School Health Education Programs Research Articles

Investigating Determinants Affecting the Adoption of Contemporary Contraceptive Methods: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of Adolescent Utilization in the Nabdan District, Upper East Region, Ghana

Introduction: Promoting the use of contraception among adolescents is essential to improving their sexual and reproductive health. Teenage pregnancies are becoming more common, and the Nabdam area continues to have low rates of use of contemporary contraceptive methods. These facts highlight the urgent need to address the needs of adolescents concerning their sexual and reproductive health. This study aims to investigate the factors impacting the Upper East Region of Ghana's Nabdam District's adoption of contemporary contraceptive methods.
 Methods: 261 older teenage girls from the Nabdam district, ages 15 to 19, were included in the study, which used a quantitative technique and a descriptive cross-sectional design. Respondents were chosen using a multiphase sample technique, and data were collected over the course of 10 working days using a standardized survey form. STATA Version 14 was utilized for data analysis. A significance criterion of p < 0.05 was applied to bivariate and logistic regression models to investigate any correlations between independent factors and outcome variables.
 Results: 52.1% of respondents said they have had their first sexual experience before turning 20. The oldest stated age at first sex was 19 years old, while the youngest was 10 years old. Additionally, 97.8% of respondents reported learning about contemporary contraception via a variety of sources, such as peers, instructors, health professionals, and radio media. Even with this knowledge, 48.7% of respondents thought using a contraceptive technique would provide 100% protection against getting pregnant, while 73.6% of respondents had never used any kind of birth control. Age (p< 0.001), educational attainment (p< 0.001), marital status (p< 0.001), peer influence (p< 0.001), place of residence (p< 0.001), religious affiliation (p< 0.018), consent from a sexual partner (p< 0.001), positive attitudes from healthcare providers (p < 0.001), and the availability of contraceptives (p < 0.001) were discovered to be linked to the usage of modern contraceptives.
 Conclusion: Although a sizable percentage of respondents showed awareness of contemporary contraceptive methods, low modern contraceptive usage was significantly correlated with several factors, including age, marital status, educational attainment, peer influence, partner consent, and the unfavorable attitudes of healthcare professionals. To tackle this problem, a community-based strategy emphasizing the advancement of enabling elements and the removal of obstacles is required. The Ghana Health Service could enhance its School Health Education Program (SHEP) by increasing informational sessions, organizing theatrical productions and debates, and recruiting peer educators as invaluable resources to share experiences and instruct their peers on sexuality, reproductive health issues, and the use of modern contraceptives

Process evaluation of the Greek nationwide school health education program

Abstract Background Schools can play a significant role in promoting health of the school community. Process evaluation is always needed to gain valuable insights on how next health promotion interventions could be improved. In Greece, the first effort to organize health education interventions in the schools at national level, was in 2019 by the Ministry of Health. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the process of a national school health education program in Greece. Methods The health education interventions took place during school year 2019-2020. They included the following themes: oral health, healthy eating, mental health, sexual health, bullying, and online safety. Multidisciplinary teams co-developed all health education material. A representative sample of teachers and health professionals filled in the structured questionnaires developed for the current study, after their informed consent. Statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS statistical software (version 22.0). Results Most teachers evaluated as excellent (83.6%) the cooperation with the school principal and the health education coordinator (77.6%), while the general satisfaction from the intervention was evaluated as excellent by 69.8% of them. In addition, most of the health professionals (90.7%) perceived as excellent the cooperation with the health education coordinator and the other health professionals (86.3%) as well as the cooperation with the school principal (87%). Conclusions Even though this was the first effort in Greece to organize school health education interventions at a national level, the results of the process evaluation have been positive. Therefore, the Greek Ministry of Health has adopted this program which is implemented until today. Key messages • Process evaluation of school health education interventions is important to improve future initiatives. • Centrally organized school health education interventions may be the key for their success.

Exploring the evolution of physical education and school health research: A bibliometric analysis

Physical education and school health have received more attention in recent years due to the growing concern over sedentary lifestyles and the rising prevalence of obesity and other health problems among children and adolescents. As a result, there has been an increase in the study on this topic, making it crucial to assess publishing trends and identify critical areas of concentration. This study aimed to map the school physical education and health literature between 2013 and 2022. VOSviewer was used to analyse 1,427 article documents. This study indicated that 2019 was the peak year for publications, with 183 documents. This result signifies increased interest and investment in this field’s study. This publication’s rise implies that researchers, institutions, and funding agencies prioritise physical education and school health research to encourage healthy lifestyles and prevent chronic diseases in children and adolescents. The subject area “Medicine” was the most focused on physical education and school health studies, with 1,229 documents. The BMC Public Health journal published the most articles, with 165 documents. Lubans, D.R., from the University of Newcastle, Australia, was the most prolific author with 32 documents. The keyword “physical activity” was the most used in cluster 1, with 450 occurrences and a total link strength of 678. This study’s results guide the most recent references in physical education and school health to guide future research appropriately. Future research may investigate using technology and digital media to encourage physical activity and healthy lives. In addition, future research may identify methods for incorporating school health and physical education programmes.

Oral health status treatment needs among 12 years old children living in orphanages and parental homes in Bangalore city: a cross sectional study

Background: Enjoying good oral health includes more than just having healthy teeth. Many children have inadequate oral and general health because of active and uncontrolled caries. In orphans the oral hygiene practices are usually neglected which may affect various aspects of life, including function, appearance, interpersonal relationships and even career opportunities. Aim of study was to assess oral health status, treatment needs among 12 years old children living in orphanages and compare with that of children living in parental homes and attending government school. Methods: A descriptive cross sectional comparative study was carried out among 460 twelve year old children living in orphanages and parental home. Oral health status and treatment needs was assessed using the World health Organization’s oral health assessment (tooth surface) form for children- 2013. Proportion was calculated using chi-square test and T-test. Results: Present study found mean decayed surface, mean missing surface and mean filled surface was higher in orphanage children (4.57±3.9), (0.17±0.91) and (3.2±0.37) and as compared to school children i.e. (3.88±3.91), (0.16±0.370) and (2.3±0.14). 68.7% school children required prompt treatment (including scaling) 24.3% required immediate treatment due to pain or infection of dental and oral origin, 5.7% required preventive or routine treatment. Conclusions: The study highlighted untreated caries, less filled component and high missing component among orphanage children compared to school children. There is need for dental care, primary prevention such as oral health education programmes in schools.

Pattern of Tooth Extraction and Use of Space Maintainers in Paediatric Dental Patients in Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja

The primary dentition is essential in the maintenance of normal occlusion in the permanent dentition. Both dentitions enhance aesthetic, speech and are functional in nature. Early loss of the primary dentition necessitates the placement of space maintainers. This study determined the pattern of tooth extraction of patients attending the paediatric dental clinic in Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja and the use of space maintainers. A retrospective study carried out using the dental records of patients who attended the Paediatric dental clinic, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja, Lagos. Data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software, version 20 (IBM, New York). The prevalence of tooth extraction was 49.8% among a population of 410 subjects with a total of 353 extracted teeth. The male to female ratio was 1:1.37. Majority (58.3%) of the subjects had only one tooth extracted. The commonest reason for extraction was retained primary teeth (35.8%). The commonest arch and segment of extraction was the mandible (56.1%) and the anterior teeth (51.0%). The commonest tooth extracted was upper right primary central incisor (7.6%). The most common space maintainer was band and loop. Retained teeth was the most common reason for tooth extraction followed by sequelae of dental caries, caries and trauma. This highlights the need for implementation of oral health prevention policies with regards to the use of fluoride, fissure sealants, silver diamine fluoride increased awareness of safety protocols to mitigate traumatic injuries and introduction of dental health education programs in schools and community.

School Health Education Program in Pakistan (SHEPP): findings from a feasibility trial in pre-adolescent school children from a lower middle-income country

BackgroundThe school environment plays an essential role in promoting health education and physical activity for children and adolescents. We aim to assess the feasibility of threefold health education program in children and its potential efficacy on physical activity and diet and cardiometabolic risk factors including blood pressure, body mass index (BMI), and waist circumference.MethodsThe SHEPP was a parallel group feasibility intervention trial conducted in two schools over 23 months. All children aged 9–11 years enrolled in the schools were included. The SHEPP intervention comprised of health education on healthy lifestyle and physical activity sessions for children, training of teachers, and awareness sessions for parents conducted over 10 months. One school received the intervention of SHEPP while the other school continued routine activity. The primary outcome was the feasibility of SHEPP in terms of recruitment, retention, and treatment fidelity. Secondary outcomes were physical activity levels, dietary intake (of fruits and vegetables), and cardiometabolic risk factors (blood pressure, BMI, and waist circumference (WC)).ResultsA total of 1280 preadolescent children were assessed for eligibility and 1191 were found eligible. The overall recruitment n (%) was 982/1191(82.5%) with 505(51.4) from SHEPP intervention school and 477(48.6) in routine activity school. The overall retention rate n (%) at 10-month follow-up was 912/982(92.8), with 465/505(92) in SHEPP intervention school and 447/477(93.7) in routine activity school. In treatment fidelity, 132/144(92) %). Physical activity sessions and all (100%) health education sessions were conducted for each of the twelve classes. Mean (SD) Seven-day Physical activity increased by 134 (196) min in the SHEPP intervention school v 29.8(177) in the routine activity school (P value < 0.001) from baseline to follow-up. Overall, there was an increase in vegetable intake (> 3 serving /day) in SHEPP intervention school of 5.5 to 21.4% from baseline to follow-up compared to 7.5 to 14.9% in routine activity school. The mean change (SD) in systolic blood pressure was 1.3(12) mmHg, 2.2(19.0) mm Hg in in diastolic blood pressure, − 0.09(5.4) kg/m2 in BMI and 6.2 cm in waist circumference in the intervention arm versus − 3.4(11.1) mm Hg in SBP, − 4.3(9.9) mm Hg in DBP, − 0.04((4.6) kg/m2 in BMI, and 3.8 cm in WC in the control arm.ConclusionWe found that intervention using SHEPP is feasible in schools and may help children to adopt a healthy lifestyle as they age by increasing physical activity. However, the potentially beneficial effect on diet, MI, and BP needs further exploration and a longer follow-up, more specifically at the juncture of teenage and adulthood.Trial registrationNCT03303287.

Influence of age and education on breast cancer awareness and knowledge among women in South Western Nigeria.

The rising incidence of breast cancer (BC) in sub-Saharan Africa is aggravated by poor prognosis. Health education and several screening methods, including breast self-examination (BSE), clinical breast-examination (CBE) and mammography, have been advanced to achieve early detection and reduction in its mortality rate. This study evaluated the level of awareness and knowledge of BC and BSE amongst female students and staff of six educational institutions in Ota, Southwest Nigeria. The participants, consisting of 917 (80.79%) students and 218 (19.21%) staff, aged between 13 and 60 years, were selected using a stratified random sampling technique and categorized into age groups [adolescents (13-19 years), young adults (21-40 years) and middle-aged adults (41-60 years)] and levels of education. Data was collected via questionnaires and analysed using Epi-info software and SPSS version 20. Frequencies, percentages, regression and correlation co-efficient were calculated and used to determine the levels of association between age groups and levels of education. Mean age of the participants was 21 ± 1.7 years; over 75% were adolescents. BC and BSE awareness was 94.80% and 65.11% respectively, with 7 (0.62%) having BC. The major sources of BC and BSE information were television, health workers and internet. The average BC knowledge score of the participants was 4.06 (40.57%); it was highest among young adults, 4.31 (43.07%), and least among the adolescents, 3.88 (38.78%). The same trend was observed for BSE practice among the age groups. There was a direct relationship between BC knowledge and levels of education; the postgraduates had the highest BC knowledge score of 4.49 (44.89%) while the secondary students had the least score of 3.82 (38.12%). Similar trend was observed for BSE practice and the levels of education. Paucity of BSE knowledge largely accounted for the low BSE practice among the adolescents and secondary students. The huge gap in BC knowledge and BSE practice underscores the need for a structured health education and screening programmes in Nigerian schools to enhance prevention and early detection of BC and other ailments. BSE is free, easy to perform, and able to detect BC at earlier stage. The practice should be encouraged alongside mammography to reduce the burden and mortality rate of BC in Nigeria.

Level of knowledge on the effect of fast foods on health among young hypertensive patients in Bangladesh

Young people make up a sizable share of the global population, and most of them reside in developing nations. They consume too much fast food and obesity at a young age is becoming a worldwide epidemic, putting them at risk for nutritional issues from a physiological as well as psychological perspective. Eating fast food has several negative effects on health. Bangladesh's circumstance is not any different. Thus, this study was conducted to identify the level of knowledge on the effect of fast foods on health among young hypertensive patients in Bangladesh. In a tertiary-level cardiology hospital in Dhaka, Bangladesh, 150 young (20 to 35 years old) hypertension patients participated in a descriptive-type cross-sectional study from November to December 2022. Every stage of the study protected the respondents' anonymity, and participants were made aware that they could withdraw from the program at any point while data was being collected. In total, 25.3 percent of respondents had a good knowledge of the impact of fast food on health, compared to 46.0 percent who had moderate knowledge. It was also found that respondents' knowledge level was substantially correlated with their level of education, occupation, and monthly household income. Given this, various measures should be implemented, such as the implementation of health education programs in communities, schools, and universities, to increase the level of public awareness of the effects of fast food on health.

Proposal for a school health education program: healthy eating at school

Introduction: Childhood obesity is one of the most prevalent noncommunicable diseases in our country, and according to the 2019 ALADINO study, it affects 17.3% of Spanish children. The World Health Organization establishes that this problem is fundamentally due to a lifestyle based on a sedentary lifestyle and poor eating habits, which are in turn related to an increase in the consumption of ultra-processed foods. It is affirmed that interventions on nutrition and physical activity in the school environment imply improvements in the change of these habits in the child population, in addition to interventions on their closest environment, such as their relatives. Objective: To develop an educational program that allows establishing a healthy and balanced diet in children in the 6th grade of primary school, through basic knowledge about nutrition. Methodology: The target population will include both students enrolled in the 6th grade of primary school and their families and teaching staff of the center. A total of 6 training sessions, theoretical and practical, will be held on healthy eating and physical activity for students, and 1 session for families and teaching staff of the center. Conclusions: With the application of the program, positive changes are expected to be achieved both in the improvement of health-related habits and in the acquisition of knowledge about healthy eating.

Risk Profile of Keratoconus among Secondary School Students in the West Region of Cameroon.

This study determined the risk factors of keratoconus (KC) among secondary school students in the West Region of Cameroon. A stratified, random sampling technique was used to select the 3015 secondary school students, 8 years and older, within the West Region of Cameroon. Selected school students completed the validated Keratoconus Risk Investigative Survey (KRIS) and a structured demographic questionnaire to determine the risk profile of KC. Descriptive analysis, logistic regression and p-values were used to provide an overview of the demographic findings and the risk factors of KC. Estimates were made as the proportion of affected school students and presented with a 95% confidence interval (CI). Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to explore the association between KC and the independent predictors that were found significant in the univariate analysis. The ages of the majority (93.2%) of students ranged from eight years to 18 years (mean = 13.18 ± years) and were mostly female (59.7%). Gender (OR 2.024, p < 0.001), eye rubbing (OR 3.615, p < 0.001), exposure to sunlight (OR 2.735, p < 0.001), blood relations with KC (OR 41.819, p < 0.001) and allergic experience (OR 1.070, p < 0.001) were considered. Eye rubbing was the most significant risk factor of keratoconus followed by refractive error, allergic experiences and sunlight exposure. These findings support the evidence that the etiology of KC is multifactorial, with eye rubbing being the most significant factor in this cohort. There is a need to address eye rubbing among students to minimize the risk of KC. Furthermore, 34.46% of students in Cameroon were at risk of developing KC. Hence the risk profile is that one engages in eye rubbing, has a family member with KC, spends more than eight hours per week in the sun and is prone to allergies. It will therefore be prudent for these risk factors for keratoconus to be included in the school health education programs.

Socio-cultural factors associated with knowledge, attitudes and menstrual hygiene practices among Junior High School adolescent girls in the Kpando district of Ghana: A mixed method study

BackgroundGood menstrual hygiene practice is critical to the health of adolescent girls and women. In Ghanaian public schools, the School Health Education Program which includes menstrual health education has been instituted to equip adolescents with knowledge on menstruation and its related good hygiene practices. However, in most communities, menstruation is scarcely discussed openly due to mostly negative social and religious beliefs about menstruation. In this study, we examined socio-cultural factors associated with knowledge, attitudes and menstrual hygiene practices among Junior High School adolescent girls in the Kpando Municipality of Ghana.Materials and methodsA mixed method approach was employed with 480 respondents. A survey was conducted among 390 adolescent girls using interviewer-administered questionnaires to collect data on knowledge of menstruation and menstrual hygiene practices. Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) using a discussion guide were conducted among 90 respondents in groups of 9 members. The FGD was used to collect data on socio-cultural beliefs and practices regarding menstruation. Descriptive and inferential statistics and content analysis were used to analyze the quantitative and qualitative data respectively.ResultsMost (80%) of the study participants had good knowledge of menstruation. Also, most (82%) of the participants practiced good menstrual hygiene. Attending a public (AOR = 0.24, 95% CI = 0.12–0.48, p<0.001) and rural (AOR = 0.40, 95% CI = 0.21–0.75, p<0.01) school was significantly associated with reduced odds of practicing good menstrual hygiene. Good knowledge of menstruation was associated with increased odds of good hygiene practices (AOR = 4.31, 95% CI = 2.39–7.90, p<0.001). Qualitative results showed that teachers provided adolescents with more detailed biological information on menstruation than key informants (family members) did at menarche. However, both teachers and family members spoke positively of menstruation to adolescent girls. Social and religious beliefs indicate that menstruation is evil and unclean. Such beliefs influenced community members’ attitudes towards adolescent girls and led to practices such as isolating menstruating girls and limiting their ability to interact and participate in certain community and religious activities.ConclusionDespite the prominence of negative social and religious beliefs about menstruation, good menstrual hygiene practice was high among study participants. Knowledge of menstruation; place of residents; and type of school were the major factors associated with good menstrual hygiene practice. It is therefore, necessary to intensify the School Health Education Program in both rural and urban public and intensively involve private schools as well to ensure equal access to accurate information on menstruation and good menstrual hygiene practices among adolescent girls.

Knowledge, attitude and practice towards hepatitis B infection among high school students in Asante Mampong, Ghana.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a serious global public health problem, with significant morbidity and mortality from acute and chronic complications. Increasing awareness and improving knowledge of HBV helps reduce the risk of the disease. Although many studies have been conducted on HBV in Ghana, few have focused on examining knowledge, attitude and preventive practices among adolescents towards the disease. The objective of this study was to assess HBV knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) among adolescents in high schools in the Asante Mampong Municipality in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 398 adolescents from six senior high schools within the Asante Mampong Municipality. Data was collected using a 30-item structured questionnaire. Each item had two response options: "Yes" and "No". A scoring system was generated and respondents were given a score on each item answered. A positive response to an item was scored 1 point and a negative response was scored 0. Scores were then summed up and averaged to give the mean knowledge, attitude and practice scores. The majority of the respondents were male (60%), between 15 and 17 years (45%), Christian (93%) and in their first year of study. The adolescents had basic knowledge, positive attitude, and poor practices towards HBV. There was no significant relationship between the demographic variables of the respondents and KAP mean scores. There is the need to introduce health education and awareness programs in schools within the Asante Mampong Municipality to improve students' level of knowledge of HBV. Countrywide studies examining KAP towards HBV infection among adolescents are also warranted.

Prevalence, associated factors and level of dependence of substance use among urban secondary school students, Benin.

The use of psychoactive substances is constantly increasing, particularly among young people. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence, associated factors and the level of dependence of those substances among secondary school students in Benin. This cross-sectional study included 627 students in grades 8-12, selected using a multi-stage sampling technique. Data were collected using the ASSIST questionnaire, followed by urine screening. Logistic regression analysis was performed to estimate factors associated with substance use. Overall, the lifetime prevalence of psychoactive substance use was 95.4% (95% CI = 93.4-96.9), while the current use was 78.8% (95% CI = 75.3-81.9). The most commonly used substances in the past 3months were alcohol, followed by stimulants and tobacco; 221 samples were analysed. Twenty-two (9.95%) were positive by urine screening. Substances detected were tramadol, fentanyl, THC, K2, BZDs, alcohol, methamphetamine and cotinine. Of the current users, 2.27% (n = 11) were at high risk of dependency. An association was found between substance use and age (p = 0.02). In conclusion, this study came up with a high prevalence of substance use among students. There is a need to develop and implement a health education programme in secondary schools to raise awareness of the potential risks.

SCHOOL HEALTH EDUCATION PROGRAM IN THE UAE: A LITERATURE REVIEW

Health education is an essential aspect of health promotion. As such, health related skills have become crucial factors of individual’s and community’s efficiency in the 21st century. Health education involves learning of knowledge, beliefs, attitudes, values, skills and competencies. Also, it is a vital measure for students to identify risk behaviors and conditions which influence them. Thus, the main components of health education are disease prevention and early detection and health information and practice. Therefore, it is encouraging students to lead a healthy lifestyle. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other organizations identified strategies to improve students’ health to promote learning. In addition, the CDC developed broad curriculum for school health education that has been adopted by the ministries of education in many countries all over the world (Maurer &amp; Smith 2012). Therefore, the comprehensive focus of health education is not merely to increase knowledge about the health behaviour of individuals and communities but also to develop skills that demonstrate “various forms of action to address social, economic and environmental determinants of health” (WHO 2012). Hence, health education is attained through approaches that necessitate participation, interaction and critical analysis that are going beyond the dissemination of information (WHO 2017). This review aims to shed light on the evolution of School Health Education Program that was an initiative in the year 2013 in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and currently it is implemented in all governmental secondary schools in the UAE.

Knowledge of sexually transmitted infections among senior high school adolescents in the Wa Municipality of Ghana

BackgroundSexually transmitted infections (STIs) are responsible for a high burden of morbidity and mortality in many developing countries especially among adolescents. Adolescents are predisposed to STIs because they are more likely to engage in unhealthy lifestyles. However, these adolescents have limited knowledge of the use and barriers to sexual and reproductive health information and care services. This study explored the knowledge of STIs among Senior High School Adolescents in the Wa Municipality of Ghana. MethodThe study designed as a descriptive cross-sectional research. A multistage sampling technique was used to recruit these adolescents for the study. Totally 355 adolescents were selected from senior high schools in the Wa Municipality. Descriptive statistics and Chi-square test were used to analyze the data, at a significance level of P < 0.05. ResultsThe majority of respondents had good knowledge of STIs, with the most common examples of STIs identified as HIV/AIDS (80.8%, 287/355) and gonorrhea (73.8%, 262/355). The main known signs and symptoms identified were discharges from the penis/vagina (72.4%, 257/355), painful urination (71.5%, 254/355), and itching, and sores around the genital area (72.7%, 258/355). The main sources of information/education of STIs for these adolescents were the school, hospital, internet and mother. Whom respondent lived with was found to be significantly associated with knowledge of STI (P < 0.001). ConclusionMany of the respondents had good knowledge of STI, and the school was the most common source of information on STI. It is, therefore, important for the Ghana Education Service and the Ghana Health Service to strengthen the School Health Education Programme in second cycle institutions in the Wa Municipality. Parents, especially mothers, should be actively involved in the sexual health education of adolescents.

School Health Education Program “Happy Life, Healthy Heart”: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Background: School interventions based on playful activities have been shown to be good strategies for increasing children’s knowledge about health, which may impact healthy habits. Objective: To evaluate whether the school health education program entitled “Happy Life, Healthy Heart” increases health knowledge and causes a change in teachers’ and students’ lifestyles. Method: Cluster randomized clinical trial including elementary school students and teachers from public schools in the city of Frederico Westphalen, Brazil. The intervention consisted of the training of [...]

Knowledge, attitudes, and practices toward epilepsy among schoolchildren in Jordan

The purpose of this study was to assess knowledge, attitudes, and practice toward epilepsy among Jordanian schoolchildren. A cross-sectional design was used, utilizing a self-administered questionnaire to assess students’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices in eight schools in a single province in Jordan.The results showed students’ age ranged from 12 to 18 years (mean = 15.19, SD = 1.8). Students demonstrated inadequate knowledge and negative attitudes toward people with epilepsy. None of the participating students had received first aid or seizure management training in or out of school. The conclusion state that students demonstrated poor knowledge and negative attitudes toward people with epilepsy. They had no form of education or training regarding epilepsy management or first aid, indicating a need to launch education sessions as part of the school curriculum and to introduce straightforward activities in the school health education program.

Reproductive health education: a qualitative study of health seeking behaviour of in-school female adolescents

INTRODUCTION: Adolescents in developing countries are often vulnerable to sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and unplanned pregnancies. It is estimated that about 13 million adolescent girls have unplanned births each year in developing countries. This study examined the scope of the School Health Education Programme (SHEP) and health-seeking behaviours of female adolescents in Junior High School (JHS). METHODS: this qualitative research used the narrative approach. Group discussions were conducted among 100 female adolescents aged 12-19 years. Interviews were conducted among five community health workers in five health centres that provide reproductive health services. The in-depth interviews and group discussions were documented, transcribed and analyzed using NVivo 11, whilst thematic analysis was used in analyzing data. RESULTS: the mean age of adolescents was 15.5 years, with 74% reporting having knowledge of STDs. It was observed that the SHEP offers various information on health issues such as menstrual hygiene, STDs, personal hygiene, contraceptives, personal development and unsafe abortion practices. Adolescent reproductive health services were also available in the health centres but patronage was low as a result of perceived negative attitude of health workers and trust. Knowledge on issues of reproductive health is insufficient among JHS female adolescents, with many of them relying on the media and peers for reproductive health support. CONCLUSION: in this study, female adolescents are generally involved in risky sexual behaviour due to their low level of knowledge on reproductive issues and their unwillingness to patronize available reproductive health services because of the health system and cultural barriers.

A school-based water, sanitation, and hygiene intervention and children’s nutrition status and hydration: a cluster-randomized controlled trial in Manila

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Inadequate water, sanitation, and hygiene (WaSH) threatens the health of millions of children globally. Urban poor children suffer from health disparities because of inadequate WaSH facilities and limited availability of health education programs in schools. Our study aimed to evaluate the impacts of a school-based WaSH intervention on children’s nutrition status and hydration in Manila, Philippines. METHODS: We conducted a cluster-randomized controlled trial in 15 public schools, assigning two schools to the control group (CG) and randomizing 13 schools to one of three intervention groups (IGs), IGA, IGB, and IGC, which received low-, medium-, and high-intensity health education, respectively. The intervention consisted of: 1) WaSH policy workshops; 2) health education; 3) hygiene supplies; 4) WaSH facilities repairs. We measured: nutrition status (stunting, severe thinness, thinness, overweight, obesity) via anthropometry and the World Health Organization's standards; dehydration, defined as a urine specific gravity (USG) of 1.020 or greater, via urine test strips. RESULTS:Our sample was 756 and 701 children at baseline and end-line (8 months later), respectively (retention rate ~93%). At baseline 11% of children were stunted and 32% did not have a

Analysis of the Nutrition, Self-Care Skills, and Health Professional Support in Schools of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

AIMThis study aimed to determine the nutrition, self-care skills, and health professional support of children with autism spectrum disorder.METHODThis is a descriptive and cross-sectional study. The parents of 82 children with autism spectrum disorder agreed to participate as part of a study group in 8 special education schools in 3 districts. The schools were selected on the basis of their levels of sociodemographic development. The data were collected and analysed between September 2016 and July 2017 using a two-section questionnaire developed after a literature review.RESULTSThe majority of the parents (63.4%) had sufficient knowledge with regard to autism spectrum disorder, but the issues that were most lacking in terms of education were care, nutrition, and skills related to daily living (36.2%). The parents wanted to be educated on “nutrition problems,” and “activities of daily living.” The majority of the children lacked self-care skills (82.9%).CONCLUSIONThe most frequently observed nutrition problem in children with autism spectrum disorder was selective eating. In line with the literature, the majority of the children in this study were found to be unable to care for themselves. School nurses can provide support in terms of nutrition and self-care skills in these schools. School health education programmes for parents can be developed to allow for the more rapid and effective resolution of nutrition and self-care problems.