Increasing Health Awareness Research Articles

Booster Breaks in the workplace: participants' perspectives on health-promoting work breaks

Increasing sedentary work has been associated with greater cardiovascular and metabolic risk, as well as premature mortality. Interrupting the sedentary workday with health-promoting work breaks can counter these negative health effects. To examine the potential sustainability of work-break programs, we assessed the acceptance of these breaks among participants in a Booster Break program. We analyzed qualitative responses from 35 participants across five worksites where one 15-min physical activity break was taken each workday. Two worksites completed a 1-year intervention and three worksites completed a 6-month intervention. Responses to two open-ended questions about the acceptance and feasibility of Booster Breaks were obtained from a survey administered after the intervention. Three themes for benefits and two themes for barriers were identified. The benefit themes were (i) reduced stress and promoted enjoyment, (ii) increased health awareness and facilitated behavior change, and (iii) enhanced workplace social interaction. The barrier themes were the need for (iv) greater variety in Booster Break routines and (v) greater management support. This study provides empirical support for the acceptance and feasibility of Booster Breaks during the workday. Emphasizing the benefits and minimizing the barriers are strategies that can be used to implement Booster Breaks in other workplaces.

Levels and Trends of Fertility and Infant Mortality in the West Bank—Palestine

AbstractThis study aims at tracing and analyzing the prevailing trends and up-to-date levels of fertility rates, and infant and child mortality, among Palestinians in the occupied territories of the West Bank, depending on recent data from sample surveys conducted in the last two decades. The paper sheds light on the socioeconomic factors besides the medical ones. The findings show that fertility transition is, continuously, in progress; it is considered high compared to other countries, although data of the last decade of the last century revealed that fertility is declining. The researcher also finds that infant and child mortality is declining, despite being high, compared to other countries around the globe. These results may be attributed to improvement in the quality of life, access to medical services, development of health services, and increased health awareness among the population. To attain better results, the researcher calls for improving the quality of care and creating a culture of medical responsibility and accountability among citizens—let alone ending of the long dispute among the major Palestinian factions.

Effects of newsletters designed to change behavior, distributed during specific health checkups

The Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare provides specific health checkups and specific health guidance that are intended to prevent, and to improve the metabolic syndrome. However, no assistance is provided to people with unhealthy lifestyles that do not have actual health problems. Therefore, a newsletter that included information based on the behavior change model, and content chosen on the basis of the change process theory, as well as the small change strategy were distributed to people attending specific health checkups (n=700). Among those that received the newsletter, data of people that responded to a pre-and a post-survey questionnaire (n=250), were analyzed. Results indicated that specific health checkups and the newsletter significantly increased health awareness in women. Furthermore, reading the newsletter and recognizing its usability were lower among men, compared to women. These results indicate the need for providing information tailored to the gender, for increasing health awareness levels, and for increasing the appeal of specific health checkups.

The future importance of devices from emerging countries: the butterfly effect

© Europa Digital & Publishing 2012. All rights reserved. The device market in the developed world is stagnating. Emerging markets on the other hand are witnessing a year-on-year, double digit growth. An ageing population, shifting disease pattern, increased health awareness, growing private hospital sector, increasing local government support and expenditures – but most importantly a growing middle class – have all contributed to this phenomenal growth. Multinational companies (MNCs) are cashing in on this growth, but their strategy is primarily focused on the premium customer segment with pre-existing high-end models, completely ignoring the middle class. Local device industry, on the other hand, is investing more on economically viable products based on an understanding of local needs. Further, they are benefiting from faster evaluation times for their products and slow, but definite improvement in the regulatory environment in the developing world.

Mapping Cancer Disease Using Geographical Information System (GIS) in Gezira State-Sudan

In Sudan, the prevalence of cancer cases increased and cancer ranked as the major cause of death. Therefore, forming a cancer control program and putting strategic action plans into practice became an important matter for the health industry. The correlation of variations in different societies and environmental factors should be examined spatially with reliable data. The aim of this study is to produce base maps for implementation of cancer control program and cancer density maps through the utilization of GIS in health work. In this study, a database was built with the use of GIS to examine the distribution of cancer cases and maps relating to cancer events in allocation units were created. Cancer cases data registered from 1999 to 2008, by the Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Biology and Treatment of Tumors--University of Gezira in El Gezira State, was used as case in this study. Using ArcGIS, the distribution of cancer cases were presented on cancer maps including allocation units and incidence values, which were calculated for each villages and locality region. According to the world standards, cancer rates were determined and examined by the spatial analysis power of GIS. The research concluded that cancer cases were increased, in some localities over the past 10 years (1999-2008). This can be related to many reasons including the existence of the Gezira Scheme were farmers used fertilizers and pesticides, as well as increasing health awareness among the citizens through the establishment of use in the state.

Uptake, benefits of and barriers to safer crack use kit (SCUK) distribution programmes in Victoria, Canada—A qualitative exploration

Background Crack use is prevalent amongst street drug users in Canadian cities, and associated with severe drug use, health and social problems. Whilst few targeted interventions are available for crack use, the common use and sharing of hazardous makeshift paraphernalia are a key concern, as these risks may be associated with oral injury and blood-borne virus (BBV) – e.g., hepatitis C virus (HCV) – transmission amongst users. Recently, distribution programmes of so-called ‘safer crack use kits’ (SCUKs) have been initiated in select Canadian cities, primarily to reduce the use of unsafe materials and paraphernalia sharing amongst crack users. This study explored uptake and benefits of, barriers to, and possible improvements to two recently implemented SCUK distribution programme in Victoria, Canada. Methods N = 31 regular crack smokers were recruited through community-based efforts between June and August 2010, and assessed via an interviewer-administered protocol involving quantitative and qualitative data items. Descriptive analyses were completed with the quantitative data, and thematic content analyses were conducted with the qualitative data in order to identify and extract prominent themes and issues. Results The sample indicated high levels of socio-economic marginalization, poly-substance use, health problems, lengthy crack use histories and common crack paraphernalia sharing. Most participants exclusively utilized the SCUK programme including glass-stems in addition to other paraphernalia materials. Participants described: lesser need to share – or to commit property crimes to obtain resources for – crack to paraphernalia, increased health awareness, and increased personal and community safety as benefits experienced from SCUK use. Limitations in SCUK resources and distribution, shortcomings in materials, and police interference were cited as barriers to current SCUK program delivery. Conclusions SCUK distribution in Victoria appears to result in a variety of individual and community health benefits. These benefits could be solidified by addressing current programme limitations, including better resourcing, expanding geographic distributions and eliminating police interference.

Factors related to knowledge and perception of women about smoking: a cross sectional study from a developing country

BackgroundSmoking rates among women are currently low, but they are the fastest growing segment of cigarette smoking population in developing countries. We aimed to assess the knowledge and perceptions towards smoking and to identify the factors related with level of knowledge and perceptions among adult women in urban slums.MethodsThis was a cross sectional study conducted on 250 adult (≥18 years of age) women attending primary care clinics in three slums of Karachi, Pakistan. A pre-tested and structured, interviewer administered questionnaire was used for data collection. Factors associated with level of understanding about smoking were analyzed with chi-square test.ResultsMost of the women knew that smoking has adverse effects on women and children's health but the knowledge of specific health effects was limited. About one third of the women knew that active smoking can cause lung disease, but only a small percentage (7%) knew that it could lead to heart disease. None of the women were aware that smoking contributes to infertility and osteoporosis. A small proportion of women were aware that smoking can lead to low birth weight (7%), congenital anomalies (5%) and less than 1% of women knew that it contributes to pregnancy loss, still birth and preterm delivery. The understanding of passive smoking affecting children's lung was low (20%) and a similar proportion voiced concern about the bad influence of maternal smoking on children. Educated women had better knowledge of health effects of smoking. Education was associated with having better knowledge about effects on women health in general (p = 0.02) and specific effects like lung (p = 0.03) and reproductive health effects (p < 0.001). Education was also associated with knowledge regarding effects on fetus (p < 0.001) and children (p < 0.005). Although most of the women disliked being around smokers, more than one third thought that smoking decreases boredom (39%), tension (38%) and also helps to relax (40%). A large proportion (48%) of women had the misconception that smoking helps to reduce weight.ConclusionsThis study reveals that women are aware of the general ill effects of smoking but fail to identify smoking to be associated with female maladies particularly those who were illiterate and had lower levels of education. Understanding and attitudes needs to be improved by increasing health awareness and education of women in these urban communities with special emphasis on the effects of smoking on women's health.

Quality and storage stability of extruded puffed corn-fish snacks during 6-month storage at ambient temperature

Cereal-based snacks are usually low in protein and other nutrients. Increased health awareness of consumers has led the food industry to develop fortified snacks with functional ingredients. Three types of extruded corn-fish snacks, containing 150 g kg(-1) carp mince and 150 g kg(-1) trout mince, 30 g kg(-1) freeze-dried saithe protein and a regular corn snack (control). were produced to study quality changes and storage stability of the products during 6-month storage at 27±2 °C. All products had the same level of water activity and proximate composition except for protein. Fortified snacks had a protein content of 93-98 g kg(-1) , compared with 65 g kg(-1) in the control. A significant increase was observed for peroxide value during storage (0.0 to 2.8 meq kg(-1)). Scores for attributes describing oxidation and off odors and flavors increased after 5-6 months' storage but attributes describing puffed corn snack odor and flavor did not change during storage of any of the products. Extrusion of corn grits with fish flesh/fish protein can be used to produce high-protein products that would be an option to provide nutrient snacks for consumers and to increase fish consumption.

Balancing the good, the bad and the better: A discursive perspective on probiotics and healthy eating

Functional foods promoted as novel food products providing health benefits beyond basic nutrition are gradually becoming part of the European food basket. Typically, research on functional food has focused on public attitudes, the acceptability of different product types, and public trust in novel food. In this article, discursive analysis of focus group discussions held in Britain with 34 users and non-users of probiotics points to the argumentative orientation of explanations for consumption of this particular type of functional food. Using the concepts of 'interpretative repertoire' and 'subject position', I explore the role of moral considerations in people's accounts of purchasing probiotics in the current context of increased health awareness and health anxiety. The analysis demonstrates how the lay accounts of eating and purchasing probiotics are entangled with notions of indulgence, individualism, as well as social norms and responsibility.

Educating Those Who Can Educate Others in the Caribbean: A Nutrition Training Program for Paraprofessionals

Nutrition workshops for paraprofessionals can be effective tools to develop a larger base of knowledge and increase health awareness in the community. Training Community Health Aides (CHAs) in the Commonwealth of Dominica to become more knowledgeable, skillful, and confident will help communities by spreading health awareness to the rest of the population. Nutrition education and support will enable the CHAs to improve health assessment and care, aiding communities of Dominica in making healthier decisions.

Implant Restoration of Partially Edentulous Ridges: A Review of 121 Nigerian Patients

Because of increasing health awareness, many Nigerian patients are demanding that their lost tooth/teeth be replaced with dental implants. This study reports the pattern and distribution of implant replacement of lost tooth/teeth in a private dental practice in Lagos, Nigeria. A retrospective review of implant replacement of lost tooth/teeth over a period of 6 years at Schubbs Private Dental Clinic, Lagos, was carried out. Data analysis included age, sex, occupation, habits and medical condition of patients, augmentation procedure, technique of implant placement (immediate vs conventional loading) tooth/teeth replaced, and follow-up period. A total of 227 implants (Bicon, Boston, MA) with complete superstructure were placed in 121 patients(males = 68, females = 53; age range: 15-74 years). Majority of the patients were of high socioeconomic class. Ten (8.3%) patients had immediate implants and 111 (91.7%) undergone 2-stage implant procedures. The highest number (39.2%) of implants was placed in the molar region, and the replacement of the canines was the lowest (3.1%). Success rate over a period of 6 years was 96%. Of the 9 (4%) implants that failed, 2 were repeated and remained functional till date. Dental implant therapy as a means of tooth replacement is gaining popularity among Nigerian social upper class. Success rate in this series is comparable with previous reports from Europe and America.

The views of learners regarding a school-based health education programme

The importance of schools as a setting for health promotion is increasingly being acknowledged. Part of this health promoting function includes curricular offerings to increase health awareness and to assist in ensuring that young adults are able to make informed decisions about their health. For these programmes to be successfully implemented and sustained there is a need to determine the views of the participants. This study aims to determine the views of learners regarding the impact of a school based health education programme relating to risk factors for chronic diseases of lifestyle. A questionnaire with three open ended questions was used to determine the views of the learners regarding the programme, what they would like to have changed and recommendations regarding the future of the programme. Information was recorded and coded by two independent reviewers. Themes were decided upon independently and agreed upon between the author and an independent reviewer. Focusing on the comments relating to what was good about the programme, three main themes emerged which included course structure, course content and personal development. The themes that emerged from what the students did not like about the programme included communication, group interaction/personal factors and feedback. The recommendations and suggestions were mostly positive and included focusing on the following aspects of the programme namely more interaction, content, links to other subjects and time. The opinions of participants provided valuable information during the evaluation process and the qualitative method allowed them to express their views.

"Obesity" and "Clinical Obesity" Men's understandings of obesity and its relation to the risk of diabetes: A qualitative study

BackgroundThe 2007 Wanless report highlights the ever increasing problem of obesity and the consequent health problems. Obesity is a significant cause of diabetes. An increasing evidence base suggests that in terms of reducing diabetes and CVD risk, it is better to be "fit and fat" than unfit and of normal weight. There has been very little previous research into the understandings that men in the general population hold about the issues of weight, exercise and health; we therefore undertook this study in order to inform the process of health promotion and diabetes prevention in this group.MethodsA qualitative study in North East England General Practice using a purposive sample of men aged 25 and 45 years (selection process designed to include 'normal', 'overweight' and 'obese' men). One to one audio-recorded semi structured interviews focused on: overweight and obesity, diet, physical activity and diabetes. Transcripts were initially analysed using framework analysis. Emerging themes interlinked.ResultsThe men in this study (n = 17) understand the word obesity differently from the clinical definition; "obesity" was used as a description of those with fat in a central distribution, and understandings of the term commonly take into account fitness as well as weight. Men in their late 30s and early 40s described becoming more aware of health issues. Knowledge of what constitutes a 'healthy lifestyle' was generally good, but men described difficulty acting upon this knowledge for various reasons e.g. increasing responsibilities at home and at work. Knowledge of diabetes and the link between obesity and diabetes was poor.ConclusionMen in this study had a complex understanding of the interlinked importance of weight and fitness in relation to health. Obesity is understood as a description of people with centrally distributed fat, in association with low fitness levels. There is a need to increase understanding of the causes and consequences of diabetes. Discussion of increased health awareness by men round the age of 40 may indicate a window of opportunity to intervene at this time.

Pattern of Eye Problems of the Elderly in a Nigerian Tertiary Health Institution.

The pattern of eye problems in 1,964 elderly Nigerians (972 males and 992 females) attending University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital over a 5-year period were reviewed and documented. This is aimed at determining the hospital incidence and pattern of eye problems among elderly Nigerians. retrospective case series study. The hospital case folders of the 1,964 patients aged 60 years and above seen at the eye clinic of the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital between July 1999 and June 2004 were reviewed. Their ages range from 60 to 99 years with a mean of 65.8 (+ 8.4) years. Information on socio demographic characteristics, visual acuity and ocular diagnosis were obtained, collated and analyzed. The major ocular problems were Cataract (41.1%), Primary open angle glaucoma (13%), Allergic conjunctivitis (11.3%) and Refractive errors (8.9%). Ocular trauma was the least frequent diagnosis (1.4%). The hospital incidence for bilateral and uniocular blindness were 383(19.5%) and 813(41.4%) respectively. More than one third 771 (39.1 %) had visual impairment in the better eye. Bilateral blindness was found to be caused mainly by cataract (55.6%), Glaucoma (17.5%), uncorrected aphakia (8.9%) and age-related macular degeneration (8.1%). The high incidence of blindness is a cause for concern which requires clinical and political commitment of both policy makers and implementers. This study emphasizes the role of eye disorders as a serious cause of morbidity among the elderly in Nigeria. It stresses the need for increased health awareness and education especially with regards to regular eye examination so as to reduce morbidity and unnecessary complications. Furthermore there is an urgent need to subsidize eye care services for elderly Nigerians Keywords: blindness; elderly; Eye problems; NigeriaThe Nigerian Medical Practitioner Vol. 51 (3) 2007: pp. 29-32

A New Perspective on Nonprescription Statins: An Opportunity for Patient Education and Involvement

Education of the public and encouragement of patients' involvement in their own health care have been repeatedly proved effective means of increasing health awareness, promoting lifestyle modifications, and improving early disease detection in a variety of clinical scenarios. Despite substantial efforts from different public and private organizations to educate the population on cardiovascular risk, coronary heart disease remains the leading cause of death in the United States, and its prevalence continues to grow. Therefore, alternative approaches with the potential to elicit a meaningful impact in the community deserve consideration. A nonprescription statin program could provide consumers with a tool of proved benefit in cardiovascular risk prevention. The magnitude of the target population (millions of subjects with intermediate to high risk), as well as the safety and efficacy profile of lovastatin 20 mg, support the consideration of this drug for "over-the-counter" availability. Moreover, a nonprescription statin program could represent a unique opportunity not only to enhance patients' involvement in primary prevention but also to reinforce the education of the public and to encourage interaction with health care providers. The success of such a program will undoubtedly require precise labeling of the risks and benefits of the therapy, as well as active support and participation from major medical organizations. In conclusion, nonprescription statin availability, through enhanced unique patients' involvement, offers the potential for enormous public health benefit.

Pakistan, Afghanistan look to women to improve health care.

Khalda Perveen ventures where trained doctors rarely dare to go. She is among more than 90 000 Lady Health Workers who are working to increase health awareness and improve child and maternal health across Pakistan, particularly in poor rural areas where three-quarters of the country's population live. In remote areas where there are no doctors, Lady Health Workers perform an important role: we go to areas where other health professionals won't go, Perveen, 29, said. But still some people don't accept us and think that as women ... we shouldn't be working. Run by the Pakistani government's National Programme for Family Planning and Primary Health Care, the Lady Health Workers scheme was launched in 1994 to reach out to remote, tribal communities where strict adherence to social and religious customs has long hampered women's ability to work as health workers and seek health care. Similar traditions exist across the border in war-torn Afghanistan, where maternal and under-five child mortality are high. More women--an estimated 1600 per 100 000--die in childbirth than in any other country, bar Sierra Leone, according to WHO. Child mortality is also among the world's highest. According to WHO's most recent estimates, 257 children in Afghanistan die out of every 1000 born. Afghanistan has much work to do after two decades of conflict and neglect --particularly during the 1992-96 civil war and subsequent Taliban reign--left the country's health system in tatters. Now the country is embarking on a programme similar to that of the Lady Health Workers that is credited with significantly improving health care across Pakistan. Great distances from homes to health centres, widespread illiteracy that limits educational and employment aspirations of and tribal customs that forbid women to work or be visited by male heath workers compound difficulties faced by many Afghan and Pakistani women and children seeking health care. Due to these barriers, few women use services that are provided by health facilities staffed by male health workers. A 2002 survey found that only 40% of Afghan basic health facilities employed female health-care providers. That is why Nagis, an Afghan woman aged in her 30s and who uses just one name, gave birth at home recently to a daughter who died several days later. She said that during her pregnancy she couldn't go to the clinic in her village of Rabat, north of the Afghan capital of Kabul, because there were no female doctors or midwives there. It is generally considered taboo here for men to treat women, Nagis said. Pakistan has been tackling the barriers to women receiving basic health care by training an army of Lady Health Workers to raise health awareness among communities that are cut off from hospitals and health centres by social barriers and distance, Dr Zareef Khan, Deputy National Coordinator for the programme, said in an interview with the Bulletin. The campaign started with 8000 workers in 1994 and now has 92 000 across the country. By the end of 2006, 100 000 workers will be in the field and a further 10 000 should be introduced by 2008. …

Effectiveness of a School-based Intervention to Increase Health Knowledge of Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors Among Rural Mississippi Middle School Children

Few school-based interventions have been evaluated to assess health awareness among children in rural southern areas. The purpose of this controlled investigation was to increase health awareness among middle school-aged children residing in a racially diverse rural community in Mississippi. This investigation assessed health knowledge before and after a 16-week school-based intervention in 205 fifth-grade students. Height, weight, BMI, body composition, waist circumference, dietary intake, blood lipids and lipoprotein concentrations, blood glucose concentrations, and resting blood pressure were measured to enhance student awareness of cardiovascular disease risk factors. Values in the intervention school were compared with those obtained simultaneously in a control school within the same community. The school-based intervention was effective in increasing health knowledge in the intervention as compared with the control school. Secondarily, it was effective in improving certain dietary behaviors. Utilizing health care professionals in the classroom to teach students appropriate lifestyles and actually measuring cardiovascular risk factors to increase awareness among students was effective in increasing overall health knowledge. Health knowledge of rural adolescents can be increased through partnerships with schools and multidisciplinary teams of health care professionals. Ongoing efforts to reduce childhood obesity and cardiovascular disease risk factors are urgently needed, and information obtained during this investigation may be used in planning school-based interventions in other diverse, rural communities.

Guest Editorial

Guest Editorial

Positive Consequences of Surviving a Stroke

This exploratory study focused on gaining insight into the psychological experience of stroke survivors undergoing inpatient rehabilitation. Specifically it investigated whether stroke survivors undergoing inpatient rehabilitation were able to identify any positive consequence of their stroke. This phenomenon, also know as benefit finding or positive reframing, has recently received more attention in the coping literature examining reactions to severe illness. Using a case series methodology and qualitative analytic techniques, 16 stroke survivors were interviewed using standardized open-ended questions related to identification of positive consequences attributed to surviving a stroke. Sixty-three percent of the patients interviewed were able to identify positive consequences of their stroke. The following five themes regarding positive consequences of stroke emerged from this case series: increased social relationships, increased health awareness, change in religious life, personal growth, and altruism. It was concluded that some individuals who have survived an acute stroke are able to reframe their experience in a positive light. This study provides occupational therapists and others with further insight into the coping mechanisms of those individuals who have survived a stroke. The need for further research is stressed.

ICEE/AHMRC NSW Aboriginal Eye and Visioncare Program, Australia

An astounding 50% of blindness and 70% of vision impairment in Australia is caused by conditions that are said to be preventable or treatable. Aboriginal people suffer 10 times the rate of blindness and attend eyecare practitioners in far lower numbers than other members of the Australian population. In order to combat this problem in New South Wales (NSW), Australia, the International Centre for Eyecare Education (ICEE), with the Aboriginal Health and Medical Research Council (AHMRC) and the Office of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health (OATSIH), and local Aboriginal communities, have set up eyecare clinics in Aboriginal Medical Services (AMS) around the State. These eye clinics provide eyecare and vision correction, including the provision of spectacles and other optical aids, as well as educational programs to increase health awareness among the Aboriginal population and Aboriginal eye health workers. The first eyecare clinic was opened in AMS Redfern (Sydney) in July 2000 and ICEE now has a presence in over 60 locations throughout NSW. There have already been over 8000 consultations and 6000 pairs of spectacles provided to Aboriginal communities during this time. The program has also demonstrated that an effective Aboriginal eyecare program can be self-sustainable. The key to the success of this program has been collaboration and cooperation. This has involved working through, and with, Aboriginal community-controlled health services, which has ensured that programs are developed in accordance with community needs and cultural sensitivities. It has also involved the harnessing of the contributions of a number of State, Federal, community and professional organisations and individuals. This has provided efficiencies in service and resource provision, which are essential to the sustainability of the program.