Healthcare Attitudes Research Articles

Oral health knowledge, attitudes, and practices of undergraduate students at a South African University of Technology

Awareness of oral health is essential for developing healthy habits, and a correlation between improved knowledge and better oral health has been shown to exist. Health-related behaviours are more likely to be followed if a person has greater control over their health with a better understanding of diseases and their aetiology. To determine the knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding oral health care among undergraduate students in the Life Sciences Department at a University of Technology, Free State. This descriptive study gives insights into the oral hygiene knowledge, attitudes, and practices of undergraduate students in the Faculty of Health and Environmental Sciences, Department of Life Sciences at a University of Technology. Data were collected using an online questionnaire eliciting quantitative and qualitative data. The results revealed that most of the participants, 80% (n=178) understood that oral health is essential to their overall wellbeing. Overall, in this research, the findings of oral health education were found not to be covered. However, we found that variations in the source of dental information were correlated with university students’ oral health behaviour. The study, therefore, concludes that oral health care knowledge, attitudes and practices are affected by education and show that advocacy for the promotion of oral health is significant for the students.

Knowledge and attitude on prevention of COVID-19 among community health workers in Nepal-a cross-sectional study

BackgroundEmerging and reemerging pathogens are global challenges for public health and the pandemic of Coronavirus disease 2019is a reemerging case of an infectious disease caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-Corornavirus-2. Health care worker worldwide are at higher risk worldwide and the situation is the same in Nepal. The knowledge and attitude of health workers will certainly mark the outcome towards this pandemic. So, this study aims to assess the knowledge and attitude of community health workers towards the prevention of COVID-19 virus.MethodsA descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out among the community health workers of various provinces of Nepal. A semi-structured, self-administered questionnaire was prepared in Google form and circulated to the sampled health workers through various social media platforms like face book, messenger, Instagram and g-mails. A total of 650 invitations were send and among them 420 responded and among them only 399 provided complete response. Responses containing anonymized data was collected analyzed in using SPSS-version-20. The results were interpreted and was checked with various demographic and enabling factors using chi-square test and logistic regression model. Also, ethical approval was taken from NHRC (Nepal Health Research Council (protocol registration number: 360/2020P) prior to the conduction of study.ResultsOut the total sample size of 450, we took 399 responses taking into consideration all the inclusion criteria. So, from 399 valid response, 230 (47.6%) were males and 169 (42.4%) were females. 380 (95.2%) employed participants thought that wearing PPE will reduce the chances of getting COVID-19, majority of the participants 80.5% (321) responded that COVID-19 will successfully be controlled and staffs receiving excellent support from palika had high knowledge level. Knowledge level was significantly associated with the enabling factor “support from palika” (P = 0.045).45.9% of the respondents had no availability of COVID-19 response medical items for prevention of COVID-19 at their respective health facilities. Also the logistic regression analysis revealed that the odds of knowledge level was 2 times higher (AOR=1.913 at 95% CI: 1.266-2.891) compared to the female participants (Ref- female).ConclusionsProper and adequate knowledge and attitude towards COVID-19 is a paramount in the prevention and control of SARS-COV-2. Health care workers are knowledgeable about COVID-19 and are proactively practicing the preventive measures to minimize the spread of infection but some lack optimistic attitude. Hence, the constantly updated educational programs related to COVID-19 will surely contribute to improving the healthcare workers knowledge and attitude towards COVID-19.

Assessment of Knowledge Attitude and Practice (KAP) Towards Covid-19: How Well the Health Care Workers are into Covid-19 in Kerala

Background Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been designated a worldwide public health emergency, impacting individuals all over the world. Objectives The goal of this study was to evaluate health care workers Awareness, Attitudes and Practices (KAP) regarding the 2019 Coronavirus Disease (COVID-2019) pandemic in Kerala. Methods A cross-sectional study was carried out among health care workers (n=388) in Kerala over 6 months. The questionnaire was divided into 5 parts, part 1demographic information, and next 3 parts evaluated knowledge (10 questions), attitude, (10 questions) and practice (9 questions). Part 5 obtained access to health care workers' mental well-being. The data was subjected to Chi-square analysis and Pearson’s correlation;95% confidence interval (CI) was calculated and p<0.05 was recognised statistically significant. Results A total of 388 HCWs (response rate: 88.78 %) completed the survey out of 437 participants;72 % (n=1279) were female, 40.46 % (n=157) were aged 31-40 years, and most were nurses (n=258, 66.49 %). A large percentage of HCWs had strong Knowledge, positive Attitude and good Practice towards COVID-19. Participants Demographics were not correlated with knowledge attitude and practice level towards Covid-19 but Pearson analysis indicated that there is a positive correlation between knowledge and attitude (p=0.016). Conclusions. The HCW’s of Kerala have excellent Knowledge, Attitude and Practice towards COVID-19. It is suggest that government and Health Care department should conduct regular seminars and practice sessions regarding COVID-19 which would empower the HCW’s against COVID-19.

Health Literacy, Primary Care Health Care Providers, and Communication.

Background:Decision-makers and health professionals face challenges in providing quality medical services while optimizing diminishing resources. Health literacy is associated with health outcomes and health system costs and influences the way in which communication is managed in the health system.Objective:This study examined the association between the level of health literacy of service providers in the community, their awareness of health literacy, their attitudes toward health literacy promotion, and the way in which they communicate with patients with low health literacy.Methods:A cross-sectional analytic study was conducted among 50 physicians and 50 administrative staff members in community clinics of the Maccabi Health Maintenance Organization in Israel.Key Results:Significant positive associations were found (p < .05) between the level of health literacy, the attitudes toward health literacy promotion, and the degree to which special communication techniques were used when treating patients with low health literacy. Significant associations were found (p < .01) between the level of awareness, as well as the attitudes toward health literacy promotion and the degree to which communication techniques were applied. Higher health literacy is associated with more favorable attitudes toward health literacy promotion. Additionally, a significant positive association (p < .01) was found between the attitudes toward health literacy promotion and the use of communication techniques. No mediation was found among the research variables.Conclusions:To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study that examines health literacy among physicians. The results indicate gaps in the awareness of, and attitudes toward, health literacy among community health care providers, thus suggesting the need for developing and applying guidelines for improving efforts of health system providers regarding health literacy and for applying recommended tools for health communication. [HLRP: Health Literacy Research and Practice. 2021;5(3):e194–e200.]Plain Language Summary:This study examined the link between the health literacy of health care providers (e.g., physicians, service administrators), their awareness and attitudes toward health literacy promotion, and how they communicate with patients with low health literacy. The findings showed significant and positive relationships between these aspects of health literacy as well as gaps in the health care system that need to be addressed.

Patient Safety Culture and Associated Factors Among Health-Care Providers in the University of Gondar Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Northwest Ethiopia.

IntroductionPatient safety is an issue of global concern; however, health-care organizations have lately observed to pay more attention to the importance of establishing a culture of safety. The study aimed to assess the level of patient safety culture and associated factors among health-care providers at the University of Gondar comprehensive specialized hospital, Northwest Ethiopia, 2020.MethodsA cross-sectional study design supported by the qualitative approach was conducted from March 15 to May 15/2020. A stratified simple sampling technique was used to select 575 study participants. The standardized tool, which measures 12 safety culture dimensions, was used for data collection. Bivariate and multivariable linear regression analyses performed using SPSS version 23. The significance level was obtained at 95% CI and p-value <0.05. For the qualitative part, a semi-structured interview guide with probing was used. Data were analyzed thematically using open code software version 4.02.ResultsThe overall level of positive patient safety culture was 45.3% (95% CI: 44.7, 45.9) with a response rate of 92.2%. Factor analysis indicated that female, masters, participation in patient safety program, adverse event report, hospital management encourage reporting event and resource were positively associated with the patient safety culture. Whereas divorced/widowed, midwives, anesthetist, medicine, pediatrics, emergency, outpatient, pharmacy, direct contact with patients, and hospital management blame when medical errors happened were negatively associated. The in-depth interview revealed that teamwork, health-care professionals’ attitude toward patient safety and patient involvement as important factors that influence patient safety culture.Conclusions and RecommendationsThe overall level of positive patient safety culture was low. All variables except age, training, working hour, and working experience were factors significantly associated with the patient safety culture. Health-care policy-makers and managers should consider patient safety culture a top priority, and also create a blame-free environment that promotes event reporting.

Assessment of Indian Healthcare Personnel Awareness, Attitude, and Perception Toward COVID-19 Vaccine – A Cross-Sectional Survey

Introduction: COVID-19 pandemic is the most daunting challenge for humankind in the current scenario. Healthcare personnel (HCPs) being at forefront dealing with pandemic, have been prioritized to get inoculated against COVID-19. However, literature has limited information regarding HCPs intention to get vaccinated and their concerns regarding the same. Therefore, this study was done to assess Indian HCPs awareness, attitude, and perception toward the COVID-19 vaccine. Materials and Methods: An online cross-sectional study was conducted using the convenience sampling method. A validated questionnaire was designed in English and was mailed to all the participants through link of Google form and also through social media platforms. A total of 815 HCPs responses were obtained. Results: Of the 815 responses 452 were willing for the COVID-19 vaccine. Five hundred and eighty-three HCPs have shown trust in the Science and Ministry of Health for the development of safe and effective vaccines. Four hundred and sixty-one of HCPs were of the opinion that India is going slow on the vaccination drive and 620 of them feel the need to accelerate the drive. Conclusions: High acceptance and low hesitancy for COVID-19 vaccine demands increased vaccine coverage by Indian HCPs. Addressing this demand requires possible intervention by the participation of the private sector which will help to accept the national vaccination program to a wider scale, thereby combating the future wave of the pandemic.

Health Status and Health Seeking Behaviour of Street Children in Peshawar

Background: The street children are exposed to many hazards and are prone to ill-health due to unhygienic and harsh livingconditions; they suffer from a wide range of diseases, ranging from common illnesses to growth and nutritional disorders and evenlife threatening conditions.Objective: This study was conducted to assess the common health problems and health status of street children and todetermine the health seeking behaviour of street children in Peshawar.Materials and methods: This was a cross sectional study conducted on 385 street children in Peshawar. Study duration wassix months. Non probability, snowball sampling technique was used. Semi structured questionnaire was used as datacollection tool.Results: Respiratory tract illnesses were the most common illness followed by fever and body-aches. 67% of street childrenwere aware of tertiary hospitals. 92.2% of the street children preferred going to Local Health Care worker (LHCW) for theirhealth issues. 30% of the street children had never visited a tertiary hospital. 21 % complained that the cost of health care washigh. 13.3% of the street children reported that the health care centres were overcrowded, 12% complained about long waitingperiod. 7% of the street children complained about the bad attitude of health care workers.Conclusion: The street children suffered from a wide range of ailments. Majority of street children were aware of tertiaryhospitals, yet an overwhelming majority of the street children preferred going to Local Health Care worker (LHCW) for theirhealth issues.Key words: Street children, Health status, Health seeking behaviour

Outpatient healthcare personnel knowledge and attitudes towards infection prevention measures for protection from respiratory infections

Healthcare personnel (HCP) knowledge and attitudes toward infection control measures are important determinants of practices that can protect them from transmission of infectious diseases. Healthcare personnel were recruited from Emergency Departments and outpatient clinics at seven sites. They completed knowledge surveys at the beginning and attitude surveys at the beginning and end of each season of participation. Attitudes toward infection prevention and control measures, especially medical masks and N95 respirators, were compared. The proportion of participants who correctly identified all components of an infection control bundle for seven clinical scenarios was calculated. The proportion of participants in the medical mask group who reported at least one reason to avoid using medical masks fell from 88.5% on the pre-season survey to 39.6% on the post-season survey (odds ratio [OR] for preseason vs. postseason 0.11, 95% CI 0.10-0.14). Among those wearing N95 respirators, the proportion fell from 87.9% to 53.6% (OR 0.24, 95% CI 0.21-0.28). Participants correctly identified all components of the infection control bundle for 4.9% to 38.5% of scenarios. Attitudes toward medical masks and N95 respirators improved significantly between the beginning and end of each season. The proportion of HCP who correctly identified the infection control precautions needed for clinical scenarios was low, but it improved over successive years of participation in the study.

Readiness for cancer cervix control in a North Indian population: Identifying the gaps

Background: Cancer of the cervix is the most common cause of cancer-related deaths amongst women in India. Apart from the availability of healthcare services, awareness and attitude, the cornerstone of public health measures such as screening and vaccination are useful in the control of cervical cancer. There is a lack of studies regarding cervical cancer in the selected region.&#x0D; Objectives: To assess the knowledge of cervical cancer and its associated factors amongst rural women in a densely populated state of Northern India.&#x0D; Methodology: This cross-sectional study was undertaken for a period of one year, i.e., from April 2018 to March 2019, in five randomly selected villages of the Bakshi Ka Talab Block of District Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. Systematic random sampling was performed to include females aged 15 years and above by a house to house survey. Trained social workers interviewed the consenting participants using a self-structured, pretested and validated questionnaire. The suitable statistical test was used to analyze the data.&#x0D; Results: The majority of the participants (n=300) were aged between 20- 24 years, and the mean age was 28.5 years. Sixty-four per cent of the females were married, and round 43.7% belonged to lower socioeconomic class. Nearly one third reported to have not heard of cervical cancer previously. The knowledge of the various aspects of cancer cervix varied from 3.2% to 55.3%. The most frequently recognized risk factors were early pregnancy (15.7%), giving birth to ≥ 3 children (13.2%) and early sexual initiation (11.7%). Majority of respondents (56.4 per cent) reported weakness to be the most common effect of leucorrhoea. Nearly half of females falsely perceived the actual cause of the leucorrhoea as excess heat in the body. None of the participants had either undergone screening for cervical cancer or had received HPV vaccination despite the availability of healthcare facilities within 30 kilometres. The educational and socioeconomic status were found to be significant predictors of knowledge of cervical cancer on multivariate logistic regression analysis&#x0D; Conclusion: A general lack of awareness has been noted regarding cervical cancer in the study population. None of the participants had undergone screening for cancer cervix or had been administered HPV vaccination, which points to a lack of healthcare utilisation. There is a need to sensitize the target population to the menace of cervical cancer and the usefulness of screening and HPV uptake.&#x0D; Bangladesh Journal of Medical Science Vol.20(4) 2021 p.790-795

Experiences and attitudes of young adults with congenital bowel and bladder conditions

Young adults with complex congenital bowel and bladder anomalies are a vulnerable population at risk for poor health outcomes. Their experiences with the healthcare system and attitudes towards their health are understudied. Our objective was to describe how young adults with congenital bladder and bowel conditions perceive their current healthcare in the domains of bladder and bowel management, reproductive health, and transition from pediatric to adult care. At a camp for children with chronic bowel and bladder conditions, we offered a 50-question survey to the 62 adult chaperones who themselves had chronic bowel and bladder conditions. Of the 51 chaperones who completed the survey (a response rate of 82%), 30 reported a congenital condition and were included. The cohort of 30 respondents had a median age of 23 years and almost half of the subjects (46%) reported not having transitioned into adult care. Most reported bowel (81%) and bladder (73%) management satisfaction despite high rates of stool accidents (85%), urinary accidents (46%), and recurrent urinary tract infections (70%). The majority of respondents (90%) expressed interest in having a reproductive health provider as part of their healthcare team. The median ages of the first conversation regarding transition to adult care and feeling confident in managing self-healthcare were 18 and 14 years, respectively. Most (85%) reported feeling confident in navigating the medical system. In this cohort of young adults who reported confidence with self-care and navigating the medical system, the proportion who had successfully transitioned into to adult care was low. These data highlight the need for improved transitional care and the importance of patient-provider and provider-provider communication throughout the transition process. These data highlight the need to understand the experience of each individual patient in order to provide care that aligns with their goals.

Ramadan fasting and diabetes (2020): The year in review

The literature on health aspects of Ramadan fasting (RF) is widely spread in many journals, making it not readily accessible to those interested in the subject. We aimed to provide a narrative overview of the global literature production in 1 year (2020) on diabetes and RF. This was a narrative, nonsystematic review of the international literature from a single major medical online database (i.e., PubMed) during the year 2020. The search term “Ramadan fasting AND Diabetes” was used, and the relevant literature was narrated in a concise thematic account. The publications spanned a vast array of topics related to RF, including assessments of safety and efficacy profiles of older and newer diabetes therapies, modes of insulin delivery, evaluating the role of utilizing advanced technology for the treatment, and monitoring of blood glucose during RF. Increased interest was evident in capturing patients' perspectives and healthcare professionals' perceptions, attitudes, and practices during Ramadan. Fasting by high-risk groups was studied. Not surprisingly, some reports covered COVID-19 and Ramadan and the role of telemedicine in ramadan. The current literature review presents this year's research data on the safety of fasting practices, care models, and patients' experiences and perspectives. It emphasizes the need for more comprehensive interventions for high-risk patients, promoting newer antidiabetic medicines, and advanced technology for safer fasting practices.

Impact of a nurse‐led brief tobacco cessation training program for healthcare professionals

To assess the impact of a tobacco cessation training program on healthcare professionals' smoking cessation practices, counseling-related opinions, and attitudes about their role in tobacco control. A single group pre- and post-design. Eligible participants (n=133) were health professionals who attended a training program between September 2018 and June 2019 at specific training sites in Malta. An already established questionnaire was used to compare healthcare professionals' practices, opinions, and attitudes before the training program, and at 3-month follow-up. A public health nurse-led, 3-hr training intervention addressing tobacco use and tobacco cessation with emphasis on the 5As (Ask, Advise, Assess, Assist and Arrange) framework. Healthcare professionals were favorably disposed towards counseling patients to stop. While participants still found it difficult to get clients to quit and lacked the time to counsel patients, they were more likely to deliver tobacco cessation interventions frequently at follow-up. Despite these challenges, this training program was found useful by the participants, who took a more comprehensive approach to address tobacco use. Public health nurses are encouraged to take a leading role in tobacco cessation training initiatives as part of their efforts to improve population health.

Understanding Public Perceptions of COVID-19 Contact Tracing Apps: Artificial Intelligence-Enabled Social Media Analysis.

BackgroundThe emergence of SARS-CoV-2 in late 2019 and its subsequent spread worldwide continues to be a global health crisis. Many governments consider contact tracing of citizens through apps installed on mobile phones as a key mechanism to contain the spread of SARS-CoV-2.ObjectiveIn this study, we sought to explore the suitability of artificial intelligence (AI)–enabled social media analyses using Facebook and Twitter to understand public perceptions of COVID-19 contact tracing apps in the United Kingdom.MethodsWe extracted and analyzed over 10,000 relevant social media posts across an 8-month period, from March 1 to October 31, 2020. We used an initial filter with COVID-19–related keywords, which were predefined as part of an open Twitter-based COVID-19 dataset. We then applied a second filter using contract tracing app–related keywords and a geographical filter. We developed and utilized a hybrid, rule-based ensemble model, combining state-of-the-art lexicon rule-based and deep learning–based approaches.ResultsOverall, we observed 76% positive and 12% negative sentiments, with the majority of negative sentiments reported in the North of England. These sentiments varied over time, likely influenced by ongoing public debates around implementing app-based contact tracing by using a centralized model where data would be shared with the health service, compared with decentralized contact-tracing technology.ConclusionsVariations in sentiments corroborate with ongoing debates surrounding the information governance of health-related information. AI-enabled social media analysis of public attitudes in health care can help facilitate the implementation of effective public health campaigns.

A systematic literature review of attitudes towards secondary use and sharing of health administrative and clinical trial data: a focus on consent

BackgroundWe aimed to synthesise data on issues related to stakeholder perceptions of consent for the use of secondary data. To better understand the current literature available, we conducted a systematic literature review of healthcare consumer attitudes towards the secondary use and sharing of health administrative and clinical trial data.MethodsEMBASE/MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, PubMed, CINAHL, Informit Health Collection, PROSPERO Database of Systematic Reviews, PsycINFO and ProQuest databases were searched. Eligible articles included those reporting qualitative or quantitative original research and published in English. No restrictions were placed on publication dates, study design or disease setting. One author screened articles for eligibility and two authors were involved in the full-text review process. Conflicts were resolved by consensus. Quality and bias were assessed using the QualSyst criteria for qualitative studies.ResultsThis paper focuses on a subset of 47 articles identified from the wider search and focuses on the issue of consent. Issues related to privacy, trust and transparency, and attitudes of healthcare professionals and researchers to secondary use and sharing of data have been dealt with in previous publications. Studies included a total of 216,149 respondents. Results indicate that respondents are generally supportive of using health data for research, particularly if the data is de-identified or anonymised. The requirement by participants to obtain consent prior to the use of health data for research was not universal, nor is the requirement for this always supported by legislation. Many respondents believed that either no consent or being informed of the research, but not providing additional consent, were sufficient.ConclusionsThese results indicate that individuals should be provided with information and choice about how their health data is used and, where feasible, a mechanism to opt-out should be provided. To increase the acceptability of using health data for research, health organisations and data custodians must provide individuals with concise information about data protection mechanisms and under what circumstances their data may be used and by whom.Systematic review registrationPROSPERO CRD42018110559 (update June 2020).

Healthcare access and attitudes towards telehealth during the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic among an Australian cohort with inflammatory arthritis.

Community restrictions due to COVID‐19 have changed healthcare, including increased telehealth use. During the early pandemic phase, a cohort of Australian patients with inflammatory arthritis was surveyed. Self‐reported access to healthcare was maintained and physical health was more likely to be self‐rated poorly than mental health. There was a high level of support for telehealth during and after the pandemic.

Surgical Healthcare Workers Knowledge and Attitude on Infection Prevention and Control: A Case of Tamale Teaching Hospital, Ghana.

Background Most morbidities and mortalities related to clinical, diagnostic, and therapeutic procedures are related to infection and the solution to this is good infection prevention and control (IPC) compliance which is influenced by the right knowledge and positive attitude. Aim This study aimed to assess infection prevention and control (IPC) knowledge and attitude among healthcare workers at the surgical department of Tamale Teaching Hospital (TTH). Methods This study was conducted using a descriptive cross-sectional survey. Data entry and analysis were done using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20 and Graph Pad Prism version 6.05. Tables, frequencies, and percentages were used for descriptive analysis and chi-square analysis for the associations. Results Of the 156 participants who responded, 22 (14.1%) were doctors, with 107 (68.6%) nurses, 12 (7.7%) certified registered anesthetics (CRA), and 15 (9.6%) orderlies. Approximately, 50.6% of the respondents were knowledgeable with regard to IPC and 55.1% of the respondents had a good attitude towards IPC. Factors associated with knowledge level were educational level (p ≤ 0.001), occupation (p ≤ 0.001), marital status (p=0.030), and age (p=0.030). The occupation was the only factor associated with the attitude level (p=0.048). Conclusion More than half of the healthcare providers reported good knowledge and attitude towards IPC. Proportionally, more nurses had good IPC knowledge and attitude as compared to other professional groups. Firming up and assimilating universal precaution with routine services by providing training, protocol, rules, and regulation are recommended.

HEALTH PROMOTION BEHAVIOUR FOR NON-COMMUNICABLE DISEASES AMONG HEALTHCARE WORKERS IN KAKAMEGA COUNTY, KENYA

Introduction: The rising burden of non-communicable diseases poses a great health system challenge in Kenya. Healthcare workers have a critical role to play in health promotion, in addressing patients’ lifestyle risk factors. However, their own lifestyle habits can influence their attitude and practices towards patient care. Opportunistic counselling of patients by health professionals signifies one of the most cost-effective medical interventions in combatting non-communicable diseases. Objective: To determine the attitudes and practice of health promotion for the prevention and management of non-communicable diseases among healthcare workers In Kakamega county. Methods: A cross-sectional mixed method study was carried out from June to July 2018 at Kakamega county referral hospital. For the quantitative method, one hundred and eighty-five doctors and nurses were recruited through stratified sampling. Data on healthcare workers; socio-demographic characteristics, lifestyle practice, attitude, and practice of health promotion was collected through self- administered questionnaires. Frequency and percentage distributions tables were used to initially describe the study population while, Chi- square test of significance was used to evaluate the association between healthcare workers attitudes and practice of health promotion and their socio-demographic features. Secondly, a total of 12 doctors and nurses were purposively selected based on age, gender and profession of participants for the qualitative method. Data on healthcare workers perspective on health promotion and organizational support factors were collected through in-depth interviews. The recorded interviews were transcribed and data analysis was done using content analysis of thematic areas. A verbatim approach was used to describe study findings. Results: 69.2% of the respondents were females, mean age was 36 years and the median years in profession was 12 years. The respondents exhibited good lifestyle practices with alcohol and tobacco prevalence at 30.8 %and 3.8% respectively. 72% of the respondents demonstrated a positive attitude towards health promotion while, 31% showed good health promotion practices. Less than half of the respondents inquired about a patient’s lifestyle practices during routine visit. The study found that healthcare workers with a positive attitude were four times more likely to have good health promotion practices (OR = 3.54, p&lt;0.001). Lastly findings from the in-depth interviews revealed that staff had no written guidelines on health promotion and that the hospital management had abolished the health promotion unit. Conclusion: The results indicated that a positive health professional attitude is a precursor to good health promotive practices. Recommendation: Efforts to build capacity and support for health promotion in health services should be encouraged. Additionally, health Promotion programs for non- communicable disease should not only target the health of general population but also the health of health care workers.&#x0D; &#x0D; &lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt; Article visualizations:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src="/-counters-/edu_01/0720/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

Development and psychometric properties of the attitude scale towards female workers in the healthcare settings.

The aim of this study was to develop a new instrument to evaluate healthcare professionals' attitudes towards female workers in the healthcare settings-the Attitude Scale Towards Female Workers (ASTFW)-and test its psychometric properties. This is a scale development study. A three-phase structure was used: (1) creating the item pool, (2) preliminarily evaluating items and (3) refining the scale and evaluating psychometric properties. The scale's content validity, construct validity, internal consistency and temporal stability were evaluated according to the scale development guidelines. The scale's psychometric properties were tested with 1,635 healthcare professionals working in six different hospitals. The data were collected between November 2018 and July 2019. The scale items were obtained from face-to-face, semi-structured, in-depth individual interviews with the healthcare professionals. The scale's content validity index was 0.96. According to exploratory factor analysis, the scale consisted of 30 items and five subdimensions; the subdimensions were found to explain 54.48% of the total variance. Fit indices obtained with confirmatory factor analysis were at acceptable and good levels. The scale was found to have high internal consistency and temporal stability. The ASTFW is a psychometrically valid and reliable measurement instrument. The 30-item scale consists of five subdimensions: performance, gender roles, recruitment and retention, career, and emotionality. Impact This scale, which has good psychometric properties, can be used to perform a multidimensional evaluation of the attitudes of healthcare professionals in healthcare workplaces towards female workers. This scale can be useful in shedding light on negative attitudes towards female healthcare professionals in the health sector.

Correlation of knowledge and attitude on the practice of pregnant women’s oral health

Introduction: During pregnancy, hormonal changes can increase susceptibility to oral diseases. Oral disease can pose a risk for the baby's oral health and pregnancy outcomes. Oral problems and their complications during pregnancy can be prevented by maintaining oral health behaviours that include knowledge, attitude, and practice. This study was aimed to analyse the correlation of knowledge and attitude on the practice of pregnant women's oral health. Methods: A descriptive-analytic research with a cross-sectional method was conducted towards 65 pregnant women at Sukajadi Community Health Centre (Puskesmas), Bandung, taken as a sample through purposive sampling technique. Data collection was carried out using a questionnaire. The statistical test used in this study was the Spearman correlation test. Results: The study showed that 66.2% of pregnant women had good knowledge of oral health care, 27.7% had adequate knowledge, and 6.2% had poor knowledge. Observation on oral health care attitude found that 56.9% of pregnant women had a good attitude, 43.1% had a fair attitude, and none were in the poor category. Oral health care practice of pregnant women resulted from 15.4% was in a good category, 60.0% in the fair category and 24.6% was in the poor category. The statistical analysis results between the attitude and the practice of oral health care showed a weak correlation with the correlation coefficient (rs) 0.124 and a significance value (p-value) was higher than 0.05 (0.325), indicating that there was no significant relationship between attitudes and the practice of oral health care. Conclusion: There is no correlation between knowledge and attitude on the practice of pregnant women's oral health.

Health Care Providers' Knowledge and Attitudes in Perinatal Care for Women with Disabilities

Background: Disability is a global phenomenon counting more than one billion people reaching the percentage of 15% of the population worldwide and it will be rising constantly in the coming years. Women with disabilities are getting pregnant more and more. Although perinatal care has been extensively researched and is constantly being improved for women without disabilities, health care professionals are not adequately educated and fully experienced for caring for pregnant women with disabilities. As a result of that they are negatively inclined towards disabled women. Objective: The purpose of this review is to investigate health care providers’ behaviors and attitudes towards women with disabilities whilst providing perinatal care. Conclusion: Overall, it seems that health care providers feeling insecure and not confident in providing perinatal care to women with disabilities which results in them having negative attitudes and behaviors. This stems from the inadequate knowledge they have about disability conditions and pregnancy. Upgrading their training and education from undergraduate level is an urgent need. Constant contact with disabled patients seems to be a beneficial factor for better treatment.