Preventive Health Education Research Articles

Pilot Wellness Program With Adapted Social-Emotional Learning and COVID-19 Curriculum for Refugee Youth.

Refugee children are less likely than their non-refugee peers to receive timely diagnoses and treatment for mental and/or behavioral health problems, despite facing multiple risk factors including potential exposure to trauma during premigration, migration, and postmigration experiences. Social-Emotional Learning offers preventive mental health education for children through well-established, evidenced-based curricula. Although there are clear benefits of Social-Emotional Learning curricula, which can help children achieve long-term success emotionally and academically, Social-Emotional Learning curricula are not easily accessible for refugee children, often because of language and socioeconomic barriers. In this pilot study, we evaluated the feasibility and acceptability of an adapted Social-Emotional Learning program that included culturally specific, multilingual, trauma-informed wellness, and physical education during the COVID-19 pandemic: EMPOWER (Emotions Program Outside the Clinic With Wellness Education for Refugees). We used the Intervention Mapping framework which guided the (1) planning, (2) program development, and (3) mixed-method evaluation of the feasibility and acceptability of the EMPOWER pilot. We found that this adaptation was well-received by Afghan refugee families and that COVID-19 safety measures were well-understood after participation. Challenges emerged around videoconferencing connectivity and around finding a common language for discussing emotions. Future iterations of the program and evaluations will require continued partnerships with community members and organizations. As we continue and expand EMPOWER, we aim to evaluate short-term improvement in Social-Emotional Learning competence as well as long-term mental and behavioral health outcomes for children and their families.

Management of a hepatic hydatid cyst ruptured into the retroperitoneum and the abdominal wall muscles: A case report

Introduction. Hydatid disease is a zoonosis caused by the tapeworm Echinococcus granulosus. The liver is the most commonly involved organ, followed by lungs. The most common complications of hepatic hydatid cyst are rupture into the biliary tract and secondary bacterial infection. However, rupture into the retroperitoneum and the abdominal wall muscles is exceptional. Case presentation. We describe an unusual case of a 27-year-old female who was referred to our department for right flank pain for four months. Abdominal ultrasound and CT scan revealed a huge hydatid cyst in liver segment VI fistulizing to the retroperitoneum and the lateral and posterior abdominal wall muscles, causing anterior displacement of the right kidney, with two other cysts in segment II and VIII. Surgery was performed associated with perioperative antiparasitic chemotherapy. The cysts were unroofed and a resection of the protruding domes was performed. The hydatid material in the retroperitoneum and the muscles were completely evacuated by aspiration. Follow-up showed no recurrence. Discussion. Hepatic hydatid cyst rupture usually occurs into biliary tract, pleural cavity, bronchial tree and intraperitoneal cavity. Rupture into the retroperitoneum and the lateral and posterior abdominal wall muscles is exceptional. To our knowledge, this complication has never been documented before. The hydatid disease may involve insidiously for a long time to lead to such a complication. Surgery was inevitable in our case. It allowed to treat both the hydatid cyst and its complication. Conclusions. A rupture into the retroperitoneum and the abdominal wall muscles as a complication of a liver hydatid cyst is exceptional. In this presentation, we noticed that hydatid cysts can reach an extremely large size while remaining for a long time asymptomatic. We aim to highlight the significance of preventive measures and public health education to fight against the hydatid disease in endemic areas.

A Step in Preventive Vision Care - The Screening of Young Children

It has often been said that the hallmark of a true health care profession is the effort put forth to eliminate the need for its own services. The objective can be reached in only one way -by becoming involved in prevention. For optometry, this implies the prevention of visual problems whether applicable to school performance, indus­trial production or general well-being in daily life.The N.S.O.A. recipe is a good example of optometric involvement in preventive care and public health care and education of the public in vision care.

Utilisation of Community Audio Towers in Health Education for Prevention of Cervical Cancer by Health Workers in Kyotera District, Uganda: A Cross-Sectional Study.

PurposeCommunity audio towers (CATs) are a communication resource that can be utilized by public health practitioners to enhance health communication in rural and peri-urban settings. However, information on availability of this channel of communication for use in health education and promotion remains scanty. We determined the availability of CATs for use in cervical cancer health education among health workers for prevention of cervical cancer in Kyotera District, Uganda.MethodsUsing a cross-sectional study design, health workers were randomly selected from health facilities in Kyotera District. Eligible participants were health workers who had worked in the district for at least one year. A pre-tested study questionnaire was self-administered. Descriptive statistics were used to determine availability and use of CATs, while factors associated with the use of CATs were determined by logistic regression analysis.ResultsBetween March and April 2020, 160 health workers were enrolled, and of these, 102 (63.8%) were females and 69 (43.1%) were nurses. Most of them, ie, 143 (89.4%) reported that CATs were within walkable distance from their workplaces; 140 (87.5%) indicated that CATs are conveniently located, and 129 (80.6%) reported that it was easy to secure airtime to sensitise communities on health issues. Only 26 (16.3%) had ever used CATs for cervical cancer health education. Health workers at facilities without a plan that includes CATs as a channel of health communication were less likely to utilise CATs (OR = 0.04, 95% CI (0.0043–0.37), p = 0.005) while those who had ever managed a patient with cervical cancer (OR = 16.48, 95% CI (3.4–79.7), p < 0.001) were more likely to utilise CATs.ConclusionAlthough CATs were deemed readily available, there was low utilisation for cervical cancer education and promotion of preventive services by health workers. Health facilities need to strategically include CATs in their plans to increase utilisation.

Knowledge and perception of treatment among tuberculosis patients attending primary care clinics in Malaysia.

Tuberculosis is a disease of public health concern. It can be treated effectively with good knowledge about the disease and complete adherence to the recommended treatment regime. This study is intended to assess the level of knowledge and perception of treatment among tuberculosis patients attending primary care clinics. We conducted a cross-sectional study using a validated self-administered questionnaire among tuberculosis patients attending primary care clinics in Johor Bahru district. A total of 208 tuberculosis patients were enrolled in this study through convenience sampling. We assessed the general knowledge, transmission, causes, and prevention of tuberculosis, where higher scores indicated better knowledge. For the perception of treatment, a higher mean score indicated a more negative perception. The mean score for knowledge on tuberculosis was 54.33 ± 12.78, ranging from 25 to 88.9%. The mean score for perception was 2.75±0.52, ranging from 2.15-3.39. We found that although 88.9% of respondents knew a person could be infected with TB through inhalation of tuberculosis bacilli, a majority believed that smoking (68.2%), sharing food (69.2%), and eating from the same plate (66.8%) are causes of tuberculosis. Moreover, there was still a negative perception regarding the treatment of tuberculosis with the highest mean score for the statement 'I am afraid if I am told I am tuberculosis positive'. We found that there were gaps in knowledge among tuberculosis patients. Intermittent counseling during the treatment re-enforces the knowledge of tuberculosis. An updated standardized counseling sheet of tuberculosis Health Education should be included along with staff training to update their knowledge as part of their important role in health education in tuberculosis prevention.

Application of Health Education in Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases

Application of Health Education in Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases

CHECK UP: A student-designed model for creating innovative patient education materials that your patients will actually use.

As appointments become more rushed, it is crucial that primary care clinicians consider new and effective ways to provide preventive health education to patients. Currently, patient education is often handouts printed from the electronic medical record system; however, these pieces of paper often do not have the desired impact. Well-established advertising methods reveal that repeated exposure is key in recall and swaying consumer decisions. The Creating Health Education for Constructive Knowledge in Underserved Populations (CHECK UP) Program is a medical student-led program that aims to improve patient recall of health information, health promoting behaviors and health outcomes by applying modified advertising concepts to the delivery of health education. Patients were given large magnets containing health education information. These patients were interviewed 3-4 months afterwards to assess use and effectiveness of magnets as a means to provide health education. In total, 25 of the 28 patients given CHECK UP magnets agreed to participate. The majority of participants (23/25) kept the magnets and reported that they, as well as others in their households, see the magnets daily. All 23 participants recalled at least 1 health tip from 1 of the magnets. The use of non-traditional materials for patient education allowed for repeated exposure and recall of health information. Consideration for modified use of evidence-based advertising and marketing strategies for the delivery of patient education may be an easy and effective way to provide information to patients outside of the clinical setting and promote health behavioral changes.

Comparison of Risk Factors of Falling for Psychiatric Inpatients and General Ward Inpatients Who Had Fallen.

For psychiatric patients, the issue of falling is complex. The objective of this study was to compare the risk factors for falling in psychiatric inpatients and general ward inpatients who had fallen. The researchers first derived official fall records for 122 psychiatric inpatients and then selected 122 psychiatric inpatients who had not fallen as well as 122 general ward patients who had fallen, matched for gender, age, and length of hospital stay at the time of the fall incident. After controlling other variables, multinomial logistic regression analysis revealed that psychiatric inpatients who had fallen and had dizziness (odds ratio [OR] = 7.11, p < .001), had an unsteady gait (OR = 1.97, p = .030), or were not using aids (OR = 0.42, p = .042) were at greater risk of falling than those who had not fallen. The researchers also found that general ward inpatients who had fallen and had higher Charlson Comorbidity Index scores (OR = 1.77, p < .001), were clear-headed (OR = 27.15, p = .001), had dizziness (OR = 11.55, p < .001), were unable to walk (OR = 64.28, p < .001), or were using aids (OR = 3.86, p = .001) were at greater risk of falling than those who had not fallen before. The causes of falling among psychiatric inpatients and general ward inpatients are different. Medical personnel should understand the medications and attributes of patients for an accurate assessment of their risk factors for falling and thus implement fall prevention measures and health education to reduce falls.

Description of Stress and Coping Mechanism Farmer in Kalisat District Jember City

Farmers have high risk to suffer psychological health pressure. The factors that cause farmers have psychological pressure are limited land, the decrease of soil fertility, soil degradation, and natural causes. Farmers with high psychological health pressure can suffer stress. This research aims to investigate the representation of Stress and Farmers’ Coping Mechanism in Kecamatan Kalisat Kabupaten Jember. The type of this research was descriptive and simple random sampling was chosen to collect the data sampling technique. 100 farmers were collected. The respondents were measured by using farmers’ stress questionnaire and Brief farmers’ coping mechanism questionnaire COPE. The result of stress representation and farmer’s coping mechanisme analysis showed that the number of farmer’s stress tend to be cognitive response. Meanwhile, the result of coping mechanism showed that most of farmer’s coping mechanism more focus on emotion rather than problem. Test the validity of the stress questionnaire obtained r table = 0.497 with α = 0.05 and reliability of 0.703. Whereas for the coping mechanism α = 0.05 questionnaire, the validity of r table 0.361 and the reliability of 0.778 were obtained. Ethical tests were carried out in this study at the Faculty of Dentistry, Jember University No. 465 / UN25.8 / KEPK / DL / 2019.The result of this study can be a reference for nurses and primary health care service to diagnose farmers’ health diseases especially psychological diseases such as stress and coping mechanism. Nurses can do a preventive efforts, intervention, and health education about factors and symptoms of stress and coping mechanism to the farmers.

The Care Children Deserve

The Care Children Deserve

Identification of Demographic Variables Influencing Dementia Literacy and Risk Perception Through a Global Survey.

Dementia literacy is important for risk mitigation and preventative strategies before disease onset. The aim of our study was to investigate dementia literacy and how demographic characteristics influence these perceptions in order to provide evidence for how dementia-centered public health initiatives should structure their focus. We conducted a globally administered online survey, through Amazon Mechanical Turk (mTurk). Survey items evaluated: (1) personal perception on the preventability of dementia, and (2) risk awareness of lifestyle factors. Differences in risk scoring between the 598 respondents were compared using Kruskal-Wallis testing factored by demographic categorizations. Most of the sample demonstrated understanding that lifestyle factors contribute some risk toward dementia, though these risk scores were generally low. Differences in risk scoring varied by demographic characteristics. Women, older adults, those with non-post-secondary attainment, below average income, and White background tended to report lower risk scores. Public health education and initiatives for dementia prevention should focus on lifestyle risk factors, in addition to considering the barriers related to the demographic factors identified that may prevent populations from accessing programs and information.

Toxicology Practice During COVID-19 Pandemic: Experience of the Dammam Poison Control Center-Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia.

The sudden emergence of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and scarcity of the accurate information especially in the initial phase of the struggle presented a series of challenges to health systems. To evaluate the changes in poisoning cases regarding distribution, types, and characteristics for better framing and planning of the role of our field in responding to pandemics. Study of telephone consultation calls and toxicology analysis records of poisoning cases referred to the Dammam Poison Control Center in Saudi Arabia during the first half of 2020. Their distribution according to frequencies, causes, and other characteristics was compared to the first half of 2019. Analysis of telephone consultation calls revealed that the proportion of exposure to disinfectants and hand sanitizers during first half of 2020 increased to 20.4% (n = 496) and 3.4% (n = 83), respectively, compared to 9.8% (n = 215) and 0.4% (n = 10) for surface disinfectants and hand sanitizers, respectively, during the first half of 2019. In 2020, exposure to disinfectants and hand sanitizers dominated in preschool children (0-5 years). The total number of cases suspected for drugs/drugs of abuse overdose during the first 6 months of 2020 (n = 783) showed a significant decrease (P < 0.001) compared to the first 6 months of 2019 (n = 1086). The increased availability and use of disinfectants and sanitizers significantly increased the risk of poisoning, especially in preschool-aged children. Public health education for prevention of such home exposures is urgently needed to avoid unnecessary emergency medical system use in such critical time.

Is COVID-19 a hoax? Correlation between beliefs related to COVID-19 and the use of preventive measures in India

Background: Following the personal protective and preventive measures are vital to the control and prevention of transmission. The populations’ beliefs and attitude related to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have a direct impact on their practice of preventive measures. Therefore, this study was conducted to explore the beliefs, attitude and preventive practices related to COVID-19 among the general population of Chennai, Tamil Nadu.Methods: An online questionnaire with 12 questions concerning the beliefs, attitude and practice of preventive measures related to COVID-19 was distributed via social platforms. Data were entered in Microsoft Excel spreadsheet and analyzed using statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) software (version 21, IBM Corporation, Texas, USA). Bivariate analysis (Chi-square test) was used to assess the association between independent variables with each of the main outcomes of interest.Results: A total of 256 study subjects participated in this survey. About 69.9% believed in the existence of corona virus and &gt;85% followed the government protocols. Social distancing and Frequent hand washing was chosen by majority of the study subjects (55.5% and 78.5% respectively) as the most effective measure to prevent viral transmission. Nearly 81.7% always wore a mask in public and 27.0% always kept &gt;6 feet distance apart from others.Conclusions: The surveyed population has an acceptable level of positive beliefs, attitude, and good practices towards COVID-19. We recommend that emphasis should be placed on educating people belonging to lower education and income strata. Vulnerable populations who require proper health education and guidance for prevention and control of COVID-19 should be targeted.

The medical demographic and social characteristics of women that discontinued observation and infertility treatment

The recovering of reproductive health of women is one of prospective means to stabilize fertility. The purpose of the study is to investigate medical, demographic and social risk factors of discontinuing screening and treatment of infertility in women of the Tambov Oblast. The materials and methods. The comparative data analysis of women who discontinued infertility screening and treatment prior to referral to auxiliary reproductive technologies (n = 239) and women who were factually referred to these technologies (n = 206). The results of the study. The risk factors for women of discontinuing screening and treatment of infertility included age (OR = 1.070; 95% CI 1,035-1,105; p<0.001), residence in rural areas (OR = 2.059; 95% CI 1.592-2.663; p<0.001), secondary education (OR = 2.593; 95% CI 1.767-3.805; p<0.01), low level of financial security (OR = 2.524; 95% CI 1,720-3,703; p<0.01), secondary nature of infertility (OR = 1.587; 95% CI 1.065-2.364; p=0.023), occurrence of sexually transmitted diseases in anamnesis (OR = 2.736; 95% CI 1,722-4,346; p<0.01). Discussion. The study results demonstrate that the most effective measures improving compliance of women to screening and treatment of infertility are the reorientation of medical care to the second-level regional centers from the regional center that will bring medical care, including active detection of infertility at younger age, more comprehensive regular preventive examinations and health education to preserve reproductive health, closer to remote areas. The conclusions. The medical, demographic and social risk factors of discontinuing testing and treatment of infertility in women are established to be applied in improving the organization of medical care for this category of patients.

Motivating Mexican American adults to share family history with healthcare providers.

Family history of metabolic conditions is a primary factor for clinicians to consider when administering preventive care. Sharing this information with healthcare providers proactively is therefore important to individual health outcomes. This brief report seeks to identify factors associated with sharing family history with healthcare providers in individuals of Mexican heritage. Data were obtained from a health education intervention study conducted during 2008–2010, which recruited 497 adult participants from 162 multigenerational households in Houston, Texas to receive family history-based risk feedback generated by Family Healthware™. Households were randomized to receive a pedigree of metabolic conditions or a pedigree coupled with supplementary information about one’s personalized risk assessment and behavioral recommendations. Participants completed two follow-up surveys at three and ten months post intervention, respectively. Analysis based on 296 participants from 147 households who read but did not share their feedback at three-month follow-up suggests benefits of providing personalized risk assessment and tailored behavioral recommendations in addition to a simple pedigree. Participants receiving supplementary risk feedback are more likely to share it with family members at three-month follow-up, which is associated with increased sharing and willingness to share risk feedback with healthcare providers at ten-month follow-up. The findings highlight the importance of family relationships in medical information disclosure in Mexican American adults. Future interventions should capitalize on family relationships in health education and promotion programs for optimal prevention of metabolic conditions in at-risk populations.

Role of Vitamin D in the Metabolic Syndrome.

The prevalence of hypovitaminosis D has risen in developed countries over the past few years in association with lifestyle changes and an increase in unhealthy habits. Vitamin D deficiency has been implicated in various diseases, including metabolic syndrome (MetS), which is clinically defined by a set of metabolic and vascular disorders. The objective of this study was to review scientific evidence on the relationship between MetS and vitamin D deficiency to support the development of prevention strategies and health education programs. An inverse relationship has been reported between plasma vitamin D concentrations and the features that define MetS, i.e., elevated serum concentrations of glucose, total cholesterol, low-density lipoproteins, triglycerides, glycosylated hemoglobin, and a high body mass index. Numerous studies have described the benefits of vitamin D supplementation to improve outcomes in individuals with MetS. Interventions to maintain optimal vitamin D concentrations are proposed as a preventive strategy against MetS.

Disaster Prevention Education along with Weekly Exercise Improves Self-Efficacy in Community-Dwelling Japanese People-A Randomized Control Trial.

Background and Objectives: Both disaster prevention and health promotion have become public health challenges in Japan. Maintaining physical fitness from the perspective of disaster prevention and maintaining physical fitness from the perspective of health are basically covering similar issues, they are seen as different from one another because of differences in administrative jurisdiction in Japan. In the case of disaster prevention education, physical fitness is not mentioned. In and outside Japan, partial integration of disaster prevention education and health education is required. This study compares and examines the effects of disaster prevention education and traditional exercise education, as well as exercise practice. A randomized controlled trial alongside an evacuation behavior model during the event of a disaster were used in this research. Materials and Methods: A total of 97 community-dwelling participants were randomly allocated to two groups, a disaster prevention education group (Group D) and a traditional exercise education group (Group E). Group D received disaster prevention education with weekly exercise. Group E received traditional exercise education with weekly exercise. After ten weeks of intervention, the total evacuation time of the disaster evacuation model course, physical fitness, self-efficacy (General Self-Efficacy Scale: GSES), and health-related quality of life (QOL) were compared between the two groups. Results: No differences were observed between the two groups regarding the changes in the parameters of total evacuation time, physical fitness, and health-related QOL. However, the changes in GSES scores were significantly higher in Group D (1.4 ± 3.9) than in Group E (−1.1 ± 7.5). Conclusions: Disaster prevention education with weekly exercise significantly increased participants’ self-efficacy compared to traditional exercise education. The combination of disaster prevention education and exercise practice may have a positive effect not only on disaster prevention behavior but also on self-efficacy in health promotion. Disaster prevention education does not directly influence health promotion, but it may be a very effective method for indirectly promoting health.

Lanolin and prenatal health education for prevention of nipple pain and trauma: Randomized clinical trial

ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of lanolin on nipple pain and trauma in breastfeeding after application of a health education. MethodRandomized controlled clinical trial, with two arms, open, with 66 participants during prenatal care in the primary health care network in Goiania – Goias, Brazil. Participants were randomized (1:1) using computer generated numbers in both experimental group (EG) and control group (CG). The EG received lanolin and health education on breastfeeding at two different times with clinical demonstration using cloth didactic breast and illustrative album as the intervention, while the CG received standard health education. Health education was carried out by the same researchers in both groups. Measurement of pain, nipple trauma, and breastfeeding technique occurred on postpartum day eight. The analysis included descriptive statistics and inferential analysis by means chi-square or Fisher test, and Student's t-test, significance level set at 0.05. ResultsA majority of the participants experienced no nipple trauma (59.1%) in both groups, and 60.6% of women experienced pain. In both groups, women showed favorable breastfeeding behaviors, except in the condition of the breasts. There were no significant differences between groups in pain prevention (p=0.61), nipple lesions (p=0.21), and breastfeeding technique (p>0.05). ConclusionIt is not clear whether the intervention, lanolin combined with health education, has a positive effect on the prevention of nipple pain and trauma. Further research is needed to elucidate this question.Registration number: RBR-7tvhq8.Registry website: http://www.ensaiosclinicos.gov.br/

Women's knowledge and attitudes towards cervical cancer prevention: A qualitative study in the Spanish context.

To explore the knowledge, attitudes and practices related to cervical cancer and its prevention in Spain. Worldwide, women's knowledge about cervical cancer is low, and their attitudes towards its prevention are good, but they do not correlate with the screening uptake. Although the rates of Spanish women performing cervical cancer screening are mostly acceptable, their knowledge and attitudes about it have not been explored. Qualitative descriptive study. Three focus groups were conducted, with 21 women aged 25 to 65years. Participants were recruited through convenience sampling. For intragroup homogeneity, women participated in age groups. The COREQ reporting guidelines were used. Women expressed their knowledge about cervical cancer was low. None of the participants identified the human papillomavirus as a cause of cervical cancer, nor did they mention the vaccine as a preventive measure. They all knew about the screening existence, but not about its frequency nor target population. About the attitudes and practice, 18 women had an appropriate screening, and they were favourable to this health check, claiming an increase in its frequency. Nineteen women claimed they had not received enough information from the healthcare system and a lack of social awareness in comparison with breast cancer. They demanded from the professionals more health education, a reminder of their appointments and a report of the Pap test results. There was a self-perceived low level of knowledge about cervical cancer risk factors and its prevention in the participants. However, they expressed favourable attitudes towards screening, and they demanded more information about cervical cancer and its prevention measures, and they regretted its low social awareness. Midwives, general nurses and other nurse specialists may have a leading position in health education for cervical cancer prevention in different population levels.

Impact Evaluation on Health Education in Prevention and Healthcare and Disease Control of AIDS Patients

Impact Evaluation on Health Education in Prevention and Healthcare and Disease Control of AIDS Patients