Health Promotion Beliefs Research Articles

African Immigrant Health: The Health Promotion Beliefs of Zimbabwean Immigrants in the United States.

To examine the health beliefs that can influence engagement in cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk reduction health promotion activities among Zimbabwe-born immigrants in the US. Focus group interviews with 37 New England-based Zimbabwean immigrants in the US conducted between January and April 2019. Focus groups were led by study investigators who were members of the Zimbabwean community. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed. Data were analyzed using framework analysis. Five themes emerged: (1) negative attitudes toward ill health, (2) mistrust toward western medicine, (3) stigma and taboo toward ill health, (4) a negative change in eating habits and (5) negative attitudes toward physical exercise. The participants' attitudes and beliefs may interfere with their engagement in health promotion activities aimed at reducing the burden of CVD risk in this population. Understanding these beliefs paves the way for development of culturally congruent health promotion interventions in Zimbabwean and other African immigrant populations.

Health promotion and active aging among seniors in Malaysia

PurposeThis paper explores the relationship between health promotion and active aging among seniors in Malaysia. The specific objectives were to (1) identify the contributing factors for seniors undergoing full medical check-up and (2) to explore the association between selected active aging factors and health promotion behavior and beliefs.Design/methodology/approachThe study used data from 662 seniors from three different states in Peninsular Malaysia. Logistic regression was used to identify significant determinants of full medical check-up, and chi-square statistics were used to explore the association of active aging and selected health promotion behavior and beliefs. Healthy aging was characterized by being employed or traveling outdoors for leisure.FindingsHousehold income was found to be a significant barrier to seniors undergoing a full medical check-up. Overall, active seniors were more likely to have positive self-rated health, positive health responsibility and health promotion beliefs but were less likely to undergo a full medical check-up.Practical implicationsGiven that cost of a medical check-up could be a barrier for seniors, authorities could consider subsidizing medical check-ups to promote early detection of disease. There is also a need for continuous effort to educate seniors on health risk factors and the importance of taking fuller responsibility for their own health.Originality/valueThis study examined the relationship between active aging and health promotion together, as both components are essential in enhancing the mental and physical well-being of seniors.

Do socio-cultural factors influence medical students' health status and health-promoting behaviors? A cross-sectional multicenter study in Germany and Hungary.

BackgroundPhysical and mental health is important for coping with the high requirements of medical studies that are associated with a higher risk for severe stress, insomnia, smoking, harmful alcohol consumption and easier access to drugs. Health behaviors of medical students influence not just their own health but also the health of their future patients. We examined whether socio-cultural factors can explain differences in students’ health status and health-promoting behaviors.MethodsA multicenter cross-sectional survey in Germany (Dresden, Munich) and Hungary (Budapest, Pécs) enclosed international medical students in their 1st, 3rd and 5th academic years. The students were invited to voluntarily and anonymously complete a questionnaire on different aspects of health behavior during obligatory seminars and lectures in 2014. The response rate of the total sample was 56.2 % (n = 2935); the subgroup analysis enclosed data of German (n = 1289), Hungarian (n = 1057) and Norwegian (n = 148) students.ResultsA high number of Norwegian students (84.5 %) assessed their health status as very good/excellent. In comparison, only 60.3 % of the Hungarian and 70.7 % of the German participants reported a very good/excellent health status. The distributions were comparable between the study sites. Although gender, financial situation and nationality were significant health status predictors, they could explain only 8.2 % of the total variance of health status in the multivariable model. A comparably high number of Hungarian students (95.3 % vs. 67.4 % German and 56.7 % Norwegian) reported that they can currently do a lot/very much for their health. In contrast, a significant number of Norwegians (73.0 % vs. 63.7 % Hungarian and 51.5 % German) reported that they currently do a lot/very much for their health (chi2-test, p ≤ 0.001). Financial situation, study site and study year were the strongest predictors for health promotion activities (Nagelkerkes R2 = 0.06).ConclusionsBased on our study, gender and study year played only a minor role in the health status and health promotion beliefs and activities of medical students. Structural (study site) and somewhat socio-cultural factors (nationality, financial situation) mainly explained the differences regarding health promoting behaviors. Obligatory, free-of-charge courses for health promotion (activity and relaxation) should be included in study curriculums.

Cultural Patterns of Health Care Beliefs and Practices among Muslim Women in Uzbekistan

The purpose of this ethnographic study is to describe and analyse the meanings and uses of healthpromotion practices and beliefs, healing practices and folk medicine for Uzbek Muslim women.Contemporary healing practices can be seen as combining shamanic and Islamic concepts aboutdisease and healing, Sufi Research focus.The research questions ask how participants make decisions to seek remedies throughhealing practices, and how and whether they experience these choices and actions as empowering.The research also asks about what sorts of conditions women seeks to address through traditionalhealing practices; those in this study discussed seeking out such healing for colds, bronchitis, heartdisease, arthritis, as well as emotional and economic distress.Significance. With the increasing migration of Uzbeks to Canada, strength-based health care provisionapproach based on person-centred care, empowerment, health promotion and prevention and collaborative partnership is crucial in achieving quality of care.

Looking at Childhood Obesity Through the Lens of Baumrind's Parenting Typologies

Obesity is becoming the leading negative health outcome for the current generation of children to a greater degree than for any previous generation. Pediatric orthopaedic nurses encounter many patients and families with concerns about obesity and need the ability to promote parenting capacity in order to detect, prevent, or treat childhood obesity. Parenting is a complex process with numerous two-way interactions between the parent and child. Pediatric orthopaedic nurses affect parenting capacity daily as they care for families in all care settings. Many family researchers use Baumrind's parenting typologies (styles) and their correlations to child health outcomes in research. Understanding Baumrind's theories can help pediatric orthopaedic nurses understand the mechanisms parents use to affect the health outcomes related to the obesity of their children. Baumrind's is one parenting theory that can help demonstrate how parental behaviors and practices affect a child's self-concept and self-care development and ultimately a child's health promotion beliefs and practices related to obesity prevention and care that continue into adulthood. Nurses can use reviews of literature and application to practice of parenting styles to expand their repertoire of parent guidance and anticipatory teaching directed to the prevention and care of childhood obesity.

Health Promotion Beliefs and Practices Among Pharmacists

ObjectiveTo examine the health promotion beliefs and practices of pharmacists. DesignCross-sectional mail survey. SettingIndiana. ParticipantsStaff pharmacists. MethodsOf the 1,440 registered Indiana pharmacies, one-half were selected using a systematic random process. Questionnaires were mailed to the 720 selected pharmacies asking one staff pharmacist to complete a 73-item questionnaire. ResultsA total of 552 pharmacists responded to the questionnaire, providing a 76.7% response rate. The majority of pharmacists believed that 10 of the 20 behaviors encouraged by national health objectives were very important for the average person. There was, however, considerably less agreement among pharmacists about the importance of the other 10 behaviors and practices. Pharmacists’ involvement, preparation, and confidence in specific health promotion areas and activities were limited. A number of barriers were cited by respondents that could have hindered pharmacists’ involvement in public health education activities. Despite these hindrances, pharmacists appear to be making strides toward providing health promotion education and activities. ConclusionPharmacists are readily accessible sources of information concerning the importance of needed lifestyle factors on health. They can provide valuable education to patients about improvement of lifestyles as a routine component of pharmaceutical care.

An exploratory analysis of health-promotion beliefs and behaviors among white, Hispanic, and black males

An exploratory analysis of health-promotion beliefs and behaviors among white, Hispanic, and black males

Health Promotion and Early Disease Detection Among Medical School Faculty

Background. Medical school faculty members influence students′ health promotion beliefs by their patient care activities and personal health habits. We characterized the medical school environment by defining faculty′s health promotion and early disease detection attitudes and practices. The data disclose faculty needs and suggest a new paradigm to alter medical students′ health promotion beliefs and care patterns. Methods. An observational study of all academic faculty was conducted at a medical school using self-report survey data collected with a confidential questionnaire. The survey instrument assessed faculty demographics, 27 behaviors, and 23 beliefs concerning health promotion. Results. Eighty-four percent of faculty (575 of 683) responded. Although agreement was moderate to good between lifestyle beliefs and personal behaviors, the concordance between personal adherence to and beliefs concerning the recommended physical examinations and laboratory tests was only fair (kappa 0.21 to 0.40). Conclusion. Faculty′s health promotion and disease detection beliefs and behaviors were inconsistent. Observing this discrepancy may relate to students′ establishment of attitudes and practices. Modifying faculty′s personal behaviors and altering the medical school environment might enhance students′ commitment toward preventive care.

Health Promotion Beliefs and Practices of Fourth-Year Medical Students

Little is known about medical student beliefs about health promotion issues or about their prevention practices with patients. We administered a questionnaire about health promotion beliefs and practices to fourth-year medical students in a required course, "Preventive Medicine in Clinical Practice," at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. During a three-year period we surveyed 343 students. A majority of students believed that most of 23 health behaviors were of some importance to health promotion, and their responses were similar to those of practicing physicians in prior studies. Most students reported that they assessed preventive practices in their patients but did not feel well prepared to counsel patients about health issues. Students reported they were currently unsuccessful in modifying patient health behaviors and expressed limited optimism about future success in helping patients change health promotion behaviors with further training and support. There were no differences between students entering primary care specialties and other students. Information about medical student health promotion and disease prevention beliefs and practices can be applied in curriculum development.

Health Promotion: Physicians’ Beliefs, Attitudes, and Practices

There is a paucity of research describing the health-promotion beliefs, attitudes, and practices of physicians. Self-reported data from a survey of 1,040 primary care physicians showed that a majority of physicians (97 percent) believed they should modify patients' behaviors to minimize risk factors and rated a variety of health behaviors as important in promoting health. While most physicians gathered information about risk factors and believed they were prepared to counsel patients, only a small percentage (3-18 percent) reported being very successful in helping patients achieve behavioral change. However, given appropriate support, physicians reported that they could be up to six times more successful in influencing behavioral change. This study indicated that physicians have strong beliefs and interests in health promotion, are interested in continuing education about health promotion topics, and desire a variety of new skills to help patients modify their health behaviors.

Health promotion beliefs and practices of a sample of occupational health nurses.

Health promotion beliefs and practices of a sample of occupational health nurses.

The physician's role in health promotion--a survey of primary-care practitioners.

Although evidence that people can do much to promote their own health is growing, the role of the primary-care physician in helping patients change their health behavior is still problematic. At least one study has examined what physicians do to promote their own health.1 Little is known, however, about the extent to which physicians promote the health of their patients, their success in helping patients change their behavior, or the types of training and support services physicians believe they need. This study examined the health-promotion beliefs, attitudes, and practices of a representative sample of primary-care physicians in Massachusetts. Methods The . . .