Preventive Behaviors Research Articles

Determinants of adult sedentary behavior and physical inactivity for the primary prevention of diabetes in historically disadvantaged communities: A representative cross-sectional population-based study from Reunion Island.

Populations undergoing extensive and rapid socio-economic transitions including historically disadvantaged communities face an increased risk of type-2 diabetes (T2D). In recent years, sedentary behavior and physical inactivity have been considered modifiable determinants when developing primary prevention programs to reduce T2D incidence. Reunion Island is a French overseas department with an increasing T2D population and a high level of socio-economic inequality. The objectives of our study were to identify the individual, social, and environmental factors associated with sedentary behavior and physical inactivity among the Reunion Island adult population, and to highlight these findings in order to propose T2D primary prevention strategies aiming at alleviating local social inequalities in health (SIH). In 2021, we conducted a population-based cross-sectional telephone survey using random sampling. Participants included adults over 15 years old living in ordinary accommodation on Reunion Island (n = 2,010). Using a sequential approach, multinomial logistic regression model (explaining 3 profiles of interest: sedentary/inactive, sedentary/active, non-sedentary/inactive), and sampling-design weighted estimates, we found that 53.9% [95% confidence interval: 51.1 to 56.7%] of participants had sedentary behavior and 20.1% [95% CI: 17.8 to 22.5%] were inactive. Abandoning physical activity due to the COVID-19 pandemic (p<0.001), final secondary school diploma or above (p = 0.005), student as professional status (p≤0.005) and living in fewer poor neighborhoods located far from city centers (p = 0.030) were four conditions independently associated with sedentary/inactive and/or sedentary/active profiles. Based on these findings, to help reduce SIH, we used a typology of actions based on the underlying theoretical interventions including four main action categories: strengthening individuals (using person-based strategies), strengthening communities, improving living and working conditions, and promoting health-based macro-policies. Our findings suggest several directions for reducing lifestyle risk factors and enhancing T2D primary prevention programs targeting psychosocial, behavioral, and structural exposures.

Investigating public participation in adopting preventive health behaviors during COVID-19: a cross-sectional study in Urmia, Iran

Investigating public participation in adopting preventive health behaviors during COVID-19: a cross-sectional study in Urmia, Iran

Appraisal the structure of diabetes self-management education and support in diabetes education units of Isfahan, Iran.

Diabetes self-management education and support (DSMES) is an approach to improve preventive practices and behaviors with a focus on decision-making, problem-solving, and self-care. The present study was designed to appraisal structural standards of Diabetes Self-Management Education (DSME) in Isfahan province. The sample size included 170 files of patients with diabetes in 31 diabetes education units. The data collection tools were a checklist with 62 items and a questionnaire. Data was collected via observation and interview. In each diabetes education unit, theresearcherfirst observed the physical space and equipment of the classroom and completed the relevant items in the checklist. Then participated in one individual and one group education session and completed the checklist withthe relevant items. At the end of the session, the researcher completed the questionnaire by interviewing the educator. The collected data were described using SPSS version 21 software. Regarding the characteristics of educators. All of them had started working as an educator without completing the diabetes education courseandabout a third of them had less than one year of work experience (29%) in diabetes units. Regarding physical space, about 90% of the education units had proper lighting, cooling and heating devices, and less than half (48.4%) had proper ventilation. In 3.2% of diabetes units, educators had access to the Internet. In none of the diabetes education units(%0), there was an up-to-date and evidence-based documented curriculum. The results of the present study showed serious challenges in the field of the structure of DSMES in the diabetes education units of Isfahan province. Considering the necessity and critical importance of diabetes education, policymakers in the field of diabetes management can benefit fromthese results for planning to help improve this situation.

Adherence to COVID appropriate behavior among medical students: A cross-sectional study

Background and Objectives: India has seen a steep rise in COVID-19 cases driven by infections caused by the Omicron variant. Thus, there is an urgent need to scale up preventive measures or COVID appropriate behavior (CAB). It is essential to assess the CAB practices among the medical students as they are exposed not only to the patients by being in the hospital environment but also because lapse in such practices on part of these students can lead to increased number of infections. Hence, this study was planned to be conducted among medical students to assess the CAB practices. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional, descriptive study was conducted for the duration of 3 months at a Medical College in Chengalpet district, Tamil Nadu, among medical students using a semi-structured questionnaire in the Google form platform. It included various study variables, namely sociodemographic parameters and parameters related to CAB. Data were analyzed using the SPSS version 23. Results: A total of 364 students participated in the study. It was observed that most of the participants were satisfactorily practicing CAB, especially with regard to hand hygiene and use of face masks. Conclusion: The study revealed that the adherence to CAB among the medical students to be satisfactory in most areas of hand hygiene and use of personal protective equipment. However, there is a lot of scope to improve in the domain of social distancing and safe disposal of used face masks.

Reflections on health information sources in epidemics in synchrony with the COVID-19 pandemic: A scoping review

This study aims to scrutinize prevalent sources of health information utilized by individuals for informed decision-making regarding protective and preventive health behaviors amidst an infectious epidemic. The acquisition of comprehensible and reliable information relevant to individual needs is deemed imperative in this context. This scoping review encompasses investigations into the sources of information employed during infectious epidemics, conducted in both Persian and English languages, spanning the timeframe from 2003 to 2019. The search for pertinent studies was executed across diverse databases, including PubMed, Embase, ProQuest, the Cochrane Library, Google Scholar, and Scientific Information Database. This review incorporated a total of 13 relevant studies. Findings indicate that traditional media, comprising television, radio, and newspapers, emerged as the predominant information sources during epidemics. Conversely, government resources and official government websites were identified as the least utilized channels. Additionally, the most reliable sources were identified as television, newspapers, and healthcare personnel. Given the historical prevalence of traditional media as a primary information source during past infectious epidemics, health officials and policymakers must consider enhancing public education through these channels during epidemic dissemination. However, due attention should also be directed towards the provision of pertinent and credible content on online social media platforms, particularly catering to the informational needs of young adults and the emerging generation. The identified limitations in the extant studies, namely their contextual dependence on sociocultural factors, the trajectory of lifestyle modifications, technological advancements, and the recent advent of the COVID-19 pandemic underscore the necessity for additional and comprehensive investigations in this domain.

Investigating seasonal changes in factors associated with COVID-19 concerns: Results from a serial cross-sectional survey study in Germany between 2020 and 2023.

COVID-19 risk perceptions are discussed to be volatile and have been shown to be connected to the adoption of preventive public health behaviors. This study aimed to investigate changes in COVID-19 concerns and influencing factors as a function of season among the German public. Sixty-three waves of cross-sectional telephone surveys with German participants aged 14 years and older conducted at least monthly between June 2020 and April 2023 provided the data basis (N = 63,471). After pooling participants of different waves by season (spring, summer, fall, winter), data were analyzed with regard to changes in physical health, mental health, economic, and social COVID-19 concerns. Individual characteristics (e.g., age), COVID-19 behavior (e.g., hygiene practices), and related perceptions (e.g., controllability of risk) were considered as predictors of composite concerns in different seasons. Results showed a higher between-seasons than within-seasons variability in concerns, with rises in physical and mental health and social concerns during fall. Multivariate regressions revealed being female, lower education, adopting protective measures, and higher perceived probability of infection in both public and private settings to be consistent predictors of higher COVID-19 concerns. Coefficients of these predictors remained comparatively stable over seasons and years. Results indicate re-occurring changes in concerns during a prolonged crisis, with distinct characteristics being consistently associated with higher reported concerns. To ensure the application of protective measures, communicators should consider that risk perceptions are subject to fluctuations, but that certain groups of individuals tend to develop them and therefore deserve particular focus.

Survey on Sensor based Fall Assistance System for Elderly

Falling is one of the main factors causing injuries to the elderly. However, there is a lack of comprehensive review surveys in this field. This paper systematically summarizes the relevant studies in recent years. First, considering the duration of fall prevention, this paper divides fall prevention into fall injury prevention and fall behavior prevention; then in order to comprehensively study fall detection and prediction, this paper divides relevant studies into environmental sensors and wearable sensors according to the different used sensors. According to current research, this paper also proposes a full-process architecture for fall assistance, which integrates multiple sensors and algorithms. Finally, the trends and challenges of fall-related research from four aspects are summarized.

THE ESSENTIAL COMPONENTS OF PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY: NURTURING HEALTHY SMILES FROM AN EARLY AGE

Pediatric dentistry encompasses crucial components aimed at promoting optimal oral health in children. This article highlights the essential elements of pediatric dentistry, including preventive care, behavior management, growth and development monitoring,comprehensive dental treatments, and specialized materials and methods. By emphasizing preventive measures, creating supportive environments, and addressing the unique needs of pediatric patients, pediatric dentists play a pivotal role in nurturing healthy smiles from an early age. The integration of these components underscores the commitment to providing compassionate, tailored, and effective oral health care for children, ultimately contributing to the long-term oral health and well-being of pediatric patients.

A conceptual framework for good preventive practices (or for quaternary prevention)

Prevention is universally advocated, especially in the case of noncommunicable diseases. However, given the proliferation of preventive technologies, it does not seem defensible to generically encourage preventive behaviors and tests for healthcare professionals and users. In this essay, we articulate concepts, ideas and criteria for considering preventive measures, providing a minimum guide to be used by professionals (especially in primary healthcare) and managers. The concepts of primary, secondary and quaternary prevention are explored, as well as those of reductive and additive prevention, high-risk and population-based preventive strategies; evidence-based medicine and its contemporary crisis; the precautionary principle; health promotion, an expanded, person-centered approach and shared decision-making. This discussion was designed to improve competence in the evaluation of preventive measures, making clinical and health decisions more judicious and less iatrogenic regarding primary and secondary prevention.

Enhancing Maternal Caregiving Capabilities Model to Prevent Childhood Stunting: A UNICEF-Inspired Model

Introduction The proportion of stunted children in Indonesia is slowly decreasing. In most families, a mother is responsible for child care. The quality of maternal caregiving capability influences the mother’s ability to adopt appropriate childcare practices, which is essential to prevent childhood stunting. Objectives This study aimed to develop a model to enhance maternal caregiving capabilities in preventing childhood stunting based on the UNICEF model of care. Methods The study used an analytical observational design involving a pair of mothers and their youngest 6–23-month-old children registered at Posyandu (Community-based Integrated Health Care Center). Six hundred respondents were taken using a cluster sampling technique across seven healthcare centers in Surabaya City, East Java, Indonesia. The independent variables were child, mother, father, and household factors, then maternal caregiving capabilities. The dependent variable was the nutritional behavior to prevent childhood stunting. Data were collected using questionnaires and then analyzed using the Structural Equation Model-Partial Least Squares (SEM-PLS) test. Results The study found that maternal caregiving capabilities are influenced by child (T-stat 2.605), mother (T-stat 3,800), and household factors (T-stat 10,338). Maternal caregiving capabilities affect stunting preventive behavior in children aged 6–23 months (T-stat 2.493). Household factors were the strongest factor affecting maternal caregiving capabilities. Conclusion Enhancing maternal caregiving capabilities model can be developed using its constituents, especially perceived physical health, psychological well-being, and decision-making. Household factors, including economic level and food security, were also important. High maternal caregiving capabilities were expected to enable mothers to improve their behavior to prevent childhood stunting (6–23 months).

Low back pain prevention behaviors and beliefs among the Polish population in a cross-sectional survey.

Low back pain (LBP) is one of the most common problems of public health and creates a burden globally. The aim was to assess the Polish population's back pain prevention behaviors and beliefs and to examine how these health behaviors and beliefs vary across sociodemographic factors and physical activity. A cross-sectional survey was carried out among 208 randomly selected patients of the public general practitioner clinic. The differences in LBP-related beliefs and attitudes were determined due to participants' status of requiring or non-requiring LBP treatment. More than half of the respondents did not engage in behaviors that protect against back pain. Individuals with higher education levels and those who exercised at least once a week were significantly more likely to adopt behaviors to protect their backs. Less than half of the participants reported having a workplace that was adequately prepared to protect against back pain, and only 35.1% of the participants reported receiving instruction while taking up work on how to avoid back pain while working. According to respondents' opinions, preventive actions are necessary to protect against back pain. Inappropriate exercises and stress can be contributors to back pain, with these opinions reported more often by women and participants with higher education levels. Participants who received treatment for LBP showed a significantly higher expression of behaviors to protect against back pain compared to participants who did not require treatment. However, there were no significant differences in participants' beliefs about back pain prevention between the group requiring LBP treatment and the group not requiring LBP treatment. The study provides valuable insights into the association between LBP treatment, back pain prevention behaviors, and beliefs, suggesting potential avenues for future research and intervention development. By addressing workplace ergonomics and promoting a culture of back health, it may be possible to reduce the burden of LBP in Poland.

Determinants of peer education on sexual and reproductive health and rights among in-school adolescents in Ebonyi State, Nigeria.

Peer education has contributed to increased knowledge and preventive behaviors of adolescents toward reproductive health matters with the unique feature of maintaining peer-to-peer learning ability and sustaining intervention gains. This study examined the factors that predict the agency of in-school adolescents as peer educators on the sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) of adolescents. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 257 adolescent boys and girls, purposively selected from six public secondary schools that had received a package of interventions that aimed to improve peer-to-peer education on SRHR in Ebonyi State, Nigeria. Data were collected using a pretested structured interviewer-administered questionnaire. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed. The level of statistical significance was determined at a P value < 0.05 and a 95% confidence limit. Almost all the students (98.05%) believed that adolescents need information on SRHR, which should be provided in the schools; however, 66.93% had ever shared information with their peers on the SRHR. The predictors of the practice of peer education on SRHR include being in senior secondary (adjusted odds ratios (AOR) =2.889, P = 0.026), participation in SRHR campaigns (AOR = 6.139, P = 0.005), receiving information, education and communication materials (AOR = 0.266, P = 0.042), and discussing SRH matter with adult family members (AOR = 2.567, P = 0.026). The practice of peer education among adolescents was determined by their level in school, availability of support structures such as parent-child communication, and program-related factors. Therefore, public health initiatives should prioritize these factors to strengthen adolescents' agency as peer educators on the SRHR of young people.

Metacognitions About Health and COVID-19 Preventive Behaviors: Experiential Avoidance and Coronavirus Anxiety as Mediators

Metacognitions About Health and COVID-19 Preventive Behaviors: Experiential Avoidance and Coronavirus Anxiety as Mediators

Compliance with World Health Organization COVID-19 preventive behaviors in rural counties in Western Kenya: a cross-sectional study.

the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended various measures to tackle COVID-19, and were adopted by many governments, targeting behavior change among citizens to lower the transmission. There was a paucity of data on the patterns of compliance with different measures within individuals and whether people adhere to all recommended measures or cautiously prefer few but not others. Understanding compliance behaviors and associated factors is important for developing interventions to increase compliance. cross-sectional study was conducted among adults in the western region of Kenya. A sample of 806 participants was selected using a stratified sampling method. A structured questionnaire was used to gather data from the participants. Compliance was assessed with six behaviors: hand sanitation, proper hygiene, no handshaking, social distancing, and other guidelines. Latent analysis was used to identify behavioral patterns. Descriptive statistics were used to assess demographic characteristics, in terms of frequency distribution, and percentages. Multinomial logistic regression was used to assess the association between demographic characteristics and compliance level. compliance was highest for masking (85.3%), and was lowest for social distancing (60.2%). The majority of participants were found to be full compliers (class 1: 40.5%), there was an increased probability of full compliance among those aged between 18-30 years (OR= 1.042; 95% CI: 0.307-13.052, p < 0.040) compared to those aged ≥70. using facemasks had the highest rate of compliance, followed by hand sanitization and proper hygiene. However, overall, the findings showed that while compliance with some protocol behaviors is high, individuals comply consistently across recommended compliance behaviors.

The Impact of Educational Intervention Based on the Health Belief Model on Adopting COVID-19 Preventive Behaviors Among Clients of Urban Health Centers

The Impact of Educational Intervention Based on the Health Belief Model on Adopting COVID-19 Preventive Behaviors Among Clients of Urban Health Centers

COVID-19 Information, Trust, and Risk Perception Across Diverse Communities in the United States: Initial Findings from a Multistate Community Engagement Alliance (CEAL).

Objectives. To provide initial findings from Community Engagement Alliance (CEAL), a multistate effort funded by the National Institutes of Health, to conduct urgent community-engaged research and outreach focused on COVID-19 awareness, education, and evidence-based response. Methods. We collected survey data (November 2020-November 2022) from 21 CEAL teams from 29 state and regional CEAL sites spanning 19 US states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico, which covered priority populations served and trusted sources of information about COVID-19, including prevention behaviors, vaccination, and clinical trials. Results. A disproportionate number of respondents were Latino (45%) or Black (40%). There was considerable variability between CEAL sites regarding trusted sources of information, COVID-19 prevention, and COVID-19 vaccination. For example, more respondents (70%) reported health care providers as a trusted source of COVID-19 information than any other source (ranging from 6% to 87% by site). Conclusions. CEAL rapidly developed novel infrastructure to engage academic, public health, and community organizations to address COVID-19's impacts on underserved communities. CEAL provides an example of how to respond in future public health emergencies to quickly promote trustworthy, evidence-based information in ways that advance health equity. (Am J Public Health. 2024;114(S1):S112-S123. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2023.307504).

Understanding citizens' attitudes within user-centered digital health ecosystems: A sequential mixed method methodology including a web-survey.

Transitioning from digital health applications to digital health ecosystems, leveraging the advances in technologies and informatics, could be the next revolution in digital health. This includes offering centralized access to various health services and improving citizens' well-being, delivery, clinical processes, and data management. However, a limited understanding of citizens may impede adaptation. Therefore, this study investigates citizens' attitudes within digital health ecosystems, differentiated by their characteristics, to support health service-providers and governmental policymakers in establishing user-centered solutions. This study follows a three-step sequential mixed method methodology: (1) a literature review. (2) Qualitative thematic analyses based on semi-structured qualitative interviews. (3) Quantitative analyses based on a web-survey (descriptive statistics, one-way analysis of variances, Tukey-honestly, and Cohen's d tests). N = 15 citizens were interviewed and n = 1289 responded to the web-survey, to our knowledge the largest survey on this topic. Citizens desire a more convenient management of health services and data (M = 5.2, SD = 1.59). Services with peer-to-peer interactions (M = 3.7, SD = 1.81) and lower involvement of health professionals (M = 3.8, SD = 1.75) are less demanded. Data protection is critical (M = 6.2, SD = 1.23). Public payers are mandated as orchestrators (M = 4.3, SD = 1.99), while private companies receive lower acceptance (M = 3.0, SD = 1.42). Health service-providers could follow a three-staged approach to establish digital health ecosystems: (1) Increasing the convenience for citizens by enabling online management of health services and data. (2) Extending the citizen-healthcare provider partnership through online interactions. (3) Fostering preventative behaviors and quicker recovery by personalizing health services and interactions. Governmental policymakers should integrate an electronic health record.

Research Progress on Preventive Behaviors for Myopia in Children and Adolescents: The Influence of Visual Habits and Strategies

Research Progress on Preventive Behaviors for Myopia in Children and Adolescents: The Influence of Visual Habits and Strategies

Attempts to promote crime prevention behavior in commercial establishments

Attempts to promote crime prevention behavior in commercial establishments

Association Between Risk Perceptions of COVID-19, Political Ideology, and Mask-Wearing Behavior After the Outbreak: A Cross-Sectional Survey in South Korea.

After the declaration by the World Health Organization signaling the conclusion of the COVID-19 pandemic, most countries lifted mandatory mask-wearing regulations. This study aimed to investigate factors such as risk perception and political ideology associated with continued adherence to mask-wearing among specific populations, particularly when it is no longer deemed necessary. We conducted a cross-sectional study including a sample of 1001 respondents stratified by sex, age (≥ 18 years), and region from January 31 to February 2, 2023, after the mandatory mask regulation was lifted in South Korea. Multivariate logistic regression models were applied to estimate the relationships between risk perceptions, political ideology, and mask-wearing maintenance, adjusting for factors such as sex, age, occupation, and trust in the government. Our results indicated significant associations between age, self-reported household economic status, political ideology, affective risk perception, and perceived effectiveness of the government's COVID-related measures with indoor mask-wearing. Specifically, liberals were more likely to keep mask-wearing indoors than conservatives (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 2.19; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.33-3.59); and those who perceived a greater affective risk of COVID-19 (aOR: 2.47; 95% CI: 1.96-3.10), along with those who perceived the government's countermeasures as inadequate, were more inclined to maintain the habit of wearing masks indoors (aOR: 1.90; 95% CI: 1.19-3.03). Our study highlighted the multifaceted factors influencing mask-wearing behavior in the post-COVID-19 era. Even after adjusting for various confounding factors, such as age, sex, and trust in the government, an association remained between affective risk perception, political ideology, and mask-wearing behavior. However, further research for psychological mechanisms is needed to foster a culture of preventive behaviors proportional to the risk of infection.