present study concludes that the knowledge of prescribers regarding ASP is moderate and their attitude is negative. Unfortunately, practices regarding ASP were poor, despite, the good knowledge regarding the effects of ASP on antimicrobial resistance.
Aug 2019 DOI 10.14302/issn.2379-7835.ijn-19-2876
Infant and young child feeding (IYCF) practices directly affect the nutritional status of children under two years of age, and ultimately, impact child survival. These practices are influenced by maternal knowledge and attitudes as well as socio-demographic and cultural factors; and an understanding of such factors is important to scaling up IYCF practices. This study was designed to assess the role of religion on knowledge, attitude and infant feeding practices among Christian and Muslim lactating mothers in Ibadan North Local Government Area (LGA), Oyo State. The descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 320 lactating mothers in the LGA. Eight focus group discussions were carried out among Christian and Muslim lactating mothers. An adapted pre-tested questionnaire was used to collect information on socio-demographic characteristics and IYCF knowledge, attitude and practices of the respondents. Knowledge on IYCF was assessed on 14-item scale, and the scores categorised as: ˂5.60 poor, 5.60–10.88 fair, and ˃10.88 good knowledge. Attitude was assessed on 13 statements from the IOWA Infant Feeding Attitude scale with lowest and highest obtainable score of 13 and 65 respectively. A score of ˂44 was ranked as poor, and ˃44 points good. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and one-way ANOVA. Qualitative data was analysed thematically. Mean age of respondents was 30.0±4.9 years, 55.9% were Muslims, and 63.8% had fair knowledge. There was no significant difference in fair knowledge categorisation (63.7%, 63.8%), but there existed slight difference in good (20.7%, 21.3%) and poor (15.6%, 14.9%) knowledge of the Muslim and Christian respondents respectively. Mothers with poor attitude constituted 56.0%. Muslim religion directly supports pre-lacteal feeding and duration of breastfeeding while the other indirectly supports breastfeeding. Religious practices directly and indirectly affect knowledge, attitude and practices of nursing mothers on infant feeding; hence, healthcare Professionals should pay more attention to nutrition education in religious houses using the infant and young child feeding module.
Dec 2018 DOI 10.14302/issn.2324-7339.jcrhap-18-2333
Introduction: The introduction of preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) against incident HIV infection has changed the epidemiology of disease as continuous treatment with tenofovir and emtricitabine among high risk groups can reduce the relative risk for incident HIV infection by over 90%.However,despite the approved use of TDF+FTC, as a fixed dose combination of emtricitabine 200 mg and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate 300 mg, for oral PrEP since 2012 , it does not appear to have become widely accepted and in use among healthcare workers especially those in low income countries. Researches are therefore needed to consider the awareness and practice of health workers towards the availability of PrEP services in this part of the world. Healthcare workers are expected to be promoters of the use of PrEP services. Method: A cross sectional questionnaire-based study conducted in southern Nigerian over a 6 months period. Data were collected from 250 healthcare workers using interviewer-administered questionnaires. The data analysis was done using statistical package for the social sciences (SPSS) for windows version 20.0 software (SPSS Inc; Chicago, IL, USA). Frequency counts were generated for all variables and statistical test of significance was performed with chi-square test. Significance was fixed at P < 0.05 and highly significance if P < 0.01. Results: A high proportion of the respondents(>60%) were highly educated healthcare workers(majorly Nurses and medical doctors) and about half (55%) having at least 10yrs working experience in the health sector with most especially on the HIV program(>90%), majority (94%) of the health workers were aware about ARV pre-exposure prophylaxis but very few ( 6% )could give the standard definition for PrEP as the use of ARV drugs by HIV negative persons to prevent the acquisition of HIV.Most(67%) of them gave wrong definition for PrEP and worse still about one fifth (20%) had no idea what PrEP was all about. Most (70%) could not correctly identify all the ARV drugs in a standard PrEP regimen while about 35% had no idea at all of the approved ARVs used for PrEP. Though PrEP services was not available at any of the facilities where the respondents were working ,the approved drugs(TDF+FTC) for PrEP were available at about 40% of the health facilities(public and private) and 15% community pharmacies in the vicinity of the respondents . Only 60% of the respondents were willing to access PrEP service for themselves if indicated while 35% would not use such services even if it is indicated for reasons which include concern about adverse effects and safety.Awareness of PrEP was significantly associated with the ability of the healthcare workers to identify the correct ARV regimen, ARV dosages and also correct indication for PrEP. Awareness was also associated with the knowledge of the correct proven efficacy for PrEP(>95%) and high likelihood of seeing a patient placed on PrEP and willingness to use PrEP based on personal indication Conclusion: The level of awareness of PrEP among healthcare workers was very high at about 90% yet many(60%) could not give correct standard definitions of PrEP, PrEP ARV regimen, dosages and level of efficacy of PrEP. Also none of the respondent had PrEP services available either at their center or any known referral centers. This is unacceptable in a country with second highest HIV burden in the world and has adopted PrEP in her national HIV guideline with ongoing PrEP demonstration studies. The few healthcare workers who were able to mentioned this information were more likely to have seen a patient placed on PrEP and were more willing to use PrEP based on personal indication. Recommendations: There is need to deepen the and knowledge of PrEP among healthcare workers especially those in poor resource settings by engaging them through update courses outreach, educational resources, campaigns/seminars and workshops and various job aids. All healthcare service providers should be very comfortable to carry out HIV risk assessment of their clients and provide PrEP to those indicated directly or indirectly through referral
Sep 2018 DOI 10.14302/issn.2470-5020.jnrt-18-2032
We report the results of a two-month descriptive observational survey to assess the knowledge about epilepsy among primary school teachers in Bouake in Ivory Coast. This study included 310 teachers who were randomly chosen from three Primary School Inspections (PSI). Almost all the teachers who were included had shown inaccurate information about epilepsy. 46.45% of the respondents thought that epilepsy was contagious and 47.74% recommanded to avoid contacting with salivary secretions of the patient during seizure. For 16.45% of them, persons living with epilepsy (PWE) could be not married and 19.7% believed that PWE could not have children due to the risk of transmission. This study highlights the urgent need of awareness campaigns among primary school teachers.
Feb 2018 DOI 10.14302/issn.3070-5835.jcpn-18-1956
This pilot study aimed to determine the knowledge, beliefs and attitudes of Turkishpatients on in-center hemodialysis about home hemodialysis (HHD) and their related factors. A cross-sectional study was performed among 32 patients on in-center hemodialysis in a tertiary hospital in Turkey. Data were collected by using a questionnaire form including sociodemographic and disease-related characteristics and knowledge, beliefs and attitudes about HHD. Data analysis were performed using descriptive statistics and the Chi-square test. While the majority of the patients (65.6%) reported having knowledge about HHD, only 34.4% of them had ever considered it. The most common perceived benefits of HHD were minimized wasted time (71.9%) and more time spent with family (71.9%). The most common perceived barrier to HHD was also housing constraints (90.6%). The results of this study highlight the importance of recognizing knowledge, beliefs and attitudes toward HHD in patients on in-center hemodialysis for increasing the use of the treatment.
Dec 2017 DOI 10.14302/issn.2575-1212.jvhc-17-1773
The knowledge,attitudes, and practice among inhabitants of Babati district in Tanzania on sparganosis were evaluated. A cross-sectional study was carried out among 160 participants from the district. Demographic and socioeconomic information of the participants and their KAP on sparganosis was collected by using a pre-tested questionnaire. All 160(100%) participants had no knowledge about sparganosis. Regarding attitude of participants to keeping dogs and cats; all 160 (100%) participants were not aware of dangers associated with dogs and cats to transmission of sparganosis. 39 (30.0%) of the participants had knowledge of drinking boiled water. There is a need to organise health education programme about sparganosis to increase community knowledge.
Mar 2017
The objective of this study was to examine differences between Latino and White older adults in attitudes toward suicide and physician-assisted suicide in chronic pain scenarios. We used a cross sectional study design at four outpatient care sites in San Antonio, Texas. The study sample included 204 subjects (106 Whites and 98 Latinos), 60 years of age and older, with Mini Mental State Examination scores of 24 or higher. No statistically significant between ethnic group differences in attitudes toward suicide or physician-assisted suicide in chronic pain scenarios were found. However, separate analyses by ethnic group showed that the factors associated with these attitudes differed between ethnic groups, with attitudes among Whites significantly and negatively associated with religiosity and those among Latinos significantly and positively associated with depression, while acculturation was significantly and negatively associated with attitudes toward physician-assisted suicide in chronic pain scenarios. This study’s findings suggest that depression and acculturation among Latino elders and religion among White elders are determinant factors of these attitudes in chronic pain, end-of-life scenarios. Further research is needed with more heterogeneous study samples, including Latino subgroups (e.g. Mexican Americans, Puerto Ricans, Cubans) and more diverse ethnic groups in terms of socioeconomic status and educational level characteristics.
Jan 2017 DOI 10.14302/issn.2476-1710.jdt-16-1324
An important step in the validation of disorder-specific etiological models is the examination of the predictive specificity of proposed vulnerability factors. It may advance the understanding of the emergence of comorbidity and the identification of at risk-populations for mental disorders. To enhance the currently limited evidence on the specificity of Beck´s cognitive diathesis-stress model of depression, the present study investigated longitudinal effects of dysfunctional attitudes and stressful life events on the development of depressive, eating disorder and aggressive symptoms in children and adolescents. A large sample of initially asymptomatic children and adolescents completed self-report symptom measures at study entrance and again approx. 20 months later, and reported stressful life events during the study interval. Stressful life events proved to be a risk factor to all investigated symptom domains. Dysfunctional attitudes at T1 were prospectively related to depressive symptoms, aggressive behavior and weight concerns at T2. However, types of associations varied as dysfunctional attitudes showed linear associations with weight concern, but nonlinear effects on depressive and aggressive symptomatology. Findings of the current study thus suggest that dysfunctional attitudes are not uniquely related to the development of depressive symptomatology in children and adolescents, but may contribute to adverse outcomes in various symptom domains. Thus, intervention efforts based on Beck´s vulnerability - stress model of depression may turn out to be useful in reducing vulnerability to a variety of outcomes in children and adolescents.
Jun 2016 DOI 10.14302/issn.2577-137X.ji-16-1026
Millions of children continue to miss immunizations each year despite global increases in financing and advances in vaccine technology. Male involvement in routine child immunization activities could improve and sustain coverage but is rarely emphasized in immunization programs or research. This study identified factors associated with male involvement in routine child immunization using the attitude, social influence and self-efficacy model.A household cluster survey was conducted among 460 fathers aged 18 years or more, with children aged 10-23 months. A semi-structured interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to collect data. Prevalence Risk Ratios (PRRs) were used to measure associations with level of involvement using generalized linear models with Poisson family, log link and robust standard errors in STATA 12. Our findings show that half (51%, 236/460) of the respondents were aged 25-34 years; 36% (166/460) had completed eight or more years of formal education. Although90% (415/460) of the respondents were willing to be involved, only 29% (133/460) were highly involved in routine child immunization. Highly involved fathers had a positive attitude towards involvement in routine child immunization (adj. PRR 2.3, 95% CI 1.18 – 4.98) and were ≥45 years adjusted prevalence risk ratio (adj. PRR) 2.0, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.15 - 3.76. Traders had a lower involvement compared to those engaged in other occupations (adj. PRR 0.55, 95% CI: 0.37 - 0.82). In conclusion, few fathers were involved in routine child immunization. Strategies to improve fathers’ positive attitude such as health education are needed to increase their involvement, specifically targeting younger fathers and traders.
May 2015 DOI 10.14302/issn.2324-7339.jcrhap-14-416
Objective: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) /acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) affect all levels of society and drivers are considered as vectors of HIV transmission because of the mobility of their work. The aim of this study was to assess struck drivers’ knowledge, attitudes and practices on HIV and AIDS in Burkina Faso. Methods: Quantitative method and cross-sectional survey using questionnaire with Cronbach’s alpha 0.76 were used in this study. SPSS, version 18.0 was used for analysis. P-values ≤ 0.05 were considered statistically significant. Results: 150 truck drivers participated in the study with a mean age of 38.71 years (SD=8.87), and ranged from 25 to 68 years old. It was observed that misconceptions about HIV transmission are quite prevalent among truck drivers. About 61 (40.7%) felt that AIDS can be transmitted by sharing meals, 35 (23.3%) stated that it can be spread by mosquito bite and 65 (43.3%) were of the opinion that AIDS can be transmitted by using same toilet and cloths. High-risk behavior was established in the study. 78% have other sexual partners besides their wives and 34% often visit sex workers in which 26 % had unprotected sex with sex workers. Alcohol seems to have a big role in their sexual behavior; thus 22 % of truck drivers declare drink alcohol before sex. There were significant association in demographic factors and knowledge, attitude and practice. Conclusion: The study findings underline the negative risk behaviors of truck drivers. Safe sex and use of condom have to be promoted through education program among truck drivers in Burkina Faso.
Nov 2013 DOI 10.14302/issn.2324-7339.jcrhap-13-227
Background: In Nigeria HIV infection is transmitted mainly through heterosexual route, affecting mostly individuals within reproductive age groups. As a result, HIV/AIDS education is advocated as a strong component of family and reproductive health education in the school curriculum which should emphasize responsible sexual behavior, premarital chastity and protective sexual practice. Aims/ Objectives: To evaluate student’s knowledge of HIV/AIDS, premarital HCT, and reactions to possible discordant HCT results. Methods: Cross sectional questionnaire-based study of 600 students in 6 schools in Zaria/Sabon Gari LGAs. Exclusion criteria: students aged ≤13 years, married, in JSS 1-3, SS1. Results: 550 students completed questionnaire (92% response rate). 54.5% females (ᾱ age =17.5 ±2.7 years) versus 45.5% males (16.5 ±2.7 years), Muslims (53%) and Christians (47%) respectively. 76%, 57%, and 38% knew the meaning of AIDS, HIV and VCT respectively; while all knew both the routes of HIV transmission and preventive measures. More than two-third supported voluntary, free and self initiated premarital HCT, preferably in a private and confidential setting. None would marry a discordant HIV positive partner, while 61% would marry themselves if both have positive HIV results. Conclusion: Many students would shun marriage with discordant HIV+ partner.
Jan 2024 DOI 10.14302/issn.2692-5257.ijgp-23-4772
Childhood obesity is on the rise, mostly in the low-income regions in South Asia including Sri Lanka. Simultaneously, undernutrition also continues to be an ongoing public health issue. The coexistence of childhood obesity with undernutrition has resulted in a double burden of malnutrition in these countries. Management of obesity in a community already affected by undernutrition is a challenging situation. At present, management of childhood obesity occurs as a hospital-based lifestyle modification intervention which cannot address all tiers in the community alike. Although national level multifaceted strategies are in place, implementation is limited due to financial constraints. In this context, the general practitioners can be considered as an important group of medical professionals who can reach families in the community. In many households in Sri Lanka, an overweight child is considered as normal and well-nourished in comparison to an underweight child. Unhealthy eating habits and force feeding have become norms in the society. Changing mindsets of people need significant time and commitment. General practitioners, in the community would be able to achieve this target through effective communication based on a nutrition sensitive approach. While uplifting the infrastructure facilities, steps have to be taken to update the knowledge and communication skills of the general practitioners on managing childhood obesity in a community affected with double burden of malnutrition. The well-equipped GP is an asset to modify the attitudes and thinking patterns of parents with regard to child nutritional problems. Childhood obesity is on the rise, mostly in the low-income regions in South Asia including Sri Lanka. Simultaneously, undernutrition also continues to be an ongoing public health issue. The coexistence of childhood obesity with undernutrition has resulted in a double burden of malnutrition in these countries. Management of obesity in a community already affected by undernutrition is a challenging situation. At present, management of childhood obesity occurs as a hospital-based lifestyle modification intervention which cannot address all tiers in the community alike. Although national level multifaceted strategies are in place, implementation is limited due to financial constraints. In this context, the general practitioners can be considered as an important group of medical professionals who can reach families in the community. In many households in Sri Lanka, an overweight child is considered as normal and well-nourished in comparison to an underweight child. Unhealthy eating habits and force feeding have become norms in the society. Changing mindsets of people need significant time and commitment. General practitioners, in the community would be able to achieve this target through effective communication based on a nutrition sensitive approach. While uplifting the infrastructure facilities, steps have to be taken to update the knowledge and communication skills of the general practitioners on managing childhood obesity in a community affected with double burden of malnutrition. The well-equipped GP is an asset to modify the attitudes and thinking patterns of parents with regard to child nutritional problems.
Nov 2023 DOI 10.14302/issn.2693-1176.ijgh-21-3909
Background & Objective Changing people’s attitude toward the environment is an important approach to the prevention of environmental damages. The present study aimed to evaluate environmentally responsible health-oriented behaviors in students. Materials and Methods This research was performed on 360 medical students (180 males and 180 females) who were selected via stratified random sampling. Data were collected using a responsible environmental behaviors questionnaire. Data analysis was performed in SPSS version 21 using linear regression analysis and Pearson’s correlation-coefficient. Results The scores of the environmental attitude, environmental knowledge, and environmental behaviors of the participants were estimated at 52.63±5.74, 74.43±5.99, and 103.37±11.51, respectively. An insignificant correlation was observed between the environmental knowledge and environmental behaviors of the students (r=0.07; P=0.20). However, the correlation-coefficient between the environmental attitude and environmental behaviors of the students was positive and significant (r=-0.54; P<0.001). A negative, significant correlation was also denoted between the environmental knowledge and environmental attitude of the students (r=-0.39; P<0.001). Conclusion Despite relatively poor environmental awareness and attitude, the majority of the students had proper environmental behaviors. Therefore, it seems that having an environmentally responsible behavior does not rely on environmental attitude and knowledge. In fact, behaviors influenced by social conditions and structure encourage and facilitate environmental behaviors.
Jun 2023 DOI 10.14302/issn.2694-2275.jzr-23-4483
An ecological study on diurnal mammals was carried out in Bayo Community Managed Forest located in Salamago Woreda, South Omo Zone. The objective of the study was to investigate the distribution and conservation challenges of diurnal large mammals in the study area. Based on the habitat type and topography of the study area, total of 11 transect, i.e 7 in forestland, and 4 in Wooded Grassland were laid to collect the data. Besides direct methods, indirect methods such as faecal droppings, fresh tracks, carcass or shell count, den (burrow), hair, and digging were used. Questionnaire and focus group discussions were also used to assess anthropogenic threats in the study area. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, SPSS and QGIS software. A total of 20 species of diurnal large mammals belonging to six orders and eight families were identified. The species identified were Cercopithecus pygerythrus, Cercopithecus aethiops, Papio anubis, Erytherocebus patas, Cercopitheus neglectus, Colobus guereza, Equus quagga, Traglaphus strepsiceros, Traglaphus imberbis, Traglaphus scriptus, Medagua guentheri, Sylvicapra grimma, Kobus ellipsiprymnus defessa, Syncerrus caffer, Potamochoerus larvatus, Phacochoerus africanus, Hylochoerus meinertzhageni, Hystrix cristata, Orycteropus afer, and Phataginus temminckii smutus. Seasonal variation in the between habitat types (χ2 = 4.849, df= 1, p<0.05). Totally, 685 and 600 mammals were counted during wet and dry seasons, respectively. On habitat basis, 683 and 602 animals were recorded in forestland and wooded grassland habitats, respectively. Major threats in the study area include poaching, fire, grazing, fuelwood extraction, population growth, habitat modification, overharvesting of resources and invasive species. About 98.44% of respondents had a positive attitude towards Bayo Community Managed Forest. The interference of local community has had the impact on mammal’s species. Habitat based mammals’ management involving participation of Woreda and Zonal Government is recommended for sustainable. The local government should promote the study area and provide appropriate support for its conservation.
Mar 2023 DOI 10.14302/issn.2692-5257.ijgp-22-4071
Oral ulceration is a common disorder of the oral mucosa with individuals regularly presenting to primary care practitioners seeking advice and treatment. Diagnosis of oral ulceration remains a challenge for clinicians due to the overlap in clinical presentations and the diverse aetiological processes that can be involved in their development. A recent study evaluating general medical practitioners’ attitudes towards oral examination identified problems in clinicians’ confidence in differentiating between benign and malignant ulcers, with a lack of knowledge and training being cited as contributing factors. This article aims to provide an overview of the diagnosis and management of oral ulceration, providing a framework to guide clinical decision-making in a primary care setting.
Mar 2023 DOI 10.14302/issn.2690-0904.ijoe-21-3884
Background and Purpose Public health problems are caused by the emergence of environmental pollution and infectious diseases, which have caused concern around the world. The public health threat affects the relationship between people. Population growth and associated pressures increase difficulties associated with effective means of maintaining public health. The diseases transmitted from human and livestock communication, water pollution, air pollution, and environmental pollutants urge us to find new solutions to address these problems. Understanding the environmental and environmental health is a prerequisite for protecting public health. In Iran, like other countries in the world, the issue of environmental protection and its compliance with the first program of economic, social and cultural development of the Islamic Republic has begun and expanded in the future. In this regard, new perspectives are being introduced that will bring about dramatic changes at various levels of planning, processes and specialized sectors such as civil, industrial and educational sectors. The training of engineers in this regard can play a very important role in refining the attitudes of young engineers and using these bases in their specialized activities. One of the important tasks of universities is to provide a suitable platform for such training. In this regard, it is essential that the major industrial universities of the country develop various programs in this field. Materials and Methods The present study is a review of the type of validity that is performed through search of authoritative scientific databases such as PubMed and Scopus, Google scholar, PubMed using the key words of building safety and health, HSE, and prevention methods are the latest information. Results Implementing the principles of HSE in various construction, industrial and other projects requires time, because any change that is considered in the system requires a change of attitude, which in turn requires time to adapt and adapt to the new conditions. The conditions for the projects in this research are their current conditions, and the next research, after a while, can determine the percentage of project progress in terms of HSE. Conclusion In order to comply with the principle of HSE cases, there is a need for training. These trainings should be executed at different levels and levels of contracting and monitoring so that the level of awareness of the risks involved in the development of civil operations between the personnel reaches a common frontier.
Mar 2023 DOI 10.14302/issn.2994-6743.ijstd-22-4411
Background HIV causes immunosuppression, which reduces the body's immunity to diseases like COVID-19 by decreasing CD4 cells. The goal of this study is to determine whether persons living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) who are using anti-retroviral therapy (ART) are willing to accept the Coronavirus illness 2019 vaccination and the factors that influence their decision. Method From February 15 to March 15, 2022, 332 PLWHA on ART participated in this facility-based cross-sectional study. The correlation of outcome variables with predictors was investigated using binary and multivariable logistic regression. Result Of the 332 study participants, 110 (33.1 %) and 118 (35.5 %) had poor knowledge and a negative attitude toward the COVID-19 vaccination, respectively. Approximately 31 (9.3%) of study participants believe ART medications can also prevent COVID-19 infection. The willingness to receive the COVID-19 vaccine was 66.3 % with a 95 % confidence interval (60.9, 71.5). Knowledge, attitude, educational status, marital status, residency, duration, and monthly income were all significant predictors of willingness to receive COVID-19 vaccination. Conclusion Increased sensitization regarding the necessity of vaccines and the negative consequences of diseases, particularly among PLWHA, should be emphasized in the preparation of the COVID-19 immunization campaign involving prominent individuals such as health professionals and religious leaders.
Jul 2022 DOI 10.14302/issn.2324-7339.jcrhap-22-4204
Introduction Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is an element of the biomedical interventions of Human Immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevention. The level of protection is strongly correlated to PrEP drug adherence. In Nigeria, the prevalence of HIV among female sex workers (FSW) is 15.5%. The 2020 integrated biological and behavioral surveillance survey did not report on PrEP adherence among FSW. This study therefore assessed the level of adherence to PrEP and its predictors among FSW in South-Western Nigeria. Methodology This cross-sectional analytical study was conducted in 2021. Study population were brothel-based FSW at Gambari Ogbomoso and Lagos, Nigeria. A total of 156 FSW participated in the study. Data was collected using interviewer-administered semi-structured questionnaire and analyzed using IBM SPSS Version 25. Results One hundred and forty-nine properly completed questionnaires were analyzed. Ninety-nine respondents (66.4%) have been working for more than 5years as a FSW and 65(43.6%) had initiation of sex work before 18 years of age. Respondents’ sexual behavior showed that 55 (36.9%) of total respondents had consistent use of condom. One hundred and thirty-four respondents (89.9%) had good knowledge of PrEP, 97 (65.1%) had good attitude towards PrEP while 111 (74.5%) had good perception of risk of HIV infection. One hundred and thirty-two (88.6%) reported to be taking PrEP and 119 (79.9%) had good adherence to PrEP. Predictors of adherence to PrEP were educational status, age of commencement of sex work and monthly income. It was found that educated sex workers were 2.67 times more likely to adhere to PrEP (OR=2.67, 95% CI=1.280-5.591, p=0.019). Those who commenced sex work after clocking 18 years of age were 75% times less likely to adhere to PrEP (OR=0.251, 95% CI=0.106-0.597, p=0.001) while those with average monthly income more than #10,000 were 1.65 times more likely to adhere to PrEP (OR=1.65, 95% CI=0.674-4.042, p=0.0275. Discussion and Recommendation The level of adherence to PrEP is considerably high and underscores a positive effect of the efforts of the Government of Nigeria in controlling HIV as a threat by 2030. Further studies would be useful to understand the behavioral factors associated with low adherence to PrEP among FSW who have spent more than 5 years in sex work.
Nov 2021 DOI 10.14302/issn.2324-7339.jcrhap-21-4010
Background: HIV / AIDS affects all social strata and including female sex workers who are a particularly vulnerable group at risk of HIV infection. Objective To assess the risky sexual behavior of female sex workers in Bamako, Mali. Methods This is a quantitative cross-sectional analytical study conducted among 288 female sex workers in the city of Bamako, Mali. This study used a questionnaire to collect information from January to April 2021. Results Out of 288 sex workers, 41% came from neighboring countries (Burkina Faso, Cote d'Ivoire, Mauritania). More than half of the participants had started working as sex workers before the age of 20. More than half of sex workers do not always use a condom. About 32% of female sex workers had previously had anal sex, 20% had experienced group sex, and less than a quarter smoked or drank alcohol before sex. A significant relationship was found between the behavior or practice of sex workers with the following variables: ethnicity (P = 0.04); marital status (P = 0.01); monthly income (P = 0.001), age at first sexual intercourse (P = 0.03); the presence of STDs in the past (P = 0.02), knowledge of HIV status (P = 0.04) and nationality (P = 0.03). Conclusions This study highlights negative risk behaviors of sex workers such as not using condoms consistently, anal sex, alcohol, and smoking. It is therefore important to develop education actions to improve the knowledge, attitude, and practice of sex workers related to HIV/ AIDS in Mali.
Nov 2021 DOI 10.14302/issn.3070-3360.ijco-21-3995
Proceeding to hospital immediately stroke occurs is important for early intervention that would minimize the consequences of stroke. But most stroke patients in developing countries prefer herbal centers than hospital. Reasons for this attitude have not been established. Two well-trained assistants were used to interview 117 stroke survivors who attended Bebe Herbal Center (BHC) in Nigeria for at least two visits. The survivors self-reported their experiences in hospitals visited and at BHC. Data obtained were analyzed using Independent t-test, Pearson’s chi-squared test, on SPSS package version 23. Significant value was set at p<0.05. Results showed the survivors comprised 48.7% males and 51.3% females, with mean age 63.98±10.41 years (range: 40-84 years). Following onset of stroke, 61.5% went firstly to hospital, 21.4% to traditional healing places, and 17.1% to BHC. Eventually all survivors went to BHC and 99.1% said they were satisfied with treatment received at BHC. Seventy-nine (68.1%) said they experienced substantial recovery under one month, 25.9% between 1-6 months. All the survivors who went firstly to hospitals said they received inadequate care in them. None of the hospitals they visited had CT or MRI equipment. Pearson’s chi-squared test showed that the impact of stroke had a significant difference between males and females regarding checking of blood pressure after stroke (χ2=7.62; df=3; P<0.05). The inadequate care received in hospitals and the early satisfactory recovery in BHC influence stroke patients in Nigeria to reject going to hospital.
Aug 2021 DOI 10.14302/issn.2641-4538.jphi-21-3927
While Guatemala has made great strides towards gender equality, it remains a country with vast disparities. Gender sensitization and empowerment programs during adolescence when gender attitudes are formed have the potential to diminish gender inequities. The Girl Rising Pilot Program (GR) is a 24-week curriculum designed for adolescent girls living in the Sololá region where 95% of the total population is indigenous and Mayan. The present pilot study evaluated outcomes of the GR Guatemala pilot program. Specifically, the evaluation examined whether there were differences between baseline and follow-up on perceptions of gender equity, aspirations, and communication for adolescent girls who participated in the GR program. A quasi-experimental study design with a one group pre- and post-test was implemented. The pilot evaluation study included all 265 participants at baseline who participated in the GR program. after controlling for significant variables, it was found that the gender equitable attitudes score and communications scale still significantly increased between baseline and follow-up. The results of this evaluation prove that gender sensitization programs play a key role in forming and changing gender attitudes during adolescence, and have the potential to alter their short and long-term attitudes and beliefs.
Mar 2021 DOI 10.14302/issn.2474-3585.jpmc-20-3557
Background Breast cancer is one of the most common types of cancer affecting women globally. It has shown increasing morbidity and mortality rates over the past years. Several screening methods ranging from simple breast self-examination to a highly sensitive test procedures for early detection and treatment are available, but uptake is a challenge. Lack of a national screening programme in the country makes available regional screening programme unsuccessful. This study aims to assess the factors affecting the uptake of breast cancer screening programme among female staff in a tertiary hospital, Southwest Nigeria. Method This descriptive cross-sectional study involves 375 participants selected by a stratified random sampling technique, with proportional allocation to population size and the use of a semi-structured questionnaire. Respondents were questioned on their basic knowledge of breast cancer symptoms, risk factors and treatment, over a score of 50 and above, were set as the cut-off mark to determine good knowledge of breast cancer. Patients attitudes towards breast cancer screening as well as factors affecting uptake were also measured. Descriptive statistical analysis was done using SPSS-20 while the predictors of the uptake of screening were determined using logistic regression at p ≤ 0.05. Results There were 360 respondents, comprising of 13.3% clinical and 86.7% non-clinical female staff within the age bracket of 20 to 58 years (38.2±0.42 years). Out of the respondents, 97.8% have heard about breast cancer but only 52.3% had been screened while 65.5% had “Good knowledge” of breast cancer. Positive attitude to breast cancer screening was displayed in 52.5% while over 90% claimed to be practicing breast self-examination. Only 36.1% of respondents above 40 years old have had mammography done. Most frequent barriers to screening uptake include cost, poor accessibility to screening facilities, shyness (unfamiliar screener), unavailability of female doctors, careless attitude, fear of cancer and other more pressing family problems. Using logistic Regression at p ≤ 0.05, females with a negative attitude, young unmarried (less than 30years) and lack of easy accessibility to screening facilities were significant factors affecting uptake of breast cancer screening services. Conclusion Due to knowledge-uptake gap of breast cancer screening revealed in this study. It is therefore obvious from these findings that a concerted effort is needed to actively remove these barriers by repeated education, training and re-training strategies among health workers and to improve their uptake and level of advocacy and campaign for breast cancer screening among their patients and clients.
Feb 2021
Introduction Risk reduction intervention is meant to provide enhanced and desirable interventions for HIV prevention among adolescents especially the in-school. Adolescents have been identified as the most vulnerable groups that can easily acquire human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Therefore, adolescents are the appropriate target for HIV prevention efforts. Most interventions for adolescents focus on providing AIDS-related education with the assumption that improving knowledge would enable adolescents to protect themselves from sexually transmitted infections. Numerous studies have shown that using class-room education alone is insufficient in reducing adolescents’ risky sexual behaviours. Therefore, this study used role-plays and peer facilitation for the study. Materials and Method The study used role-play and peer facilitation for the intervention strategy. The theme of the role-play was ‘My Future is My Choice’ (MFMC) intervention which was aimed to reduce HIV risk behaviours among sexually inexperienced adolescents. The role-play was carried out by 4 peer leaders who were trained in the theoretical framework of role-plays and peer facilitation by a consultant. With mastery and experience they carried out the role play in a regular classroom section for over 3 class periods, co-facilitated with the assistance of a volunteer teacher. A unique feature of this intervention was the dual focus on strategies that influenced both individual risk factors (i.e., attitudes, behavioural skills) and social environments (e.g., peer resources). A school was chosen by simple random sampling for the intervention. In the school chosen, a total sample of 65 students in senior secondary classes 2&3 ( SS2&3) were included in the study. These were the students considered to be sexually active who can respond to the questions in the questionnaire. Self-administered pre-and post-questionnaire were completed by the students. The results were analysed using frequency tables, descriptive and inferential statistics. Results The students studied were between the ages of 13-18 years. There was evidence that the role play ‘My Future is My Choice’ (MFMC) intervention created positive effects on reduction of HIV risk behaviours among the sexually inexperienced participants aged 13–18. Perceptions on methods of preventing risk reduction behaviours were also positively impacted by the intervention as 12(18.5%) and 34(52.3 %) of the respondents realized after post- intervention that having sex with someone outside marriage and being transfused with infected blood respectively Will constitute risk to HIV infection. Conclusion The role play which used the theme ‘My Future is My Choice’ (MFMC) intervention provided safer choices for reducing one or more measures of sexual risk behaviours among the sexual inexperienced respondents. It created the opportunity for the students to recognize that engaging in unprotected sex constitutes high risk for HIV, other sexually transmitted infections and pregnancy.
Nov 2020 DOI 10.14302/issn.2379-7835.ijn-20-3606
Background Nutritional status of adolescent girls is very crucial for their health and has a great impact on the quality of the next generation. The present study aimed to investigate the nutritional status and nutrition-related knowledge among urban adolescent girls in Bangladesh. Methods A cross-sectional study involving a total 500 of adolescent girls (aged 10-19) from four schools and colleges in Dhaka city. Socio-demographic, anthropometric and nutrition-related information was collected by semi-structured questionnaires. In addition, 24 hours food recall and food frequency questionnaire was used to assess the dietary intake. Results The ages of the early adolescent and late adolescent girls yrs (Mean ± SD) were 12±1 and 17±1 respectively. The mean (±SD) BMI of the early adolescent and late adolescent was 21.12±0.32 and 22.10±3.89 correspondingly. Among the early adolescent girls, the nutritional knowledge score was about 62% (moderate), 87% had a positive attitude and 72% had good practices in their daily lives. Whereas among the late adolescent girls, the nutritional knowledge score was about 57% (moderate), 90% showed a positive attitude and 61% had good practices. Among the subject, the average calorie intake was 1491 kcal, which was 24% lower than RDA. The Carbohydrate intake was lower than the RDA but the protein and fat intake was higher than the RDA. Conclusions The dietary intake of adolescent girls was found inadequate. Nutrition education and strong motivation can create positive changes in dietary intake. To understand the real phenomena of dietary intake of adolescent girls, further study is necessary to conduct with a large sample size.
Oct 2020 DOI 10.14302/issn.2379-7835.ijn-20-3610
Aim To assess the sanitation and hygienic practices of women and its effects on the nutritional status of the mother and preschool children of the Lodha tribal community in two districts of West Bengal. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted during November, 2014 - December, 2018 of 941 Lodha mothers and 1043 of their preschool children in Paschim Medinipur and Jhargram districts. All information was collected by using KAP questionnaire following interview and group discussion. Mother nutritional status was assessed based on body mass index (BMI) and mid upper arm circumference (MUAC). A child was classified as underweight, stunting and wasting as weight-for-age, height-for-age and weight-of -height Z-score below -2 standard deviation of WHO standard. Results This study found 35% of the households used safe drinking water. Almost 97.2% of the mother had the low hand wash score and about 67.1% of them had an average WaSH score. Overall, 41.6% and 1.6% mothers were suffered from undernutrition (BMI <18.5 kg/m2) and overweight/obesity (BMI≥25kg/m2). Whereas, 48.9% women were undernourished based on MUAC<22.0cm. Moreover, the overall prevalence of wasting, stunting and underweight of preschool children was 31.9%, 62.1% and 61.3%, respectively. The WaSH score of family was significantly associated with child stunted and underweight. Conclusion There is a good association between poor household WaSH practices with child undernutrition and morbidity. Hence, there is an urgent need to develop the comprehensive knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) guidelines in their language to educate them about appropriate water storage, retrieval methods, sanitation and hand washing practices.
Aug 2020 DOI 10.14302/issn.2381-862X.jwrh-20-3444
Background In Ethiopia, the levels of maternal and infant morbidity and mortality are among the highest in the world. This is attributed to, among other factors, none use of modern health care services by women. According to the 2011 Ethiopian Demographic Health Survey, more than seven in ten mothers did not receive antenatal care at all. Objectives The objective of this study was to determine level and identify factors influencing maternal antenatal care services utilization among mothers who gave birth in the last twelve months in Gelemso town west Hararghe Oromia, Ethiopia. Methods A community-based cross sectional study design was conducted on 347 study participants in Gelemso town west Hararghe Oromia Ethiopia from July 15, 2017 to August 15, 2017 G.C.A probability to proportional to size sampling technique was used to select the study population in two urban Kebeles. Data were collected using a pre tested structured questionairs. Descriptive results were presented using frequencies, and numerical summary measures. Bivariate analysis was carried out to assess the association between outcome variable and each in dependent variables. Odds ratio with 95% confidence level was estimated to identify factors associated with Antenatal Care (ANC) utilization using multivariable logistic regression. The statistical significance was declared at p- value < 0.05. Result The response rate this study was 98%. The prevalence of antenatal care service utilization was 64.6%. About 146 (42.1%) of the pregnant mother started antenatal care visit during the second trimester of pregnancy and a significant proportion 289(83.3%) had less than the recommended four visits. Educational status (AOR;15.19:CI 95%,6.006,38.417), husband attitude (AOR;1.995:CI 95%,1.016,3.916), marital status(AOR:4.587:CI 95%,1.888,11.146), planned pregnancy (AOR:4.938:CI 95%,2.514,9.702) were major factors associated with antenatal care service utilization. Conclusion Though more than half mother used antenatal care service in the study setting, two in ten of the mothers did not have the minimum number of visits recommended by World Health Organization. Promotion of information, education and communication in the community should be strengthened is to sustain antenatal care service utilization in the community.
Apr 2020 DOI 10.14302/issn.2641-4538.jphi-20-3296
Preventable factors such as infectious diseases (pneumonia, diarrhea, and malaria), malnutrition and neonatal complications are still the leading cause of child mortality worldwide 1 In 2013, it is estimated that 6.3 million babies born worldwide died before the age of 5, and approximately 9.2% of these deaths were due to diarrheal diseases 23 in simple, accessible ways, and effective treatment can reduce diarrhea-related mortality and make hospital admissions unnecessary, and the role of mothers is the most important 4. Since the presentation of Oral Rehydration Therapy (ORT) in 1979, mortality has reduced. Diarrhea has had a steady downward trend 5. If mothers who have children under 5 years of age, used correctly ORS, they could easily resolve the problem of dehydration in acute diarrhea 6. Mothers didn’t use correctly ORS because of their Low literacy and lack of knowledge and wrong attitude about ORT7. Some health care workers provide mothers’ required equipments, regardless of their educational needs, and mothers may not use ORS. In this study, health workers identified mothers' educational needs and subsequently they trained them about using ORS at home in acute diarrhea in children under 5 years of age.
Feb 2020 DOI 10.14302/issn.2379-7835.ijn-20-3199
The need to understand the relation of man to food, determines the existence of appropriate behavior as well as an attitude in accordance with the modalities that determine human development and evolution, under this structural aspect. A proper diet is the one that provides the amount of nutrients corresponding to personal needs. The food pyramid is the scheme we refer to most in order to know the proportions of foods recommended for consumption. It is a pyramid divided into "layers", each corresponding to a category of foods and the respective quantity.
Sep 2019 DOI 10.14302/issn.2641-4538.jphi-19-2995
Despite the gains India has made in recent decades, it remains a country with vast gender inequities. Gender sensitization and empowerment programs aimed at young people, precisely at the time when they are forming their gender attitudes, has the potential to diminish gender inequity in the long-term. This study represents data from 36 qualitative in-depth interviews conducted amongst adolescent boys and girls enrolled in grade 7 in northern India, in schools that serve under-resourced communities. The interviews asked questions related to positive youth development, gender roles, violence, and locus of control. The results of the qualitative analysis provide insights into how adolescents perceive gender discrimination in their families and communnites. The majority of expectations for boys revolved around physical labor, while, for girls, gender roles were primarily focused on stopping education early to get married and take care of the household and children. Many of the responses from both boys and girls on privileges/restrictions were related to daughters not being fully educated while sons often were. Furthermore, when comparing between boys and girls (attributes) and understanding superiority, many participants noted there is a clear preference of boys compared to girls. Girls also had higher proportion of violence codes compared to boys, perhaps because many girls felt they were hit more frequently than boys. The results of this qualitative analysis provide direction for both future research as well as the development of gender sensitization interventions specifically designed for adolescents.
Jul 2019 DOI 10.14302/issn.2997-2108.jcc-19-2889
Background This study aim to assess the factors affecting uptake of cervical cancer screening programmes among female staff of the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan in 2014. Method A descriptive cross-sectional study involving 375 participants selected using a stratified random sampling technique with proportional allocation to population size and interviewed using a pre-tested self-administered semi-structured questionnaire. Information on their basic knowledge on cervical cancer were scored to determine good knowledge. Patients’ attitudes toward cervical cancer screening as well as factors affecting uptake were also assessed. Data analysis was done in 2014 using descriptive statistics while screening uptake predictors were determined using logistic regression at p ≤0.05. Results Completed questionnaires were returned by 360 respondents; 13.3% were clinical while 86.7% were non-clinical staff of age range 20 to 58 years (38.2±0.42 years). Majority of the respondents, (95.5%), had heard about cervical cancer with 61.9% having “good knowledge”, but only few (34.2%) had been screened. Averagely, 47.5% displayed positive attitude to cervical cancer screening with Pap smear being the most reported screening procedure. The common barriers to screening uptaking include indecision, inadequate information and feeling of good health. Others were staff hostility, lack of privacy, and cost. Using logistic Regression at p ≤0.05, females with negative attitude and those with children were less likely to uptake cervical cancer screening services. Conclusion The knowledge-uptake gaps of cervical cancer screenings were high as revealed in this study. Therefore, there is a need to further educate eligible women on uptake of cervical cancer screening.
May 2019 DOI 10.14302/issn.2644-0105.jbfb-19-2752
The proportion of mothers in the workforce has increased over the past 40 years. Examination of factors associated with a working/student mother’s milk expression is needed to provide effective lactation support. The purpose of this study was to examine the role of maternal assets in the relationships between the theory constructs, intention, and behavior of breast milk expression. Using a cross-sectional design framed under the theory of planned behavior, all female personnel associated with a higher education institute in northern New Jersey were invited to participate in the online survey, Milk Expression on Campus. Attitude toward breast milk expression, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control, intention, and behavior of breast milk expression on campus as well as maternal assets such as income, education, living status, and campus role were measured. Maternal assets had no moderation role but showed a significant and meaningful mediation effect on the relationship between perceived behavioral control and the intention to express breast milk on campus, with effect size R2=3.59%, 95% CI (-.1061, -.0047). There was no mediation effect of the asset on the relationship between intention and the behavior of breast milk expression, 95% CI (-.0984, .0232). Future breastfeeding support and promotion may direct its attention to provide systematic social and clinical support to enhance working/student maternal assets, e.g. family education, access to lactation services, or peer-based support programs, thereby helping mothers achieve their breastfeeding goals.
Feb 2019 DOI 10.14302/issn.2643-6655.jcap-18-2570
Self-determination is a key concept to promote greater self-awareness in the subjects with disability, to build appropriate educational or professional projects and to evaluate the already active programs. Using PRISMA checklist, I selected articles from different databases (CINAHL, Medline, Psych INFO, Cochrane Library, ERIC, Scholar. The 9 evaluation measures identified are analyzed with respect to: choice of the points of view to be collected, domains, items and data collection methods. The results show that while some scales focus on autonomy, empowerment, self-realisation and self-regulation and others focus on knowledge, skills and abilities, attitudes and beliefs. Two instruments added also: opportunities and support. With respect to the choice of the points of view to be collected: in some cases the student’s opinion is collected but in other cases their point of view is integrated or replaced with that of teachers and parents. Only one tool is designed for all children and starts from the belief that self-determination is important for all people, including those with a disability. A third element of the analysis is the possibility of answering the questions posed by the various evaluation tools. A typical form is Likert scale while in other cases open questions are used. The analysis highlights two critical issues. The variety of definitions of self-determination is inevitably reflected in the choice of domains and items and therefore self-determination is only partially investigated. Secondly the opinion and people with disabilities are sometimes completed or replaced by that of third persons as parents and teachers. Starting from the analysis of existing instruments. the article closes with a reflection on the possibility of constructing a scale that considers all the aspects of self-determination offered in the literature (at the individual and environmental level) and collects the opinion of all the subjects involved in self-determination projects. This synthesis represents a first step in the construction of a possible universal scale starting from the analysis of the literature. A comparison would then be necessary with the students with intellectual disabilities, the family members and the other actors involved to understand which domains are really meaningful to them and to build indicators that correspond to the elements that are important to them. In this way we would have a tool capable of combining the point of view of literature with that of the people directly involved.
Nov 2018 DOI 10.14302/issn.2474-3585.jpmc-18-2359
Objective: This study aimed to assess the knowledge and attitude levels of pediatricians in terms of the pertussis vaccine. Materials and Methods: A survey study was carried out to evaluate the knowledge and attitude levels of pediatricians working in Istanbul in terms of the pertussis vaccine between May 1, 2015 and July 1, 2015. Results: A total of 104 pediatricians who comprised of 53 male and 51 female physicians, participated in this study. It was found that 35.6% of them at low-level, 51% at middle-level and 13.5% at a high-level of knowledge. The knowledge-level scores of the pediatricians who had children were significantly higher than those of pediatricians who had not a child on pertussis vaccine. Moreover, the knowledge-level scores of the specialist doctors in terms of the pertussis vaccine were significantly higher than those of the assistant doctors. It was significant that pediatricians who had children suffering from chronic diseases had greater knowledge-level scores in terms of the pertussis vaccine than those who had children without any disease. Conclusion: The knowledge and awareness of physicians in terms of the pertussis vaccine should be increased with in-service trainings, as the surveyors presented an insufficient knowledge level.
Aug 2018 DOI 10.14302/issn.2577-2279.ijha-18-2221
Background: Faculty of Medicine and Health sciences at University of Kassala, Sudan was established 1990. It adopts the traditional curricula, which implemented in preclinical (basic sciences) and clinical phases. This study was held to explore students' perception and attitudes towards the basic sciences. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted during April- August 2017 among 251 medical students. Self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data. It was collected and analyzed using SPSS 16.0. Results: A total of 251 of participants in different phases of education in faculty of medicine and health sciences were included in the study; preclinical 116 (46.2%), 113 clinical (45.0%), and 22 (8.8%) were in internship. 95 (37.8 %) were males and 156 (62.2%) were females. The study revealed that physiology was the most preferable subject. Students' satisfaction to syllabus for anatomy, physiology and biochemistry was 61.4%, 43%, and 28.7% respectively. However, 46.6% of students spent a long time to understand biochemistry and 33.1% considered it as overloaded syllabus. Participants showed poor ability to link between theoretical and practical work in case of biochemistry (26.7%), where as anatomy and physiology were represented by 76.9% and 42.2% respectively. Less than half of students were able to integrate the subjects of basic sciences and basic with clinical sciences. Conclusion: In this study, the students determined the difficulties of recalling of information, poor integration between basic and clinical sciences and even integration within the subject. Development of integrated curriculum is necessary to improve the quality of education.
Jun 2017 DOI 10.14302/issn.3070-5835.jcpn-17-1580
Objective. To describe the attitudes and behavior of registered nurses in their professional interaction toward unlicensed assistive personnel (UAPs) and to identify areas to develop policy for an effective nursing development and workforce planning. Background: One of the challenges health care systems have been addressing is the integration of the UAPs into the nursing care delivery systems. Study Design: Aphenomenological study involving registered nurses, staff and managerial positions. Data were collected using an in-depth semi-structured interview. Findings: Nurses report an increased task management workload which may lead to a decline in the quality of nursing care. Structural factors that are related to nurses and to UAPs were mentioned as affecting the quality of their professional and collaborative interaction. Conclusions: Training nurses to work with UAPs while developing their communication and managerial skills may improve the quality of care and increase their level of satisfaction.
Mar 2017 DOI 10.14302/issn.2474-7785.jarh-17-1461
Given the aging of the population, an increase in the number of persons in need of long-term care and end-of-life care can be expected in the coming years. The scientific literature underlines the lack of end-of-life care for elderly people in long-term care centres. The aim of this study is to explore needs in terms of new knowledge and research on end-of-life care for elderly persons in long-term care settings, from the perspective not only of the scientific and international community, but also of Quebec professionals concerned by the issue. An online survey using the LimeSurvey® tool was conducted in 2015 among health professionals involved in end-of-life care for elderly persons in long-term care settings in Quebec. 208 professionals rated the priority of new knowledge and research needs related to 1) health professionals; 2) delivery and quality of care; 3) residents and their loved ones; and 4) organization and management of care. The results show that the statements collected in scientific literature resonate with health professionals. The most important need is to identify the symptoms of distress in residents in the final stages of their lives, as well as their causes and treatments. This study also shows professionals’ concerns about attitudes, beliefs, and values of practitioners and the related impacts on end-of-life care in long-term care settings. This study shows that there is a significant need for new knowledge and research. It revealed that there are few studies on end-of-life care for elderly persons in long-term care settings and that there is much more to be discovered in this field.
Mar 2017 DOI 10.14302/issn.2474-3585.jpmc-16-1161
There Is A Gap Between What We Know And What We Do, Such As Knowing What We Should Eat And What We Actually Eat, A So-Called “Attitude/Behavior Gap”. It Is Not Necessary To Go From A Change In Attitude To A Change In Behavior. It Is Possible To Do The Opposite; In Other Words, It Is Possible To Go From A Change In Behavior To A Change In Attitude. The Objective Of This Paper Is To Describe And Explain The Concept Of Dietary Advice On Prescription (DAP) And Present The Reasons And Evidences For The DAP Messages. Dietary Advice On Prescription (DAP) Starts With Discussing Behaviors Related To Dietary Habits And Then Goes From Behaviors Towards Attitudes. DAP Is A Theory-Based Pedagogical Model That Deals With Behaviors Related To Why, How And When We Eat, Rather Then What We Eat. The DAP Model Is A Method That Quickly Leads The Client Onto A Track That Yields Autonomy, Respects The Client’s Integrity, Gives Confirmation, Emphasizes The Delight And Pleasure Of Eating, Stimulates Discussions And Gives The Client The Initiative In These Discussions. In A Clinical Situation, The Counsellor Lays Out The DAP Postcards On A Table And The Client Picks One Card (Or Several) That Feels Relevant And Interesting For The Client To Discuss. Together They Make An Agenda For The Discussion Such As, For Instance, In What Order To Discuss The DAP Postcards. The Counsellor Asks In An Open Manner With A Motivational Interview (MI) Spirit Why The Client Has Chosen The Particular Card(S). The Client Explains, Elaborates, Turns And Twist About The Choices He/She Has Made. The Results Of The First Published Qualitative Study Of This Two-Year Randomized Controlled Trial Demonstrate That The Participants Found The Concept Valuable.
Nov 2016 DOI 10.14302/issn.2474-7785.jarh-16-1274
Ageing whilst an inevitable process in the human being, does not have to be marked by progressive decline and social withdrawal. `Ageism’ can generate a number of negative and at times destructive perspectives, labelling the elderly and possibly encouraging them to reflect the attitudes and behaviour of the label. This discussion paper addresses concerns about the `demographic time-bomb’ in some advanced economies from a sociological and policy perspective; exploring briefly functional, critical and social action theory. The paper concludes by suggesting that social perspective significantly translate to social behaviour and interaction with and by the elderly. Many of the ageist preconceptions are not necessarily supported by research, and that advancing age should be marked by empowerment, participation, choice and more effective social integration or reintegration. Importantly, the ageing process and perspectives on ageing need to be addressed, both politically and structurally within societies.
Jul 2016 DOI 10.14302/issn.2474-3585.jpmc-16-1112
Background: Mental health promotion depends to a large extent on the gathering of accurate baseline opinion data from a targeted population. Aim: The aim of this paper is to explore the potential applications of a new method of measuring true attitudes toward mental illness, and of monitoring and evaluating subsequent public health interventions. Method: This paper reviews the strengths and limitations of a novel survey method, RIWI, its early findings, and its potential applications in the field of mental health promotion. Comparisons are made to other commonly used survey methods through entering pertinent search terms into the Google Scholar™ database. Findings: The RIWI online survey method has several advantages over earlier survey methods: it is random, quick, anonymous, and reaches very large samples. Questionnaires are easily translatable and can be repeated, with excellent test-retest reliability. Anonymity reduces social desirability bias. The limitations are: a) variable completion rate, which carries the upside of allowing regional comparisons, and b) the reality that the respondent pool reflects regional Internet usage, often biased toward young literate males. Conclusions: A survey method that is able to quickly and repeatedly sample large numbers of random individuals is an important advance for health promotion in that interventions can be timely and their efficacy can be rapidly evaluated.
Feb 2016 DOI 10.14302/issn.2379-8572.joa-15-816
Background: Healthcare policies play an important role in the change of patient behaviours. Objective: Our objective with this study is to examine the patient behaviours and attitudes that have emerged following the changes in healthcare practices in Turkey. Study Design: prospective cross-sectional clinical inventory study Setting: Tertiary referral center Methods: This study was carried out in Istanbul. The study was conducted on patients who were operated at the ENT clinics. 413 patients from the Bezmialem Vakıf University, Hospital and 361 patients from the Marmara University Hospital were included in the study. Results: 320 of the patients included in the study were female with an average age of 38.12. The patients presented to 2.85 different hospitals before undergoing surgery, they were examined by 3.02 different ENT specialists before undergoing surgery and it took the patients 218.40 days to decide that they would undergo surgery. The period of time that elapsed before an appointment was scheduled for patients who decided to undergo surgery was 58.43 days. Conclusion: Considering that it is a necessity to have the opinion from a second physician for the patients to be operated, what should be the approach towards the patients who would like the opinions of a third and a fourth physician? Such patient behaviour is a pattern that has emerged on account of healthcare system changes.
Jan 2016 DOI 10.14302/issn.2324-7339.jcrhap-13-180
Perception of Human Immunodeficiency Virus has been topical due to its central place in determining attitudes and care for people living with HIV/AIDS and having implications for the containment of the epidemic. People living with HIV/AIDS face social stigmatization due partly to misconception in the perception of the disease and people living with it and students are not left out in this stigmatization and discrimination. This study aimed at exploring the perception of HIV/AIDS by the students of Obafemi Awolowo University. The study utilized quantitative methodology –questionnaires to elicit information from 160 students on their perception of the disease. The sampling technique was quota sampling technique in which 40 students were randomly selected from each hostel out of the 4 selected hostels. The findings were that majority of the respondents view the disease and people living with it negatively (53.9) and dangerous (30.9) and 66.4 percent of the respondents did not see themselves being vualnerable to contracting the virus. The result further showed a significant association between knowledge and perception of the disease. It was also revealed that there was no significant relationship between perception of the disease and socio-economic status of students. This negative perception has serious implications for students living with HIV/AIDS in the University. In conclusion, the negative students’ perception of the disease and people living with it has serious implications for the containment of the epidemic in that people living with HIV/AIDS would hide their sero-positive status to avoid stigma and would in turn infect others. There is therefore need for intervention to change student perception to positive in the university.
Feb 2014 DOI 10.14302/issn.2374-9431.jbd-13-312
Objective: This study assessed the baseline knowledge, perceptions, attitudes and behaviors of prediabetes patients in order to tailor a new technology-enhanced primary care-based lifestyle modification intervention. Methods: Patients with a diagnosis of prediabetes were enrolled in a randomized, controlled pilot study, Avoiding Diabetes Thru Action Plan Targeting (ADAPT), a technology-based intervention to promote action plan discussions around patient-selected behavior change goals. Results: A total of 54 adults (82% female) were enrolled in the pilot study. Most (89%) had comorbid conditions and mean BMI was 36. Participants exhibited significant levels of diabetes risk knowledge and diabetes risk perception, as well as high levels of willingness to make changes to decrease diabetes risk. Number of daily steps was inversely correlated with perceived physical activity (r=-0.35082, p<0.001). Poorer scores on diet quality were inversely correlated with BMI. Conclusion: Participants in this sample demonstrated requisite levels of knowledge, self-efficacy, motivation and risk perception for effective behavior change. These data suggest that primary care-based prediabetes interventions can move beyond educational goals and focus on enhancing patients’ ability to select, plan and enact action plans.
Nov 2013 DOI 10.14302/issn.2324-7339.jcrhap-13-200
Various sporting activities are being used as vehicles for HIV/AIDS education and prevention within the field of sport-for-development (SFD). Kicking AIDS Out! is one SFD program that aims to promote protective attitudes regarding HIV/AIDS amongst youth. This study explored organizers’ perspectives of the use of sporting activities in the Kicking AIDS Out! program in Trinidad and Tobago. Qualitative case study methodology was used to examine the case. Data was generated through semi-structured interviews with seven organizers who were Kicking AIDS Out! staff or volunteer members. Thematic analysis guided data analysis. Generated themes include: Sport to Draw, There’s Something for Everyone, the Emotional Wow, and Beyond Sports. These themes illuminate the idea that sport captivates and attracts youth, and illustrate the use of sport activities to promote engagement in the program as they are tailored to the skills and interests of youth. Sport activities may challenge values and beliefs regarding HIV/AIDS and may promote engagement in new roles, such as those as advocate or caregiver for individuals with HIV/AIDS, and engagement in healthy lifestyle behaviours, such as safe sexual encounters. The findings of this study offer an opportunity for HIV/AIDS prevention programs to consider their use of sporting activities in a manner that achieves these SFD characteristics.