Awareness Of Health-related Issues Research Articles

Precursor Quantitation Methods for Next Generation Food Production.

Food is essential for human survival. Nowadays, traditional agriculture faces challenges in balancing the need of sustainable environmental development and the rising food demand caused by an increasing population. In addition, in the emerging of consumers’ awareness of health related issues bring a growing trend towards novel nature-based food additives. Synthetic biology, using engineered microbial cell factories for production of various molecules, shows great advantages for generating food alternatives and additives, which not only relieve the pressure laid on tradition agriculture, but also create a new stage in healthy and sustainable food supplement. The biosynthesis of food components (protein, fats, carbohydrates or vitamins) in engineered microbial cells often involves cellular central metabolic pathways, where common precursors are processed into different proteins and products. Quantitation of the precursors provides information of the metabolic flux and intracellular metabolic state, giving guidance for precise pathway engineering. In this review, we summarized the quantitation methods for most cellular biosynthetic precursors, including energy molecules and co-factors involved in redox-reactions. It will also be useful for studies worked on pathway engineering of other microbial-derived metabolites. Finally, advantages and limitations of each method are discussed.

Analysis of Keywords Used in Internet Searches for Melanoma Information: Observational Study.

The internet is an accessible resource for health care information and is often used by patients to learn about melanoma. The keywords that are used in internet searches can reflect internet users' interest in specific topics and the public's awareness of health-related issues. This study aims to describe the most frequently used keywords, questions, and corresponding websites in internet searches for melanoma. This is an observational study using data retrieved from Google Trends, Alexa Internet, SEMrush, Ahrefs, and SE Ranking for the keywords "melanoma" and "skin cancer." Average search interest as per Google Trends was greater for the keyword "skin cancer" than for the keyword "melanoma." Searches for the top 25 keywords in 3 databases resulted in 34 unique melanoma keywords and 33 unique skin cancer keywords. Melanoma keywords were most frequently related to clinicopathologic classification (n=11, 32%), and skin cancer keywords were most frequently about diagnosis (n=14, 42%). Questions about the prognosis of melanoma appeared most frequently among the most popular melanoma questions, but general questions or questions about the diagnosis of melanoma contributed the greatest proportion of searches by search volume. Skin cancer question searches were most commonly about diagnosis. The highest proportion of searches for popular melanoma and skin cancer keywords most frequently sent traffic to websites from nonprofit organizations and media companies, respectively. We identified common keywords, questions, and websites used to access information about melanoma on the internet. These data may help health care providers and public health professionals when educating and counseling patients and the public about skin cancer.

Improving quality by involving patient. The role of health literacy in influencing patients’ behaviors

ABSTRACT Health services’ quality relies on patients’ participation in the design and delivery of care. Inter alia, self-efficacy and awareness are paramount to realize the full potential of health services’ co-production. This paper investigates the effects of health literacy – i.e. the ability to access, understand, process, and use health information – on individual self-efficacy perceptions and awareness. A random sample of 591 Italian patients was built. The Newest Vital Sign (NVS) screening tool was used to measure individual health literacy skills; moreover, a self-reporting survey was designed to assess: (1) self-efficacy perceptions; (2) awareness; and (3) health services’ use. A multivariate regression model was used to investigate the relationship between these variables. Limited health literacy was found to be prevailing. The lower the respondents’ health literacy skills, the poorer their self-efficacy perceptions and the smaller their awareness of health-related issues. Inadequate health literacy triggered lower patient involvement and greater risks of inappropriate access to care. Inadequate health literacy performs as a barrier to health services’ co-production. Therefore, a special health literacy concern should be attached to health policies aimed at promoting patient involvement.

A recipe for excellence in health care: investigating the relationship between health literacy, self-efficacy, awareness, and health services’ use

Purpose of the paper: Health services’ quality relies on the patients’ ability to participate in the provision of care as co-creators of value. Among others, individual health literacy - i.e. the ability to access, understand, process and use health information for the purposes of health protection and promotion - is crucial to realize the full potential of patient involvement. This paper investigates the consequences of inadequate individual health literacy on self-efficacy perception and awareness of health-related issues, which are expected to affect the process of patient empowerment. Methodology: A sample of 438 Italian patients was built. The Newest Vital Sign (NVS) was used to assess individual health literacy skills. A self-reporting survey was administered to assess the patients’ self-efficacy, awareness of health-related issues and health services’ use. Also, socio-demographic variables were collected to investigate the correlates of limited health literacy. Findings: Problematic health literacy was prevailing. The lower the health literacy skills, the poorer the individual self-efficacy and the lower the awareness of health-related issues. Interestingly, inadequate health literacy was associated with increased access to emergency care and hospital services. Practical implications: Inadequate health literacy is likely to prevent patient empowerment. Actually, it performs as a barrier to patient involvement in the provision of care. Policy makers should attach a specific health literacy concern to health policies intended to promote patient participation in the provision of care. Besides, health care providers should arrange and implement tailored health literacy promotion initiatives, in an attempt to realize the full potential of patient empowerment and improve the quality of care. Originality of the paper: Although health literacy is a well-established topic, evidence on the consequences of limited health literacy on health behaviors is still inconsistent. This paper contributes in advancing scientific knowledge on the issue, delving into the effects of limited health literacy on self-efficacy perceptions, awareness of health-related issues and health services’ use

Schools of Nursing and Health Professions of the Saint Camillo-Forlanini Hospital

Healthcare professionals of the S. Camillo-Forlanini Hospital (Rome) daily provide citizens with highly specialized treatments. The Hospital is also an academic base where professionals are trained; in particular, nursing training dates back to the '50s. Training activities have greatly evolved and improved with the years, thus increasing the level of competence of these professional figures. Furthermore, they may transfer their skills in European and extra European countries within the clinical environment. Advanced competence and research are the foundations on which a novel awareness of health-related issues may take shape. In order to optimize the overall costs of a Hospital such as the S. Camillo-Forlanini, appropriately trained and experienced professionals can become the new generation of highly skilled experts, who manage healthcare issues with an innovative approach aimed at providing citizens with concrete responses and solutions.