Health Corner Research Articles

Education of Cardiovascular Disease in the Elderly through Health Seminars and Health Corner

Advanced age or elderly refers to individuals who have reached the age of 60 and above. According to data from the National Socioeconomic Survey in March 2020, there is a total of 10.48%, consisting of 51.81% elderly women and 48.19% elderly men. The elderly population undergoes the aging process, making them at a higher risk of degenerative diseases. According to Basic Health Research in 2013, the most common diseases among the elderly are hypertension (57.6%), arthritis (51.9%), stroke (46.1%), dental and oral problems (19.1%), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (8.6%), and diabetes mellitus (4.8%). Hypertension can lead to other disorders, such as cardiovascular disease. Cardiovascular diseases have a high mortality rate and can be caused by various factors, such as diabetes mellitus and obesity resulting from an unhealthy lifestyle. Therefore, through education on cardiovascular diseases and the formation of elderly cadres and health corners, efforts to prevent cardiovascular diseases in the elderly are expected to be optimally implemented. The main target of this program is the congregation of the Indonesian Christian Church (GKI) in Sepanjang Sidoarjo, Taman District, Sidoarjo Regency. Activities include pre-tests and post-tests related to cardiovascular diseases in the elderly, health seminars, and the establishment of health corners. The results of this activity show that the respondents' knowledge level, assessed through questionnaires, had an average pre-test score of 12.52 and a post-test score of 14.71, indicating a significant change with a p-value < 0.001 meeting the significant level of 95%.

HIV-Related Knowledge and Health Care Seeking Barriers among Transgender Individuals in a Megacity of Bangladesh: A Cross-sectional Study

The prevalence of HIV among Transgender is 1% in Bangladesh while only 0.9% in Dhaka City.Being minority group barriers faced by transgenders for healthcare-seeking are major public health concerns. Thus, the study aims to find out the HIV-related knowledge and health care seeking barriers among transgender individuals in dhaka city. This was a cross-sectional study purposively selecting 135 transgender from Drop-in-center and three Hijra pollis of Dhaka City. Data was collected using a semi-structured questionnaire containing a Likert scale regarding HIV-related knowledge. Majority were professional sex sellers including 54.10% having irregular sexual clients while 48.9% had been engaged in sex work for more than 10 years. Although more than half (57%) had good HIV-related knowledge. Only one-third (37.30%) sometimes used barrier method and more than half (58%) had knowledge of HIV symptoms. The barriers were negligence (16%), inconvenient location (12.43%), shame (13.45%), judgment (11.68%), fear (7.60%) and long waiting time (8.10%). Transgenders from Drop-in-center had higher HIV-related knowledge compared to ones from hijra pollis [t (95% CI)=.168, p<.001]. Those having HIV-related higher knowledge did not feel the necessity of isolated health corners [t (95% CI)= -3.799, p<.001]. Although DIC provides healthcare services, but existing facilities barriers need to be addressed to extend health services.

Female adolescent sexual reproductive health service utilization concerns: A qualitative enquiry in the Tema metropolis of Ghana.

Evidence globally indicates that female adolescents face numerous sexual and reproductive health (SRH) risks. Utilization of sexual reproductive health services among adolescents is of global health importance and plays a crucial role in adolescent sexual reproductive health outcomes and their quality of life. The current study explored sexual reproductive health service utilization concerns among female adolescents in the Tema Metropolis in Southern Ghana using the Anderson and Newman Behavioural model of Health Service Utilization as a guiding framework. The study utilized a qualitative exploratory descriptive design. Purposive sampling was used to recruit female adolescents. In-depth face-to-face interviews were conducted using a semi-structured interview guide. In all, 12 interviews were conducted. Each interview lasted between 45 and 60 minutes. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using thematic content analysis. Thematic analysis was guided by the constructs of the Anderson and Newman Behavioural model of health service utilization. Utilization of sexual reproductive health services among female adolescents is low in the Tema metropolis. Factors such as unprotected non-consensual sexual activity or an unwanted pregnancy sometimes triggered the use of these services. Barriers to utilization identified include lack of awareness on sexual reproductive health services, unreliable sources of SRH information, underestimation of the severity of sexual reproductive health problems faced, unmet expectations and poor experiences with service providers. The current study identified poor utilization of sexual reproductive health services among female adolescents within the Tema metropolis of Ghana. There is the need to increase the number of adolescent health corners, increase awareness about SRH services among adolescents, improve parent-child SRH communication and provide adequate training for healthcare providers to improve provider attitude towards adolescent SRH service delivery in order to increase utilization of sexual reproductive health services among female adolescents in the Metropolis.

Healthy Foods in Convenience Stores: Benefits, Barriers, and Best Practices.

Accessing healthy food is a challenge for many. Healthy corner store initiatives have proven successful at promoting healthy food access nationwide. Recent data suggest that 11.8% of Clark County residents and 17.1% of Henderson, Nevada, residents experienced food insecurity. It is crucial to assess the current perceptions and practices of the community before pursuing policy change to ensure that pilot programs reflect its members' needs. This study aimed to identify which healthy foods consumers would like to see offered in convenience stores, assess purchasing behaviors, and explore barriers preventing store owners from carrying healthy foods. In doing so, this study aimed to ensure that the needs of owners and consumers are reflected in local policy changes. Project staff collected data through two approaches: (a) convenience store owner interviews (n = 2; who represented eight stores total) and (b) consumer intercept surveys (n = 88) within low-income census tracts of Henderson, Nevada. The cost of healthy foods-for storeowners and consumers-was a major factor when selecting items to stock. Storeowners also described key contextual barriers such as minimum purchasing requirements, city regulations limiting promotions, and healthy, fresh food not being in high enough demand for the many transient customers passing through. Survey respondents' most commonly reported barrier to accessing healthy food was their lack of availability in convenience stores, suggesting it would be beneficial if stores offered healthier options to increase access. The results of this study will inform the community's next steps to increase access to healthy foods, including implementing a pilot healthy corner store project and a City-sponsored marketing campaign. Our methods and lessons learned may be useful for other municipalities considering health corner and convenience store initiatives.

Periodontal Status and Gingival Conditions of the Tea Workers

Background: Periodontitis and gingivitis are prevalent chronic inflammatory diseases. The examination of the periodontal and gingival conditions is complex and requires a proficient dental healthcare provider to detect the patient’s definite problems.
 Methodology: The study was designed as a cross-sectional study to assess the periodontal status and gingival conditions of the 372 tea workers in the purposively selected Premnagar tea garden located in Moulvibazar district, Sylhet 3200, Bangladesh. ‘Community Periodontal Index’ (CPI) was used to measure the periodontal status.
 Results: Most of the workers (38.2%) were from the age group ≥37 years and illiterates (62.1%). More than two-fourths (57.8%) had detected calculus during probing, one-fourth (25.3%) had a shallow pocket and only 11.6% had healthy periodontal status. The prevalence of poor periodontal status was 88.4%. Among the dental cleaning aids such as toothbrush users, 15.6% had healthy periodontal status, whereas the smokeless tobacco non-users (22.6%) and pan-supari non-chewers (75.0%) had healthy periodontal conditions. The level of periodontal status factors was statistically significant with age, educational qualification, and monthly household income (p<0.05) of the workers.
 Conclusion: The study warrants poor periodontal health status among the tea workers. It is essential to do the periodical assessment of the periodontal condition, risk factors analysis, and management complications by establishing dental health corners in tea garden health settings.
 Eastern Med Coll J. Jan 2023; 8 (1) 19-23

Impact of an Interactive Health Corner Using the Culinary Education Approach in Promoting Long-Term Dietary Changes among Patients Who Seek Public Primary Care Services.

An unhealthy diet is a major risk factor for chronic diseases. Although nutrition education and cooking demonstrations have resulted in favourable dietary changes, it is unclear whether this is sustainable for longer periods. This study aims to evaluate the long-term impact of a nutrition-led cooking intervention using the culinary education approach on dietary patterns based on My Healthy Plate (MHP). This was a quasi-experimental study involving patients who sought public primary care services in two polyclinics (mean age 59.3 years old). A self-administered survey was done at baseline, 6 months, and 1 year for both the intervention and the comparison groups. Participants in the intervention group were exposed to the health corner, which provided nutrition education and cooking demonstrations using the culinary education approach. A total of 216 participants completed the study at 1 year with a follow-up rate of 86%. Adjusted risk ratios (aRR) were obtained from negative binomial regression. Compared with the comparison group, participants in the intervention group were more likely to report adhering to the requirements of MHP at 6 months (aRR 1.83, 95% CI 1.12–2.99) and 1 year (aRR 1.54, 95% CI 1.10–2.16). Participants in the intervention group were less likely to add salt or sauces to food at 6 months (aRR 0.29, 95% CI 0.12–0.75) and 1 year (aRR 0.21, 95% CI 0.07–0.61) and more likely to remove fat when eating meat at 1 year (aRR 0.30, 95% CI 0.13–0.67) than the comparison group. The interventions at the health corner had a positive impact in helping patients achieve MHP recommendations, not adding salt and sauces to their food, and removing animal fat before eating. There is potential for expanding this initiative to improve healthy eating practices in other polyclinics.

Role of academic library in creating students’ mental health literacy

Background of the study: Mental health literacy is a very important skill because mental health is as important as physical health. University students must have mental health literacy because they face heavy pressure in the learning process and in social interactions. Academic libraries can play an active role in creating students' mental health literacy.Purpose: to identify and explain how the role of academic libraries in creating students' mental health literacy. Method: It is a literature review, namely reviewing the books, journal articles, news, reports on mental health, mental health among students, the function and role of the academic library. Next, synergize the results of the study with the results of the researchers' thoughts. Findings: Academic libraries can carry out various activities as an effort to create students’ mental health literacy, namely providing easy access to mental health information sources through library collections development and providing mental health corners; promoting mental health collections in the library; organize mental health literacy campaigns through events such as seminars; providing health consultation facilities in collaboration with mental health professionals such as psychologists and psychiatrists. Conclusions: Academic libraries can play an active role in creating students' mental health literacy by utilizing their resources and by collaborating with professionals.

Is the presence of an adolescent reproductive health corner associated with adolescent knowledge and use of reproductive health services in Ghana?

ObjectiveThis study assessed the association between the presence of an adolescent reproductive health corner and adolescents’ knowledge and use of reproductive health services (RHS) in Ghana. MethodsA survey was administered in May-June 2018 to 392 adolescents in Junior High Schools within two communities in the Asunafo South District. One community had an adolescent reproductive health corner and the other did not. Chi-square test and binary logistic regression were used to assess the associations between the presence of the corner and adolescents’ knowledge and use of RHS. ResultsAfter controlling for the influence of socio-demographic characteristics, relative to those in the other community, adolescents in the community with the health corner were statistically significantly more likely to know contraceptive counseling (AOR = 8.57, p < 0.01), injectables (AOR = 6.08, p < 0.01), pills (AOR = 2.39, p < 0.01), implants (AOR = 1.86, p < 0.05) but less likely to know withdrawal (AOR = 8.57, p < 0.01), antenatal care (AOR = 0.10, p < 0.01) and postnatal care (AOR = 0.12, p < 0.01). Covariates such as sex, age, religion and sexual relationship status were also associated (p < 0.05) with knowledge of RHS. RHS use was generally low, however, comparatively; there was a significantly higher use of contraceptive counseling (χ2 = 85.963; p = 0.000), STIs screening (χ2 = 41.783, p = 0.000), male condoms (χ2 = 9.956, p = 0.001) and pills (χ2 = 8.665, p = 0.003) in the community with the health corner than in the other community. ConclusionThe existence of an adolescent reproductive health corner is associated with higher knowledge and use of modern methods of pregnancy and disease prevention services. However, management of such corners should also provide adequate information on pregnancy and post-pregnancy management services.

Factors Influencing Teenage Pregnancy in the Lower Manya Krobo Municipality in the Eastern Region of Ghana: A Cross-Sectional Study

Aim: This study attempted to 1) assess the factors contributing to teenage pregnancy in the Lower Manya Krobo Municipality; 2) specifically determine whether peer influence and sexual behaviour, electronic media and poverty, knowledge and use of contraceptives, and sex education contributed to teenage pregnancy; and 3) also determine the prevalence of teenage pregnancy and finally solicit for suggestions on how to curb the problem. The findings will help inform policymakers to further set in place measures to mitigate its adverse effects. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the prevalence of teenage pregnancy and its predictors among the target population between January and March 2019. Structured questionnaires were administered to 223 selected teenagers in a face-to-face interview setting within eight selected communities in the municipality by trained fieldworkers. Descriptive estimates including the prevalence of the condition were calculated. Both crude and adjusted logistic regression analyses were performed to examine the level of associations between selected variables. Conclusion: Teenage pregnancy is a public health threat in the municipality. There is, therefore, the need for the establishment of more “teenage health corners” to cater for the health needs of the teenagers. An extensive and devoted focus on girl-child education is also an important solution to deal with the increasing prevalence of teenage pregnancy.

Power Control Algorithms for Media Transmission in Remote Healthcare Systems

Currently, medical media technologies have become a center of attention due to emerging trends in miniaturized wearable devices from factories to health corner stores everywhere. Due to the power-constrained nature of these portable devices, it is challenging to adopt them during critical medical operations and diagnoses. Maximizing energy efficiency and, hence, extending the battery life is vital. In addition, conventional approaches with constant transmission power are inappropriate option for green and smart healthcare. Thus, this paper first proposes a transmission power control (TPC)-based energy-efficient algorithm (EEA) for when a subject is in different postures, i.e., standing, walking, and running, in wireless body sensor networks. Second, a hardware platform was developed on the Intel Galileo board to test and compare the proposed EEA and conventional adaptive TPC (ATPC) in terms of energy and channel reliability or packet loss ratio (PLR). Experimental results revealed that the proposed EEA obtained energy savings of 42.5% with an acceptable PLR compared with that of the traditional ATPC method.

Effectiveness of nutrition education accompanied by cooking demonstration

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to evaluate the impact of delivering healthy eating messages through an interactive health corner (HC) on improving healthy dietary habits in participants.Design/methodology/approachSelf-administered questionnaires were administered to participants after the education session. In total, 5,292 valid questionnaires were obtained, yielding a response rate of 93.3 per cent. In the last three months of the pilot study, a random sample of 305 from 1,493 participants was chosen and followed up six months later. Bivariate analysis was used to study the association of knowledge gained and attitude. Behavioural change was measured in terms of whether participants had reported an increase in their consumption of healthier food.FindingsMajority (>98 per cent) of participants reported that the HC corner was useful, and had helped increase their awareness and knowledge of creating healthier meals and making healthier food choices. 95.7 per cent were willing to make changes after visiting the HC. At six months follow-up, 84 per cent of the participants reported positive changes in their dietary habits. Those who made positive changes were younger (mean age: 58.0 years) compared with those who did not (mean age 61.0 years, p=0.035).Research limitations/implicationsIncorporating cooking demonstrations as part of nutrition education is effective in inculcating healthy eating practices and changing self-reported eating habits in the short term. Further research is needed to verify actual change in eating habits and to determine if this change is sustainable in the long run.Originality/valueCurrently, no similar initiative has been implemented and studied to evaluate the effectiveness of this mode of health promotion in a primary care setting. This study will help the authors to evaluate if the intervention was effective in changing attitudes and behaviours after an education session at the HC.

An Embedded Sensing and Communication Platform, and a Healthcare Model for Remote Monitoring of Chronic Diseases

This paper presents a new remote healthcare model, which, exploiting wireless biomedical sensors, an embedded local unit (gateway) for sensor data acquisition-processing-communication, and a remote e-Health service center, can be scaled in different telemedicine scenarios. The aim is avoiding hospitalization cost and long waiting lists for patients affected by chronic illness who need continuous and long-term monitoring of some vital parameters. In the “1:1” scenario, the patient has a set of biomedical sensors and a gateway to exchange data and healthcare protocols with the remote service center. In the “1:N” scenario the use of gateway and sensors is managed by a professional caregiver, e.g., assigned by the Public Health System to a number N of different patients. In the “point of care” scenario the patient, instead of being hospitalized, can take the needed measurements at a specific health corner, which is then connected to the remote e-Health center. A mix of commercially available sensors and new custom-designed ones is presented. The new custom-designed sensors range from a single-lead electrocardiograph for easy measurements taken by the patients at their home, to a multi-channel biomedical integrated circuit for acquisition of multi-channel bio signals, to a new motion sensor for patient posture estimation and fall detection. Experimental trials in real-world telemedicine applications assess the proposed system in terms of easy usability from patients, specialist and family doctors, and caregivers, in terms of scalability in different scenarios, and in terms of suitability for implementation of needed care plans.

Validity of routine surveillance data: a case study on Swedish notifications of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus

Surveillance of communicable diseases is a public health corner stone. Routine notification data on communicable diseases are used as a basis for public health action as well as for policy making. While there are agreed standards for evaluating the performance of surveillance systems, it is rarely possible to analyse the validity of the data entered into these systems. In this study we compared data on all Swedish cases of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) routinely notified between 2000 and 2003 with follow-up information collected for each of these cases as part of a public health project. The variables Reason for testing (clinical sample, contact tracing, screening of risk group), Clinical presentation (disease, colonisation), Transmission setting (healthcare-acquired, community-acquired), Country of acquisition (Sweden, abroad) and Risk-occupation (yes, no) were analysed for sensitivity, positive predictive value and completeness of answers. The sensitivity varied between 23% and 83%, the positive predictive values were generally higher (55% to 97%), while missing answers varied from 11% to 59%. The proportion of community-acquired cases was markedly higher when excluding either cases of MRSA colonisation or cases found through public health-initiated activities (contact tracing or screening of risk groups). We conclude that the quality of routine surveillance data may be inadequate for in-depth epidemiological analyses. This should be taken into account when interpreting routine surveillance figures. Whether or not the case definition includes cases of MRSA colonisation may have a significant impact on population-wide estimates of MRSA occurrence.

Allied Health Corner

Allied Health Corner

Allied Health Corner

Allied Health Corner

Children's Health Corners

Children's Health Corners

Children's Health Corner

Children's Health Corner

Health corner

Health corner

Promoting Participation: Evaluation of a Health Promotion Program for Low Income Seniors

This article describes a qualitative evaluation of the Seniors Active Living in Vulnerable Elders (ALIVE) program, a 10-month health promotion program for low income seniors. Program interventions delivered in seniors' apartment buildings included exercise classes, health information sessions (i.e., health corners), and newsletters. The evaluation examined program participation, program impacts, and how the program worked. The most frequent reason for joining the program was recognizing the benefits of exercise, and the most frequent reason for not attending the program was having other priorities. The main participant impact was "feeling better." Specific impacts were also noted in physical, mental, and social domains. Fun, program delivery adaptations, autonomy, social interactions, and staff-participant relationships were discovered to be important program processes. These processes all contributed to participant's "comfort" in the program. How and why the program worked is examined in relation to Pender's (1996) revised health promotion model and implications for nursing are indicated.

Health education, recent and future trends.

During the past, Health Education has been taking place in a variety of ways: prevention, monitoring and control of potentially epidemic diseases. New trends have been arising (such as 'health corners', interdisciplinary activities, exhibit, 'mini-university' for children, etc.). But it is important to discuss what 'Health Education' means, and define 'health' and rethink educational strategies. Several evaluations have highlighted the limited impact that communication activities, or one-off awareness campaigns, may have.