Fear Of Embarrassment Research Articles

Patients’ & students’ perspectives on bedside teaching: A descriptive study

Objective: To assess the student’s and patients’ perspectives about bedside teaching and to identify possible barriers that delay effective bedside teaching. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at two teaching hospitals in Peshawar with 153 participants through non-probability serial sampling from December 2017 to March 2018. Interview-based validated questionnaires were used and pilot tested as well. Ethical approval was taken with the participant’s consent. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 19.0 using descriptive statistics. Results: Among the total 79 students, all of them completed the questionnaires with a 100% response rate. However, from the 76 patients only 74 responded with a response rate of 97%. The majority of the patients (n=58; 78%) were satisfied with bedside teaching with no problems faced. During the bedside teaching only (n= 13; 18.2%) felt anxious while others, enjoyed (n= 59; 80.5%) with satisfaction and only 13% (n= 10) thought their privacy was breached. The satisfied students with the time spent on bedside teaching were (n= 52; 65.5%) while (n= 30; 38.7%) thought thirty minutes time was not enough. The hurdles faced were lack of practice (37.3%), fear of embarrassment in front of peers (21.3%), and lack of confidence to approach the patient (16%). Conclusion: The patients showed positive attitude and enjoyed bedside teaching. The students preferred it as a valuable tool for clinical experience. However, time constraints, lack of practice, lack of confidence, confidentiality, and anxiety must be overcome to make bedside teaching a useful method. Effective teaching still requires good teaching methodologies with confidence and competency. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.40.10.8743 How to cite this: Malik FR, Khan F. Patients’ & students’ perspectives on bedside teaching: A descriptive study. Pak J Med Sci. 2024;40(10):2384-2389. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.40.10.8743 This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Simulation psychological safety ecosystem: using constructivist grounded theory to explore nurses’ experiences with prelicensure simulation

Introduction Learning through simulation requires psychological safety where participants feel comfortable engaging to their fullest extent, speaking up or asking questions without fear of embarrassment. While professional simulation organizations provide recommendations on fostering psychological safety, anecdotal stories from newly graduated nurses demonstrated variability in their experiences. The study explored nurses’ experience with psychological safety in their prelicensure curricula. Methods Using constructivist grounded theory methodology, the researchers conducted 17 semi-structured interviews with nurses who had experienced simulation in their prelicensure curriculum. They collected and analysed data iteratively using constant comparison to identify categories and explore their relationships. They used theoretical sampling in later stages until data sufficiency was achieved. Results The constructed theory, Simulation Psychological Safety Ecosystem, expresses the variability of nurses’ experiences. Psychological safety is a dynamic, complex process with a spectrum of outcomes from feeling psychologically safe to suffering psychological harm. Factors that influence this outcome include clarification of Expectations, Facilitation from the instructor during scenarios, experience with Observation, and structure and quality of Debriefing/Feedback. Psychological safety is also influenced by nurses’ existing relationships with faculty and peers, and their desire to achieve meaningful clinical learning. Discussion Implications for nursing education reinforce clarifying expectations for equipment and roles, instructor presence, and observation. The findings suggest the benefits of establishing peer and faculty relationships prior to simulation-based education implementation and providing guidelines for faculty and peer feedback. Potential areas for future research include clarifying the ecosystem model and exploring the impact of faculty and peer relationships on psychological safety.

P036 Missing vital steps: why does my rheumatology team never speak to me about exercise?

Abstract Background/Aims UK Rheumatology services are stretched. Rollout of Patient Initiated Follow Up and pressure on job plans/clinic templates mean people with inflammatory arthritis (IA) may spend less time with their rheumatology team. An important but insufficient aspect of care in people with IA is empowering them to acquire good understanding of their disease and building their ability to deal effectively with the practical, physical and psychological impacts of it. Ability to self-manage in IA represents an essential component of care beyond drug therapy, but barriers to implementation of education in self-management exist. Surveys show that rheumatology Healthcare Practitioners (HCPs) don’t know how best to support patients becoming more physically active. Research demonstrates that people with IA have multiple barriers to undertaking regular physical activity (PA) or exercise, including physical limitations, reduced mobility, fatigue, also lack of confidence and not knowing what to do, fear of embarrassment, injury or making symptoms worse, a lack of professional input, advice and resources, inaccessible facilities and financial costs. Methods To address these issues in those living with IA, the National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society (NRAS) collaborated with experts in PA and exercise to create a module on this topic to include in their e-Learning programme, SMILE-RA. The module included: • science behind the research in lay terms • role of physiotherapists (both specialist rheumatology physios and community-based physios) • barriers and facilitators to exercising • goal setting • types of exercise • stories from people with RA inspired by exercise NRAS wanted to provide free resources for people to use who may struggle with exercise due to loss of mobility/function who may lack confidence to exercise. In addition to the online learning, NRAS approached experts in different exercise and PA fields, some of whom had RA themselves, to provide supplemental 15-minute video sessions to run alongside the module. Results The Module launched end of June 2023 with five 15 minute ‘taster’ videos on different forms of exercise appropriately adapted for a broad spectrum of people with IA. These taster sessions can be done safely, seated or standing, and used as ad hoc routines or as regular daily workout, increasing the repetitions as strength and ability increases. Over 3,500 people are registered to SMILE-RA, and, amongst other beneficial results, a survey has shown that 84% of users would recommend SMILE to another person. An HCP, in recommending this resource to colleagues, stated that this exercise module “will revolutionise your consults on exercise in RA.” Conclusion The “PA and Exercise” module can be used to support busy rheumatology professionals by recommending this free resource to their patients and in educating themselves to gain confidence in how to advise patients in this crucial and often overlooked area. Disclosure A.M. Bosworth: None. W.J. Gregory: Honoraria; W.G. has received honoraria for speakers and advisory board roles from Abbive, Novartis, Pfizer and UCB.

PSORIASIS AND MENTAL HEALTH: A PSYCHODERMATOLOGICAL APPROACH WITH AN EMPHASIS ON PSYCHOTHERAPY.

Psoriasis is a multifactorial, inflammatory, chronic disease caused by the complex interaction of genetic and environmental factors, including psychosocial distress. This review reasons the importance of the biopsychosocial model and why it should be considered when treating patients with psoriasis. We aimed to provide current evidence for the psychological etiopathogenesis, psychosocial comorbidities, psychosocial assessment, and psychological therapeutic interventions in psoriasis. The main pathways linking stress to psoriasis involve the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, sympathetic-adrenal-medullary axis, peripheral nervous system, and immune system. Fear of embarrassment and social stigma is reported to be one of the main stressful factors in the onset or worsening of psoriasis. Mental disorders are the most common comorbidity in psoriatic patients, but they are still often overlooked and undertreated. Previous research has shown increased rates of sleep disorders, depression, anxiety, borderline personality disorder, and alcohol use disorder. Biological treatment of psoriasis could reduce symptoms of depression, anxiety, and insomnia in patients with psoriasis. According to research, psoriasis patients may have certain psychological characteristics, including type D personality, alexithymia, high vulnerability to stress, and escape-avoidance coping strategy. Mental and social health should be part of psoriasis severity assessment, especially in patients who carry an increased risk of mental illness. Cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, and relaxation therapy could be used to decrease psoriasis severity and improve the quality of life of psoriasis patients. Psychoanalytic evaluation can contribute to dermatologic practice by typifying unconscious conflicts, detecting the defense mechanisms for stress coping, and choosing the treatment on unconscious preferences. The collaboration between the dermatologist, family medicine specialist, psychologist, and psychiatrist can help to break the psychosomatic and somatopsychic vicious circles.

Identifying Barriers to Utilization of Basic Emergency Obstetric and NewBorn Care Services in Jigawa State, North-western Nigeria: A Qualitative Study

Background: Maternal mortality has remained high in northern Nigeria despite decades of effort aimed at reducing it. The number of women who deliver in Emergency Obstetric Care (EmONC) facilities is low. This study explored the barriers to utilizing Basic EmONC services in Jigawa State.
 Methods: A qualitative study was conducted among mothers of children under five years through 12 Focus Group Discussions. A purposive sampling technique was used to select participants who were categorized based on age (below 35 years, 35 years and above) and prior utilization of EmONC services. Content analysis along thematic lines was done and the findings were reported in narrative form.
 Results: The mean age of participants was 31 ± 6 years. The majority of participants had primary education and most were unemployed. Most of the participants identified obstetric danger signs, however, they opine that medical attention should be sought only when complications become serious. Participants in all groups unanimously said decision-making for seeking medical care rests with the husband and occasionally the mother-in-law. Barriers to seeking care identified by participants include lack of money, distance to the nearest health facility, fear of embarrassment by healthcare workers, and insecurity among others.
 Conclusion: Most participants were knowledgeable of obstetric danger signs, but with low risk-perception towards obstetric complications. The Jigawa State government should engage in a robust education campaign on the need for early decision-making to seek care as well as strengthen its women empowerment programs to overcome barriers to seeking care for obstetric complications.

From pelvic radiation to social isolation: a qualitative study of survivors' experiences of chronic bowel symptoms after pelvic radiotherapy.

We explored survivors' experiences of chronic bowel symptoms following pelvic radiotherapy, strategies employed in living with these symptoms, effects on daily activities, and roles at home and in the workplace. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 28 individuals (10 gynaecological, 14 prostate, four anal/rectal cancer survivors) who had completed pelvic radiotherapy at least six months prior to data collection and who had experience of bowel symptoms during this post-treatment period. Reflexive thematic analysis was undertaken. We propose four themes describing a process leading from experience of symptoms to withdrawal from activities and roles. These are (1) losing control (the experience of unintended anal leakage or discharge); (2) experiencing embarrassment and fear (the experience of embarrassment or fear of embarrassment as a result of discharge becoming public); (3) managing and reacting (acting to reduce the likelihood of discharge or to prevent this becoming public); and (4) restriction and withdrawal (avoiding specific activities or situations so as to reduce or remove the risk of embarrassment). Returning to the workplace presented additional challenges across these themes. Impacts of chronic bowel symptoms can be severe. Survivors employ a variety of methods and strategies in living with their symptoms. Some of these support continued role fulfilment but some constitute a withdrawal from pre-treatment roles. Current healthcare provision and statutory protections fail to fully meet needs following pelvic radiotherapy. There is a need to develop and implement evidence-based services and supported self-management programmes for survivors experiencing chronic bowel problems post-radiotherapy.

Overcoming Barriers To Effective Design-Thinking Workshops

This study investigates the barriers in implementing design-thinking workshops aimed at facilitating digital transformation within organizations. Employing a qualitative approach with semi-structured interviews of experienced practitioners, the research identifies key barriers in pre-workshop preparations, during workshop facilitation and post-workshop implementation. Financial constraints, employee resistance due to a lack of perceived need, and discomfort with ambiguity are among the key challenges before the workshops. During execution, hierarchical dynamics, psychological barriers like fear of embarrassment, and cognitive barriers including limited creativity and imagination hinder effective participation. Additionally, post-workshop challenges primarily concern the lack of implementation due to resource constraints and unmet expectations. The study proposes strategies such as careful participant selection, fostering an open environment, and emphasizing post-workshop documentation to mitigate these issues. The role of coaches in balancing active facilitation and allowing participant ownership is underscored. These findings contribute to bridging the gap between the theoretical benefits of design thinking and the practical challenges of its implementation.

Resource-seeking and media choice process: A case of irrational decision making

Resource seeking is crucial for individual and organizational success only if it is effective in convincing the resource provider to offer the needed resource. Computer-mediated communication theories provide insight into an ideal match between media and communication tasks, but typically treat task as attainment of mutual understanding between communicating partners. Instead, we developed theoretical models for media perceptions and the subsequent media choice as a behavioral decision process considering the characteristics of the resource-seeking context. In an experiment with 119 participants, we found that face-to-face resource seeking is vastly more effective than an email request regardless of the level of closeness between communication partners, but requesters underestimate the difference between the two channels. A consecutive study with 121 participants revealed that this underestimation combined with the fear of embarrassment and awkwardness lead requesters to select the less effective channel (email). Our findings have practical implications, and contribute to media selection theories by calling for focus on the characteristics of the communication goal and the source of irrationality in media selection decisions.

Inclusivity in transitioning to medical school.

Inclusivity in transitioning to medical school.

Silencing the Rainbow: Prevalence of LGBTQ+ Students Who Do Not Report Sexual Violence.

Previous research on sexual violence suggests that there is a higher likelihood of students from LGBTQ+ community experiencing sexual violence and not reporting it. This study investigates various types of sexual violence experienced by the LGBTQ+ students and the prevalence of reporting it. The study further determines why different types of sexual violence are not being reported. This study uses a LGBTQ+ scholarship survey data conducted in 2019. Using Pearson's chi square analysis, the study investigates the relationship between who experienced various kinds of sexual violence and those who do not report it. The study provides descriptive analysis of reasons for not reporting sexual violence across different types of sexual violence. The results show that there is a statistically significant relationship between those who experienced various kinds of sexual violence and those who do not report it. In addition, the study illustrates mistrust in support services and fear of embarrassment as the major reasons resulting in non-reporting behaviors. In conclusion, the study illustrates high prevalence for various types of sexual violence against LGBTQ+ students as well as high underreporting. Study results have implications for health professionals and institutions to focus efforts in making school environments safe and inclusive for LGBTQ+ students.

Vefat Edenin Yakınları Tarafından Taziyeye Gelenlere Yemek ve İçecek İkramında Bulunulmasının Dini Açıdan Durumu

It is a law of Almighty Allah that every living thing will drink the sherbet of death. Death is not an extinction, but a gateway to an eternal life. Every separation is a cause of sadness for their relatives and loved ones. People naturally want to see their relatives and loved ones next to them on days of joy and sadness. The religion of Islam regards people as honorable. Just as the living thing is blessed, so is the dead. The responsibilities of a deceased believer over the remaining believers are determined by the responsibilities of equipment, takfin, prayer and burial. In addition, there is a responsibility to share the grief of the relatives of the deceased, to console them, and to offer condolences to alleviate their distress. The main aim is not to add to their troubles, but to alleviate their troubles. The Messenger of Allah recommended taking food to their homes to lighten the burden of their deceased relatives. Over time, these recommendations were abandoned in some areas, and instead of bringing food to the relatives of the deceased, the owners of the deceased prepared meals for those who came to offer condolences. Without exception, it was seen by scholars as an act contrary to the practice of the Messenger of Allah and accepted as makruh. If this food is made from the property of an orphan, it is haram to eat this food. In some hadiths from the Companions, it is accepted as niyaha for the relatives of the dead to prepare food for the condolences. Final action; In many narrations from the Messenger of Allah (pbuh), it is reported that he was cursed by Almighty Allah, inflicted a great torment in the hereafter, and is a tradition of ignorance. Some of the reasons that lead the dead owners to prepare food are as follows; expectation of goodness, fear of being accused, becoming a custom, abandoning the custom of bringing food to the dead, increasing the number of places of condolence, fear of embarrassment, etc. can be said. In order to prevent the custom of offering food to condolences by the dead owners, it seems essential to carry out the following activities: First of all, in a Muslim society, it is a duty of everyone who is responsible for this issue, so that the condolences do not expect to be offered food and drink at the condolence house. It should try to impose on the culture of the society that not giving food in condolences is not a bad behavior. One should know that the good of the deceased relative is not met by giving food to the guests. Making efforts to establish the awareness in the society that those who give food should be aware that what they are doing is not good, but on the contrary, that they are doing a deed that is considered religiously despised, and that the good of their deceased relative will only be realized by delivering them directly to the hands of the poor, not in this way. In the detached places opened for condolences, this should be taken into account during the construction phase so that the sections where the condolences can eat and the sections where the condolences sit is separate. Not coinciding with meal times to go to condolences. Condolences should be kept short so that condolence houses do not turn into chat houses. Only if the need for food and shelter cannot be met by neighbors and friends for first-degree relatives and other close relatives of the deceased who come from distant lands and cannot return immediately; Special funds for this issue within the body of non-governmental organizations, municipalities or other institutions and special venues should be made where necessary.

Youths' attitudes toward open discussion of suicide, preferred contexts, and the impact of Internet use: An exploratory sequential mixed-methods study in Hong Kong.

Although the necessity and benefits of having the open and public discussion about suicide have been recognized, youths' opinions regarding such discussion remain unknown. To explore youths' attitudes toward open suicide discussion, particularly concerning their preference of discussion contexts and impacts of Internet use. This exploratory sequential mixed-methods study targeted Hong Kong youths aged 15 to 19. A total of six focus groups and 12 individual interviews were held (N = 40). Topics included adolescents' views of open suicide discussion, concerns, perceived benefits, and preferred contexts. The questionnaire survey (N = 1,676) was conducted subsequently to investigate the prevalence of youths' perspectives on public discussion of suicide and relationships with discussion contexts, use of social media platforms, and motivations of online expression. Qualitative findings revealed three types of attitudes toward open suicide discussion: reluctance, support, and indifference. Major barriers included cultural norms, topic sensitivity, privacy concerns, contagion effect, fear of embarrassment, and unpleasant experiences in school programs. Results of quantitative analyses showed that reluctance was the dominant attitude among adolescents, and taboo was the top concern. Variations in youths' attitudes were related to gender, school academic banding, and suicide-related experiences. Notably, adolescents who had been exposed to suicide messages in contexts of peer networks and online platforms were more likely to endorse open suicide discussion. In addition, an increased likelihood of engaging in public suicide discussion was associated with the use of Instagram, WhatsApp, and Snapchat, and the motive of 'expressing emotions and opinions' online. Our results indicated a prevalent rejection among adolescents toward open suicide discussion, suggesting the issue of stigma, the need for tailored programs, the value of appropriate contexts, and the impact of Internet use. These findings may facilitate the development of school-based suicide prevention initiatives and the efficacy of online services for suicide-related communication.

Experiences of grade 8 learners on sexuality education from home and school at Mopani and Vhembe districts.

Globally, adolescents' risk of sexual behaviour has become a concern owing to the world's poor home and school sexuality education, not excluding both the Mopani and Vhembe Districts of Limpopo Province. This study examined the experiences of grade 8 learners on sexuality education from home and school. The study was mainly qualitative, involving eight focus group discussions [FGDs] with grade 8 learners aged 13-15 years. The findings revealed that participants experience confusion regarding physiological body changes. Inadequate knowledge about contraception noted. Findings further revealed Communication concerns related to Cultural barriers, fear of embarrassment, Reactive sharing of information instead of being proactive and gender stereotype. The study concluded that these concerns operate as barriers to comprehensive sexuality education. The study recommended that learners, parents, and teachers receive training about communication on sexuality to acquire knowledge and improve their communication skills with children.

Essential item purchases during COVID-19: A cluster analysis of psychographic traits

ABSTRACT This research seeks to profile consumer segments formed during the COVID-19 pandemic via a set of psychographic consumption traits: Narcissism, Psychological Entitlement, Status Consumption, Fear of Embarrassment, and Fear of Missing Out. Based on a cluster analysis of 281 consumers, the data generated four distinct groups: Egalitarians, Agentic Egoists, Communal Egoists, and Conformists. Further, we compared the segments in their acquisition behavior as it pertains to importance of purchase, quantity of purchase, sharing of purchase, and willingness to pay for essential items. Our results showed that each cluster was associated with a unique set of consumer preferences. For instance, Egalitarians placed less importance on medical items. Conformists placed greater importance on acquiring disposable masks than others. Communal Egoists were interested in food-related items such as bottled waters and snacks. Agentic Egoists reported that they would spend more money on cold/cough medicines than Egalitarians and Conformists. Overall, our findings provide key insights and recommendations to retail managers. Some limitations include our sampling approach (i.e. US consumers) and determining clusters based on select psychographic traits. We acknowledge that there are other characteristics that can differentially influence consumers’ acquisition behavior during the pandemic.

Perception and Experience of Youth About Youths Sexual and Reproductive Health Services in Western Ethiopia: A Community-Based Cross Sectional Study

The use of youth sexual and reproductive health (YSRH) services is low in poor nations like Ethiopia. This puts individuals at risk for a variety of sexual and reproductive health issues. Thus, the goal of this study is to evaluate how young people in East Wollega, Western Ethiopia, perceive and use YSRH services. A community-based cross-sectional quantitative study mixed with a qualitative inquiry was conducted among 771 participants from February 1 to 28, 2020. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews using pretested structured questionnaires adopted from reviewed works of literature on YSRH services. Data were entered using Epi Info version 7.0 and analyzed by SPSS version 20. The qualitative data was collected using interview guides and checklists. These data were analyzed using a thematic framework approach. In this study, 48.2% of teens felt that the YSRH service units' location within the medical facilities was inconvenient and difficult to access. More than half, 71.3% of participants, concurred that the health providers offer services that are technically sound. The confidentiality of information is disputed by 18% of participants at YSRH service locations. The limited awareness and use of YSRH services was investigated. Because of their fear of embarrassment, lack of privacy, the providers' attitudes and workload, and the service unit's awkward location, the adolescents believe they lack the confidence to use YSRH services. Due to low awareness, providers' attitudes, and characteristics specific to health facilities, such as poorly placed service sites inside such facilities, a lack of services offered there, and a terrible work environment, youth had a negative opinion of YSRH services. Therefore, it is advised that families, local authorities, the medical field, the educational field, and the media all collaborate to alter public opinions of juveniles by utilizing youth-friendly strategies. The authors advise health facilities to respect young people's privacy, alter health workers' attitudes, let them use the services, remove obstacles to payment, designate enough health workers for both working and non-working hours, and reorganize the services.

In Situ Team-Based Simulation Training to Close the Loop on Event Reporting

Reporting adverse events is often stigmatized in medicine. Adverse events are underreported. Underreporting has been linked to fear, the time required to complete a report, and a belief that reporting may not result in improvement.1 The reluctance to report is multidimensional and may relate to guilt, fear of punishment of self or others, fear of embarrassment, fear of litigation, and lack of confidence to effect change. Central to this fear is the widely held belief that errors and adverse events are due to carelessness and that blame must be assigned—often to the provider “at fault” or at the sharp end of the process. However, reporting of events offers an invaluable opportunity to identify latent systems issues and review and redesign error-trapping procedures and workflows. Without measurement, it is challenging to leverage adverse events as catalysts for targeted process improvement. Mandated reporting at the state and national levels is an influential catalyst to enhance data collection of adverse events. Aggregated data across varied practice settings are powerful. Mandated reporting alleviates some of the fear associated with reporting and increases reporting volume and relevance.

Exploring the barriers and facilitators of psychological safety in primary care teams: a qualitative study

BackgroundPsychological safety is the concept by which individuals feel comfortable expressing themselves in a work environment, without fear of embarrassment or criticism from others. Psychological safety in healthcare is associated with improved patient safety outcomes, enhanced physician engagement and fostering a creative learning environment. Therefore, it is important to establish the key levers which can act as facilitators or barriers to establishing psychological safety. Existing literature on psychological safety in healthcare teams has focused on secondary care, primarily from an individual profession perspective. In light of the increased focus on multidisciplinary work in primary care and the need for team-based studies, given that psychological safety is a team-based construct, this study sought to investigate the facilitators and barriers to psychological safety in primary care multidisciplinary teams.MethodsA mono-method qualitative research design was chosen for this study. Healthcare professionals from four primary care teams (n = 20) were recruited using snowball sampling. Data collection was through semi-structured interviews. Thematic analysis was used to generate findings.ResultsThree meta themes surfaced: shared beliefs, facilitators and barriers to psychological safety. The shared beliefs offered insights into the teams’ background functioning, providing important context to the facilitators and barriers of psychological safety specific to each team. Four barriers to psychological safety were identified: hierarchy, perceived lack of knowledge, personality and authoritarian leadership. Eight facilitators surfaced: leader and leader inclusiveness, open culture, vocal personality, support in silos, boundary spanner, chairing meetings, strong interpersonal relationships and small groups.ConclusionThis study emphasises that factors influencing psychological safety can be individualistic, team-based or organisational. Although previous literature has largely focused on the role of leaders in promoting psychological safety, safe environments can be created by all team members. Members can facilitate psychological safety in instances where positive leadership behaviours are lacking - for example, strengthening interpersonal relationships, finding support in silos or rotating the chairperson in team meetings. It is anticipated that these findings will encourage practices to reflect on their team dynamics and adopt strategies to ensure every member’s voice is heard.

An Exploration of the Deterrents to Adult Basic Education Among Blue Collar Workers

This phenomenological study explored how blue collar workers employed in a north Mississippi manufacturing facility described their reasons for not participating in adult basic education (ABE) when nonparticipation would result in termination. The structure of the ABE classes was designed to reduce the costs and time constraints to participation. A group of 8 respondents constituted the sample from a population of 23 nonparticipating workers and maximal variation sampling was used to increase gender, race, and age diversity within the sample. Three major themes emerged as deterrents to participation: (a) Test of Adult Basic Education and ABE classes were not perceived as relevant, (b) fear of embarrassment, and (c) low self-efficacy (i.e., a self-perceived lack of capability to perform successfully). However, lack of relevancy and fear of embarrassment were found to be used as reasons for nonparticipation when low self-efficacy in learning new material, reading, and math problem solving were present.

Facilitators and Barriers to Cervical Cancer Screening among Female Undergraduate Students of Makerere University

There is a higher Human Papilloma Virus peak prevalence in younger women (18 - 25 years) of university age. The undergraduate university students are more at a risk of acquiring cervical cancer because they are at the stage of exploring which predisposes them to risky behavior like early sexual intercourse and multiple sexual partners among others. This creates a need for cervical cancer screening in the population. The facilitators and barriers to cervical cancer screening have been studied in the Ugandan general population but little is known among University students which this study is taking interest. Objective: This study is aimed at determining the facilitators, barriers and background factors associated to cervical cancer screening among female undergraduate students in Makerere University. Methods: Four hundred twenty-two (422) female undergraduate students of Makerere University who fit the eligibility criteria were recruited in this descriptive cross-sectional quantitative study. A self-administered semi structured questionnaire was administered to these participants chosen by convenient sampling. Data collected was analyzed using SPSS version 23 software and logistic regression models was used. Results: Less than a half of (21.1%) of the participants had ever screened for cervical cancer. At multivariate analysis, only year of study and married status were associated to cervical cancer screening with a P-values were of (0.015) and (0.001) with a (1.173 - 4.261) and (1.594 - 6.130) 95% CI respectively. The facilitators agreed upon by participants included: Access to free cervical cancer screening services, adequate knowledge about cervical cancer screening and advice from a friend, family or physician among others. The reported barriers to screening were fear of bad result, low risk perception and fear of embarrassment among others. Conclusions and Recommendations: Among the female undergraduate students of Makerere University, only 21.1% had screened for cervical cancer. Therefore, there is a critical need for university based cancer education campaign on cervical cancer and the benefits of screening. Screening services should be integrated into the existing university medical services.

Exploring Vietnamese Students’ Participation and Perceptions of Science Classroom Environment in STEM Education Context

One of the concerns for applying STEM education in the classroom is students’ participation. In this study, the Engagement and Participation in Classroom – Science (EPIC-S) questionnaire was applied to explore Vietnamese students’ participation behaviors and their perceptions of the science classroom environment. The main goal of our study was to investigate the impact of students’ classroom participation on their perceptions of the science classroom environment as assessed by the EPIC-S questionnaire. Our survey was conducted on 884 students in some public secondary schools in Vietnam and the collected data was analyzed using SPSS 20. Students were classified into two groups-verbal and silent- based on how they participated in several facets of the science classroom environment. We found no statistically significant difference between these two groups in their perception of the relationship with the teacher. Nevertheless, there are differences in their perceptions of peer support, fear of embarrassment, and teacher openness. Our results will contribute to the theoretical background for STEM education in Vietnam