Knowledge, Attitude And Practice Research Articles

Perceived knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding the medical consortium among medical staff in Sichuan, China: a cross-sectional survey

BackgroundIn China, fragmented and inefficient health care systems are common while quality resources are limited. To promote an organized, efficient system, the government launched a medical consortium policy to vertically integrate health care through the collaboration of different levels of medical care. Logically, medical staff’s knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) regarding the consortium are critical for its development. The objective of this study was to explore the KAP regarding the medical consortium among medical staff in a medical consortium in Sichuan Province, China.MethodsA cross-sectional survey was conducted. In total, 690 medical staff members in 3 cities of Sichuan Province, China, were interviewed from November 2018 to December 2018. The questionnaire consisted of 18 items, including 4 items related to perceived knowledge, 4 items related to attitudes and 2 items related to practices, and was rated on a 5-point Likert scale (one = strongly disagree/do not know, five = strongly agree/know).ResultsThe effective response sample was 640 copies of the questionnaire, and most medical staff members (92.50%) knew about the cooperation with other hospitals in the medical consortium. Medical staff scored differently on each item in the questionnaire, with the highest score being the item ‘agreeing with the ward rounds and clinical teaching and training organized by the leading hospital’ (4.54 ± 0.76), and the lowest score being the item ‘frequency in participating in ward rounds and clinical teaching organized by the leading hospital’ (2.83 ± 1.36). In addition, the effect of demographic characteristics on KAP was evaluated by stepwise multiple regression analysis, and a significant positive correlation was found between all the studied variables by Spearman’s correlation (p < 0.05).ConclusionsThis study showed that the attitudes toward and knowledge of the medical consortium significantly contribute to practices, satisfaction with the support work performed by the leading hospital and agreement of improvement after joining the medical consortium. Thus, to improve medical staff’s KAP and satisfaction, publicity and educational programs in medical consortia are necessary, and the leading hospital should attach importance to the informatization construction and demand of different medical staff members.Clinical trial registrationThere are no clinical trials in this study.

The Knowledge, Attitude and Practice Among Makkah Physicians Towards Herpes Zoster Vaccination, Saudi Arabia, 2023.

Background Herpes zoster (HZ) is a viral disease, which is more common among the elderly and immunodeficient individuals, among which approximately 22% of cases might progress to post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN). Hence, this study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) towards HZ and its vaccination among primary health care physicians in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, 2023. Methodology This analytical cross-sectional study used an online pre-validated questionnaire and was conducted from July to August 2023. The target population included physicians working in primary healthcare (PHC) daily clinics in Makkah. Results A total of 153 participants were included in the current study. Of which 90 (58.8%) were females and 120 (78.4%) participants had chicken pox history. Around 123 (80.4%) had previously heard about shingles. The most reported source of information was physicians (63%) followed by the Internet (12.2%). Risk factors for shingles were found to be immunodeficiency (95.1%) and age (78%). Most (88.2%) participants had previously heard about the shingles vaccine and 99 (64.7%) reported that the shingles vaccine is needed even if the patient had chicken pox in the past. Most participants (82.4%) knew that the vaccine should be given to adults aged more than 50 years. About 69 (45.1%) thought that they were extremely likely to get the shingles vaccine if the doctor recommended it. Barriers to shingles vaccination among study participants included participant's perception that they were not at risk of getting shingles (33%) and concerns about vaccines' side effects (27.5%). The average knowledge score about shingles was found to be 9.51 ± 3.14 and the average knowledge score about shingles vaccine was found to be 5.43 ± 1.46. Gender was significantly associated with knowledge score about the vaccine (p-value= 0.028) where females had higher knowledge scores about shingles vaccine as compared to males. Qualification level and current Saudi Commission for Health Specialties (SCFHS) classification were found to be significantly associated with knowledge scores about shingles (p-value = 0.002 and 0.003, respectively). Conclusion A good level of KAP about shingles and its vaccine was found among the study participants. However, few knowledge gaps in methods of protection were assessed. Female gender, married participants and higher SCFHS qualification level were positively associated with higher levels of knowledge and awareness as compared to other groups.

Reliability and validity of a questionnaire measuring knowledge, attitude and practice regarding “oil, salt and sugar” among canteen staff

Excessive intake of oil, salt and sugar is closely associated with the prevalence of non-communicable chronic diseases (NCDs). Canteen staff’s knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) about oil, salt and sugar directly affect the content in dishes and the consumers’ intake. However, no valid questionnaire is used to assess KAP among canteen staff about the “oil, salt and sugar”. Therefore, the present study aimed to establish and validate a questionnaire to evaluate the KAP of canteen staff about the “oil, salt and sugar”. This cross-sectional study was conducted among canteen staff randomly selected from three college canteens. Participants completed the questionnaire and retested it two weeks later. Internal and test–retest reliability were assessed using Cronbach’s α and Pearson correlation coefficients, respectively. Validity was assessed using the exploratory factor analysis. 100 participants finished the questionnaire, of which 66% were females with a mean age of 40.3 ± 10.5 years. The Cronbach’s α coefficients of the total questionnaire and Knowledge, Attitude and Practice dimensions were 0.822, 0.830, 0.752 and 0.700, respectively. The test–retest reliability coefficient was 0.968. In exploratory factor analysis, nine common factors were extracted, with 26 items, and the cumulative contribution rate was 70.9%. The questionnaire had a satisfactory property for measuring the KAP of the “oil, salt and sugar” among canteen staff in China.

Academics meet practitioners: Interactive exchange instead of consuming knowledge on dairy calving management.

Consensus on optimal calving management is difficult to achieve among veterinarians. Some of this discordance may stem from asymmetry between the literature written by subject matter experts (SME) and the knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) of non-SMEs and veterinary practitioners. Hence, the objective of this study was to assess how veterinary practitioners KAPs in calving management compared with the findings in the literature. An online questionnaire survey was conducted prior to a World Buiatrics Congress by delegates (n = 80) who attended a workshop on calving management at which the outcomes of the latter were recorded. The responses from the questionnaire and the consensus from the workshop were compared and these were compared with the literature on calving management, specifically, prediction of calving, assistance at calving and farmer training in calving management. In general, there was good agreement between the aggregated individual responses to the questionnaire and the consensuses from the workshop. The suggested methods of predicting calving were well aligned between practitioners and those researched in the literature but practitioners tended to emphasize more practical aspects of prediction while the literature tends to focus more on the effectiveness of various predictor devices. Practitioners tended to recommend a later time of calving assistance than that recommended in the recent literature though they did also emphasize the importance of calving progress. The majority of practitioners conducted informal (at calving) calving training focusing on time of intervention, welfare-friendly intervention and delivery of a live healthy calf. However, the educational literature recommends a formal training approach as being more effective. These findings indicate that practitioners may benefit from continuing professional education on the scientific merits/demerits of calving prediction devices, current best practice on intervention timing during calving and formal methods of farmer training on calving management.

Knowledge, attitudes and practices associated with giardiasis among cattle handlers in Jere, Borno State, Northeastern Nigeria

This study was designed to assess the level of knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) of cattle handlers (cattle owners, cattle attendants and veterinarians) concerning giardiasis in Jere Local Government Area (LGA) of Borno State, Northeastern Nigeria. Using a pre-validated questionnaire, 278 cattle handlers from six wards of Jere were interviewed, with a 84% (n = 252) response rate. The majority of the respondents were aged 27–38 years (62.3%), male (93.7%) and Muslim (96%). Regarding the control and prevention of giardiasis, 31.3%, 44.8% and 31.3% of the cattle handlers had good knowledge, attitudes and practices, respectively. The overall mean scores of 59.5%, 64.8% and 64.1% for knowledge, attitudes and practices were significantly (p &lt; 0.05) lower than the ≥ 75% cut-off mark set for a good KAP score on giardiasis. Furthermore, there was a moderate, positive and significant (p &lt; 0.05) correlation between the knowledge score and the attitudes and practices scores. The handlers’ knowledge and attitudes had significant associations (p &lt; 0.05) with their levels of education and years of experience, signifying that high levels of education and years of experience were associated with improved awareness of giardiasis among cattle handlers. The study concluded that there is a potential risk of cattle handlers being infected with Giardia lamblia based on their overall suboptimal levels of knowledge, attitudes and practices toward giardiasis observed in the study area. Raising awareness among cattle handlers about the public health implications of giardiasis in the study area was recommended.

Effect evaluation of rubella knowledge attitudes and practices (KAP) intervention on parents of 0 to 2 year old children in Chongqing, China.

To evaluate the effect of rubella elimination publicity and communication project intervention activities on rubella related knowledge attitudes and practices (KAP) on parents of 0 to 2 year old children in Chongqing, and to provide basis for the formulation of rubella elimination strategies and measures. We choose 7 townships (streets) of parents of 0 to 2 year old children who live for more than 6 months in Chongqing to investigate the status of rubella knowledge, attitude and practice. Parents' cognition and behavior related to rubella, congenital rubella syndrome (CRS) and rubella component vaccine (RCV) were analyzed and evaluated before and after intervention. 420 people were surveyed before and after the intervention. The awareness rate of rubella prevention knowledge of parents after intervention was significantly higher than that before intervention, with statistical significance (P < .05). After intervention, parents' support rate of "rubella antibody test before pregnancy" and "RCV vaccination for children" were 89.52% and 72.14%, respectively, which were higher than those of parents before intervention (84.05% and 27.38%, P < .05). The RCV timely vaccination rate of children after intervention was 92.78%, which was higher than that of children before intervention (83.90%, P < .05). Targeted publicity and communication methods should be adopted for urban and rural areas to create a good publicity atmosphere, popularize rubella and CRS related popular science knowledge, and improve the RCV timely vaccination rate of school-age children and high-risk population.

Knowledge, attitude, and practice towards thyroid nodules and cancer among patients: a cross-sectional study.

This study aimed to explore the knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) towards thyroid nodules (TN) and thyroid cancer (TC) among patients. This cross-sectional study enrolled patients with TN or TC at the Second Affiliated Hospital of the University of South China between September 2022 and February 2023. A self-administered questionnaire was developed to collect demographic information of the participants, and their knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) towards TN and TC. A total of 510 valid questionnaires were collected. Among the participants, 102 (20.00%) were male, and 197 (38.63%) had the diagnosis of TC. The knowledge, attitude and practice scores were 5.76 ± 3.09 (possible range: 0-12), 31.07 ± 2.73 (possible range: 9-45), and 18.97 ± 2.92 (possible range: 5-25), respectively. Multivariate logistic regression showed that age of above 50 years old (OR = 0.27, 95%CI: 0.12-0.64, p = 0.003), junior college or bachelor's degree and above (OR = 4.97, 95%CI: 1.74-14.20, p = 0.003), monthly income of 5,000-10,000 CNY (OR = 2.02, 95%CI: 1.09-3.74, p = 0.025) and > 10,000 CNY (OR = 5.67, 95%CI: 2.49-12.94, p < 0.001) were independently associated with knowledge. The good knowledge (OR = 3.87, 95%CI: 1.89-7.95, p < 0.001), high school or technical secondary school (OR = 0.52, 95%CI: 0.30-0.88, p = 0.016), and monthly income of 5,000-10,000 CNY (OR = 2.02, 95%CI: 1.13-3.63, p = 0.018) were independently associated with practice. Patients demonstrated poor knowledge, moderate attitude, and proactive practice towards TN and TC.

Knowledge, attitude, and practice toward complementary alternative medicine in the UAE: A cross- sectional study

IntroductionComplementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) encompasses utilization of traditional approaches in treating illnesses. The literature on CAM in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) shows varying awarness and practice. This study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice towards CAM in the UAE. MethodsThe study utilized a cross-sectional design and collected data between January and March 2023 from adults in the UAE. Using convenience sampling, participants were invited to participate from public areas. A total of 964 individuals participated in the study by filling the survey electronically. Data were collecting using the CAM knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) questionnaire. This study received ethical approval from Research Ethics and Integrity Committee at the Higher Colleges of Technology. ResultsThe mean age of the participants was 31.32 years (+-10.66). The majority of the participants were Emirati (89.5 %), female (71.6 %), married (54.4 %) and held a bachelor's degree (40.4 %). Data on CAM knowledge showed that 66.7 % of the participants recognized CAM, mostly from family and friends (38 %). More than half (56.5 %) of the participants recognized the types of CAM, with Hijama as the most well known type. The majority of the participants (80.1 %) had a positive attitude toward CAM practice. Separated participants were 3.187 times less likely to exhibit positive attitude toward CAM than single participants (OR = -3.187., 95 %CI [.005, 0.345]) and Muslims were 3.517 times more likely to exhibit positive attitude toward CAM (OR = -3.517., 95 %CI [4.717, 240.673]). Moreover, 39.3 % of the participants tried CAM mostly to relieve pain (54.8 %). There was a significant correlation between age and knowledge about CAM (r = 0.147, p < 0.001) and between knowledge and attitude toward CAM (r = 0.149, p < 0.001). There was a significant correlation between attitude toward CAM and knowledge about Hijama (r = 0.136, p < 0.001), acupuncture (r = 0.192, p < 0.001), dietary supplements (r = 0.180, p < 0.001), and herbal medicine (r = 0.161, p < 0.001). ConclusionIn the UAE, there is considerable knowledge and acceptance of CAM. Recommendations are geared toward the involvement of healthcare professionals in CAM prescription and control. Community awareness about CAM is recommended to bridge the gap between safety, risks and benefits.

Knowledge, attitudes and practices of French university students towards COVID-19 prevention-are health students better?

During the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020, public health measures (PHM) were implemented to prevent the spread of SARS-CoV-2. At university, we wondered whether health students would be more likely to comply with these safety measures against infectious disease transmission compared to other students. Thus, we collected 1 426 university students' responses to an online anonymous survey to describe their knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) of COVID-19 prevention measures and to compare the opinions and practices of health students and science students at the same university of Rouen Normandy (France). A higher proportion of science students (84.6%) compared to health students (73.9%) reported knowledge of the university's COVID-19 protocol, p<0.001. However, the health students compared to science students reported a higher compliance with PHM at home (91.4% vs 88.0%) and at university (94.1% vs 91.1%). In a multiple regression analysis, after adjustment for age, sex and university department, factors associated with higher compliance with PHM were knowledge of the university's COVID-19 protocol and a high perceived efficacy of PHM. A SARS-CoV-2 PCR result was not predictive of compliance with PHM. The results of this online survey in French students show a high level of knowledge and practices of COVID-19 prevention Although their performances could still be improved by training, the good results of health students regarding knowledge, attitudes and practices are encouraging as these students could be an added backup force to fight against viral pandemics.

Knowledge, attitude and practices towards SARS-CoV-2 genetic mutations and emerging variants among the population in Bangladesh: a cross-sectional study

ObjectivesThe coronavirus is continuously mutating and creating new SARS-CoV-2 variants. Public awareness about SARS-CoV-2 mutation is essential for effective preventive measures. The present study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitude...

Relationship between diabetic knowledge, attitudes and practices among patients with diabetes in China: a structural equation model

ObjectivesWhether the routine delivery of diabetes-related knowledge can change patients’ attitudes and hence influence their self-management activities remains unknown in primary healthcare settings in China. Thus, this study aims to...

Antimicrobial stewardship: knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding antimicrobial use and resistance among non-healthcare students at the University of Zambia.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses a significant threat to the world and could become humanity's next major challenge. This study assessed non-healthcare students' knowledge, attitude and practices (KAP) towards antimicrobial use (AMU) and AMR at the University of Zambia. This cross-sectional study was conducted among 443 non-healthcare students from August to October 2022 using a structured questionnaire. Data analysis was done using IBM SPSS version 24.0. Of the 433 participants, 55.2%, 63.5% and 45% had moderate KAP scores regarding AMU and AMR. The prevalence of self-medication with antibiotics was 76.7%. Male participants were less likely to have good knowledge (OR = 0.524, 95% CI: 0.347-0.792) and positive attitudes (OR = 0.585, 95% CI: 0.364-0.940) towards AMU and AMR compared with females. Students who were studying Engineering and Mining were more likely to have good knowledge of AMR (OR = 1.891, 95% CI: 1.197-2.987) compared with those in Social Sciences. Those who were in their fourth and fifth years were more likely to have positive attitudes towards AMU and AMR (OR = 1.851, 95% CI: 1.147-2.986) compared with those who were in the first, second and third years. Finally, students who practised self-medication were less likely to have good self-reported practice towards AMR (OR = 0.442, 95% CI: 0.278-0.702) compared with those who did not. This study demonstrated that non-healthcare students had moderate KAP regarding AMU and AMR. All university students should be provided with education about AMU and AMR through free short courses, seminars, workshops, and AMR and antimicrobial stewardship awareness campaigns.

Prevalence of antibiotic residues in milk samples of small-scale dairy households in Bengaluru, India

This study aimed to estimate the burden of subclinical mastitis in community setting, animal handlers’ knowledge, attitude and practices on mastitis and antibiotic use, and to detect antibiotic residues in milk samples. A total of 211 households belonging to four clusters of Karnataka state in Southern province of India were selected through 30-cluster approach. A total of 380 milk samples were analyzed for Subclinical Mastitis (SCM) by California Mastitis Test (CMT) and antibiotic residues by spore-based and Charm Rosa tests. Animal handler’s basic knowledge, attitude and practices (KAP) on antibiotics use were recorded. SCM prevalence was found 42% in the study site; antibiotic residues were detected in 21% (79/380) of milk samples; 7.1% and 5.52% of samples had maximum residual limits (MRL) and Multi Drug Residues (MDR), respectively. Antibiotic residues were detected in 32.22% of the households. Majority of animal handlers heard about antibiotics (83.31%), 51% of handlers treated the animals on their own and 23% of them bought antibiotics without prescription. High prevalence of SCM in the study setting and antibiotic load in milk samples raise food safety concern. Regulatory measures for prudent antibiotic use and knowledge dissemination among animal handlers for clean milk production are the measures required to tackle the problem.

Development of Knowledge, Attitude and Practice Questionnaire for Patients with Diabetes Mellitus

Diabetes is one of the most common chronic diseases worldwide. The number of people with type 2 diabetes began to rise globally in the 1990 s, and since 2000, the world has seen a dramatic increase. There is a need to assess Knowledge, Attitude and Practice (KAP) of patients with diabetes in order to aid in future development of control programs and techniques for effective health education and patients counselling. this study was intended to develop a KAP questionnaire. It is a 27-question closed ended questionnaire with 12 knowledge, 8 attitude and 7 practice questions. Each correct answer was given a score 1 and the incorrect answer was given 0. Total scores of Knowledges, Attitude and Practice were added together to yield the final KAP score, where 25 was the highest and 0 was the least KAP score a subject could get. The questionnaire was reviewed by doctors and fellow pharmacists. Reliability of the questionnaire was calculated using “Kuder Richardson 21 (KR21)” method using a sample data of KAP score from 20 patients. After applying the formula, the scores obtained for Knowledge, Attitude, Practice and KAP were 0.71, 0.80, 0.71, and 0.75 respectively. The results show that the questionnaire is a valid instrument that allows an assessment of knowledge, attitudes and practices levels of patients with diabetes mellitus.

Comparative Studies on Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Health Workers towards Medical Waste Management in Two Developed Regions of the World

Background: Worldwide, healthcare waste still remains a challenge to public health and potential source of hazard to biosphere. Assessment of knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) of healthcare workers towards healthcare waste management was carried out in Sweden and Hungary for comparative analysis.&#x0D; Methods: Data was collected using a pretested questionnaire and analyzed using spss version 20.0. Total Sample size of 210 was used for the study; comprising of 105 from each area.&#x0D; Results: In Hungary, 11(10.5%) were male while 94(89.5%) were female. While Sweden comprised of 28(26.7%) male and 77(73.3%) female. In Sweden frequencies of 5.7%, 56.2%, 22.9%, 3.8%, 6.7% and 4.8% were recorded for age groups of &lt;20 years, 20-30years, 31-40years, 41-50years,51-60years and ≥61years respectively. While amongst the Hungarian respondents, the respective age groups yielded frequencies of 1.0%, 18.1%, 21.0%, 36.2%, 17.1% and 6.7% respectively(p&lt;0.05).More Doctors(63.8%) and Nurses(63.8%) in Hungary participated in the study than in Sweden(Doctors=15.2%;.Nurses=15.2%). The proportion of medical students was highest (32.4%) in Sweden than in Hungary (7.6%). According to educational qualifications, respondents with Bachelors degree occurred most in equal proportion (50.5%) in the two study areas. While those with doctorate degree recorded highest frequency of 11.4% in Sweden and least (1.0)% in Hungary. Respondents with masters degree occurred with frequencies of 27.6% and 21.0% in Hungary Sweden respectively. Result of respondents’ knowledge on healthcare waste shows that in Hungary, 81% of the respondents affirmed they are aware of waste management guidelines used in their hospital while in Sweden the proportion was 51.4%. Conversely, 19.0% of respondents from Hungary said they are not aware while in Sweden it was 26.7% and the remaining proportion (21.9%) said they don’t have idea. Where waste disposal guidelines exist, only 43.8% of Swedish respondents said they are aware of the contents while in Hungary, the proportion is high (81.0%). Those that responded “no” to the question;-meaning they are not aware of such guidelines occurred most (37.1%) in Sweden than in hungary(11.4%), though the proportion that said they don’t have idea is low in Hungary(7.6%) than in Sweden(19.0%) (P&lt;0.05).Also from the result, few proportion (19.0% in Hungary; 24.8% in Sweden) of the respondents believed that disposal of hazardous waste is extra burden to them. While most of the respondents (76.2% in Hungary; 48.6% in Sweden) said “no” to the question;- meaning that disposal of hazardous waste is not extra burden to them. More (68.6%) of the respondents from Hungary said they have been educated/trained on waste handling than the Swedish respondents where 54.3% had education/training on waste handling. The proportion that was not trained was high in Sweden (41.9%) than Hungary (31.4%). However, knowledge and attitude on healthcare waste management yielded high percentage rating scores for Hungarian respondents than those of Sweden. On the contrary, Swedish respondents demonstrated more practice than Hungarian counterparts in the area of HBV vaccination (Sweden=90.5%; Hungary=6.7%), use of personal protective equipment (Sweden=93.3%; Hungary=91.4%), change of personal protective equipment (Sweden=52.4%; Hungary=19.0%).&#x0D; Conclusion: Good knowledge and attitude was noted in the two areas but more in Hungary while Practice was mostly demonstrated in Sweden. This stands as a useful tool to relevant stakeholders in health sectors in the two areas.

Assessment of knowledge, attitudes and practices on water, sanitation and hygiene in Zaria Local Government Area, Kaduna State

Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices (KAP) are relevant concerns for sustained and effective implementation of WASH programs. This research was conducted in Zaria Local Government Area (LGA), Kaduna State to Assess the KAP on WASH to avail reliable data for informed interventions. 174 randomly selected households were interviewed. The result reveals four main sources of drinking water, viz borehole (31%), well (19%), pipe-borne (13.1%) and water packaged in sachet (24.7%). The result shows that 34.5% of households dispose solid waste through unauthorized waste collectors, 16.1 % use authorized collectors, 17.2% at public approved dumpsite, 16.1% at unapproved dump sites, 16.1% by burning, 4% bury their waste and 4% dispose waste in open water bodies/ways/drainages. The results shows that 30.5% of households have modern water closets, 42.8 % use pit latrine, and 11.5 % use public toilets. Based on the findings, it is evident that there is high accessibility of improved water to households, availability of improved toilet facility is also high, but waste management practice is poor. In conclusion, Zaria LGA is in need of WASH interventions especially as regards waste management. It is recommended that efforts should be made to intensify awareness about WASH.

Community knowledge, attitude, practices and beliefs associated with persistence of malaria transmission in North-western and Southern regions of Tanzania

BackgroundDespite significant decline in the past two decades, malaria is still a major public health concern in Tanzania; with over 93% of the population still at risk. Community knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP), and beliefs are key in enhancing uptake and utilization of malaria control interventions, but there is a lack of information on their contribution to effective control of the disease. This study was undertaken to determine KAP and beliefs of community members and service providers on malaria, and how they might be associated with increased risk and persistence of the disease burden in North-western and Southern regions of Tanzania.MethodsThis was an exploratory study that used qualitative methods including 16 in-depth interviews (IDI) and 32 focus group discussions (FGDs) to collect data from health service providers and community members, respectively. The study was conducted from September to October 2017 and covered 16 villages within eight districts from four regions of mainland Tanzania (Geita, Kigoma, Mtwara and Ruvuma) with persistently high malaria transmission for more than two decades.ResultsMost of the participants had good knowledge of malaria and how it is transmitted but some FGD participants did not know the actual cause of malaria, and thought that it is caused by bathing and drinking un-boiled water, or consuming contaminated food that has malaria parasites without warming it. Reported barriers to malaria prevention and control (by FGD and IDI participants) included shortage of qualified health workers, inefficient health financing, low care-seeking behaviour, consulting traditional healers, use of local herbs to treat malaria, poverty, increased breeding sites by socio-economic activities and misconceptions related to the use of bed nets and indoor residual spraying (IRS). Among the misconceptions, some participants believed that bed nets provided for free by the government came with bedbugs while others reported that free bed nets caused impotence among men.ConclusionDespite good knowledge of malaria, several risk factors, such as socio-economic and behavioural issues, and misconceptions related to the use of bed nets and IRS were reported. Other key factors included unavailability or limited access to health services, poor health financing and economic activities that potentially contributed to persistence of malaria burden in these regions. Relevant policies and targeted malaria interventions, focusing on understanding socio-cultural factors, should be implemented to reduce and finally eliminate the disease in the study regions and others with persistent transmission.

Assessment of medicines and potential pharmaceutical wastes management among households in Lamongan, Indonesia

Background: Storing medicines at home has been linked with irrational use, misuse, and pharmaceutical waste leading to an increased burden on the health system. Objective: This study examined the practice of storing and handling medicines at home, calculated the potential economic loss of pharmaceutical wastes, and measured the knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) of household medicine management. Method: A cross-sectional household survey using a pre-validated ReDiUM (Return and Disposal of Unused Medications) questionnaire was conducted in Lamongan, Indonesia. A convenience sampling of 100 families was done and the findings were subsequently analysed. Results: A low portion of families (37%) obtained medicines from authorised pharmacies. The majority (68%) mentioned that housewives managed the medicines at home. More than half (57%) stated that they still keep the leftover medicines and only one-third of the respondents (37%) stored them in the medicine basket. As a result, potential economic loss was estimated at around $2 per family. The Spearman rank correlation coefficient test showed a strong positive association between knowledge and attitude (p &lt; 0.05) Conclusion: Management of medicines at home has been an underrated topic within contemporary pharmacy research despite its potential threat to community health.

Biomedical waste management: assessment of knowledge, attitude and practice among health care workers

Background: The waste produced in healthcare activities carries a high potential for infection and injury than any other type of waste. Inadequate knowledge of biomedical waste (BMW) management can lead to serious health consequences and an adverse impact on environment. The aim of this study is to assess the knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) of BMW management among healthcare workers of government T. D. medical college, Alappuzha. Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted among staff and students of government T. D. medical college, Alappuzha. Stratified sampling was done and data was collected using semi structured questionnaire and analyzed using SPSS version 26 software. Results: The majority of faculty and nurses had good knowledge about segregation of waste into yellow and red coded bags. Nurses, students and residents had good knowledge about waste disposal into white coded containers whereas into blue coded containers was seen in lesser proportion among all categories of health care workers. All the nurses and majority of the faculty had corrected attitude towards BMW management. Assessment of practice revealed that 50% of the nurses practiced proper BMW management and the proportion was much lower among all other categories of health care workers. Conclusions: Knowledge about infectious plastic waste and sharp waste disposal was low among students and faculty respectively. Knowledge about metallic and glassware disposal was low among all categories of health care workers. Attitude towards BMW management was low among students and residents and its practice was inadequate among all categories of health care workers.

Evaluation of Knowledge, Attitude and Behavior of Beauty Salon Workers Towards AIDS in Songhor

Background &amp; Aims: Iran is one of three countries with two-thirds of new infection AIDS in 2018, reaching 11,000 new infections. Therefore, measuring the awareness and subsequent health behaviors of high-risk groups is essential. Materials and Methods: A total of 150 beauty salon workers (BSWs) in Songhor, Kermanshah were randomly selected to participate in this study. The research tool was a researcher-made questionnaire in four sections (individual questions, knowledge, attitude and practice). Data were analyzed by descriptive and analytical statistics in SPSS 20. Results: Regarding marital status 80% were married with age distribution of 16-25 (4%), 26-35 (56%) and 36-50 (40%), educational status 48% diploma and 68% of job experience of 1-10 years. Seventy-six percent of BSWs do tattoos for clients, 33% never used disposable razors and 28% disinfected the equipment incorrect. Their knowledge on HIV transmission methods was desirable, however was no significant correlation between knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) (P&gt;0.05). Conclusion: Health centers staff played a major role in the training of hairdressers, and in Iran, television and radio is facing serious restrictions on AIDS training and transmission and prevention methods. There is a need for training programs to improve the health behaviors of this high risk group.