Abstract
BackgroundStudents seeking degrees in healthcare in Ecuador participate in community improvement projects and provide free health services under the supervision of faculty health professionals. The aim of this study is to determine the impact of a community-based intervention delivered by nursing students on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and perceived social support of a rural population in Ecuador.MethodsA quasi-experimental non-equivalent control group design study was conducted in two rural communities in Tumbaco, Ecuador. Families from one rural community were invited to participate in the intervention, receiving 8 weekly home visits from nursing students. Families from a neighboring community were similarly recruited as wait-list controls. One member of each family was consented into the study; the final sample included 43 intervention participants and 55 control participants. HRQoL and perceived social support were assessed before and after the intervention in both groups. The SF-12 was used to measure HRQoL, including eight domain scores and two composite scores, and the Interpersonal Support Evaluation List was used as an indicator of perceived social support. Difference-in-differences (DD) analyses were conducted to mitigate the effects of any baseline differences in the non- equivalent control group design.ResultsWhen compared to the control group, the intervention group realized significant improvements in the physical component summary score of the SF-12 (4.20, p < 0.05) and the physical function domain of the SF-12 (4.92, p < 0.05). There were no statistically significant differences for any other components of the SF-12 or in the measure of perceived social support.ConclusionsNursing students completing their rural service rotation have the potential to improve the health-related quality of life of rural residents in Ecuador. Future research should continue to examine the impact of service-based learning on recipient populations.
Highlights
Students seeking degrees in healthcare in Ecuador participate in community improvement projects and provide free health services under the supervision of faculty health professionals
36% of Ecuadorians live in rural areas, and nearly 35% of rural households live below the national poverty line [1]
Students seeking degrees in healthcare in Ecuador participate in community improvement projects and provide free health services under the supervision of faculty health professionals, conforming to the standards under Ley Orgánica de Educación Superior (LOES) and to Ecuador’s National Plan for Wellbeing (Plan Nacional del Buen Vivir) [7]
Summary
Students seeking degrees in healthcare in Ecuador participate in community improvement projects and provide free health services under the supervision of faculty health professionals. The aim of this study is to determine the impact of a community-based intervention delivered by nursing students on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and perceived social support of a rural population in Ecuador. 36% of Ecuadorians live in rural areas, and nearly 35% of rural households live below the national poverty line (compared to only 16% of urban households) [1]. It is estimated that 27% of all Ecuadorians do not have access to health services [3]. The unequal distribution of these social determinants of health is further exacerbated by an unequal distribution of health care providers. Ecuador reports approximately 20 physicians, 10 nurses, and 3 dentists per 10,000 Ecuadorians [4]; but the geographic disparity in number of physicians ranges from less than five to over 26 per 10,000 Ecuadorians [2]
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