Awareness-raising Activities Research Articles

An evaluation of victim registration forms for domestic violence against women

Objective: The present study attempted to reveal the sociodemographic information, characteristics of violence exposed, and risk situations among women exposed to violence through the data obtained from the victim registration forms and generate a source for further research to prevent violence against women.Methods: In this descriptive study, the victim registration forms (1222 cases) of women applying to emergency departments in Burdur city due to domestic violence is utilized. Then, the data analyzed by using IBM SPSS version 20.0 and presented the descriptive data as numbers, percentages, means, standard deviations, and minimum and maximum values.Results: It was found that almost all cases (93.6%) were exposed to physical violence alone or combined with other forms of violence. The women were exposed to violence at home where they should live safely (88.1%) and from the ones they trust (97.2%; spouse/lover/ family member). About half of the women (51.6%) were exposed to violence in front of their children, and 18.0% of the children got their shares from the violence. It was also discovered that 9.7% of the women had been exposed to violence for more than ten years. Finally, it was concluded that 64.5% of the women had a high risk of being exposed to violence again soon.Conclusion: Regardless of their educational attainment and socioeconomic status, women are often exposed to violence from childhood to advanced ages. Overall, further awareness-raising activities are needed to prevent all segments of society from all kinds of violence.

AWARENESS RAISING AND PROTECTION OF ARCHAELOGICAL HERITAGE

Significant amount of illegal excavations and information regarding Internet trade of protected artifacts, the number of criminal cases and other violations strongly implies that Latvian archaeological heritage is endangered. The detailed situation unfortunately is not precisely known since correspondent statistical data are not being processed and analysed on regular basis. Different methods are being used in order to reduce illegal obtainment and trade of antiquities, however, it is usually hard to find relatively efficient and at the same time fast solution. One of practical solutions to the problem has to do with enhancing awareness of different audiences involved. Thus, after six months of hard work, the Catalogue of Endangered Latvian Archaeological Artefacts was published in June 2016. The analysis of national situation regarding protection of archaeological artifacts, combined with survey of controlling institutions as well as study of foreign information sources allowed for some conclusions at the broader level: • awareness-raising activities seem to be necessary and valuable as legislative acts do not contain all the information needed for different audiences. Awareness raising achieved by information dissemination concerning protected archaeological artifacts and related issues seems to be accelerated comparing to other possible solutions; • understanding the factors that push to wrongdoing or influence abstention from it in the context of current political and socio-economic situation is probably the key aspect for facilitating protection of cultural heritage; • the combination of informational, legal, law enforcement, analytical, coordination, organization and mutual cooperation activities is important for more effective protection.

COVID-19 vaccine attitude: A review on turkey

The study investigates the anti-vaccine attitude and the attitude towards COVID-19 in Turkey. Within the scope of the study, an online questionnaire was applied to 564 volunteers with a convenience sampling technique between 21/05/2021 and 01/06/2021. Analysis was performed with descriptive and inferential statistical analysis techniques and a multiple probit model. As a result of the estimation, it has been determined that negative claims about the vaccine have an increasing effect on the probability of being vaccinated or undecided, according to the probability of being vaccinated. It has been seen that it has a reducing effect on their thoughts about making the vaccine compulsory. Opposition to the COVID-19 vaccine has become global, and people's behaviors endanger their health, public health, and global health due to the following unscientific theories that need to be further examined scientifically. In particular, awareness-raising activities for individuals, more efficient use of social media channels for communication, support of countries' academic studies on the subject, and transparent sharing of scientific data with the public will change the attitude toward vaccines. When we look at the literature, it has been seen that social media channels are neglected in the vaccination attitude. However, it was found to be an essential factor in line with the findings obtained from the study. For this reason, it is thought that it will contribute to future studies.

Evolution of community residents’ waste classification behavior based on multi-agent simulation

ABSTRACT Municipal domestic waste (MDW) management is essential to maintain ecological security. Waste classification is seen as a solution to the urban waste dilemma. However, very few residents in China are currently involved in waste classification. Based on the public goods theory and the hypothesis of rational behavior, with the aid of GIS, this paper develops a multi-agent model to simulate the features and evolution of residents’ waste classification behavior in the context of community. By comparing the percentage of those who participate in waste classification in different scenarios, various factors that may influence residents’ waste classification behavior are analyzed. The simulation results show that the improvement of convenience facilities and the promotion of awareness-raising activities help enhancing residents’ waste classification behavior. An increase in rewards and penalties by the government will promote residents’ waste classification behavior, though this promotion is not significant. Adherent enforcers can provide a continuous incentive for residential waste classification behavior. This study provides evidence for the government and communities to develop waste classification policies and motivate residents to participate in waste classification. Implications: Municipal waste seriously restricts the survival and development of cities, and waste disposal has become a problem that plagues government managers in various countries. Waste classification is considered to be an effective way to solve the municipal waste dilemma, but currently China faces the dilemma of low residents’ participation in waste classification. Through multi-agent modeling, the interaction and decision-making of urban residents in the process of waste classification are simulated, and introduce GIS to truly restore the daily classification scenes of residents. Explore the dynamic evolution of urban residents’ classification behavior and the change of residents’ waste classification rate under different situations to find more effective ways to improve the participation rate of residents in waste classification and give targeted and practical countermeasure suggestions. It provides decision-making reference for the formulation of governmental waste classification policies and the design of community behavior programs, and to contribute to the sustainable development of society.

Decentralisation and community stakeholders’ engagement for better mental health services development in the conflict-affected regions of Ukraine

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore how conflict-affected communities in Ukraine (the Lugansk region) can develop sustainable mental health services in decentralised settings. The main interest focuses on community stakeholders’ perception of their problems and solutions that communities can create to achieve better mental health coverage. Design/methodology/approach A series of roundtables (RTs) (4 RTs, 62 participants overall), accompanied by interactive brainstorming techniques, were conducted with communities’ representatives/stakeholders from the East of Ukraine (Lugansk region, a government-controlled area) during the year 2021. Participants (health, mental health, social care workers and administration representatives) were provided with the opportunity to discuss mental health services’ development challenges and create affordable solutions for their communities. Results of discussions were submitted to qualitative analysis and offered for review by participants. Findings Decentralisation in Ukraine led to allocating funds alongside responsibilities for developing the services to communities. Most of the communities appear not to be ready to acknowledge the role of mental health services, entirely relying on the existing weak psychiatric hospital-based system. Awareness-raising interactive capacity-building activities for the community leaders and decision-makers effectively promote community-based mental health services development. Five clusters of challenges were identified: leadership, coordination and collaboration problems; infrastructure, physical accessibility and financial problems; mental health and primary health-care workforce shortage and lack of competencies; low awareness of mental health and available services and high stigma; war, crises and pandemic-related problems. Communities stakeholders foresaw seven domains of action: increasing the role of communities and service users in the initiatives of governmental bodies; establishing in the communities local coordination/working groups dedicated to mental health service development; developing the community-based spaces (hubs) for integrated services provision; embedding the mental health services in the existing services (social, administrative and health care); mental health advocacy and lobbying led by local leaders and service users; increasing capacity of communities in financial management, fundraising; developing services by combining efforts and budgets of neighbouring communities. Research limitations/implications The study has potential limitations. Participants of the roundtables were mostly appointed by local authorities, so some of them didn`t have a motivation for mental health services development. Service users were involved only from the facilitators` side, not from the side of communities; therefore, it was impossible to include their view of problems and solutions. Obtained data were limited to the opinion of local professionals, administration workers and other local stakeholders. The human rights aspect was not clearly articulated in the tasks of the roundtables. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, the paper is original in terms of its topic (connecting decentralisation and local stakeholders’ engagement for understanding the challenges of mental health services development) and research strategy (engagement of Ukrainian communities, qualitative analysis of the discussion results and applying the best practices and international recommendations to the local context).

Exploring Well-Being in the Work and Livelihoods of Local People During the 2011 Flood in Thailand

Thailand has faced many flooding crises, especially in 2011, which caused widespread damage to industrial parks and community zones. However, the negative consequences of flooding on the local people and workers in industrial zones have been little studied. This study focuses on the impacts of flooding after 2011 on the well-being of residents in industrial zones in terms of their work and livelihoods. Community-based research was used to explore the effects of floods on 647 respondents who worked in Rojana Industrial Park (N = 247) and those who lived around the park (N = 400). A questionnaire survey was conducted in February 2020. The results showed adverse impacts on the economy, accommodation, and well-being of both the local inhabitants and workers, whose monthly incomes and overtime jobs decreased significantly compared to before the disaster. However, local people suffered more from low incomes than workers of the company, as the employees’ work status was maintained during the crisis. Japanese company culture is investigated as a factor in the higher resilience and recovery levels of company employees than the Rojana community. In addition, the workers were evacuated to other accommodations until the company recovered, while locals remained in their flooded homes. In addition, most respondents reported that mental health impacts were more likely to affect their mental health. For effective recovery and flood risk management, the government should follow up on employment, accommodation, and livelihood after a sudden flood, especially for the local people. A greater understanding of community risk, community engagement, and awareness-raising activities can enhance readiness, response, recovery, and resilience in disaster management by government, businesses, and local communities.

HUNGARIANS IN VOJVODINA: IDENTITY IN THE FOCUS OF DEMOGRAPHY, POLITICS AND CULTURE

The object of the author's study is Hungarians in the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina of the Republic of Serbia at the present stage of history. The aim of the article is to identify the qualitative parameters of the maintenance and development of the identity of this ethnic group in the conditions of living outside the "parent" state. The study focuses on several thematic blocks as important indicators of the functioning of ethnicity in this sector of the population. It provides a demographic portrait of Vojvodina Hungarians, highlights legislative guarantees of ethnic minority rights and other forms of state support in the country of residence, and provides information on the social and political activity, as well as cultural, educational and awareness-raising activities of Hungarians in Serbia, primarily in Vojvodina. Particular attention is paid to the peculiarities of the autonomous structure of the province. The socio-anthropological analytical approach to the analysis of empirical material allows one to reach the level of theoretical generalization, to identify the role of state borders as a factor of influence not only on the civil identity, but also on the formation of cultural and everyday features of diaspora groups as a result of constant contacts with ethnically foreign neighbors. The author provides evidence of the high level of development of Serbia's legal framework in terms of maintaining cultural diversity in the country, creating a wide range of social and domestic conditions necessary to maintain and develop ethnic identity among national minorities, including Hungarians. At the same time, the data from the censuses of various years in Serbia show a gradual decrease in the number of Hungarians in recent decades. The negative trend is explained by their low fertility, as well as by the migratory mobility of the inhabitants of Vojvodina, for economic and other reasons, which are often not directly related to identity issues. Moreover, Hungarian identity becomes an additional resource in the choice of the most promising life strategies of the younger generation.

Helping EAL academics navigate asymmetrical power relations in co-authorship

This paper presents, discusses, and evaluates research-based materials for English for Research Publication Purposes (ERPP) teaching, based on a study conducted with exiled academics supported by CARA (Council for At-Risk Academics) and their UK-based co-authors who provided textual interventions on their texts. Using data from interviews with exiled academics and their UK-based co-authors/mentors as well as their article drafts and textual interventions, we present teaching materials for ERPP workshops aimed at raising the participants’ awareness of issues that may arise in co-authorship involving asymmetrical power relations, such as those between exiled academics and their UK-based co-authors/mentors. The materials take the shape of data-based scenarios which ask workshop attendees to consider experiential co-authorship narratives involving (i) the issue of ‘parochialism’, i.e., failure to indicate the relevance of one’s research to a larger audience, (ii) issues with the type and amount of feedback regarding writer development and text production, (iii) blurred lines of co-authorship roles, and (iv) authority issues in interdisciplinary collaborative writing. Each scenario is followed by a research-informed discussion. We argue that scenario-based awareness-raising activities can sensitize all parties in asymmetrical co-authorship pairs/groups to common challenges that arise in such collaborations, help them navigate collaborative writing successfully, and encourage them to reflect on their own co-authorship practices. We conclude by discussing the merits of the scenario-based approach to developing materials for ERPP teaching.

Transitivity analysis of news texts on the Saudi ministry of health website: An investigation of health guidelines during COVID-19

The aim of this study is to investigate the awareness-raising activities and the health guidelines for protection from new coronavirus during this pandemic reported on the Ministry of Health website in Saudi Arabia. To achieve this aim, the study employs critical discourse analysis (CDA) of Halliday’s theory of transitivity process types adopted as a framework of news text. Literature showed that discourse analysis is an interdisciplinary area of investigation and an increasingly popular domain strategy for scholars in different fields. However, such a strategy has been little adopted by healthcare researchers. To analyze the transitivity process types (namely material, mental, verbal, relational, behavioral, and existential), quantitative and qualitative approaches were employed to get a better understanding of transitivity process types related to the news texts. Like other studies, the findings revealed that the material process type (60%) highly dominated the discourse in the two news texts. This implies the powerful role of events and actions to be undertaken. Unlike the first news text, the second news text however contains the behavioral process to meticulously highlight public awareness and action. Investigating participants’ roles as well as circumstances components may offer more data appropriate for further research.

Key issues in the implementation of the Tianjin Biosecurity Guidelines for Codes of Conduct for Scientists: A survey of biosecurity education projects

In order to effectively implement the Tianjin Biosecurity Guidelines for Codes of Conduct for Scientists, biosecurity awareness-raising and education are essential because if these are not in place scientists will not understand the need for biosecurity codes of conduct. In an effort to assist in the implementation of the guidelines, a small-scale survey was carried out in early 2022 of biosecurity awareness-raising and education projects that have been developed over the last two decades to discoverwhat resources and experience have been accumulated. It is argued that the survey demonstrates that much of what is needed to implement the guidelines effectively has been developed, but that there are specific deficiencies that need to be remedied quickly. In particular, an updated teaching resource covering the core issues related to the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC) and the problem of dual use in scientific research needs to be made widely available and translated into at least the six official United Nations (UN) languages. Additionally, more specialists from the Humanities with expertise in ethics need to become involved in biosecurity awareness-raising and education activities. While advantage should be taken now of the available national, regional and international networks of people involved in related activities, it is suggested that in the longer term cooperation in biosecurity awareness-raising and education will benefit from the development of an equivalent organisation to the International Nuclear Security Education Network (INSEN) organised through the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Education Learning Strategies for Combating Stunting in Serdang Village, South Bangka Regency

This social study examines strategies for addressing stunting in Serdang Village, South Bangka Regency. The research employs a descriptive qualitative research method. Serdang Village has experienced a high prevalence of stunting in the past two years, with a slight decrease in recent years. The research findings indicate that the Serdang Village community has actively participated in various awareness-raising activities related to stunting, especially among pregnant and breastfeeding mothers. These activities are conducted by various stakeholders involved in addressing this social issue

Involvement and engagement of seldom-heard communities in big data research.

ObjectivesPublic involvement and engagement have been growing within big data research. However, seldom heard voices such as migrant and ethnic minorities communities are often underrepresented. This study explored how Polish and South Asian communities in the United Kingdom could be better included in public involvement and engagement activities.
 ApproachWe conducted semi-structured interviews with Polish (n=20) and South Asians (n=20) to elicit their views on big data research, public involvement and engagement. We focused on Polish and South Asian communities as they represent some of the United Kingdom’s largest migrant and ethnic minority groups. Data were analysed using inductive thematic analysis. Public advisors were involved in the analysis. They and one of the researchers come from ethnic minority and offered insider insight into participants' perspectives and thus allowing us to unpick the complexity of experiences and backgrounds.
 ResultsThe majority of participants were willing to become involved or engaged in big data research. However, we found there were multiple barriers to involvement, these included: language (especially for those for whom English is the second language); use of jargon by researchers; time restrictions and unfamiliarity with big data or public involvement. Some participants questioned how much migrants could be involved when they were only in the United Kingdom on a temporary basis. The participants made recommendations for how researchers can mitigate these barriers. Awareness-raising activities would allow people to expand their understanding and build their confidence when speaking about big data research in a second language. Participants spoke of the need for researchers to work more closely with local communities, especially with local gatekeepers.
 ConclusionsThe results indicate that there is no ‘right’ way to involve and engage seldom heard communities around big data research. Researchers need to engage with communities, establish trust and develop a long-lasting relationships. These partnerships should move beyond single projects and aim to benefit both researchers and seldom heard communities.

A survey of clinical physician's perceptions of stigma and advocacy in patients with type 2 diabetes in Kanagawa, Japan.

To investigate the recognition status of stigma/advocacy in patients with type 2 diabetes in clinical practice settings. A questionnaire survey on stigma/advocacy of patients with diabetes was carried out for members of the Kanagawa Physicians Association in July 2021. The respondents consisted of 33 (16.6%) physicians specializing in diabetes (the D group) and 166 (83.4%) non-specialists (the ND group). 100% of the D group and 48.8% of the ND group knew that patients may be prejudiced or discriminated against because of diabetes. In the question of whether they know the terms 'stigma' and 'advocacy', 'know' was 97.0% and 94.0% in the D group, compared with 45.8% and 36.7% in the ND group, respectively. 97.0% of the D group and 19.9% of the ND group know the advocacy activities of the Japanese Diabetes Society (JDS) and the Japan Association for Diabetes Education (JADEC). The specific contents of the stigma were often unknown or never experienced in the ND group. A free description of the strategy for reducing or eliminating stigma was analyzed by text mining. 'Giving consideration to the patients' feelings', 'Commitment to the problem', and 'Dialogue' were frequent, and there was no significant difference between the two groups. The clinician's understanding of stigma/advocacy associated with having diabetes was insufficient, and activities that alert clinicians to stigma/advocacy, especially those in the ND group, was a theme to be addressed. More awareness-raising activities for stigma/advocacy will lead to better treatment and a better quality of life for patients with diabetes.

Implementation of a model of awareness-raising for taxi motorcyclists in Benin in relation to helmet use: a quasi-experimental study

BackgroundThis study aims to test the effectiveness of an awareness-raising model designed based on the theory of planned behaviour regarding helmet use for motorcycle taxi drivers.MethodsThis quasi-experimental study took place in the cities of Parakou (intervention group) and Porto Novo (control group). Over a three-month period, a package of awareness-raising activities, based on the theory of planned behaviour, have been implemented in the intervention area. Data relate to knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding helmet use was collected prospectively before the intervention, at the end, and 6 months later. Stata 15 was used for data analysis. Chi-square or Fisher, Student’s or Kruskal-Wallis tests was carried out. The difference-in-difference method was used to determine the specific effect of the awareness activities.ResultsAfter the intervention, there was an improvement in the total score in both groups compared to baseline. The total score increased by 0.2 (0.06–0.3) in the experimental group when the number of sessions attended increased by one (p = 0.005). The difference-in-difference estimator measured among subjects who attended at least one awareness session, controlling for socio-demographic variables, showed a significantly higher difference in the total score of subjects in the experimental group compared to those in the control group both at the end of the interactive sessions and 6 months later.ConclusionThis model improves the helmet-wearing behaviour of motorbike taxi drivers in the experimental area. It could be adapted and applied to other socio-professional groups and other types of users.

Participation in multicultural awareness-raising community actions: Positive effects on well-being and group efficacy.

This participatory research sought to understand how engagement in awareness-raising multicultural activities strengthens well-being and group efficacy among immigrants and host nationals. We also examined the mediating role of self-transcendent emotions and shared flow. We tested our predictions across three studies, each focused on one awareness-raising activity organized by a nongovernmental organization, SOS Racismo-Mugak, working closely with the local community. This investigation was conducted in line with a community-based participatory research framework and thus with participation of community members in the procedure design, recruitment and data collection, as well as the dissemination of research findings. In Study 1, 204 participants responded to a survey before, during, and after participating in a multicultural lunch promoting interaction between immigrant and host national families. In Study 2, 106 participants were surveyed during an open-outdoors multicultural community meal. In Study 3, 93 participants completed an online survey after an antiracist protest. Self-transcendent emotions and shared flow explained the relationship between the quality of participation and well-being (Studies 1 and 2) among immigrants and host nationals. The indirect effect of shared flow was stronger for immigrants (Study 1). The relationship between quality of participation and group efficacy was mediated by self-transcendent emotions (Study 2) and shared flow (Study 3) for both groups. Our results point out that participation in community awareness-raising activities has several positive outcomes, such as individual and collective empowerment, and elicits shared flow and self-transcendent emotions among immigrants and host nationals. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Cross-linguistic awareness in an English L4 education setting: Discovering language-specific phenomena in unrelated languages

This article shows how deixis and motion events prove to be ideal topics in the stimulation of reflection and enhancement of cross-linguistic awareness among South-Tyrolean speakers of Ladin, who learn English as a fourth language after Italian and German. The initial part of the article illustrates how a translation task that was focused on locative adverbials led students at upper-secondary school to recognise the extreme complexity of their own Ladin L1 adverbial system as compared to the more straightforward binary deictic system of English. The subsequent section shows how secondary-school and university students realised their difficulties in lexicalising motion events in English, arguably due to the different typological tendencies of other languages they learn or have learnt. The video clips that the study participants were asked to describe were subsequently integrated into multilingual and multimodal awareness-raising classes at primary school and in teacher education, where awareness-raising activities are fundamental.

Public awareness of developmental language disorder in Croatia, Italy and Slovenia.

Previous research, although scarce, has indicated that the general public is still relatively unaware of developmental language disorder (DLD), one of the most common (neuro)developmental disorders. Raising awareness would increase timely involvement in intervention procedures. To examine public awareness of DLD in the neighbouring countries of Croatia, Italy and Slovenia, as well as to assess the influence of age, gender and education level on that awareness. Also, to investigate public knowledge about the professionals who recognize DLD and to compare the awareness of DLD with that of other (neuro)developmental disorders in childhood. A convenience sample of adults living in the countries of the Adriatic region-Croatia (N = 92), Italy (N = 105) and Slovenia (N = 90)-were asked to fill out a paper-and-pencil questionnaire (public survey) developed within the Working Group 3 of the COST Action IS1406. Responses were analysed quantitatively as a function of age, gender, education level and country using the t-test and analysis of variance (ANOVA). Public awareness of DLD is still unsatisfactory in all three countries. Around 70% of respondents reported having heard of DLD; however, only around 20% of Croatian, 40% of Italian and 5% of Slovenian respondents provided an adequate definition of DLD. Differences in research and clinical traditions may explain the observed variations amongst the three countries. Education level was the only variable that was significantly associated with an awareness of DLD in Croatia and Italy: there, more educated people showed a higher awareness and more correct knowledge, which was not found in the Slovenian sample. Respondents generally perceived speech and language pathologists (SLPs) as the professionals responsible for recognizing DLD. Finally, people possess the highest awareness of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), while the awareness of DLD and other (neuro)developmental disorders is equally low. Public awareness of DLD varies substantially among the three countries, but there is space for improvement in each of them. The findings of this study build on the existing data from the international group of collaborators, and argue for well-planned, systematic awareness-raising activities in the region. What is already known on the subject DLD is one of the most common (neuro)developmental disorders, yet it is not well known to the general public. This low awareness hinders timely recognition and adequate intervention, which can have negative psychosocial and emotional consequences for affected individuals. It is known that the awareness of any disorder can depend on one's demographic characteristics, but levels of awareness of DLD are still not examined in detail. What this study adds to existing knowledge Public awareness of DLD is moderate in Croatia, Italy and Slovenia, but many individuals who report having heard of it appear to misunderstand what it actually is. Of various demographic factors tested, only education significantly influenced public awareness in Croatia and Italy, where more educated people possess greater knowledge. Moreover, respondents generally perceived SLPs as professionals responsible for recognizing DLD. What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work? Professionals and researchers should focus on raising DLD awareness in the general public of these three countries, and may need to target different demographic groups accordingly.

A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Conservation of Salūt, Sultanate of Oman

ABSTRACT The relationship between planning and restoration work, and the acquisition of data necessary for contextual understanding of Salūt, a large Iron Age site, are discussed. Its different historical contexts required close collaboration among architects, archaeologists, Ministry of Heritage and Culture staff, local workers and students from Sultan Qaboos University (SQU). A central aim was to awaken the interest of the community and encourage them to play an active role in the conservation of local heritage sites. This and the technical solutions adopted are also a focus of the paper. Intangible cultural heritage should be considered to be an integral part of the site. A number of activities was undertaken to develop sustainable responses for the management of Omani cultural heritage: historical and ethnographic research into the traditional techniques of mudbrick and mud plaster construction, with visits to surrounding villages to identify Omani residents familiar with the process; information storage, images, and video interviews for a multi-level, potentially replicable approach; creation and implementation of guidelines for the conservation of the mudbrick walls; organization of site visits, awareness-raising activities for local students and interested community members; the training of two female SQU students in stratigraphic excavation and conservation of artifacts; and the use of state-of-the-art surveying and 3D modeling for the evaluation of interventions. The program at Salūt site, until the interruption due to the pandemic, has produced largely positive results, and the methodology developed here can promote recovery of other archaeological sites similar to Salūt.

Hospital supply of a polymeric enteral nutrition formula amongst inpatients at Patan Hospital, Nepal

Introduction: A retrospective quantitative descriptive study was undertaken to describe the provision of a standard polymeric nutritional supplement produced at Patan Hospital, Nepal, with the aim of assisting efforts to improve the nutritional care of malnourished patients.
 Method: All adult inpatients (18 years and above) who commenced this nutritional supplement between December 2017 and August 2019 were included. Data was collected from a register and descriptive analysis done. The use across specialty areas, patient weights, duration of use, main feeding route, main volume recommended and main reasons for cessation were among the characteristics described.
 Result: Total 894 record of the patients were analysed. Awareness-raising activities and launch of a modified supplement recipe, saw prescriptions increase from 13.3 to 47.4 patients per month. The general medical ward and medical intensive care unit initiated the greatest numbers of prescriptions (n=312, n=251 respectively). The nutritional supplement was most commonly prescribed as a 500 ml oral supplement. The average length of prescription was 9.8 d and the main reasons for ceasing was discharge (n=479) and patient expiry (n=158). Weight was recorded in 38% of patients (n=340) and mean weight was 50.5 kg. The average age of the study population was 57.8 y.
 Conclusion: For improving the nutritional care of malnourished patients, awareness raising activities appeared helpful in increasing prescriptions for the nutritional supplement. However, the use of the nutritional supplement remained low and practices varied significantly between wards.

Identifying Barriers to Enrollment in Patient Pregnancy Registries: Building Evidence Through Crowdsourcing.

BackgroundEnrollment in pregnancy registries is challenging despite substantial awareness-raising activities, generally resulting in low recruitment owing to limited safety data. Understanding patient and physician awareness of and attitudes toward pregnancy registries is needed to facilitate enrollment. Crowdsourcing, in which services, ideas, or content are obtained by soliciting contributions from a large group of people using web-based platforms, has shown promise for improving patient engagement and obtaining patient insights.ObjectiveThis study aimed to use web-based crowdsourcing platforms to evaluate Belimumab Pregnancy Registry (BPR) awareness among patients and physicians and to identify potential barriers to pregnancy registry enrollment with the BPR as a case study.MethodsWe conducted 2 surveys using separate web-based crowdsourcing platforms: Amazon Mechanical Turk (a 14-question patient survey) and Sermo RealTime (a 11-question rheumatologist survey). Eligible patients were women, aged 18-55 years; diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE); and pregnant, recently pregnant (within 2 years), or planning pregnancy. Eligible rheumatologists had prescribed belimumab and treated pregnant women. Responses were descriptively analyzed.ResultsOf 151 patient respondents over a 3-month period (n=88, 58.3% aged 26-35 years; n=149, 98.7% with mild or moderate SLE; and n=148, 98% from the United States), 51% (77/151) were currently or recently pregnant. Overall, 169 rheumatologists completed the survey within 48 hours, and 59.2% (100/169) were based in the United States. Belimumab exposure was reported by 41.7% (63/151) patients, whereas 51.7% (75/145) rheumatologists had prescribed belimumab to <5 patients, 25.5% (37/145) had prescribed to 5-10 patients, and 22.8% (33/145) had prescribed to >10 patients who were pregnant or trying to conceive. Of the patients exposed to belimumab, 51% (32/63) were BPR-aware, and 45.5% (77/169) of the rheumatologists were BPR-aware. Overall, 60% (38/63) of patients reported belimumab discontinuation because of pregnancy or planned pregnancy. Among the 77 BPR-aware rheumatologists, 70 (91%) referred patients to the registry. Concerns among rheumatologists who did not prescribe belimumab during pregnancy included unknown pregnancy safety profile (119/169, 70.4%), and 61.5% (104/169) reported their patients’ concerns about the unknown pregnancy safety profile. Belimumab exposure during or recently after pregnancy or while trying to conceive was reported in patients with mild (6/64, 9%), moderate (22/85, 26%), or severe (1/2, 50%) SLE. Rheumatologists more commonly recommended belimumab for moderate (84/169, 49.7%) and severe (123/169, 72.8%) SLE than for mild SLE (36/169, 21.3%) for patients trying to conceive recently or currently pregnant. Overall, 81.6% (138/169) of the rheumatologists suggested a belimumab washout period before pregnancy of 0-30 days (44/138, 31.9%), 30-60 days (64/138, 46.4%), or >60 days (30/138, 21.7%).ConclusionsIn this case, crowdsourcing efficiently obtained patient and rheumatologist input, with some patients with SLE continuing to use belimumab during or while planning a pregnancy. There was moderate awareness of the BPR among patients and physicians.