Development of an Educational Video to Improve HIV-Related Knowledge, Attitudes and Prevention among Company Workers in Ecuador

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

del Carmen Cabezas, María; Fornasini, Marco; Barmettler, David; Ortuño, Diego; Borja, Teresa; Albert, Adelin

2015-01-01

Objective: To develop and assess an innovative educational video package for improving HIV knowledge, attitudes and practices among company workers in Ecuador. Methods: The design and development of the HIV prevention educational video was based on the results of a large-scale survey conducted in 115 companies (commerce, manufacturing and real…

Knowledge of and attitudes to influenza vaccination in healthy primary healthcare workers in Spain, 2011-2012.

PubMed

Domínguez, Angela; Godoy, Pere; Castilla, Jesús; Soldevila, Núria; Toledo, Diana; Astray, Jenaro; Mayoral, José María; Tamames, Sonia; García-Gutiérrez, Susana; González-Candelas, Fernando; Martín, Vicente; Díaz, José; Torner, Nuria

2013-01-01

Annual influenza vaccination is recommended for healthcare workers, but many do not follow the recommendation. The objective of this study was to investigate the factors associated with seasonal influenza vaccination in the 2011-2012 season. We carried out an anonymous web survey of Spanish primary healthcare workers in 2012. Information on vaccination, and knowledge and attitudes about the influenza vaccine was collected. Workers with medical conditions that contraindicated vaccination and those with high risk conditions were excluded. Multivariate analysis was performed using unconditional logistic regression. We included 1,749 workers. The overall vaccination coverage was 50.7% and was higher in workers aged ≥ 55 years (55.7%), males (57.4%) and paediatricians (63.1%). Factors associated with vaccination were concern about infection at work (aOR 4.93; 95% CI 3.72-6.53), considering that vaccination of heathcare workers is important (aOR 2.62; 95%CI 1.83-3.75) and that vaccination is effective in preventing influenza and its complications (aOR 2.40; 95% CI 1.56-3.67). No association was found between vaccination and knowledge of influenza or the vaccine characteristics. Educational programs should aim to remove the misconceptions and attitudes that limit compliance with recommendations about influenza vaccination in primary healthcare workers rather than only increasing knowledge about influenza and the characteristics of the vaccine.

Knowledge of and Attitudes to Influenza Vaccination in Healthy Primary Healthcare Workers in Spain, 2011-2012

PubMed Central

Domínguez, Angela; Godoy, Pere; Castilla, Jesús; Soldevila, Núria; Toledo, Diana; Astray, Jenaro; Mayoral, José María; Tamames, Sonia; García-Gutiérrez, Susana; González-Candelas, Fernando; Martín, Vicente; Díaz, José; Torner, Nuria

2013-01-01

Annual influenza vaccination is recommended for healthcare workers, but many do not follow the recommendation. The objective of this study was to investigate the factors associated with seasonal influenza vaccination in the 2011–2012 season. We carried out an anonymous web survey of Spanish primary healthcare workers in 2012. Information on vaccination, and knowledge and attitudes about the influenza vaccine was collected. Workers with medical conditions that contraindicated vaccination and those with high risk conditions were excluded. Multivariate analysis was performed using unconditional logistic regression. We included 1,749 workers. The overall vaccination coverage was 50.7% and was higher in workers aged ≥ 55 years (55.7%), males (57.4%) and paediatricians (63.1%). Factors associated with vaccination were concern about infection at work (aOR 4.93; 95% CI 3.72–6.53), considering that vaccination of heathcare workers is important (aOR 2.62; 95%CI 1.83–3.75) and that vaccination is effective in preventing influenza and its complications (aOR 2.40; 95% CI 1.56–3.67). No association was found between vaccination and knowledge of influenza or the vaccine characteristics. Educational programs should aim to remove the misconceptions and attitudes that limit compliance with recommendations about influenza vaccination in primary healthcare workers rather than only increasing knowledge about influenza and the characteristics of the vaccine. PMID:24260560

Knowledge and Perceptions of Health Workers' Training on Ethics, Confidentiality and Medico-Legal Issues.

PubMed

Barnie, Bernard Asamoah; Forson, Paa Kobina; Opare-Addo, Mercy Naa Aduele; Appiah-Poku, John; Rhule, Gyikua Plange; Oduro, George; Adu-Sarkodie, Yaw; Donkor, Peter

2015-02-01

Health care delivery in recent times has become more complicated, as patients expect health personnel to not only provide professional services but be accountable as well. It is thus imperative that health personnel are aware of their responsibility to the patient and also sensitive to medico legal issues if quality health care is to be assured. The aim of the study was to assess the knowledge and perception of health care workers on their training in ethics, confidentiality and medico-legal issues. It was expected that the results would inform policy on the training of the health workers. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among some categories of health workers (Doctors, Nurses and Health care assistants) at the Accident and Emergency directorate of Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Ghana. A self-administered questionnaire was used to elicit information on ethics, confidentiality and medico- legal issues. Data collected was analyzed using SPSS version 16. A total of 103 health care workers were enrolled on the study representing 96% response rate. The study revealed that 74% had knowledge on ethics, confidentiality and medico- legal concepts; and 35.4% of the respondents indicated that health workers attitudes to ethics, confidentiality and medico- legal concepts was inadequate. About 28.3% indicated that their attitudes were good while 26.3% indicated attitudes were adequate with only 2% indicating that attitudes were very good. Nearly, 49% of the respondents also indicated that training on medico-legal issues should be taught during formal training and also on-the-job. Knowledge of health workers on ethics confidentiality and medico-legal issues is high and their perceptions are positive. However, regular training to update their knowledge will be necessary in order to ensure continuous improvement of the quality of health care delivery.

Measuring the Knowledge and Attitudes of Health Care Staff toward Older People: Sensitivity of Measurement Instruments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cowan, David T.; Fitzpatrick, Joanne M.; Roberts, Julia D.; While, Alison E.

2004-01-01

This paper discusses the sensitivity of instruments used to measure knowledge and attitudes toward older people. Existing standardized measurement instruments are reviewed, including a detailed examination of Palmore's Facts on Ageing Quiz (FAQ). A recent study conducted by the research team into the knowledge and attitudes of support workers (n =…

A tool to assess knowledge, attitude and behavior of Indonesian health care workers regarding infection control.

PubMed

Duerink, D O; Hadi, U; Lestari, E S; Roeshadi, Djoko; Wahyono, Hendro; Nagelkerke, N J D; Van der Meulen, R G; Van den Broek, P J

2013-07-01

to investigate knowledge, attitude and behaviour toward infection control in two teaching hospitals on the island of Java by means of a questionnaire and to evaluate the use of the questionnaire as a tool. we investigated knowledge, attitude and behaviour toward infection control in two teaching hospitals on the island of Java by means of a questionnaire to identify problem areas, barriers and facilitators. The target was to include at least 50% of all health care workers (physicians, nurses, assistant nurses and infection control nurses) in each hospital, department and profession. Differences between demographic variables and scores for individual questions and groups of questions were compared using the chi-square statistic and analysis of variance and Spearman's rho was used to test for correlations between knowledge, attitude, self-reported behaviour and perceived obstacles. more than half of the health care workers of the participating departments completed the questionnaire. Of the 1036 respondents (44% nurses, 37% physicians and 19% assistant nurses), 34% were vaccinated against hepatitis B, 77% had experienced needle stick accidents and 93% had been instructed about infection control. The mean of the correct answers to the knowledge questions was 44%; of the answers to the attitude questions 67% were in agreement with the correct attitude; obstacles to compliance with infection control guidelines were perceived in 30% of the questions and the mean self-reported compliance was 63%. Safe handling of sharps, hand hygiene and the use of personal protective equipment were identified as the most important aspects for interventions. Significant positive correlations were found between knowledge, attitude, self-reported behaviour and perceived obstacles. the questionnaire in conjunction with site visits and interviews was a valuable strategy to identify trouble spots in the hospitals and to determine barriers to facilitators of change that should be taken into account when planning interventions. Successful interventions should cover hospital management, the infection control team, as well as the health care workers on the wards.

Understanding Barriers to Optimal Cleaning and Disinfection in Hospitals: A Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Survey of Environmental Services Workers.

PubMed

Bernstein, Daniel A; Salsgiver, Elizabeth; Simon, Matthew S; Greendyke, William; Eiras, Daniel P; Ito, Masahiro; Caruso, Dean A; Woodward, Timothy M; Perriel, Odette T; Saiman, Lisa; Furuya, E Yoko; Calfee, David P

2016-12-01

In this study, we used an online survey to assess knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to environmental cleaning and other infection prevention strategies among environmental services workers (ESWs) at 5 hospitals. Our findings suggest that ESWs could benefit from additional education and feedback as well as new strategies to address workflow challenges. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2016;1492-1495.

"You have to take action": changing knowledge and attitudes towards newborn care practices during crisis in South Sudan.

PubMed

Sami, Samira; Kerber, Kate; Tomczyk, Barbara; Amsalu, Ribka; Jackson, Debra; Scudder, Elaine; Dimiti, Alexander; Meyers, Janet; Kenneth, Kemish; Kenyi, Solomon; Kennedy, Caitlin E; Ackom, Kweku; Mullany, Luke C

2017-11-01

Highest rates of neonatal mortality occur in countries that have recently experienced conflict. International Medical Corps implemented a package of newborn interventions in June 2016, based on the Newborn health in humanitarian settings: field guide, targeting community- and facility-based health workers in displaced person camps in South Sudan. We describe health workers' knowledge and attitudes toward newborn health interventions, before and after receiving clinical training and supplies, and recommend dissemination strategies for improved uptake of newborn guidelines during crises. A mixed methods approach was utilised, including pre-post knowledge tests and in-depth interviews. Study participants were community- and facility-based health workers in two internally displaced person camps located in Juba and Malakal and two refugee camps in Maban from March to October 2016. Mean knowledge scores for newborn care practices and danger signs increased among 72 community health workers (pre-training: 5.8 [SD: 2.3] vs. post-training: 9.6 [SD: 2.1]) and 25 facility-based health workers (pre-training: 14.2 [SD: 2.7] vs. post-training: 17.4 [SD: 2.8]). Knowledge and attitudes toward key essential practices, such as the use of partograph to assess labour progress, early initiation of breastfeeding, skin-to-skin care and weighing the baby, improved among skilled birth attendants. Despite challenges in conflict-affected settings, conducting training has the potential to increase health workers' knowledge on neonatal health post-training. The humanitarian community should reinforce this knowledge with key actions to shift cultural norms that expand the care provided to women and their newborns in these contexts.

Radiation Protection Knowledge, Attitude and Practice (RP-KAP) as Predictors of Job Stress Among Radiation Workers in Tehran Province, Iran

PubMed Central

Alavi, S. Shohreh; Taghizadeh Dabbagh, Sima; Abbasi, Mahya; Mehrdad, Ramin

2016-01-01

Background In recent years, much attention has been paid to occupational stress, but relatively little or no research has been conducted on the influence of knowledge, attitude, and practice of radiation protection (RP-KAP) on job stress among radiation workers Objectives This study aims to assess job stress among health care workers in Iran who are occupationally exposed to radiation in order to determine the effects of KAP on self-protection against radiation on their job stress. Materials and Methods The population in this descriptive cross-sectional study comprised 670 healthcare workers, including 428 staff with a degree in radiology and 242 other medical personnel who were working in 16 hospitals affiliated with Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS) in Tehran, Iran. The census method was used to sample the workers. In total, 264 staff with a degree in radiology and 149 other medical personnel completed the job content questionnaire (JCQ) and the RP-KAP questionnaire from May to November 2014. Results The prevalence rate of job stress was 22.5% based on calculation formulas and possible scores on the JCQ. Sex, RP-knowledge, attitude, practice, and in-service training predicted 41.8% of the variance in job stress. According to the results of the binary logistic regression, workers with higher scores on knowledge (OR = 0.82, 95% CI: 0.75 - 0.90), attitude (OR = 0.71, 95% CI: 0.63 - 0.82), and practice (OR = 0.78, 95% CI: 0.72 - 0.86) and those who had participated in training programs had significantly lower rates of job stress (OR = 0.51, 95% CI: 0.28 - 0.93). Conclusions The effects of RP knowledge, attitude, and practice on job stress were significant. In order to reduce job stress in radiation environments, ongoing training programs related to self-care and protection principles are recommended. PMID:28180020

Radiation Protection Knowledge, Attitude and Practice (RP-KAP) as Predictors of Job Stress Among Radiation Workers in Tehran Province, Iran.

PubMed

Alavi, S Shohreh; Taghizadeh Dabbagh, Sima; Abbasi, Mahya; Mehrdad, Ramin

2016-10-01

In recent years, much attention has been paid to occupational stress, but relatively little or no research has been conducted on the influence of knowledge, attitude, and practice of radiation protection (RP-KAP) on job stress among radiation workers. This study aims to assess job stress among health care workers in Iran who are occupationally exposed to radiation in order to determine the effects of KAP on self-protection against radiation on their job stress. The population in this descriptive cross-sectional study comprised 670 healthcare workers, including 428 staff with a degree in radiology and 242 other medical personnel who were working in 16 hospitals affiliated with Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS) in Tehran, Iran. The census method was used to sample the workers. In total, 264 staff with a degree in radiology and 149 other medical personnel completed the job content questionnaire (JCQ) and the RP-KAP questionnaire from May to November 2014. The prevalence rate of job stress was 22.5% based on calculation formulas and possible scores on the JCQ. Sex, RP-knowledge, attitude, practice, and in-service training predicted 41.8% of the variance in job stress. According to the results of the binary logistic regression, workers with higher scores on knowledge (OR = 0.82, 95% CI: 0.75 - 0.90), attitude (OR = 0.71, 95% CI: 0.63 - 0.82), and practice (OR = 0.78, 95% CI: 0.72 - 0.86) and those who had participated in training programs had significantly lower rates of job stress (OR = 0.51, 95% CI: 0.28 - 0.93). The effects of RP knowledge, attitude, and practice on job stress were significant. In order to reduce job stress in radiation environments, ongoing training programs related to self-care and protection principles are recommended.

Lack of optimum practice among health care workers regarding tuberculosis in Iran: A knowledge, attitude, and practice study.

PubMed

Doosti Irani, Amin; Hashemi Shahraki, Abdolrazagh; Ghaderi, Ebrahim; Nasehi, Mahshid; Mostafavi, Ehsan

2015-05-01

Lack of knowledge toward tuberculosis (TB) among health care workers (HCWs) increases the risk of developing TB. The aim of this study was to assess the level of knowledge, attitude, and practice of HCWs in Iran. We conducted a cross-sectional study in 50 universities of medical sciences throughout Iran. A questionnaire was developed to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice of participants. The values of Cronbach α coefficients for the knowledge and attitude questions were .76 and .75, respectively. The mean scores of knowledge, attitude, and practice among TB laboratory staff regarding TB was 82.6 (95% confidence interval [CI], 82.0-83.7), 87.6 (95% CI, 87.1-88.0), and 57.9 (95% CI, 56.9-58.9), respectively. The mean scores of knowledge, attitude, and practice among non-TB laboratory staff regarding TB was 69.5 (95% CI, 67.9-71.1), 50.7 (95% CI, 50.1-51.4), and 40.82 (95% CI, 38.2-43.4), respectively. TB laboratory staff scored relatively well in knowledge and attitude of TB, but they scored lower in practice regarding TB. Non-TB laboratory staff had lower scores than TB laboratory staff in knowledge, attitude, and practice. There is a major gap between knowledge and attitude and practice in both groups. It is therefore essential to plan for the continuing in-service training of HCWs and public training of the general population regarding TB. Copyright © 2015 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Enhancing knowledge and attitudes in pain management: a pain management education program for nursing home staff.

PubMed

Tse, Mimi Mun Yee; Ho, Suki S K

2014-03-01

The aim of the study was to examine the effectiveness of a pain management program (PMP) in enhancing the knowledge and attitudes of health care workers in pain management. Many nursing home residents suffer from pain, and treatment of pain is often inadequate. Failure of health care workers to assess pain and their insufficient knowledge of pain management are barriers to adequate treatment. It was a quasiexperimental pretest and posttest study. Four nursing homes were approached, and 88 staff joined the 8-week PMP. Demographics and the knowledge and attitudes regarding pain were collected with the use of the Nurse's Knowledge and Attitudes Survey Regarding Pain-Chinese version (NKASRP-C) before and after the PMP. A deficit in knowledge and attitudes related to pain management was prominent before the PMP, and there was a significant increase in pain knowledge and attitudes from 7.9 ± SD 3.52 to 19.2 ± SD4.4 (p < .05) after the 8-week PMP. A PMP can improve the knowledge and attitudes of nursing staff and enable them to provide adequate and appropriate care to older persons in pain. PMPs for nurses and all health care professionals are important in enhancing care for older adults and to inform policy on the provision of pain management. Copyright © 2014 American Society for Pain Management Nursing. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Attitudes, Skills and Knowledge Change in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Workers Following AOD Screening and Brief Intervention Training

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Christie, Grant; Black, Stella; Dunbar, Lucy; Pulford, Justin; Wheeler, Amanda

2013-01-01

Adolescent mental health workers are generally poor at identifying and treating co-existing alcohol and other drug (AOD) disorder. This study aimed to evaluate the utility and acceptability of an AOD screening and brief intervention (BI) training package delivered to child and adolescent mental health workers and its impact on relevant attitudes,…

Stigmatising Attitudes Towards Co-workers with HIV in the Workplace of a Metropolitan State, Southwestern Nigeria.

PubMed

Utuk, Idongesit Godwin; Osungbade, Kayode Omoniyi; Obembe, Taiwo Akinyode; Adewole, David Ayobami; Oladoyin, Victoria Oluwabunmi

2017-01-01

Despite demonstrating global concerns about infection in the workplace, very little research has explored how co-workers react to those living with HIV in the workplace in sub-Saharan Africa. This study aimed to assess the level of stigmatising attitude towards co-workers living with HIV in the workplace. The study was a descriptive cross-sectional survey involving 403 respondents. They were recruited from selected companies through a multistage sampling technique. Survey was carried out using pre-tested semi-structured questionnaires. Data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences to generate frequencies, cross tabulations of variables at 5% level of significance. Logistic regression model was used to determine the predictors at 95% confidence intervals. Mean age of respondents was 32.9 ± 9.4 years with 86.1% being females. Overall, slightly below two-third (63.0%) had good knowledge on transmission of HIV/AIDS while 218 (54.1%) respondents had a high stigmatising attitude towards co-workers with HIV in the workplace. More female respondents (69.6%) demonstrated high stigmatising attitudes towards co-workers with HIV in the workplace (p = 0.012). Female workers were twice more likely to have high stigmatising attitudes towards co-worker with HIV [OR 2.1 (95% CI: 1.13 - 3.83)]. Stigma towards people living with HIV/AIDs is still very persistent in different settings. Good knowledge amongst our participants about HIV/AIDs did not translate to low stigmatising attitudes among workers. Concerted efforts and trainings on the transmission of HIV/AIDs are essential to reduce stigma that is still very prevalent in workplace settings.

Stigmatising Attitudes Towards Co-workers with HIV in the Workplace of a Metropolitan State, Southwestern Nigeria

PubMed Central

Utuk, Idongesit Godwin; Osungbade, Kayode Omoniyi; Obembe, Taiwo Akinyode; Adewole, David Ayobami; Oladoyin, Victoria Oluwabunmi

2017-01-01

Background: Despite demonstrating global concerns about infection in the workplace, very little research has explored how co-workers react to those living with HIV in the workplace in sub-Saharan Africa. This study aimed to assess the level of stigmatising attitude towards co-workers living with HIV in the workplace. Methods: The study was a descriptive cross-sectional survey involving 403 respondents. They were recruited from selected companies through a multistage sampling technique. Survey was carried out using pre-tested semi-structured questionnaires. Data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences to generate frequencies, cross tabulations of variables at 5% level of significance. Logistic regression model was used to determine the predictors at 95% confidence intervals. Results: Mean age of respondents was 32.9 ± 9.4 years with 86.1% being females. Overall, slightly below two-third (63.0%) had good knowledge on transmission of HIV/AIDS while 218 (54.1%) respondents had a high stigmatising attitude towards co-workers with HIV in the workplace. More female respondents (69.6%) demonstrated high stigmatising attitudes towards co-workers with HIV in the workplace (p = 0.012). Female workers were twice more likely to have high stigmatising attitudes towards co-worker with HIV [OR 2.1 (95% CI: 1.13 – 3.83)]. Conclusion: Stigma towards people living with HIV/AIDs is still very persistent in different settings. Good knowledge amongst our participants about HIV/AIDs did not translate to low stigmatising attitudes among workers. Concerted efforts and trainings on the transmission of HIV/AIDs are essential to reduce stigma that is still very prevalent in workplace settings. PMID:29290884

[Changes in hospitality workers' expectations and attitudes after the implementation of the Spanish smoking law].

PubMed

Martínez-Sánchez, Jose M; Fenández, Esteve; Fu, Marcela; Pérez-Ríos, Mónica; Schiaffino, Anna; López, María J; Alonso, Begoña; Saltó, Esteve; Nebot, Manel; Borràs, Josep M

2010-01-01

To assess changes in hospitality workers' expectations and attitudes towards the Spanish smoking law before and 2 years after the smoking ban. We performed a longitudinal study of a cohort (n=431) of hospitality workers in five regions in Spain before the law came into effect and 24 months later. Expectations and attitudes towards the ban and knowledge about the effect of second-hand smoke on health were compared before and after the ban. We recruited 431 hospitality workers in the baseline survey and 219 were followed-up 24 months later (overall follow-up rate of 50.8%). The percentage of hospitality workers who knew the law was 79.0% before it was passed and was 94.1% 24 months later (p<0.05). We observed an increase in support to the smoke-free ban in all public places, including bars and restaurants (54.1% to 65.8%; p<0.05). The percentages of support for the current ban, perception of compliance with the ban by employees and customers, and knowledge of the effect of second-hand smoke on health also increased. Knowledge and support to the Spanish smoking law among hospitality workers increased 2 years after the implementation of the ban. Copyright 2009 SESPAS. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

A description of factors affecting hazardous waste workers' use of respiratory protective equipment

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Salazar, M.K.; Takaro, T.K.; Connon, C.

1999-07-01

This article describes the first phase of a study that was designed to gain an understanding of hazardous waste workers' attitudes and beliefs about the use of respiratory protective equipment. Exploratory, open-ended interviews were conducted among 28 respirator users at a US Department of Energy facility. Subjects were asked to describe their knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs about their risks to hazards at their worksites and to discuss their use of respiratory protective equipment. A detailed content analysis of the interviews resulted in the generation of a taxonomy of issues and concerns which fell into three general categories: (1) Knowledge, Beliefs,more » and Attitudes, (2) Physical and Psychological Effects, and (3) External Influences. Knowledge, Beliefs, and Attitudes included Training, Fit Testing, Medical Clearance, Work Exposures, Respirator Use, and Vulnerability to Disease. Physical and Psychological Effects included Somatic/Health Effects, Personal Comfort, Visual Effects, Fatigue, Communication, and Anxiety. External Influences included Structural Environment, Quality and Availability of Equipment, Other PPEs, Co-Worker Influence, Supervisor Influence, and Organizational Culture. The findings from this study have important implications to training and education programs. Effective respiratory protection programs depend on a knowledge of the factors that affect workers' use of equipment. This study suggests that efforts to assure equipment comfort and fit, to assist workers who see and hear less well as a result of their equipment, and to develop strategies to allay worker anxiety when wearing equipment should all be components of a program. An organizational culture that supports and abets the appropriate use of equipment is also a critical element in a successful program.« less

HIV/AIDS and Croatian migrant workers.

PubMed

Stulhofer, Aleksandar; Brouillard, Pamela; Nikolić, Nebojga; Greiner, Nina

2006-12-01

Due to their geographical mobility and long periods of separation from intimate partners, migrant workers are at increased risk for a variety of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) including HIV/AIDS. This study sought to investigate patterns in HIV/AIDS related knowledge, attitudes and sexual behaviour in migrant workers in Croatia. In 2003, 566 male migrant workers were recruited during regular required medical examinations and surveyed at seven locations throughout the country. Each participant was asked to complete a self-administered KABP (sexual knowledge, attitudes, beliefs and practices) questionnaire. The average age of respondents was 38.2 years and the majority worked as seafarers (77.3%) and construction workers (20.5%). Only 18.5% of respondents were able to correctly answer all 13 questions assessing knowledge of HIV/AIDS. Seafarers reported higher levels of knowledge than did construction workers. The average respondent reported having had two sexual partners in the last 12 months, with slightly over half of the respondents (55.3%) reporting condom use at their last intercourse with a casual partner. One fifth of the respondents (20.3%) who reported having had intercourse with a sex worker during the last year reported not using condoms at last intercourse. The number of sexual partners was correlated with age, marital status, faith in God, and personal HIV risk assessment. Attitudes toward condom use, co-workers' HIV/AIDS concerns and the duration of migrant status (within the last two years) were shown to be significant correlates of condom use at last intercourse with a casual partner. The effect of HIV/AIDS related knowledge on analyzed behaviors did not reach statistical significance. Inadequate patterns of migrant workers' condom use, gaps in knowledge about HIV transmission and modes of protection, as well as widespread ignorance regarding available anonymous HIV testing found by this study suggest a critical need for expert intervention to avert the potential for an increase in new HIV/AIDS cases. A coordinated, systematic campaign for HIV/AIDS prevention among Croatian migrant workers should focus on increasing peer communication about HIV/AIDS, especially among younger migrant workers, and on reducing the frequency of sexual risk taking.

Health care workers' knowledge and attitude towards TB patients under Direct Observation of Treatment in Plateau state Nigeria, 2011.

PubMed

Ibrahim, Luka Mangveep; Hadjia, Idris Suleiman; Nguku, Patrick; Waziri, Ndadilnasiya Endie; Akhimien, Moses Obiemen; Patrobas, Phillip; Nsubuga, Peter

2014-01-01

Tuberculosis (TB) is a public health problem in Nigeria. Adherence to the total duration of treatment is critical to cure the patients. We explored the knowledge of the health care workers on management of TB patients including their perceived reasons for patient non adherence to treatment to develop strategies to improve the quality of the TB control service in the state. We conducted a cross sectional study. We used self administered questionnaire to extract information from the health workers on their trainings for TB control, knowledge of the control services, patients' education including prevention of defaulting from treatment. We conducted focus group discussion with the health care workers. We performed descriptive analysis using epiInfo software. Of the 76 respondents 41 (53.9%) were female, 39.9% were community health extension workers, 26.3% were nurses/midwifes 30.3% lacked training on management of TB patient. Only 43.4% knew when to take action on patients who miss their drugs in the intensive phase, 30.3% and 35.5% knew defaults among category 1 and category 2 in the continuation phases of treatment respectively. They identified side effects of drugs (80%), daily clinic attendance (76.3%), health workers attitude (73.4%) and lack of knowledge on duration of treatment (71.1%) including their unfriendly attitudes towards the patients as the major barriers to patients' adherence to treatment. Lack of knowledge of the health care workers on management of TB patients and poor interpersonal relation and communication with patients have negative effect on patients' adherence to the long duration of TB treatment.

Knowledge and Attitudes toward HIV, Hepatitis B Virus, and Hepatitis C Virus Infection among Health-care Workers in Malawi.

PubMed

Mtengezo, Jasintha; Lee, Haeok; Ngoma, Jonathan; Kim, Susie; Aronowitz, Teri; DeMarco, Rosanna; Shi, Ling

2016-01-01

The highest prevalence of HIV infection occurs in Sub-Saharan Africa and hepatitis B virus (HBV), and hepatitis C virus (HCV) prevalence are the second highest in Sub-Saharan Africa including Malawi. Health-care workers (HCWs) play an important role in the prevention of, response to, and management of these infectious diseases. There is, however, no published research about the level of knowledge and attitudes toward HIV, HBV, and HCV infection among Malawian HCWs. The purpose of this study was to explore and determine the knowledge of and attitudes toward HIV, HBV, and HCV among a targeted population of Malawian HCWs. A cross-sectional community-based participatory research with 194 HCWs was completed employing health survey method. The project was a collaborative effort between nursing faculties in the USA and Malawian. A one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) with the Bonferroni adjustment for multiple comparisons was used to assess the differences in knowledge and attitude among three subgroups of HCWs. Of 194 of Malawian HCWs surveyed, 41% were support staff, 37% were nursing students, and 22% were health-care professionals. Both health-care professionals and support staff had high knowledge scores related to HIV/AIDS, and their attitudes were mainly positive. However, a series of one-way ANOVAs revealed significant differences in knowledge and attitude toward HIV/AIDs, HBV, and HCV among HCWs ( P < 0.01). The majority had less knowledge about HBV and HCV and more negative attitudes toward hepatitis. This study highlights the ongoing need for reducing negative attitudes toward HIV, HBV, and HCV; and providing health education among HCWs, especially focusing on HBV and HCV prevention. The findings of the research project can be used to develop interventions addressing low HBV- and HCV-related knowledge and attitudes.

Knowledge, attitude and practices regarding Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever among healthcare workers in Balochistan.

PubMed

Sheikh, Nadeem S; Sheikh, Azeem S; Sheikh, Aqleem A

2004-01-01

The objective of this study was to determine the knowledge, attitude and practices regarding Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) among healthcare workers at a tertiary care referral hospital in Balochistan. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in April-May 2000 among the doctors, nurses and laboratory technicians of Sandeman Provincial Teaching Hospital, Quetta, Balochistan. A questionnaire was formulated which included the demographic data of the respondents and their knowledge, attitude and practices towards CCHF. A total of 235 healthcare personnel including 150 (63.8%) doctors, 50 (21.2%) nurses and 35 (15%) laboratory technicians were interviewed during the survey. Seventy percent (164) of the subjects were males while 30% (71) were females. One fifty-five (66%) of the total respondents claimed to know what CCHF was. By designation 120 (80%) of doctors, 30 (60%) of nurses and 5 (14%) of laboratory technicians had a prior knowledge about CCHF. One twenty (80%) of the doctors knew the most common presentations of CCHF. All categories of the respondents had a poor knowledge regarding the burial procedure of dead patients. This study was an indicator of the poor level of knowledge of healthcare workers regarding the clinical presentations and the modes of spread of CCHF. It is the dire need of the time to educate the healthcare workers about the common preventive measures of this disease, which has resulted in the loss of several important lives in the past in this region.

The Attitude of Psychiatric and Non-psychiatric Health-care Workers Toward Suicide in Malaysian Hospitals and Its Implications for Training.

PubMed

Siau, Ching Sin; Wee, Lei-Hum; Yacob, Sapini; Yeoh, Seen Heng; Binti Adnan, Tassha Hilda; Haniff, Jamaiyah; Perialathan, Komathi; Mahdi, Aziman; Rahman, Abu Bakar; Eu, Choon Leng; Binti Wahab, Suzaily

2017-08-01

This research is aimed to examine the attitude of health-care workers toward suicidal patients in Malaysian hospitals, comparing responses from psychiatric and non-psychiatric workers, and to identify specific needs in suicide prevention and management training. This is a multi-site cross-sectional study. The authors conducted a survey based on a translated self-administered questionnaire to participants from seven core hospital departments. While most health-care workers regardless of department and specialty took their duty to prevent suicide seriously, a large majority of them expressed negative attitudes such as finding suicidal behavior irritating, and more than half believed suicidal attempts were a way of making others sorry. However, psychiatric workers were less likely to have judgmental attitudes that included believing suicide attempters as being selfish or trying to get sympathy from others. As there were more similarities than differences in health-care workers' attitudes toward suicide, recommendations on basic and continuous suicide prevention and management training among hospital workers were made. The interventions focused on improving knowledge, affective, and skill-based areas that were aimed to correct the wrongful understanding of and to minimize the negative attitudes toward suicidal individuals indicated by the study results.

Knowledge and attitudes towards AIDS among Saudi and non-Saudi bus drivers.

PubMed

Abdelmoneim, I; Khan, M Y; Daffalla, A; Al-Ghamdi, S; Al-Gamal, M

2002-11-01

We explored the AIDS knowledge and attitudes of long-distance (non-Saudi) and in-city (Saudi) bus drivers in Saudi Arabia. The 69 non-Saudi drivers tended to score higher on knowledge than the 40 Saudi drivers although there were several gaps in their knowledge. As regards attitude, more Saudis knew that chastity could protect against AIDS and both groups tended to think that they were not the kind of people to get AIDS. Intensive health education and follow up is highly recommended for this sector of workers.

Food Allergy Knowledge and Attitudes of Restaurant Managers and Staff: An EHS-Net Study

PubMed Central

Radke, Taylor J.; Brown, Laura G.; Hoover, E. Rickamer; Faw, Brenda V.; Reimann, David; Wong, Melissa R.; Nicholas, David; Barkley, Jonathan; Ripley, Danny

2016-01-01

Dining outside of the home can be difficult for persons with food allergies who must rely on restaurant staff to properly prepare allergen-free meals. The purpose of this study was to understand and identify factors associated with food allergy knowledge and attitudes among restaurant managers, food workers, and servers. This study was conducted by the Environmental Health Specialists Network (EHS-Net), a collaborative forum of federal, state, and local environmental health specialists working to understand the environmental factors associated with food safety issues. EHS-Net personnel collected data from 278 randomly selected restaurants through interviews with restaurant managers, food workers, and servers. Results indicated that managers, food workers, and servers were generally knowledgeable and had positive attitudes about accommodating customers’ food allergies. However, we identified important gaps, such as more than 10% of managers and staff believed that a person with a food allergy can safely consume a small amount of that allergen. Managers and staff also had lower confidence in their restaurant’s ability to properly respond to a food allergy emergency. The knowledge and attitudes of all groups were higher at restaurants that had a specific person to answer food allergy questions and requests or a plan for answering questions from food allergic customers. However, food allergy training was not associated with knowledge in any of the groups but was associated with manager and server attitudes. Based on these findings, we encourage restaurants to be proactive by training staff about food allergies and creating plans and procedures to reduce the risk of a customer having a food allergic reaction. PMID:28221943

Food Allergy Knowledge and Attitudes of Restaurant Managers and Staff: An EHS-Net Study.

PubMed

Radke, Taylor J; Brown, Laura G; Hoover, E Rickamer; Faw, Brenda V; Reimann, David; Wong, Melissa R; Nicholas, David; Barkley, Jonathan; Ripley, Danny

2016-09-01

Dining outside of the home can be difficult for persons with food allergies who must rely on restaurant staff to properly prepare allergen-free meals. The purpose of this study was to understand and identify factors associated with food allergy knowledge and attitudes among restaurant managers, food workers, and servers. This study was conducted by the Environmental Health Specialists Network (EHS-Net), a collaborative forum of federal, state, and local environmental health specialists working to understand the environmental factors associated with food safety issues. EHS-Net personnel collected data from 278 randomly selected restaurants through interviews with restaurant managers, food workers, and servers. Results indicated that managers, food workers, and servers were generally knowledgeable and had positive attitudes about accommodating customers' food allergies. However, we identified important gaps, such as more than 10% of managers and staff believed that a person with a food allergy can safely consume a small amount of that allergen. Managers and staff also had lower confidence in their restaurant's ability to properly respond to a food allergy emergency. The knowledge and attitudes of all groups were higher at restaurants that had a specific person to answer food allergy questions and requests or a plan for answering questions from food allergic customers. However, food allergy training was not associated with knowledge in any of the groups but was associated with manager and server attitudes. Based on these findings, we encourage restaurants to be proactive by training staff about food allergies and creating plans and procedures to reduce the risk of a customer having a food allergic reaction.

Peer Group Intervention for HIV Prevention among Health Workers in Chile

PubMed Central

Norr, Kathleen F.; Ferrer, Lilian; Cianelli, Rosina; Crittenden, Kathleen S.; Irarrázabal, Lisette; Cabieses, Báltica; Araya, Alejandra; Bernales, Margarita

2011-01-01

We tested the impacts of a professionally assisted peer group intervention on Chilean health workers' HIV-related knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors using a quasi-experimental design with a pretest and 3-month posttest. Two Santiago suburbs were randomly assigned to the intervention or delayed intervention control condition, and five community clinics per suburb participated. Interested workers at the intervention (n = 262) and control (n = 293) clinics participated and completed both evaluations. At posttest, intervention clinic workers had higher knowledge and more positive attitudes regarding HIV, condoms, stigmatization, and self-efficacy for prevention. They reported more partner discussion about safer sex, less unprotected sex, and more involvement in HIV prevention activities in the clinic and the community, but they did not report fewer sexual partners or more standard precautions behaviors. Because of these positive impacts, the program will become a regular continuing education unit that can be used to meet health worker licensing requirements. PMID:21497113

Health care workers' hand decontamination practices: an Irish study.

PubMed

Creedon, Sile A

2006-02-01

The primary purpose of this quasi-experimental research is to observe health care workers' compliance with hand-hygiene guidelines during patient care in an intensive care unit in Ireland before (pretest) and after (posttest) implementation of a multifaceted hand-hygiene program. Health care workers' attitudes, beliefs, and knowledge in relation to compliance with handwashing guidelines were also investigated. A convenience sample of nurses, doctors, physiotherapists, and care assistants (n = 73 observational participants, n = 62 questionnaire respondents) was used. Data (N = 314 observations, 62 questionnaires) were analyzed descriptively and cross-tabulated using chi-square (Pearson's) and Mann-Whitney statistical tests. Results revealed that a significant shift (32%) occurred in health care workers' compliance with handwashing guidelines (pretest 51%, posttest 83%, p < .001) following the interventional hand-hygiene program. Significant changes were also found in relation to health care workers' attitudes, beliefs, and knowledge (p < .05).

Correlation between knowledge, attitude and practices on HIV and AIDS: cases from the Kathmandu Valley.

PubMed

Karki, T B

2014-01-01

This study investigated the correlation between knowledge, attitude and practices on HIV and AIDS in the context of Nepal.The study was conducted among the 404 respondents; selected from the transport workers, garment factory workers, brick factory workers and health workers. It was non-experimental cross sectional study based on descriptive as well as correlational research design. Simple random technique was used to select the respondents. Survey was conducted to collect the primary data and r value was used to analyze the correlation between variables. Finding shows that 391 (96.8%) respondents have heard about HIV and AIDS; among them 388 (95.8%) respondents were mentioned that they had knowledge of way of HIV transmission also. Total 50 out of 171 unmarried (29.2%) respondents had pre-marital sexual experience. It was found that only 71 (25.6%) respondents had used the condom during their first time sexual intercourse.There was significant association (p=.000) found between the knowledge on way of HIV transmission and occupation of respondents, similarly relationship found (r = .815, p = .000 (2-tailed) between marriage age and age of first time sexual intercourseof respondents. But there was no relationship (r = .097 and p =.106 (2-tailed) found between Knowledge on way of HIV transmission and sex with non-regular sex partners. Data showed that safer sex practices was low than the level of knowledge. The educational status of respondents shows the positive association with attitude towards the necessary to have knowledge of HIV and AIDS.

Outdoor workers' sun-related knowledge, attitudes and protective behaviours: a systematic review of cross-sectional and interventional studies.

PubMed

Reinau, D; Weiss, M; Meier, C R; Diepgen, T L; Surber, C

2013-05-01

Sun protection is a major concern for outdoor workers as they are particularly exposed to solar ultraviolet radiation and therefore at increased risk of developing some forms of skin cancer, cataract and ocular neoplasm. In order to provide an overview of outdoor workers' sun-related knowledge, attitudes and protective behaviours as reported in the literature and to evaluate the effectiveness of sun-safety education programmes in outdoor occupational settings, we conducted a systematic review of the literature by searching three electronic databases (PubMed, Embase, PsycINFO) from their inception up to 25 April 2012. An extensive hand search complemented the database searches. We identified 34 relevant articles on descriptive studies and 18 articles on interventional studies. Considerable numbers of outdoor workers were found to have sun-sensitive skin types; sunburn rates per season ranged from 50% to 80%. Data concerning outdoor workers' sun-related knowledge and attitudes were scarce and controversial. The reported sun-protective behaviours were largely inadequate, with many workers stating that they never or only rarely wore a long-sleeved shirt (50-80%), sun-protective headgear (30-80%) and sunscreen (30-100%) while working in the sun. However, there is growing evidence that occupational sun-safety education is effective in increasing outdoor workers' sun-protection habits and presumably in decreasing sunburn rates. Occupational sun-safety education programmes offer great potential for improving outdoor workers' largely insufficient sun-protective behaviours. It is hoped that, in the future, committed support from healthcare authorities, cancer foundations, employers and dermatologists will open the way for rapid and uncomplicated implementation of sun-safety education programmes. © 2012 The Authors. BJD © 2012 British Association of Dermatologists.

Mental Health: Knowledge, Attitudes and Training of Professionals on Dual Diagnosis of Intellectual Disability and Psychiatric Disorder

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Werner, S.; Stawski, M.

2012-01-01

Background: Dual diagnosis (DD) refers to the coexistence of intellectual disability and psychiatric disorder. In order to provide individuals with DD with adequate care, it is essential for mental health workers to have adequate knowledge and positive attitudes. These may be achieved through proper training. Aims: To summarise the available…

Factors that may Facilitate or Hinder a Family-Focus in the Treatment of Parents with a Mental Illness.

PubMed

Lauritzen, Camilla; Reedtz, Charlotte; Van Doesum, Karin; Martinussen, Monica

Children with mentally ill parents are at risk of developing mental health problems themselves. To enhance early support for these children may prevent mental health problems from being transmitted from one generation to the next. The sample ( N  = 219) included health professionals in a large university hospital, who responded to a web-based survey on the routines of the mental health services, attitudes within the workforce capacity, worker's knowledge on the impact of parental mental illness on children, knowledge on legislation concerning children of patients, experience, expectations for possible outcomes of change in current clinical practice and demographic variables. A total of 56 % reported that they did not identify whether or not patients had children. There were no significant differences between the groups (identifiers and non-identifiers) except for the two scales measuring aspects of knowledge, i.e., Knowledge Children and Knowledge Legislation where workers who identified children had higher scores. The results also showed that younger workers with a medium level of education scored higher on Positive Attitudes. Furthermore, workers who reported to have more knowledge about children and the impact of mental illness on the parenting role were less concerned about a child-focussed approach interfering with the patient-therapist relation.

The Impact of Training on Attitudes towards Sex Offenders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Craig, Leam A.

2005-01-01

The purpose of the present study was to measure attitudes towards sex offenders held by professionals and paraprofessionals and to evaluate an introductory training workshop aimed at increasing knowledge and improving attitudes to this client group. Eighty-five residential hostel workers and probation officers attended an intensive two-day…

Knowledge, attitudes and practice pertaining to depression among primary health care workers in Tanzania

PubMed Central

Mbatia, Joseph; Shah, Ajit; Jenkins, Rachel

2009-01-01

Background Examination of consultation data in a variety of primary care settings in Tanzania shows that, while psychoses are routinely diagnosed and treated at primary care level, depression is rarely recorded as a reason for consultation. Since, epidemiological studies elswhere show that depression is a much more common disorder than psychosis, a series of studies were undertaken to elucidate this apparent paradox in Tanzania and inform mental health policy; firstly, a household prevalence study to ascertain the prevalence of common mental disorders at community level in Tanzania; secondly, a study to ascertain the prevalence of common mental disorders in primary care attenders; and thirdly, a study to ascertain the current status of the knowledge, attitude and practice pertaining to depression among primary health care workers. This paper reports the findings of the latter study. Methods All the primary health care workers (N = 14) in four primary health care centres in Tanzania were asked to complete the Depression Attitude Questionnaire, which assesses the health worker's knowledge and attitude towards the causes, consequences and treatment of depression. Results The majority of respondents felt that rates of depression had increased in recent years, believed that life events were important in the aetiology of depression, and generally held positive views about pharmacological and psychological treatments of depression, prognosis and their own involvement in the treatment of depressed patients. However, the majority of respondents felt that becoming depressed is a way that people with poor stamina deal with life difficulties. Conclusion The findings suggest a need to strengthen the training of primary health care workers in Tanzania about the detection of depression, pharmacological and psychological treatments, and psychosocial interventions. PMID:19243596

A Study to Assess Knowledge and Attitude Regarding Hand Hygiene amongst Residents and Nursing Staff in a Tertiary Health Care Setting of Bhopal City.

PubMed

Maheshwari, Veena; Kaore, Navin Chandra M; Ramnani, Vijay Kumar; Gupta, Sanjay Kumar; Borle, Amod; Kaushal, Rituja

2014-08-01

Infection due to hospital-acquired microbes is an evolving problem worldwide, and horizontal transmission of bacterial organism continues to cause a high nosocomial infection rate in health care settings. Most nosocomial infections are thought to be transmitted by the hands of health care workers.The application of hand hygiene is effective in reducing infection rates. To assess the level of knowledge and attitude regarding hand hygiene practices amongst the health care professionals and to identify areas of gaps in their knowledge and attitude. A cross-sectional study. A total 160 respondents were studied about their knowledge and attitude towards hand hygiene practices and significant difference with a p-value of 0.0025 was observed regarding most frequent source of germs responsible for health care associated infections among resident and nurses. A significant difference with p-value of 0.0001 & 0.04 was observed in colonization due to jewellery and artificial nail among the study groups. The attitude regarding correct hand hygiene practices to be followed at all times was found to be better among nurses (62.5%) as compared to residents (21.3%) which was found to be highly significant with p-value <0.001. Present study highlights the need of repeated training sessions regarding hand hygiene practices among the health care workers to provide the current knowledge in the area with a behavioral change in attitudes and practices leading to reduction of nosocomial infections.

Peer group intervention for HIV prevention among health workers in Chile.

PubMed

Norr, Kathleen F; Ferrer, Lilian; Cianelli, Rosina; Crittenden, Kathleen S; Irarrázabal, Lisette; Cabieses, Báltica; Araya, Alejandra; Bernales, Margarita

2012-01-01

We tested the impacts of a professionally assisted peer-group intervention on Chilean health workers' HIV-related knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors using a quasi-experimental design with a pretest and 3-month posttest. Two Santiago suburbs were randomly assigned to the intervention or delayed intervention control condition. Five community clinics per suburb participated. Interested workers at the intervention (n = 262) and control (n = 293) clinics participated and completed both evaluations. At posttest, intervention clinic workers had higher knowledge and more positive attitudes regarding HIV, condoms, stigmatization, and self-efficacy for prevention. They reported more partner discussion about safer sex, less unprotected sex, and more involvement in HIV prevention activities in the clinic and the community, but they did not report fewer sexual partners or more standard precautions behaviors. Because of these positive impacts, the program will become a regular continuing education unit that can be used to meet health-worker licensing requirements. Copyright © 2012 Association of Nurses in AIDS Care. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Knowledge and attitude toward smoke-free legislation and second-hand smoking exposure among workers in indoor bars, beer parlors and discotheques in Osun State of Nigeria

PubMed Central

Onigbogi, Olanrewaju Olusola; Odukoya, Oluwakemi; Onigbogi, Modupe; Sekoni, Oluwakemi

2015-01-01

Background: One of the requirements of the Osun State smoke-free legislation is to ensure smoke-free enclosed and partially enclosed workplaces. This survey was conducted to assess the knowledge and attitude of workers in indoor bars, beer parlors and discotheques to smoke-free legislation in general and the Osun State smoke-free law in particular. Methods: A convenience sampling of 36 hospitality centers was conducted. Interviewer-administered questionnaires were used to elicit responses about the objectives from non-smoking workers. The questionnaires had sections on knowledge of the Osun State smoke-free law, attitude toward the law and smoke-free legislation in general and exposure to second-hand tobacco smoke by the workers. Questions were also asked about the second-hand tobacco smoking status of these workers. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 15.0. Results: We had 154 participants recruited into the study. There were 75 males (48.0%) and 79 females (52.0%). On the overall, respondents had a good knowledge of the effects of second-hand smoke on health (70.2%) with 75.0% of them being aware of the general smoke-free law and 67.3% being aware of the Osun State smoke-free law although none of them had ever seen a copy of the law. A high proportion (60.0%) was in support of the Osun smoke-free law although all of them think that the implementation of the law could reduce patronage and jeopardize their income. Attitude toward second-hand smoking was generally positive with 72.0% of them having no tolerance for second-hand tobacco smoke in their homes. Most participants (95.5%) had been exposed to tobacco smoke in the workplace within the past week. Conclusion: Despite the high level of awareness of the respondents about the dangers of second hand smoke and their positive attitude to smoke-free laws, nearly all were constantly being exposed to second hand smoke at work. This calls for policy level interventions to improve the implementation of the smoke-free law. PMID:25844384

Knowledge and attitude toward smoke-free legislation and second-hand smoking exposure among workers in indoor bars, beer parlors and discotheques in Osun State of Nigeria.

PubMed

Onigbogi, Olanrewaju Olusola; Odukoya, Oluwakemi; Onigbogi, Modupe; Sekoni, Oluwakemi

2015-04-01

One of the requirements of the Osun State smoke-free legislation is to ensure smoke-free enclosed and partially enclosed workplaces. This survey was conducted to assess the knowledge and attitude of workers in indoor bars, beer parlors and discotheques to smoke-free legislation in general and the Osun State smoke-free law in particular. A convenience sampling of 36 hospitality centers was conducted. Interviewer-administered questionnaires were used to elicit responses about the objectives from non-smoking workers. The questionnaires had sections on knowledge of the Osun State smoke-free law, attitude toward the law and smoke-free legislation in general and exposure to second-hand tobacco smoke by the workers. Questions were also asked about the second-hand tobacco smoking status of these workers. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 15.0. We had 154 participants recruited into the study. There were 75 males (48.0%) and 79 females (52.0%). On the overall, respondents had a good knowledge of the effects of second-hand smoke on health (70.2%) with 75.0% of them being aware of the general smoke-free law and 67.3% being aware of the Osun State smoke-free law although none of them had ever seen a copy of the law. A high proportion (60.0%) was in support of the Osun smoke-free law although all of them think that the implementation of the law could reduce patronage and jeopardize their income. Attitude toward second-hand smoking was generally positive with 72.0% of them having no tolerance for second-hand tobacco smoke in their homes. Most participants (95.5%) had been exposed to tobacco smoke in the workplace within the past week. Despite the high level of awareness of the respondents about the dangers of second hand smoke and their positive attitude to smoke-free laws, nearly all were constantly being exposed to second hand smoke at work. This calls for policy level interventions to improve the implementation of the smoke-free law.

Occupational sun protection: workplace culture, equipment provision and outdoor workers' characteristics.

PubMed

Reeder, Anthony I; Gray, Andrew; McCool, Judith P

2013-01-01

The aim of this study was to describe outdoor workers' sun-protective practices, workplace sun-safety culture and sun-protective equipment provision; investigate the association of demographic, personal and occupational factors with sun-protective practices; and identify potential strategies for improving workers' sun protection. The present study used a clustered survey design with randomly identified employers in nine occupations. Employees provided questionnaire measures of demographics, personal characteristics (skin type, skin cancer risk perceptions, tanning attitudes, sun-exposure knowledge), personal occupational sun protection practices (exposure reduction, use of sun-protective clothing, sunscreen and shade), workplace sun-protective equipment provision and perceived workplace sun-safety culture. Summative scores were calculated for attitudes, knowledge, workplace provision and culture. A multivariable model was built with worker and workplace variables as plausible predictors of personal sun protection. In this study, 1,061 workers (69% participation) from 112 workplaces provided sufficient information for analysis. Sex, age, prioritized ethnicity, education and risk perception differed significantly between occupational groups (p<0.001), as did workers' sun-protective practices and workplace sun-protection equipment provision and supportive culture. After adjustment, each one-point increase in Workplace Sun-safety Culture 2013Score (range 12 points) was associated with a 0.16 higher Personal Sun-Protection Score (p<0.001), and each one-point increase in Workplace Provision Score (range 4 points) was associated with a 0.14 higher score (p<0.001). Sun Protection Score was significantly associated with skin response to sun exposure (p<0.001), female sex (p=0.021), tanning attitudes (p=0.022) and occupation (p=0.049), but not ethnicity, age education, knowledge or skin cancer risk perception. Protective equipment provision and sun-protective workplace culture are promising components for the development of comprehensive programmes to improve outdoor workers' sun-protective practices.

Peer discussions of cancer among Hispanic migrant farm workers.

PubMed Central

Lantz, P M; Dupuis, L; Reding, D; Krauska, M; Lappe, K

1994-01-01

Hispanic migrant agricultural workers' exposure to pesticides and other agrichemicals places them at increased risk for a variety of acute and chronic conditions, including cancer. As a socioeconomically disadvantaged group, migrant workers also face many barriers to effective cancer control. In 1992, a series of focus groups was held with 55 Hispanic migrant agricultural workers (22 women, 33 men) in central Wisconsin to gather information on their knowledge and attitudes regarding cancer etiology and treatment, their practices regarding cancer screening and early detection, and their concerns regarding occupational exposure to pesticides. Beliefs that pesticides are toxic and can cause health problems were common among participants. In addition, however, participants reported that they are reluctant to demand occupational protections to which they are entitled because they are afraid of losing their jobs. Study results also suggest that barriers to effective primary and secondary prevention of cancer in this Hispanic migrant agricultural worker population include knowledge and information barriers, cultural barriers, and socioeconomic barriers. A lack of knowledge and information regarding the causes of cancer, its prevention, and its early detection and treatment was evident among participants, which in turn was reflected in strong fatalistic attitudes toward the disease. Cultural barriers included attitudes of embarrassment and shame associated with physical examinations and women's strong discomfort with male clinicians. Socioeconomic barriers to secondary prevention included the cost of obtaining health services, time constraints associated with the need to work and long working days, and a lack of transportation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS) PMID:8041851

A Cross-Sectional Survey of Healthcare Workers on the Knowledge and Attitudes towards Polio Vaccination in Pakistan

PubMed Central

Khan, Muhammad Umair; Ahmad, Akram; Aqeel, Talieha; Akbar, Naila; Salman, Saad; Idress, Jawaria

2015-01-01

Introduction Pakistan accounts for 85.2% of the total polio cases reported worldwide. Healthcare workers (HCWs) are an integral part of immunization campaigns and source of education for the general public. This study aimed to assess the knowledge and attitudes towards polio vaccination among HCWs providing immunisation and education to general public in Quetta and Peshawar divisions of Pakistan. Methods A cross-sectional survey of 490 HCWs was conducted in two major referral public teaching hospitals of Quetta and Peshawar divisions. During February to April, 2015, a random sample of 490 HCWs was invited to participate in this study. Knowledge and attitudes were assessed by using self-administered, anonymous and pretested questionnaire. Descriptive and logistic regression analyses were used to express the results. Results A total of 468 participants responded to the questionnaire, giving a response rate of 95.5%. Overall, participants demonstrated good knowledge and positive attitudes towards polio vaccination. The mean knowledge score of HCWs about polio was 13.42±2.39 (based on 18 knowledge questions) while the mean attitude score was 28.75±5.5 (based on 9 attitudes statements). Knowledge gaps were identified about the incubation period of poliovirus (19.5%), management issues (31.9%), use of polio vaccine in mild illnesses (34.7%) and the consequences of the polio virus (36.9%). The majority of participants agreed that all children should be vaccinated for polio (95.1%), while reservations were noted about the need of a booster (38.9%), and sterility issues associated with polio vaccines (43.6%). Internet (n = 167, 37%) and Posters (n = 158, 35%) were the main sources used by HCWs to educate themselves about polio. Conclusion Participants in this study had good knowledge and positive attitudes towards polio vaccination. Although the data are indicative of gaps in the knowledge of HCWs, the findings may not be generalized to other hospitals in Pakistan. PMID:26559184

Social workers' involvement in advance care planning: a systematic narrative review.

PubMed

Wang, Chong-Wen; Chan, Cecilia L W; Chow, Amy Y M

2017-07-10

Advance care planning is a process of discussion that enables competent adults to express their wishes about end-of-life care through periods of decisional incapacity. Although a number of studies have documented social workers' attitudes toward, knowledge about, and involvement in advance care planning, the information is fragmented. The purpose of this review was to provide a narrative synthesis of evidence on social workers' perspectives and experiences regarding implementation of advance care planning. Six databases were searched for peer-reviewed research papers from their respective inception through December 2016. All of the resulting studies relevant to both advance care planning and social worker were examined. The findings of relevant studies were synthesized thematically. Thirty-one articles met the eligibility criteria. Six research themes were identified: social workers' attitudes toward advance care planning; social workers' knowledge, education and training regarding advance care planning; social workers' involvement in advance care planning; social workers' perceptions of their roles; ethical issues relevant to advance care planning; and the effect of social work intervention on advance care planning engagement. The findings suggest that there is a consensus among social workers that advance care planning is their duty and responsibility and that social workers play an important role in promoting and implementing advance care planning through an array of activities. This study provides useful knowledge for implementing advance care planning through illustrating social workers' perspectives and experiences. Further studies are warranted to understand the complexity inherent in social workers' involvement in advance care planning for different life-limiting illnesses or within different socio-cultural contexts.

Emergency contraceptive pills: Exploring the knowledge and attitudes of community health workers in a developing Muslim country.

PubMed

Mir, Azeem Sultan; Malik, Raees

2010-08-01

Unsafe abortion is a major Public health problem in developing countries, where women make several unsafe attempts at termination of the unintended pregnancy before turning to health services. Community health workers can act as a bridge between the community and their health facilities and can use Emergency Contraceptive Pills to significantly reduce the mortality and morbidity related to unsafe abortions. This study explores the knowledge, attitudes and practices of the Lady Health Supervisor of the National Program for Family Planning, district Rawalpindi, regarding emergency contraception pills. The cross sectional survey was conducted during the monthly meeting of Lady Health Supervisors. Self administered, anonymous and voluntary questionnaire consisting of 17 items, regarding demographic profile, awareness, knowledge, attitudes and practices, was used. Insufficient knowledge, high misinformation and strongly negative attitudes were revealed. More than half did not know that emergency contraceptive pills do not cause abortion. About four fifths believed that emergency contraceptive pills will lead to 'evil' practices in society. More than four fifths recognized that the clients of National Program for Family Planning need emergency contraceptive pills. The attitudes were significantly associated with knowledge (P=0.034, Fisher's Exact Test). The awareness of emergency contraceptive pills is high. Serious gaps in knowledge have been identified. There is a clear recognition of the need of emergency contraceptive pills for the clients of National Program for Family Planning. However, any strategy to introduce emergency contraceptive pills must cater for the misplaced beliefs of the work force.

A cross sectional study of knowledge and attitudes towards tuberculosis amongst front-line tuberculosis personnel in high burden areas of Lima, Peru.

PubMed

Minnery, Mark; Contreras, Carmen; Pérez, Rosa; Solórzano, Ninfa; Tintaya, Karen; Jimenez, Judith; Soto, Silvia; Lecca, Leonid

2013-01-01

Tuberculosis, reported as the second most common infectious cause of death worldwide, is a key mortality contributor in developing countries and globally. The disease is endemic in Peru and while relative success was achieved during the 1990s in its control, this slowed as new complications, such as multi drug resistant TB arose. Health centre workers participating in the national DOTS program, create the front-line TB work-force in Peru meaning their knowledge and attitudes about the disease are key in its control. A Spanish language, multiple choice knowledge and attitudes survey was designed based on previous successful studies and the national Peruvian TB control guidelines. It was applied to two health networks in Lima, Peru amongst 301 health workers participating in the national TB control program from 66 different health centres. The study results were analysed to test mean knowledge scores amongst different groups, overall gaps in key areas of TB treatment and control knowledge, and attitudes towards the disease and the national TB control program. A mean knowledge score of 10.1 (+/- 1.7) out of 15 or 67.3% correct was shown. Demographics shown to have an effect on knowledge score were age and level of education. Major knowledge gaps were noted primarily in themes relating to treatment and diagnostics. Greater community involvement including better patient education about TB was seen as important in implementing the national TB control program. Participants were in disagreement about the current distribution of health resources throughout the study area. Discussion Serious knowledge gaps were identified from the survey; these reflect findings from a previous study in Lima and other studies from TB endemic areas throughout the world. Understanding these gaps and observations made by front-line TB workers in Lima may help to improve the national TB control program and other control efforts globally.

Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices Regarding Occupational HIV Exposure and Protection among Health Care Workers in China: Census Survey in a Rural Area.

PubMed

Wu, Qian; Xue, Xiao Fei; Shah, Dimpy; Zhao, Jian; Hwang, Lu-Yu; Zhuang, GuiHua

2016-09-01

Health care workers (HCWs) seek, treat, and care for patients living with HIV/AIDS on a daily basis and thus face a significant risk to work-related infections. To assess the knowledge, attitude, and practices regarding occupational HIV exposure and protection among HCWs in low HIV prevalence areas of rural China. A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was carried out among all medical units in Pucheng County, Shaanxi, China. Response rate of this study was 94%. The average overall knowledge score of HCWs was 10.9 of 21.0. Deficiencies in general, transmission, exposure, and protection knowledge were identified among HCWs at all levels. A high rate of occupational exposure (85%) and lack of universal precautions practice behavior were recorded. Significant predictors of universal precautions practice behavior were female sex, prior training, and greater knowledge about HIV/AIDS. Health care workers at various levels have inadequate knowledge on HIV/AIDS and do not practice universal precautions. Nurses and medical technicians at the county level faced more occupation risk than other HCWs. The key of AIDS training for different levels of HCWs should be distinguished. © The Author(s) 2014.

Attitude of Health Care Workers (HCWs) toward Patients Affected by HIV/AIDS and Drug Users: A Cross-Sectional Study.

PubMed

Ledda, Caterina; Cicciù, Francesca; Puglisi, Beatrice; Ramaci, Tiziana; Nunnari, Giuseppe; Rapisarda, Venerando

2017-03-09

Caring for HIV/AIDS patients and/or drug users requires health care workers (HCWs) to have good knowledge of the issues. Cultural differences in HCWs, combined with professional ethics and personal beliefs, could also result in conflicting attitudes, leading to difficulties related to looking after people affected by HIV/AIDS or drug users. A cross-sectional study was carried out to assess the attitude towards HIV/AIDS patients and/or drug users in a sample of workers operating in a large university hospital in southern Italy. A total of 736 workers were surveyed from May to November 2016. During the periodic occupational health surveillance, a questionnaire was administered about attitudes of discrimination, acceptance and fear towards these patients. Respondents showed average levels of acceptance to HIV/AIDS and drug user patients. As years of experience and professional training increased, scores for discrimination, acceptance of HIV/AIDS, acceptance of drug users and fear decreased. Factors positively influencing levels of attitudes were being female and younger. Supplementary education is needed to strengthen the awareness of HCWs.

Stigma Related to HIV among Community Health Workers in Chile

PubMed Central

Cianelli, Rosina; Ferrer, Lilian; Norr, Kathleen F.; McCreary, Linda; Irarrázabal, Lisette; Bernales, Margarita; Miner, Sarah

2011-01-01

Purpose When healthcare workers have stigmatizing attitudes toward people living with HIV it may lead to discriminatory behavior that interferes with prevention, treatment, and care. This research examined the HIV-related stigmatizing attitudes reported by health workers in Santiago, Chile. Methods The study used focus group data from the first phase of a larger study to develop and test a HIV prevention intervention for Chilean health workers. Ten focus groups were conducted with Health workers in two communities in Santiago, Chile. Content analysis was used to analyze the data. Results Two central themes emerged: Societal stigma and discrimination towards people living with HIV and healthcare system’s policies related to HIV. Both inaccurate fears of transmission among the general public and Chilean Health workers and societal prejudices against homosexuals contributed to stigmatization and discrimination. Conclusions Health workers did not recognize their own stigmatizing attitudes or discriminatory behaviors, but their discussion indicated that these behaviors and attitudes did exist. Healthcare system issues identified included problems with confidentiality due to the desire to inform other health workers about client HIV status. Health workers must be sensitized to the current stigmatization and misinformation associated with HIV and its negative impacts on persons living with HIV and the general community. Implications All clinical and non-clinical workers at community clinics need mandatory education for HIV prevention that focuses on changing attitudes as well as sharing knowledge. Also, the Chilean law protecting people living with HIV and the confidentiality of their medical care needs to be publicized, along with guidelines for its enactment in clinics and other health facilities. PMID:21687824

Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome/human immunodeficiency virus knowledge, attitudes, and practices, and use of healthcare services among rural migrants: a cross-sectional study in China

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Today’s rapid growth of migrant populations has been a major contributor to the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) epidemic. However, relatively few studies have focused on HIV/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)-related knowledge, attitudes, and practice among rural-to-urban migrants in China. This cross-sectional study was to assess HIV/AIDS-related knowledge and perceptions, including knowledge about reducing high-risk sex. Methods Two-phase stratified cluster sampling was applied and 2,753 rural migrants participated in this study. An anonymous self-administered questionnaire was conducted in Guangdong and Sichuan provinces in 2007. Descriptive analysis was used to present the essential characteristics of the respondents. Chi-square test and multiple logistic regression models were performed to examine the associations between identified demographic factors and high-risk sex, sexually transmitted disease (STD) symptoms, and access to HIV screening services among the seven types of workers. Results 58.6% of participants were knowledgeable about HIV/AIDS transmission, but approximately 90% had a negative attitude towards the AIDS patients, and that 6.2% had engaged in high-risk sex in the past 12 months. Logistic regression analysis revealed sex, marital status, income, migration and work experience to be associated with high-risk sex. Among the 13.9% of workers who reported having STD symptoms, risk factors that were identified included female gender, high monthly income, being married, daily laborer or entertainment worker, frequent migration, and length of work experience. Only 3% of migrant workers received voluntary free HIV screening, which was positively associated with monthly income and workplace. Conclusions HIV/AIDS knowledge, attitudes, and practices among rural migrants in China remain a thorny health issue, and use of healthcare services needs to be improved. Low levels of education and knowledge regarding HIV/AIDS among housekeepers and migrant day laborers result in this population likely being engaged in high-risk sex. Government programs should pay more attention to public education, health promotion and intervention for the control of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in China. PMID:24520921

Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome/human immunodeficiency virus knowledge, attitudes, and practices, and use of healthcare services among rural migrants: a cross-sectional study in China.

PubMed

Wang, Ying; Cochran, Christopher; Xu, Peng; Shen, Jay J; Zeng, Gang; Xu, Yanjun; Sun, Mei; Li, Chengyue; Li, Xiaohong; Chang, Fengshui; Lu, Jun; Hao, Mo; Lu, Fan

2014-02-13

Today's rapid growth of migrant populations has been a major contributor to the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) epidemic. However, relatively few studies have focused on HIV/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)-related knowledge, attitudes, and practice among rural-to-urban migrants in China. This cross-sectional study was to assess HIV/AIDS-related knowledge and perceptions, including knowledge about reducing high-risk sex. Two-phase stratified cluster sampling was applied and 2,753 rural migrants participated in this study. An anonymous self-administered questionnaire was conducted in Guangdong and Sichuan provinces in 2007. Descriptive analysis was used to present the essential characteristics of the respondents. Chi-square test and multiple logistic regression models were performed to examine the associations between identified demographic factors and high-risk sex, sexually transmitted disease (STD) symptoms, and access to HIV screening services among the seven types of workers. 58.6% of participants were knowledgeable about HIV/AIDS transmission, but approximately 90% had a negative attitude towards the AIDS patients, and that 6.2% had engaged in high-risk sex in the past 12 months. Logistic regression analysis revealed sex, marital status, income, migration and work experience to be associated with high-risk sex. Among the 13.9% of workers who reported having STD symptoms, risk factors that were identified included female gender, high monthly income, being married, daily laborer or entertainment worker, frequent migration, and length of work experience. Only 3% of migrant workers received voluntary free HIV screening, which was positively associated with monthly income and workplace. HIV/AIDS knowledge, attitudes, and practices among rural migrants in China remain a thorny health issue, and use of healthcare services needs to be improved. Low levels of education and knowledge regarding HIV/AIDS among housekeepers and migrant day laborers result in this population likely being engaged in high-risk sex. Government programs should pay more attention to public education, health promotion and intervention for the control of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in China.

Knowledge, attitude, and practice of HIV/AIDS among workers at China first highway engineering Company at Bilibila Sokota Road Project, Sokota, Ethiopia.

PubMed

Tarekegne, Mebratu; Adera, Addis; Haile, Kalab; Guyo, Derara

2018-02-05

The aim of this study was to assess Bilbila Sokota Road Project workers' knowledge, attitude and practice on HIV/AIDS in China first highway engineering Company. A cross sectional Survey was conducted among workers in China first high way engineering Company at Bilbila Sokota road project, Sokota, Ethiopia. Fifty-five workers were taken from project site/company. Data was collected using a validated self-administrated standardized questionnaire on Knowledge, attitude and practice including behavioral change regarding HIV/AIDS. Descriptive statistics and multivariate and bivaraite logistic regression were employed. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 20 statistical soft ware. P-value < 0.05 was used as a significant difference. Among the 54 workers' who participated in the study, most (96.3%) had ever heard of the diseases HIV/AIDS. The majority 32 (59.3%) of participants were respond that mass media. Followed by NGOs (29.6%). Thirty-three (61.1%) of the study participant were believed that HIV + mother infect their unborn child and 12 (22.2%) were not believed. Forty-six (85.2%) of participants had knew about how to use a condom correctly. Meanwhile, 40 (74.1%) were agreed that is acceptable for single men or women to use condom. Furthermore, Only 18 (33.3%) of them had used condom during last two time's sexual intercourse with other partners. Twenty-Seven (50%) of participants did not feel about their risk of becoming infected with HIV or another sexually transmitted infection. But, 10 (18.5%) were feel they are at risk of becoming infected with HIV or another sexually transmitted infection in study area. Mean knowledge scores was significantly difference by source of information on sexual health do workers' think most credible at their work place (P= 0.014) in the Company However, there was no any significantly difference by all components of attitude and practice toward to HIV/AIDS (P> 0.05). The findings shown that participants had ever heard about HIV/AIDS. Only Mass media and NGOs were used as the major source of information about HIV/AIDS. This implies it may be lack of further health education and training about all source of information regarding HIV/AIDS. HIV/AIDS prevention and control training and health education efforts should be intensified to improve the attitude and practice workers in china first highway engineering company at Bilbila Sokota Road Project.

Attitudes and behaviour towards construction waste minimisation: a comparative analysis between China and the USA.

PubMed

Liu, Jingkuang; Gong, Enqin; Wang, Dong; Lai, XiaoHong; Zhu, Jian

2018-05-21

With the spread of the concept of sustainable development, people have gained awareness about the problem of massive illegal dumping of construction waste. In this research, a questionnaire survey was carried out in the USA and China. The results indicated the following. (1) Workers in both the countries had positive minimisation attitudes, and the attitude of Chinese construction workers was not significantly different from that of American construction workers. Furthermore, their average values were 3.9 and 4.07, respectively. (2) Business owners had a poor understanding of the obligations that should be fulfilled by contractors and construction workers, which greatly reduced (a) construction workers' and contractors' motivation to implement waste minimisation management and (b) the benefit-driven effect. (3) In terms of perceived behavioural control, Chinese construction workers had poorer minimisation technologies and knowledge than American construction workers, and it was very difficult for them to implement construction waste minimisation. The research conclusions and relevant suggestions may be used to improve the construction waste minimisation behaviour and awareness of Chinese people and promote China's construction waste minimisation management.

A Study to Assess Knowledge and Attitude Regarding Hand Hygiene amongst Residents and Nursing Staff in a Tertiary Health Care Setting of Bhopal City

PubMed Central

kaore, Navin Chandra M; Ramnani, Vijay Kumar; Gupta, Sanjay Kumar; Borle, Amod; Kaushal, Rituja

2014-01-01

Background: Infection due to hospital-acquired microbes is an evolving problem worldwide, and horizontal transmission of bacterial organism continues to cause a high nosocomial infection rate in health care settings. Most nosocomial infections are thought to be transmitted by the hands of health care workers.The application of hand hygiene is effective in reducing infection rates. Objectives: To assess the level of knowledge and attitude regarding hand hygiene practices amongst the health care professionals and to identify areas of gaps in their knowledge and attitude. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study. Result: A total 160 respondents were studied about their knowledge and attitude towards hand hygiene practices and significant difference with a p-value of 0.0025 was observed regarding most frequent source of germs responsible for health care associated infections among resident and nurses. A significant difference with p-value of 0.0001 & 0.04 was observed in colonization due to jewellery and artificial nail among the study groups. The attitude regarding correct hand hygiene practices to be followed at all times was found to be better among nurses (62.5%) as compared to residents (21.3%) which was found to be highly significant with p-value <0.001. Conclusion: Present study highlights the need of repeated training sessions regarding hand hygiene practices among the health care workers to provide the current knowledge in the area with a behavioral change in attitudes and practices leading to reduction of nosocomial infections. PMID:25302193

Understanding Healthcare Workers Self-Reported Practices, Knowledge and Attitude about Hand Hygiene in a Medical Setting in Rural India.

PubMed

Diwan, Vishal; Gustafsson, Charlotte; Rosales Klintz, Senia; Joshi, Sudhir Chandra; Joshi, Rita; Sharma, Megha; Shah, Harshada; Pathak, Ashish; Tamhankar, Ashok J; Stålsby Lundborg, Cecilia

2016-01-01

To describe self-reported practices and assess knowledge and attitudes regarding hand hygiene among healthcare workers in a rural Indian teaching hospital. A rural teaching hospital and its associated medical and nursing colleges in the district of Ujjain, India. The study population consisted of physicians, nurses, teaching staff, clinical instructors and nursing students. Self-administered questionnaires based on the World Health Organization Guidelines on Hand Hygiene in Healthcare were used. Out of 489 healthcare workers, 259 participated in the study (response rate = 53%). The proportion of healthcare workers that reported to 'always' practice hand hygiene in the selected situations varied from 40-96% amongst categories. Reported barriers to maintaining good hand hygiene were mainly related to high workload, scarcity of resources, lack of scientific information and the perception that priority is not given to hand hygiene, either on an individual or institutional level. Previous training on the topic had a statistically significant association with self-reported practice (p = 0.001). Ninety three per cent of the respondents were willing to attend training on hand hygiene in the near future. Self-reported knowledge and adherence varied between situations, but hand hygiene practices have the potential to improve if the identified constraints could be reduced. Future training should focus on enhancing healthcare workers' knowledge and understanding regarding the importance of persistent practice in all situations.

Comparing the knowledge, attitude and practices of health care workers in public and private primary care facilities in Lagos State on Ebola virus disease.

PubMed

Idris, Bilqisu Jibril; Inem, Victor; Balogun, Mobolanle

2015-01-01

The West African sub-region is currently witnessing an outbreak of EVD that began in December 2013. The first case in Nigeria was diagnosed in Lagos, at a private medical facility in July 2014. Health care workers are known amplifiers of the disease. The study aimed to determine and compare EVD knowledge, attitude and practices among HCWs in public and private primary care facilities in Lagos, Nigeria. This was a comparative cross-sectional study. Seventeen public and private primary care facilities were selected from the 3 senatorial districts that make up Lagos State. 388 respondents from these facilities were selected at random and interviewed using a structured questionnaire. Proportion of respondents with good knowledge and practice among public HCWs was 98.5% and 93.8%; and among private HCW, 95.9% and 89.7%. Proportion of respondents with positive attitude was 67% (public) and 72.7% (private). Overall, there were no statistically significant differences between the knowledge, attitude and preventive practices of public HCWs and that of private HCWs, (p≤0.05). Timely and intense social mobilization and awareness campaigns are the best tools to educate all segments of the community about public health emergencies. There exists significant surmountable gaps in EVD knowledge, negative attitude and sub-standard preventive practices that can be eliminated through continued training of HCW and provision of adequate material resources.

Comparing the knowledge, attitude and practices of health care workers in public and private primary care facilities in Lagos State on Ebola virus disease

PubMed Central

Idris, Bilqisu Jibril; Inem, Victor; Balogun, Mobolanle

2015-01-01

Introduction The West African sub-region is currently witnessing an outbreak of EVD that began in December 2013. The first case in Nigeria was diagnosed in Lagos, at a private medical facility in July 2014. Health care workers are known amplifiers of the disease. The study aimed to determine and compare EVD knowledge, attitude and practices among HCWs in public and private primary care facilities in Lagos, Nigeria. Methods This was a comparative cross-sectional study. Seventeen public and private primary care facilities were selected from the 3 senatorial districts that make up Lagos State. 388 respondents from these facilities were selected at random and interviewed using a structured questionnaire. Results Proportion of respondents with good knowledge and practice among public HCWs was 98.5% and 93.8%; and among private HCW, 95.9% and 89.7%. Proportion of respondents with positive attitude was 67% (public) and 72.7% (private). Overall, there were no statistically significant differences between the knowledge, attitude and preventive practices of public HCWs and that of private HCWs, (p≤0.05). Conclusion Timely and intense social mobilization and awareness campaigns are the best tools to educate all segments of the community about public health emergencies. There exists significant surmountable gaps in EVD knowledge, negative attitude and sub-standard preventive practices that can be eliminated through continued training of HCW and provision of adequate material resources. PMID:26740847

Managing HIV/hepatitis positive patients: present approach of dental health care workers and students.

PubMed

Shinde, Nagesh; Baad, Rajendra; Nagpal, Deepak Kumar J; Prabhu, Prashant R; Surekha, L Chavan; Karande, Prasad

2012-11-01

People with HIV/HBsAg in India frequently encounter discrimination while seeking and receiving health care services. The knowledge and attitudes of health care workers (HCWs) influences the willingness and ability of people with HIV/HBsAg to access care, and the quality of the care they receive. The objective of this study was to asses HIV/HBsAg-related knowledge, attitudes and risk perception among students and dental HCWs. A cross-sectional survey was conducted on 250 students and 120 dental HCWs in the form of objective questionnaire. Information was gathered regarding demographic details (age, sex, duration of employment, job category); HIV/ HBsAg-related knowledge and attitudes; risk perception; and previous experience caring for HIV-positive patients. The HCWs in this study generally had a positive attitude to care for the people with HIV/HBsAg. However, this was tempered by substantial concerns about providing care, and the fear of occupational infection with HIV/HBsAg. A continuing dental education program was conducted to resolve all the queries found interfering to provide care to HIV/HBsAg patients. But even after the queries were resolved the care providing capability was not attained. These findings show that even with advanced knowledge and facilities the attitude of dental HCWs and students require more strategic training with regards to the ethics and moral stigma associated with the dreaded infectious diseases (HIV/HBsAg).

[Development of knowledge, attitude and practice questionnaire on prevention and control of occupational diseases].

PubMed

Gao, Yuan; Feng, Yuchao; Wang, Min; Su, Yiwei; Li, Yanhua; Wang, Zhi; Tang, Shihao

2015-04-01

To develop the knowledge, attitude and practice questionnaire on the prevention and control of occupational diseases for occupational groups, and to provide a convenient and effective tool for the survey of knowledge, attitude, and behavior on the prevention and control of occupational diseases in occupational groups and the evaluation of intervention effect. The initial questionnaire which was evaluated by the experts was used to carry out a pre-survey in Guangzhou, China. The survey results were statistically analyzed by t test, identification index method, correlation analysis, and Cronbach's a coefficient method. And then the questionnaire was further modified, and the content of the questionnaire was determined finally. After modification, there were 18 items on knowledge, 16 items on attitude, and 12 items on behavior in the "Knowledge, attitude and practice questionnaire on the prevention and control of occupational diseases for enterprise managers"; there were 19 items on knowledge, 10 items on attitude, and 11 items on behavior in the "Knowledge, attitude and practice questionnaire on the prevention and control of occupational diseases for workers". The knowledge, attitude and practice questionnaire on the prevention and control of occupational diseases for occupational groups is developed successfully, and it is a convenient and effective tool for the survey of knowledge, attitude, and behavior on the prevention and control of occupational diseases in occupational groups and the evaluation of intervention effect.

Safe meat-handling knowledge, attitudes and practices of private and government meat processing plants' workers: implications for future policy.

PubMed

Adesokan, H K; Raji, A O Q

2014-03-01

Food-borne disease outbreaks remain a major global health challenge and cross-contamination from raw meat due to poor handling is a major cause in developing countries. Adequate knowledge of meat handlers is important in limiting these outbreaks. This study evaluated and compared the safe meat-handling knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) of private (PMPP) and government meat processing plants' (GMPP) workers in south-western Nigeria. This cross sectional study comprised 190 meat handlers (PMPP = 55; GMPP = 135). Data concerning their safe meat-handling knowledge, attitudes and practices as well as their socio-demographic characteristics, such as age, gender and work experience were collected. A significant association was observed between the type of meat processing plants and their knowledge (p = 0.000), attitudes (p = 0.000) and practices (p = 0.000) of safe meat-handling. Meat handlers in the GMPP were respectively, about 17 times (OR = 0.060, 95% CI: 0.018-0.203), 57 times (OR = 0.019, 95% CI: 0.007-0.054) and 111 times (OR = 0.009, 95% CI: 0.001- 0.067) less likely to obtain good knowledge, attitude and practice level of safe meat-handling than those from PMPP. Further, KAP levels were significantly associated with age group, education and work experience (p < 0.05). Study findings suggest the need for future policy in food industry in developing countries to accommodate increased involvement of private sector for improved food safety and quality delivery. Public health education on safe food handling and hygiene should be on the front burner among food handlers in general.

Emergency contraceptive pills: Exploring the knowledge and attitudes of community health workers in a developing Muslim country

PubMed Central

Mir, Azeem Sultan; Malik, Raees

2010-01-01

Background: Unsafe abortion is a major Public health problem in developing countries, where women make several unsafe attempts at termination of the unintended pregnancy before turning to health services. Community health workers can act as a bridge between the community and their health facilities and can use Emergency Contraceptive Pills to significantly reduce the mortality and morbidity related to unsafe abortions. Aims: This study explores the knowledge, attitudes and practices of the Lady Health Supervisor of the National Program for Family Planning, district Rawalpindi, regarding emergency contraception pills. Materials and Methods: The cross sectional survey was conducted during the monthly meeting of Lady Health Supervisors. Self administered, anonymous and voluntary questionnaire consisting of 17 items, regarding demographic profile, awareness, knowledge, attitudes and practices, was used. Results: Insufficient knowledge, high misinformation and strongly negative attitudes were revealed. More than half did not know that emergency contraceptive pills do not cause abortion. About four fifths believed that emergency contraceptive pills will lead to ‘evil’ practices in society. More than four fifths recognized that the clients of National Program for Family Planning need emergency contraceptive pills. The attitudes were significantly associated with knowledge (P=0.034, Fisher's Exact Test). Conclusion: The awareness of emergency contraceptive pills is high. Serious gaps in knowledge have been identified. There is a clear recognition of the need of emergency contraceptive pills for the clients of National Program for Family Planning. However, any strategy to introduce emergency contraceptive pills must cater for the misplaced beliefs of the work force. PMID:22737673

Health care workers' knowledge, attitudes and practices on tuberculosis infection control, Nepal.

PubMed

Shrestha, Anita; Bhattarai, Dipesh; Thapa, Barsha; Basel, Prem; Wagle, Rajendra Raj

2017-11-17

Infection control remains a key challenge for Tuberculosis (TB) control program with an increased risk of TB transmission among health care workers (HCWs), especially in settings with inadequate TB infection control measures. Poor knowledge among HCWs and inadequate infection control practices may lead to the increased risk of nosocomial TB transmission. An institution-based cross-sectional survey was conducted in 28 health facilities providing TB services in the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal. A total of 190 HCWs were assessed for the knowledge, attitudes and practices on TB infection control using a structured questionnaire. The level of knowledge on TB infection control among almost half (45.8%) of the HCWs was poor, and was much poorer among administration and lower level staff. The knowledge level was significantly associated with educational status, and TB training and/or orientation received. The majority (73.2%) of HCWs had positive attitude towards TB infection control. Sixty-five percent of HCWs were found to be concerned about being infected with TB. Use of respirators among the HCWs was limited and triage of TB suspects was also lacking. Overall knowledge and practices of HCWs on TB infection control were not satisfactory. Effective infection control measures including regular skill-based training and/or orientation for all categories of HCWs can improve infection control practices in health facilities.

Knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding environmental cleaning among environmental service workers in Chinese hospitals.

PubMed

Ni, Kaiwen; Chen, Bingbing; Jin, Hui; Kong, Qingxin; Ni, Xiaoping; Xu, Hong

2017-09-01

We conducted a study using a face-to-face survey to assess knowledge, attitudes, and practices of environmental service workers (ESWs) concerning routine cleaning and disinfection at 3 tertiary hospitals in China. There were 115 (89.1%) respondents who agreed that environmental cleaning can contribute to keep patients safe, whereas 63 (48.8%) reported they were very willing to make cleaning practices better. Only 15 (11.6%) ESWs agreed they were in risk of nosocomial infections during daily cleaning. Our findings suggest that the level of ESWs' knowledge regarding cleaning practices was passable, but the awareness of occupational safety and health was weak. There is a need to introduce sustained education and training aimed at ESWs. Copyright © 2017 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Knowledge, attitude and practice of standard precautions of infection control by hospital workers in two tertiary hospitals in Nigeria

PubMed Central

Pondei, Kemebradikumo; Adetunji, Babatunde; Chima, George; Isichei, Christian; Gidado, Sanusi

2015-01-01

Background: Standard precautions are recommended to prevent transmission of infection in hospitals. However, their implementation is dependent on the knowledge and attitudes of healthcare workers (HCW). This study describes the knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) of standard precautions of infection control among HCW of two tertiary hospitals in Nigeria is described. Methods: A cross-sectional study was undertaken in 2011/2012 among HCW in two tertiary hospitals in Nigeria. Data was collected via a structured self-administered questionnaire assessing core elements of KAP of standard precautions. Percentage KAP scores were calculated and professional differences in median percentage KAP scores were ascertained. Results: A total of 290 HCW participated in the study (76% response rate), including 111 (38.3%) doctors, 147 (50.7%) nurses and 32 (11%) laboratory scientists. Overall median knowledge and attitude scores toward standard precautions were above 90%, but median practice score was 50.8%. The majority of the HCW had poor knowledge of injection safety and complained of inadequate resources to practise standard precautions. House officers, laboratory scientists and junior cadres of nurses had lower knowledge and compliance with standard precautions than more experienced doctors and nurses. Conclusion: Our results suggest generally poor compliance with standard precautions of infection control among HCW in Nigeria. Policies that foster training of HCW in standard precautions and guarantee regular provision of infection control and prevention resources in health facilities are required in Nigeria. PMID:28989394

Herpes labialis and Nigerian dental health care providers: knowledge, attitudes, behaviors, and refusal to treat.

PubMed

Azodo, Clement Chinedu; Umoh, Agnes O

2015-09-15

The few existing studies on herpes labialis among health care workers have been predominantly among non-dental health care workers. The purpose of this study was to determine Nigerian dental health care providers' knowledge of, attitudes toward, preventive behaviors for, and refusal to treat patients with herpes labialis. This cross-sectional study was conducted among final-year dental students at the University of Benin, dental house officers, and residents at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin City, Nigeria. Data collection was via a self-administered questionnaire. Bivariate statistics and logistic regression were used to relate the dependent and independent variables. Of the 120 questionnaires distributed, 110 were completed and returned, giving a 91.7% retrieval rate. However, 15 of the returned questionnaires were discarded because they were improperly completed, leaving a total of 95 questionnaires for final analysis in this study. The majority of participants were over 28 years old (54.7%), male (67.4%), unmarried (66.3%), and postgraduate dental health care providers (51.6%). Less than half (43.2%) of participants demonstrated adequate overall knowledge of herpes labialis. About one-tenth (10.5%) and more than three-quarters (87.4%) of participants reported a positive attitude and performance of adequate preventive behaviors, respectively. A total of 16.8% of participants reported a high tendency to refuse treatment to patients with herpes labialis. Although not statistically significant, young, unmarried, male undergraduate participants reported a greater likelihood to refuse treatment to herpes labialis patients. We found a statistically significant positive correlation between attitude and refusal to treat patients with herpes labialis. However, marital status and the attitude of participants toward these patients emerged as the determinants for refusal to treat patients with herpes labialis. Data from this study revealed a high level of inadequate knowledge, negative attitudes, and reasonably adequate preventive behaviors with respect to herpes labialis. One out of every six dental health care workers studied reported having refused to treat patients with herpes labialis. Unmarried dental health care providers and those with negative attitudes toward herpes labialis patients were more prone to refuse treatment to these patients.

Addressing Younger Workers' Needs: The Promoting U through Safety and Health (PUSH) Trial Outcomes.

PubMed

Rohlman, Diane S; Parish, Megan; Elliot, Diane L; Hanson, Ginger; Perrin, Nancy

2016-08-10

Most younger workers, less than 25 years old, receive no training in worker safety. We report the feasibility and outcomes of a randomized controlled trial of an electronically delivered safety and health curriculum for younger workers entitled, PUSH (Promoting U through Safety and Health). All younger workers (14-24 years old) hired for summer work at a large parks and recreation organization were invited to participate in an evaluation of an online training and randomized into an intervention or control condition. Baseline and end-of-summer online instruments assessed acceptability, knowledge, and self-reported attitudes and behaviors. One-hundred and forty participants (mean age 17.9 years) completed the study. The innovative training was feasible and acceptable to participants and the organization. Durable increases in safety and health knowledge were achieved by intervention workers (p < 0.001, effect size (Cohen's d) 0.4). However, self-reported safety and health attitudes did not improve with this one-time training. These results indicate the potential utility of online training for younger workers and underscore the limitations of a single training interaction to change behaviors. Interventions may need to be delivered over a longer period of time and/or include environmental components to effectively alter behavior.

Attitudes and beliefs, not just knowledge, influence the effectiveness of environmental cleaning by environmental service workers.

PubMed

Matlow, Anne G; Wray, Rick; Richardson, Susan E

2012-04-01

Hospital environmental service workers (ESWs) play an important role in interrupting the chain of infection because the environment is a reservoir for nosocomial pathogens. Improving ESWs' knowledge through education has been shown to improve ESW cleaning, but the behavioral determinants of their work have not been studied. Understanding and targeting ESWs' attitudes and beliefs may inform strategies to improve environmental cleaning. With the theory of planned behavior as framework, we used questionnaires and focus groups to examine intensive care unit ESWs' attitudes, beliefs [behavioral, normative, and control], and control) and intent about their job. Baseline quantitative microbial cultures of high-touch services were performed before and after cleaning. After an educational intervention addressing their attitudes, beliefs, and general infection control knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and microbial contamination were reassessed. Beliefs were uniformly strong (4.5/5-5/5), and normative beliefs correlated best with intent to clean (R(2) = 0.3). Themes elicited from the focus groups included "me versus them," lack of appreciation, pride in work, and "if it were me." The rate of environmental contamination was significantly improved after the intervention (P = .0074 vs P = .0023, respectively); the measured relationship among attitudes, beliefs, and intent was not significantly changed. ESWs' attitudes and beliefs about their job may impact their intent to clean and in turn the effectiveness of their efforts. Understanding and addressing these attitudes and beliefs can be used to inform strategies for sustained improvement of environmental cleaning. Copyright © 2012 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Noise-Induced Hearing Loss Among Quarry Workers in a North-Eastern State of Malaysia: A Study on Knowledge, Attitude and Practice

PubMed Central

Ismail, Ahmad Filza; Daud, Aziah; Ismail, Zaliha; Abdullah, Baharudin

2013-01-01

Objectives Noise is known to be one of the environmental and occupational hazards listed in the Factory and Machinery Act 1967. Quarries with loud deafening sounds from trucks and machineries pose the risk of noise-induced hearing loss to workers. This study was designed to assess the knowledge, attitude and practice towards noise-induced hearing loss and to determine the prevalence of noise-induced hearing loss and its associated factors among quarry workers in a north-eastern state of Malaysia. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted at six quarries in a north-eastern state of Malaysia, with 97 consented respondents who answered a validated version of a questionnaire and underwent pure tone audiogram. The respondents were male, aged between 18 to 50 years, working in the quarry area for at least 6-months duration with no family history of ear diseases. Results The mean percentage scores of knowledge, attitude and practice were 44 (11), 70 (10) and 28 (16) percent, respectively. The prevalence of noise-induced hearing loss was found to be 57 (95% CI: 47, 67) with 46 (84%) having mild and moderate noise-induced hearing loss, and 34 (62%) involved both ears. Multiple logistic regressions showed that age and practice score were the associated factors with odd ratios of 1.1 (95% CI: 1.1, 1.2; p<0.001) and 0.9 (95% CI: 0.8, 1.0; p=0.008), respectively. Conclusion The knowledge, attitude and practice scores of the respondents were poor and the high prevalence of noise-induced hearing loss was contributed by factors such as poor practice and old age. PMID:24044059

Oral health knowledge attitudes and behaviors of migrant preschooler parents.

PubMed

Lukes, Sherri M

2010-01-01

The purpose of the study was to establish baseline data about oral health knowledge, attitudes and behaviors of migrant and seasonal farm workers (MSFW). The study focused on MSFWs that are parents of preschool-aged children, and who utilized services at 3 migrant dental clinics. An oral health knowledge attitudes and behaviors survey was developed and pilot tested in 2006. The resulting 34 item survey was administered by trained promotores de salud (community health workers) to 45 parents of preschoolers (15 at each clinic site) served by 3 migrant dental clinics. Parents answered questions as they pertained to their oldest preschooler (up to age 5). Dental visits in the last 12 months were reported for 26 (58%) of the children. Fifteen parents (33%) had a dental visit in the last year. Thirty-five parents (77/8%) reported their child's oral health to be good, and 21 (46.7%) reported their own to be good. Half of the children were enrolled in Head Start (HS). Of those, 18 (79%) had a dental visit in the last year, whereas 8 (36%) of those not enrolled in HS had a visit. Discrepancies existed for the age parents believed children should stop using a bottle and the age they actually did stop using a bottle. There were discrepancies in knowledge about decay causing drinks and consumption of drinks by preschool-aged children. MSFWs remain an underserved population with poor access to oral health care and multiple factors affecting oral health knowledge, attitudes and behaviors. A better understanding of influences on oral health knowledge, attitudes and behaviors within the population can assist in implementing appropriate interventions for the maintenance of good oral health in MSFW families. HS can have a positive impact on oral health for MSFW children.

Knowledge, attitudes and prescribing pattern of emergency contraceptives by health care workers in Kampala, Uganda.

PubMed

Byamugisha, Josaphat K; Mirembe, Florence M; Faxelid, Elisabeth; Gemzell-Danielsson, Kristina

2007-01-01

Health care workers (HCWs) play an important role in making emergency contraceptives (ECs) available to clients. They can influence accessibility positively through counselling, prescribing or advocating the use of ECs. However, in some settings, HCWs have been blamed for unfavourable attitudes and lack of accurate information. Objective. To assess the knowledge, attitudes and prescribing pattern of EC by HCWs in Kampala district, Uganda. The total number of health units at different levels of health care delivery in Kampala (894) was obtained. Probability proportional to size (PPS) technique of sampling was applied. Some 247 HCWs completed a self-administered questionnaire on their knowledge about EC, including methods, mechanism of action, prescription of EC, sources of information, attitudes towards EC, and if and how it should be made available. Of the HCWs, 80% had knowledge of ECs. However, 1 in every 4 was not sure about the time limit within which EC is effective. A total of 50% of the participants had obtained information from a physician (26.4%) or from a training school (24%). The Yuzpe regimen was the most commonly mentioned and prescribed method of EC. The HCWs attitudes to EC were generally positive, and it was suggested that the community should be informed and sensitised about EC. There was a significant difference between having had a family planning educational update or not in the last year and knowledge of EC (p=0.005). Most HCWs were aware of EC, but some lacked important knowledge on its use or available methods. HCWs should have regular (annual) in-service training in reproductive health issues, such as counselling on EC. This will enable them to keep up to date with the current evidence-based recommendations in the field of contraceptive technology.

Health workers' knowledge of and attitudes towards computer applications in rural African health facilities.

PubMed

Sukums, Felix; Mensah, Nathan; Mpembeni, Rose; Kaltschmidt, Jens; Haefeli, Walter E; Blank, Antje

2014-01-01

The QUALMAT (Quality of Maternal and Prenatal Care: Bridging the Know-do Gap) project has introduced an electronic clinical decision support system (CDSS) for pre-natal and maternal care services in rural primary health facilities in Burkina Faso, Ghana, and Tanzania. To report an assessment of health providers' computer knowledge, experience, and attitudes prior to the implementation of the QUALMAT electronic CDSS. A cross-sectional study was conducted with providers in 24 QUALMAT project sites. Information was collected using structured questionnaires. Chi-squared tests and one-way ANOVA describe the association between computer knowledge, attitudes, and other factors. Semi-structured interviews and focus groups were conducted to gain further insights. A total of 108 providers responded, 63% were from Tanzania and 37% from Ghana. The mean age was 37.6 years, and 79% were female. Only 40% had ever used computers, and 29% had prior computer training. About 80% were computer illiterate or beginners. Educational level, age, and years of work experience were significantly associated with computer knowledge (p<0.01). Most (95.3%) had positive attitudes towards computers - average score (±SD) of 37.2 (±4.9). Females had significantly lower scores than males. Interviews and group discussions showed that although most were lacking computer knowledge and experience, they were optimistic about overcoming challenges associated with the introduction of computers in their workplace. Given the low levels of computer knowledge among rural health workers in Africa, it is important to provide adequate training and support to ensure the successful uptake of electronic CDSSs in these settings. The positive attitudes to computers found in this study underscore that also rural care providers are ready to use such technology.

Survey on death and dying in Hong Kong: attitudes, beliefs, and preferred end-of-life care.

PubMed

Mjelde-Mossey, Lee Ann; Chan, Cecilia L W

2007-01-01

Social Workers in end-of-life and palliative care have a particular opportunity to ease the dying process by providing culturally appropriate services to the dying and their families. In today's multicultural social environment, with an ever-increasing immigrant population, social workers are challenged to be knowledgeable about diverse cultures. Recently, a forum of health care professionals and social workers in Hong Kong conducted a survey of the general population to assess death and dying attitudes, beliefs, and preferences for end-of-life care. Four-hundred-thirty Hong Kong Chinese participated in a telephone interview. Responses were compared by gender. The survey results not only contribute to an understanding of Hong Kong Chinese, but can inform social workers who practice with Chinese immigrants to the United States.

Rehabilitation Counselor Competencies When Working With Hispanic/Latino Immigrant Injured Workers: A Delphi Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Santos Román, Leslie M.; Estrada-Hernández, Noel

2017-01-01

Purpose: To explore and identify attitudes, knowledge, and skills rehabilitation practitioners in the private sector need when working with Hispanic/Latino immigrant injured workers. Methods: This study employed a 3-round Delphi study to obtain a consensus of 8 rehabilitation practitioners who had experience and expertise working with…

DACUM: Bridging the Gap between Work and High Performance.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Norton, Robert E.; McLennan, Krystyna S.

The DACUM (Developing A Curriculum) occupational analysis process provides a systematic way to look at worker duties and tasks so that important knowledge, skills, standards, tools, and attitudes can be handed on to the next generation of workers. Revamped by The Ohio State University's Center on Education and Training for Employment, DACUM…

Evaluation of the effect of a health education campaign of HIV by using an analytical hierarchy process method.

PubMed

Tan, Xiaodong; Lin, Jianyan; Wang, Fengjie; Luo, Hong; Luo, Lan; Wu, Lei

2007-09-01

This study was designed to understand the status of HIV/AIDS knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) among different populations and to provide scientific evidences for further health education. Three rounds of questionnaires were administered among service industry workers who were selected through stratified cluster sampling. Study subjects included hotel attendants, employees of beauty parlors and service workers of transportation industry. Data were analyzed using the analytical hierarchy process. All demonstrated high KAP overall. Synthetic scoring indexes of the three surveys were above 75%. However, the correct response rate on questions whether mosquito bite can transmit HIV/AIDS and what is the relationship between STD with HIV was unsatisfactory (lower than expected); and their attitudes towards people living with HIV and AIDS need to be improved. Moreover, the effect of health education on these groups was unclear. In conclusion, analytical hierarchy process is a valid method in estimating overall effect of HIV/AIDS health education. Although the present status of HIV/AIDS KAP among the service industry workers was relatively good, greater efforts should be made to improve their HIV transmission knowledge, attitude and understanding of the relationship between STDs and HIV.

A survey on the knowledge and attitudes of men in Machakos town towards vasectomy.

PubMed

Qureshi, Z P; Solomon, M M

1995-01-01

In November and December, 1993, a self-administered questionnaire was distributed to men in the town of Machakos and to nonmedical hospital workers of Machakos General Hospital. The purpose of the study was to assess their knowledge about and attitude towards vasectomy. The majority of men were in the age group of 30-44 years and were married; the hospital group was more educated. The town men perceived the pill to be the best contraceptive method for women in contrast to the hospital group who gave more importance to bilateral tubal ligation. The hospital group also perceived vasectomy as the best method for men. Overall, 53.2% men were aware of the correct procedure of vasectomy, but only 24% had correct knowledge of how the procedure affects masculinity. The knowledge of the procedure among hospital workers was not very different from that of the town group. Recommendations were made to increase information and education to all groups of people through various media.

Addressing Younger Workers’ Needs: The Promoting U through Safety and Health (PUSH) Trial Outcomes

PubMed Central

Rohlman, Diane S.; Parish, Megan; Elliot, Diane L.; Hanson, Ginger; Perrin, Nancy

2016-01-01

Most younger workers, less than 25 years old, receive no training in worker safety. We report the feasibility and outcomes of a randomized controlled trial of an electronically delivered safety and health curriculum for younger workers entitled, PUSH (Promoting U through Safety and Health). All younger workers (14–24 years old) hired for summer work at a large parks and recreation organization were invited to participate in an evaluation of an online training and randomized into an intervention or control condition. Baseline and end-of-summer online instruments assessed acceptability, knowledge, and self-reported attitudes and behaviors. One-hundred and forty participants (mean age 17.9 years) completed the study. The innovative training was feasible and acceptable to participants and the organization. Durable increases in safety and health knowledge were achieved by intervention workers (p < 0.001, effect size (Cohen’s d) 0.4). However, self-reported safety and health attitudes did not improve with this one-time training. These results indicate the potential utility of online training for younger workers and underscore the limitations of a single training interaction to change behaviors. Interventions may need to be delivered over a longer period of time and/or include environmental components to effectively alter behavior. PMID:27517968

What encourages sun protection among outdoor workers from four industries?

PubMed

Janda, Monika; Stoneham, Melissa; Youl, Philippa; Crane, Phil; Sendall, Marguerite C; Tenkate, Thomas; Kimlin, Michael

2014-01-01

We aimed to identify current practice of sun protection and factors associated with effective use in four outdoor worker industries in Queensland, Australia. Workplaces in four industries with a high proportion of outdoor workers (building/construction, rural/farming, local government, and public sector industries) were identified using an online telephone directory, screened for eligibility, and invited to participant via mail (n=15, recruitment rate 37%). A convenience sample of workers were recruited within each workplace (n=162). Workplaces' sun protective policies and procedures were identified using interviews and policy analysis with workplace representatives, and discussion groups and computer-assisted telephone interviews with workers. Personal characteristics and sun protection knowledge, attitudes and behaviors were collated and analysed. Just over half the workplaces had an existing policy which referred to sun protection (58%), and most provided at least some personal protective equipment (PPE), but few scheduled work outside peak sun hours (43%) or provided skin checks (21%). Several worker and workplace characteristics were associated with greater sun protection behaviour among workers, including having received education on the use of PPE (p<0.001), being concerned about being in the sun (p=0.002); and working in a smaller workplace (p=0.035). Uptake of sun protection by outdoor workers is affected by a complex interplay of both workplace and personal factors, and there is a need for effective strategies targeting both the workplace environment and workers' knowledge, attitudes and behaviors to decrease harmful sun exposure further.

Evaluation of a training program for health care workers to improve the quality of care for rape survivors: a quasi-experimental design study in Morogoro, Tanzania.

PubMed

Abeid, Muzdalifat; Muganyizi, Projestine; Mpembeni, Rose; Darj, Elisabeth; Axemo, Pia

2016-01-01

Sexual violence against women and children in Tanzania and globally is a human rights violation and a developmental challenge. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of training health professionals on rape management. The specific objectives were to evaluate the changes of knowledge and attitudes toward sexual violence among a selected population of health professionals at primary health care level. A quasi-experimental design using cross-sectional surveys was conducted to evaluate health care workers' knowledge, attitude, and clinical practice toward sexual violence before and after the training program. The study involved the Kilombero (intervention) and Ulanga (comparison) districts in Morogoro region. A total of 151 health professionals at baseline (2012) and 169 in the final assessment (2014) participated in the survey. Data were collected using the same structured questionnaire. The amount of change in key indicators from baseline to final assessment in the two areas was compared using composite scores in the pre- and post-interventions, and the net intervention effect was calculated by the difference in difference method. Overall, there was improved knowledge in the intervention district from 55% at baseline to 86% and a decreased knowledge from 58.5 to 36.2% in the comparison area with a net effect of 53.7% and a p-value less than 0.0001. The proportion of participants who exhibited an accepting attitude toward violence declined from 15.3 to 11.2% in the intervention area but increased from 13.2 to 20.0% in the comparison area. Training on the management of sexual violence is feasible and the results indicate improvement in healthcare workers' knowledge and practice but not attitudes. Lessons learned from this study for successful replication of such an intervention in similar settings require commitment from those at strategic level within the health service to ensure that adequate resources are made available.

[EBM, guidelines, protocols: knowledge, attitudes and utilization in the era of law on professional responsibility and safety of health care.

PubMed

Minozzi, Silvia; Ruggiero, Francesca; Capobussi, Matteo; González-Lorenzo, Marien; La Regina, Micaela; Squizzato, Alessandro; Moja, Lorenzo; Orlandini, Francesco

2018-05-01

The knowledge of principles and methods of Evidence Based Medicine (EBM) and the use of Clinical Practice Guidelines to inform clinical decisions are recognised as key instruments to improve the quality of care. In Italy the Parliament has revised the legal system that rules the responsibilities of health professionals and health care safety, prescribing health professionals to adhere to guidelines and good practice recommendations. The objective of the study was to evaluate guidelines and clinical pathways developed at local level and to assess knowledge and attitudes of healthcare workers toward EBM and guidelines. At the l'ASL 5 Liguria La Spezia we performed a census of all the documents registered as "guidelines" or "clinical pathways" at the Direzione Generale by the end of May 2016. We assessed their methodological quality by the "Recognition Card for Clinical Pathways Production and Revision Activity" prepared by the Ligurian Region. We conducted semi-structured interviews to assess attitudes and knowledge of healthcare workers. We found 17 clinical pathways, 41% contained organizational/management recommendations, and 59% contained mainly clinical recommendations. 41% was produced by assimilating already existing guidelines. 29% did not describe the method of production. Only one document linked directly each recommendation with scientific evidence. 10 healthcare workers out of 32 invited actually accepted to conduct the interview. Respondents showed a positive attitude toward the EBM and guidelines but a poor knowledge of the methodology of production and the instruments and principles for critical appraising of scientific literature. Nobody knew the GRADE approach. The most relevant barriers identified were: lack of time, poor knowledge of English and statistical methods, poor applicability of the international guidelines to local setting and real patients encountered in clinical practice. Despite the initiatives of the legislator toward civil responsibility and safety of care that should increase the use of guidelines, we found an overall poor knowledge of the concepts of EBM and method of guidelines production. Though the attitudes of responders to the interview were positive, barriers to use seemed to be predominant and considered more as obstacles than as a stimulus. In peripheral settings or in hospitals of medium/small size, clinical guidelines could remain confined to a merely juridical role, with weak impact on professional practice.

Exploring AIDS-related knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of female Mexican migrant workers.

PubMed

Organista, P B; Organista, K C; Soloff, P R

1998-05-01

AIDS-related knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors were assessed in female Mexican migrant laborers. Thirty-two women were administered a modified version of the Hispanic Condom Questionnaire. Respondents were knowledgeable about the major modes of HIV transmission, but one-third to one-half of the women believed that they could contract AIDS from unlikely casual sources. Although respondents reported few negative beliefs about condom use, actual condom use with sex partners was low and knowledge of proper condom use was problematic. Consequently, 75 percent reported never carrying condoms. Implications of these findings for future research and provision of services for female Mexican migrants are discussed.

Concerns about the knowledge and attitude of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis among health care workers and patients in Delta State, Nigeria.

PubMed

Isara, A R; Akpodiete, A

2015-01-01

Inadequate knowledge and wrong perception of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) by Health Care Workers (HCWs) and patients are detrimental to tuberculosis control programs. The aim was to assess the knowledge and attitudes of HCWs and TB patients about MDR-TB in Delta State, Nigeria. A cross-sectional study was carried out among HCWs and TB patients in Delta State, Nigeria. Data were collected using a structured interviewer-administered questionnaire and analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics version 20. Ninety-six HCWs and 114 TB patients were studied. The HCWs (mean age 43.0 ± 10.1 years) were older than the patients (mean age 41.7 ± 16.9 years). A higher proportion (54.2%) of HCWs had tertiary education, but only 15% of the patients had above secondary education. Eight (8.3%) HCWs and majority (60.5%) of the patients had no knowledge about of MDR-TB. Only 18.4% of patients compared to 61.5% of HCWs had good knowledge of MDR-TB. Both groups demonstrated a positive attitude toward MDR-TB. The knowledge of MDR-TB was poor among the TB patients studied as well as among HCWs with low educational status. MDR-TB training program for both HCWs and patients need to be re-structured to allow for greater gain in MDR-TB knowledge among both groups, which in turn may help improve compliance and treatment outcomes among patients.

A gender-informed model to train community health workers in maternal mental health.

PubMed

Smith, Megan V; Kruse-Austin, Anna

2015-08-01

The New Haven Mental Health Outreach for MotherS (MOMS) Partnership is a community-academic partnership that works to develop public health approaches to ensure that pregnant and parenting women living in the City of New Haven achieve the highest possible level of mental health. The MOMS Partnership developed a training model for community health workers specializing in maternal mental health. Six community health workers (termed Community Mental Health Ambassadors or CMHAs) were trained on key topics in this gender-informed maternal mental health curriculum. Pre- and post-test questionnaires assessed changes in attitudes, perceived self-efficacy and control using standardized scales. The results indicated preliminary acceptability of the training curriculum in transforming knowledge and attitudes about maternal mental health among community health workers. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Evaluation of the effectiveness of a WHO-5A model based comprehensive tobacco control program among migrant workers in Guangdong, China: a pilot study.

PubMed

Chai, Wenxin; Zou, Guanyang; Shi, Jingrong; Chen, Wen; Gong, Xiao; Wei, Xiaolin; Ling, Li

2018-02-27

As a vulnerable population in China, migrant workers have a higher smoking rate than the general population. This study aims to assess the effectiveness of a WHO-5A based comprehensive tobacco control program in workplaces aggregated with migrants. Using a controlled before and after design, four purposely selected manufacturing factories were assigned to either intervention or control groups. Participants in the intervention arm received adapted 5A group counseling regularly supported by social-media and traditional health education approaches. The primary outcome was the change of smoking rate based on salivary cotinine concentration at three-month follow-up as compared to the control arm. Secondary outcomes were changes in smoking-related knowledge and attitudes assessed using questionnaires. Difference-in-differences approach (DID) and generalized estimating equations (GEE) models were used to conduct the effectiveness analysis. 149 and 166 workers were enrolled in the intervention and control arm respectively. The multiple imputed and adjusted GEE models demonstrated that, compared to those in the control arm, participants in the intervention arm had nearly 2.4 times odds of improving smoking-related knowledge (OR = 2.40, 95% CI = 1.32-4.36, P = 0.02) and three times the odds of improving smoking-related attitude (OR = 3.07, 95% CI = 1.28-7.41, P = 0.03). However, no significant difference was found regarding the change of smoking rate between the two arms (P > 0.05). The regression analysis showed that attendance at the 5A group counseling sections was an important determinant of stopping smoking or improving smoking-related knowledge and attitudes in the intervention group. This WHO-5A comprehensive intervention was effective in improving migrant workers' knowledge of smoking and anti-smoking attitudes. A large-scale, long-term trial is recommended to determine the effectiveness of this intervention. ChiCTR-OPC-17011637 at Chinese Clinical Trial Registry. Retrospectively registered on 12th June 2017.

Effectiveness of intensive healthcare waste management training model among health professionals at teaching hospitals of Pakistan: a quasi-experimental study.

PubMed

Kumar, Ramesh; Somrongthong, Ratana; Shaikh, Babar Tasneem

2015-02-28

Infectious waste management has always remained a neglected public health problem in the developing countries, resulting in high burden of environmental pollution affecting general masses. Health workers are the key personnel who are responsible for the management of infectious waste at any hospital, however, their proper training and education is must for an optimal performance. This interventional study was conducted to assess the effectiveness of Intensive healthcare waste management (IHWM) training model at two tertiary care hospitals of Rawalpindi city, Pakistan. This study was quasi-experimental pre and post design with control and intervention groups. Out of 275 health care workers enrolled for the study, 138 workers were assigned for intervention group for 3 months trainings, hands-on practicum and reminders on infectious waste management; whereas 137 workers were assigned to the control hospital where routine activities on infectious health care waste management were performed. Pre and post intervention assessment was done for knowledge, attitude and practices (KAP); and was statistically analyzed. Bivariate and multivariate analysis, independent, paired and unpaired t-test, chi-square with p values, and mean of the responses were calculated. Overall the response rate was 92% at the end of intervention. During the baseline survey, 275 healthcare workers (HCW) included doctors, nurses, paramedics and sanitary workers, and after 3 months of intervention, 255 were reached out to complete the questionnaire. With regard to KAP at baseline, there were no significant differences between two groups at baseline, except for gender and department. However, in the post intervention survey, statistically significance difference (<0.05) between intervention and control group's knowledge, attitude and practices was found. Moreover, within the control group no statistically significant difference was reported (>0.05) after 3 months. Study results suggest that IHWM training could be an effective intervention for improving knowledge, attitudes and practices among health workers regarding infectious waste management. Such training should become a regular feature of all hospitals for reducing the hazards attached with infectious wastes.

Social workers and unemployment: Factors associated with using employment-promoting practices in Israeli Municipal Departments of Social Services.

PubMed

Levin, Lia; Sefati, Noga

2018-04-23

Unemployment is a harsh social phenomenon with far reaching negative implications. Unemployed individuals often seek assistance from social workers working in Municipal Departments of Social Services around the world. However, little to no research exists on the factors involved in social workers' choice to engage in employment-promoting practices (EPP). The current study aimed to tackle this gap of knowledge, providing initial conclusions about the relationship between social workers' attitudes towards unemployment, their knowledge regarding EPP, the extent to which they perceive their organisations as endorsing EPP and their actual implementation. The main research question dealt with the extent to which each of the examined factors, in itself or in combination with others, would be the best predictor of social workers' utilisation of EPP. The study sample consisted of 163 social workers in Israel with varied experience in working with the unemployed, all working in public sector social services. Structural equation modelling performed on the attained data revealed that knowledge, skills and perceived organisational endorsement of EPP were positively associated with implementation of EPP. Contrary to the hypothesised, attitudes towards unemployment were not associated with the implementation of such practices. At the same time, professional training and seniority were associated with EPP only through the mediation of perceived organisational endorsement. Ultimately, perceived organisational endorsement of EPP emerged as the most influential factor involved in social workers' decision to carry out EPP with their service-users. Consequences of these findings for social work education, supervision, research and policy making are discussed, referring to the local Israeli context as well as its possible international inferences. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Impact of an intervention programme on knowledge, attitude and practice of healthcare staff regarding pharmaceutical waste management, Gaza, Palestine.

PubMed

Tabash, M I; Hussein, R A; Mahmoud, A H; El-Borgy, M D; Abu-Hamad, B A

2016-09-01

To assess knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) of healthcare staff regarding pharmaceutical waste management; and to determine the impact of an educational programme on the KAP survey items. Pre-post-test intervention study. The pre-intervention phase was performed using a sample of 530 out of 1500 healthcare workers. A predesigned interview questionnaire was used to assess KAP. Next, an educational programme was designed and offered to a subsample of 69 healthcare workers. KAP were re-assessed for the programme attendees using the same interview questionnaire, both immediately (post-test) and six months after the end of the programme (follow-up test). The parametric paired sample t-test was used to assess the difference between pre-test and follow-up test results. Poor knowledge and poor practice levels (scores 50%) detected in the pre-intervention phase were found to improve to satisfactory levels (scores ≥75%) in the follow-up phase. Attitude was found to be positive (score ≥75%) in all phases of the study. The educational programme led to a significant improvement in KAP of healthcare staff regarding pharmaceutical waste management (P<0.001). Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Safety Knowledge and Changing Behavior in Agricultural Workers: an Assessment Model Applied in Central Italy.

PubMed

Cecchini, Massimo; Bedini, Roberto; Mosetti, Davide; Marino, Sonia; Stasi, Serenella

2018-06-01

In recent years, the interest in health and safety in the workplace has increased. Agriculture is one of the human work activities with the highest risk indexes. Studies on risk perception of agricultural workers are often referred to as specific risk factors (especially pesticides), but the risk perception plays an important role in preventing every kind of accident and occupational disease. The aim of this research is to test a new method for understanding the relation between risk perception among farmers and the main risk factors to which they are exposed. A secondary aim is to investigate the influence of training in risk perception in agriculture. The data collection was realized using a questionnaire designed to investigate the risk perception; the questionnaire was given to a sample of 119 agricultural workers in central Italy. Through the use of the "principal components analysis" it was possible to highlight and verify the latent dimensions underlying the collected data in comparison with scales of attitudes. Results show that the highest percentage of strong negative attitude is among the people who have worked for more years, while farmers who have worked for fewer years have a marked positive attitude. The analysis of the questionnaires through the synthetic index method (Rizzi index) showed that agricultural workers involved, in particular the elderly workers, have a negative attitude towards safety; workers are hostile to safety measures if they have not attended special training courses.

Understanding HIV-related stigma among Indonesian nurses

PubMed Central

Waluyo, Agung; Culbert, Gabriel J.; Levy, Judith; Norr, Kathleen

2014-01-01

Evidence indicates widespread stigmatization of persons living with HIV (PLWH) in Indonesia. Such attitudes among health care workers could impede the country’s policies for effective diagnosis and medical treatment of PLWH. Nonetheless, research to guide interventions to reduce stigma in health care settings is lacking. Also, the contributions of workplace, religion, and HIV knowledge to nurses’ HIV-related stigma are poorly understood. Our cross-sectional study aimed to describe factors associated with nurses’ stigmatizing attitudes toward PLWH. Four hundred nurses recruited from 4 hospitals in Jakarta, Indonesia, were surveyed using the Nurse AIDS Attitude Scale (NAAS) to measure stigma. Stigmatizing attitudes were significantly predicted by education, HIV training, perceived workplace stigma, religiosity, Islamic religious identification, and affiliation with the Islamic hospital. HIV knowledge was not a significant predictor of stigmatizing attitudes. Organization changes fostering workplace diversity are likely to substantially reduce stigmatizing attitudes in nurses. PMID:24759060

Understanding HIV-related stigma among Indonesian nurses.

PubMed

Waluyo, Agung; Culbert, Gabriel J; Levy, Judith; Norr, Kathleen F

2015-01-01

Evidence indicates widespread stigmatization of persons living with HIV (PLWH) in Indonesia. Such attitudes among health care workers could impede the country's policies for effective diagnosis and medical treatment of PLWH. Nonetheless, research to guide interventions to reduce stigma in health care settings is lacking. Also, the contributions of workplace, religion, and HIV knowledge to nurses' HIV-related stigma are poorly understood. Our cross-sectional study aimed to describe factors associated with nurses' stigmatizing attitudes toward PLWH. Four hundred nurses recruited from four hospitals in Jakarta, Indonesia, were surveyed using the Nurse AIDS Attitude Scale to measure stigma. Stigmatizing attitudes were significantly predicted by education, HIV training, perceived workplace stigma, religiosity, Islamic religious identification, and affiliation with the Islamic hospital. HIV knowledge was not a significant predictor of stigmatizing attitudes. Organization changes fostering workplace diversity are likely to substantially reduce stigmatizing attitudes in nurses. Copyright © 2015 Association of Nurses in AIDS Care. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Employers' knowledge and attitudes regarding organizational policy toward workers caring for aging family members.

PubMed

Katz, Ruth; Lowenstein, Ariela; Prilutzky, Dana; Halperin, Dafna

2011-04-01

The study examined employers' knowledge of and attitudes toward working carers who care for aging family members. The study was based on the ecological model. One hundred employers were interviewed using structured questionnaires and 13 employers by additional in-depth interviews. Both research instruments included areas of disruption to the organization, existing policies, and feasibility as to developing appropriate policies to support working carers. Results show that caregiving caused a disruption in workers' functioning mainly by being absent, leaving work early, and coming to work late. Usually, there was "no policy," and half of the employers did not support introducing such a policy. Women managers in public organizations, who had less seniority and less previous experience with working-carers, tended to be more positive about supportive policies. Recommendations are included.

Attitudes of Two Northwest Ohio UAW Locals regarding Lifelong Learning, Use of Online Strategies, and Union-Led Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Heiser, David P.

2010-01-01

United States workers are facing a workplace in which globalization, outsourcing, accelerating technology innovation, and changing demographics demands changes in the way they keep their job skills current. As a primary representative of workers' interests in the workplace, unions want their members to acquire and improve the skills, knowledge,…

"How often? How much? Where from?" knowledge, attitudes, and practices of mothers and health workers to iron supplementation program for children under five in rural Tamil Nadu, south India.

PubMed

Kwon, Hye Jin; Ramasamy, Rajkumar; Morgan, Alison

2014-07-01

Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) affects 70% of under-5 children in India. The primary prevention strategy is regular iron supplementation. Little is known about what helps families adhere to daily iron supplementation. Our study explored the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of mothers and village health workers (VHWs) involved in a community health program in one hill district of Tamil Nadu. We conducted 30 semistructured interviews and 3 group discussions involving mothers, VHWs, and community stakeholders. Knowledge of IDA was widespread, yet no children were receiving the iron supplementation as recommended. The main determinants to adherence included the perception of its need, the ease of access, and the activity of VHWs. Preventive care requiring daily supplements is challenging. Our study suggests that increasing community awareness of mild anemia, simplifying dosage instructions, and further strengthening the supportive environment for VHWs would help in reducing the prevalence of IDA. © 2013 APJPH.

[Treatment of children with acute diarrheal disease. Knowledge and attitudes of the health personnel].

PubMed

Mota-Hernández, F; Zamora-Escudero, G

1992-10-01

Diarrheal diseases are still one of the most frequent causes of death due to dehydration in children; lack of information regarding the adequate treatment of diarrhea is the main cause. The results of an inquire sent to 620 physicians and nurses were analyzed to determine the knowledge and attitudes of the health care workers that reside in different diarrheal mortality areas in Mexico. The less professional experience time was correlated with more knowledge in etiology of diarrhea. More physicians than nurses had correct answers regarding the place of diarrheal diseases in child mortality and the correct use of antimicrobial, and other drugs and liquids to prevent and treat dehydration. Most workers did not know the inconvenience of hypertonic solutions to prevent dehydration and the importance of the oral solution flavor. This results suggest that nurses will, be included in clinical training by means of seminars in oral hydration therapy. Furthermore it seems convenient to increase the access to oral hydration solutions as well as the diffusion of its advantages.

Knowledge and attitudes of primary health care personnel concerning mental health problems in developing countries.

PubMed Central

Ignacio, L L; de Arango, M V; Baltazar, J; Busnello, E D; Climent, C E; Elhakim, A; Farb, M; Guèye, M; Harding, T W; Ibrahim, H H; Murthy, R S; Wig, N N

1983-01-01

A semi-structured interview for assessing the knowledge and attitude of health workers concerning mental health problems was applied in seven developing country areas within the context of a World Health Organization coordinated collaborative study. The results indicate a lack of basic mental health training associated with a failure to recognize mental health problems, restricted knowledge concerning psychotropic drug therapy, and an inability to visualize practical forms of mental health care which could be introduced at primary care level. The results were used to design appropriate training programs, and the observations will be repeated to assess the effectiveness of training. PMID:6881406

The Exchange Relationship between Work-Family Enrichment and Affective Commitment: the Moderating Role of Gender.

PubMed

Marques, António Manuel; Chambel, Maria José; Pinto, Inês

2015-06-03

Workers' perception that their job experience enriches their family life has been considered a mechanism that explains their positive attitudes toward the organization where they work. However, because women and men live their work and family differently, gender may condition this relationship between the work-family enrichment and workers' attitudes. With a sample of 1885 workers from one Portuguese bank, with 802 women, the current study investigated the relationship between work-family enrichment and organizational affective commitment as well as the role of sex as a moderator of this relationship. The hypotheses were tested by using regression analysis. The results indicated that the perception held by workers that their work enriches their family is positively correlated with their affective commitment toward the organization. Furthermore, the data revealed that this relationship is stronger for women than for men. Study results have implications for management, particularly for human resource management, enhancing their knowledge about the relationship of work-family enrichment and workers' affective commitment toward organization.

HIV-related knowledge, attitudes and risk perception amongst nurses, doctors and other healthcare workers in rural India.

PubMed

Kermode, Michelle; Holmes, Wendy; Langkham, Biangtung; Thomas, Mathew Santhosh; Gifford, Sandy

2005-09-01

People with HIV in India frequently encounter discrimination while seeking and receiving healthcare services. The knowledge and attitudes of healthcare workers (HCWs) influences the willingness and ability of people with HIV to access care, and the quality of the care they receive. Previous studies of HIV-related knowledge and attitudes amongst Indian HCWs have been conducted primarily in large urban hospitals. The objective of this study was to asses HIV-related knowledge, attitudes and risk perception among a group of rural north Indian HCWs, and to identify predictors of willingness to provide care for patients with HIV infection. A cross-sectional survey of 266 HCWs (78% female) from seven rural north Indian health settings was undertaken in late 2002. A self-administered written questionnaire was made available in English and Hindi, and the response rate was 87 per cent. Information was gathered regarding demographic details (age, sex, duration of employment, job category); HIV-related knowledge and attitudes; risk perception; and previous experience caring for HIV-positive patients. Logistic regression modelling was undertaken to identify factors associated with willingness to care for patients with HIV. The HCWs in this study generally had a positive attitude to caring for people with HIV. However, this was tempered by substantial concerns about providing care, and the risk of occupational infection with HIV was perceived by most HCWs to be high. After controlling for confounding, HCWs willingness to provide care for patients with HIV was strongly associated with having previously cared for patients with HIV (P = 0.001). Knowledge of HIV transmission and perception of risk were not associated with willingness to provide care. The findings of this study showed a general willingness of HCWs to provide care for patients with HIV, tempered by concerns regarding provision of such care. Strategies to address HCWs concerns are likely to ameliorate the discrimination experienced by people with HIV when accessing healthcare services. These include the development of programmes to promote occupational safety of HCWs and involving people with HIV in awareness training of HCWs.

Barriers and motivators affecting tuberculosis infection control practices of Russian health care workers.

PubMed

Woith, W; Volchenkov, G; Larson, J

2012-08-01

Five in-patient and out-patient tuberculosis (TB) care facilities in two regions of Russia. To identify barriers and motivators to the use of infection control measures among Russian TB health care workers. In this qualitative study, a convenience sample of 96 health care workers (HCWs) was used to generate 15 homogeneous focus groups, consisting of physicians, nurses, and laboratory or support staff. Barriers and motivators related to knowledge, attitudes and beliefs, and practices were identified. The three main barriers were 1) knowledge deficits, including the belief that TB was transmitted by dust, linens and eating utensils; 2) negative attitudes related to the discomfort of respirators; and 3) practices with respect to quality and care of respirators. Education and training, fear of infecting loved ones, and fear of punishment were the main motivators. Our results point to the need for evaluation of current educational programs. Positive health promotion messages that appeal to fear might also be successful in promoting TB infection control. Individualized rewards based on personal motivators or group rewards that build on collectivist theory could be explored.

Avian influenza and South Jakarta primary healthcare workers: a controlled mixed-method study.

PubMed

Koh, Gerald Choon-Huat; Abikusno, Nugroho; Kwing, Cheong Seng; Yee, Wong Teck; Kusumaratna, Rina; Sundram, Meena; Koh, Kelvin; Eng, Chia Sin; Koh, David

2009-07-01

To study the attitudes, concerns, perceived impact, coping strategies, knowledge on avian influenza (AI) and personal protection measures, and institutional and personal preparedness for AI among all Indonesian primary healthcare workers (PHW). Questionnaire survey of PHW from four public primary healthcare clinics in South Jakarta (n = 333), with Singaporean PHW from 18 such clinics as controls (n = 1321). Twelve focus group discussions with 51 South Jakarta PHW were also conducted. Quantitative and qualitative data were analysed separately with statistical and thematic analysis, respectively, then combined. South Jakarta PHW had positive attitudes but major concerns about contracting AI, difficulties in diagnosing human AI and inadequacy of personal protection provided. South Jakarta PHW are less knowledgeable about AI and use of personal protection equipment, and reported poorer awareness, availability and participation in AI preparation activities. Only 3% of South Jakarta PHW received influenza vaccination in the preceding 6 months and few felt prepared for AI. South Jakarta primary healthcare workers are not well prepared for avian influenza. There is an urgent need to build their primary healthcare capacity to protect them and contain this global health threat.

The Attitude of Construction Workers toward the Implementation of Occupational Health and Safety (OHS)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Widaningsih, L.; Susanti, I.; Chandra, T.

2018-02-01

Construction industry refers to one of the industries dealing with high accident rate. Besides its outdoor workplace involving many workers who usually work manually, the workers’ work culture and less awareness of occupational health and safety (OHS) are attributed to the high accident rate. This study explores some construction workers who are involved in some construction projects in big cities such as Bandung and Jakarta. The questionnaire-given to the construction workers focusing on stone construction, wood construction, and finishing session-reveals that the construction workers knowledge and understanding of nine Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) aspects reach above 50%. However, does not appear to reflect their knowledge and understanding of Occupational Health and Safety (OHS). The results of Focus Group Discussion (FGD) and an in-depth interview show that the fallacious implementation of Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) is attributed to their traditional “work culture”.

Factors associated with good TB infection control practices among primary healthcare workers in the Free State Province, South Africa.

PubMed

Engelbrecht, Michelle; Janse van Rensburg, André; Kigozi, Gladys; van Rensburg, Hcj Dingie

2016-11-04

Despite the availability of TB infection control guidelines, and good levels of healthcare worker knowledge about infection control, often these measures are not well implemented. This study sought to determine the factors associated with healthcare workers' good TB infection control practices in primary health care facilities in the Free State Province, South Africa. A cross-sectional self-administered survey among nurses (n = 202) and facility-based community healthcare workers (n = 34) as well as facility observations were undertaken at all 41 primary health care facilities in a selected district of the Free State Province. The majority of respondents were female (n = 200; 87.7 %) and the average age was 44.19 years (standard deviation ±10.82). Good levels of knowledge were recorded, with 42.8 % (n = 101) having an average score (i.e. 65-79 %) and 31.8 % (n = 75) a good score (i.e. ≥ 80 %). Most respondents (n = 189; 80.4 %) had positive attitudes towards TB infection control practices (i.e. ≥ 80 %). While good TB infection control practices were reported by 72.9 % (n = 161) of the respondents (i.e. ≥75 %), observations revealed this to not necessarily be the case. For every unit increase in attitudes, good practices increased 1.090 times (CI:1.016-1.169). Respondents with high levels of knowledge (≥80 %) were 4.029 (CI: 1.550-10.469) times more likely to have good practices when compared to respondents with poor levels of knowledge (<65 %). The study did not find TB/HIV-related training to be a predictor of good practices. Positive attitudes and good levels of knowledge regarding TB infection control were the main factors associated with good infection control practices. Although many respondents reported good infection control practices - which was somewhat countered by the observations - there are areas that require attention, particularly those related to administrative controls and the use of personal protective equipment.

Are You a Seeker or an Avoider?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Berman, Mark L.

2002-01-01

Some workers may consistently try to avoid failure, responsibility, and negative feedback. Trainers can help by assessing organizational circumstances; assist avoiders in developing knowledge, skills, and positive attitudes; and locate employee assistance programs or counseling if needed. (JOW)

Use of Chemical Pesticides in Ethiopia: A Cross-Sectional Comparative Study on Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Farmers and Farm Workers in Three Farming Systems.

PubMed

Negatu, Beyene; Kromhout, Hans; Mekonnen, Yalemtshay; Vermeulen, Roel

2016-06-01

Chemical pesticides, regardless of their inherent hazard, are used intensively in the fast changing agricultural sector of Ethiopia. We conducted a cross-sectional pesticide Knowledge, Attitude and Practice (KAP) survey among 601 farmers and farm workers (applicators and re-entry workers) in three farming systems [large-scale closed greenhouses (LSGH), large-scale open farms (LSOF), and small-scale irrigated farms (SSIF)]. Main observations were that 85% of workers did not attain any pesticide-related training, 81% were not aware of modern alternatives for chemical pesticides, 10% used a full set of personal protective equipment, and 62% did not usually bath or shower after work. Among applicators pesticide training attendance was highest in LSGH (35%) and was lowest in SSIF (4%). None of the female re-entry farm workers had received pesticide-related training. Personal protective equipment use was twice as high among pesticide applicators as among re-entry workers (13 versus 7%), while none of the small-scale farm workers used personal protection equipment. Stockpiling and burial of empty pesticide containers and discarding empty pesticide containers in farming fields were reported in both LSOF and by 75% of the farm workers in SSIF. Considerable increment in chemical pesticide usage intensity, illegitimate usages of DDT and Endosulfan on food crops and direct import of pesticides without the formal Ethiopian registration process were also indicated. These results point out a general lack of training and knowledge regarding the safe use of pesticides in all farming systems but especially among small-scale farmers. This in combination with the increase in chemical pesticide usage in the past decade likely results in occupational and environmental health risks. Improved KAP that account for institutional difference among various farming systems and enforcement of regulatory measures including the available occupational and environmental proclamations in Ethiopia are urgently needed. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Occupational Hygiene Society.

Knowledge and attitude of key community members towards tuberculosis: mixed method study from BRAC TB control areas in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Paul, Sukanta; Akter, Rahima; Aftab, Afzal; Khan, Antora M; Barua, Mrittika; Islam, Shayla; Islam, Akramul; Husain, Ashaque; Sarker, Malabika

2015-01-31

Bangladesh National Tuberculosis (TB) Control Programme adopted a number of strategies to facilitate TB diagnosis and treatment. 'Advocacy, Communication and Social Mobilization' (ACSM) was one of the key strategies implemented by BRAC (Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee, a non-governmental development organization) TB control program. The purpose of this study is to assess the knowledge and attitudes of the key community members (KCMs) participated in ACSM in BRAC TB control areas. This study combined quantitative and qualitative methods using a mixed method approach. KCMs in three districts with low TB case detection rates were targeted to assess the ACSM program. The quantitative survey using a multi-stage random-sampling strategy was conducted among 432 participants. The qualitative study included in-depth interviews (IDIs) of a sub sample of 48 respondents. For quantitative analysis, descriptive statistics were reported using frequencies, percentages, and Chi square tests, while thematic analysis was used for qualitative part. Most (99%) of the participants had heard about TB, and almost all knew that TB is a contagious yet curable disease. More than half (53%) of the KCMs had good knowledge regarding TB, but BRAC workers were found to be more knowledgeable compared to other KCMs. However, considerable knowledge gaps were observed among BRAC community health workers. Qualitative results revealed that the majority of the KCMs were aware about the signs, symptoms and transmission pathways of TB and believed that smoking and addiction were the prime causes of transmission of TB. The knowledge about child TB was poor even among BRAC health workers. Stigma associated with TB was not uncommon. Almost all respondents expressed that young girls diagnosed with TB. This study finding has revealed varying levels of knowledge and mixed attitudes about TB among the KCMs. It also provides insight on the poor knowledge regarding child TB and indicate that despite the significant success of the TB program stigma is yet prevalent in the community. Future ACSM activities should engage community members against stigma and promote child TB related information for further improvement of BRAC TB Control Programme.

Effect of motivational group interviewing-based safety education on Workers' safety behaviors in glass manufacturing.

PubMed

Navidian, Ali; Rostami, Zahra; Rozbehani, Nasrin

2015-09-19

Worker safety education using models that identify and reinforce factors affecting behavior is essential. The present study aimed to determine the effect of safety education based on motivational interviewing on awareness of, attitudes toward, and engagement in worker safety in the glass production industry in Hamedan, Iran, in 2014. This was a quasi-experimental interventional study including a total of 70 production line workers at glass production facilities in Hamedan. The workers were randomly assigned to either an intervention or a control group, with 35 workers in each group. Participants in the control group received four one-hour safety education sessions, in the form of traditional lectures. Those in the intervention group received four educational sessions based on motivational group interviewing, which were conducted in four groups of eight to ten participants each. The instruments used included a researcher-developed questionnaire with checklists addressing safety awareness, and attitude and performance, which were completed before and 12 weeks after the intervention. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, independent and paired t-tests, and chi-squared tests. Having obtained the differences in scores before and after the intervention, we determined mean changes in the scores of awareness, attitude, and use of personal protective equipment among workers who underwent motivational group interviewing (3.74 ± 2.16, 1.71 ± 3.16, and 3.2 ± 1.92, respectively, p < 0.05). These scores were significantly greater than those of control workers who underwent traditional educational sessions (1.28 ± 1.93, 1.1 ± 3.07, and 0.2 ± 1.26, respectively). Our findings revealed that incorporation of motivational interviewing principles into safety education programs had the positive effect of enhancing workers' knowledge, attitude, and, particularly, implementation of safe behaviors. The application of this advisory approach is recommended to increase workplace safety and minimize occupational hazards in the work environment.

Alcohol drinking behaviors and alcohol management policies under outsourcing work conditions: A qualitative study of construction workers in Taiwan.

PubMed

Cheng, Wan-Ju; Cheng, Yawen

2016-02-01

Workplace alcohol policies are crucial for workers' health and safety. The practice of outsourcing is gaining popularity around the world and was found to be associated with poorer health in the working population. This study aimed to examine how outsourcing complicates the implementation of workplace alcohol policies and affects workers' drinking behaviors. In-depth interviews were conducted with 16 outsource workers, 3 subcontractors and 3 worksite supervisors. Information regarding workers' drinking behaviors, their knowledge, and attitudes toward workplace alcohol policy were analyzed using a qualitative thematic analysis. Factors associated with poor workplace alcohol management included smaller size and private ownership of outsourcers, subcontractors' own drinking behavior and positive attitude to alcohol, and precarious employment conditions of outsourcing workers. The multilateral relationship between outsourcers, subcontractors, and workers complicated and impaired the implementation of workplace alcohol policies. The implementation of workplace alcohol management policies was hampered in outsourcing work conditions due to poor coordination of supervisors in the subcontract chain. The enforcement of alcohol policies in the workplace should be strengthened by consolidating management responsibilities of outsourcers and subcontractors. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Knowledge and Attitude towards Exclusive Breast Feeding among Mothers Attending Antenatal and Immunization Clinic at Dabat Health Center, Northwest Ethiopia: A Cross-Sectional Institution Based Study.

PubMed

Alamirew, Mulugeta Wassie; Bayu, Netsanet Habte; Birhan Tebeje, Nigusie; Kassa, Selam Fiseha

2017-01-01

To assess knowledge and attitude towards exclusive breast feeding among mothers attending antenatal care and immunization clinic in Dabat Health Center, Northwest Ethiopia, 2016. Institutional based descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted. The data was collected by using pretested, structured interview based questionnaires. The data were entered and analyzed using SPSS version 20. A total of 384 participants were included in the study with a response rate of 100%. The majority were in the age groups of 20-30 (66.9%) and the mean age was 27.65; 325 (84.6%) were Orthodox Christianity followers. Majority were of Amhara ethnicity 370 (96.4%). Based on knowledge score, 268 (69.8%) were grouped as having good knowledge and regarding attitudinal score, 92 (24%) of the study participants were categorized as having negative attitude towards exclusive breast feeding (EBF) and the remaining 292 (76%) were categorized as having positive attitude. In this study, the knowledge of study participant mothers towards EBF is low which is less than three-fourths; however positive attitude towards EBF is more than three-fourths in this study. The authors recommend that health care workers who work in the areas of maternal and child health clinic should give appropriate information about EBF.

Health care professionals' attitudes towards evidence-based medicine in the workers' compensation setting: a cohort study.

PubMed

Elbers, Nieke A; Chase, Robin; Craig, Ashley; Guy, Lyn; Harris, Ian A; Middleton, James W; Nicholas, Michael K; Rebbeck, Trudy; Walsh, John; Willcock, Simon; Lockwood, Keri; Cameron, Ian D

2017-05-22

Problems may arise during the approval process of treatment after a compensable work injury, which include excess paperwork, delays in approving services, disputes, and allegations of over-servicing. This is perceived as undesirable for injured people, health care professionals and claims managers, and costly to the health care system, compensation system, workplaces and society. Introducing an Evidence Based Medicine (EBM) decision tool in the workers' compensation system could provide a partial solution, by reducing uncertainty about effective treatment. The aim of this study was to investigate attitudes of health care professionals (HCP) to the potential implementation of an EBM tool in the workers' compensation setting. The study has a mixed methods design. The quantitative study consisted of an online questionnaire asking about self-reported knowledge, attitudes and behaviour to EBM in general. The qualitative study consisted of interviews about an EBM tool being applied in the workers' compensation process. Participants were health care practitioners from different clinical specialties. They were recruited through the investigators' clinical networks and the workers' compensation government regulator's website. Participants completing the questionnaire (n = 231) indicated they were knowledgeable about the evidence-base in their field, but perceived some difficulties when applying EBM. General practitioners reported having the greatest obstacles to applying EBM. Participants who were interviewed (n = 15) perceived that an EBM tool in the workers' compensation setting could potentially have some advantages, such as reducing inappropriate treatment, or over-servicing, and providing guidance for clinicians. However, participants expressed substantial concerns that the EBM tool would not adequately reflect the impact of psychosocial factors on recovery. They also highlighted a lack of timeliness in decision making and proper assessment, particularly in pain management. Overall, HCP are supportive of EBM, but have strong concerns about implementation of EBM based decision making in the workers' compensation setting. The participants felt that an EBM tool should not be applied rigidly and should take into account clinical judgement and patient variability and preferences. In general, the treatment approval process in the workers' compensation insurance system is a sensitive area, in which the interaction between HCP and claims managers can be improved.

Rift Valley Fever: A survey of knowledge, attitudes, and practice of slaughterhouse workers and community members in Kabale District, Uganda

PubMed Central

Nyakarahuka, Luke; Purpura, Lawrence; Ervin, Elizabeth; Tumusiime, Alex; Balinandi, Stephen; Kyondo, Jackson; Mulei, Sophia; Tusiime, Patrick; Manning, Craig; Rollin, Pierre E.; Knust, Barbara; Shoemaker, Trevor

2018-01-01

Background Rift Valley Fever virus (RVF) is a zoonotic virus in the Phenuiviridae family. RVF outbreaks can cause significant morbidity and mortality in humans and animals. Following the diagnosis of two RVF cases in March 2016 in southern Kabale district, Uganda, we conducted a knowledge, attitudes and practice (KAP) survey to identify knowledge gaps and at-risk behaviors related to RVF. Methodology/Principal findings A multidisciplinary team interviewed 657 community members, including abattoir workers, in and around Kabale District, Uganda. Most participants (90%) had knowledge of RVF and most (77%) cited radio as their primary information source. Greater proportions of farmers (68%), herdsmen (79%) and butchers (88%) thought they were at risk of contracting RVF compared to persons in other occupations (60%, p<0.01). Participants most frequently identified bleeding as a symptom of RVF. Less than half of all participants reported fever, vomiting, and diarrhea as common RVF symptoms in either humans or animals. The level of knowledge about human RVF symptoms did not vary by occupation; however more farmers and butchers (36% and 51%, respectively) had knowledge of RVF symptoms in animals compared to those in other occupations (30%, p<0.01). The use of personal protective equipment (PPE) when handling animals varied by occupation, with 77% of butchers using some PPE and 12% of farmers using PPE. Although most butchers said that they used PPE, most used gumboots (73%) and aprons (60%) and less than 20% of butchers used gloves or eye protection when slaughtering. Conclusions Overall, knowledge, attitudes and practice regarding RVF in Kabale District Uganda could be improved through educational efforts targeting specific populations. PMID:29505579

A model for the adoption of ICT by health workers in Africa.

PubMed

Jimoh, Lanrewaju; Pate, Muhammad A; Lin, Li; Schulman, Kevin A

2012-11-01

To investigate the potential of information and communication technology (ICT) adoption among maternal and child health workers in rural Nigeria. A prospective, quantitative survey design was used to collect data from quasi-randomly selected clusters of 25 rural health facilities in 5 of the 36 states in Nigeria over a 2-month period from June to July 2010. A total of 200 maternal and child health workers were included in the survey, and the data were analyzed using a modified theory of acceptance model (TAM). There was no significant difference between ICT knowledge and attitude scores across states. There were significant differences in perceived ease of use (P<.001) and perceived usefulness scores (P=.001) across states. Midwives reported higher scores on all the constructs but a lower score on endemic barriers (which is a more positive outcome). However, the differences were only statistically significant for perceived usefulness (P=.05) and endemic barriers (P<.001). Regression analysis revealed that there was no interaction between worker group and age. Older workers were likely to have lower scores on knowledge and attitude but higher scores on perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness. Lastly, we found that worker preference for ICT application in health varied across worker groups and conflicted with government/employer priorities. Although the objective of this study was exploratory, the results provide insight into the intricacies involved in the deployment of ICT in low-resource settings. Use of an expanded TAM should be considered as a mandatory part of any pre-implementation study of ICT among health workers in sub-Saharan Africa. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Diabetes training for community health workers on an American Indian reservation.

PubMed

Policicchio, Judith M; Dontje, Katherine

2018-01-01

To improve the knowledge and skills of community health workers (CHWs) on an American Indian (AI) Reservation related to the management of diabetes to allow CHWs, with no prior formal diabetes education to work more effectively with individuals in the community with diabetes. Training was provided in six "face-to-face" sessions with the CHWs using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CHW Training Resource on Heart Disease and Stroke. This is a quality improvement program guided by the Model for Improvement: Plan, Do, Study, Act and using a pre-post evaluation design. Ten AI CHWs were recruited for the training. Knowledge and attitudes, participation rates, and participant satisfaction were measured. Knowledge increased overall with largest changes in diabetes, depression and cholesterol. Diabetes attitudes were high and consistent with those found in caregivers who support patient-centered care. Participants reported learning, liking the class, and finding the materials helpful. This QI program provided by a public health nurse improved CHW's knowledge of diabetes and the management of diabetes. Next steps include formalizing the Reservation's CHW training program, expanding this training to other AI Health Service areas, and measuring the impact of CHWs in the community. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Oral Cancer Awareness Among Dental Patients in Omdurman, Sudan: a cross-sectional Study.

PubMed

Babiker, Tasneem Mohammed; Osman, Khansa Awad Alkareem; Mohamed, Safa Abdelrawf; Mohamed, Matab Abdalrhaman; Almahdi, Hatim Mohammed

2017-03-23

Oral cancer is a preventable disease. Its occurrence is mostly due to lifestyle. In Sudan, the use of smokeless tobacco (Toombak) has long been linked to oral cancer. Knowledge of the signs and symptoms of oral cancer may well aid in early diagnosis and treatment. This is bound to result in increasing survival rates, as well as reducing the oral cancer burden on the society. This study aimed to assess oral cancer awareness regarding knowledge of signs, symptoms, risk factors and sources of the information. Furthermore, it attempts to evaluate attitudes towards oral cancer screening and any previous experience of screening, amongst dental patients attending University of Science and Technology (UST) Dental Teaching Hospital. Omdurman, Sudan. A hospital based cross-sectional study, interviewer-administered questionnaire was conducted amongst 500 adult patients attending the UST Dental Hospital during 2015. A total of 57.7% (286) of the individuals demonstrated good knowledge of signs and symptoms, whereas 49% (139) expressed good knowledge of risk factors of oral cancer. For the majority of the individuals 66.1% (290), the most common source of information about oral cancer was from the media, while 33.9% individuals (149), obtained knowledge from direct contact of health workers. The overwhelming majority, 93.2% (466) never screened for oral cancer despite their positive attitude towards it 66.4% (332). Knowledge of risk factors associated significantly with those reported positive attitude towards oral cancer screening and those reported direct contact with health workers as a source of information, (p ≤ 0.001). Moreover, females and those living in urban districts scores higher than their counterpart in knowledge of risk factor of oral cancer. In addition, those employed 58.6% (280) and 62.8% (164) with correct believes about oral cancer showed significant association with positive knowledge of signs and symptoms (p ≤ 0.05). Awareness levels, knowledge of risk factors and identifying early signs and symptoms of oral cancer necessitate the need for more structured preventive programs using media. Dentists and health workers should do more because they have a pivotal role in early diagnosis by performing oral cancer screening, raising levels of knowledge and in rectifying misconceptions about oral cancer. This would entail a reduction in high rates of morbidity and mortality associated with oral cancer.

An investigation of stigmatizing attitudes towards people living with HIV/AIDS by doctors and nurses in Vientiane, Lao PDR.

PubMed

Vorasane, Savina; Jimba, Masamine; Kikuchi, Kimiyo; Yasuoka, Junko; Nanishi, Keiko; Durham, Jo; Sychareun, Vanphanom

2017-02-10

Despite global efforts, HIV-related stigma continues to negatively impact the health and well-being of people living with HIV/AIDS. Even in healthcare settings, people with HIV/AIDS experience discrimination. Anecdotal evidence suggests that healthcare professionals in the Lao People's Democratic Republic, a lower-middle income country situated in Southeast Asia, stigmatize HIV/AID patients. The purpose of this study was to assess HIV stigmatizing attitudes within Laotian healthcare service providers and examine some of the factors associated with HIV/AIDS-related stigma among doctors and nurses. A structured questionnaire, which included a HIV-related stigma scale consisting of 17 items, was self-completed by 558 healthcare workers from 12 of the 17 hospitals in Vientiane. Five hospitals were excluded because they had less than 10 staff and these staff were not always present. The questionnaire was pre-tested with 40 healthcare workers. Descriptive statistical analysis was performed and comparisons between groups undertaken using chi-square test and t-test. Bivariate and multiple linear regression analyses were carried out to examine the associations between stigmatizing attitudes and independent variables. Out of the 558 participating healthcare workers, 277 (49.7%) were doctors and 281 (50.3%) were nurses. Nearly 50% of doctors and nurses included in the study had high levels of stigmatizing attitudes towards people living with HIV/AIDS. Across the different health professionals included in this study, lower levels of HIV/AIDS knowledge were associated with higher levels of stigmatizing attitudes towards people living with HIV/AIDS. Stigmatizing attitudes, including discrimination at work, fear of AIDS, and prejudice, were lower in healthcare workers with more experience in treating HIV/AIDS patients. This study is the first to report on HIV/AIDS-related stigmatization among healthcare workers in Lao PDR. Stigmatizing attitudes contribute to missed opportunities for prevention, education and treatment, undermining efforts to manage and prevent HIV. Reversing stigmatizing attitudes and practices requires interventions that address affective, cognitive and behavioral aspects of stigma. Alongside this, health professionals need to be enabled to enact universal precautions and prevent occupational transmission of HIV.

Interagency collaboration between child protection and mental health services: practices, attitudes and barriers.

PubMed

Darlington, Yvonne; Feeney, Judith A; Rixon, Kylie

2005-10-01

The aim of this paper is to examine some of the factors that facilitate and hinder interagency collaboration between child protection services and mental health services in cases where there is a parent with a mental illness and there are protection concerns for the child(ren). The paper reports on agency practices, worker attitudes and experiences, and barriers to effective collaboration. A self-administered, cross-sectional survey was developed and distributed via direct mail or via line supervisors to workers in statutory child protection services, adult mental health services, child and youth mental health services, and Suspected Child Abuse and Neglect (SCAN) Teams. There were 232 completed questionnaires returned, with an overall response rate of 21%. Thirty-eight percent of respondents were statutory child protection workers, 39% were adult mental health workers, 16% were child and youth mental health workers, and 4% were SCAN Team medical officers (with 3% missing data). Analysis revealed that workers were engaging in a moderate amount of interagency contact, but that they were unhappy with the support provided by their agency. Principle components analysis and multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) on items assessing attitudes toward other workers identified four factors, which differed in rates of endorsement: inadequate training, positive regard for child protection workers, positive regard for mental health workers, and mutual mistrust (from highest to lowest level of endorsement). The same procedure identified the relative endorsement of five factors extracted from items about potential barriers: inadequate resources, confidentiality, gaps in interagency processes, unrealistic expectations, and professional knowledge domains and boundaries. Mental health and child protection professionals believe that collaborative practice is necessary; however, their efforts are hindered by a lack of supportive structures and practices at the organizational level.

Knowledge, attitudes and beliefs about HIV infection and AIDS among healthy factory workers and their wives, Kinshasa, Zaire.

PubMed

Irwin, K; Bertrand, J; Mibandumba, N; Mbuyi, K; Muremeri, C; Mukoka, M; Munkolenkole, K; Nzilambi, N; Bosenge, N; Ryder, R

1991-01-01

As a first step in designing an AIDS prevention program at a large factory in Kinshasa, Zaire, we collected information on attitudes towards human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) from factory foremen and their wives. Trained moderators conducted twelve focus group discussions (from November through December 1987) that addressed knowledge, attitudes and beliefs about HIV infection and AIDS. In general, participants were familiar with HIV infection and AIDS and considered these conditions leading health problems in Kinshasa. Although participants had a fairly accurate understanding of the causes of HIV infection, modes of transmission and preventive measures, many myths and misconceptions existed. Many participants did not believe that condom use would consistently prevent infection through sexual intercourse. Participants strongly favored the counseling of seropositive persons but showed less consensus about whether the spouse of a seropositive person should be notified of the partner's test result. Participants predicted that couples in which one member is seropositive and the other is not would experience marital discord and friction with family, neighbors and co-workers. These findings were applied to the development of a counseling and educational program for seropositive factory employees and their spouses.

[Knowledge and perception about tuberculosis among public transport workers in Lima, Peru].

PubMed

Lukac, Danitza; Garaycochea, Octavio; Taype-Rondan, Alvaro; Luque Bustamante, Laura; Mujica-Vasquez, André; Zamora, Dario

2016-11-23

To describe the level of knowledge and perception of tuberculosis among public transport workers attending Road Safety Education courses in Lima, Peru. An observational, cross-sectional, analytic study was conducted between July and August 2014 in public transport workers attending the courses of Road Safety education. In Lima, such courses are mandatory for workers in the public transport area. An anonymous and voluntary survey was applied to obtain the following variables: sociodemographic characteristics, history of tuberculosis, tuberculosis knowledge and attitudes towards the disease. The factors associated to the risk perception of Tuberculosis infection were analysed using Poisson regression. From 309 attendees, 216 surveys were analysed (69.9%). Of these, 88.4% were males, 3.2% had a history of tuberculosis. The most widely known symptom was cough with phlegm (44.4%), the most popular source of information was television (39.8%), and only 9.7% had any training about tuberculosis. A 41.2% of respondents believed that working in the public transport sector was an occupation with a high risk of tuberculosis infection. No significant association between risk perception of tuberculosis and sociodemographic characteristics was found. A considerable lack of knowledge about tuberculosis symptoms and a low perception of risk for tuberculosis exists among public transport workers in Lima. Education strategies directed to this population need to be implemented.

Comparison of Knowledge and Attitudes Using Computer-Based and Face-to-Face Personal Hygiene Training Methods in Food Processing Facilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fenton, Ginger D.; LaBorde, Luke F.; Radhakrishna, Rama B.; Brown, J. Lynne; Cutter, Catherine N.

2006-01-01

Computer-based training is increasingly favored by food companies for training workers due to convenience, self-pacing ability, and ease of use. The objectives of this study were to determine if personal hygiene training, offered through a computer-based method, is as effective as a face-to-face method in knowledge acquisition and improved…

Knowledge, attitudes, beliefs and practices of construction workers towards tetanus vaccine in Northern Italy.

PubMed

Riccò, Matteo; Cattani, Silvia; Veronesi, Licia; Colucci, Maria Eugenia

2016-12-07

Construction workers (CWs) are both more exposed to tetanus and at higher risk to be inadequately immunized. Our aim was to evaluate tetanus immunization status and knowledge/attitudes towards tetanus vaccination in CWs in Italy. In this field report, the immunization status of 554 unskilled CWs (i.e. labourers). Immunization status was assessed recalling immunization booklets/certificates. Attitudes and knowledge were collected through a standardized questionnaire. In 240/554 CWs, immunization status was inadequate/not documented: in 184 subjects (33.2%), the last vaccination shot was older than 10 years, whereas basal immunization was incomplete in 20 cases, more frequently in foreign-born people (FBP) than in Italian born (IBP) (OR=7.116). In 198 cases (35.7%), an Occupational Physician (OPh) performed last booster, usually with monovalent (T, n=173) vaccine. The main reason for inadequate immunization was having forgotten the periodic booster (148/554; 26.7%), whereas 42 subjects (7.6%) deliberately avoided tetanus vaccine because of personal/religious beliefs, more frequently in FBP than in IBP (OR=3.182). In summary, the prevalence of inadequate immunization status was relatively high (43.4%): the high prevalence of "forgotten boosters" enlightens the key role of OPh in recalling and promoting vaccination policies. Moreover, the inappropriate use of Td vaccine points out the opportunity for educational campaigns in OPh.

Knowledge and Attitude towards Exclusive Breast Feeding among Mothers Attending Antenatal and Immunization Clinic at Dabat Health Center, Northwest Ethiopia: A Cross-Sectional Institution Based Study

PubMed Central

Kassa, Selam Fiseha

2017-01-01

Introduction To assess knowledge and attitude towards exclusive breast feeding among mothers attending antenatal care and immunization clinic in Dabat Health Center, Northwest Ethiopia, 2016. Methodology Institutional based descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted. The data was collected by using pretested, structured interview based questionnaires. The data were entered and analyzed using SPSS version 20. Result A total of 384 participants were included in the study with a response rate of 100%. The majority were in the age groups of 20–30 (66.9%) and the mean age was 27.65; 325 (84.6%) were Orthodox Christianity followers. Majority were of Amhara ethnicity 370 (96.4%). Based on knowledge score, 268 (69.8%) were grouped as having good knowledge and regarding attitudinal score, 92 (24%) of the study participants were categorized as having negative attitude towards exclusive breast feeding (EBF) and the remaining 292 (76%) were categorized as having positive attitude. Conclusion In this study, the knowledge of study participant mothers towards EBF is low which is less than three-fourths; however positive attitude towards EBF is more than three-fourths in this study. The authors recommend that health care workers who work in the areas of maternal and child health clinic should give appropriate information about EBF. PMID:29312785

Smoking Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behaviors Among Rural- to-Urban Migrant Women in Beijing, China

PubMed Central

Finch, Karen; Ma, Shaojun; Qin, Dingxin; Xin, Guo; Xia, Wan; Novotny, Thomas E.

2009-01-01

Background China has the largest population of cigarette smokers worldwide; surveys suggest rising prevalence among young women. Migratory lifestyles may confer increased susceptibility. Objectives we aimed to understand how migration relates to smoking among young women. Methods we implemented a cross-sectional behavioral survey of rural-to-urban Chinese women (n = 206) working in restaurants and commercial sex venues, assessing smoking attitudes, behaviors, and health-risk knowledge. Results rates of ever smoking and current smoking among restaurant workers were high compared with the rates in general population surveys (16.1% and 6.5%, respectively); rates were much higher among sex workers (54.9% and 33.3%, respectively). Multivariate analysis revealed education to be protective, whereas exposure to female-branded cigarettes was a risk for ever smoking. Conclusions Chinese migrant women appear to be smoking at higher rates than nonmigrant women. Priorities for future research include representative studies in multiple cities examining reasons for uptake and stimuli to quit. PMID:19443881

A qualitative study of nurses' attitudes towards' and accommodations of patients' expressions of religiosity and faith in dementia care.

PubMed

Skomakerstuen Ødbehr, Liv; Kvigne, Kari; Hauge, Solveig; Danbolt, Lars Johan

2015-02-01

To investigate nurses' attitudes towards and accommodations of patients' expressions of religiosity and faith in dementia care. Holistic care for people with dementia addresses patients' religiosity and faith. Nurses' accommodations of patients' religiosity have not been studied extensively even though nurses report a lack of experience and knowledge regarding religious care. This study has a qualitative research design. Eight focus group interviews with 16 nurses and 15 care workers in four Norwegian nursing homes were conducted from June 2011-January 2012. The interview text was analysed using van Manen's hermeneutic-phenomenological approach and Lindseth and Nordberg's structural analysis. The following three main themes reflected the nurses' and care workers' attitudes towards and accommodations of patients' expressions of religiosity and faith: (i) embarrassment vs. comfort, described in the sub-themes 'feelings of embarrassment' and 'religiosity as a private matter'; (ii) unknown religious practice vs. known religious practice, described as 'religious practice that was scary' or 'religious practice that was recognizable'; and (iii) death vs. life, described as 'difficulty talking about death 'or 'focusing on life and the quality of life'. Nurses and care workers were uncertain and lacked knowledge of the patients' expressions of religiosity and faith in terms of both their substance and their function. Nurses struggled with ambivalent feelings about patients' religious expressions and with unclear understanding of the significance of religiosity. These challenges compromised person-centred and holistic care on several occasions. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Knowledge of HIV and factors associated with attitudes towards HIV among final-year medical students at Hanoi medical university in Vietnam.

PubMed

Platten, Michael; Pham, Ha N; Nguyen, Huy V; Nguyen, Nhu T; Le, Giang M

2014-03-20

The success of HIV care strongly depends upon skills of the healthcare worker. Vietnam has a punitive history towards HIV and even though this has changed recently, persons living with HIV are still facing discrimination. The objective of this paper is to assess the gaps in knowledge of HIV and factors associated with discriminatory attitudes towards persons living with HIV among medical students in order to improve medical training. In a cross-sectional quantitative study using a structured questionnaire, 200 final-year medical students at Hanoi Medical University were approached for data collection in May of 2012. Descriptive statistics (percentages) were used to present four HIV knowledge tests. Linear regression models were examined to highlight factors that are associated with general attitudes towards HIV and attitudes towards HIV in a clinical setting. Although students performed overall well in the knowledge category of HIV discrimination and stigma, there were several gaps in knowledge of HIV, including the categories of HIV-related basic sciences, prevention, and care and treatment. Knowledge of stigma and discrimination was a significant positive predictor of General non-prejudicial attitude to HIV and AIDS (β=0.186, P<0.01) and Non-discriminatory attitude to HIV and AIDS at work (β=0.188, P<0.01). Training on methadone treatment was found to be a significant positive predictor (β=0.168, P<0.05) while family size was negatively associated (β=-0.170, P<0.05) with General non-prejudicial attitude to HIV and AIDS. The study suggests a need for incorporating HIV training into the core curricula for medical students. As persons who inject drugs carry a proportionately high burden of HIV in Vietnam, it is also important to include methadone training for students.

Perceived challenges and opportunities arising from integration of mental health into primary care: a cross-sectional survey of primary health care workers in south-west Ethiopia

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background The WHO’s mental health Gap Action Programme seeks to narrow the treatment gap for mental disorders by advocating integration of mental health into primary health care (PHC). This study aimed to assess the challenges and opportunities of this approach from the perspective of PHC workers in a sub-Saharan African country. Methods A facility-based cross-sectional survey of 151 PHC workers was conducted from 1st to 30th November 2011 in Jimma zone, south-west Ethiopia. A structured questionnaire was used to ask about past training and mental health experience, knowledge and attitudes towards mental disorders and provision of mental health care in PHC. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with 12 heads of health facilities for more in-depth understanding. Results Almost all PHC workers (96.0%) reported that mental health care was important in Ethiopia and the majority (66.9%) expressed interest in actually delivering mental health care. Higher levels of general health training (degree vs. diploma) and pre-service clinical exposure to mental health care were associated with more favourable attitudes. Knowledge about mental disorder diagnoses, symptoms and treatments was low. Almost half (45.0%) of PHC workers reported that supernatural factors were important causes of mental disorders. Health system and structural issues, such as poor medication supply, lack of rooms, time constraints, absence of specialist supervision and lack of treatment guidelines, were identified as challenges. Almost all PHC workers (96.7%) reported a need for more training, including a clinical attachment, in order to be able to deliver mental health care competently. Conclusions Despite acceptability to PHC workers, the feasibility of integrating mental health into PHC in this sub-Saharan African setting is limited by important gaps in PHC worker knowledge and expectations regarding mental health care, coupled with health system constraints. In addition to clinically-based refresher mental health training, expansion of the specialist mental health workforce may be needed to support integration in practice. PMID:24602215

Perceived challenges and opportunities arising from integration of mental health into primary care: a cross-sectional survey of primary health care workers in south-west Ethiopia.

PubMed

Abera, Mubarek; Tesfaye, Markos; Belachew, Tefera; Hanlon, Charlotte

2014-03-06

The WHO's mental health Gap Action Programme seeks to narrow the treatment gap for mental disorders by advocating integration of mental health into primary health care (PHC). This study aimed to assess the challenges and opportunities of this approach from the perspective of PHC workers in a sub-Saharan African country. A facility-based cross-sectional survey of 151 PHC workers was conducted from 1st to 30th November 2011 in Jimma zone, south-west Ethiopia. A structured questionnaire was used to ask about past training and mental health experience, knowledge and attitudes towards mental disorders and provision of mental health care in PHC. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with 12 heads of health facilities for more in-depth understanding. Almost all PHC workers (96.0%) reported that mental health care was important in Ethiopia and the majority (66.9%) expressed interest in actually delivering mental health care. Higher levels of general health training (degree vs. diploma) and pre-service clinical exposure to mental health care were associated with more favourable attitudes. Knowledge about mental disorder diagnoses, symptoms and treatments was low. Almost half (45.0%) of PHC workers reported that supernatural factors were important causes of mental disorders. Health system and structural issues, such as poor medication supply, lack of rooms, time constraints, absence of specialist supervision and lack of treatment guidelines, were identified as challenges. Almost all PHC workers (96.7%) reported a need for more training, including a clinical attachment, in order to be able to deliver mental health care competently. Despite acceptability to PHC workers, the feasibility of integrating mental health into PHC in this sub-Saharan African setting is limited by important gaps in PHC worker knowledge and expectations regarding mental health care, coupled with health system constraints. In addition to clinically-based refresher mental health training, expansion of the specialist mental health workforce may be needed to support integration in practice.

Knowledge, attitude, and practices about the seasonal influenza vaccination among healthcare workers in Srinagar, India

PubMed Central

Bali, Nargis K.; Ashraf, M.; Ahmad, Feroze; Khan, Umar H.; Widdowson, Marc‐Alain; Lal, Renu B.; Koul, Parvaiz A.

2012-01-01

Please cite this paper as: Bali NK et al. (2012) Knowledge, attitude, and practices about the seasonal influenza vaccination among healthcare workers in Srinagar, India. Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses 7(4), 540–545. Background  Healthcare workers (HCWs) universally have a poor uptake of influenza vaccination. However, no data are available from India. Objective  To explore knowledge, attitudes, and practices associated with influenza vaccination in HCWs in a temperate climate area in northern India. Patients and Methods  A self‐administered questionnaire was offered to all HCWs in three major hospitals of Srinagar and information sought on motivations, perceptions, preferences and practices regarding influenza vaccination. Results  Of the 1750 questionnaires received, 1421 (81%) were returned. Only 62 (4·4%) HCWs had ever received influenza vaccination even as 1348 (95%) believed that influenza poses adverse potential consequences for themselves or their contacts; 1144 (81%) were aware of a vaccine against influenza and 830 (58%) of its local availability. Reasons cited by 1359 participants for not being vaccinated included ignorance about vaccine availability (435; 32%), skepticism about efficacy (248; 18%), busy schedule (166; 12%), fear of side effects (70; 4%), and a perception of not being‐at‐risk (82; 6%). Sixty‐one percent (865) believed that vaccine programs are motivated by profit. Eighty‐eight percent opined for mandatory vaccination for HCWs caring for the high‐risk patients, as a part of ‘employee health program’. Most of the participants intended to get vaccinated in the current year even as 684 (48%) held that vaccines could cause unknown illness and 444 (31%) believed their adverse effects to be underreported. Conclusion  Influenza vaccination coverage among HCWs is dismally low in Srinagar; poor knowledge of vaccine availability and misperceptions about vaccine effectiveness, fear of adverse effects and obliviousness to being‐at‐risk being important barriers. Multifaceted, adaptable measures need to be invoked urgently to increase the coverage. PMID:22862774

Attitude shifts and knowledge gains: Evaluating men who have sex with men sensitisation training for healthcare workers in the Western Cape, South Africa

PubMed Central

Brown, Ben

2017-01-01

Background Men who have sex with men (MSM) in South Africa experience discrimination from healthcare workers (HCWs), impeding health service access. Objectives To evaluate the outcomes of an MSM sensitisation training programme for HCWs implemented in the Western Cape province (South Africa). Methods A training programme was developed to equip HCWs with the knowledge, awareness and skills required to provide non-discriminatory, non-judgemental and appropriate services to MSM. Overall, 592 HCWs were trained between February 2010 and May 2012. Trainees completed self-administered pre- and post-training questionnaires assessing changes in knowledge. Two-sample t-tests for proportion were used to assess changes in specific answers and the Wilcoxon rank-sum test for overall knowledge scores. Qualitative data came from anonymous post-training evaluation forms completed by all trainees, in combination with four focus group discussions (n = 28) conducted six months after their training. Results Fourteen per cent of trainees had received previous training to counsel clients around penile–anal intercourse, and 16% had previously received training around sexual health issues affecting MSM. There was a statistically significant improvement in overall knowledge scores (80% – 87%, p < 0.0001), specifically around penile–anal intercourse, substance use and depression after the training. Reductions in negative attitudes towards MSM and increased ability for HCWs to provide non-discriminatory care were reported as a result of the training. Conclusion MSM sensitisation training for HCWs is an effective intervention to increase awareness on issues pertaining to MSM and how to engage around them, reduce discriminatory attitudes and enable the provision of non-judgemental and appropriate services by HCWs. PMID:29568621

Workplace ageism: discovering hidden bias.

PubMed

Malinen, Sanna; Johnston, Lucy

2013-01-01

BACKGROUND/STUDY CONTEXT: Research largely shows no performance differences between older and younger employees, or that older workers even outperform younger employees, yet negative attitudes towards older workers can underpin discrimination. Unfortunately, traditional "explicit" techniques for assessing attitudes (i.e., self-report measures) have serious drawbacks. Therefore, using an approach that is novel to organizational contexts, the authors supplemented explicit with implicit (indirect) measures of attitudes towards older workers, and examined the malleability of both. This research consists of two studies. The authors measured self-report (explicit) attitudes towards older and younger workers with a survey, and implicit attitudes with a reaction-time-based measure of implicit associations. In addition, to test whether attitudes were malleable, the authors measured attitudes before and after a mental imagery intervention, where the authors asked participants in the experimental group to imagine respected and valued older workers from their surroundings. Negative, stable implicit attitudes towards older workers emerged in two studies. Conversely, explicit attitudes showed no age bias and were more susceptible to change intervention, such that attitudes became more positive towards older workers following the experimental manipulation. This research demonstrates the unconscious nature of bias against older workers, and highlights the utility of implicit attitude measures in the context of the workplace. In the current era of aging workforce and skill shortages, implicit measures may be necessary to illuminate hidden workplace ageism.

Good Enough Support? Exploring the Attitudes, Knowledge and Experiences of Practitioners in Social Services and Child Welfare Working with Mothers with Intellectual Disability.

PubMed

Strnadová, Iva; Bernoldová, Jana; Adamčíková, Zdeňka; Klusáček, Jan

2017-05-01

This study examined the attitudes, knowledge and experiences of practitioners in social services and child welfare working with mothers with intellectual disability. The authors used a national survey, which was completed by 329 participants. Descriptive statistics and frequency tables were generated, and the associations between variables and differences between various subgroups of the sample were made. The open questions were analysed using the processes involved in content analysis. The findings indicated that the participants had limited knowledge of available supports and services for mothers with intellectual disability. Furthermore, many participants believed that mothers with intellectual disability should have an abortion should they become pregnant. The findings show practitioners' stereotyped attitudes towards mothers with intellectual disability. Workers in the area of social services and child welfare need access to training and professional development in the area of supporting mothers with intellectual disability. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

A mental health training program for community health workers in India: impact on knowledge and attitudes

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Unmet needs for mental health treatment in low income countries are pervasive. If mental health is to be effectively integrated into primary health care in low income countries like India then grass-roots workers need to acquire relevant knowledge and skills to be able to recognise, refer and support people experiencing mental disorders in their own communities. This study aims to provide a mental health training intervention to community health workers in Bangalore Rural District, Karnataka, India, and to evaluate the impact of this training on mental health literacy. Methods A pre-test post-test study design was undertaken with assessment of mental health literacy at three time points; baseline, completion of the training, and three month follow-up. Mental health literacy was assessed using the interviewer-administered Mental Health Literacy Survey. The training intervention was a four day course based on a facilitator's manual developed specifically for community health workers in India. Results 70 community health workers from Doddaballapur, Bangalore Rural District were recuited for the study. The training course improved participants' ability to recognize a mental disorder in a vignette, and reduced participants' faith in unhelpful and potentially harmful pharmacological interventions. There was evidence of a minor reduction in stigmatizing attitudes, and it was unclear if the training resulted in a change in participants' faith in recovery following treatment. Conclusion The findings from this study indicate that the training course demonstrated potential to be an effective way to improve some aspects of mental health literacy, and highlights strategies for strengthening the training course. PMID:21819562

Mass Media and HIV/AIDS Prevention Among Female Sex Workers in Beijing, China.

PubMed

Xiao, Zhiwen; Li, Xiaoming; Lin, Danhua; Tam, Cheuk Chi

2015-01-01

The current study aimed to identify the sources of HIV prevention information for female sex workers in Beijing and assess the associations between levels of mass media exposure of HIV/AIDS prevention information and HIV/AIDS knowledge as well as condom use-related attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors. Cross-sectional data were collected from 359 female sex workers in Beijing, China. Chi-square tests and one-way ANOVA tests were employed. Female sex workers sampled in Beijing were more likely to obtain HIV/AIDS prevention information from television and street posters than radio and the Internet. However, a higher level of exposure to and a lasting impression on online information were significantly associated with a higher level of condom use self-efficacy and more consistent condom use among the participants. Exposure to HIV/AIDS prevention information delivered by radio, street posters, and the Internet was found to be associated with sexual communication about HIV or condom use with sexual partners. Overall, this study provides preliminary evidence of the utility of various mass media outlets in delivering HIV/AIDS prevention information among female sex workers in China. Future studies are needed to systematically examine the effectiveness of mass media-based prevention education on HIV/AIDS related attitudes and behaviors among female sex workers and other populations in China.

An Educational Program for Mental Health Nurses and Community Health Workers from Pacific Island Countries: Results from a Pilot Study

PubMed Central

Usher, Kim; Park, Tanya; Trueman, Scott; Redman-MacLaren, Michelle; Casella, Evan; Woods, Cindy

2014-01-01

Delivery of mental health care relies upon professionals with the latest evidence upon which to base their care. This research reports on a pre-test/post-test evaluation of a four-week education program delivered to Pacific Island participants (n = 18) to enhance knowledge, skills, and attitudes (KSAs). The education program used a combination of formal lectures, tutorials, clinical visits, simulations, and laboratory sessions. The measure used was the Nurse Self Report (NSR) questionnaire. Results indicate an education intervention can be an effective tool for improving the knowledge, skills, and attitudes of Pacific Island people who care for persons experiencing mental health problems. PMID:24766168

Attitudes and Awareness Regarding Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C Amongst Health-care Workers of a Tertiary Hospital in India.

PubMed

Setia, S; Gambhir, Rs; Kapoor, V; Jindal, G; Garg, S; Setia, S

2013-10-01

Hepatitis is an inflammatory disease of the liver. In sever cases, it may lead to permanent liver damage including liver cirrhosis or hepato-cellular carcinoma and may ultimately lead to death. Health-care workers (HCWs), due to their regular contact with patients are at a high-risk of acquiring this disease. The aim of this study was to assess the knowledge and attitude toward hepatitis B and C infection among the health-care interns and correlate the level of awareness to the attitude they behold toward the disease. A closed ended questionnaire consisting of questions to evaluate the knowledge regarding hepatitis B and C infection and attitude of the (HCWs/interns) was duly filled by 255 participants including, 100 dental, 100 medical, and 55 nursing interns. Statistical analysis was carried out using the Chi-square test, ANOVA test, post-hoc test and Pearson's correlation. Although most of the interns were aware of the existence of hepatitis B and C infection, the level of awareness regarding the modes of transmission and vaccination was found to be dissatisfactory. Awareness level regarding the infection among nursing interns was statistically significantly lower than the dental and medical interns. A direct positive correlation as found between awareness score and behavior score, which reveals that interns with better awareness level had better attitudes toward the infection and prevention of its transmission. There is an urgent need to increase the level and quality of training among HCWs to prevent the spread of hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus.

Comparison of Government and Non-Government Alcohol and Other Drug (AOD) Treatment Service Delivery for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Community.

PubMed

Mullens, Amy B; Fischer, Jane; Stewart, Mary; Kenny, Kathryn; Garvey, Shane; Debattista, Joseph

2017-07-03

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) populations are more likely to misuse alcohol and other drugs (AOD), compared to the general population. However, LGBT engagement with AOD treatment is often precluded by insensitivity and misunderstanding of LGBT issues. These treatment barriers may be a consequence of either worker attitudes, organizational factors or a combination of both. Few studies have compared service context as an impediment to AOD treatment. This pilot study sought to examine and compare staff attitudes, knowledge and awareness of LGBT issues in two state-wide AOD services within Australia. One organization was a government service, whilst the other was faith based. A cross-sectional study of a convenience sample (N = 130) of workers employed in a state-wide government AOD service (n = 65), and a state-wide non-government service (n = 65) was conducted. Participants self-completed a questionnaire comprising tools previously used to assess staff attitudes, knowledge and awareness of LGBT issues. Few significant differences in attitudes and awareness of LGBT issues between government and non-government respondents were found. Nearly all respondents were supportive of LGBT persons irrespective of organizational context, with a small number of negative views. Although most respondents demonstrated awareness of organizational policies and practices relating to LGBT clients, many were "unsure" or "neutral" of what these might be. It is confirming that the majority of staff report supportive attitudes towards LGBT clients. Findings suggest that organizations need to continue to take leadership to strengthen organizational training and capacity to deliver LGBT friendly AOD treatment practices.

Tuberculosis infection control knowledge and attitudes among health workers in Uganda: a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Buregyeya, Esther; Kasasa, Simon; Mitchell, Ellen M H

2016-08-15

The World Health Organization recommends TB infection control (TBIC) in health care facilities. In 2008, the Ministry of Health Uganda initiated efforts to implement TBIC by training of health care workers (HCWs). This study was carried out to assess knowledge and attitudes towards TBIC among HCWs. We conducted a cross-sectional study among HCWs in health facilities in the districts of Mukono and Wakiso in Uganda, from October 2010 to February 2011. We assessed HCWs' knowledge of basic standards of TB diagnosis, treatment and TBIC and attitudes towards TBIC measures. Twenty four percent of the participants answered correctly all the basic TB knowledge questions. Overall, 62 % of the HCWs were judged to have adequate basic TB knowledge. At multivariable analysis, non-clinical cadres, were more likely to have poor basic TB knowledge, [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 0.43; 95 % confidence interval (CI) 0.27-0.68)]. Only 7 % of the respondents answered all the questions on TBIC correctly. Almost all the respondents (98 %; 529/541) knew that TB was transmitted through droplet nuclei, while only a third (34 %; 174/532) knew that masks do not protect the wearer from getting TB. Overall, 69 % (355/512) of the HCWs were judged to have adequate TBIC knowledge. At multivariable analysis, non-clinical cadres (aOR 0.61; 95 % CI 0.38-0.98) and having not attended TBIC training, (aOR 0.65; 95 % CI 0.42-0.99), were more likely to have poor TBIC knowledge. More than three quarters (77 %; 410/530) and 63 % (329/522) of the respondents had a high self-efficacy and perceived threat of acquiring TB at work, respectively. Having not attended a TBIC training was significantly associated with a low self-efficacy (aOR 0.52; 95 % CI 0.33-0.81) and low perceived threat of acquiring TB infection at work, (aOR 0.54; 95 % CI 0.36-0.81). Our study finds moderate number of HCWs with correct knowledge and attitudes towards TBIC. Efforts should be put in place to train all HCWs in TBIC, with particular emphasis on the non-clinical staff due to their limited grasp of TBIC measures.

Building capacity to reduce disparities in diabetes: training community health workers using an integrated distance learning model.

PubMed

Colleran, Kathleen; Harding, Erika; Kipp, Billie Jo; Zurawski, Andrea; MacMillan, Barbara; Jelinkova, Lucie; Kalishman, Summers; Dion, Denise; Som, Dara; Arora, Sanjeev

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study is to determine whether an innovative interactive distance training program is an effective modality to train community health workers (CHWs) to become members of the diabetes health care team. The University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center has developed a rigorous diabetes training program for CHWs involving both distance and hands-on learning as part of Project ECHO™ (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes). Twenty-three diverse CHW participants from across New Mexico were enrolled in the first training session. Participants completed surveys at baseline and at the end of the program. They attended a 3-day hands-on training session, followed by weekly participation in tele/video conferences for 6 months. Wilcoxon signed-rank statistics were used to compare pre- and posttest results. Participants demonstrated significant improvements in diabetes knowledge (P = .002), diabetes attitudes (P = .04) and confidence in both clinical and nonclinical skills (P < .001 and P = .04, respectively). Additionally, during focus group discussions, participants reported numerous benefits from participation in the program. Community health worker participation in the Project ECHO diabetes training program resulted in significant increases in knowledge, confidence, and attitudes in providing care to patients with diabetes. Studies are ongoing to determine whether the training has a positive impact on patient outcomes.

Infection control knowledge, attitudes, and practices among healthcare workers at Mulago Hospital, Kampala, Uganda.

PubMed

Sethi, Ajay K; Acher, Charles W; Kirenga, Bruce; Mead, Scott; Donskey, Curtis J; Katamba, Achilles

2012-09-01

Effective implementation of infection control programs and adherence to standard precautions are challenging in resource-limited settings. The objective of this study was to describe infection control knowledge, attitudes, and practices among healthcare workers (HCWs) in Uganda. We conducted a survey of hospital employees who had direct contact with patients or their immediate environment. We also performed an environmental assessment of resource availability and utilization within hospital wards. Surgical, medicine, and obstetrics wards at a national referral hospital in Kampala, Uganda. One hundred eighty-three randomly selected HCWs. Almost all HCWs knew to wash their hands, although nursing and support staff were less likely to perceive that HCWs' hands can be a vector of disease transmission. Hand washing was valued more as a means of self-protection than as a means to prevent patient-to-patient transmission, consistent with the prevailing belief that infection control was important for occupational safety. Sinks were not readily accessible, and soap at sinks was uncommon throughout the medicine and obstetrics wards but more commonly available in the surgery wards. Alcohol gel was rarely available. Changing infection control practices in developing countries will require a multifaceted approach that addresses resource availability, occupational safety, and local understanding and attitudes about infection control.

Attitudes of employees of service and trading companies towards people with epilepsy and their professional activity in Poland.

PubMed

Dorota, Talarska; Witkowska, Monika; Michalak, Michał

2014-03-01

Attitudes are shaped by the influence of the media and fixed social beliefs. Lack of interaction with people suffering from epilepsy may result in an inaccurate perception of this particular group. The aim of this study was to examine attitudes towards people with epilepsy as potential colleagues. A group of 187 employees, employed in medium sized service and trading companies was analyzed. Each employee completed a questionnaire divided into three attitude components: knowledge, emotions and behaviour. Each of these attitude subscales was analyzed separately. The results were verified with statistical tests. The lowest mean score was obtained by respondents on the knowledge subscale, a higher score was obtained on the emotions subscale whilst the highest on the behavioural subscale. Over half of respondents expressed an accepting attitude towards people with epilepsy. According to 67% of respondents, people with epilepsy have equal possibilities as far as access to work is concerned. Education had statistically significant scores within the emotions component. No correlation was found between any of the declared attitudes of respondents and their seniority, age or sex. Familiarity with a person with epilepsy translated into a higher level of knowledge and a positive perception of a patient as a possible future colleague. To improve the employment situation of people with epilepsy, knowledge among workers should be increased. This should be done at various levels of employment to ensure that the risks of employing a person with epilepsy are more adequately assessed and mitigated if possible. Copyright © 2013 British Epilepsy Association. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

HIV-testing among female sex workers on the border between Brazil and French Guiana: the need for targeted interventions.

PubMed

Parriault, Marie-Claire; van Melle, Astrid; Basurko, Célia; Gaubert-Marechal, Emilie; Macena, Raimunda Hermelinda Maia; Rogier, Stéphanie; Kerr, Ligia Regina Franco Sansigolo; Nacher, Mathieu

2015-08-01

The border between Brazil and French Guiana is a place of economic, cultural, social and sexual exchange. Female sex workers represent a high risk population for HIV in this area where sexual tourism is particularly developed. HIV testing seems to be an important element in the fight against the epidemic. Indeed, early HIV testing gives access to treatments and prevention. An HIV/AIDS knowledge, attitudes, behaviors and practices survey was conducted in 2011 among sex workers along the border between Brazil and French Guiana. A total of 213 female sex workers were interviewed. One third (31.5%) of the interviewed had never tested for HIV. Factors associated with non HIV-testing were the lack of knowledge of places where to do an HIV test, to be 30 or older, feeling at risk of HIV, not evaluating one's own risk towards HIV, and living in Oiapoque. These results clearly suggest that targeted interventions are needed to encourage and assist female sex workers to get tested regularly.

Global flexibility--shop floor flexibility: what's a worker to do?

PubMed

Forrant, R

1999-01-01

For several years new forms of work organization have been introduced by U.S. management to cut labor costs, improve productivity, and increase their shop floor control. Corporations have also invested in computer-controlled machinery in an effort to eliminate large numbers of skilled blue-collar workers and to decrease their reliance on the tacit knowledge of such workers. Once seemingly secure jobs in diverse industries like airplanes, jet engines, machine tools, and computer chips, are no longer so stable. In an effort to expand their global reach and reorganize the workplace, managers are able to capitalize on two conflicted and conflicting attitudes among the workforce: the first, workers most deep-seated fear, the loss of a permanent job; the second, their aspirations to contribute their knowledge and skills in a positive way on the shop floor. In this article the reorganization of work at two western Massachusetts metalworking companies is described. What distinguishes these cases is the central role that the union played in the organized plant and the workers played in both plants to improve production and at least for now preserve jobs.

Anaemia is typical of pregnancies: capturing community perception and management of anaemia in pregnancy in Anambra State, Nigeria.

PubMed

Onyeneho, Nkechi G; Igweonu, Obianuju U

2016-08-31

Anaemia during pregnancy continues to constitute significant challenge to maternal health in Nigeria and contributes substantially to the worsening maternal mortality ratio (MMR) in Nigeria despite a global reduction in MMR in response to effort to improve safe motherhood. The incidence of anaemia during pregnancy is still high (>40 %) in Nigeria, and attitudes and management practices are yet unclear as the peoples' understanding of the phenomenon remains unclear. This study explored the perceptions/attitudes on anaemia during pregnancy and practices to prevent and/or manage it in Anambra State. In-depth interview and focus group discussion data were collected from health workers and mothers who delivered within 6 months preceding the study and from mothers and husbands of women who delivered within 6 months preceding the study, respectively. The people expressed some knowledge of anaemia, being common in pregnancies. However, some expressed the view that anaemia being a typical sign of pregnancy cannot be prevented. Some mothers expressed desire for focused antenatal care services to control anaemia but lamented the attitude of the health workers, who make access to these interventions difficult. Control of anaemia in pregnancy should start with providing health education to pregnant women and their partners, who reinforce what the women are told during antenatal care, and with training health workers for friendlier attitudes to clients.

A Study of Work Based Learning For Construction Building Workers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Siregar, Syafiatun

2018-03-01

Work-based learning (WBL) is designed to improve the competence of participants. This study aims to apply the WBL and to develop attitudes, knowledge, skills, behaviors, and habits, which in turn can improve the competence of construction workers in the field to be sampled. This research was conducted on building construction workers in Medan City with 30 research subjects. The results showed that the evaluation of learning increased in phase I obtained the difference of the average score of 20.9 (the meeting I) and 25.50 (meeting II). The final result shows that the level of activity and competence increased significantly after WBL

Occupational heat exposure among municipal workers.

PubMed

Uejio, Christopher K; Morano, Laurel Harduar; Jung, Jihoon; Kintziger, Kristina; Jagger, Meredith; Chalmers, Juanita; Holmes, Tisha

2018-06-05

Outdoor workers face elevated and prolonged heat exposures and have limited access to air-conditioned spaces. This study's overarching research aim is to increase knowledge of municipal worker heat exposure and adaptation practices. The study's sub-objectives are: (1) quantifying exposure misclassification from estimating personal heat exposure from the official weather station; (2) surveying worker's knowledge and practices to adapt to extreme heat; and (3) relating heat exposure and adaptation practices to self-reported thermal comfort. Participants wore a personal heat exposure sensor over 7 days from June 1st to July 3rd, 2015 in Tallahassee, Florida US. Next, participants confirmed the days that they wore the sensor and reported their daily thermal comfort and heat adaptations. Finally, participants completed an extreme heat knowledge, attitudes, and practices survey. Some participants (37%) experienced hotter and more humid conditions (heat index > 2) than the weather station. The most common heat adaptations were staying hydrated (85%), wearing a hat (46%), and seeking shade (40%). During work hours, higher temperatures increased the odds (odds ratio: 1.21, 95% confidence interval: 1.03-1.41, p = 0.016) of a participant feeling too hot. Shifting work duty indoors made workers to feel more comfortable (odds ratio: 0.28, 95% confidence interval: 0.11-0.70, p = 0.005). In hot and humid climates, everyday, heat exposures continuously challenge the health of outdoor workers.

Evaluation of trained Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) workers regarding their knowledge, attitude and practices about child health.

PubMed

Shrivastava, Saurabh R; Shrivastava, Prateek S

2012-10-01

In India, with the introduction of Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) workers under the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) from 2005 to 2006, utilization of healthcare services at the peripheral level has improved. This study was conducted with the purpose of evaluating knowledge, attitudes and practices of ASHA workers in relation to child health. A cross-sectional study was conducted at Palghar Taluka in the Thane district of Maharashtra for a period of 3 months from January 2011 to March 2011, inclusive, with the study participants all being trained ASHA workers working in the various primary health centres of Palghar Taluka. A total of 150 ASHA workers were working in the area, of which four workers were untrained and thus excluded from the study. The study was conducted by the authors after receiving permission from the medical officer in charge of the primary health centres. Each of the ASHA workers was then contacted individually by the authors and had the study explained to them, after which they were interviewed face to face. Informed consent was taken from each of the study participants. A pre-tested semi-structured questionnaire was designed for ASHA workers regarding child health after thoroughly studying the ASHA Training Module 2, which was then translated into their local language (ie Marathi). A total of 70 (47.9%) workers were from the under 25 years age group; 67 (45.9%) had received less than a secondary level education. A total of 67.1% of ASHA workers were not aware of the correct preventive measures for vitamin A deficiency. Twenty-nine (19.9%) of the ASHAs did not feel the need for referral for a child with diarrhoea who is unable to drink or breast feed. Similarly, in acute respiratory tract infections, 35 (23.9%) of ASHAs did not know to refer a child with fast breathing. Fifty-nine ASHAs (50.4%) considered a baby crying for more than 3 hours following immunization not worth referring to a first referral unit. The oral contraceptive pill was the most frequently advised temporary contraceptive measure for females in the reproductive age group (15-45 years). Despite the training given to ASHAs, lacunae still exists in their knowledge regarding various aspects of child health morbidity. Monthly meetings can be used as a platform for the reinforcement of various aspects of child health. Periodical refresher training should be conducted for all of the recruited ASHA workers. In the future training sessions, more emphasis should be given to high risk cases requiring prompt referral.

'Before reaching the last mile'- Knowledge, attitude, practice and perceived barriers related to tuberculosis directly observed therapy among ASHA workers in Central India: A mixed method study.

PubMed

Singh, Akash Ranjan; Pakhare, Abhijit; Kokane, Arun M; Shewade, Hemant Deepak; Chauhan, Ashish; Singh, Abhishek; Gangwar, Arti; Thakur, Prahlad Singh

2017-12-01

Community-based direct observed treatment (DOT) providers are an important bridge for the national tuberculosis programme in India to reach the unreached. The present study has explored the knowledge, attitude, practice and barriers perceived by the community-based DOT providers. Mixed-methods study design was used among 41 community-based DOT providers (Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHAs)) working in 67 villages from a primary health center in Raisen district of Madhya Pradesh, India. The cross-sectional quantitative component assessed the knowledge and practices and three focus-group discussions explored the attitude and perceived barriers related to DOT provision. 'Adequate knowledge' and 'satisfactory practice' related to DOT provision was seen in 14 (34%) and 13 (32%) ASHAs respectively. Only two (5%) received any amount of honorarium for completion of DOT in last 3years. The focus-group discussions revealed unfavourable attitude; inadequate training and supervision, non-payment of honorarium, issues related to assured services after referral and patient related factors as the barriers to satisfactory practice of DOT. Study revealed inadequate knowledge and unsatisfactory practice related to DOT provision among ASHAs. Innovations addressing the perceived barriers to improve practice of DOT provision by ASHAs are urgently required. Copyright © 2017 Ministry of Health, Saudi Arabia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A cross-site intervention in Chinese rural migrants enhances HIV/AIDS knowledge, attitude and behavior.

PubMed

Li, Ning; Li, Xiaomei; Wang, Xueliang; Shao, Jin; Dou, Juanhua

2014-04-23

With the influx of rural migrants into urban areas, the spread of HIV has increased significantly in Shaanxi Province (China). Migrant workers are at high risk of HIV infection due to social conditions and hardships (isolation, separation, marginalization, barriers to services, etc.). We explored the efficacy of a HIV/AIDS prevention and control program for rural migrants in Shaanxi Province, administered at both rural and urban sites. Guidance concerning HIV/AIDS prevention was given to the experimental group (266 migrants) for 1 year by the center of disease control, community health agencies and family planning department. The intervention was conducted according to the HIV/AIDS Prevention Management Manual for Rural Migrants. A control group of migrants only received general population intervention. The impact of the intervention was evaluated by administering HIV/AIDS knowledge, attitudes and sexual behavior (KAB) questionnaires after 6 and 12 months. In the experimental group; 6 months of intervention achieved improvements in HIV/AIDS related knowledge. After 12 months; HIV/AIDS-related knowledge reached near maximal scores. Attitude and most behaviors scores were significantly improved. Moreover; the experimental group showed significant differences in HIV-AIDS knowledge; attitude and most behavior compared with the control group. The systematic long-term cross-site HIV/AIDS prevention in both rural and urban areas is a highly effective method to improve HIV/AIDS KAB among rural migrants.

Poor knowledge of vaccination recommendations and negative attitudes towards vaccinations are independently associated with poor vaccination uptake among adults - Findings of a population-based panel study in Lower Saxony, Germany.

PubMed

Akmatov, Manas K; Rübsamen, Nicole; Deyneko, Igor V; Karch, André; Mikolajczyk, Rafael T

2018-04-25

The aims of this study were to (a) assess knowledge of official vaccination recommendations and attitudes towards vaccinations among adults and (b) examine their association with vaccination uptake among adults. This study was part of the HaBIDS study (Hygiene and Behaviour Infectious Diseases Survey), which is an online panel established in March 2014 in Lower Saxony, Germany with males and females aged between 15 and 69 years (n = 2379). Every few months, participants completed questionnaires on different aspects of infectious diseases. In September 2014, knowledge of vaccination recommendations, attitudes towards vaccinations and information on uptake of vaccinations in the last 10 years (practice) were collected using a knowledge-attitude-practice (KAP) questionnaire. Multiple correspondence analysis was applied to identify underlying structures in each KAP domain and fractional polynomial regression analysis to examine the associations of knowledge and attitudes with vaccination uptake. Of the 2379 panel members, 1698 (71%) completed the KAP questionnaire on vaccinations. The majority of participants (80%) knew that the vaccine against diphtheria and tetanus should be administered every 10 years. Regarding other recommendations, the proportion of correct answers varied between 35% and 60%. 82% of participants agreed that adult vaccinations should be mandatory for selected groups such as health care workers and 40% stated that vaccinations should be mandatory for all adults. For the different vaccines, the odds of being unvaccinated were 1.5- to 5-times higher among participants with poor knowledge of vaccination recommendations compared to participants with good knowledge. Participants with negative attitudes towards vaccinations were also more likely to be unvaccinated. Efforts should be undertaken to improve knowledge of official vaccination recommendations in the general population and reduce common misconceptions about vaccinations. This information can be provided during general practitioner visits or through media campaigns. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Wanted: Gerontological Social Workers--Factors Related to Interest in the Field

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ferguson, Alishia

2012-01-01

This study attempted to build a predictive model of factors related to social work students' interest in gerontological social work. Bachelor's and Master's students from universities around Texas were surveyed to determine if knowledge about the aging process and related job opportunities, attitudes toward aging and professional or personal…

Impact of family planning health talks by lay health workers on contraceptive knowledge and attitudes among HIV-infected patients in rural Kenya

PubMed Central

Onono, Maricianah; Blat, Cinthia; Miles, Sondra; Steinfeld, Rachel; Wekesa, Pauline; Bukusi, Elizabeth A.; Owuor, Kevin; Grossman, Daniel; Cohen, Craig R.; Newmann, Sara J.

2015-01-01

Objective To determine if a health talk on family planning (FP) by community clinic health assistants (CCHAs) will improve knowledge, attitudes and behavioral intentions about contraception in HIV-infected individuals. Methods A 15-min FP health talk was given by CCHAs in six rural HIV clinics to a sample of 49 HIV-infected men and women. Effects of the health talk were assessed through a questionnaire administered before the health talk and after completion of the participant's clinic visit. Results Following the health talk, there was a significant increase in knowledge about contraceptives (p < .0001), side-effects (p < .0001), and method-specific knowledge about IUCDs (p < .001), implants (p < .0001), and injectables (p < .05). Out of 31 women and 18 men enrolled, 14 (45%) women and 6 (33%) men intended to try a new contraceptive. Participant attitudes toward FP were high before and after the health talk (median 4 of 4). Conclusion A health talk delivered by CCHAs can increase knowledge of contraception and promote the intention to try new more effective contraception among HIV-infected individuals. Practice implications FP health talks administered by lay-health providers to HIV-infected individuals as they wait for HIV services can influence FP knowledge and intention to use FP. PMID:24316053

Impact of family planning health talks by lay health workers on contraceptive knowledge and attitudes among HIV-infected patients in rural Kenya.

PubMed

Onono, Maricianah; Blat, Cinthia; Miles, Sondra; Steinfeld, Rachel; Wekesa, Pauline; Bukusi, Elizabeth A; Owuor, Kevin; Grossman, Daniel; Cohen, Craig R; Newmann, Sara J

2014-03-01

To determine if a health talk on family planning (FP) by community clinic health assistants (CCHAs) will improve knowledge, attitudes and behavioral intentions about contraception in HIV-infected individuals. A 15-min FP health talk was given by CCHAs in six rural HIV clinics to a sample of 49 HIV-infected men and women. Effects of the health talk were assessed through a questionnaire administered before the health talk and after completion of the participant's clinic visit. Following the health talk, there was a significant increase in knowledge about contraceptives (p<.0001), side-effects (p<.0001), and method-specific knowledge about IUCDs (p<.001), implants (p<.0001), and injectables (p<.05). Out of 31 women and 18 men enrolled, 14 (45%) women and 6 (33%) men intended to try a new contraceptive. Participant attitudes toward FP were high before and after the health talk (median 4 of 4). A health talk delivered by CCHAs can increase knowledge of contraception and promote the intention to try new more effective contraception among HIV-infected individuals. FP health talks administered by lay-health providers to HIV-infected individuals as they wait for HIV services can influence FP knowledge and intention to use FP. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Strengthening Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Tuberculosis Prevention Capacity among South African Healthcare Workers: A Mixed Methods Study of a Collaborative Occupational Health Program.

PubMed

Liautaud, Alexandre; Adu, Prince A; Yassi, Annalee; Zungu, Muzimkhulu; Spiegel, Jerry M; Rawat, Angeli; Bryce, Elizabeth A; Engelbrecht, Michelle C

2018-06-01

Insufficient training in infection control and occupational health among healthcare workers (HCWs) in countries with high human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and tuberculosis (TB) burdens requires attention. We examined the effectiveness of a 1-year Certificate Program in Occupational Health and Infection Control conducted in Free State Province, South Africa in an international partnership to empower HCWs to become change agents to promote workplace-based HIV and TB prevention. Questionnaires assessing reactions to the program and Knowledge, Attitudes, Skills, and Practices were collected pre-, mid-, and postprogram. Individual interviews, group project evaluations, and participant observation were also conducted. Quantitative data were analyzed using Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Qualitative data were thematically coded and analyzed using the Kirkpatrick framework. Participants recruited ( n  = 32) were mostly female (81%) and nurses (56%). Pre-to-post-program mean scores improved in knowledge (+12%, p  = 0.002) and skills/practices (+14%, p  = 0.002). Pre-program attitude scores were high but did not change. Participants felt empowered and demonstrated attitudinal improvements regarding HIV, TB, infection control, and occupational health. Successful projects were indeed implemented. However, participants encountered considerable difficulties in trying to sustain improvement, due largely to lack of pre-existing knowledge and experience, combined with inadequate staffing and insufficient management support. Training is essential to strengthen HCWs' occupational health and infection control knowledge, attitudes, skills, and practices, and workplace-based training programs such as this can yield impressive results. However, the considerable mentorship resources required for such programs and the substantial infrastructural supports needed for implementation and sustainability of improvements in settings without pre-existing experience in such endeavors should not be underestimated.

‘Scared of going to the clinic’: Contextualising healthcare access for men who have sex with men, female sex workers and people who use drugs in two South African cities

PubMed Central

2018-01-01

Background Men who have sex with men (MSM), sex workers (SW) and people who use drugs (PWUD) are at increased risk for HIV because of multiple socio-structural barriers and do not have adequate access to appropriate HIV prevention, diagnosis and treatment services. Objective To examine the context of access to healthcare experienced by these three ‘Key Populations’, we conducted a qualitative study in two South African cities: Bloemfontein in the Free State province and Mafikeng in the North West province. Method We carried out in-depth interviews to explore healthcare workers’ perceptions, beliefs and attitudes towards Key Populations. Focus group discussions were also conducted with members of Key Populations exploring their experiences of accessing healthcare. Results Healthcare workers described their own attitudes towards Key Populations and demonstrated a lack of relevant knowledge, skills and training to manage the particular health needs and vulnerabilities facing Key Populations. Female SW, MSM and PWUD described their experiences of stigmatisation, and of being made to feel guilt, shame and a loss of dignity as a result of the discrimination by healthcare providers and other community. members. Our findings suggest that the uptake and effectiveness of health services amongst Key Populations in South Africa is limited by internalised stigma, reluctance to seek care, unwillingness to disclose risk behaviours to healthcare workers, combined with a lack of knowledge and understanding on the part of the broader community members, including healthcare workers. Conclusion This research highlights the need to address the broader healthcare provision environment, improving alignment of policies and programming in order to strengthen provision of effective health services that people from Key Populations will be able to access. PMID:29568645

Attitudes towards second hand smoke amongst a highly exposed workforce: survey of London casino workers.

PubMed

Pilkington, P A; Gray, S; Gilmore, A B; Daykin, N

2006-06-01

To examine knowledge, attitudes and experiences of London casino workers regarding exposure to second hand smoke (SHS) in the workplace. Postal survey of 1568 London casino workers in 25 casinos who were members of the TGWU or GMB Trade Unions. Of the workers, 559 responded to the survey (36% response), 22% of whom were current smokers. Of the respondents, 71% report being nearly always exposed to heavy levels of SHS at work, and most (65%) want all working areas in their casino to be smoke-free. The majority (78%) are bothered by SHS at work, while 91% have wanted to move away from where they are working because of it. Fifty-seven per cent believe their health has suffered as a result of SHS. Of the workers who smoke at work, 59% believe that they would try to quit smoking if no one was allowed to smoke in the casino. The majority of responders are bothered by SHS, and many are concerned about the health impacts. Most want all working areas in their casino to be smoke-free. Despite difficulties in generalizing from this limited sample, these findings add weight to the argument that the legislation on smoking in public places in England should encompass all workplaces, without exemption.

Awareness of HIV and AIDS among fishermen in coastal areas of Balochistan.

PubMed

Sheikh, Nadeem S; Sheikh, Azeem S; Rafi-u-Shan; Sheikh, Aqleem A

2003-04-01

The aim of this study is to determine the knowledge, attitude, behaviour and practices regarding HIV/AIDS among the fishermen community in the coastal areas of Balochistan. A cross-sectional survey. This study was conducted between September-October 2000 at Gidani, a coastal area of Balochistan. About 1000 fishermen were interviewed to assess the knowledge, attitude, behaviour and practices regarding HIV/AIDS. It was a community based survey involving the key informants, interviews and focused group discussions. There was little awareness regarding causes and prevention of HIV/AIDS in the community. While healthcare providers believe that the prevalence of HIV/AIDS is high, the community did not consider themselves at risk. Adolescents with any sexual health problems visit hakims and quacks. The community was aware of the etiology and some of the risk factors associated with AIDS, most probably due to the recent public health campaigns against the disease. Considering the suspected high prevalence of HIV/AIDS and the relative lack of knowledge, it is imperative that a public health intervention program be initiated in these areas. This must include educating not only the community but also the health workers. The Government's initiative to train community workers in reproductive health is a step in the right direction.

Impact of basic life-support training on the attitudes of health-care workers toward cardiopulmonary resuscitation and defibrillation.

PubMed

Abolfotouh, Mostafa A; Alnasser, Manal A; Berhanu, Alamin N; Al-Turaif, Deema A; Alfayez, Abdulrhman I

2017-09-22

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) increases the probability of survival of a person with cardiac arrest. Repeating training helps staff retain knowledge in CPR and in use of automated external defibrillators (AEDs). Retention of knowledge and skills during and after training in CPR is difficult and requires systematic training with appropriate methodology. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of basic life-support (BLS) training on the attitudes of health-care providers toward initiating CPR and on use of AEDs, and to investigate the factors that influence these attitudes. A quasi-experimental study was conducted in two groups: health-care providers who had just attended a BLS-AED course (post-BLS group, n = 321), and those who had not (pre-BLS group, n = 421). All participants had previously received BLS training. Both groups were given a validated questionnaire to evaluate the status of life-support education and certification, attitudes toward use of CPR and AED and concerns regarding use of CPR and AED. Multiple linear regression analyses were applied to identify significant predictors of the attitude and concern scores. Overall positive attitudes were seen in 53.4% of pre-BLS respondents and 64.8% of post-BLS respondents (χ 2  = 9.66, p = 0.002). Positive attitude was significantly predicted by the recent completion of BLS training (β = 5.15, p < 0.001), the number of previous BLS training courses (β = 2.10, p = 0.008) and previous exposure to cardiac-arrest cases (β = 3.44, p = 0.018), as well as by low concern scores, (β = -0.09, p < 0.001). Physicians had significantly lower concern scores than nurses (β = -10.45, p = 0.001). Concern scores decreased as the duration of work experience increased (t = 2.19, p = 0.029). Repeated educational programs can improve attitudes toward CPR performance and the use of AEDs. Training that addressed the concerns of health-care workers could further improve these attitudes.

Health workers’ knowledge of and attitudes towards computer applications in rural African health facilities

PubMed Central

Sukums, Felix; Mensah, Nathan; Mpembeni, Rose; Kaltschmidt, Jens; Haefeli, Walter E.; Blank, Antje

2014-01-01

Background The QUALMAT (Quality of Maternal and Prenatal Care: Bridging the Know-do Gap) project has introduced an electronic clinical decision support system (CDSS) for pre-natal and maternal care services in rural primary health facilities in Burkina Faso, Ghana, and Tanzania. Objective To report an assessment of health providers’ computer knowledge, experience, and attitudes prior to the implementation of the QUALMAT electronic CDSS. Design A cross-sectional study was conducted with providers in 24 QUALMAT project sites. Information was collected using structured questionnaires. Chi-squared tests and one-way ANOVA describe the association between computer knowledge, attitudes, and other factors. Semi-structured interviews and focus groups were conducted to gain further insights. Results A total of 108 providers responded, 63% were from Tanzania and 37% from Ghana. The mean age was 37.6 years, and 79% were female. Only 40% had ever used computers, and 29% had prior computer training. About 80% were computer illiterate or beginners. Educational level, age, and years of work experience were significantly associated with computer knowledge (p<0.01). Most (95.3%) had positive attitudes towards computers – average score (±SD) of 37.2 (±4.9). Females had significantly lower scores than males. Interviews and group discussions showed that although most were lacking computer knowledge and experience, they were optimistic about overcoming challenges associated with the introduction of computers in their workplace. Conclusions Given the low levels of computer knowledge among rural health workers in Africa, it is important to provide adequate training and support to ensure the successful uptake of electronic CDSSs in these settings. The positive attitudes to computers found in this study underscore that also rural care providers are ready to use such technology. PMID:25361721

Undergraduate nursing students' knowledge and attitudes towards organ donation in Korea: Implications for education.

PubMed

Kim, Jung-Ran Theresa; Fisher, Murray J; Elliott, Doug

2006-08-01

Organ donation from brain dead patients is a contentious issue in Korea within the cultural context of Confucian beliefs. Each year thousands of patients wait for organ donation note poor donation rates and importance of nurses in identifying potential donors. It is therefore important to identify knowledge levels and attitudes towards organ donation from brain dead patients of nursing students as future health workers. Using a 38-item instrument previously developed by the researchers, 292 undergraduate students in a Korean nursing college were surveyed in 2003 in Korea (response rate 92%). Validity and reliability of the instrument was demonstrated using a multiple analytical approach. A lack of knowledge regarding diagnostic tests and co-morbid factors of brain death were noted among students. Their attitudes toward organ donation were somewhat mixed and ambiguous, but overall they were positive and willing to be a potential donor in the future. While this study identified that an effective educational program is necessary for nursing students in Korea to improve their knowledge of brain death and organ donation, further research is also required to verify these single-site findings and improve the generalisability of results.

Pilot Study of Pesticide Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices among Pregnant Women in Northern Thailand

PubMed Central

Lorenz, Alyson N.; Prapamontol, Tippawan; Narksen, Warangkana; Srinual, Niphan; Barr, Dana B.; Riederer, Anne M.

2012-01-01

An estimated 200,000 children born in Thailand each year are at risk of prenatal exposure to pesticides and associated neurodevelopmental outcomes because of their mothers’ agricultural occupations. Children born to non-agricultural workers may also be at risk of exposure from other pathways of maternal pesticide exposure, including exposure through home use, diet, and other environmental media. Pesticide exposure in Thailand has been linked to unsafe practices and beliefs about pesticides. However, limited information exists on pesticide knowledge, attitudes, and practices among pregnant women in Thailand or elsewhere. Obtaining this information is essential to understand the factors associated with prenatal pesticide exposure, identify populations potentially at risk, and ultimately protect pregnant women and their children. We administered surveys to 76 pregnant women in northern Thailand and used multivariable logistic regression to evaluate associations among pesticide-related knowledge, pregnancy trimester, and pesticide use behavior. In this pilot study, lower knowledge score and earliest trimester of pregnancy were marginally (p < 0.1) associated with unsafe practices in the home, but not at work. Women who worked in agriculture or applied pesticides before becoming pregnant, or who had a previous child were significantly (p < 0.05) more likely to engage in unsafe behaviors in the home during their current pregnancy. We preliminarily conclude that increasing pesticide-related knowledge among pregnant women may help promote safe practices and reduce prenatal exposure. Knowledge-based interventions may be most effective when implemented early in pregnancy and targeted to agricultural workers and other sub-populations at risk of pesticide exposure. PMID:23202693

Implicit attitudes, emotions, and helping intentions of mental health workers toward their clients.

PubMed

Brener, Loren; Rose, Grenville; von Hippel, Courtney; Wilson, Hannah

2013-06-01

The attitudes of mental health care workers toward their clients may influence the quality of care they provide. There is growing recognition of the role of implicit attitudes in behavior toward people with stigmatized illnesses, such as mental illness, and of the need to measure these separately from explicit attitudes. Seventy-four mental health workers completed implicit and explicit measure of attitudes toward people with mental illness. The participants were also asked about their intention to help people with mental illness and their emotional reactions toward people with a mental illness. The findings show that the implicit attitudes of the health workers toward clients with a mental illness are somewhat negative despite the fact that their explicit attitudes are somewhat positive. Although both implicit and explicit attitudes predicted negative emotions, only implicit attitudes were related to helping intentions. This study highlights the association between implicit attitudes and behavioral intentions and confirms the importance of addressing implicit attitudes in mental health research.

Literature and the Human Condition in Teaching and Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Altman, Julie Cooper; Schaffner Goldberg, Gertrude; Quiros, Laura

2017-01-01

The benefits of literature are countless. Social workers, however, are usually not inclined to count the teaching and practice of social work among its beneficiaries. We believe that literature is one of the ways to enrich vital components of social work knowledge, attitudes, and skills. In this article, we begin by calling attention to a…

The Impact of a Post-Master's Program in Substance Abuse on Social Work and Other Health Professionals

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Straussner, Shulamith Lala A.; Vairo, Elena

2007-01-01

Substance abuse is a major problem encountered by social workers in all settings. This study investigated the impact of a postmaster's program in the treatment of substance-abusing clients on the domains of "Attitudes and Values," "Knowledge and Skills," and "Behaviors" of its graduates. Overall, 91 percent of…

A participatory approach to health promotion for informal sector workers in Thailand

PubMed Central

Manothum, Aniruth; Rukijkanpanich, Jittra

2010-01-01

Abstract: Background: This study aims to promote occupational health in the informal sector in Thailand by using a participatory approach. The success of the intervention is based on an evaluation of the informal sector workers, a) knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors in occupational health and safety, b) work practice improvement, and c) working condition improvement. Methods: This study applies the Participatory Action Research (PAR) method. The participants of the study consisted of four local occupations in different regions of Thailand, including a ceramic making group in the North, a plastic weaving group in the Central region, a blanket making group in the Northeast, and a pandanus weaving group in the South. Data was collected using both qualitative and quantitative methods through questionnaires, industrial hygiene instruments, and group discussions. Results: The results showed that the working conditions of the informal sector were improved to meet necessary standards after completing the participatory process. Also, the post-test average scores on 1) the occupational health and safety knowledge, attitudes and behaviors measures and 2) the work practice improvement measures were significantly higher than the pre-test average scores (P less than 0.05). Conclusions: The results demonstrate that the participatory approach is an effective tool to use when promoting the health safety of the informal sector and when encouraging the workers to voluntarily improve the quality of their own lives. PMID:21483207

Knowledge, attitudes and anxiety towards influenza A/H1N1 vaccination of healthcare workers in Turkey.

PubMed

Savas, Esen; Tanriverdi, Derya

2010-09-23

This study aimed to analyze the factors associated with knowledge and attitudes about influenza A (H1N1) and vaccination, and possible relations of these factors with anxiety among healthcare workers (HCW). The study used a cross-sectional descriptive design, and it was carried out between 23 November and 4 December 2009. A total of 300 HCW from two hospitals completed a questionnaire. Data collection tools comprised a questionnaire and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). Vaccination rate for 2009 pandemic influenza A(H1N1) among HCW was low (12.7%). Most of the respondents believed the vaccine was not safe and protective. Vaccination refusal was mostly related to the vaccine's side effects, disbelief to vaccine's protectiveness, negative news about the vaccine and the perceived negative attitude of the Prime Minister to the vaccine. State anxiety was found to be high in respondents who felt the vaccine was unsafe. HCW considered the seriousness of the outbreak, their vaccination rate was low. In vaccination campaigns, governments have to aim at providing trust, and media campaigns should be used to reinforce this trust as well. Accurate reporting by the media of the safety and efficacy of influenza vaccines and the importance of vaccines for the public health would likely have a positive influence on vaccine uptake. Uncertain or negative reporting about the vaccine is detrimental to vaccination efforts.

A Study on the Effects of Managers' Behaviors and Attitudes on Job Satisfaction and Motivation of Workers in the Directorate of Sports and Youth Services through the Eyes of Workers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Celik, Akin

2013-01-01

This study dealt with how managers' behaviors and attitudes affected the job satisfaction and motivation of workers in the Directorate of Sports and Youth Services in the eyes of workers. The study used a qualitative method. It focused on the workers' ideas of how they were affected by their managers' attitudes and behaviors in terms of job…

A Cross-Site Intervention in Chinese Rural Migrants Enhances HIV/AIDS Knowledge, Attitude and Behavior

PubMed Central

Li, Ning; Li, Xiaomei; Wang, Xueliang; Shao, Jin; Dou, Juanhua

2014-01-01

Background: With the influx of rural migrants into urban areas, the spread of HIV has increased significantly in Shaanxi Province (China). Migrant workers are at high risk of HIV infection due to social conditions and hardships (isolation, separation, marginalization, barriers to services, etc.). Objective: We explored the efficacy of a HIV/AIDS prevention and control program for rural migrants in Shaanxi Province, administered at both rural and urban sites. Methods: Guidance concerning HIV/AIDS prevention was given to the experimental group (266 migrants) for 1 year by the center of disease control, community health agencies and family planning department. The intervention was conducted according to the HIV/AIDS Prevention Management Manual for Rural Migrants. A control group of migrants only received general population intervention. The impact of the intervention was evaluated by administering HIV/AIDS knowledge, attitudes and sexual behavior (KAB) questionnaires after 6 and 12 months. Results: In the experimental group; 6 months of intervention achieved improvements in HIV/AIDS related knowledge. After 12 months; HIV/AIDS-related knowledge reached near maximal scores. Attitude and most behaviors scores were significantly improved. Moreover; the experimental group showed significant differences in HIV-AIDS knowledge; attitude and most behavior compared with the control group. Conclusions: The systematic long-term cross-site HIV/AIDS prevention in both rural and urban areas is a highly effective method to improve HIV/AIDS KAB among rural migrants. PMID:24762671

Prevention and control of tuberculosis in workplaces: how knowledgeable are the workers in Bangladesh?

PubMed

Islam, Qazi Shafayetul; Islam, Md Akramul; Islam, Shayla; Ahmed, Syed Masud

2015-12-24

The National Tuberculosis (TB) Control Programme (NTP) of Bangladesh succeeded in achieving the dual targets of 70 % case detection and 85 % treatment completion as set by the World Health Organization. However, TB prevention and control in work places remained largely an uncharted area for NTP. There is dearth of information regarding manufacturing workers' current knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) on pulmonary TB which is essential for designing a TB prevention and control programme in the workplaces. This study aimed to fill-in this knowledge gap. This cross-sectional survey was done in multiple workplaces like garment factories, jute mills, bidi/tobacco factories, flour mills, and steel mills using a multi-stage sampling procedure. Data on workers' KAP related to pulmonary TB were collected from 4800 workers in face-to-face interview. The workers were quite knowledgeable about symptoms of pulmonary TB (72 %) and free- of-cost sputum test (86 %) and drug treatment (88 %), but possessed superficial knowledge regarding causation (4 %) and mode of transmission (48 %). Only 11 % knew about preventive measures e.g., taking BCG vaccine and/or refraining from spitting here and there. Knowledge about treatment duration (43 %) and consequences of incomplete treatment (11 %) was poor. Thirty-one percent were afraid of the disease, 21 % would feel embarrassed (and less dignified) if they would have TB, and 50 % were afraid of isolation if neighbours would come to know about it. Workers with formal education (AOR 1.92; 95 % CI 1.61, 2.29) and exposure to community health workers (CHW) (AOR 31.60; 95 % CI 18.75, 53.35) were more likely to have TB knowledge score ≥ mean. Workers with knowledge score ≥ mean (AOR = 1.91; 95 % CI:1.44, 2.53) and exposure to CHWs either alone (AOR = 42.4; 95 % CI: 9.94, 180.5) or in combination with print media (AOR = 37.35; 95 % CI: 9.1, 180.5) were more likely to go to DOTS centre for treatment . Only around 43 % had sputum examination despite having chronic cough of ≥ 3 weeks duration. The workers had inadequate knowledge regarding its causation, transmission and prevention which may interfere with appropriate treatment-seeking for chronic cough including sputum test. NTP needs to be cognizant of these factors while designing a workplace TB prevention and control programme for Bangladesh.

[KAP research and intervention effects of health education on prevention and control of occupational diseases in occupational groups in Jinzhou, China].

PubMed

Wang, D H; Liu, X L; Quan, J K

2016-04-20

To investigate the current status of knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP)on the prevention and control of occupational diseases in occupational groups in Jinzhou, China, and to evaluate the intervention effects of health education. Using the cluster random sampling method, 1000 workers who underwent occupational health examination in Jinzhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention from September 2014 to April 2015 were enrolled in this study. They were equally and randomly divided into intervention group and control group. The intervention group received health education for 6 months through bulletin board, promotion materials, expert lecture, Q&A session, and other relevant educational events. The questionnaire survey was performed before and after intervention. The control group received the questionnaire survey but not the health education. The overall awareness rate of prevention and control knowledge was 75.34% in 990 workers in Jinzhou, China. After the intervention, the intervention group had a significantly higher awareness rate of prevention and control knowledge than the control group (89.87%~98.86% vs 71.25%~80.82%, P<0.05); the intervention group had a significantly higher attitude accuracy for" whether occupational health examination is necessary or not" and " is willing to received the training on occupational health knowledge" than the control group(χ(2)=57.857, P<0.05; χ(2)=70.683, P<0.05); and the intervention group had a significantly higher rate of correct behavior for" whether help the business management personnel to carry out the prevention and control of occupational diseases or not" and"whether actively understand the occupational hazards of job" (χ(2)=102.186, P<0.05; χ(2)=91.159, P<0.05). Health education can significantly increase the awareness rate of prevention and control knowledge on occupational diseases in occupational groups in Jinzhou, China. However, the more structured and longterm comprehensive intervention is necessary for improving their attitude and behavior.

[What is parents' and medical health care specialists knowledge about vaccinations?].

PubMed

Tarczoń, Izabela; Domaradzka, Ewa; Czajka, Hanna

2009-01-01

The aim of the study was to become familiar with parents' and Medical Health Care specialists knowledge and attitude towards vaccinations. The influence of information, provided to patients from various sources, on general opinion about immunization and its coverage within the last year were evaluated. Analysis of questionnaires about vaccinations performed among 151 parents and 180 Medical Health Care specialists. Medical Health Care specialists knowledge was considerably higher in comparison to questioned parents. Surprisingly enough, only approximately 90% of Medical Health Care workers knew about prophylaxis of Hib infections. A doctor is the main and the most reliable source of information for parents. Significant impact on parents' attitude to vaccinations is made not only by campaigns promoting vaccinations, but also by widespread opinions about their harmfulness. The doctor is the major source of reliable information about vaccinations for parents. Therefore, there is the need of continuous improvement of Medical Health Care specialists knowledge, but also the ability of successfully communicating it to parents.

Knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) among agricultural extension workers concerning the reduction of the adverse impact of pesticides in agricultural areas in Tanzania.

PubMed

Ngowi, A V F; Maeda, D N; Partanen, T J

2002-01-01

Extension workers are educated locally to enable them to train farmers in using improved local farming methods and imported technology, such as pesticides, to increase crop production. However, the extension workers are not adequately trained in health aspects of pesticides and hence are unable to provide adequate services to farmers with regard to safe use of pesticides. The present study assessed the knowledge, attitudes and practices of agricultural extension workers with respect to health effects of pesticides in order to develop strategies for the control of pesticide exposure and prevention of pesticide poisoning in Tanzania. A survey of Tanzanian agricultural extensionists was undertaken in 1991-1994 using a standardized questionnaire in face-to-face interviews. Extensionists who were district agricultural officers, assistant agricultural officers, agricultural assistants, and field assistants, working in the coffee and cotton growing areas (N = 61) within a radius of 15 km of farm, estate or village under farm worker study (reported elsewhere) were included in the survey. The majority of extensionists knew that pesticides could enter the human body but only a quarter perceived pesticides as a major problem in the community they served. The majority showed awareness of potential health hazards of the different pesticides used in their service areas, but they did not recognize what pesticides were responsible for poisoning. A high proportion was familiar with first aid procedures in case of pesticide poisoning; however, many procedures described were not appropriate for pesticide poisoning. The survey indicated that training of agricultural workers in health aspects of pesticide exposure is an important task for adequate provision of service to farmers with regard to safe use of pesticides in Tanzania. Nevertheless, the appropriate role of extensionists in reducing the health impact of pesticides would be to advocate pesticides of low toxicity or non-chemical pest control.

Effect of end of life education on medical students' and health care workers' death attitude.

PubMed

Hegedus, K; Zana, A; Szabó, G

2008-04-01

One of the goals of education in end of life care is to make communication more open by exploring critical issues related to fear of dying and death in order to reduce anxiety and improve an individual's attitude to dying patients. The aim of our research was to evaluate the effects of courses for health care workers and medical students in care at the end of life. One hundred and twenty-seven health care professionals and 41 undergraduate medical students completed the Multidimensional Fear of Death Scale (MFODS) on the first and last day of the course. The most significant factors of fear of death are: Fear for Significant Others, Fear of the Dying Process and Fear of the Unknown. Overall fear of death scores were reduced as an effect of the courses. Changes in the components and level of fear of death are influenced by the participants' gender, age and profession. Improvement was evident in the attitudes to dying patients in both groups, which was related to an increase in knowledge of high-quality care of dying patients.

Community health workers, social support and cervical cancer screening among high-risk groups in rural Mexico.

PubMed

Elliott, Patrick F; Belinson, Suzanne E; Ottolenghi, Emma; Smyth, Kathleen; Belinson, Jerome L

2013-11-01

Rural Mexico has a low screening prevalence and high burden of cervical cancer. One strategy to increase screening coverage utilizes community health workers (CHWs) to recruit high-risk women and address barriers. We conducted a systematic cross-sectional survey of 196 women residing in Chiapas, Mexico who were recruited by either CHWs or traditional means for screening. This analysis compares 110 rural women's risk factors, attitudes and knowledge of cervical cancer and socioeconomic factors stratified by type of recruitment. Women who were informed of screening by CHWs were more likely to be of high risk sub-groups and report higher scores of social support but were also more likely to endorse difficulty with access and fatalistic attitudes about cancer. Utilizing CWHs results in increased screening among high-risk women and increased social support for screening among rural women, addressing a significant barrier, but may have limited effects on other barriers.

Impact of mental health training on village health workers regarding clinical depression in rural India.

PubMed

Paudel, Shreedhar; Gilles, Nadege; Hahn, Sigrid; Hexom, Braden; Premkumar, Ramaswamy; Arole, Shobha; Katz, Craig

2014-05-01

Village health worker (VHW) programs are known to be effective means of promoting health of communities. Comprehensive rural health project in India recently trained VHWs to identify, refer, and help people with mental health issues. This study evaluated knowledge, attitude, and behavior of VHWs regarding depression. Cluster sampling was used including all 36 VHWs trained in mental health. Among these, 24 were available and willing to participate in the study. Five FGDs were conducted among 24 VHWs, and the results were analyzed qualitatively. Four out of five groups were able to diagnose the presented case correctly as depression. VHWs were able to identify many symptoms and to suggest management options for depression. They showed supportive and empathetic attitudes towards depressed patients. VHWs are likely to be useful at identifying and assisting people with depression in the communities with lack of adequate resources provided they receive ongoing training and supervision.

Hand Hygiene: Knowledge and Attitudes of Fourth-Year Clerkship Medical Students at Alfaisal University, College of Medicine, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

PubMed

Hamadah, Reem; Kharraz, Razan; Alshanqity, Airabab; AlFawaz, Danah; Eshaq, Abdulaziz M; Abu-Zaid, Ahmed

2015-08-24

Little is known about the clerkship (clinical) medical students' knowledge of hand hygiene as the single most important precautionary measure to reduce nosocomial healthcare-associated infections. The aim of this study is to explore the knowledge of, and attitudes towards, hand hygiene practices among fourth-year clerkship medical students at Alfaisal University, College of Medicine, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. A cross-sectional, paper-based, Yes/No formatted questionnaire was administered to explore the students' knowledge of, and attitudes towards, hand hygiene practices. Data were decoded in Microsoft Excel sheet and presented as numbers and percentages. One hundred and eleven students (n=111/147) participated in the questionnaire (response rate: 76%). Although the majority of students had a fair knowledge of hand hygiene practices, a number of them had some misconceptions. Only 14% of students correctly agreed to the statement: "Traditional hand washing (water, plus regular soap) decreases the number of germs." Furthermore, only 32% of students correctly answered that "hand washing with a regular soap, instead of an antiseptic soap, is better in limiting the transmission of clostridium difficile infections". Almost all students (93%) agreed to the importance of hand hygiene education in medical curricula and its awareness in healthcare centers. Despite the importance of hand hygiene, only 13% of students reviewed the respective WHO and CDC guidelines before starting their clinical training in the teaching hospital. The students' inadequate knowledge about hand hygiene needs to be enriched by well-structured curricular and extra-curricular programs as well as more positive attitudes by healthcare workers.

Knowledge, Attitude and Practice towards Kangaroo Mother Care.

PubMed

Shah, Rakesh Kumar; Sainju, Nayan Kamal; Joshi, Sunil Kumar

2018-01-01

Kangaroo mother care is an effective and low cost technique which prevents neonate from hypothermia, a leading cause of preventable neonatal mortality. Knowledge and practice of Kangaroo mother care is of utmost importance in developing countries such as Nepal. Purpose of this study was to find out knowledge, attitude and practice of kangaroo mother care among health workers in tertiary health centres in Nepal. This cross sectional study was carried out in three teaching hospitals in Nepal during the period from January 2016 to April 2016. Doctors and nurses working in Paediatrics/Neonatal and Obstetrics/Gynaecology wards were surveyed using pretested questionnaire. Responses from the doctors and the nurses were compared. Response rate of the survey was 65%. All of the doctors and 95.3% of the nurses who participated in the survey had knowledge about kangaroo mother care.37.7%of the doctors and 48.8% of the nurses thought that this method is only used for neonates with low birth weight (<2500grams) (p= 0.013).Three fourth of the doctors and half of the nurses agreed that KMC is practiced regularly in their ward (p = 0.016). 22.2% participants informed that main reasons for not practicing kangaroo care regularly could be lack of skill and knowledge. We found that general knowledge and attitude of majority of doctors and nurses towards kangaroo mother care was good, however, its practise was not uniform.

Social Workers' Attitudes toward Older Adults: A Review of the Literature

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Donna; Chonody, Jill

2013-01-01

Ageist attitudes toward older adults have been recognized as barriers to recruiting and training competent social workers. This article provides a systematic review of the literature that focused on social workers' and social work students' attitudes toward older adults and working with older adults. The authors sought empirical studies…

Attitudes, Perceptions, and Behavioral Intentions of Engineering Workers toward Web 2.0 Tools in the Workplace

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Krause, Jaclyn A.

2010-01-01

As Web 2.0 tools and technologies increase in popularity in consumer markets, enterprises are seeking ways to take advantage of the rich social knowledge exchanges that these tools offer. The problem this study addresses is that it remains unknown whether employees perceive that these tools offer value to the organization and therefore will be…

Child Care Services 1: The Child Care Aide, Home and Family Education: 6755.02.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ahrens, Thea

The course is the first of a series of four courses which provide the student with the knowledge and skills necessary to become an effective child care aide. Planned for junior or senior high school students, the course focuses on employment requirements including appearance, attitudes, relationships with employer and co-workers, and the legal…

Answering the Demands of a New Workplace: Using Competency-Based Vocational Education To Prepare Workers. A VES Briefing Paper.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moore, Debra M.; Pershing, James A.

Common elements of definitions of competency-based vocational education (CBVE) are: (1) CBVE is an instructional process; (2) students must develop competencies; (3) competency includes skill, knowledge, and attitudes; and (4) the outcome is successful job performance. Advantages of CBVE include: (1) students' awareness of what is expected of them…

Unravelling current sexual care in chronic kidney disease: perspective of social workers.

PubMed

van Ek, Gaby F; Keurhorst, Dirry; Krouwel, Esmée M; Nicolai, Melianthe P J; Den Ouden, Marjolein E M; Elzevier, Henk W; Putter, Hein; Pelger, Rob C M; Den Oudsten, Brenda L

2018-03-01

Fifty to eighty percent of patients suffering from chronic kidney disease (CKD) experience a form of sexual dysfunction (SD), even after renal transplantation. Despite this, inquiring about SD is often not included in the daily practice of renal care providers. This paper explores the perspectives of renal social workers regarding sexual care for patients and evaluates their practice, attitude towards responsibility and knowledge of SD. A cross-sectional study was conducted using a 41-item online survey. Seventy-nine members of the Dutch Federation of Social Workers Nephrology. It was revealed that 60% of respondents discussed SD with a fifth of their patients. Frequency of discussion was associated with experience (p = 0.049), knowledge (p = 0.001), supplementary education (p = 0.006), and the availability of protocols on sexual care (p = 0.007). Main barriers towards discussing SD consisted of 'culture and religion' (51.9%), 'language and ethnicity' (49.4%), and 'presence of a third person' (45.6%). Sufficient knowledge of SD was present in 28% of respondents. The responsibility for discussion was 96% nephrologists and 81% social workers. This study provides evidence that a part of Dutch nephrology social workers do not provide sexual care regularly, due to insufficient experience and sexual knowledge, absence of privacy and protocols and barriers based on cultural diversity. According to the respondents the responsibility for this aspect of care should be multidisciplinary. Recommendations include a need for further education on the topic, private opportunities to discuss SD and multidisciplinary guidelines on sexual care. © 2017 European Dialysis and Transplant Nurses Association/European Renal Care Association.

Two Classes and One Vision? Managers' and Workers' Attitudes toward Workplace Democracy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Collom, Ed

2003-01-01

Analyses of national survey data on workplace democracy found both managers and workers support worker participation in manager selection and worker control of production processes. Experience of class-related practices strongly predicts attitudes; location in the class hierarchy does not. Once workers gain some control, they seek to broaden it to…

Client Violence and Its Negative Impacts on Work Attitudes of Child Protection Workers Compared to Community Service Workers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shin, Junseob

2011-01-01

This study investigated the prevalence of client violence toward child protection workers and its negative impacts on the work attitudes of those workers compared with community service workers in South Korea. This study is based on the assumption that child protection workers are more vulnerable to violence than are community service workers…

Attitudes and perceptions of workers to sexual harassment.

PubMed

McCabe, Marita P; Hardman, Lisa

2005-12-01

The authors investigated how individual factors (age, gender, gender role, past experiences of sexual harassment) and organizational factors (gender ratio, sexual harassment policies, the role of employers) related to workers' attitudes toward and perceptions of sexual harassment. In Study 1, participants were 176 workers from a large, white-collar organization. In Study 2, participants were 75 workers from a smaller, blue-collar organization. Individuals from Study 2 experienced more sexual harassment, were more tolerant of sexual harassment, and perceived less behavior as sexual harassment than did individuals from Study 1. For both samples, organizational and individual factors predicted workers' attitudes toward and experiences of sexual harassment. Individual factors-such as age, gender, gender role, past experiences of sexual harassment, and perceptions of management's tolerance of sexual harassment-predicted attitudes toward sexual harassment. Workers' attitudes, the behavioral context, and the gender of the victim and perpetrator predicted perceptions of sexual harassment. The authors discussed the broader implications of these findings and suggested recommendations for future research.

Knowledge of, and attitudes to giving expressed breastmilk to infants in rural coastal Kenya; focus group discussions of first time mothers and their advisers.

PubMed

Talbert, Alison W; Tsofa, Benjamin; Mumbo, Edward; Berkley, James A; Mwangome, Martha

2018-01-01

The World Health Organization (WHO)/UNICEF Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative step number five of the "Ten steps to successful breastfeeding" states "Show mothers how to breastfeed and how to maintain lactation even if they should be separated from their infants." Urban mothers in Nairobi have low rates of exclusive breastfeeding after returning to work but there are no published data on rural Kenya mothers' infant feeding practices when working or schooling away from home. We explored knowledge of, and attitudes to, the practice of giving expressed breastmilk in a mixed methods observational study of breastfeeding in rural Kenyan mothers. Fifty mothers with newborns, identified by nurses and community health workers, were asked questions about their experiences of breastfeeding and who they had sought or received advice from on breastfeeding. Focus group discussions, one with community health workers, and four each with mothers and their named advisers were held. Recordings were analyzed using a thematic framework approach. The main themes were: the baby's right to feed from the breast, lack of knowledge about expressing and giving breastmilk, negative attitudes towards expressed breastmilk, and traditional customs for disposing of expressed breast milk. Most participants did not have any experience of giving expressed breastmilk to infants. They described practices of expressing and discarding milk when the mother or baby was ill, to relieve discomfort from engorgement or after the baby had died. Feeding expressed breastmilk to infants is a new concept in this context. Promotion of, and training in this practice would help mothers to maintain their milk supply when away from their babies and benefit the infants of working and schoolgirl mothers.

Q Fever Knowledge, Attitudes and Vaccination Status of Australia’s Veterinary Workforce in 2014

PubMed Central

Sellens, Emily; Norris, Jacqueline M.; Dhand, Navneet K.; Heller, Jane; Hayes, Lynne; Gidding, Heather F.; Willaby, Harold; Wood, Nicholas; Bosward, Katrina L.

2016-01-01

Q fever, caused by Coxiella burnetii, is a serious zoonotic disease in humans with a worldwide distribution. Many species of animals are capable of transmitting C. burnetii, and consequently all veterinary workers are at risk for this disease. An effective Q fever vaccine has been readily available and used in Australia for many years in at-risk groups, and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control has recently also called for the use of this vaccine among at-risk groups in Europe. Little is known about attitudes towards this vaccine and vaccine uptake in veterinary workers. This study aimed to determine the Q fever vaccination status of veterinarians and veterinary nurses in Australia and to assess and compare the knowledge and attitudes towards Q fever disease and vaccination of each cohort. An online cross-sectional survey performed in 2014 targeted all veterinarians and veterinary nurses in Australia. Responses from 890 veterinarians and 852 veterinary nurses were obtained. Binary, ordinal and multinomial logistic regression were used to make comparisons between the two cohorts. The results showed that 74% of veterinarians had sought vaccination compared to only 29% of veterinary nurses. Barriers to vaccination among those not vaccinated did not differ between cohorts, and included a lack of perceived risk, financial expense, time constraints, and difficulty in finding a vaccine provider. Poor knowledge and awareness of Q fever disease and vaccination were additional and notable barriers for the veterinary nursing cohort, suggesting veterinary clinics and veterinarians may not be meeting their legal responsibility to educate staff about risks and risk prevention. Further evaluation is needed to identify the drivers behind seeking and recommending vaccination so that recommendations can be made to improve vaccine uptake. PMID:26756210

Challenges to implementing opioid substitution therapy in Ukrainian prisons: Personnel attitudes toward addiction, treatment, and people with HIV/AIDS.

PubMed

Polonsky, Maxim; Azbel, Lyuba; Wickersham, Jeffrey A; Taxman, Faye S; Grishaev, Evgeny; Dvoryak, Sergey; Altice, Frederick L

2015-03-01

Ukraine is experiencing one of the most volatile HIV epidemics globally, fueled primarily by people who inject drugs (PWIDs), and a parallel incarceration epidemic. Opioid substitution therapy (OST) is internationally recognized as one of the most effective forms of treatment for opioid dependence and is among the most effective HIV prevention strategies available, yet efforts to adopt it in Ukraine's Criminal Justice System (CJS) have been thwarted. To understand the reluctance of the Ukrainian CJS to adopt OST despite the overwhelming evidence pointing to its health benefits and improved criminal justice outcomes, we conducted the first survey of Ukrainian prison administrative, medical and custodial staff (N=243) attitudes towards addiction in general, OST, and people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) in representative regions of Ukraine. Results revealed that Ukrainian CJS workers' attitudes toward OST, PLWHA, and drug addiction were universally negative, but differed substantially along geographic and occupational lines. Whereas geographic and cultural proximity to the European Union drove positive attitudes in the west, in the southern region we observed an identifiability effect, as workers who worked directly with prisoners held the most positive attitudes. We also found that knowledge mediated the effect of drug intolerance on OST attitudes. In Ukraine, adoption of OST is more influenced by myths, biases and ideological prejudices than by existing scientific evidence. By elucidating existing attitudes among CJS personnel, this study will help to direct subsequent interventions to address the barriers to implementing evidence-based HIV prevention treatments. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Assessing the knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding cholera preparedness and prevention in Ga-Mampuru village, Limpopo, South Africa

PubMed Central

Jordaan, Andries J.; Mabela, Beverly M.

2016-01-01

The study assessed the knowledge, attitudes and practices of cholera prevention and preparedness in Ga-Mampuru village (Limpopo, South Africa). Interviewers collected data using a two-pronged method, namely a household questionnaire (open- and closed-ended questions) to assess knowledge and attitudes about cholera and observations to assess practices in the prevention and management of the disease. Additionally, interviewers took pictures with the respondents’ permission. Ninety-six respondents were interviewed. Most respondents (86%) indicated they knew how cholera was contracted with 84% indicating contaminated water as a source. Ninety percent of the respondents indicated they knew how to prevent contracting cholera. All respondents generally knew that cholera could be treated with medicine received at a health-care facility or worker. Fewer respondents (58%) had specific knowledge such as the use of rehydration solutions. The respondents’ high level of prevention practices could be biased. Interviewers observed that many practices were not adhered to, like not washing hands, not using toilet paper and throwing waste in respondents’ yards. Therefore, the community of Ga-Mampuru had not reached a stage of adequate cholera prevention and preparedness in spite of the fact that they were aware of cholera risks and risk-reduction measures.

The knowledge, attitude and behaviours of nurses about pharmacovigilance, adverse drug reaction and adverse event reporting in a state hospital

PubMed Central

Vural, Fisun; Ciftci, Seval; Vural, Birol

2015-01-01

OBJECTIVE: With the use of any drug comes the possibility of unintended consequences which when harmful are referred to as adverse drug reactions (ADRs). The development of national pharmacovigilance systems is the responsibility of all health workers. The aim of this study was to investigate the knowledge of nurses about pharmacovigilance and attitudes about ADR and adverse event reporting. METHODS: This descriptive-cross sectional study was performed in 112 nurses working in a public hospital. The questionnaire was applied about pharmacovigilance and adverse drug reactions. The knowledge, attitudes and practices about adverse drug reactions were asked. RESULTS: The 74.1% of the nurses definition of “severe adverse effect” of drug therapy. The ratio of participants who knew that ADRs are reported to contact person responsible from pharmacovigilance was 34.9%. Although 70.5% of nurses knew the necessity of ADR reporting, the 8% of the nurses knew Turkish Pharmacovigilance Center (TÜFAM). Only 8% of nurses reported ADRs in their professionality. CONCLUSION: Although most of the participants knew the importance of ADR event reporting, event reporting was low. Thiese results showed that there is a lack of knowledge about pharmacovigilance. Futher studies with different settings and healthcare staff are needed to improve awareness about pharmacovigilance. PMID:28058321

Web-based training for primary healthcare workers in rural China: a qualitative exploration of stakeholders' perceptions.

PubMed

Zhang, Zhixia; Zhan, Xingxin; Li, Yingxue; Hu, Rong; Yan, Weirong

2015-01-01

Equitable access to basic public health services is a priority in China. However, primary healthcare workers' competence to deliver public health services is relatively poor because they lack professional training. Since the availability of web-based training has increased in China, the current study explored stakeholders' perceptions of a web-based training program on basic public health services to understand their thoughts, experiences, and attitudes about it. Six focus group discussions with primary healthcare workers and three with directors of township hospitals, county-level Health Bureaus, and county-level Centers for Disease Control and Prevention were conducted in Yichang City during 2013. Semi-structured topic guides were used to facilitate qualitative data collection. Audio recordings of the sessions were transcribed verbatim and theme analysis was performed. Most of the study's participants, especially the village doctors, had insufficient knowledge of basic public health services. The existing training program for primary healthcare workers consisted of ineffective traditional face-to-face sessions and often posed accessibility problems for the trainees. Most of the study's participants had a positive attitude about web-based learning and expressed a strong desire to receive this novel training approach because of its flexibility and convenience. The perceived barriers to utilizing the web-based training method included poor computer literacy, lack of personal interaction, inadequate infrastructure, and lack of time and motivation. The facilitators of this approach included the training content applicability, the user-friendly and interactive learning format, and policy support. Web-based training on basic public health services is a promising option in rural China. The findings of the study will contribute knowledge to implementation of web-based training in similar settings.

PubMed Central

RAJI, A.O.Q.

2014-01-01

Summary Introduction. Food-borne disease outbreaks remain a major global health challenge and cross-contamination from raw meat due to poor handling is a major cause in developing countries. Adequate knowledge of meat handlers is important in limiting these outbreaks. This study evaluated and compared the safe meat-handling knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) of private (PMPP) and government meat processing plants' (GMPP) workers in south-western Nigeria. Methods. This cross sectional study comprised 190 meat handlers (PMPP = 55; GMPP = 135). Data concerning their safe meat-handling knowledge, attitudes and practices as well as their socio-demographic characteristics, such as age, gender and work experience were collected. Results. A significant association was observed between the type of meat processing plants and their knowledge (p = 0.000), attitudes (p = 0.000) and practices (p = 0.000) of safe meat-handling. Meat handlers in the GMPP were respectively, about 17 times (OR = 0.060, 95%CI: 0.018-0.203), 57 times (OR = 0.019, 95% CI: 0.007-0.054) and 111 times (OR = 0.009, 95%CI: 0.001- 0.067) less likely to obtain good knowledge, attitude and practice level of safe meat-handling than those from PMPP. Further, KAP levels were significantly associated with age group, education and work experience (p < 0.05). Discussion. Study findings suggest the need for future policy in food industry in developing countries to accommodate increased involvement of private sector for improved food safety and quality delivery. Public health education on safe food handling and hygiene should be on the front burner among food handlers in general. PMID:25916026

Influenza Vaccination Coverage Rates, Knowledge, Attitudes, and Beliefs in Jordan: A Comprehensive Study.

PubMed

Assaf, Areej M; Hammad, Eman A; Haddadin, Randa N

2016-11-01

Influenza vaccination is the most effective method in preventing influenza and its complications. This study's objectives were to investigate the vaccination coverage and frequency and to assess knowledge, attitudes, and practices toward influenza vaccination in Jordan during the year 2012 and the 5 years preceding it. Additionally, it aimed at identifying the barriers and motivations to receive the vaccine and the factors contributing to its uptake. In May 2012, a self-administered cross-sectional survey was distributed to 3,200 adults conveniently selected across Jordan to explore influenza vaccination status, knowledge, attitudes, and practices toward the influenza vaccine. The survey response rate was 98.3%. The overall coverage rate of seasonal influenza vaccination ranged from 9.9% to 27.5%. Results of the univariate analysis revealed that males, participants older than 45 years, business owners, and university students or graduates were more likely to take the vaccine. Healthcare workers (HCW) showed higher rates than non-HCW and those with concomitant chronic diseases were more committed to receive the vaccine. Knowledge about the influenza vaccine is considered high in the Jordanian population. Fear from side effects was the major barrier, while the fear of the virus spread and outbreak was the major reason to receive the vaccine. The coverage rates were low in Jordan compared to other countries. The need for influenza vaccine campaigns and on-going education in Jordan health schools is crucial to increase the rate and remove misconceptions and negative attitudes toward vaccination.

Public knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding antibiotic use in Kosovo

PubMed Central

Zajmi, Drita; Berisha, Merita; Begolli, Ilir; Hoxha, Rina; Mehmeti, Rukije; Mulliqi-Osmani, Gjyle; Kurti, Arsim; Loku, Afrim; Raka, Lul

2016-01-01

Background: Antimicrobial resistance is becoming a major public health challenge worldwide, caused primarily by the misuse of antibiotics. Antibiotic use is closely related to the knowledge, attitudes and behaviour of a population. Objective: The objective of this study was to assess the level of knowledge, attitudes and practices about antibiotic use among the general public in Kosovo. Methods: A cross-sectional face-to-face survey was carried out with a sample of 811 randomly selected Kosovo residents. The methodology used for this survey was based on the European Commission Eurobarometer survey on antimicrobial resistance. Results: More than half of respondents (58.7%) have used antibiotics during the past year. A quarter of respondents consumed antibiotics without a medical prescription. The most common reasons for usage were flu (23.8%), followed by sore throat (20.2%), cold (13%) and common cold (7.6%). 42.5% of respondents think that antibiotics are effective against viral infections. Almost half of respondents (46.7%) received information about the unnecessary use of antibiotics and 32.5% of them report having changed their views and behaviours after receiving this information. Health care workers were identified as the most trustworthy source of information on antibiotic use (67.2%). Conclusion: These results provide quantitative baseline data on Kosovar knowledge, attitudes and practice regarding the use of antibiotic. These findings have potential to empower educational campaigns to promote the prudent use of antibiotics in both community and health care settings. PMID:28503216

Knowledge and attitudes of mental health professionals in Ireland to the concept of recovery in mental health: a questionnaire survey.

PubMed

Cleary, A; Dowling, M

2009-08-01

Recovery is the model of care presently advocated for mental health services internationally. The aim of this study was to examine the knowledge and attitudes of mental health professionals to the concept of recovery in mental health. A descriptive survey approach was adopted, and 153 health care professionals (nurses, doctors, social workers, occupational therapists and psychologists) completed an adapted version of the Recovery Knowledge Inventory. The respondents indicated their positive approach to the adoption of recovery as an approach to care in the delivery of mental health services. However, respondents were less comfortable in encouraging healthy risk taking with service users. This finding is important because therapeutic risk taking and hope are essential aspects in the creation of a care environment that promotes recovery. Respondents were also less familiar with the non-linearity of the recovery process and placed greater emphasis on symptom management and compliance with treatment. Multidisciplinary mental health care teams need to examine their attitudes and approach to a recovery model of care. The challenge for the present and into the future is to strive to equip professionals with the necessary skills in the form of information and training.

Service Based Internship Training to Prepare Workers to Support the Recovery of People with Co-Occurring Substance Abuse and Mental Health Disorders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crowe, Trevor P.; Kelly, Peter; Pepper, James; McLennan, Ross; Deane, Frank P.; Buckingham, Mark

2013-01-01

A repeated measures design was used to evaluate a 12 month on-site counsellor internship programme aimed at training staff to support the recovery needs of people with co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders. Fifty-four interns completed measures of recovery knowledge, attitudes, confidence/competence, as well as identifying…

[Attitudes of adults towards homosexuality and knowledge of sexually transmitted diseases: part one].

PubMed

Tritt, Remigiusz Jarosław

2011-01-01

This doctoral dissertation is the first scientific article in Poland with an in-depth analysis of subjective attitudes of members of various social groups towards persons with a homosexual orientation. The dissertation includes definitions of terms related to homosexuality, as well as changing opinions on gays and lesbians over the centuries from antiquity till modern times. Special attention is devoted to the biological background of human and animal homosexuality. Opinions of various experts are presented and the fate of homosexuals throughout history is discussed together with examples of persecution on one side and growing tolerance on the other. The aim of this study was to (a) investigate the attitudes of adults representing various social groups towards homosexuality; (b) evaluate the knowledge of respondents concerning biological and social aspects of homosexuality; (c) determine the degree of tolerance and acceptance of gays and lesbians. The study was done in 2255 respondents - students of various university faculties, as well as in teachers, servicemen, and cadets of the Military Academy. The study tool was a 24-item anonymous questionnaire. 1. Knowledge of problems relating to homosexuality differed among various social groups. Knowledge was highest among students of cultural studies and teachers. 2. The level of tolerance and acceptance towards homosexuals continues to rise, particularly among students of the humanities. 3. The type and field of studies has an impact on the shaping of attitudes of students towards the homosexually-oriented population. The highest level of acceptance was found among students of cultural studies and philosophy. Students of the military academy and physical education revealed animosity and negative attitudes. 4. Biological factors - gender and environmental factors - parents' social class - have an impact on the shaping of attitudes towards homosexuality. Males and respondents of peasant descent do not accept homosexuality. More positive attitudes are evolving among respondents of worker descent, possibly because of their migration to cities.

Reaching teen farm workers with health and safety information: an evaluation of a high school ESL curriculum.

PubMed

Teran, S; Strochlic, R; Bush, D; Baker, R; Meyers, J

2008-04-01

While childhood agricultural injury has long been recognized as an important public health issue, most research has focused on family farms and there have not been many interventions targeting hired youth. This study evaluated the impact of a high school English as a Second Language (ESL) curriculum, designed to provide teen agricultural workers with the knowledge and tools to protect their health and safety in the fields. Using a quasi-experimental design, the research consisted of two intervention groups and a comparison group, and included over 2,000 students from communities that lead California in agricultural production. The research findings revealed that the curriculum had significant impact in terms of increases in knowledge and attitudes, and nearly half of those interviewed after a summer of working in the fields reported implementing new behaviors to protect their health and safety. The curriculum also had extended effects in the broader community, as the majority of students reported sharing the new information with others. The study found that a school-based ESL curriculum is an effective intervention to reach and educate teen farm workers and that ESL classes can serve as a much-needed access point for young farm workers.

An analysis of the determinants of family planning volunteer workers' performance in Iloilo City.

PubMed

David, F; Chin, F

1993-01-01

This report analyzes data from a survey of 106 Barangay (village) Service Point Officers (BSPOs) associated with the City Population Office and 106 Barangay Health Workers (BHWs) associated with the City Health Office to compare the family planning (FP) service delivery performance of these voluntary workers in Iloilo City in the Philippines and to quantify the effects of the factors which influence their performance. Both the BSPOs and the BHWs assist in the delivery of health and FP services at the grassroots level. The survey data were supplemented with interviews with key informants, focus group discussions with married couples of reproductive age, clinic records, and observations of the BSPOs and BHWs at work. The analysis compared the sociodemographic characteristics of the two groups; the recruitment procedures followed (if any); FP training; actual FP-related work; involvement in community organizing; incentives received; supervision of the volunteers; attitude towards their work; FP knowledge, attitude, and practice; time allocated to FP activities; number of clients served; and number of clients counseled. Correlation analysis of factors influencing volunteer performance indicated that FP training had the largest positive influence on FP activities. The output of the workers was also positively affected by the amount of time spend in FP activities and by their involvement in community organizing. The commitment of the workers had a significant impact on the number of clients they resupplied with contraceptives. Variation in the FP performances of the two groups was caused by the fact that delivery of FP services is a major role of the BSPOs and only one of many responsibilities of the BHWs. These findings reinforce the planned restructuring of Iloilo City's FP program which would once again designate the Population Office as the lead agency. Increasing the knowledge of these volunteers about the side effects and contraindications of various methods should have a positive effect on continuation rates. Recruitment of volunteers should be based on the individual's level of interest and commitment.

Reducing ultraviolet radiation exposure among outdoor workers: State of the evidence and recommendations

PubMed Central

Glanz, Karen; Buller, David B; Saraiya, Mona

2007-01-01

Objective Outdoor workers have high levels of exposure to ultraviolet radiation and the associated increased risk of skin cancer. This paper describes a review of: 1) descriptive data about outdoor workers' sun exposure and protection and related knowledge, attitudes, and policies and 2) evidence about the effectiveness of skin cancer prevention interventions in outdoor workplaces. Data sources Systematic evidence-based review. Data synthesis We found variable preventive practices, with men more likely to wear hats and protective clothing and women more likely to use sunscreen. Few data document education and prevention policies. Conclusion Reports of interventions to promote sun-safe practices and environments provide encouraging results, but yield insufficient evidence to recommend current strategies as effective. Additional efforts should focus on increasing sun protection policies and education programs in workplaces and evaluating whether they improve the health behavior of outdoor workers. PMID:17686155

Determinants of Sunburn and Sun Protection of Agricultural Workers During Occupational and Recreational Activities.

PubMed

Backes, Claudine; Milon, Antoine; Koechlin, Alice; Vernez, David; Bulliard, Jean-Luc

2017-11-01

The aim of this study was to identify determinants of occupational sunburn in agricultural workers and assess their occupational and recreational sun protection habits. Specific surveys of agricultural workers in Switzerland and France were conducted (N = 1538). Multivariate logistic regressions identified occupational sunburn determinants. Occupational and recreational sun protection habits were estimated and correlated. One-year occupational and recreational sunburn prevalences were 19.8% and 11.5%, respectively. Occupational sunburn increased with having a recent recreational sunburn, highly sensitive skin, young age, high perceived skin cancer risk, using sunscreen, and not wearing a hat. Correlation between protection habits during work and leisure was substantial (rs 0.5 to 0.7). Skin health knowledge was high and pro-tanning attitude moderate. Potentially modifiable sunburn determinants and suboptimal recreational and occupational sun protection practices were identified in agricultural workers. Refining and tailoring sun protection messages targeting the agricultural sector are needed.

Workers' Attitudes toward Productivity. A New Survey.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clarke, Ronald H.; And Others

In response to the steady decline in productivity in the United States, the United States Chamber of Commerce in cooperation with the Gallup Organization conducted a survey of workers to determine their attitudes toward productivity. The probability survey sample of more than 800 workers shows that American workers are optimistic about the ability…

Health effects of agrochemicals among farm workers in commercial farms of Kwekwe district, Zimbabwe

PubMed Central

Magauzi, Regis; Mabaera, Bigboy; Rusakaniko, Simbarashe; Chimusoro, Anderson; Ndlovu, Nqobile; Tshimanga, Mufuta; Shambira, Gerald; Chadambuka, Addmore; Gombe, Notion

2011-01-01

Introduction Farm workers are at a very high risk of occupational diseases due to exposure to pesticides resulting from inadequate education, training and safety systems. The farm worker spends a lot of time exposed to these harmful agrochemicals. Numerous acute cases with symptoms typical of agrochemical exposure were reported from the commercial farms. We assessed the health effects of agrochemicals in farm workers in commercial farms of Kwekwe District (Zimbabwe), in 2006. Methods An analytical cross sectional study was conducted amongst a sample of 246 farm workers who handled agrochemicals when discharging their duties in the commercial farms. Plasma cholinesterase activity in blood specimens obtained from farm workers was measured using spectrophotometry to establish levels of poisoning by organophosphate and/or carbamates. Information on the knowledge, attitudes and practices of farm workers on agrochemicals use was collected using a pre-tested interviewer administered questionnaire. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were conducted to determine factors that were associated with abnormal cholinesterase activity. Results The prevalence of organophosphate poisoning, indicated by cholinesterase activity of 75% or less, was 24.1%. The median period of exposure to agrochemicals was 3 years (Q1:=1 year, Q3:=7 years). Ninety eight (41.5%) farm workers knew the triangle colour code for the most dangerous agrochemicals. Not being provided with personal protective equipment (OR 2.00; 95% CI: 1.07 – 3.68) and lack of knowledge of the triangle colour code for most dangerous agrochemicals (OR 2.02; 95% CI: 1.02 – 4.03) were significantly associated with abnormal cholinesterase activity. Conclusion There was organophosphate poisoning in the commercial farms. Factors that were significantly associated with the poisoning were lack of protective clothing and lack of knowledge of the triangle colour code for most dangerous agrochemicals. We recommended intensive health education and training of farm workers on the use of agrochemicals, provision of adequate and proper personal protective equipment as mitigation measures to this problem. PMID:22145061

Knowledge and occupational exposure to blood and body fluids among health care workers and medical students.

PubMed

Denić, Ljiljana Marković; Ostrić, Irena; Pavlović, Andrija; Dimitra, Kalimanovska Ostrić

2012-01-01

Health workers and medical students are at occupational risk of blood-borne diseases during the accidents, that is, via percutaneous injury or entry of blood or body fluids through the mucosa or injured skin. to review and analyze the knowledge, attitudes and perception of risks of bloodborne diseases of the clinical course students and health workers as well as the frequency of accidents. Cross-sectional study was carried out among the students of the Faculty of Medicine in Belgrade, and health workers of the Clinical Center of Serbia. The subjects responded anonymously to questionnaire specially designed for the study. Both students and health workers were aware, in a high percentage, of the fact that the risk of hepatitis B spread was about 30%. Significantly more students gave affirmative reply that blood as biological material was a potential hazard of HIV infection spread (p = 0.001), and significantly more students knew that HIV would not be spread by sweat (p = 0.001). Hepatitis B vacci-nation was administered only to 24.1% of students and 71.4% of health workers. About 10% of students and 65.5% of health workers experienced some accident. There was no significant difference of accidents bet-ween nurses/technicians and physicians (p > 0.05), as well as of accidents and a total length of service (p > 0.05). The majority of accidents occurred during the use of needle/sharp object (in 27.3% of students and 33.1% of health workers). About 40% of students and slightly over a half of the workers reported the accidents to appropriate authorities. Additional education in this field is considered necessary by 73% of students. During the studies and via continuous medical education it is necessary to upgrade the level of knowledge on prevention of accidents, what would, at least partially, influence their reduction.

Health effects of agrochemicals among farm workers in commercial farms of Kwekwe district, Zimbabwe.

PubMed

Magauzi, Regis; Mabaera, Bigboy; Rusakaniko, Simbarashe; Chimusoro, Anderson; Ndlovu, Nqobile; Tshimanga, Mufuta; Shambira, Gerald; Chadambuka, Addmore; Gombe, Notion

2011-01-01

Farm workers are at a very high risk of occupational diseases due to exposure to pesticides resulting from inadequate education, training and safety systems. The farm worker spends a lot of time exposed to these harmful agrochemicals. Numerous acute cases with symptoms typical of agrochemical exposure were reported from the commercial farms. We assessed the health effects of agrochemicals in farm workers in commercial farms of Kwekwe District (Zimbabwe), in 2006. An analytical cross sectional study was conducted amongst a sample of 246 farm workers who handled agrochemicals when discharging their duties in the commercial farms. Plasma cholinesterase activity in blood specimens obtained from farm workers was measured using spectrophotometry to establish levels of poisoning by organophosphate and/or carbamates. Information on the knowledge, attitudes and practices of farm workers on agrochemicals use was collected using a pre-tested interviewer administered questionnaire. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were conducted to determine factors that were associated with abnormal cholinesterase activity. The prevalence of organophosphate poisoning, indicated by cholinesterase activity of 75% or less, was 24.1%. The median period of exposure to agrochemicals was 3 years (Q(1):=1 year, Q(3):=7 years). Ninety eight (41.5%) farm workers knew the triangle colour code for the most dangerous agrochemicals. Not being provided with personal protective equipment (OR 2.00; 95% CI: 1.07 - 3.68) and lack of knowledge of the triangle colour code for most dangerous agrochemicals (OR 2.02; 95% CI: 1.02 - 4.03) were significantly associated with abnormal cholinesterase activity. There was organophosphate poisoning in the commercial farms. Factors that were significantly associated with the poisoning were lack of protective clothing and lack of knowledge of the triangle colour code for most dangerous agrochemicals. We recommended intensive health education and training of farm workers on the use of agrochemicals, provision of adequate and proper personal protective equipment as mitigation measures to this problem.

Job Satisfaction, Retirement Attitude and Intended Retirement Age: A Conditional Process Analysis across Workers' Level of Household Income.

PubMed

Davies, Eleanor M M; Van der Heijden, Beatrice I J M; Flynn, Matt

2017-01-01

In the contemporary workplace, insight into retirement behaviors is of crucial importance. Previous empirical evidence has found mixed results regarding the relationship between work attitudes, such as job satisfaction, and retirement behaviors, suggesting that further scholarly examination incorporating moderating and mediating variables into retirement models is needed. Drawing on comparative models of attitude to retirement, we hypothesized a direct relationship between job satisfaction and intended retirement age for workers with a high household income and an indirect relationship between job satisfaction and intended retirement age, via retirement attitude, for workers with a low or mean household income. We collected data from a sample of 590 United Kingdom workers aged 50+. Using conditional process analysis, we found that the underlying mechanisms in our research model differ according to socio-economic status. We found no direct effect between job satisfaction and intended retirement age. However, an indirect effect was observed between job satisfaction and intended retirement age, via retirement attitude, for both low- and mean-household income individuals. Specifically, the relationship between job satisfaction and retirement attitude differed according to socio-economic group: for high-household income older workers, there was no relationship between job satisfaction and retirement attitude. However, for low- and mean-household income older workers, we observed a negative relationship between job satisfaction and retirement attitude. Otherwise stated, increases in job satisfaction for mean and low household income workers are likely to make the prospect of retirement less attractive. Therefore, we argue that utmost care must be taken around the conditions under which lower income employees will continue their work when getting older in order to protect their sustainable employability.

Are healthcare workers’ intentions to vaccinate related to their knowledge, beliefs and attitudes? a systematic review

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background The Summit of Independent European Vaccination Experts (SIEVE) recommended in 2007 that efforts be made to improve healthcare workers’ knowledge and beliefs about vaccines, and their attitudes towards them, to increase vaccination coverage. The aim of the study was to compile and analyze the areas of disagreement in the existing evidence about the relationship between healthcare workers’ knowledge, beliefs and attitudes about vaccines and their intentions to vaccinate the populations they serve. Methods We conducted a systematic search in four electronic databases for studies published in any of seven different languages between February 1998 and June 2009. We included studies conducted in developed countries that used statistical methods to relate or associate the variables included in our research question. Two independent reviewers verified that the studies met the inclusion criteria, assessed the quality of the studies and extracted their relevant characteristics. The data were descriptively analyzed. Results Of the 2354 references identified in the initial search, 15 studies met the inclusion criteria. The diversity in the study designs and in the methods used to measure the variables made it impossible to integrate the results, and each study had to be assessed individually. All the studies found an association in the direction postulated by the SIEVE experts: among healthcare workers, higher awareness, beliefs that are more aligned with scientific evidence and more favorable attitudes toward vaccination were associated with greater intentions to vaccinate. All the studies included were cross-sectional; thus, no causal relationship between the variables was established. Conclusion The results suggest that interventions aimed at improving healthcare workers’ knowledge, beliefs and attitudes about vaccines should be encouraged, and their impact on vaccination coverage should be assessed. PMID:23421987

Insights into nurses' work: Exploring relationships among work attitudes and work-related behaviors.

PubMed

Perreira, Tyrone; Berta, Whitney; Ginsburg, Liane; Barnsley, Jan; Herbert, Monique

2017-01-25

Work attitudes have been associated with work productivity. In health care, poor work attitudes have been linked to poor performance, decreased patient safety, and quality care. Hence, the importance, ascribed in the literature, of work that clearly identifies the relationships between and among work attitudes and work behaviors linked to performance. The purpose of this study is to better understand the relationships between work attitudes-perceived organizational justice, perceived organizational support (POS), affective commitment-consistently associated with a key type of performance outcome among nurses' organizational citizenship behaviors (OCBs). A survey was developed and administered to frontline nurses working in the province of Ontario, Canada. Data analysis used path analytic techniques. Direct associations were identified between interpersonal justice and POS, procedural justice and POS, and POS and affective commitment to both one's supervisor and one's co-workers. Affective commitment to patients and career was directly associated with OCBs. Affective commitment to one's co-worker was directly associated with OCBs directed toward individuals, as affective commitment to one's organization was with OCBs directed toward the organization. Finally, OCBIs and OCBs were directly associated. Examining the relationships of these constructs in a single model is novel and provides new information regarding their complexity. Findings suggest that prior approaches to studying these relationships may have been undernuanced, and conceptualizations may have led to somewhat inaccurate conclusions regarding their associations. With limited resources, knowledge of nurse work attitudes can inform human resource practices and operational policies involving training programs in employee communication, transparency, interaction, support, and performance evaluation.

Knowledge, attitudes and practices of hypertensive patients towards prevention and early detection of chronic kidney disease: a cross sectional study from Palestine.

PubMed

Sa'adeh, Hala H; Darwazeh, Razan N; Khalil, Amani A; Zyoud, Sa'ed H

2018-01-01

Hypertension is the second most common cause of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Therefore, the aims of the study were to assess the knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) of hypertensive patients towards prevention and early detection of CKD, and to determine the clinical and socio-demographic factors, which affect the KAP regarding prevention of CKD. A cross-sectional study was held using the CKD screening Index to assess the KAP of 374 hypertensive patients who were selected from multiple primary healthcare centers in Nablus, Palestine. The CKD Screening Index is formed of three scales. First, the knowledge scale was a dichotomous scale of 30 items, while the attitude scale used 5-point Likert-type scale for 18 items and finally the practice scale was measured using 4-point Likert-type scale for 12 items. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to determine the association between clinical and socio-demographic factors and practices. In total, 374 hypertensive patients participated in the study. The mean age of participants was 59.14 ± 10.4 years, (range 26-85). The median (interquartile range) of the knowledge, attitude, and practice scores of hypertensive patients towards prevention and early detection of CKD were 20 (16-23), 69 (65-72), and 39 (36-42), respectively. In multiple linear regression analysis, patients age < 65 years ( p  < 0.001) and patients with high education level ( p  = 0.009) were the only factors significantly associated with higher knowledge scores. Additionally, patients age < 65 years ( p  = 0.007), patients with high income ( p  = 0.005), and patients with high knowledge score ( p  < 0.001) were the only factors significantly associated with higher attitude scores. Furthermore, regression analysis showed that patients with higher total knowledge ( p  = 0.001) as well as higher total attitudes scores towards CKD prevention ( p  < 0.001), male gender ( p  = 0.048), and patients with normal body mass index (BMI) ( p  = 0.026) were statistically significantly associated with higher practice score towards CKD prevention. Among hypertensive patients, higher scores for total knowledge and attitudes toward prevention, male sex, and normal BMI were associated with modestly higher scores for prevention practices. Finally the findings may encourage healthcare workers to give better counseling to improve knowledge.

The role of the healthcare sector in the prevention of sexual violence against sub-Saharan transmigrants in Morocco: a study of knowledge, attitudes and practices of healthcare workers

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Sub-Saharan transmigrants in Morocco are extremely vulnerable to sexual violence. From a public health perspective, the healthcare system is globally considered an important partner in the prevention of sexual violence. The aim of this study is twofold. In a first phase, we aimed to identify the current role and position of the Moroccan healthcare sector in the prevention of sexual violence against sub-Saharan transmigrants. In a second phase, we wanted these results and available guidelines to be the topic of a participatory process with local stakeholders in order to formulate recommendations for a more desirable prevention of sexual violence against sub-Saharan transmigrants by the Moroccan healthcare sector. Methods Knowledge, attitudes and practices of healthcare workers in Morocco concerning sexual violence against sub-Saharan transmigrants and its prevention were firstly explored in semi-structured interviews after which they were discussed in a participatory process resulting in the formulation of recommendations. Results All participants (n=24) acknowledged the need for desirable prevention of sexual violence against transmigrants. Furthermore, important barriers in tertiary prevention practices, i.e. psychosocial and judicial referral and long-term follow-up, and in secondary prevention attitudes, i.e. active identification of victims were identified. Moreover, existing services for Moroccan victims of sexual violence currently do not address the sub-Saharan population. Thus, transmigrants are bound to rely on the aid of civil society. Conclusions This research demonstrates the low accessibility of existing Moroccan services for sub-Saharan migrants. In particular, there is an absence of prevention initiatives addressing sexual violence against the sub-Saharan transmigrant population. Although healthcare workers do wish to develop prevention initiatives, they are dealing with structural difficulties and a lack of expertise. Recommendations adapted to the context of sub-Saharan transmigrants in Morocco are suggested. PMID:23442386

Health workers' attitudes toward sexual and reproductive health services for unmarried adolescents in Ethiopia.

PubMed

Tilahun, Mesfin; Mengistie, Bezatu; Egata, Gudina; Reda, Ayalu A

2012-09-03

Adolescents in developing countries face a range of sexual and reproductive health problems. Lack of health care service for reproductive health or difficulty in accessing them are among them. In this study we aimed to examine health care workers' attitudes toward sexual and reproductive health services to unmarried adolescents in Ethiopia. We conducted a descriptive cross-sectional survey among 423 health care service providers working in eastern Ethiopia in 2010. A pre-tested structured questionnaire was used to collect data. Descriptive statistics, chi-square tests and logistic regression were performed to drive proportions and associations. The majority of health workers had positive attitudes. However, nearly one third (30%) of health care workers had negative attitudes toward providing RH services to unmarried adolescents. Close to half (46.5%) of the respondents had unfavorable responses toward providing family planning to unmarried adolescents. About 13% of health workers agreed to setting up penal rules and regulations against adolescents that practice pre-marital sexual intercourse. The multivariate analysis indicated that being married (OR 2.15; 95% CI 1.44 - 3.06), lower education level (OR 1.45; 95% CI 1.04 - 1.99), being a health extension worker (OR 2.49; 95% CI 1.43 - 4.35), lack of training on reproductive health services (OR 5.27; 95% CI 1.51 - 5.89) to be significantly associated with negative attitudes toward provision of sexual and reproductive services to adolescents. The majority of the health workers had generally positive attitudes toward sexual and reproductive health to adolescents. However, a minority has displayed negatives attitudes. Such negative attitudes will be barriers to service utilization by adolescents and hampers the efforts to reduce sexually transmitted infections and unwanted pregnancies among unmarried adolescents. We therefore call for a targeted effort toward alleviating negative attitudes toward adolescent-friendly reproductive health service and re-enforcing the positive ones.

The relationship between workers' self-reported changes in health and their attitudes towards a workplace intervention: lessons from smoke-free legislation across the UK hospitality industry.

PubMed

MacCalman, Laura; Semple, Sean; Galea, Karen S; Van Tongeren, Martie; Dempsey, Scott; Hilton, Shona; Gee, Ivan; Ayres, Jon G

2012-05-02

The evaluation of smoke-free legislation (SFL) in the UK examined the impacts on exposure to second-hand smoke, workers' attitudes and changes in respiratory health. Studies that investigate changes in the health of groups of people often use self-reported symptoms. Due to the subjective nature it is of interest to determine whether workers' attitudes towards the change in their working conditions may be linked to the change in health they report. Bar workers were recruited before the introduction of the SFL in Scotland and England with the aim of investigating their changes to health, attitudes and exposure as a result of the SFL. They were asked about their attitudes towards SFL and the presence of respiratory and sensory symptoms both before SFL and one year later. Here we examine the possibility of a relationship between initial attitudes and changes in reported symptoms, through the use of regression analyses. There was no difference in the initial attitudes towards SFL between those working in Scotland and England. Bar workers who were educated to a higher level tended to be more positive towards SFL. Attitude towards SFL was not found to be related to change in reported symptoms for bar workers in England (Respiratory, p = 0.755; Sensory, p = 0.910). In Scotland there was suggestion of a relationship with reporting of respiratory symptoms (p = 0.042), where those who were initially more negative to SFL experienced a greater improvement in self-reported health. There was no evidence that workers who were more positive towards SFL reported greater improvements in respiratory and sensory symptoms. This may not be the case in all interventions and we recommend examining subjects' attitudes towards the proposed intervention when evaluating possible health benefits using self-reported methods.

Mass drug administration and the sustainable control of schistosomiasis: Community health workers are vital for global elimination efforts.

PubMed

Inobaya, Marianette T; Chau, Thao N; Ng, Shu-Kay; MacDougall, Colin; Olveda, Remigio M; Tallo, Veronica L; Landicho, Jhoys M; Malacad, Carol M; Aligato, Mila F; Guevarra, Jerric R; Ross, Allen G

2018-01-01

Schistosomiasis control is centred on preventive chemotherapy through mass drug administration (MDA). However, endemic countries continue to struggle to attain target coverage rates and patient compliance. In the Philippines, barangay health workers (BHWs) play a vital role in the coordination of MDA, acting as advocates, implementers, and educators. The aim of this study was to determine whether BHW knowledge and attitudes towards schistosomiasis and MDA is sufficient and correlated with resident knowledge and drug compliance. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in 2015 among 2186 residents and 224 BHWs in the province of Northern Samar, the Philippines using a structured survey questionnaire. BHWs showed good familiarity on how schistosomiasis is acquired and diagnosed. Nevertheless, both BHWs and residents had poor awareness of the signs and symptoms of schistosomiasis, disease prevention, and treatment options. There was no correlation between the knowledge scores of the BHWs and the residents (r=0.080, p=0.722). Kruskal-Wallis analysis revealed significant differences in BHW knowledge scores between the low (3.29, 95% confidence interval 3.16-3.36), moderate (3.61, 95% confidence interval 3.49-3.69), and high (4.05, 95% confidence interval 3.77-4.13) compliance village groups (p=0.002), with the high compliance areas having the highest mean knowledge scores. This study highlights the importance of community health workers in obtaining the World Health Organization drug coverage rate of 75% and improving compliance with MDA in the community. Investing in the education of community health workers with appropriate disease-specific training is crucial if disease elimination is ultimately to be achieved. Copyright © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Training community healthcare workers on the use of information and communication technologies: a randomised controlled trial of traditional versus blended learning in Malawi, Africa.

PubMed

Mastellos, Nikolaos; Tran, Tammy; Dharmayat, Kanika; Cecil, Elizabeth; Lee, Hsin-Yi; Wong, Cybele C Peng; Mkandawire, Winnie; Ngalande, Emmanuel; Wu, Joseph Tsung-Shu; Hardy, Victoria; Chirambo, Baxter Griphin; O'Donoghue, John Martin

2018-04-02

Despite the increasing uptake of information and communication technologies (ICT) within healthcare services across developing countries, community healthcare workers (CHWs) have limited knowledge to fully utilise computerised clinical systems and mobile apps. The 'Introduction to Information and Communication Technology and eHealth' course was developed with the aim to provide CHWs in Malawi, Africa, with basic knowledge and computer skills to use digital solutions in healthcare delivery. The course was delivered using a traditional and a blended learning approach. Two questionnaires were developed and tested for face validity and reliability in a pilot course with 20 CHWs. Those were designed to measure CHWs' knowledge of and attitudes towards the use of ICT, before and after each course, as well as their satisfaction with each learning approach. Following validation, a randomised controlled trial was conducted to assess the effectiveness of the two learning approaches. A total of 40 CHWs were recruited, stratified by position, gender and computer experience, and allocated to the traditional or blended learning group using block randomisation. Participants completed the baseline and follow-up questionnaires before and after each course to assess the impact of each learning approach on their knowledge, attitudes, and satisfaction. Per-item, pre-post and between-group, mean differences for each approach were calculated using paired and unpaired t-tests, respectively. Per-item, between-group, satisfaction scores were compared using unpaired t-tests. Scores across all scales improved after attending the traditional and blended learning courses. Self-rated ICT knowledge was significantly improved in both groups with significant differences between groups in seven domains. However, actual ICT knowledge scores were similar across groups. There were no significant differences between groups in attitudinal gains. Satisfaction with the course was generally high in both groups. However, participants in the blended learning group found it more difficult to follow the content of the course. This study shows that there is no difference between blended and traditional learning in the acquisition of actual ICT knowledge among community healthcare workers in developing countries. Given the human resource constraints in remote resource-poor areas, the blended learning approach may present an advantageous alternative to traditional learning.

Mental health training for health workers in Africa: a systematic review.

PubMed

Liu, Germaine; Jack, Helen; Piette, Angharad; Mangezi, Walter; Machando, Debra; Rwafa, Chido; Goldenberg, Matthew; Abas, Melanie

2016-01-01

Commitment to building mental health treatment capacity in Africa is increasing but little agreement exists on strategies to train health workers on mental health or evaluation of training efforts. We systematically reviewed published literature on interventions to train health-care workers in Africa on mental health. 37 studies met our inclusion criteria. Training outcomes focused on changes in knowledge and attitude, with few studies evaluating skill and practice and only two studies measuring clinical outcomes. Quality of study methodology was generally not high, with scarce follow-up data and use of control cohorts. Existing studies provide examples of many training and evaluation strategies, but evidence to draw conclusions about the efficacy of different training techniques is inadequate. Key knowledge gaps include development and testing of innovative educational strategies; development of standardised, competency-based learning objectives and outcome measures; and training that facilitates implementation of integrated mental health systems. African institutions need to be empowered to do research in these areas to encourage the development of best practices for the continent. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Professionalization of Iranian hospital social Workers

PubMed Central

KHALVATI, MALIHEH; FEKRAZAD, HOSSEIN; RAFATJAH, MARYAM; OSTADHASHEMI, LEILA; KHANKEH, HAMID REZA

2018-01-01

Introduction: Identity is formed through our understanding of ourselves and what others perceive of our actions and how we do things. Formation of professional identity includes development, advancement and socialization through social learning of specific knowledge and skills obtained within the context of professional roles, new attitudes and values. Methods: This qualitative study used content analysis approach to explain the professionalization process of 22 social workers working in 14 public hospitals in Tehran based on their experiences. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews, observation and writing in the field. Results: Eleven categories and three themes of entry into the profession, identity formation, and identity ownership were extracted out of data analysis. Revealing the process, barriers and facilitators of professionalization of hospital social workers was the results of this study. Conclusion: Certain individual characteristics were factors for the tendency of participants to choose this profession. The participants' understanding of their profession was formed, when studying in the university through learning relevant knowledge, skills, views and professional expectations. Achieving a single identity and professional pride and self-esteem are achievements of identity ownership. PMID:29344524

What do health workers in Timor-Leste want, know and do? Findings from a national health labour market survey.

PubMed

Hou, Xiaohui; Witter, Sophie; Zaman, Rashid U; Engelhardt, Kay; Hafidz, Firdaus; Julia, Fernanda; Lemiere, Christophe; Sullivan, Eileen B; Saldanha, Estanislau; Palu, Toomas; Lievens, Tomas

2016-11-18

The objectives of this study were to understand the labour market dynamics among health workers, including their preferences and concerns, and to assess the skills, competence and performance (i.e. the 'know-do gap') of doctors working in Timor-Leste. This cross-sectional survey was implemented in all 13 districts of Timor-Leste in 2014. We surveyed 443 health workers, including 175 doctors, 150 nurses and 118 midwives (about 20% of the health workers in the country). We also observed 632 clinical consultations with doctors, including 442 direct clinical observations, and tested 190 vignettes. The study highlights some positive findings, including the gender balance of health workers overall, the concentration of doctors in rural areas, the high overall reported satisfaction of staff with their work and high motivation, the positive intention to stay in the public sector, the feeling of being well prepared by training for work, the relatively frequent and satisfactory supervisions, and the good attitudes towards patients as identified in observations and vignettes. However, some areas require more investigations and investments. The overall clinical performance of the doctors was very good in terms of attitude and moderate in regard to history taking, health education and treatment. However, the average physical examination performance score was low. Doctors performed better with simulated cases than the real cases in general, which means they have better knowledge and skills than they actually demonstrated. The factors that were significantly associated with the clinical performance of doctors were location of the health facility (urban doctors were better) and consultation time (cases with more consultation time were better). Regression analysis suggests that lack of knowledge was significantly associated with lack of performance, while lack of motivation and equipment were not significant. The survey provides essential information for workforce planning and for developing training policies and terms and conditions that will attract and retain health workers in rural service. Improving the work environment and performance of doctors working in rural health facilities and ensuring compliance with clinical protocols are two priority areas needed to improve the performance of doctors in Timor-Leste.

Age influence on attitudes of office workers faced with new computerized technologies: a questionnaire analysis.

PubMed

Marquié, J C; Thon, B; Baracat, B

1994-06-01

The study of Bue and Gollac (1988) provided evidence that a significantly lower proportion of workers aged 45 years and over make use of computer technology compared with younger ones. The aim of the present survey was to explain this fact by a more intensive analysis of the older workers' attitude with respect to the computerization of work situations in relation to other individual and organizational factors. Six hundred and twenty office workers from 18 to 70 years old, either users or non-users of computerized devices, were asked to complete a questionnaire. The questions allowed the assessment of various aspects of the workers' current situation, such as the computer training they had received, the degree of consultation they were subjected to during the computerization process, their representation of the effects of these new technologies on working conditions and employment, the rate of use of new technologies outside the work context, and the perceived usefulness of computers for their own work. The analysis of the questionnaire revealed that as long as the step towards using computer tools, even minimally, has not been taken, then attitudes with respect to computerization are on the whole not very positive and are a source of anxiety for many workers. Age, and even more, seniority in the department, increase such negative representations. The effects of age and seniority were also found among users, as well as the effects of other factors such as qualification, education level, type and rate of computer use, and size of the firm. For the older workers, the expectation of less positive consequences for their career, or even the fear that computerization might be accompanied by threats to their own employment and the less clear knowledge of how computers operate, appeared to account for a significant part of the observed age and seniority differences in attitudes. Although the difference in the amount of computer training between age groups was smaller than expected, the study revealed that one third of the users never received any specific training, and that many of those who benefited from it were trained for only a few days. Consultation of the staff during the computerization process also appeared to be poor, to apply mostly to the best trained and qualified workers, and to be more highly developed in small companies. The results are discussed in the light of more qualitative data recorded during the survey. They suggest the need to increase information, training and involvement of all personnel from the very first stages of computerization (or other technical changes) in order to lessen fears and the feeling of disruption, which are particularly obvious among the oldest workers.

Attitudes toward kidney donation.

PubMed Central

Aghanwa, H. S.; Akinsola, A.; Akinola, D. O.; Makanjuola, R. O. A.

2003-01-01

The Renal Unit of Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital Ile-Ife in Southwest Nigeria intends commencing a kidney transplantation program. This cross-sectional study aimed at examining the willingness of Nigerians to be living-related kidney donors. Three hundred and sixteen Nigerians (96 first-degree relatives of end-stage renal disease patients, 69 rural dwellers and 151 health workers) were interviewed regarding their willingness to donate kidneys using an interview schedule designed to elicit socio-demographic information, knowledge about kidney transplantation and attitude toward kidney donation. Sixty-two percent of health workers, 52.1% of the patients' relatives and 27.1% of rural dwellers expressed willingness to donate. Higher proportions of health workers and patients' relatives--compared with the rural dwellers--were willing to donate a kidney to their children, full-siblings and parents (P<0.05). The level of awareness about kidney transplantation was highest among health workers and least among rural dwellers (P<0.001). Altruism was the primary motivation for those willing to donate a kidney. The most important reason for refusal to donate was fear of adverse health consequences. Among the rural dwellers, never-married persons were more willing than the married to donate (P<0.05). Programs aimed at increasing awareness about the safety of kidney donation, reducing adverse beliefs about kidney donation, and encouraging altruistic tendencies will increase the availability of kidney donors. PMID:12934871

Awareness and attitude of antenatal clients towards HIV voluntary counselling and testing in Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano, Nigeria.

PubMed

Iliyasu, Z; Kabir, M; Galadanci, H S; Abubakar, I S; Aliyu, M H

2005-01-01

Mother to child transmission accounts for the majority of HIV infections in children in the developing countries. This study assessed pregnant women's knowledge of HIV/AIDS, awareness and attitudes towards Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT) in a teaching hospital in northern Nigeria. A pre-tested structured interview questionnaire was administered on a cross-section of 210 antenatal clients in Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Nigeria. All respondents were aware of HIV/AIDS. Fifty seven percent had good knowledge, 32% had fair knowledge and the remaining 11% had poor knowledge of the infection. Most respondents were aware of VCT through health workers, mass media and friends. Similarly, most respondents (81.0%) approved of VCT, 13.0% disapproved of it and the remaining (6%) was undecided. The main reasons for disapproval were; fear of stigmatisation, isolation and effect on marriage security. Those that had tertiary level of education were three times more likely to accept VCT compared to those with lower levels of education (O.R=3.2, 95% confidence interval =1.3-8.0). Although the awareness of VCT for HIV was quite high with most antenatal clients harbouring positive attitudes towards it, there is a need to intensify health education to convince the remaining minority who are still sceptical or ignorant of the benefits of VCT.

Expectations and changing attitudes of bar workers before and after the implementation of smoke-free legislation in Scotland.

PubMed

Hilton, Shona; Semple, Sean; Miller, Brian G; MacCalman, Laura; Petticrew, Mark; Dempsey, Scott; Naji, Audrey; Ayres, Jon G

2007-08-14

In Scotland on March 26, 2006 a comprehensive prohibition on smoking in all enclosed public places was introduced. This study examines bar workers' attitudes towards a smoke-free working environment. An intervention study comparing bar workers' opinions before and after the implementation of the smoke-free legislation. Bars were randomly selected in three Scottish cities (Glasgow, Edinburgh & Aberdeen) and towns (Aberdeenshire & Borders). Bar workers were recruited from 72 bars that agreed to participate from 159 approached. Pre- and post-implementation attitudes towards legislation, second-hand smoke and smoke-free working environments were compared. Initially the majority of bar workers agreed with the proposed legislation on smoking (69%) and the need for it to protect the health of workers (80%), although almost half (49%) thought the legislation would damage business. In 266 bar workers seen at both surveys, a significant positive attitudinal change towards the legislation was seen. Post-implementation, support for the legislation rose to 79%, bar workers continued to believe it was needed to protect health (81%) and concerns about the impact on business were expressed by fewer than 20%. Only the statement that the legislation would encourage smokers to quit showed reduced support, from 70% pre-implementation to fewer than 60% post-implementation. Initial acceptance was greater among younger bar workers; older workers, initially more sceptical, became less so with experience of the legislation's effects. This study shows that bar workers had generally positive attitudes towards the legislation prior to implementation, which became stronger after implementation. The affirmative attitudes of these key stakeholders are likely to contribute towards the creation of 'smoke-free' as the new social norm.

Expectations and changing attitudes of bar workers before and after the implementation of smoke-free legislation in Scotland

PubMed Central

Hilton, Shona; Semple, Sean; Miller, Brian G; MacCalman, Laura; Petticrew, Mark; Dempsey, Scott; Naji, Audrey; Ayres, Jon G

2007-01-01

Background In Scotland on March 26, 2006 a comprehensive prohibition on smoking in all enclosed public places was introduced. This study examines bar workers' attitudes towards a smoke-free working environment. Methods An intervention study comparing bar workers' opinions before and after the implementation of the smoke-free legislation. Bars were randomly selected in three Scottish cities (Glasgow, Edinburgh & Aberdeen) and towns (Aberdeenshire & Borders). Bar workers were recruited from 72 bars that agreed to participate from159 approached. Pre- and post-implementation attitudes towards legislation, second-hand smoke and smoke-free working environments were compared. Results Initially the majority of bar workers agreed with the proposed legislation on smoking (69%) and the need for it to protect the health of workers (80%), although almost half (49%) thought the legislation would damage business. In 266 bar workers seen at both surveys, a significant positive attitudinal change towards the legislation was seen. Post-implementation, support for the legislation rose to 79%, bar workers continued to believe it was needed to protect health (81%) and concerns about the impact on business were expressed by fewer than 20%. Only the statement that the legislation would encourage smokers to quit showed reduced support, from 70% pre-implementation to fewer than 60% post-implementation. Initial acceptance was greater among younger bar workers; older workers, initially more sceptical, became less so with experience of the legislation's effects. Conclusion This study shows that bar workers had generally positive attitudes towards the legislation prior to implementation, which became stronger after implementation. The affirmative attitudes of these key stakeholders are likely to contribute towards the creation of 'smoke-free' as the new social norm. PMID:17697338

Smoking and young women in Vietnam: the influence of normative gender roles.

PubMed

Morrow, Martha; Ngoc, Do Hong; Hoang, Truong Trong; Trinh, Tran Hue

2002-08-01

Smoking in Vietnam, as elsewhere in Asia, is strongly sex-linked. A 1997 national prevalence survey found about half of males but just 3.4% of females used tobacco regularly. Little is known about smoking-related health awareness or attitudes in Vietnam. There is concern that women may take up smoking if rapid social change brings alteration in traditional gender norms that discourage this behaviour. Effective tobacco control depends upon accurate understanding of prevailing knowledge and views. This paper reports on a 1999-2000 collaborative study into smoking attitudes, practices and health awareness, with particular reference to gender norms. A survey, based partly on findings from initial focus groups, was administered to young female students (n = 1018) and factory workers (n = 1002) in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam's largest metropolis. Participants were recruited through random cluster sampling. Results indicated that smoking continues to be shunned by the vast majority of young urban students and factory workers, although prevalence was slightly higher than found in national surveys, and there was a moderate degree of experimentation. Perhaps of greater concern was the degree of ambivalence voiced about taking up smoking in the future. Moreover, while nearly all expressed awareness of negative health effects of tobacco, these were vaguely worded and excluded key mortality risks. Gender norms appeared to be strongly enduring, with female non-smoking attributed overwhelmingly to its 'inappropriateness'. Male smoking was seen as normative. Overall, workers (representing a low-income, less-educated population) had higher rates of tobacco use and less health knowledge than students. The paper concludes with a discussion about ramifications for public health interventions.

Effectiveness of an Education Program on Donation and Transplant Aimed at Students of the Nursing Degree Course.

PubMed

Potenza, R; Guermani, A; Peluso, M; Casciola, A; Ginosa, I; Sperlinga, R; Donadio, P P

2015-09-01

Health workers' awareness and knowledge of transplant medicine can improve people's sensitivity and reduce their degree of opposition to donations. The medical literature contains numerous examples of education programs aimed at university students. This work describes the experience of an education program for students of the second and third year of a nursing degree course. From April to September 2013, an education program was set up for 80 university students. It was divided into 3 stages: group self-learning based on prearranged topics, sharing of the results, and participation in the final seminar. The effectiveness was assessed according to a pretest/posttest design. The first questionnaire contained 19 questions, and the second contained 27. The questions were subdivided into specific areas: subjective knowledge, objective knowledge, attitude, awareness, participation in the event, evaluation of the information material handed out, and appreciation of the tools used. There was a significant increase for items relating to knowledge, whereas awareness and attitude (already high at the start of the program) showed no changes. After the program, many students discussed the question of donation with their relatives and friends, and about 70% filled in a donor card. The students expressed a highly positive opinion of the initiative and the tools used. The initiative proved its validity, improving subjective and objective knowledge to a statistically significant extent and also increasing awareness and attitude. The students' evaluation was extremely positive. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Oncology Social Workers' Attitudes toward Hospice Care and Referral Behavior

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Becker, Janet E.

2004-01-01

Members of the Association of Oncology Social Workers completed a survey, which included the Hospice Philosophy Scale (HPS) assessing the likelihood of the worker referring a terminally ill patient to hospice, background and experience, and demographics. The respondents held overwhelmingly favorable attitudes toward hospice philosophy and care,…

Knowledge of and attitudes toward clinical depression among health providers in Gujarat, India.

PubMed

Almanzar, Santiago; Shah, Nirsarg; Vithalani, Suril; Shah, Sandip; Squires, James; Appasani, Raghu; Katz, Craig L

2014-01-01

Clinical depression is a major leading cause of morbidity and mortality but it is oftentimes overlooked and undertreated. The negative perception and lack of understanding of this condition prevents millions of people from seeking appropriate and on-time medical help, leading to distress and increased burden for affected people and their families. The implementation of public education campaigns and training of non-psychiatric health professionals on mental health and clinical depression has been neglected in several countries, including India, which is the second most populous country in the world with a population of more than 1.2 billion people, almost one-fifth of the world's population. This study sought to explore the knowledge and attitudes toward the diagnosis and treatment of clinical depression in nonpsychiatric health care providers in Vadodara, Gujarat, India. A cross-sectional survey was conducted over a 4-week period In Gujarat, India among resident physicians and community health workers about their knowledge and views on clinical depression. We found considerable stigma and misinformation about depression especially among health care workers in India. Most of the community health workers had a great deal of difficulty when defining clinical depression, and a large majority said that they never heard about depression or its definition and although the overwhelming majority of respondents did not believe that clinical depression results from a punishment from God (82% disagreed or strongly disagreed with this belief) or evil spirits (77.5%), a much smaller proportion disagreed with the assertions that depression was either solely due to difficult circumstances (38.2%) or that sufferers only had themselves to blame (47.2%). Meanwhile, only 32.6% disagreed with the position that clinical depression is a sign of weakness and 39.4% disagreed with the statement that suicide was a sign of weakness. Our findings underscore the considerable public health priority facing India's policymakers and planners to better educate more non-psychiatric physicians and community health workers to identify, understand, and respond to early signs of mental illnesses, especially clinical depression. Copyright © 2014 Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, values, preferences, and feasibility in relation to the use of injection safety devices in healthcare settings: a systematic review.

PubMed

Tarabay, Rami; El Rassi, Rola; Dakik, Abeer; Harb, Alain; Ballout, Rami A; Diab, Batoul; Khamassi, Selma; Akl, Elie A

2016-07-13

Adopting technologies such as injection safety devices in healthcare settings can enhance injection safety. Developing guidelines for appropriate adoption of such technologies need to consider factors beyond evidence for their health effects. The objective of this study is to systematically review the published literature for evidence among healthcare workers and patients about knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, values, preferences, and feasibility in relation to the use of injection safety devices in healthcare settings. We included both qualitative and quantitative studies conducted with the general public, patients, and healthcare workers, administrators, or policy makers. We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINHAL and CENTRAL. We used a duplicate and independent approach to title and abstract screening, full text screening, data abstraction and risk of bias assessment. Out of a total of 6568 identified citations, we judged fourteen studies as eligible for this systematic review. All these studies were surveys, conducted with healthcare workers in high-income countries. We did not identify any qualitative study, or a study of the general public, patients, healthcare administrators or policy makers. We did not identify any study assessing knowledge, or values assigned to outcomes relevant to injection safety devices. Each of the included studies suffered from methodological limitations, which lowers our confidence in their findings. Based on the findings of six studies, the injection safety devices were generally perceived as easy to use and as an improvement compared with conventional syringes. Some of these studies reported few technical problems while using the devices. In three studies assessing perceived safety, the majority of participants judged the devices as safe. Two studies reported positive perceptions of healthcare workers regarding patient tolerance of these injection safety devices. One study found that less than half the nurses felt comfortable using the insulin pens. Findings from four studies assessing preference and satisfaction were not consistent. This systematic review identified evidence that injection safety devices are generally perceived as easy to use, safe, and tolerated by patients. There were few reports of technical problems while using the devices and some discomfort by nurses using the insulin pens.

Factors Influencing Sexual Behaviour Between Tourists and Tourism Employees: A Systematic Review.

PubMed

Simkhada, Padam P; Sharma, Aditi; van Teijlingen, Edwin R; Beanland, Rachel L

2016-03-01

Increased travel abroad has a significant impact on the incidence and prevalence of Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs). Previous reviews have focused on the knowledge, attitudes and behaviour of tourists and acquisition of STIs. Less is known about the impact on tourism operators in countries visited by tourists. The aim of this review is to ascertain factors influencing sexual behaviour between workers in the tourism industry and tourists; exploring the prevalence of sexual behaviour between the two populations, their perceptions of sexual risk while engaging in sexual activities and the knowledge of tourism operators regarding STIs. A systematic review was conducted. Database searches were performed in Medline/Ovid, EMBASE, Cochrane library and CINAHL for studies published between 2000 and March 2016. Grey literature searches were completed in the NHS database and Google Scholar between 2000 and December 2013. Papers were independently selected by two researchers. Data were extracted and critically appraised using a pre-designed extraction form and adapted CASP checklist. The search identified 1,602 studies and 16 were included after review of the full text. Studies were conducted in nine countries. Findings suggest that STI knowledge, attitude and practice were fairly good among tourists and tourism workers, but there is a need for pre-travel advice for travellers, especially those travelling to low and middle-income countries. Greater importance was given to tourists than to tourism operators and locals interacting with tourists. Studies suggest that as a group both tourist and tourist workers were likely to engage in sexual activities. Overall, both condom use and STI screening were low, among tourists as well as tourism operators. Furthermore, studies reported links between drug and alcohol use and sexual behaviour and risk taking. Although less research appeared to have been conducted among tourism workers than tourists, it does demonstrate the need for education, training and promotion of travel medicine. STI screening, pre-travel advice, travel history in terms of contracting STIs and safe-sex awareness-raising are needed. More and better sexual health education and relevant tourism policies are needed globally.

Factors Influencing Sexual Behaviour Between Tourists and Tourism Employees: A Systematic Review

PubMed Central

Sharma, Aditi; van Teijlingen, Edwin R; Beanland, Rachel L

2016-01-01

Background: Increased travel abroad has a significant impact on the incidence and prevalence of Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs). Previous reviews have focused on the knowledge, attitudes and behaviour of tourists and acquisition of STIs. Less is known about the impact on tourism operators in countries visited by tourists. The aim of this review is to ascertain factors influencing sexual behaviour between workers in the tourism industry and tourists; exploring the prevalence of sexual behaviour between the two populations, their perceptions of sexual risk while engaging in sexual activities and the knowledge of tourism operators regarding STIs. Methods: A systematic review was conducted. Database searches were performed in Medline/Ovid, EMBASE, Cochrane library and CINAHL for studies published between 2000 and March 2016. Grey literature searches were completed in the NHS database and Google Scholar between 2000 and December 2013. Papers were independently selected by two researchers. Data were extracted and critically appraised using a pre-designed extraction form and adapted CASP checklist. Results: The search identified 1,602 studies and 16 were included after review of the full text. Studies were conducted in nine countries. Findings suggest that STI knowledge, attitude and practice were fairly good among tourists and tourism workers, but there is a need for pre-travel advice for travellers, especially those travelling to low and middle-income countries. Greater importance was given to tourists than to tourism operators and locals interacting with tourists. Studies suggest that as a group both tourist and tourist workers were likely to engage in sexual activities. Overall, both condom use and STI screening were low, among tourists as well as tourism operators. Furthermore, studies reported links between drug and alcohol use and sexual behaviour and risk taking. Conclusion: Although less research appeared to have been conducted among tourism workers than tourists, it does demonstrate the need for education, training and promotion of travel medicine. STI screening, pre-travel advice, travel history in terms of contracting STIs and safe-sex awareness-raising are needed. More and better sexual health education and relevant tourism policies are needed globally. PMID:27152234

Changes in outdoor workers' sun-related attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors: a pre-post workplace intervention.

PubMed

Rye, Sheree; Janda, Monika; Stoneham, Melissa; Crane, Phil; Sendall, Marguerite; Youl, Philippa; Tenkate, Thomas; Baldwin, Louise; Perina, Heather; Finch, Linda; Kimlin, Michael

2014-09-01

To evaluate changes in outdoor workers' sun-related attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors in response to a health promotion intervention using a participatory action research process. Fourteen workplaces across four outdoor industry types worked collaboratively with the project team to develop tailored sun protection action plans. Workers were assessed before and after the 18-month intervention. Outdoor workers reported increases in workplace support for sun protection (P < 0.01) and personal use of sun protection (P < 0.01). More workers reported seeking natural shade (+20%) and wearing more personal protective equipment, including broad-brimmed hats (+25%), long-sleeved collared shirts (+19%), and long trousers (+16%). The proportion of workers reporting sunburn over the past 12 months was lower at postintervention (-14%) (P = 0.03); however, the intensity of reported sunburn increased. This intervention was successful in increasing workers' sun protective attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors.

Promotion of zinc tablets with ORS through child health weeks improves caregiver knowledge, attitudes, and practice on treatment of diarrhoea in Nigeria.

PubMed

Kung'u, Jacqueline K; Owolabi, Olumuyiwa; Essien, Grace; Aminu, Francis T; Ngnie-Teta, Ismael; Neufeld, Lynnette M

2015-03-01

We examined whether the Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Weeks (MNCHW) in Nigeria would present an opportunity to raise awareness of and demand for the use of zinc and ORS in the treatment for diarrhoea, guided by a conceptual framework designed to assess three theoretical underpinnings (characteristics and performance standard of the health workers, potential reach, and intensity of the intervention), along the impact pathway. Zinc and ORS with education for their appropriate use during the next diarrhoeal episode were delivered as part of the November 2010 and May 2011 MNCHW. On the day of but before participating in MNCHW activities, semi-structured interviews were used for collecting information on knowledge, attitudes, and practice (KAP) relating to diarrhoea from 602 caregivers with children aged less than five years. Forty-eight health workers were also interviewed. Nearly all health workers (98%) correctly mentioned the dosage of zinc while only 58% correctly stated the preparation of ORS. The proportion of caregivers with knowledge on the treatment for diarrhoea increased from 46.4% in November 2010 pre-MNCHW to 71.3% in May 2011 pre-MNCHW interviews (p<0.001). More caregivers correctly mentioned the dosage of zinc (80.9%) and stated the preparation of ORS (88.8%) in the November 2010 exit interview immediately after the MNCHW encounter compared to the levels a few months later in the home follow-up visit (53.1% and 37.4% respectively). After attending both rounds of November 2010 and May 2011 MNCHW, caregivers' knowledge on the treatment of diarrhoea increased seven times compared to the caregivers who attended the May 2011 MNCHW only (OR=7.0, p<0.001). Additionally, caregivers were 40% less likely to seek advice outside the home in the treatment for diarrhoea if they had attended both the MNCHWs than if they had attended the May 2011 MNCHW only (OR=0.6, p<0.029). We conclude that providing opportunities for caregivers to receive a sample of zinc and ORS and to learn about its use in the treatment for diarrhoea, from trained health workers during MNCHW, has the potential to increase KAP relating to the use of zinc and ORS in the treatment for diarrhoea and for future diarrhoeal episodes.

Job Satisfaction, Retirement Attitude and Intended Retirement Age: A Conditional Process Analysis across Workers’ Level of Household Income

PubMed Central

Davies, Eleanor M. M.; Van der Heijden, Beatrice I. J. M.; Flynn, Matt

2017-01-01

In the contemporary workplace, insight into retirement behaviors is of crucial importance. Previous empirical evidence has found mixed results regarding the relationship between work attitudes, such as job satisfaction, and retirement behaviors, suggesting that further scholarly examination incorporating moderating and mediating variables into retirement models is needed. Drawing on comparative models of attitude to retirement, we hypothesized a direct relationship between job satisfaction and intended retirement age for workers with a high household income and an indirect relationship between job satisfaction and intended retirement age, via retirement attitude, for workers with a low or mean household income. We collected data from a sample of 590 United Kingdom workers aged 50+. Using conditional process analysis, we found that the underlying mechanisms in our research model differ according to socio-economic status. We found no direct effect between job satisfaction and intended retirement age. However, an indirect effect was observed between job satisfaction and intended retirement age, via retirement attitude, for both low- and mean-household income individuals. Specifically, the relationship between job satisfaction and retirement attitude differed according to socio-economic group: for high-household income older workers, there was no relationship between job satisfaction and retirement attitude. However, for low- and mean-household income older workers, we observed a negative relationship between job satisfaction and retirement attitude. Otherwise stated, increases in job satisfaction for mean and low household income workers are likely to make the prospect of retirement less attractive. Therefore, we argue that utmost care must be taken around the conditions under which lower income employees will continue their work when getting older in order to protect their sustainable employability. PMID:28620329

Knowledge, attitude and practice towards eating and physical activity among primary school children in Brunei: a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Murang, Zaidah Rizidah; Tuah, Naa; Naing, Lin

2017-11-30

Background Childhood obesity has become a global public health crisis. Many studies have been conducted to explore the knowledge, attitude and practices towards eating and physical activity amongst parents and healthcare workers. However, very little is known amongst children. It is imperative to understand these factors as they have been associated with obesity among children. Objective This study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitude and practices of Bruneian children towards eating and physical activity, in order to identify the factors that influence the development of obesity. Methods The study involved 353 children from four primary schools in Brunei. The data collection tool used was modified validated questionnaires with sections on demographic characteristic, knowledge about obesity, eating habits and physical activity. Results The majority of children (>60%) had good knowledge of obesity and intake of healthy food, but, 84.2% lacked knowledge on the required daily servings of fruits and vegetables. 68.8% purchased food and beverages from their school canteen. 93.8% were aware about the health benefits of physical activity and 70.2% spent only 1-2 h of screen time per day, however, 46.9% did not meet the recommended amount of physical activity although they reported to have performed enough. This suggested that a comprehensive education on food intake requirements and physical activity are necessary in order to better educate children. Conclusion Health educators and public health professionals may find our findings useful in order to plan and develop tailored interventions for children, as well as better promotion of a healthy lifestyle to children and their families.

How Afterschool Programs Can Support Employability through Social and Emotional Learning: A Planning Tool. Beyond the Bell: Research to Practice in the Afterschool and Expanded Learning Field

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

American Institutes for Research, 2015

2015-01-01

For educators and employers, understanding the knowledge, attitudes, and skills that ultimately contribute to success in school, work, and life is a priority. Although young people need many skills to be successful in the workplace, one aspect of employability has gained attention in recent years--the need for workers to have strong social and…

Child abuse and neglect in the Jaffna district of Sri Lanka - a study on knowledge attitude practices and behavior of health care professionals.

PubMed

Sathiadas, M G; Viswalingam, Arunath; Vijayaratnam, Karunya

2018-05-05

Victims and perpetrators of child abuse do not typically self-report to child protection services, therefore responsibility of detection and reporting falls on the others. Knowledge on child protection is essential for the first contact person and such information is sparse in research literature originally coming from Sri Lanka. Anecdotally, several cases of child abuse have been missed out at the first contact level. Therefore we undertook this survey to assess the knowledge, attitudes towards child protection and the experiences of medical officers, nursing officers and social workers on child protection. This was a descriptive analytical study carried out in hospitals and the community during March-October 2016. An anonymous content validated self-administered questionnaire was used as the study instrument. Knowledge, Attitude, Practices and Behaviour were assessed via multiple choice questions and responses according to Likert score. Three anonymised case records were given as case vignettes to be studied by the participants and their responses were also recorded on the questionnaire. Among the 246 responders 156 (63.4%) were doctors. All groups of professionals identified the forms of child abuse correctly and the social indicators of child abuse was correctly identified in 152 (61.7%). Majority failed to identify the features of the perpetrator. Majority of the professionals showed a favourable response in attitude when dealing with child maltreatment. 153 (62%) had suspected child abuse in their career and 64% of them had reported it to the authority. Fifty two (21%) had attended a training workshop on child abuse and 65.8% of the responders were not satisfied with their knowledge. 229(93%) of them indicated that they wanted some form of education on child maltreatment. The Knowledge, Attitude and Behaviour towards child abuse were significantly good on people with experience in the field of Paediatrics and Judicial Medical work, when compared to those who did not have the experience in these two fields. (p value< 0.01). Although the knowledge among health professionals regarding child abuse and care was satisfactory, further areas need reinforcement. The attitude was more positive, the behavior and practices on child maltreatment needed reinforcement via workshops and continuing medical education.

Knowledge, attitude, and preventive practice survey regarding AIDS comparing registered to freelance commercial sex workers in Iloilo City, Philippines.

PubMed

Liu, T I; So, R

1996-12-01

A survey of female commercial sex workers (CSW) in Iloilo City, Philipines, was conducted in October and November 1995 to determine the level of knowledge, attitudes, and preventive practices regarding HIV/AIDS to guide future education programs. CSWs in the Philippines were categorized as registered or freelance. Registered CSWs included "hospitality girls" from licensed bars, night clubs, and massage parlors who have registered with the local social hygiene clinic (SHC). Freelance CSWs are not registered. 110 registered and 46 freelance CSWs were surveyed. We compared demographic data, scores from a basic knowledge test, and preventive practices between registered and freelance CSWs. Demographic data indicate that registered CSWs often originate from provinces outside of the Visayan Islands (25%) and most have never been married (93%). Freelance CSWs included more married (11%) and separated (11%) women from nearby cities. Knowledge test scores of registered and freelance CSWs were not significantly different. 90-96% of CSWs correctly answered questions regarding modes of transmission. However, 25% still believed it is possible to contract AIDS from using a public restroom. Registered and freelance CSWs believed their risks for AIDS to be equally great. However, 38% of freelance CSWs admit to never or almost never using condoms compared to 15% of registered CSWs. Licensed establishments and a support staff at the social hygiene clinic may provide a relatively structured working environment, giving registered CSWs security and confidence to insist on condom use. In most cases, condom use seems to depend on male customer compliance, and CSWs, especially freelancers, cannot afford to insist on condom use. The CSWs indicated that they learned most about AIDS through health personnel and television.

Women Clerical Workers: Sex-Role Socialization, Work Attitudes, and Values.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pearson, Hilary M.; Kahn, Sharon E.

1989-01-01

Explored differences in sex-role socialization, personality orientation, and work attitudes and values of two groups of women clerical workers (N=91) who made their initial career choices in different historical time frames (the 1950s and 1970s). Results suggest that women clerical workers with differing sex-role socialization experiences may have…

Older Worker Attitudes toward Change and Challenge.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Donchin, Gwyneth G.

A task force from a high technology company recently conducted a nine-month study to determine the attitudes of older workers toward work, management, technological change, and productivity. Data were gathered from personnel files; an age audit was undertaken, and 4,000 employees were randomly interviewed. The workers were asked to offer opinions…

Case-control study on the prevention of occupational eye injuries.

PubMed

Ho, Chi-Kung; Yen, Ya-Lin; Chang, Cheng-Hsien; Chiang, Hung-Che; Shen, Ying-Ying; Chang, Po-Ya

2008-01-01

The risk factors for occupational eye injuries have never been published in Taiwan. We conducted a case-control study to analyze the differences among workers on their knowledge, attitude to and practice (KAP) of occupational accident prevention. In the study, a statistical model was also set up for predicting the occupational problem. Subjects, including 31 cases of work-related eye injuries and 62 controls, completed a structured questionnaire on KAP, which revealed that 80.6% and 62.7% of workers in the case and control groups, respectively, did not wear eye protection during work. Furthermore, we found that temporary employment (OR, 10.7; 95% CI, 3.03-36.16) and fewer than 10 years of education (OR, 4.44; 95% CI, 1.73-11.44) were the major risk factors for occupational eye injuries. In addition, we developed a logistic regression model with four predictors (temporary employment, education years less than 10, poor management of industrial health and safety in the workplace, and poor attitude towards accident prevention) for the occurrence of occupational eye injuries. In conclusion, in Taiwan, compulsory regulation of wearing eye protection during work, good education, management of work safety and hygiene and employee (especially temporary worker) commitment to safety and health are strongly recommended prevention strategies.

Some factors affecting acceptance of family planning in Manus.

PubMed

Avue, B; Freeman, P

1991-12-01

This paper examines selected factors affecting the acceptance and delivery of modern family planning from health centres in Manus. A survey was carried out of mothers attending Maternal and Child Health clinics and a written questionnaire was given to health workers. The survey of mothers demonstrated the importance of the husband's approval for contraceptive practice and showed that knowledge about traditional methods of family planning is widespread. The health workers' questionnaire demonstrated a high level of dissatisfaction with the current family planning program delivered by health clinics: 45% found the program ineffective; 68% wrote that health workers' attitudes discouraged mothers from attending for family planning. The perceived and actual benefits and costs of children and the role of men should be assessed locally before planning future family planning programs. Widespread retraining and motivating of health workers is essential if improved coverage is to be achieved through health services. The efficacy of alternative methods of delivery of family planning such as local community-based and social marketing programs should also be investigated.

Risk perception about zoonoses in immigrants and Italian workers in Northwestern Italy.

PubMed

Cediel, Natalia; Conte, Valeria; Tomassone, Laura; Tiberti, Donatella; Guiso, Paolo; Romero, Jaime; Villamil, Luis Carlos; De Meneghi, Daniele

2012-10-01

To assess factors associated with a low risk perception of zoonoses and to identify the gaps in knowledge about transmission and prevention of zoonoses in immigrant and Italian workers. A cross-sectional study with 175 workers in the agro-livestock and agro-food industry in Piemonte, Italy, was carried out. Data were collected with a semi-structured questionnaire based on knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) survey. We calculated proportions and used chi-square tests and odds ratios to assess associations. Eight individual interviews with key informants on immigration and public health in Piemonte were carried out. Participants were 82 (47%) Italians and 93 (53%) immigrants. Immigrants were from Romania, Morocco, Albania, India, China, Argentina, Peru, Macedonia, Ivory Coast, Ukraine and Colombia. The study revealed significant differences in risk perception at work (p = 0.001). We found associations between "not having correct knowledge about zoonoses" and the following variables: i. "being immigrant" OR = 4.1 (95%CI 1.7;9.8 p ≤ 0.01); ii. "working in the livestock industry" OR = 2.9 (95%CI 1.2;15.4 p = 0.01); and iii. "being an unqualified worker" OR = 4.4 (95%CI 2.9;15.4 p ≤ 0.01). Another strong association was found between being immigrant and having a low job qualification OR = 6.7 (IC95% 2.9 - 15.4 p ≤ 0.01). Asian immigrants were the group with the highest frequency of risky behaviours and the lowest level of knowledge about zoonoses. Our results indicate that there were differences in risk perception of zoonoses between the groups participating in our study. These results suggest that immigrant status can be considered a risk factor for having lower risk perception and lower level of knowledge of zoonoses at work. There is a relationship between this specific knowledge of zoonoses and lack of training and instruction among migrant populations. Our results stress the need for developing education programs on zoonoses prevention among the immigrant population in Piemonte, Italy.

The assessment of seafarers' knowledge, attitudes and practices related to STI/HIV/AIDS in northern Morocco.

PubMed

Laraqui, Salwa; Laraqui, Omar; Manar, Nadia; Ghailan, Tarik; Belabsir, Mohamed; Deschamps, Frederic; Laraqui, Chakib H

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study was to assess the knowledge, attitudes and practices of seafarers in relation to sexually transmitted infections (STI) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). This transversal, descriptive and behavioural study was conducted in 2014 on a representative sample of 1447 seafarers. The rate of participation was 95%. The mean age was 36.1 ± 8.2 years. Knowledge about transmission and prevention mode was satisfactory on HIV/AIDS; however, some misconceptions still persist. The level of stigmatisation and discrimination towards people living with the virus was considered high. The prevalence of sexual high-risk behaviour was significant: 32% had at least two sexual partners and 26.3% have had sex with sex workers, 60% of them were not protected; 42.8% have never used the condom and only 15.1% used it systematically. The sailors who had sexual intercourse under the influence of alcohol or drugs are less protected. As too HIV testing, only 10.2% did it. This study showed a gap in knowledge about transmission and prevention of HIV infection/AIDS and sexual risk behaviour. Increasing awareness and information among seafarers is of prime importance.

A collaboration with local Aboriginal communities in rural New South Wales, Australia to determine the oral health needs of their children and develop a community-owned oral health promotion program.

PubMed

Dimitropoulos, Yvonne; Gunasekera, Hasantha; Blinkhorn, Anthony; Byun, Roy; Binge, Norma; Gwynne, Kylie; Irving, Michelle

2018-06-01

As part of an oral health service for Aboriginal people in central northern New South Wales (NSW), Australia, oral health promotion was identified as a priority by the local Aboriginal community. The objective of this study was to collaborate with local Aboriginal communities to determine (1) the oral health needs of Aboriginal children aged 5-12 years, (2) the oral health knowledge and attitudes towards oral health of parents/guardians and (3) the perceived barriers and enablers towards oral health promotion for school children by local school staff and community health workers. The results of this collaboration will inform a community-owned oral health promotion program. Aboriginal children aged 5-12 years enrolled in local schools received a dental screening by a single examiner. The number of decayed, missing and filled teeth of primary and permanent dentition (dmft/DMFT), plaque and gingivitis were recorded. Children completed a questionnaire assessing current oral hygiene practices, dental history and information on their diet. Parents/guardians completed a questionnaire assessing oral health knowledge and attitudes towards oral health. School staff and community health workers completed a questionnaire assessing attitudes, barriers and enablers towards implementing an oral health promotion program in schools. Eighty-eight children, representing 94% of those eligible, were screened, and 78 (82%) completed a questionnaire. The mean dmft/DMFT score was 5.3. Risk factors for dental caries identified included lack of toothbrush ownership (35%), minimal fluoride toothpaste use (24%), limited daily tooth brushing (51%) and frequent consumption of sugary foods (72%) and soft drinks (64%). Questionnaires were completed by 32 parents/guardians and 39 school and community health workers. Parents/guardians had limited oral health knowledge. School and health staff were willing to support a health promotion program to improve dental health of children. Aboriginal children living in rural and remote communities in NSW experience high rates of dental caries. Oral health promotion is urgently required to reduce the burden of dental caries and should address oral hygiene behaviours, fluoride use and access to healthy foods and drinks. Note: This article uses the term 'Aboriginal people' when referring to the first peoples of Australia. This term is inclusive of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Preventing Opioid Use Disorders among Fishing Industry Workers

PubMed Central

Morocho, Cesar; King, Lauren; Bartlett, John; Kelsey, Debra; DeSousa, Monica; Biesecker, Gretchen

2018-01-01

Fishing industry workers are at high risk for work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) and injuries. Prescription opioids used to treat pain injuries may put these workers at increased risk for developing substance disorders. Using a Community-Based Participatory Research approach, formative research was conducted to inform the eventual development of relevant interventions to prevent and reduce opioid use disorders among fishing industry workers. Qualitative interviews (n = 21) were conducted to assess: knowledge and attitudes about opioid use disorders; features of fishing work that might affect use and/or access to treatment; and community and organizational capacity for prevention and treatment. Participants reported numerous pathways connecting commercial fishing with opioid use. The combination of high stress and physically tasking job duties requires comprehensive workplace interventions to prevent chronic pain and MSDs, in addition to tailored and culturally responsive treatment options to address opioid use disorders in this population. Public health programs must integrate workplace health and safety protection along with evidence-based primary, secondary, and tertiary interventions in order to address opioid use disorders, particularly among workers in strenuous jobs. PMID:29614742

Preventing Opioid Use Disorders among Fishing Industry Workers.

PubMed

Walter, Angela Wangari; Morocho, Cesar; King, Lauren; Bartlett, John; Kelsey, Debra; DeSousa, Monica; Biesecker, Gretchen; Punnett, Laura

2018-03-31

Fishing industry workers are at high risk for work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) and injuries. Prescription opioids used to treat pain injuries may put these workers at increased risk for developing substance disorders. Using a Community-Based Participatory Research approach, formative research was conducted to inform the eventual development of relevant interventions to prevent and reduce opioid use disorders among fishing industry workers. Qualitative interviews ( n = 21) were conducted to assess: knowledge and attitudes about opioid use disorders; features of fishing work that might affect use and/or access to treatment; and community and organizational capacity for prevention and treatment. Participants reported numerous pathways connecting commercial fishing with opioid use. The combination of high stress and physically tasking job duties requires comprehensive workplace interventions to prevent chronic pain and MSDs, in addition to tailored and culturally responsive treatment options to address opioid use disorders in this population. Public health programs must integrate workplace health and safety protection along with evidence-based primary, secondary, and tertiary interventions in order to address opioid use disorders, particularly among workers in strenuous jobs.

Workers' Attitudes to Technical Change: An Integrated Survey of Research. Industrial Relations Aspects of Manpower Policy 2.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Touraine, Alain; And Others

Methods for encouraging positive worker attitude and behavior toward change were examined to provide a basis for re-evaluation of current policies and programs relating to introduction of technological changes. The literature reviewed is presented in sections of: (1) "The Worker and the Occupational System," by Claude Durand, (2)…

Social Workers' Attitudes toward Peer-Reviewed Literature: The Evidence Base

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Knight, Carolyn

2013-01-01

Social workers from one state chapter of the National Association of Social Workers were surveyed to assess their use of and attitudes toward the peer-reviewed literature and their engagement in evidence-based practice. Results reveal that, in general, the practitioners in this study did not read the peer-reviewed literature, particularly articles…

Knowledge and attitude towards zoonoses among animal health workers and livestock keepers in Arusha and Tanga, Tanzania.

PubMed

Swai, Emanuel S; Schoonman, Luuk; Daborn, Chris J

2010-10-01

Zoonoses are infections naturally transmitted between vertebrate animals and humans. An exploratory questionnaire-based survey of animal health workers(n=36) and livestock keepers(n=43) was carried out from April 2001 to March 2002 in Tanga and Arusha regions, northern Tanzania, to assess local knowledge, attitudes and public awareness for animal zoonoses. A combination of closed and open-ended questions, focus group discussions and ranking techniques were employed to gather information on perceptions concerning the type of zoonotic diseases prevalent in the study area, level of risk, mode of transmission and methods of preventing disease transmission from animals to humans. The results demonstrated that rabies, tuberculosis and anthrax were considered the three most common zoonotic diseases. Sharing living accommodation with animals, consumption of un-treated livestock products (i.e. milk, meat or eggs) and attending to parturition were perceived as routes of transmission. Knowledge about zoonosis was higher in smallholder dairy (92%; 33/36) than traditional livestock keepers (P<0.05). On the contrary, the perceived risk of contracting a zoonosis was significantly higher in traditional livestock (86%; 6/7) than smallholder dairy keepers (P<0.05). Stratification of the risk of zoonosis by farm location revealed that rural farms (85%; 7/8) were considered significantly at a higher risk when compared to peri or urban located farms (P<0.05). Most of the respondents stated cooking of meat or boiling of milk as a way to prevent transmission. However, there was a significant difference in the perception of the risk posed by contact with potentially infected animals /or animal products with animal health workers having a much higher level of perception compared to livestock keepers. These results suggest that in the Tanga and Arusha, Tanzania, patchy awareness and knowledge of zoonoses, combined with food consumption habits and poor animal husbandry are likely to expose respondents to an increased risk of contracting zoonoses. Public health promotion on education and inter-disciplinary one-health collaboration between vets, public health practitioners and policy makers should result in a more efficient and effective joint approach to the diagnosis and control of zoonoses in Tanzania.

An Analysis of Workers' Attitudes Toward the 4-Day, 40-Hour Workweek.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dickinson, Terry L.; Wijting, Jan P.

Employees' attitudes toward a proposed 4-day, 40-hour workweek were examined relative to job and worker variables, expectations about the new workweek schedule, and job-aspect satisfactions. Employees classified by their sex, work shifts, wage schedules, and sex and work shifts differed significantly in their attitudes toward the 4-day, 40-hour…

A survey of United States dental hygienists' knowledge, attitudes, and practices with infection control guidelines.

PubMed

Garland, Kandis V

2013-06-01

To assess knowledge, attitudes and practices of U.S. dental hygienists with infection control guidelines (ICG). Research has shown improved compliance with specific aspects of dental ICG is needed. This study supports the American Dental Hygienists' Association National Research Agenda's Occupational Health and Safety objective to investigate methods to decrease errors, risks and or hazards in health care. Data are needed to assess compliance, prevention and behavioral issues with current ICG practices. A proportional stratified random sample (n=2,500) was recruited for an online survey. Descriptive statistics summarized demographic characteristics and knowledge, attitudes and practices responses. Spearman's rho correlations determined relationships between knowledge, attitudes and practices responses (p<0.05). Dominant themes were identified from open-ended responses. A 31% response rate (n=765) was attained. Respondents agreed/strongly agreed with familiarity with ICG (86%) and believed ICG are relevant to their patients (88%). Responses indicated low compliance (rarely/never used) with handpiece sterilization (n=209, 31%), utility glove use (n=317, 47%), and pre-procedural rinsing (n=324, 48%). Significant relationships were found between ICG implementation and access to necessary supplies (rs=0.549), supervisors' expectations for using ICG (rs=0.529) and no time to use (rs=-0.537). Themes from comments indicated time is a barrier, and respondents' perceived a need for involvement of all co-workers. Dental hygienists are adhering with most aspects of the ICG. High compliance with ICG among respondents in this study was associated with positive safety beliefs and practices, whereas lower compliance with ICG was associated with less positive safety beliefs and practices. A safety culture appears to be a factor in compliance with ICG.

Knowledge and attitudes about Vitamin D and impact on sun protection practices among urban office workers in Brisbane, Australia.

PubMed

Vu, Lan H; van der Pols, Jolieke C; Whiteman, David C; Kimlin, Michael G; Neale, Rachel E

2010-07-01

Sun exposure is the main source of vitamin D. Increasing scientific and media attention to the potential health benefits of sun exposure may lead to changes in sun exposure behaviors. To provide data that might help frame public health messages, we conducted an online survey among office workers in Brisbane, Australia, to determine knowledge and attitudes about vitamin D and associations of these with sun protection practices. Of the 4,709 people invited to participate, 2,867 (61%) completed the questionnaire. This analysis included 1,971 (69%) participants who indicated that they had heard about vitamin D. Lack of knowledge about vitamin D was apparent. Eighteen percent of people were unaware of the bone benefits of vitamin D but 40% listed currently unconfirmed benefits. Over half of the participants indicated that more than 10 minutes in the sun was needed to attain enough vitamin D in summer, and 28% indicated more than 20 minutes in winter. This was significantly associated with increased time outdoors and decreased sunscreen use. People believing sun protection might cause vitamin D deficiency (11%) were less likely to be frequent sunscreen users (summer odds ratio, 0.63; 95% confidence interval, 0.52-0.75). Our findings suggest that there is some confusion about sun exposure and vitamin D, and that this may result in reduced sun-protective behavior. More information is needed about vitamin D production in the skin. In the interim, education campaigns need to specifically address the vitamin D issue to ensure that skin cancer incidence does not increase.

Knowledge and Implementation of Tertiary Institutions' Social Health Insurance Programme (TISHIP) in Nigeria: a case study of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka.

PubMed

Anetoh, Maureen Ugonwa; Jibuaku, Chiamaka Henrietta; Nduka, Sunday Odunke; Uzodinma, Samuel Uchenna

2017-01-01

Tertiary Institutions' Social Health Insurance Programme (TISHIP) is an arm of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), which provides quality healthcare to students in Nigerian higher institutions. The success of this scheme depends on the students' knowledge and awareness of its existence as well as the level of its implementation by healthcare providers. This study was therefore designed to assess students' knowledge and attitude towards TISHIP and its implementation level among health workers in Nnamdi Azikiwe University Medical Centre. Using a stratified random sampling technique, 420 undergraduate students of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka were assessed on their level of awareness and general assessment of TISHIP through an adapted and validated questionnaire instrument. The level of implementation of the scheme was then assessed among 50 randomly selected staff of the University Medical Center. Data collected were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20 software. Whereas the students in general, showed a high level of TISHIP awareness, more than half of them (56.3%) have never benefited from the scheme with 52.8% showing dissatisfaction with the quality of care offered with the scheme. However, an overwhelming number of the students (87.9%) opined that the scheme should continue. On the other hand, the University Medical Centre staff responses showed a satisfactory scheme implementation. The study found satisfactory TISHIP awareness with poor attitude among Nnamdi Azikiwe University students. Furthermore, the University Medical Centre health workers showed a strong commitment to the objectives of the scheme.

Researcher perspectives on competencies of return-to-work coordinators.

PubMed

Gardner, Bethany T; Pransky, Glenn; Shaw, William S; Hong, Qua Nha; Loisel, Patrick

2010-01-01

Return-to-work (RTW) coordination programs are successful in reducing long-term work disability, but research reports have not adequately described the role and competencies of the RTW coordinator. This study was conducted to clarify the impact of RTW coordinators, and competencies (knowledge, skills, and attitudes) required to achieve optimal RTW outcomes in injured workers. Studies involving RTW coordination for injured workers were identified through literature review. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 principal investigators to obtain detailed information about the RTW coordinator role and competencies not included in published articles. Interview results were synthesized into principal conceptual groups by affinity mapping. All investigators strongly endorsed the role of RTW coordinator as key to the program's success. Affinity mapping identified 10 groups of essential competencies: (1) individual traits/qualities, (2) relevant knowledge base, (3) RTW focus and attitude, (4) organizational/administrative skills, (5) assessment skills, (6) communication skills, (7) interpersonal relationship skills, (8) conflict resolution skills, (9) problem-solving skills, and (10) RTW facilitation skills. Specific consensus competencies were identified within each affinity group. Most investigators endorsed similar competencies, although there was some variation by setting or scope of RTW intervention. RTW coordinators are essential contributors in RTW facilitation programs. This study identified specific competencies required to achieve success. More emphasis on mentorship and observation will be required to develop and evaluate necessary skills in this area.

[Associations of occupational safety atmosphere and behaviors with unintentional injuries].

PubMed

Xiao, Ya-ni; Huang, Zhi-xiong; Huang, Shao-bin; Cao, Xiao-ou; Chen, Xia-ming; Liu, Xu-hua; Chen, Wei-qing

2012-07-01

To evaluate the associations of perception of safety atmosphere at workplace, occupational safety attitude and behaviors with occupational unintentional injury among manufacturing workers. A cross-sectional study was performed and a self-administered questionnaire was used to inquire socio-demographic characteristics, perceived safety atmosphere, occupational safety attitudes, occupational safety behaviors and occupational unintentional injuries among 10585 manufacturing workers selected from 46 enterprises in Guangdong. Structural equation modeling was applied to assess the relationship of the perception of safety atmosphere at workplace, occupational safety attitude, and occupational safety behaviors with occupational unintentional injury. Among 24 pathways supposed in structural equation model, 20 pathways (except for the attitude toward occupational safety, the attitude toward managers' support, the work posture and individual protection) were significantly related to the occupational unintentional injuries. The further analysis indicated that the perceived safety atmosphere might impact the occupational unintentional injuries by the attitude toward occupational safety and occupational safety behaviors. Workers' perception of safety atmosphere indirectly influenced on occupational unintentional injuries through occupational safety attitudes and occupational safety behaviors.

Safety in construction--a comprehensive description of the characteristics of high safety standards in construction work, from the combined perspective of supervisors and experienced workers.

PubMed

Törner, Marianne; Pousette, Anders

2009-01-01

The often applied engineering approach to safety management in the construction industry needs to be supplemented by organizational measures and measures based on how people conceive and react to their social environment. This requires in-depth knowledge of the broad preconditions for high safety standards in construction. The aim of the study was to comprehensively describe the preconditions and components of high safety standards in the construction industry from the perspective of both experienced construction workers and first-line managers. Five worker safety representatives and 19 first-line managers were interviewed, all strategically selected from within a large Swedish construction project. Phenomenographic methodology was used for data acquisition and analysis and to categorize the information. Nine informants verified the results. The study identified four main categories of work safety preconditions and components: (1) Project characteristics and nature of the work, which set the limits of safety management; (2) Organization and structures, with the subcategories planning, work roles, procedures, and resources; (3) Collective values, norms, and behaviors, with the subcategories climate and culture, and interaction and cooperation; and (4) Individual competence and attitudes, with the subcategories knowledge, ability and experience, and individual attitudes. The results comprehensively describe high safety standards in construction, incorporating organizational, group, individual, and technical aspects. High-quality interaction between different organizational functions and hierarchical levels stood out as important aspects of safety. The results are discussed in relation to previous research into safety and into the social-psychological preconditions for other desired outcomes in occupational settings. The results can guide construction companies in planning and executing construction projects to a high safety standard.

Web-Based Training for Primary Healthcare Workers in Rural China: A Qualitative Exploration of Stakeholders’ Perceptions

PubMed Central

Zhang, Zhixia; Zhan, Xingxin; Li, Yingxue; Hu, Rong; Yan, Weirong

2015-01-01

Background Equitable access to basic public health services is a priority in China. However, primary healthcare workers’ competence to deliver public health services is relatively poor because they lack professional training. Since the availability of web-based training has increased in China, the current study explored stakeholders’ perceptions of a web-based training program on basic public health services to understand their thoughts, experiences, and attitudes about it. Methods Six focus group discussions with primary healthcare workers and three with directors of township hospitals, county-level Health Bureaus, and county-level Centers for Disease Control and Prevention were conducted in Yichang City during 2013. Semi-structured topic guides were used to facilitate qualitative data collection. Audio recordings of the sessions were transcribed verbatim and theme analysis was performed. Results Most of the study’s participants, especially the village doctors, had insufficient knowledge of basic public health services. The existing training program for primary healthcare workers consisted of ineffective traditional face-to-face sessions and often posed accessibility problems for the trainees. Most of the study’s participants had a positive attitude about web-based learning and expressed a strong desire to receive this novel training approach because of its flexibility and convenience. The perceived barriers to utilizing the web-based training method included poor computer literacy, lack of personal interaction, inadequate infrastructure, and lack of time and motivation. The facilitators of this approach included the training content applicability, the user-friendly and interactive learning format, and policy support. Conclusions Web-based training on basic public health services is a promising option in rural China. The findings of the study will contribute knowledge to implementation of web-based training in similar settings. PMID:25961727

Acceptability of microbicidal vaginal rings and oral pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV prevention among female sex workers in a high-prevalence US city.

PubMed

Peitzmeier, Sarah M; Tomko, Catherine; Wingo, Erin; Sawyer, Anne; Sherman, Susan G; Glass, Nancy; Beyrer, Chris; Decker, Michele R

2017-11-01

Biomedical HIV prevention tools including oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and vaginal microbicidal rings hold unique value for high-risk women who may have limited capacity for condom negotiation, including the key populations of sex workers and drug users. Commercial sex is a PrEP indicator in CDC guidelines, yet little is known about female sex workers' (FSWs) knowledge of and attitudes toward PrEP or the recently developed monthly vaginal microbicide rings. We describe knowledge and attitudes toward PrEP and microbicide rings in a sample of 60 mostly drug-using FSWs in Baltimore, Maryland, a high HIV-prevalence US city. Just 33% had heard of PrEP, but 65% were interested in taking daily oral PrEP and 76% were interested in a microbicide vaginal ring; 87% were interested in at least one of the two methods. Results suggest method mix will be important as biomedical tools for HIV prophylaxis are implemented and scaled up in this population, as 12% were interested in PrEP but not vaginal rings, while 19% were interested in vaginal rings but not in PrEP. Self-efficacy for daily oral adherence was high (79%) and 78% were interested in using PrEP even if condoms were still necessary. Women who had experienced recent client-perpetrated violence were significantly more interested in PrEP (86% vs 53%, p = 0.009) and microbicidal rings (91% vs 65%, p = 0.028) than women who had not recently experienced violence. No differences were observed by demographics nor HIV risk behaviors, suggesting broad potential interest in daily PrEP and monthly-use vaginal microbicides in this high-risk population.

Training students to detect delirium: An interprofessional pilot study.

PubMed

Chambers, Breah; Meyer, Mary; Peterson, Moya

2018-06-01

The purpose of this paper is to report nursing student knowledge acquisition and attitude after completing and interprofessional simulation with medical students. The IOM has challenged healthcare educators to teach teamwork and communication skills in interprofessional settings. Interprofessional simulation provides a higher fidelity experience than simulation in silos. Simulation may be particularly useful in helping healthcare workers gain the necessary skills to care for psychiatric clients. Specifically, healthcare providers have difficulty differentiating between dementia and delirium. Recognizing this deficit, an interprofessional simulation was created using medical students in their neurology rotation and senior nursing students. Twenty-four volunteer nursing students completed a pre-survey to assess delirium knowledge and then completed an education module about delirium. Twelve of these students participated in a simulation with medicine students. Pre and Post Kid SIM Attitude questionnaires were completed by all students participating in the simulation. After the simulations were complete, all twenty-four students were asked to complete the post-survey regarding delirium knowledge. While delirium knowledge scores improved in both groups, the simulation group scored higher, but the difference did not reach significance. The simulation group demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in attitudes toward simulation, interprofessional education, and teamwork post simulation compared to their pre-simulation scores. Nursing students who participated in an interprofessional simulation developed a heightened appreciation for learning communication, teamwork, situational awareness, and interprofessional roles and responsibilities. These results support the use of interprofessional simulation in healthcare education. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Impact of an infection-control program on nurses' knowledge and attitude in pediatric intensive care units at Cairo University hospitals.

PubMed

Galal, Yasmine S; Labib, John R; Abouelhamd, Walaa A

2014-04-01

Healthcare-associated infection is a prominent problem among patients in pediatric intensive care units (PICU) as it could result in significant morbidity, prolonged hospitalization, and increase in medical care costs. The role of nurses is extremely important in preventing hazards and sequela of healthcare-associated infections. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of a health education program regarding infection-control measures on nurses' knowledge and attitude in PICUs at Cairo University hospitals. This was a pre-post test interventional study in which a convenient sample of 125 nurses was taken from the nursing staff in different PICUs at Cairo University hospitals. The study took place in three phases. In the first phase, the nursing staff's knowledge, attitude and practice concerning infection-control measures were tested using a self-administered pretested questionnaire and an observation checklist. The second phase included health education sessions in the form of powerpoint and video presentations; and in the third phase the nurses' knowledge and attitude on infection-control measures were reassessed. A significantly higher level of knowledge was revealed in the postintervention phase as compared with the preintervention phase with regards to the types of nosocomial infections (94.4 vs. 76.8%, P<0.001), the at-risk groups for acquiring infection (95.2 vs. 86.4%, P=0.035) and the measures applied to control nosocomial infections (89.6 vs. 68%, P<0.001). Nurses in the postintervention phase had significantly more knowledge about the types of hand washing (99.2 vs. 91.2%, P=0.006). A significantly higher percent of nurses in the postintervention phase knew the importance of avoiding recapping syringes (72.8 vs. 34.4%, P<0.001) and believed that infection-control measures could protect them completely from acquiring infection (79.2 vs. 65.6%, P=0.033). Statistically significant higher total knowledge and attitude scores were revealed in the postintervention phase as compared with the preintervention one (P<0.001). The percentage practice score of observed units was the highest among nurses in the neonatal intensive care unit at the Japanese Hospital (88%), whereas it was the lowest in the emergency pediatric unit (65%). There is scope for improvement in knowledge and attitude after educational program was offered to the nursing staff. Educational training programs should be multidisciplinary interventions in the era of quality control to help healthcare workers realize the importance of basic infection-control measures in reducing pediatric morbidity and mortality and improving the quality of care.

Predictive factors of unprotected sex for female sex workers: first study in French Guiana, the French territory with the highest HIV prevalence.

PubMed

Parriault, Marie-Claire; Basurko, Célia; Melle, Astrid Van; Gaubert-Maréchal, Emilie; Rogier, Stéphanie; Couppié, Pierre; Nacher, Mathieu

2015-07-01

French Guiana is the French territory that is most affected by HIV. AIDS incidence is much higher than in mainland France and sex work seems to be an important driver of the epidemic. The objective of this study was to describe consistent condom use among female sex workers with their clients and their intimate partners and to identify determinants of non-use of condoms. An HIV/AIDS Knowledge, Attitudes, Behaviours and Practices survey was conducted in 2009-2010 among sex workers in French Guiana. A total of 477 sex workers were interviewed. Female sex workers were more likely to use condoms with their clients (97%) than with their intimate partners (45%). The factors associated with non-consistent condom use with the intimate partner were having had an abortion, feeling at risk for HIV, not evaluating one's own risk for HIV, living as a couple, being Dominican, and not feeling comfortable asking intimate partners to use condoms. Although a high proportion of female sex workers declared using condoms with commercial partners, there is still room for improvement in the prevention of transmission with both commercial and intimate partners. © The Author(s) 2014.

Attitudes toward Money among Mental Health Workers: Extension and Exploration of The Money Ethic Scale.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tang, Thomas Li-Ping; Gilbert, Pamela R.

Money has significant impacts on people's motivation, behavior, and performance. This study was conducted to further validate and explore the Money Ethic Scale (MES), an instrument developed to examine the meaning of money, in a sample of mental health workers in Tennessee. It examined mental health workers' (N=155) attitudes toward money, as…

Differences in attitudes towards medication between population groups in the Durban Metropolitan Area of South Africa.

PubMed

Suleman, Fatima; Ally, Shabnam; Bayat, Samirah; Essack, Razia; Moodley, Renalda; Mtembu, Thobekile; Ramalingham, Emily

2009-08-01

Personal factors, especially attitude, have been implicated in the utilization of health care services, and in access to medical treatment. There is little information on the attitudes of the general public in South Africa towards medications and whether attitudes differ across population groups or among the different users of the health care system. This study aimed to determine the general attitude of a local population to medications, self-care orientation and health professional contact, and whether differences existed between age groups, gender and race groups. METHODS We carried out a randomized, cross-sectional quantitative study via telephonic questionnaire survey (adapted from a previous study) of a sample of 1132 telephone numbers. The setting was the Durban Metropolitan Area, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. KEY FINDINGS A total of 500 (44.2%) people responded. The majority had a positive attitude towards medication. An increase in age resulted in increased medication use. Females were more likely than males to use medication and seek professional health care (P = 0.0406). Most of the respondents (86.0%) were self-care-orientated and displayed moderate medication knowledge (46.2%). Some 295 (59.0%) of the 500 respondents had visited a pharmacy within the last 6 months. Conclusions Health care professionals can adopt an informed approach to address the needs of the population with regard to medication, by targeting groups more likely to use medication (females and the older age group). In addition, gaps in medication knowledge were identified which could be used for health-promotion interventions by health care workers.

Policy reform to shift the health and human rights environment for vulnerable groups: the case of Kyrgyzstan's Instruction 417.

PubMed

Beletsky, Leo; Thomas, Rachel; Smelyanskaya, Marina; Artamonova, Irina; Shumskaya, Natalya; Dooronbekova, Aijan; Mukambetov, Aibek; Doyle, Heather; Tolson, Rebecca

2012-12-15

Police activities shape behavior and health outcomes among drug users, sex workers, and other vulnerable groups. Interventions to change the policing of drug consumption and sex work in ways that facilitate public health programming and respect for human rights have included policy reforms, education, and litigation. In 2009, the Kyrgyz government promulgated "Instruction 417," prohibiting police interference with "harm reduction" programs, re-enforcing citizen rights, addressing police occupational safety concerns, and institutionalizing police-public health collaboration. Although ample evidence points to gaps between intended and actual impact of policy and other structural interventions, there is little research on the impact of initiatives designed to align policing, health, and human rights. We conducted a police officer survey to assess links between Instruction 417 knowledge and legal and public health knowledge, attitudes towards harm reduction programs, and intended practices targeting vulnerable groups. In a 319-officer sample, 79% understood key due process regulations, 71.1% correctly characterized law on sex work, 54.3% understood syringe possession law, while only 44.4% reported familiarity with Instruction 417. Most (72.9%) expressed positive attitudes toward condom distribution, while only 56% viewed syringe access favorably. Almost half (44%) agreed that police should refer vulnerable groups to disease prevention programs, but only 20% reported doing so. In multivariate analysis, knowledge of Instruction 417 was associated with significantly better knowledge about (aOR=1.84, 95%CI: 1.12-3.00) and attitudes towards harm reduction programs (aOR=3.81, 95%CI:1.35-10.75), and knowledge of due process for the detention of sex workers (aOR=2.53, 95%CI:1.33-4.80). Younger, junior officers and those in rural areas may not be well-informed about the policy. While reflecting positively on Instruction 417 as a structural approach to aligning policing and public health, this analysis highlights gaps in policy dissemination and calls for further research to assess street-level impact of interventions on the health and human rights environment for vulnerable groups. Copyright © 2012 Beletsky et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/), which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

Assessments of Ebola knowledge, attitudes and practices in Forécariah, Guinea and Kambia, Sierra Leone, July–August 2015

PubMed Central

Bunnell, Rebecca; Robinson, Susan; Jalloh, Mohammad B.; Barry, Alpha Mamoudou; Corker, Jamaica; Sengeh, Paul; VanSteelandt, Amanda; Li, Wenshu; Dafae, Foday; Diallo, Alpha Ahmadou; Martel, Lise D.; Hersey, Sara; Marston, Barbara; Morgan, Oliver; Redd, John T.

2017-01-01

The border region of Forécariah (Guinea) and Kambia (Sierra Leone) was of immense interest to the West Africa Ebola response. Cross-sectional household surveys with multi-stage cluster sampling procedure were used to collect random samples from Kambia (n = 635) in July 2015 and Forécariah (n = 502) in August 2015 to assess public knowledge, attitudes and practices related to Ebola. Knowledge of the disease was high in both places, and handwashing with soap and water was the most widespread prevention practice. Acceptance of safe alternatives to traditional burials was significantly lower in Forécariah compared with Kambia. In both locations, there was a minority who held discriminatory attitudes towards survivors. Radio was the predominant source of information in both locations, but those from Kambia were more likely to have received Ebola information from community sources (mosques/churches, community meetings or health workers) compared with those in Forécariah. These findings contextualize the utility of Ebola health messaging during the epidemic and suggest the importance of continued partnership with community leaders, including religious leaders, as a prominent part of future public health protection. This article is part of the themed issue ‘The 2013–2016 West African Ebola epidemic: data, decision-making and disease control’. PMID:28396475

Assessments of Ebola knowledge, attitudes and practices in Forécariah, Guinea and Kambia, Sierra Leone, July-August 2015.

PubMed

Jalloh, Mohamed F; Bunnell, Rebecca; Robinson, Susan; Jalloh, Mohammad B; Barry, Alpha Mamoudou; Corker, Jamaica; Sengeh, Paul; VanSteelandt, Amanda; Li, Wenshu; Dafae, Foday; Diallo, Alpha Ahmadou; Martel, Lise D; Hersey, Sara; Marston, Barbara; Morgan, Oliver; Redd, John T

2017-05-26

The border region of Forécariah (Guinea) and Kambia (Sierra Leone) was of immense interest to the West Africa Ebola response. Cross-sectional household surveys with multi-stage cluster sampling procedure were used to collect random samples from Kambia ( n = 635) in July 2015 and Forécariah ( n = 502) in August 2015 to assess public knowledge, attitudes and practices related to Ebola. Knowledge of the disease was high in both places, and handwashing with soap and water was the most widespread prevention practice. Acceptance of safe alternatives to traditional burials was significantly lower in Forécariah compared with Kambia. In both locations, there was a minority who held discriminatory attitudes towards survivors. Radio was the predominant source of information in both locations, but those from Kambia were more likely to have received Ebola information from community sources (mosques/churches, community meetings or health workers) compared with those in Forécariah. These findings contextualize the utility of Ebola health messaging during the epidemic and suggest the importance of continued partnership with community leaders, including religious leaders, as a prominent part of future public health protection.This article is part of the themed issue 'The 2013-2016 West African Ebola epidemic: data, decision-making and disease control'. © 2017 The Author(s).

Knowledge and attitudes of healthcare workers in Chinese intensive care units regarding 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic.

PubMed

Ma, Xiaochun; He, Zhenyang; Wang, Yushan; Jiang, Li; Xu, Yuan; Qian, Chuanyun; Sun, Rongqing; Chen, Erzhen; Hu, Zhenjie; Zhou, Lihua; Zhou, Fachun; Qin, Tiehe; Cao, Xiangyuan; An, Youzhong; Sun, Renhua; Zhang, Xijing; Lin, Jiandong; Ai, Yuhang; Wu, Dawei; Du, Bin

2011-01-25

To describe the knowledge and attitudes of critical care clinicians during the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic. A survey conducted in 21 intensive care units in 17 provinces in China. Out of 733 questionnaires distributed, 695 were completed. Three hundred and fifty-six respondents (51.2%) reported their experience of caring for H1N1 patients. Despite the fact that 88.5% of all respondents ultimately finished an H1N1 training program, only 41.9% admitted that they had the knowledge of 2009 H1N1 influenza. A total of 572 respondents (82.3%) expressed willingness to care for H1N1 patients. Independent variables associated with increasing likelihood to care for patients in the logistic regression analysis were physicians or nurses rather than other professionals (odds ratio 4.056 and 3.235, p = 0.002 and 0.007, respectively), knowledge training prior to patient care (odds ratio 1.531, p = 0.044), and the confidence to know how to protect themselves and their patients (odds ratio 2.109, p = 0.001). Critical care clinicians reported poor knowledge of H1N1 influenza, even though most finished a relevant knowledge training program. Implementation of appropriate education program might improve compliance to infection control measures, and willingness to work in a pandemic.

Addressing the intersection between alcohol consumption and antiretroviral treatment: needs assessment and design of interventions for primary healthcare workers, the Western Cape, South Africa.

PubMed

Schneider, M; Chersich, M; Temmerman, M; Parry, C D

2016-10-26

At the points where an infectious disease and risk factors for poor health intersect, while health problems may be compounded, there is also an opportunity to provide health services. Where human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and alcohol consumption intersect include infection with HIV, onward transmission of HIV, impact on HIV and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) disease progression, and premature death. The levels of knowledge and attitudes relating to the health and treatment outcomes of HIV and AIDS and the concurrent consumption of alcohol need to be determined. This study aimed to ascertain the knowledge, attitudes and practices of primary healthcare workers concerning the concurrent consumption of alcohol of clinic attendees who are prescribed antiretroviral drugs. An assessment of the exchange of information on the subject between clinic attendees and primary healthcare providers forms an important aspect of the research. A further objective of this study is an assessment of the level of alcohol consumption of people living with HIV and AIDS attending public health facilities in the Western Cape Province in South Africa, to which end, the study reviewed health workers' perceptions of the problem's extent. A final objective is to contribute to the development of evidence-based guidelines for AIDS patients who consume alcohol when on ARVs. The overall study purpose is to optimise antiretroviral health outcomes for all people living with HIV and AIDS, but with specific reference to the clinic attendees studied in this research. Overall the research study utilised mixed methods. Three group-specific questionnaires were administered between September 2013 and May 2014. The resulting qualitative data presented here supplements the results of the quantitative data questionnaires for HIV and AIDS clinic attendees, which have been analysed and written up separately. This arm of the research study comprised two, separate, semi-structured sets of interviews: one face-to-face with healthcare workers at the same primary healthcare clinics from which the clinic attendees were sampled, and the other with administrators from the local government health service via email. The qualitative analysis from the primary healthcare worker interviews has been analysed using thematic content analysis. The key capacity gaps for nurses include the definition of different patterns and volumes of alcohol consumption, resultant health outcomes and how to answer patient questions on alcohol consumption while on antiretroviral treatment. Not only did the counsellors lack knowledge regarding alcohol abuse and its treatment, but they were also they were unclear on their role and rights in relation to their patients. Doctors highlighted the need for additional training for clinicians in diagnosing alcohol use disorders and information on the pharmacological interventions to treat alcoholism. Pertinent knowledge regarding patient alcohol consumption while taking ARVs needs to be disseminated to primary healthcare workers.

HIV/AIDS risk factors and economic empowerment needs of female sex workers in Enugu Urban, Nigeria.

PubMed

Onyeneho, N G

2009-07-01

While successes are recorded in the developed world with respect to control of HIV/AIDS, the dream of halting and reversing its spread seems to be a mirage in most parts of the developing world. The forces that drive the transmission of HIV/AIDS in Nigeria, as in many other resource poor societies include the activities of high-risk groups. Commercial sex workers remain a major source of HIV/AIDS transmission in Nigeria. The knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) of HIV/AIDS among female sex workers (FSWs) faced with the threat of contracting HIV/AIDS were assessed. A total of 135 FSWs from four most popular brothels in Enugu were interviewed with a structured interview schedule. Six focus group discussion (FGD) sessions were held with FSWs from neighbouring communities. FSWs in Enugu were of diverse socioeconomic backgrounds. They were however mostly in their productive ages of 16-47, with a mean age of 26.9 years. Poverty was the common reason for sex work. Some engaged in sex work to provide their school needs and those of other dependants. The respondents were aware of HIV/AIDS and dread being infected by it because of the stigma and absence of cure. Three percent do not use condom at all. Others use unorthodox methods (e.g. douching with salt solution immediately after sex), if a client refuses to use condom. Condom use depended on the client's choice. Misconceptions exist among the respondents on mode of transmission. Perceptual factors, more than demographic differences played great role in the attitude of the FSWs towards HIV/AIDS. Steps need to be taken to improve on the level of knowledge of HIV/AIDS among the respondents. This should cut across socio-demographic lines and should target the perceptual factors, which tended to provide adequate explanation for the attitude of the respondents to HIV/AIDS. The FSWs should be provided with income earning skills to improve their income earner ability and make them self-reliant.

Attitudes Toward Adoption of Evidence-Based Practice Among Physical Therapists and Social Workers: A Lesson for Interprofessional Continuing Education.

PubMed

Gudjonsdottir, Bjorg; Arnadottir, Hervor A; Gudmundsson, Halldor S; Juliusdottir, Sigrun; Arnadottir, Solveig A

2017-01-01

Professionals who embrace evidence-based practice (EBP) continually search for research evidence, appraise, and apply it, while interacting with each client in his/her situation. This dynamic learning process takes a substantial commitment from professionals and requires a positive attitude toward EBP. The main objective of this research was to explore the following: 1) distinct dimensions of attitudes toward adoption of EBP among physical therapists and social workers and 2) the relationship between these dimensions of attitudes and selected background characteristics of the compared professions. Cross-sectional web-based surveys were conducted in 2012 and 2013 on a population-based sample from the Icelandic Physical Therapy Association and the Icelandic Association of Social Workers. The participants were 214 physical therapists (76.3% women) and 163 social workers (92.2% women). The Evidence-Based Practice Attitude Scale (EBPAS) and its four subscales were used to survey dimensions of attitudes toward EBP. Scores on the total EBPAS range from zero to five, with a higher score indicating a more positive attitude toward EBPs. Linear regression was used to explore the relationship between the EBPAS scales and selected background variables. The overall response rate was 39%. Both professions generally held positive attitudes toward adoption of EBP, with an average EBPAS total score of 3.06 (SD = 0.46). The professionals' background characteristics were independently related to at least one dimension of attitudes toward EBP. More positive attitudes were associated with being a physical therapist, a woman, in a younger age group, having a graduate degree, working with individual clients, and having at least five same-profession coworkers. The results may be useful to design continuing education focusing on EBP. Such inventions should be targeted to professional attitudes, background, and other contextual factors.

Impact of health education intervention on knowledge and community action for malaria control in Delhi.

PubMed

Kishore, J; Gupta, V K; Singh, S V; Garg, S; Kaur, Ravneet; Ingle, G K

2008-09-01

Malaria affects millions of people in India despite decades of efforts to control it. It has acquired greater importance in last two decades due to emergence of vector resistance, poor quality of care and low utilization of services. The study was conducted to improve the management of malaria by IEC and training activities in slum areas of Delhi. The baseline and post intervention data on knowledge, attitude, behavior and practices (KABP) regarding malaria was collected from 601 and 593 subjects respectively from two zones of Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD). At the same time, knowledge and skills regarding management of malaria were assessed among 15 health workers working in these two zones of MCD. An intervention package in the form of health education material for the community and training modules for the workers were designed and implemented. Post intervention data were collected. The knowledge about cause of malaria, season of malaria and breeding places of mosquito increased among community members after the intervention, which was found to be statistically significant. Similarly, more people were aware about the methods of prevention of mosquito breeding after the intervention. Methods like mosquito coil (post-64.92% vs pre-55.41%) and bet nets (post-24.96% vs pre-14.47%) were used by more people in post intervention phase. The Interval between onset of symptoms and seeking treatment decreased after the intervention from 1.66 days to 1.37 days. Among the workers, knowledge and skills regarding malaria management improved after the intervention. More blood slides were made, side effects of the treatment were explained to the patients and better compliance to treatment was observed in post intervention phase. IEC activities using attractive pamphlets to the community and on-job training of workers improves management of malaria and should be used more frequently more so in the slum areas for the success of the National Anti-Malaria Program.

Knowledge of family planning methods in Bangladesh, 1969-1979: trends and implications.

PubMed

Amin, R; Mariam, A G

1986-12-01

The changes in levels of knowledge about different contraceptive methods in Bangladesh between 1969-79 were assessed. 2 surveys provided the data: the 1969 National Impact Survey (NIS) of family planning and the 1979 Contraceptive Prevalence Survey (CPS) from Bangladesh. Both surveys were nationally representative and retrospective, containing detailed questions of pregnancy histories, socioeconomic background, family planning knowledge and attitude, and contraceptive practices. The sampling frames for both surveys consisted of all households in Bangladesh from which national probability samples of married women between the ages of 10-50 were selected and stratified by urban-rural residence. Unprompted data were analyzed. Apparently, the National Family Planning Program (NFPP) was successful in communicating general knowledge of family planning among the masses in Bangladesh. In terms of absolute level, the increase in general knowledge of family planning was from 46.3% in 1969 to 82.8% in 1979. With the exception of the oral contraceptive (OC), absolute increase in knowledge of specific family planning methods or a variety of methods was far less than that of general knowledge of family planning. Knowledge of condoms, female sterilization, and male sterilization increased between 1969-79, yet in terms of absolute levels these increases were far less than those of either general knowledge of family planning or knowledge of OCs. The percentages of couples reporting knowledge of the IUD, vaginal methods, rhythm, injection, or induced abortion either decreased or slightly increased between 1969-79. Nearly 40% of couples had knowledge of only 1 method; fewer couples knew of 2 or more methods. There were relative increases in the knowledge of OCs and female sterilization, an 8-fold increase in knowledge of the OC and a 6-fold increase in knowledge of female sterilization between 1969-79. Respondents from the urban areas or those who attended schools were more likely to know about different contraceptive methods. Despite government orders stipulating that each household be visited every month by a family planning worker, face-to-face contact with family planning extension workers continued to be very low. In view of poor field worker performance, the government has made various modifications in the NFPP operation aimed at strengthening information and service delivery programs, yet recent evidence shows their continuing ineffectiveness. The low levels of knowledge about different family planning methods and low level of contact between family planning workers and family planning target couples show that the NFPP, by failing to inform married couples of wider choice of methods, missed many potential new acceptors of family planning methods.

Evaluation of a training program for health care workers to improve the quality of care for rape survivors: a quasi-experimental design study in Morogoro, Tanzania

PubMed Central

Abeid, Muzdalifat; Muganyizi, Projestine; Mpembeni, Rose; Darj, Elisabeth; Axemo, Pia

2016-01-01

Background Sexual violence against women and children in Tanzania and globally is a human rights violation and a developmental challenge. Objective The aim of this study was to assess the impact of training health professionals on rape management. The specific objectives were to evaluate the changes of knowledge and attitudes toward sexual violence among a selected population of health professionals at primary health care level. Design A quasi-experimental design using cross-sectional surveys was conducted to evaluate health care workers’ knowledge, attitude, and clinical practice toward sexual violence before and after the training program. The study involved the Kilombero (intervention) and Ulanga (comparison) districts in Morogoro region. A total of 151 health professionals at baseline (2012) and 169 in the final assessment (2014) participated in the survey. Data were collected using the same structured questionnaire. The amount of change in key indicators from baseline to final assessment in the two areas was compared using composite scores in the pre- and post-interventions, and the net intervention effect was calculated by the difference in difference method. Results Overall, there was improved knowledge in the intervention district from 55% at baseline to 86% and a decreased knowledge from 58.5 to 36.2% in the comparison area with a net effect of 53.7% and a p-value less than 0.0001. The proportion of participants who exhibited an accepting attitude toward violence declined from 15.3 to 11.2% in the intervention area but increased from 13.2 to 20.0% in the comparison area. Conclusions Training on the management of sexual violence is feasible and the results indicate improvement in healthcare workers’ knowledge and practice but not attitudes. Lessons learned from this study for successful replication of such an intervention in similar settings require commitment from those at strategic level within the health service to ensure that adequate resources are made available. PMID:27435570

Attitudes towards people with depression and schizophrenia among social service workers in Denmark.

PubMed

Jensen, Kamilla Bjørkøe; Vendsborg, Per; Hjorthøj, Carsten; Nordentoft, Merete

2017-04-01

Mental health-related stigma is a major public health issue, and is an obstacle to the possibility for successful treatment, recovery, and reintegration. To examine attitudes towards mental illness among employees in the social services. The study design was part of a large randomized trial, and data presented in this study are baseline data from this trial. Respondents completed a baseline questionnaire to assess the respondents' attitudes. A significant difference was found between employees' personal attitudes towards depression and schizophrenia. The same significant difference was found in the employees' perceived attitudes. Furthermore, a significant difference was found between the employees' personal and perceived attitudes. A significant difference was found between the respondents wish for social distance towards depression and schizophrenia in all cases, except regarding the willingness to provide a job at one's own workplace. Employees in the social services are comparable to the general public concerning attitudes towards mental illness. The results indicate that the employees in social services could have great use of gaining more knowledge about mental illness and ways in which to recognize a mental illness, in order to be able to offer the right kind of help and reduce the treatment gap concerning people suffering from mental illness.

Paramedical staffs knowledge and attitudes towards antimicrobial resistance in Dire Dawa, Ethiopia: a cross sectional study.

PubMed

Tafa, Belay; Endale, Adugna; Bekele, Desalegn

2017-09-19

The continuing emergence, development and spread of pathogenic organisms that are resistant to antimicrobials are a cause of increasing concern. The control of antimicrobial resistance requires knowledge of factors causing antimicrobial resistance, good attitudes towards the intervention strategies as well as changes in antibiotic prescribing behavior of health workers. Hence, this study was aimed to assess paramedical staffs' knowledge and attitudes towards antimicrobial resistance and their antibiotics prescription practices in Dire Dawa, Ethiopia. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among paramedical staffs working in hospitals and health centers. A total of 218 paramedical staffs were participated and a self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 20. Chi square/Fisher's exact tests were used for comparison of data and a p value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Out of the total, 137 (62.8%) of paramedical staffs had good knowledge on the factors causing antimicrobial resistance. The most common causes of antimicrobial resistance reported were patients' poor adherence (96.5%), self prescription (95%), and empiric choice of antibiotics (94.5%). In general, more than 80% of the respondents had positive attitudes towards the antimicrobials resistance intervention strategies. Relatively less proportion of participants recognized that antimicrobial resistance as a problem in their local institutions. The most perceived driving forces for unnecessary antibiotics prescriptions were treatment failure (67.7%) and patient push (53.3%). The majority, 76.9% of the prescribers mentioned that standard treatment guidelines were available in their institutions though only 15.7% of them reported referring the guidelines on the daily basis. Among the prescribers, 85.8% never attended formal trainings on antibiotics prescriptions. As this study generated important information on knowledge and attitudes of paramedical staffs about antimicrobial resistance, it identified areas of misconceptions and specific groups to be targeted for educational interventions regarding antimicrobial resistance. It is, therefore, suggested that a well-planned, organized and structured training programs should be undertaken to improve the appropriate use of antibiotics.

[Awareness and attitude toward suicide in community mental health professionals and hospital workers].

PubMed

Kim, Soung Nam; Lee, Kang Sook; Lee, Seon Young; Yu, Jae Hee; Hong, A Rum

2009-05-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate community mental health professionals and hospital workers attitude and awareness towards suicide. This study investigated 264 community mental health professionals and 228 hospital workers. SOQs (Suicidal Opinion Questionnaires) were used from July 2007 to September 2007. After a factor analysis for the attitude towards suicide, the items on ethics, mental illness, religion, risk, and motivation were included in the subsequent analysis. There were significant differences in the attitude towards suicide according to religion, age, educational background, the marriage status, the economic position, and different professional licenses. Hospital workers' view was different from the community workers'. The hospital workers judged that suicide was due to mental illness, and suicide was high for the people in a special environment and who lacked motivation, which caused them to fall in a dangerous situation. For the lower educational group, they thought that suicide was attributable to mental illness. The awareness for suicide was significantly higher in the group with a postgraduate education, unmarried people, mental health professionals and the persons who had concern and experience with suicide. The factors that had an influence on the awareness of suicide were the items of mental illness, religion, risk and motivational factors. This study suggested that the factors to increase the awareness and attitude for suicide were the experience of increased education and case management of suicide. Therefore, education dealing with suicide and reinforcement of crisis management programs should be developed.

Development and evaluation of a self-care assessment inventory for workers.

PubMed

Ogasawara, Eiko; Shiihara, Yasufumi; Ando, Michiyo

2013-06-01

To develop and evaluate a self-care assessment inventory for workers (SCAI-W). A study using a self-care assessment inventory for workers consisting of 27 self-care items, the Japanese version of the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and the Japanese version of the University of Wales Institute of Science and Technology Mood Adjective Checklist (JUMACL) was conducted. These questionnaires were distributed to 2297 workers. There were 893 valid responses (39.9%, 584 men and 309 women, mean age 37.2±10.2 years). Three primary and eight secondary factors were established for the conceptual structure of self-care and validated by structural equation modeling. "Positive attitude" comprised the secondary factors, "hope" and "sense of fulfillment", and was influenced by another secondary factor, "social support". "Positive attitude" contributed to "attitude toward health". "Attitude toward health" comprised the secondary factors, "care about one's health" and "correction of bad habits". "Attitude toward health" influenced a primary factor, "everyday behavior", comprised of "wakefulness", "eating in moderation", and "lack of self-control". The primary factors "positive attitude" and "everyday behavior" influenced the BDI scores. A multiple regression analysis indicated that JUMACL subscale scores (energetic arousal and tense arousal), demographic data (living alone, sex, and age) and health-related data (exercise, smoking, body mass index, drinking more than three alcoholic drinks/day, and gambling) predicted the scores of the self-care assessment inventory for workers. This assessment inventory could be a useful measure of workers' self-care because it establishes a relationship between psychological and behavioral concepts that are important for health promotion. © 2012 The Authors. Japan Journal of Nursing Science © 2012 Japan Academy of Nursing Science.

[Eating habits and attitudes towards change in Spanish university students and workers].

PubMed

Zazpe, Itziar; Marqués, María; Sánchez-Tainta, Ana; Rodríguez-Mourille, Ana; Beunza, Juan-José; Santiago, Susana; Fernández-Montero, Alejandro

2013-01-01

Universities and workplaces are important targets for the promotion of the nutritional interventions in adult population. The aim of this study was to assess the dietary habits and attitudes towards change in workers and university students from different academic fields. The study data came from a cross-sectional study of a Spanish University population of 1,429 participants. We analyzed the dietary habits and the attitudes toward dietary change. The mean age of workers and students was 37 and 23 years, respectively. Both groups reported eating four meals per day. Among students, the consumption of vegetables, wine, fish and nuts was less frequent whereas carbonated beverages, commercial bakery, fast food and red meat was higher. On the other hand, overall dietary pattern of science students was healthier than other students. Although no significant differences were found between students and workers in attitudes towards change, 32% of employees and 39% of students said they were seriously considering changing them. The dietary pattern was healthier among workers than among students, particularly those participants that studied social sciences degrees. They constituted the most vulnerable segment of the university population from a nutritional point of view. About a third of workers and students considered changing their habits. Copyright © AULA MEDICA EDICIONES 2013. Published by AULA MEDICA. All rights reserved.

Perceptions of pesticides exposure risks by operators, workers, residents and bystanders in Greece, Italy and the UK.

PubMed

Remoundou, K; Brennan, M; Sacchettini, G; Panzone, L; Butler-Ellis, M C; Capri, E; Charistou, A; Chaideftou, E; Gerritsen-Ebben, M G; Machera, K; Spanoghe, P; Glass, R; Marchis, A; Doanngoc, K; Hart, A; Frewer, L J

2015-02-01

The EU Directive on the sustainable use of pesticides (EU128/2009/EC) requires European Member States to develop training activities targeting occupational exposure to pesticides, and communication material aimed at residents and bystanders. Risk perceptions, knowledge and attitudes associated with passive and occupational exposure to pesticide potentially influence the extent to which different stakeholders adopt self-protective behaviour. A methodology for assessing the link between attitudes, adoption of self-protective behaviours and exposure was developed and tested. A survey was implemented in the Greece, Italy and the UK, and targeted stakeholders associated with pesticide exposure linked to orchards, greenhouse crops and arable crops respectively. The results indicated that the adoption of protective measures is low for residents and bystanders, with the exception of residents in Greece, when compared to operators and workers, who tend to follow recommended safety practices. A regression analysis was used to examine the factors affecting the probability of adopting protective measures as well the as the level of exposure in the case of operators and workers where data are available. The results indicate that the likelihood of engaging in self-protective behaviour is not significantly affected by perceptions of own health being affected by pesticides for residents and bystanders. However, operators who perceive that their heath has been negatively affected by the use of pesticides are found to be more likely to adopt self-protective behaviours. Gender and country differences, in perceptions, attitudes and self-protection are also observed. Recommendations for improved communication, in particular for vulnerable groups, are provided. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Measuring Work Engagement, Psychological Empowerment, and Organizational Citizenship Behavior Among Health Care Aides.

PubMed

Ginsburg, Liane; Berta, Whitney; Baumbusch, Jennifer; Rohit Dass, Adrian; Laporte, Audrey; Reid, R Colin; Squires, Janet; Taylor, Deanne

2016-04-01

Health care aides (HCAs) provide most direct care in long-term care (LTC) and home and community care (HCC) settings but are understudied. We validate three key work attitude measures to better understand HCAs' work experiences: work engagement (WEng), psychological empowerment (PE), and organizational citizenship behavior (OCB-O). Data were collected from 306 HCAs working in LTC and HCC, using survey items for WEng, PE, and OCB-O adapted for HCAs. Psychometric evaluation involved confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Predictive validity (correlations with measures of job satisfaction and turnover intention) and internal consistency reliability were examined. CFA supported a one-factor model of WEng, a four-factor model of PE, and a one-factor model of OCB-O. HCC workers scored higher than LTC workers on Self-determination (PE) and lower on Impact, demonstrating concurrent validity. WEng and PE correlated with worker outcomes (job satisfaction, turnover intention, and OCB-O), demonstrating predictive validity. Reliability and validity analyses indicated sound psychometric properties overall. Study results support psychometric properties of measures of WEng, PE, and OCB-O for HCAs. Knowledge of HCAs' work attitudes and behaviors can inform recruitment programs, incentive systems, and retention/training strategies for this vital group of care providers. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Negative stereotyping of older nurses despite contact and mere exposure: the case of nursing recruiters in Western australia.

PubMed

Gringart, Eyal; Jones, Bronwyn; Helmes, Edward; Jansz, Janis; Monterosso, Leanne; Edwards, Mary

2012-01-01

Ageist attitudes have been identified across different industries. The nursing profession has a high proportion of older workers. As this facilitates regular contact with, as well as exposure to, older nurses, it may be expected to show less ageism. This study investigated 163 Western Australian nursing recruiters' attitudes toward older nurses. Results showed clear evidence of both negative and positive stereotyping of older nurses. Nursing recruiters indicated that they would be more than likely to hire older nurses and that age was less relevant in making hiring decisions. These findings suggest that enhancing the employability of older workers does not necessarily change ageist attitudes. This is relevant to policy formulation, attitude change interventions, and the well-being of older workers.

Survey on food hygiene knowledge on board ships.

PubMed

Grappasonni, Iolanda; Marconi, Donatella; Mazzucchi, Fabrizio; Petrelli, Fabio; Scuri, Stefania; Amenta, Francesco

2013-01-01

The aim of the study was to evaluate the knowledge and attitudes on food hygiene in seafarers. The study was conducted using an anonymous questionnaire presented to the workers of 7 tankers of an Italian shipping company (Finaval S.p.A.). As a reference, the analysis was extended to office employees of the same firm. Data were divided according to the rank of seafarers to assess possible differences in perceiving the risk. Overall knowledge on food safety concept was not high among seafarers. In general, galley and catering workers group provided a lower percentage of correct answers than other crew members. Foodservices staff revealed little awareness of the risks linked with handling food and their perception of risk of disease transmission through food was low. Answers about risk related to specific food (eggs and fish) showed that knowledge about these problems was less than satisfactory. Moreover, the percentage of 'I don't know' answers was high. These findings suggest that this personnel is aware of the right stepsof health protection in terms of food hygiene, but does not understand why it is necessary. Galley and catering group workers were not the most informed about food hygiene problems.This highlights the need to hire qualified personnel of the food industry on board ships. All those working inthe food service area should be properly trained on food hygiene. Seafarers should be the target of specificinformative campaigns about health risks linked with aliments, possible consequences of it and also oneson how to minimise the exposure to potentially dangerous agents/behaviours during travel/life at sea.

HIV+ and HIV- youth living in group homes in South Africa need more psychosocial support.

PubMed

Nestadt, D F; Alicea, S; Petersen, I; John, S; Myeza, N P; Nicholas, S W; Cohen, L G; Holst, H; Bhana, A; McKay, M M; Abrams, E J; Mellins, C A

2013-07-01

Orphans and vulnerable youth who live in group homes are at risk of poor mental health and sexual and drug-using behaviors that increase the risk of HIV transmission. This study explores factors related to this risk among youth living in group homes ("children's homes") for orphans and vulnerable children in South Africa, a country afflicted by high levels of parental loss due to HIV. The study explores 1) knowledge and attitudes about HIV, 2) social support, 3) communication with group home caregivers, and 4) the relevance of an existing evidence-based HIV prevention and mental health promotion program to situations where sexual and drug risk behaviors can occur. In-depth qualitative individual interviews were conducted with 20 youth (age 10 to 16 years) residing in two children's homes in Durban, South Africa. Content analysis focused on critical themes related to coping and prevention of risk activities. Respondents exhibited inconsistent and incomplete knowledge of HIV transmission and prevention. They displayed positive attitudes toward people living with HIV, but reported experiencing or witnessing HIV-related stigma. Participants witnessed substance use and romantic/sexual relationships among their peers; few admitted to their own involvement. While relationships with childcare workers were central to their lives, youth reported communication barriers related to substance use, sex, HIV, and personal history (including parental loss, abuse, and other trauma). In conclusion, these qualitative data suggest that evidence-based HIV prevention programs that bring caregivers and youth together to improve communication, HIV knowledge, social support, youth self-esteem, and health care, reduce sexual and drug risk behaviors, and strengthen skills related to negotiating situations of sexual and substance use possibility could benefit youth and childcare workers in children's homes.

Influenza vaccination--knowledge, attitudes, coverage--can they be improved?

PubMed

Madar, R; Repkova, L; Baska, T; Straka, S

2003-01-01

The reasons for low rate of influenza vaccination in Slovakia have been analyzed in selected target groups. In our questionnaire study we focused on the level of knowledge about this vaccination and the attitudes towards it. We selected three target groups: medical students, nurses and printing company workers. The authors as well tried to identify the ways how the flu vaccination coverage could be increased in the future. The questionnaire survey revealed several surprising facts. Though almost all the respondents knew about the existence of influenza vaccine, less than one quarter of them have ever received influenza shot. Despite our expectations that the main source of information about influenza prevention in medical students and nurses would be from their medical and nursing studies, it was shown to be from mass media instead. Even more staggering was the distrust towards the vaccination as a reason for not being vaccinated in a high proportion of both the medical students and the nurses. The majority of medical students would not even want to get a vaccination, even if it were to be provided for free. These results suggest that if we want to improve the low influenza vaccination coverage within the general population of our country, we will have to focus our attention primarily on the professional groups of medical workers and medical and nursing students who should be able to provide the public with the competent advice. Therefore, changing the current negative approach and improving the deficit in knowledge concerning vaccination are the key tasks for all under- as well as postgraduate teachers of medicine and nursing in Slovakia, especially, but not exclusively, of those specialised in public health.(Tab. 3, Fig. 2, Ref. 8).

HIV+ and HIV− youth living in group homes in South Africa need more psychosocial support

PubMed Central

Nestadt, D.F.; Alicea, S.; Petersen, I.; John, S.; Myeza, N.P.; Nicholas, S.W.; Cohen, L.G.; Holst, H.; Bhana, A.; McKay, M.M.; Abrams, E.J.; Mellins, C.A.

2013-01-01

Orphans and vulnerable youth who live in group homes are at risk of poor mental health and sexual and drug-using behaviors that increase the risk of HIV transmission. This study explores factors related to this risk among youth living in group homes (“children’s homes”) for orphans and vulnerable children in South Africa, a country afflicted by high levels of parental loss due to HIV. The study explores 1) knowledge and attitudes about HIV, 2) social support, 3) communication with group home caregivers, and 4) the relevance of an existing evidence-based HIV prevention and mental health promotion program to situations where sexual and drug risk behaviors can occur. In-depth qualitative individual interviews were conducted with 20 youth (age 10 to 16 years) residing in two children’s homes in Durban, South Africa. Content analysis focused on critical themes related to coping and prevention of risk activities. Respondents exhibited inconsistent and incomplete knowledge of HIV transmission and prevention. They displayed positive attitudes toward people living with HIV, but reported experiencing or witnessing HIV-related stigma. Participants witnessed substance use and romantic/sexual relationships among their peers; few admitted to their own involvement. While relationships with childcare workers were central to their lives, youth reported communication barriers related to substance use, sex, HIV, and personal history (including parental loss, abuse, and other trauma). In conclusion, these qualitative data suggest that evidence-based HIV prevention programs that bring caregivers and youth together to improve communication, HIV knowledge, social support, youth self-esteem, and health care, reduce sexual and drug risk behaviors, and strengthen skills related to negotiating situations of sexual and substance use possibility could benefit youth and childcare workers in children’s homes. PMID:24039626

Intervention Mapping as a framework for developing an intervention at the worksite for older construction workers.

PubMed

Oude Hengel, Karen M; Joling, Catelijne I; Proper, Karin I; van der Molen, Henk F; Bongers, Paulien M

2011-01-01

The purpose of this study was to apply the Intervention Mapping approach as a framework in the development of a worksite intervention to improve the work ability of construction workers. Development of an intervention by using the Intervention Mapping approach. Construction worksite. Construction workers aged 45 years and older. According to the principles of Intervention Mapping, evidence from the literature was combined with data collected from stakeholders (e.g., construction workers, managers, providers). The Intervention Mapping approach resulted in an intervention with the following components: (1) two individual visits of a physical therapist to lower the physical workload, (2) a Rest-Break tool to improve the balance between work and recovery, and (3) two empowerment training sessions to increase the range of influence at the worksite. Application of Intervention Mapping in the development of a worksite prevention program was useful in the construction industry to obtain a positive attitude and commitment. Stakeholders could give input regarding the program components as well as provide specific leads for the practical intervention strategy. Moreover, it also gives insight in the current theoretical and empirical knowledge in the field of improving the work ability of older workers in the construction industry.

Introducing the female condom through the public health sector: experiences from South Africa.

PubMed

Mantell, J E; Scheepers, E; Karim, Q A

2000-10-01

The successful implementation of new public health policy is influenced by provider preparedness and user acceptability of the new intervention. This paper describes the development and implementation of a participatory Training of Trainers (TOT) programme as a precursor to launch the South African government's female-initiated HIV prevention strategies in public health clinics. Three hundred peer-trainees from throughout South Africa were trained through a comprehensive, modular and interactive three-day workshop. The workshop content included: HIV/AIDS knowledge, beliefs and attitudes; values clarification regarding HIV infection and sexuality; sexual desensitization; 'hands-on' training in the use of and introduction of the female condom; and counselling, communication and programme planning skills. The TOT generated a cadre of knowledgeable health care workers for training others and provided a support structure at the service delivery level for ensuring potential users' access to the female condom within each province. Qualitative assessments of the training and trainer debriefing sessions suggest that the training was successful in increasing knowledge and promoting positive attitudes about female condoms. In addition, the expanded repertoire of problem-solving approaches left providers feeling confident about recommending this method to clients.

Development and Validation of the Social Worker's Attitudes toward Disability Scale

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cheatham, Leah P.; Abell, Neil; Kim, Hyejin

2015-01-01

Disability scholars have recently highlighted social work professional organizations' lagging pace in adopting disability advocacy within diversity agendas and have questioned the adequacy of disability content within accredited social work curricula. Amid growing concerns, measures to assess attitudes of social workers toward disability and…

Knowledge and Attitudes on Food Hygiene among Food Services Staff on Board Ships.

PubMed

Grappasonni, I; Petrelli, F; Scuri, S; Mahdi, S S; Sibilio, F; Amenta, F

2018-01-01

Ships have long been sites for outbreaks of infectious diseases, particularly gastrointestinal diseases. The ship environment has the potential to facilitate the spread of such diseases, infecting susceptible cohorts of embarked passengers and crew. Gastrointestinal disorders among seafarers are fairly common and usually represent the first or second cause of requests for medical assistance aboard ships in international waters. The purpose of this study was to evaluate food safety and the level of knowledge among food service personnel on board merchant ships, where food handlers could be a cause of health problems for all crew members. An anonymous self-administered questionnaire containing specific questions about food hygiene and safety knowledge was administered. The overall score of correct answers for the food safety aspects tested was 51.77 (SD 3.87) out of 76 points, corresponding to 68.12% of questions answered correctly. Food workers who followed a training course showed higher mean knowledge score (p < 0.05) compared to not-trained workers. The most relevant significant differences (p < 0.05) were noticeable in the personal hygiene, cross-contamination, safe storage, and knowledge of foodborne pathogens sections. Food services staff on board cargo ships should be adequately trained and should understand basic and fundamental aspects of food hygiene, related pathologies and sanitation, as they are responsible for the health and wellbeing of many seafarers.

Educational intervention assessment aiming the hearing preservation of workers at a hospital laundry.

PubMed

Fontoura, Francisca Pinheiro; Gonçalves, Cláudia Giglio de Oliveira; Willig, Mariluci Hautsch; Lüders, Debora

2018-02-19

Evaluate the effectiveness of educational interventions on hearing health developed at a hospital laundry. Quantitative assessment conducted at a hospital laundry. The study sample comprised 80 workers of both genders divided into two groups: Study Group (SG) and Control Group (CG). The educational interventions in hearing preservation were evaluated based on a theoretical approach using the Participatory Problem-based Methodology in five workshops. To assess the results of the workshops, an instrument containing 36 questions on knowledge, attitudes, and practices in hearing preservation at work was used. Questionnaires A and B were applied prior to and one month after intervention, respectively. The answers to both questionnaires were analyzed by group according to gender and schooling. Results of the pre-intervention phase showed low scores regarding knowledge about hearing health in the work setting for both groups, but significant improvement in knowledge was observed after intervention in the SG, with 77.7% of the answers presenting significant difference between the groups. There was also an improvement in the mean scores, with 35 responses (95.22%) presenting scores >4 (considered adequate). The women presented lower knowledge scores than the men; however, these differences were not observed in the SG after the workshops. Schooling was not a relevant factor in the assessment. The educational proposal grounded in the Participatory Problem-based Methodology expanded knowledge about hearing health at work among the participants.

Perceptions about HIV and condoms and consistent condom use among male clients of commercial sex workers in the Philippines.

PubMed

Regan, Rotrease; Morisky, Donald E

2013-04-01

Because consistent condom use is an effective strategy in the prevention of sexually transmitted infections and HIV transmission, it is important to examine social cognitive influences of consistent condom use not only among female sex workers (FSWs) but also among their male clients, for whom less is known. Because little is known about how HIV knowledge and condom attitudes affect condom use among male clients of FSWs in the Philippines, the main objective was to determine what characteristics (age, education, HIV knowledge, marital status) as well as attributes taken from protection motivation theory (perceived vulnerability, perceived severity, response efficacy) are significantly associated with consistent condom use among male clients of FSWs. Logistic regression analyses showed that the odds of using condoms consistently with an FSW are 13% higher for those with more years of education (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.13; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.03, 1.23), higher versus lower perception of severity of HIV/AIDS (AOR = 1.97; 95% CI = 1.04, 3.73), and had a higher score for response efficacy of condoms (AOR = 1.14; 95% CI = 1.03, 1.27). Future HIV/AIDS prevention interventions that address condom use among male clients should promote educational attainment and focus on awareness of the enduring negative health consequences of acquiring HIV/AIDS, as well as cultivate positive attitudes toward the efficacy of condom use, using creative social marketing strategies.

Educational interventions to improve knowledge and skills of interns towards prevention and control of hospital-associated infections.

PubMed

Dogra, Sandeep; Mahajan, Ruchita; Jad, Beena; Mahajan, Bella

2015-08-01

We believe that there is significant educational deficit amongst interns regarding up-to-date formal knowledge and skills on healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) which might compromise patient safety. This urgently requires curriculum innovations to ensure their formal training on HAIs prevention and control. Education of interns to improve their knowledge and skills toward HAIs prevention and control. This pilot study was conducted in interns using a multimodal approach consisting of a combination of videos, PowerPoint presentation, and hands-on demonstration to provide applied and practical teaching on prevention and control of HAIs. Pre- and post-test assessment of knowledge, attitude, and skills was carried out by multiple choice questions, 5-point Likert scale, and Objective Structured Practical Examination respectively. Paired t-test. A statistically significant improvement in the overall score rates between pre- and post-test of intern's was seen, suggesting that educational programs have a positive effect. Intern's felt benefitted from interventions focused on HAIs prevention and control and hoped that such sessions are integrated in the regular undergraduate curriculum. A majority of the students felt that their learning style assessment matched well with their own perception of learning preference. Assessment drives learning; hence strengthening the contribution of health-care workers to HAIs prevention programs should include measures that enhance knowledge, improve skills and develop appropriate attitudes, resulting in safety and quality of patient care.

[Occupational biological hazard in veterinary medicine: an area for priority interventions].

PubMed

Cediel, Natalia M; Villamil, Luis C

2004-01-01

Veterinary medicine is an activity related to several health hazards; during the last years, studies about the biological hazard associated to animals have been conducted, such hazards represented by the zoonotic diseases and the allergic reactions in exposed workers. Despite its importance, in Colombia the knowledge about the occupational biohazard is scarce, its magnitude is overlooked and in addition a passive attitude from practitioners exists. The few research spaces available and the scattered actions for its prevention, influence directly on the workers' health, on the quality of the services offered and obviously on the quality of life in society. The present article discusses the causes and consequences of biological hazards in veterinary medicine, shows a panorama of the national problem and contributes with alternatives for its solutions.

Disabilities in the workplace: recruitment, accommodation, and retention.

PubMed

Davis, Linda

2005-07-01

Who has never had a need for accommodation to perform a job because of age-related changes, gender issues related to family care, religious practices, health status, or disability? Who has never had the benefit of universal accommodations designed to provide access for individuals with disabilities, such as using the handicap button to open a door when one's arms are loaded? All of society has had the benefit of inclusion of individuals with disabilities within the work force. Occupational health nurses are essential to accommodating new employees with disabilities, assisting ill or injured employees in returning to work, and changing attitudes toward disabled workers. Additionally, nurses have the skills and knowledge for leading and managing newly emerging disease management programs for workers with disabilities caused by chronic illness.

Communication skills in HPV prevention: an audit among Italian healthcare workers.

PubMed

Tafuri, S; Martinelli, D; Vece, M M; Quarto, M; Germinario, C; Prato, R

2010-08-02

This study aims to investigate the knowledge, the attitudes and practices on HPV vaccination of health professionals of Mother and Child Service of Puglia Region (Italy). The study was conducted through a standardized questionnaire. Of 455 respondents, 74.2% judged HPV vaccine very important for immunization calendar. 88.9% did not believe that the administration of HPV vaccine implies consent to the initiation of sexual activity but 34.2% sustained that vaccine can give a false sense of protection against sexually transmitted diseases. 62.2% believed that boys should also be vaccinated. Skills necessary in the implementation of strategies in the promotion of health are partially inadequate and appropriate ongoing education should be carried out for health care workers. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Job Attitudes of Workers with Two Jobs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zickar, Michael J.; Gibby, Robert E.; Jenny, Tim

2004-01-01

This article examines the job attitudes of people who hold more than one job. Satisfaction, stress, and organizational (continuance and affective) commitment were assessed for both primary and secondary jobs for 83 full-time workers who held two jobs concurrently. Consistency between job constructs across jobs was negligible, except for…

Developing Positive Attitudes toward Interprofessional Collaboration among Students in the Health Care Professions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Park, Juyoung; Hawkins, Michele; Hamlin, Elwood; Hawkins, Wesley; Bamdas, Jo Ann M.

2014-01-01

This study examined whether attitudes toward interprofessional collaboration (Physician-Nurse, Physician-Social Worker, Nurse-Social Worker) held by medical, social work, and nursing students changed after completing an interprofessional curriculum consisting of (a) Interprofessional Education Development Session and (b) the Senior Aging and…

What do mental health workers in the bush think about mental health nurse prescribing? A cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Muyambi, Kuda; McPhail, Ruth; Cronin, Kathryn; Gillam, Marianne; Martinez, Lee; Dennis, Shaun; Bressington, Daniel; Gray, Richard; Jones, Martin

2018-06-04

Relatively few psychiatrists live and work in rural South Australia. The rural GP is an essential component of support for people with mental health problems. However, considerable GP maldistribution between rural and metropolitan Australia still exists. Thus, accessing health services, including medication, becomes challenging for rural communities. Extending mental health nurse prescribing could be a strategy to build additional capacity to complement the GPs and psychiatrists who practice in rural South Australia. Until now, no studies have examined mental health workers' attitudes towards nurse prescribing in rural Australia. To examine the attitudes of rural and remote South Australian mental health workers about mental health nurse prescribing. A cross-sectional survey assessing mental health workers' attitudes to mental health nurse prescribing. The study was conducted across South Australia, excluding metropolitan Adelaide. Mental health workers employed by the Country Health South Australia Local Health Network for Mental Health. Of the 289 potential participants, 93 (32%) responded and were included in this study. All the respondents reported positive attitudes towards mental health nurse prescribing. However, they expressed concerns about safety, educational preparation and supervision structures. The attitudes of rural South Australian mental health workers are not a barrier to mental health nurse prescribing. The implementation and sustainability of mental health nurse prescribing will require additional staff training in psychopharmacology and a governance framework to assure quality and safety. Policy-makers need to focus their attention on the uptake of mental health nurse prescribing in parts of Australia that struggle to attract and retain psychiatrists. © 2018 National Rural Health Alliance Ltd.

Bar and restaurant workers' attitudes towards Norway's comprehensive smoking ban: a growth curve analysis.

PubMed

Braverman, Marc T; Aarø, Leif Edvard; Bontempo, Daniel E; Hetland, Jørn

2010-06-01

Norway passed legislation banning smoking in restaurants, bars and other public spaces in 2004. This study tracks changes in hospitality workers' attitudes towards Norway's ban over three time points, using growth modelling analysis to examine predictors of attitude change. Participants were a national sample of 1525 bar and restaurant workers. Surveys were conducted, by phone or internet, one month before the ban's implementation and at 4 and 12 months thereafter. Exploratory principal components analysis of nine survey items revealed one primary attitude component. A latent growth model was fitted to the data to examine trajectories of attitude change and individual differences in rate of change. Respondents supported the ban before implementation and increased support at 4 months (p=0.021) and again at 12 months (p=0.001). Concern for one's job followed a quadratic trend, increasing at 4 months and decreasing at 12 months (p<0.001). All demographic categories were associated with attitude increase; rate of increase was greater for females than males. Two within-person variables--change in smoking status and change in job concern--strongly predicted (p<0.001) respondents' deviations from their predicted group trajectories, explaining over 70% of residual between-person slope variance. Norway's hospitality workers increased their support of the ban over its first year. The strong influence of the within-person variables leads to two primary policy recommendations. First, support should be provided to assist cessation efforts and prevent relapse. Second, informational campaigns should inform hospitality workers about evidence that smoking bans are not economic threats to the industry.

Patient empowerment in a hand hygiene program: differing points of view between patients/family members and health care workers in Asian culture.

PubMed

Pan, Sung-Ching; Tien, Kuei-Lien; Hung, I-Chen; Lin, Yu-Jiun; Yang, Ya-Ling; Yang, Ming-Chin; Wang, Ming-Jiuh; Chang, Shan-Chwen; Chen, Yee-Chun

2013-11-01

"Patient empowerment" is an important component of World Health Organization hand hygiene program, but little is known about the intentions and attitude of patients/families and health care workers (HCWs) regarding this. A cross-sectional survey using questionnaires was conducted in a tertiary teaching hospital in Taiwan to assess hand hygiene knowledge and the attitudes and intentions regarding patient empowerment among patients/families and HCWs. Among patients/families, 95.4% (329/345) had positive attitudes regarding patient empowerment; however, only 67.2% (232/345) had the positive intention to remind HCWs about hand hygiene (P < .001). Risk factors for negative intention were being female (odds ratio [OR], 1.82; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.08-3.03), illiteracy (OR, 3.18; 95% CI: 0.86-11.7), and being patients/families in the pediatric department (OR, 1.86; 95% CI: 0.93-3.64). Among HCWs, the difference between positive attitude (81.1%; 714/880) and positive intention regarding being reminded about hand hygiene (62.8%; 553/880) was significant (P < .001). Risk factors for negative intention were age > 25 years (OR, 3.20; 95% CI: 1.51-6.81) and a negative attitude toward patient empowerment (OR, 10.00; 95% CI: 5.88-16.67). There were significant gaps between attitude and intention regarding patient empowerment both among patients/families and HCWs. Special strategies targeting women, the pediatric population, or illiterate people may help improve patient/family participation. Additionally, hand hygiene education should be incorporated into early-stage medical/nursing education to create a facilitating environment. Patients/families and HCWs cooperation is needed to promote the hand hygiene program further. Copyright © 2013 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

A national survey of attitudes toward intimate partner violence among married women in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan: Implications for health prevention and intervention.

PubMed

Joshi, Manisha; Childress, Saltanat

2017-04-01

Attitudes toward intimate partner violence (IPV) can affect the prevalence of IPV, response of victims' to IPV (e.g., whether to seek help), and the response of professionals (e.g., police, social workers, health care professionals) to IPV. Knowledge about IPV-related attitudes is essential for developing effective social work and violence-related programs. Using data from the 2005-2006 Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys, this study examines attitudes toward IPV and socio-demographic predictors of these attitudes among married women in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan. Women were asked whether they approved of a husband beating his wife: if she goes out without telling him, neglects their children, argues, refuses to have sex, and burns food. The prevalence of IPV acceptance for at least one of the five reasons varied from 12.3% in Kazakhstan to 45.3% in Kyrgyzstan and 74.5% in Tajikistan. Women who were less educated, members of Asian ethnic groups, resided in middle-class urban areas, and lived in specific regions were more likely to accept IPV. Few age differences that emerged indicated that young women were more approving of IPV. Proactive efforts are needed to confront attitudes about gender roles and IPV in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan.

A Multi-Site Knowledge Attitude and Practice Survey of Ebola Virus Disease in Nigeria

PubMed Central

Iliyasu, Garba; Ogoina, Dimie; Otu, Akan A.; Dayyab, Farouq M.; Ebenso, Bassey; Otokpa, Daniel; Rotifa, Stella; Olomo, Wisdom T.; Habib, Abdulrazaq G.

2015-01-01

Background The 2014 Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) outbreak was characterised by fear, misconceptions and irrational behaviours. We conducted a knowledge attitude and practice survey of EVD in Nigeria to inform implementation of effective control measures. Methods Between July 30th and September 30th 2014, we undertook a cross sectional study on knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) among adults of the general population and healthcare workers (HCW) in three states of Nigeria, namely Bayelsa, Cross River and Kano states. Demographic information and data on KAP were obtained using a self-administered standardized questionnaire. The percentage KAP scores were categorised as good and poor. Independent predictors of good knowledge of EVD were ascertained using a binary logistic regression model. Results Out of 1035 study participants with median age of 32 years, 648 (62.6%) were males, 846 (81.7%) had tertiary education and 441 (42.6%) were HCW. There were 218, 239 and 578 respondents from Bayelsa, Cross River and Kano states respectively. The overall median percentage KAP scores and interquartile ranges (IQR) were 79.46% (15.07%), 95.0% (33.33%) and 49.95% (37.50%) respectively. Out of the 1035 respondents, 470 (45.4%), 544(52.56%) and 252 (24.35%) had good KAP of EVD defined using 80%, 90% and 70% score cut-offs respectively. Independent predictors of good knowledge of EVD were being a HCW (Odds Ratio-OR-2.89, 95% Confidence interval-CI of 1.41–5.90), reporting ‘moderate to high fear of EVD’ (OR-2.15, 95% CI-(1.47–3.13) and ‘willingness to modify habit’ (OR-1.68, 95% CI-1.23–2.30). Conclusion Our results reveal suboptimal EVD-related knowledge, attitude and practice among adults in Nigeria. To effectively control future outbreaks of EVD in Nigeria, there is a need to implement public sensitization programmes that improve understanding of EVD and address EVD-related myths and misconceptions, especially among the general population. PMID:26317535

Knowledge, attitudes, sexual practices and STI/HIV prevalence in male sex workers and other men who have sex in Tel Aviv, Israel: a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Mor, Zohar; Dan, Michael

2012-12-01

To explore knowledge, attitudes and sexual practices of male sex workers (MSW) in Tel Aviv in comparison with men who have sex with men (MSM) classified by their risk behaviours and to outline attributes related to sexually transmitted infections (STI)/HIV prevalence. MSW were recruited for this cross-sectional study from designated street venues and gay-dating internet site. MSM were recruited from gay-related venues and divided into high-risk MSM (HRMSM) if they performed unprotected anal intercourse in the last 6 months with an HIV-discordant/unknown partner and to low-risk MSM (LRMSM). Each participant completed a questionnaire and was tested for STI/HIV. Of 87 MSW and 635 MSM approached, 53 (60.9%) and 235 (37.0%) participated, respectively. Street-MSW (N=32) had more female sex partners and were more drug dependent than internet-MSW (N=21). No differences were found in their knowledge regarding STI/HIV transmission, practices and STI/HIV burden. Compared with HRMSM, MSW had different demographic attributes and demonstrated more realistic perception regarding the risk to getting STI/HIV, while no differences were found in their knowledge and sexual practices. STI burden among MSW, HRMSM (N=119) and LRMSM (N=116) were 28.3%, 23.5% and 10.3% (p=0.009) and HIV burden among MSW, HRMSM and LRMSM were 5.6%, 9.2% and 0%, (p=0.001), respectively. Multivariate models evaluating attributes associated with HIV/STI diagnosis did not find sex work to be significant if the variable used was MSW versus HRMSM, regardless of the adjustments performed. However, when MSW versus LRMSM was used in the model, sex work was associated with STI/HIV diagnosis. Street-MSW and internet-MSW, similar to all MSW and HRMSM, had comparable sexual practices and had no difference in their STI/HIV prevalence.

HPV knowledge, attitudes, and cultural beliefs among Hispanic men and women living on the Texas-Mexico border.

PubMed

Fernandez, Maria E; McCurdy, Sheryl A; Arvey, Sarah R; Tyson, Sandra K; Morales-Campos, Daisy; Flores, Belinda; Useche, Bernardo; Mitchell-Bennett, Lisa; Sanderson, Maureen

2009-12-01

US Hispanic women have higher cervical cancer incidence rates than non-Hispanic White and African-American women and lower rates of cervical cancer screening. Knowledge, attitudes, and cultural beliefs may play a role in higher rates of infection of human papillomavirus (HPV) and decisions about subsequent diagnosis and treatment of cervical cancer. To explore the level of HPV knowledge, attitudes, and cultural beliefs among Hispanic men and women on the Texas-Mexico border. Informed by feminist ethnography, the authors used an interpretive approach to understand local respondents' concerns and interests. Focus group sessions were analyzed using thematic content analysis. RECRUITMENT AND SAMPLE: Promotoras (lay health workers) recruited participants using convenience sampling methods. Group sessions were held in public service centers in Brownsville. Participants' ages ranged from 19 to 76 years. METHODS ANALYSIS: Focus group discussions were audio-recorded and transcribed in Spanish. Researchers read and discussed all the transcripts and generated a coding list. Transcripts were coded using ATLAS.ti 5.0. Participants had little understanding about HPV and its role in the etiology of cervical cancer. Attitudes and concerns differed by gender. Women interpreted a diagnosis of HPV as a diagnosis of cancer and expressed fatalistic beliefs about its treatment. Men initially interpreted a diagnosis of HPV as an indication of their partners' infidelity, but after reflecting upon the ambiguity of HPV transmission, attributed their initial reaction to cultural ideals of machismo. Men ultimately were interested in helping their partners seek care in the event of a positive diagnosis. Results suggest that understanding Hispanics' cultural norms and values concerning disease, sexuality, and gender is essential to the design and implementation of interventions to prevent and treat HPV and cervical cancer.

HPV knowledge, attitudes, and cultural beliefs among Hispanic men and women living on the Texas-Mexico Border

PubMed Central

Fernandez, Maria E.; McCurdy, Sheryl A.; Arvey, Sarah R.; Tyson, Sandra K.; Morales-Campos, Daisy; Flores, Belinda; Useche, Bernardo; Mitchell-Bennett, Lisa; Sanderson, Maureen

2010-01-01

Background U.S., Hispanic women have higher cervical cancer incidence rates than non-Hispanic Whites and African Americans and lower rates of cervical cancer screening. Knowledge, attitudes, and cultural beliefs may play a role in higher rates of infection of HPV and decisions about subsequent diagnosis and treatment of cervical cancer. Study aim To explore the level of HPV knowledge, attitudes, and cultural beliefs among Hispanic men and women on the Texas-Mexico border. Methodological Approach Informed by feminist ethnography, the authors used an interpretive approach to understand local respondents' concerns and interests. Focus group sessions were analyzed using thematic content analysis. Recruitment and sample Promotoras (lay health workers) recruited participants using convenience sampling methods. Group sessions were held in public service centers in Brownsville. Participants' ages ranged from 19 to 76 years. Methods analysis Focus group discussions were audio-recorded and transcribed in Spanish. Researchers read and discussed all the transcripts and generated a coding list. Transcripts were coded using ATLAS.ti 5.0. Key findings Participants had little understanding about HPV and its role in the etiology of cervical cancer. Attitudes and concerns differed by gender. Women interpreted a diagnosis of HPV as a diagnosis of cancer and expressed fatalistic beliefs about its treatment. Men initially interpreted a diagnosis of HPV as an indication of their partners' infidelity, but after reflecting upon the ambiguity of HPV transmission, attributed their initial reaction to cultural ideals of machismo. Men ultimately were interested in helping their partners seek care in the event of a positive diagnosis. Implications for practice Results suggest that understanding Hispanics' cultural norms and values concerning disease, sexuality, and gender is essential to the design and implementation of preventive interventions for HPV and cervical cancer. PMID:19953392

An Evaluation of a Train-the-Trainer Workshop for Social Service Workers to Develop Community-Based Family Interventions.

PubMed

Lai, Agnes Y; Stewart, Sunita M; Mui, Moses W; Wan, Alice; Yew, Carol; Lam, Tai Hing; Chan, Sophia S

2017-01-01

Evaluation studies on train-the-trainer workshops (TTTs) to develop family well-being interventions are limited in the literature. The Logic Model offers a framework to place some important concepts and tools of intervention science in the hands of frontline service providers. This paper reports on the evaluation of a TTT for a large community-based program to enhance family well-being in Hong Kong. The 2-day TTT introduced positive psychology themes (relevant to the programs that the trainees would deliver) and the Logic Model (which provides a framework to guide intervention development and evaluation) for social service workers to guide their community-based family interventions. The effectiveness of the TTT was examined by self-administered questionnaires that assessed trainees' changes in learning (perceived knowledge, self-efficacy, attitude, and intention), trainees' reactions to training content, knowledge sharing, and benefits to their service organizations before and after the training and then 6 months and 1 year later. Missing data were replaced by baseline values in an intention-to-treat analysis. Focus group interviews were conducted approximately 6 months after training. Fifty-six trainees (79% women) joined the TTT. Forty-four and 31 trainees completed the 6-month and 1-year questionnaires, respectively. The trainees indicated that the workshop was informative and well organized. The TTT-enhanced trainees' perceived knowledge, self-efficacy, and attitudes toward the application of the Logic Model and positive psychology constructs in program design. These changes were present with small to large effect size that persisted to the 1 year follow-up. The skills learned were used to develop 31 family interventions that were delivered to about 1,000 families. Qualitative feedback supported the quantitative results. This TTT offers a practical example of academic-community partnerships that promote capacity among community social service workers. Goals included sharing basic tools of intervention development and evaluation, and the TTT offered, therefore, the potential of learning skills that extended beyond the lifetime of a single program. The research protocol was registered at the National Institutes of Health (identifier number: NCT01796275).

Opportunities for Woman-Initiated HIV Prevention Methods among Female Sex Workers in Southern China

PubMed Central

Weeks, Margaret R.; Liao, Susu; Abbott, Maryann; He, Bin; Zhou, Yuejiang; Jiang, Jingmei; Wei, Liu; Yu, Wang

2010-01-01

Rapid changes in China over the past two decades have led to significant problems associated with population migration and changing social attitudes, including a growing sex industry and concurrent increases in STIs and HIV. This article reports results of an exploratory study of microbicide acceptability and readiness and current HIV prevention efforts among female sex workers in two rural and one urban town in Hainan and Guangxi Provinces in southern China. The study focused on these women’s knowledge and cultural understandings of options for protecting themselves from exposure to STIs and HIV, and the potential viability and acceptability of woman-initiated prevention methods. We report on ethnographic elicitation interviews conducted with women working within informal sex-work establishments (hotels, massage and beauty parlors, roadside restaurants, boarding houses). We discuss implications of these findings for further promotion of woman-initiated prevention methods such as microbicides and female condoms among female sex workers in China. PMID:17599276

Health workers' support for hepatitis C treatment uptake among clients with a history of injecting.

PubMed

Brener, Loren; von Hippel, Courtney; Wilson, Hannah; Hopwood, Max

2016-04-01

Hepatitis C virus is stigmatised because of its association with injecting drug use. Although treatment is available, uptake remains low, especially among people who inject drugs. Ninety health workers completed a survey assessing attitudes towards people who inject drugs and support for treatment for three client scenarios: one who stopped injecting, one on methadone, and one continuing to inject. Support for hepatitis C virus treatment was significantly higher, where the client was not injecting. Participants who showed more negative attitudes towards people who inject drugs were less supportive of clients entering hepatitis C virus treatment, illustrating the influence of health workers' attitudes in determining treatment options offered to clients.

Crew resource management training within the automotive industry: does it work?

PubMed

Marquardt, Nicki; Robelski, Swantje; Hoeger, Rainer

2010-04-01

This article presents the development, implementation, and evaluation of a crew resource management (CRM) training program specifically designed for employees within the automotive industry. The central objective of this training program was to improve communication, teamwork, and stress management skills as well to increase the workers' situational awareness of potential errors that can occur during the production process. Participants in the training program of this study were 80 employees, all of whom were working in a production unit for gearbox manufacturing. Effectiveness of the CRM training course was evaluated two times (1 month and 6 months after the training program). The results showed a significant improvement in a wide range of CRM-relevant categories, especially in teamwork-related attitudes, in addition to an increase in the workers' situational awareness after the training program. On the basis of the results, it can be stated that CRM training, which was originally developed for the aviation industry, can be transferred to the automotive industry. However, because of the lack of behavioral observations, these effects are limited to CRM attitudes and knowledge changes. Several recommendations for future research and training development in the field of human factors training are made.

Health benefits for the terminally ill: reality and perception.

PubMed

Gabel, J R; Hurst, K M; Hunt, K A

1998-01-01

This paper examines the availability and scope of hospice benefits as well as employers' attitudes and knowledge about care for the terminally ill. Data are drawn from a national random sample of 1,502 employers with 200 or more workers and from focus groups with employee benefits managers and their insurance advisers, brokers, and consultants. Major findings are that 83 percent of employers offer explicit hospice benefits, with most other firms covering hospice through high-cost case management. Most employers support the concept of hospice care because they believe that it reduces medical expenses.

HIV/AIDS Prevention Among the Male Population: Results of a Peer Education Program for Taxicab and Tricycle Drivers in the Philippines

PubMed Central

Morisky, Donald E.; Nguyen, Chrystene; Ang, Alfonso; Tiglao, Teodora V.

2011-01-01

This study assesses the results of a 2-year community-based peer education program aimed at increasing HIV/AIDS knowledge, attitudes toward condoms, and condom use behavior among taxicab and tricycle drivers in the Philippines. Pretest, posttest, and follow-up data were collected throughout the educational intervention program. The results of the repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) indicate a significant change on knowledge about HIV/AIDS from baseline to posttest and from posttest to follow-up (F = 449.27, df = 2, p < .001). There was also a significant change on attitudes about condom use from baseline to posttest and from posttest to follow-up (F = 425.19, df = 2, p = 0.001), and a significant effect on condom use behavior with commercial sex workers from baseline to posttest and follow-up (F = 428.31, df = 2, p = .001). The peer-mediated intervention was found to be an effective means of HIV/AIDS prevention among taxi and tricycle drivers in the Philippines. PMID:15642754

The impact of social organizations on HIV/AIDS prevention knowledge among migrants in Hefei, China.

PubMed

Wang, Wenting; Chen, Ren; Ma, Ying; Sun, Xuehui; Qin, Xia; Hu, Zhi

2018-04-25

There is a growing recognition of the need to provide HIV/AIDS prevention and care to migrant workers. Social involvement, a type of social capital, is considered a 'critical enabler' of effective HIV/AIDS prevention. Designated participation in formal community groups by the government (e.g., political parties) and informal, voluntary local networks by NGOs (e.g., alumni association, cultural & sports club) play different roles in HIV prevention. The objective of this study is to assess the impact of different types of social organizations on HIV/AIDS prevention knowledge among migrant workers. A cross-sectional study of 758 migrants was conducted in Hefei, Anhui Province, China. Data were collected through a self-reported questionnaire. Logistic regression was used to assess associations between different social organizations and HIV/AIDS prevention. Migrants who participated in social organizations had a higher awareness of HIV/AIDS knowledge than migrants who do not participate in social organizations. Higher levels of HIV/AIDS knowledge is associated with positive HIV/AIDS behaviors for people who attended political parties (odds ratio [OR] = 3.49, 95% CI: 1.22-9.99). This effect is not significant for alumni association. For both political parties and alumni association members (OR = 0.19, 95% CI: 0.06-0.66, OR = 0.20, 95% CI: 0.08-0.61, respectively), people who exhibited higher levels of HIV/AIDS knowledge had more negative attitudes than those with less knowledge. Social organizations play an important role in improving HIV/AIDS knowledge and behavior in migrants, providing a great opportunity for HIV/AIDS prevention.

Evaluating student learning outcomes in oral health knowledge and skills.

PubMed

Lewis, Adrienne; Edwards, Suzanne; Whiting, Glenda; Donnelly, Frank

2018-06-01

To evaluate whether a set of oral health resources designed for workforce training was relevant for students undertaking an entry-level nursing or aged care qualification. Oral health is one of the most neglected aspects of nursing care experienced by older people. Despite efforts to improve aged care worker oral health knowledge and skills, one-off training and rapid staff turnover have hindered the success of workplace programmes. Inadequate oral health content in entry-level nursing and aged care qualifications has perpetuated this. Kirkpatrick's training and evaluation model was used to evaluate the resources developed by a project called Building Better Oral Health Communities. Students used them as prescribed study materials and completed pre- and postintervention questionnaires. Educators were interviewed to obtain their feedback. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Qualitative data were collated according to relevance to learning, presentation style and interest. Evaluation showed high levels of student and educator satisfaction. Student learning outcomes demonstrated consistently positive attitudes and significant self-reported improvements in oral health knowledge and skills. Irrespective of course type, students gained similar levels of oral health knowledge and skills following use of the resources. Nurses and care workers must be able to provide consistent standards of oral health care as a fundamental part of caring for patients. Validated as an effective learning and teaching package, it is recommended that these resources be used to strengthen the oral health content of entry-level nursing and aged care qualifications. Building the oral health capacity of nurses and care workers is one way of reversing oral health neglect and improving the quality of care provided to older people. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Factors influencing adverse events reporting within the health care system: the case of artemisinin-based combination treatments in northern Ghana.

PubMed

Chatio, Samuel; Aborigo, Raymond; Adongo, Philip Baba; Anyorigiya, Thomas; Dalinjong, Philip Ayizem; Akweongo, Patricia; Oduro, Abraham

2016-02-27

The use of artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) as first-line treatment for uncomplicated malaria was a policy recommended by World Health Organization. In 2004, Ghana changed her first-line anti-malarial drug policy to use ACT. This study examined factors affecting adverse events reporting in northern Ghana after the introduction of ACT. This was a qualitative study based on sixty in-depth interviews with health workers, chemical shop owners and patients with malaria who were given ACT at the health facilities. Purposive sampling method was used to select study participants. The interviews were transcribed, coded into themes using Nvivo 9 software. The thematic analysis framework was used to analyse the data. Study respondents reported body weakness and dizziness as the most frequent side effects they had experienced from the used of ACT. Other side effects they reported were swollen testes, abdominal pain and shivering. These side effects were mostly associated with the use of artesunate-amodiaquine compared to other artemisinin-based combinations. Patients were not provided information about the side effects of the drugs and so did not report when they experienced them. Also long queues at health facilities and unfriendly health worker attitude were the main factors affecting adverse events reporting. Other factors such as wrong use of ACT at home, farming and commercial activities also affected effective adverse events reporting in the study area. Patients' lack of knowledge and health sector drawbacks affected side effect reporting on ACT. Intensive health education on likely side effects of ACT should be provided to patients by health workers. Also, improving health worker attitude toward clients will encourage patients to visit the health facilities when they react negatively to ACT and, subsequently, will improve on adverse events reporting.

Development and Validation of the Attitudes toward Education for Older Adults (AEOA) Scale

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, Hyejin; Abell, Neil; Cheatham, Leah; Paek, Insu

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study is to validate a multidimensional measure assessing attitudes toward education for older adults. As the elderly population and the demands of education among older adults have increased, the engagement of social workers in educational settings for older adults has also increased. Therefore, assessing social workers'…

On-the-Job E-Learning: Workers' Attitudes and Perceptions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Batalla-Busquets, Josep-Maria; Pacheco-Bernal, Carmen

2013-01-01

The use of e-learning for on-the-job training has grown exponentially in the last decade due to it being accepted by people in charge of businesses. Few papers have explored virtual training from the workers' standpoint, that is, the perception they have about the different training methodologies (face-to-face vs. virtual) and the attitudes they…

[Knowledge, practices and attitudes toward volunteer work in an influenza pandemic: cross-sectional study with Peruvian medical students].

PubMed

Huapaya, Julio A; Maquera-Afaray, Julio; García, Patricia J; Cárcamo, César; Cieza, Javier A

2015-05-08

Reductions in health personnel during disasters or epidemics such as an influenza pandemic may need to include volunteer students. The aim of this article is to determine knowledge and practices about pandemic influenza and the attitudes towards volunteer work in Peruvian medical students. We performed a cross-sectional analytic study by simple sampling using a survey regarding “"knowledge and practices"” about pandemic influenza and the attitudes to volunteer work. From the group of 865 students who were surveyed, 848 accepted to participate in the investigation (54% were male and their mean age was 22.1 ± 3.0). Ninety-seven percent correctly identified the spread routes of influenza and 81% knew its treatment. Regarding preventive measures, covering the mouth when coughing/sneezing and hand-washing were the most commonly recognized options (95% y 92%, respectively), and vaccination was the less recognized one (54%). The most common practice, readily acknowledged as preventive, was covering when coughing/sneezing (86%). Regarding volunteer works, students answered that it is a moral/ethical/professional obligation (77%); that a contingency university service needs to be established (88%), that it does not have to substitute for the lack of workers (49%), and that its role should be related to hospital work (83%). Coming from a public university was more associated to the concept that volunteer work was a moral obligation and that the student should be punished if he/she refuses to be a volunteer, whereas being from a private university was more related to a history of been involved in volunteering programs. In general, medical students have good knowledge and practices toward influenza. There is a good disposition to volunteer their work and skills, recognizing it as a moral/ethical/professional obligation.

Knowledge about tuberculosis transmission and prevention and perceptions of health service utilization among index cases and contacts in Brazil: Understanding losses in the latent tuberculosis cascade of care.

PubMed

Salame, Flavia Matos; Ferreira, Márcia Danielle; Belo, Marcia Teresa; Teixeira, Eleny Guimarães; Cordeiro-Santos, Marcelo; Ximenes, Ricardo Arraes; de Albuquerque, Maria de Fátima Militão; Hill, Philip C; Menzies, Dick; Trajman, Anete

2017-01-01

Tuberculosis contacts are candidates for active and latent tuberculosis infection screening and eventual treatment. However, many losses occur in the different steps of the contacts' cascade of care. Reasons for this are poorly understood. To describe the different steps where losses in the contact cascade occur and to explore knowledge and attitudes regarding tuberculosis transmission/prevention and perceptions about tuberculosis services in order to understand the reasons for losses from the tuberculosis service users' perspective. We collected routine data from the index case and contact registry books and from patients' records to build the cascade of care of contacts in 12 health facilities in three Brazilian cities with high tuberculosis incidence rates. During a knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) survey, trained interviewers administered a semi-structured questionnaire to 138 index cases and 98 contacts. Most of the losses in the cascade occurred in the first two steps (contact identification, 43% and tuberculin skin testing placement, 91% of the identified contacts). Among KAP-interviewed contacts, 67% knew how tuberculosis is transmitted, 87% knew its key symptoms and 81% declared they would take preventive therapy if prescribed. Among KAP-interviewed index cases, 67% knew they could spread tuberculosis, 70% feared for the health of their families and 88% would like their family to be evaluated in the same services. Only a small proportion of contacts are evaluated for active and latent tuberculosis, despite their-and their index cases'-reasonable knowledge, positive attitudes towards prevention and satisfaction with tuberculosis services. In these services, education of service users would not be a sufficient solution. Healthcare workers' and managers' perspective, not explored in this study, may bring more light to this subject.

Caregivers' Malaria Knowledge, Beliefs and Attitudes, and Related Factors in the Bata District, Equatorial Guinea.

PubMed

Romay-Barja, Maria; Ncogo, Policarpo; Nseng, Gloria; Santana-Morales, Maria A; Herrador, Zaida; Berzosa, Pedro; Valladares, Basilio; Riloha, Matilde; Benito, Agustin

2016-01-01

Adequate community knowledge about malaria is crucial in order to improve prevention by reducing exposure to the disease. Malaria is a major cause of morbidity and mortality among children of less than five years of age in Equatorial Guinea. However, information concerning the accuracy of community knowledge is insufficient. This study aimed at assessing the depth of caregivers' knowledge of malaria, their beliefs and attitudes about this disease, and their socioeconomic determinants in the Bata district of Equatorial Guinea. A cross-sectional study was conducted in the district of Bata, involving 440 houses selected from 18 rural villages and 26 urban neighbourhoods. A combined "Malaria Knowledge Score" was generated based on caregivers' knowledge about transmission, symptoms, prevention, the treatment of children, and best place to seek treatment. Multivariate logistic regressions analyses were performed to assess those factors that are associated with knowledge about malaria. A total of 428 caregivers were interviewed; 255 (59.6%) and 173 (40.4%) lived in urban and rural areas respectively. Significant differences between rural and urban households were observed in caregivers' malaria knowledges and beliefs. Almost 42% of urban and 65% of rural caregivers were unaware as to how malaria is transmitted (OR = 2.69; 95% CI: 1.78-4.05). Together with rurality, the factors most significantly associated with the Malaria Knowledge were the level of education of the caregiver and the socioeconomic status of the household. Improvements in educational programs are needed to empower the most vulnerable households such that they can pro-actively implement malaria control measures. This could be achieved by a comprehensive communication strategy aimed at changing individual and community behaviours, and delivered by suitably trained community health workers and indoor residual spraying personnel.

Caregivers’ Malaria Knowledge, Beliefs and Attitudes, and Related Factors in the Bata District, Equatorial Guinea

PubMed Central

Ncogo, Policarpo; Nseng, Gloria; Santana-Morales, Maria A.; Herrador, Zaida; Berzosa, Pedro; Valladares, Basilio; Riloha, Matilde; Benito, Agustin

2016-01-01

Objectives Adequate community knowledge about malaria is crucial in order to improve prevention by reducing exposure to the disease. Malaria is a major cause of morbidity and mortality among children of less than five years of age in Equatorial Guinea. However, information concerning the accuracy of community knowledge is insufficient. This study aimed at assessing the depth of caregivers’ knowledge of malaria, their beliefs and attitudes about this disease, and their socioeconomic determinants in the Bata district of Equatorial Guinea. Methodology A cross-sectional study was conducted in the district of Bata, involving 440 houses selected from 18 rural villages and 26 urban neighbourhoods. A combined "Malaria Knowledge Score" was generated based on caregivers’ knowledge about transmission, symptoms, prevention, the treatment of children, and best place to seek treatment. Multivariate logistic regressions analyses were performed to assess those factors that are associated with knowledge about malaria. Results A total of 428 caregivers were interviewed; 255 (59.6%) and 173 (40.4%) lived in urban and rural areas respectively. Significant differences between rural and urban households were observed in caregivers’ malaria knowledges and beliefs. Almost 42% of urban and 65% of rural caregivers were unaware as to how malaria is transmitted (OR = 2.69; 95% CI: 1.78–4.05). Together with rurality, the factors most significantly associated with the Malaria Knowledge were the level of education of the caregiver and the socioeconomic status of the household. Conclusions Improvements in educational programs are needed to empower the most vulnerable households such that they can pro-actively implement malaria control measures. This could be achieved by a comprehensive communication strategy aimed at changing individual and community behaviours, and delivered by suitably trained community health workers and indoor residual spraying personnel. PMID:28036341

Empowering patients in the hospital as a new approach to reducing the burden of health care-associated infections: The attitudes of hospital health care workers.

PubMed

Seale, Holly; Chughtai, Abrar A; Kaur, Rajneesh; Phillipson, Lyn; Novytska, Yuliya; Travaglia, Joanne

2016-03-01

Any approach promoting a culture of safety and the prevention of health care-associated infections (HCAIs) should involve all stakeholders, including by definition the patients themselves. This qualitative study explored the knowledge and attitudes of health care workers toward the concept of patient empowerment focused on improving infection control practices. Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with 29 staff from a large hospital in Sydney, Australia. There was virtually unanimous agreement among the participants that patients should be thought of as a stakeholder and should have a role in the prevention of HCAI. However, the degree of patient responsibility and level of system engagement varied. Although very few had previously been exposed to the concept of empowerment, they were accepting of the idea and were surprised that hospitals had not yet adopted the concept. However, they felt that a lack of support, busy workloads, and negative attitudes would be key barriers to the implementation of any empowerment programs. Although the World Health Organization has recommended that patients have a role in encouraging hand hygiene as a means of preventing infection, patient engagement remains an underused method. By extending the concept of patient empowerment to a range of infection prevention opportunities, the positive impact of this intervention will not only extend to the patient but to the system itself. Copyright © 2016 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

"Before the war we had it all": Family planning among couples in a post-conflict setting.

PubMed

Warren, Nicole; Alvarez, Carmen; Makambo, Maphie Tosha; Johnson-Agbakwu, Crista; Glass, Nancy

2017-08-01

There is little evidence about family planning knowledge, attitudes, and use among couples in post-conflict Democratic Republic of the Congo. We used qualitative descriptions to analyze data from 75 participants. Intimate partner violence (IPV) was common among participants. They were aware of family planning methods; however, IPV and fears of side effects were barriers to use. Although participants were concerned about the cost of large families, had positive attitudes toward family planning, and intended to use it, actual use was uncommon. The need for family planning was acute because of war-related poverty. Couples negotiated, but men had strong influence over family planning decisions. Couples saw health workers as a valuable resource. Interventions in this setting should include a couple-based approach that addresses IPV as well as family planning content.

Barriers to Cervical Cancer Screening in Burkina Faso: Needs for Patient and Professional Education.

PubMed

Compaore, Salomon; Ouedraogo, Charlemagne M R; Koanda, Seni; Haynatzki, Gleb; Chamberlain, Robert M; Soliman, Amr S

2016-12-01

Cervical cancer is among the leading causes of cancer deaths for women in low-income African countries, such as Burkina Faso. Given that cervical cancer is a preventable disease through early detection and vaccination, this study aimed at understanding the barriers to cervical cancer early detection in Ouagadougou, the capital city of Burkina Faso. Women seeking screening and treatment for cervical cancer (n = 351) during the period of May-August 2014, at the Yalgado Ouedraogo University Hospital, were interviewed about their knowledge, attitudes, and practices toward cervical cancer. Interview questions elicited information about sociodemographic of participants, history of screening, knowledge of cervical cancer, and attitudes toward cervical screening. Scores were assigned to responses of questions and knowledge, and tertitles of distributions were used for comparison. A multivariate logistic regression was performed to predict cervical screening. Study participants were relatively young (37.5 ± 10.7 years) and predominately resident of urban areas (83.8 %), and over half had no or less than high school education. Over 90 % of participants had heard about cervical cancer, and about 55 % of them had intermediate-level knowledge of the disease, its screening, and/or risk factors. Knowledge level was lower among rural than urban residents. Predictors of screening included higher level of education (odds ratio (OR) = 2.2; 95 % confidence interval (CI) 1.48-3.23), older age (OR = 1.1; 95 % CI 1.06-1.12), higher socioeconomic standard (SES) (OR = 1.5; 95 % CI 1-2.37), urban residence (OR = 2.0; 95 % CI 1.19-3.25), encouragement for screening by a health care worker (1.98; 95 % CI 1.06-3.69), and employment (OR = 1.9; 95 % CI 1.13-3.11). Low awareness and socioeconomic barriers lead to underutilization of screening services of women. Motivation and education by healthcare workers are important factors for increasing screening rates. Organized patient and professional education programs in gynecologic services are warranted for improving screening in Burkina Faso and other low-resource countries in Africa.

Knowledge, Attitude, and Preventive Practices among Prison Inmates in Ogbomoso Prison at Oyo State, South West Nigeria

PubMed Central

Saliu, Abdulsalam; Akintunde, Babatunde

2014-01-01

Prisoners are at special risk for infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) because of overcrowded prisons, unprotected sex and sexual assault, occurrence of sexual practices that are risky to health, unsafe injecting practices, and inadequate HIV prevention, care, and support services. This study aimed to describe the knowledge, attitude, and preventive practices towards HIV/AIDS by male inmates in Ogbomoso Prison at Oyo State, South West Nigeria. This was a cross-sectional study. A simple random sampling method was employed to select 167 male participants and data were collected using pretested structured interviewer-administered questionnaire. The data were collated and analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 17. Fifty (29.9%) were in the age group 20–24 years with mean age of 30.99 ± 11.41. About half (50.3%) had been married before incarceration. Family and friends (30%), health care workers (25%), prison staff (20%), and mass media (25%) were the commonest sources of information on HIV/AIDS. Knowledge about HIV was found to be high (94.6%). About 68.9% believed that people with the disease should be avoided. The knowledge about HIV/AIDS among inmates was high, but misconceptions about HIV/AIDS are still rife among the prisoners and educational programs would be required to correct this. PMID:25763397

Offline eLearning for undergraduates in health professions: A systematic review of the impact on knowledge, skills, attitudes and satisfaction.

PubMed

Rasmussen, Kristine; Belisario, José Marcano; Wark, Petra A; Molina, Joseph Antonio; Loong, Stewart Lee; Cotic, Ziva; Papachristou, Nikos; Riboli-Sasco, Eva; Tudor Car, Lorainne; Musulanov, Eve Marie; Kunz, Holger; Zhang, Yanfeng; George, Pradeep Paul; Heng, Bee Hoon; Wheeler, Erica Lynette; Al Shorbaji, Najeeb; Svab, Igor; Atun, Rifat; Majeed, Azeem; Car, Josip

2014-06-01

The world is short of 7.2 million health-care workers and this figure is growing. The shortage of teachers is even greater, which limits traditional education modes. eLearning may help overcome this training need. Offline eLearning is useful in remote and resource-limited settings with poor internet access. To inform investments in offline eLearning, we need to establish its effectiveness in terms of gaining knowledge and skills, students' satisfaction and attitudes towards eLearning. We conducted a systematic review of offline eLearning for students enrolled in undergraduate, health-related university degrees. We included randomised controlled trials that compared offline eLearning to traditional learning or an alternative eLearning method. We searched the major bibliographic databases in August 2013 to identify articles that focused primarily on students' knowledge, skills, satisfaction and attitudes toward eLearning, and health economic information and adverse effects as secondary outcomes. We also searched reference lists of relevant studies. Two reviewers independently extracted data from the included studies. We synthesized the findings using a thematic summary approach. Forty-nine studies, including 4955 students enrolled in undergraduate medical, dentistry, nursing, psychology, or physical therapy studies, met the inclusion criteria. Eleven of the 33 studies testing knowledge gains found significantly higher gains in the eLearning intervention groups compared to traditional learning, whereas 21 did not detect significant differences or found mixed results. One study did not test for differences. Eight studies detected significantly higher skill gains in the eLearning intervention groups, whilst the other 5 testing skill gains did not detect differences between groups. No study found offline eLearning as inferior. Generally no differences in attitudes or preference of eLearning over traditional learning were observed. No clear trends were found in the comparison of different modes of eLearning. Most of the studies were small and subject to several biases. Our results suggest that offline eLearning is equivalent and possibly superior to traditional learning regarding knowledge, skills, attitudes and satisfaction. Although a robust conclusion cannot be drawn due to variable quality of the evidence, these results justify further investment into offline eLearning to address the global health care workforce shortage.

Offline eLearning for undergraduates in health professions: A systematic review of the impact on knowledge, skills, attitudes and satisfaction

PubMed Central

Rasmussen, Kristine; Belisario, José Marcano; Wark, Petra A; Molina, Joseph Antonio; Loong, Stewart Lee; Cotic, Ziva; Papachristou, Nikos; Riboli–Sasco, Eva; Car, Lorainne Tudor; Musulanov, Eve Marie; Kunz, Holger; Zhang, Yanfeng; George, Pradeep Paul; Heng, Bee Hoon; Wheeler, Erica Lynette; Al Shorbaji, Najeeb; Svab, Igor; Atun, Rifat; Majeed, Azeem; Car, Josip

2014-01-01

Background The world is short of 7.2 million health–care workers and this figure is growing. The shortage of teachers is even greater, which limits traditional education modes. eLearning may help overcome this training need. Offline eLearning is useful in remote and resource–limited settings with poor internet access. To inform investments in offline eLearning, we need to establish its effectiveness in terms of gaining knowledge and skills, students’ satisfaction and attitudes towards eLearning. Methods We conducted a systematic review of offline eLearning for students enrolled in undergraduate, health–related university degrees. We included randomised controlled trials that compared offline eLearning to traditional learning or an alternative eLearning method. We searched the major bibliographic databases in August 2013 to identify articles that focused primarily on students’ knowledge, skills, satisfaction and attitudes toward eLearning, and health economic information and adverse effects as secondary outcomes. We also searched reference lists of relevant studies. Two reviewers independently extracted data from the included studies. We synthesized the findings using a thematic summary approach. Findings Forty–nine studies, including 4955 students enrolled in undergraduate medical, dentistry, nursing, psychology, or physical therapy studies, met the inclusion criteria. Eleven of the 33 studies testing knowledge gains found significantly higher gains in the eLearning intervention groups compared to traditional learning, whereas 21 did not detect significant differences or found mixed results. One study did not test for differences. Eight studies detected significantly higher skill gains in the eLearning intervention groups, whilst the other 5 testing skill gains did not detect differences between groups. No study found offline eLearning as inferior. Generally no differences in attitudes or preference of eLearning over traditional learning were observed. No clear trends were found in the comparison of different modes of eLearning. Most of the studies were small and subject to several biases. Conclusions Our results suggest that offline eLearning is equivalent and possibly superior to traditional learning regarding knowledge, skills, attitudes and satisfaction. Although a robust conclusion cannot be drawn due to variable quality of the evidence, these results justify further investment into offline eLearning to address the global health care workforce shortage. PMID:24976964

Enhancing a sustainable healthy working life: design of a clustered randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Koolhaas, Wendy; Brouwer, Sandra; Groothoff, Johan W; van der Klink, Jac Jl

2010-08-06

To improve a sustainable healthy working life, we have developed the intervention 'Staying healthy at work', which endeavours to enhance work participation of employees aged 45 years and older by increasing their problem-solving capacity and stimulating their awareness of their role and responsibility towards a healthy working life. This research study aims to evaluate the process and the effectiveness of the intervention compared with care as usual. The study is a cluster-randomized controlled trial design (randomized at the supervisor level), with a 1-year follow-up. Workers aged 45 years and older have been enrolled in the study. Workers in the intervention group are receiving the intervention 'Staying healthy at work'. The main focus of the intervention is to promote a healthy working life of ageing workers by: (1) changing workers awareness and behaviour, by emphasizing their own decisive role in attaining goals; (2) improving the supervisors' ability to support workers in taking the necessary action, by means of enhancing knowledge and competence; and (3) enhancing the use of the human resource professionals and the occupational health tools available within the organization. The supervisors in the intervention group have been trained how to present themselves as a source of support for the worker. Workers in the control group are receiving care as usual; supervisors in the control group have not participated in the training. Measurements have been taken at baseline and will be followed up at 3, 6 and 12 months. The primary outcome measures are vitality, work ability and productivity. The secondary outcomes measures include fatigue, job strain, work attitude, self-efficacy and work engagement. A process evaluation will be conducted at both the supervisor and the worker levels, and satisfaction with the content of the intervention will be assessed. The intervention 'Staying healthy at work' has the potential to provide evidence-based knowledge of an innovative method to promote a sustainable healthy working life in the older working population. The results of the study will be relevant for workers, employers, occupational health professionals and human resource professionals. The trial is registered with the Dutch Trial Register under number NTR2270.

The effectiveness of vaccine day and educational interventions on influenza vaccine coverage among health care workers at long-term care facilities.

PubMed

Kimura, Akiko C; Nguyen, Christine N; Higa, Jeffrey I; Hurwitz, Eric L; Vugia, Duc J

2007-04-01

We examined barriers to influenza vaccination among long-term care facility (LTCF) health care workers in Southern California and developed simple, effective interventions to improve influenza vaccine coverage of these workers. In 2002, health care workers at LTCFs were surveyed regarding their knowledge and attitudes about influenza and the influenza vaccine. Results were used to develop 2 interventions, an educational campaign and Vaccine Day (a well-publicized day for free influenza vaccination of all employees at the worksite). Seventy facilities were recruited to participate in an intervention trial and randomly assigned to 4 study groups. The combination of Vaccine Day and an educational campaign was most effective in increasing vaccine coverage (53% coverage; prevalence ratio [PR]=1.45; 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.24, 1.71, compared with 27% coverage in the control group). Vaccine Day alone was also effective (46% coverage; PR= 1.41; 95% CI=1.17, 1.71). The educational campaign alone was not effective in improving coverage levels (34% coverage; PR=1.18; 95% CI=0.93, 1.50). Influenza vaccine coverage of LTCF health care workers can be improved by providing free vaccinations at the worksite with a well-publicized Vaccine Day.

Providing primary health care with non-physicians.

PubMed

Chen, P C

1984-04-01

The definition of primary health care is basically the same, but the wide variety of concepts as to the form and type of worker required is largely due to variations in economic, demographic, socio-cultural and political factors. Whatever form it takes, in many parts of the developing world, it is increasingly clear that primary health care must be provided by non-physicians. The reasons for this trend are compelling, yet it is surprisingly opposed by the medical profession in many a developing country. Nonetheless, numerous field trials are being conducted in a variety of situations in several countries around the world. Non-physician primary health care workers vary from medical assistants and nurse practitioners to aide-level workers called village mobilizers, village volunteers, village aides and a variety of other names. The functions, limitations and training of such workers will need to be defined, so that an optimal combination of skills, knowledge and attitudes best suited to produce the desired effect on local health problems may be attained. The supervision of such workers by the physician and other health professionals will need to be developed in the spirit of the health team. An example of the use of non-physicians in providing primary health care in Sarawak is outlined.

Attitudes of physicians, patients, and village health workers toward glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy in rural China: a focus group study.

PubMed

Yan, Xixi; Liu, Tianyu; Gruber, Layla; He, Mingguang; Congdon, Nathan

2012-06-01

OBJECTIVE To understand the knowledge and attitudes of rural Chinese physicians, patients, and village health workers (VHWs) toward diabetic eye disease and glaucoma. METHODS Focus groups for each of the 3 stakeholders were conducted in 3 counties (9 groups). The focus groups were recorded, transcribed, and coded using specialized software. Responses to questions about barriers to compliance and interventions to remove these barriers were also ranked and scored. RESULTS Among 22 physicians, 23 patients, and 25 VHWs, knowledge about diabetic eye disease was generally good, but physicians and patients understood glaucoma only as an acutely symptomatic disease of relatively low prevalence. Physicians did not favor routine pupillary dilation to detect asymptomatic disease, expressing concerns about workflow and danger and inconvenience to patients. Providers believed that cost was the main barrier to patient compliance, whereas patients ranked poorly trained physicians as more important. All 3 stakeholder groups ranked financial interventions to improve compliance (eg, direct payment, lotteries, and contracts) low and preferred patient education and telephone contact by nurses. All the groups somewhat doubted the ability of VHWs to screen for eye disease accurately, but patients were generally willing to pay for VHW screening. The VHWs were uncertain about the value of eye care training but might accept it if accompanied by equipment. They did not rank payment for screening services as important. CONCLUSIONS Misconceptions about glaucoma's asymptomatic nature and an unwillingness to routinely examine asymptomatic patients must be addressed in training programs. Home contact by nurses and patient education may be the most appropriate interventions to improve compliance.

Effectiveness of a training programme to improve hand hygiene compliance in primary healthcare

PubMed Central

2009-01-01

Background Hand hygiene is the most effective measure for preventing infections related to healthcare, and its impact on the reduction of these infections is estimated at 50%. Non-compliance has been highlighted in several studies in hospitals, although none have been carried out in primary healthcare. Main objective To evaluated the effect of a "Hand Hygiene for the reduction of healthcare-associated infections" training program for primary healthcare workers, measured by variation from correct hand hygiene compliance, according to regulatory and specific criteria, 6 months after the baseline, in the intervention group (group receiving a training program) and in the control group (a usual clinical practice). Secondary objectives -To describe knowledges, attitudes and behaviors as regards hand hygiene among the professionals, and their possible association with "professional burnout", stratifying the results by type of group (intervention and usual clinical practice). -To estimate the logistic regression model that best explains hand hygiene compliance. Methods/Design Experimental study of parallel groups, with a control group, and random assignment by Health Center. Area of study.- Health centers in north-eastern Madrid (Spain). Sample studied.- Healthcare workers (physicians, odontostomatologists, pediatricians, nurses, dental hygienists, midwife and nursing auxiliaries). Intervention.- A hand hygiene training program, including a theoretical-practical workshop, provision of alcohol-based solutions and a reminder strategy in the workplace. Other variables: sociodemographic and professional knowledges, attitudes, and behaviors with regard to hand hygiene. Statistical Analysis: descriptive and inferential, using multivariate methods (covariance analysis and logistic regression). Discussion This study will provide valuable information on the prevalence of hand hygiene non-compliance, and improve healthcare. PMID:20015368

Breast, Cervical, and Colorectal Cancer Education and Navigation: Results of a Community Health Worker Intervention.

PubMed

Mojica, Cynthia M; Morales-Campos, Daisy Y; Carmona, Christina M; Ouyang, Yongjian; Liang, Yuanyuan

2016-05-01

Now that cancer has surpassed heart disease as the top cause of death for Hispanics in the United States, it is even more critical to focus on early detection of cancer in this population. We report the results of a theory-driven education-plus-navigation pilot intervention delivered by bilingual, bicultural community health workers (CHWs) with the goal of increasing cancer screening rates and knowledge among low-income Latinas. CHWs enrolled 691 eligible women, ages 18 to 75 years, considered rarely or never screened for breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer. Eligible women were scheduled for an education session and offered health care navigation support with appointment scheduling and reminder/follow-up calls. CHWs provided education to 535 (77%) eligible women, and arranged mammograms, Pap tests, or stool blood tests for 174 (25%) participants, with another 94 (14%) placed on a waiting list at a local health center. Statistically significant positive changes on knowledge of screening guidelines for breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer, and beliefs/attitudes regarding early detection were observed from pre- to posttest among eligible women who attended an educational session. Results highlight the effectiveness of CHW-directed interventions in recruiting individuals for programs, educating them, and influencing cancer knowledge and screening behavior. © 2015 Society for Public Health Education.

The relationship between workers’ self-reported changes in health and their attitudes towards a workplace intervention: lessons from smoke-free legislation across the UK hospitality industry

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background The evaluation of smoke-free legislation (SFL) in the UK examined the impacts on exposure to second-hand smoke, workers’ attitudes and changes in respiratory health. Studies that investigate changes in the health of groups of people often use self-reported symptoms. Due to the subjective nature it is of interest to determine whether workers’ attitudes towards the change in their working conditions may be linked to the change in health they report. Methods Bar workers were recruited before the introduction of the SFL in Scotland and England with the aim of investigating their changes to health, attitudes and exposure as a result of the SFL. They were asked about their attitudes towards SFL and the presence of respiratory and sensory symptoms both before SFL and one year later. Here we examine the possibility of a relationship between initial attitudes and changes in reported symptoms, through the use of regression analyses. Results There was no difference in the initial attitudes towards SFL between those working in Scotland and England. Bar workers who were educated to a higher level tended to be more positive towards SFL. Attitude towards SFL was not found to be related to change in reported symptoms for bar workers in England (Respiratory, p = 0.755; Sensory, p = 0.910). In Scotland there was suggestion of a relationship with reporting of respiratory symptoms (p = 0.042), where those who were initially more negative to SFL experienced a greater improvement in self-reported health. Conclusions There was no evidence that workers who were more positive towards SFL reported greater improvements in respiratory and sensory symptoms. This may not be the case in all interventions and we recommend examining subjects’ attitudes towards the proposed intervention when evaluating possible health benefits using self-reported methods. PMID:22551087

Attitudes towards Older People and Managers' Intention to Hire Older Workers: A Taiwanese Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lu, Luo; Kao, Shu-Fang; Hsieh, Ying-Hui

2011-01-01

The aim of this research was to examine attitudinal barriers to the managerial intention to hire older workers (aged 60 and above). Structured questionnaires were used to collect data from a sample of managers with hiring power (N = 305). We found that (a) positive attitudes towards older people in general, perceived subjective norm, personal…

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Workers calibrate a tracking telescope, part of the Distant Object Attitude Measurement System (DOAMS), located in Cocoa Beach, Fla. The telescope provides optical support for launches from KSC and Cape Canaveral.

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-09-03

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Workers calibrate a tracking telescope, part of the Distant Object Attitude Measurement System (DOAMS), located in Cocoa Beach, Fla. The telescope provides optical support for launches from KSC and Cape Canaveral.

Employers' Attitudes on Hiring Workers with Intellectual Disabilities in Small and Medium Enterprises: An Italian Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zappella, Emanuela

2015-01-01

Employers play a significant role in the process of hiring workers with intellectual disability. Through an in-depth interview, this research aims to investigate the attitudes of 30 representatives of small and medium-sized Italian companies involved in a process of recruitment. The data were analyzed using a phenomenological approach. The results…

Negative Attitudes toward Older Workers and Hiring Decisions: Testing the Moderating Role of Decision Makers' Core Self-Evaluations.

PubMed

Fasbender, Ulrike; Wang, Mo

2016-01-01

Organizational hiring practices have been charged for unfair treatment on the grounds of age. Drawing on theories of planned behavior and core self-evaluations, this research investigated the impact of negative attitudes toward older workers on hiring decisions and examined the moderating role of decision-makers' core self-evaluations. We tested our hypotheses based on a structured online questionnaire and a vignette study using a sample of 102 participants working in human resource management across different industries. As predicted, negative attitudes toward older workers were positively related to avoidance of hiring older people, which in turn was negatively related to the likelihood to select the oldest candidate. Because hiring decisions are not only about the hiring subject but also about the decision-maker, we tested the moderating role of decision-makers' core self-evaluations. Results showed that core self-evaluations buffered the relationship between negative attitudes toward older workers and avoidance of hiring older people. Theoretical implications of the findings with regard to hiring decisions about older people and practical recommendations to improve diversity management strategies and age-balanced hiring practices in organizations are discussed.

[Intimate partner violence is not identified as a health problem by health care workers].

PubMed

Coll-Vinent, Blanca; Echeverría, Teresa; Farràs, Ursula; Rodríguez, Dolores; Millá, José; Santiñà, Manel

2008-01-01

To determine attitudes, opinions and knowledge of domestic violence among medical and nursing staff. We performed a descriptive study of prevalence using an ad hoc questionnaire. A random sample of 321 health professionals were asked about their opinions and knowledge of domestic violence and its relationship with health. A total of 287 health professions completed the questionnaire. Most (87.1%) considered that intimate partner violence was an important problem, but not a health issue. Sixty percent of the health professionals believed that they could play an important role in detecting patients in this situation. Knowledge about the management of this problem was low. Nursing professionals were more sensitive to this issue and better prepared than medical staff. Healthcare personnel are sensitive to the problem of intimate partner violence but do not consider this issue to be a health problem. Education about this phenomenon and its management is required.

Strong schools against suicidality and self-injury: Evaluation of a workshop for school staff.

PubMed

Groschwitz, Rebecca; Munz, Lara; Straub, Joana; Bohnacker, Isabelle; Plener, Paul L

2017-06-01

Nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) and suicidality are common among adolescents. School staff are often the first adults to be confronted with those behaviors. However, previous studies have shown a lack of knowledge and confidence in dealing with self-harming behaviors. Objectives of this study were to evaluate a workshop on NSSI and suicidality in adolescence for teachers, school social workers and school psychologists. In total, N = 267 school staff participated in 1 of 16 two-day workshops, which were offered in different cities in southern Germany. Pre-, post- and 6-month follow-up assessments were conducted concerning attitudes, confidence in own skills, perceived knowledge, and knowledge on NSSI and suicidality. Satisfaction with the workshop was evaluated directly after the workshop; changes in handling situations involving youth with self-harm were evaluated at follow-up. Overall, participants were very satisfied with the workshop. Few negative attitudes regarding NSSI and suicidality were prevalent before and after the workshop. Large effect sizes were found for improvement in confidence, perceived knowledge, and knowledge at postassessment, which were still present at 6-month follow-up. There were significant differences between professions, with teachers seemingly benefitting the most from the workshop. At follow-up, participants reported more changes in their own behavior than having been able to implement changes on a school level. A 2-day workshop seems to be effective in changing knowledge and confidence in school staff regarding NSSI and suicidality. Workshops catered to different professions (i.e., teachers and school psychologists) might be feasible. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Assessing the knowledge, attitudes, behaviors and training needs related to infant feeding, specifically breastfeeding, of child care providers.

PubMed

Clark, Alena; Anderson, Jennifer; Adams, Elizabeth; Baker, Susan

2008-01-01

The purpose of this study was to assess the knowledge, attitudes, behaviors and training needs of child care providers on infant feeding practices, specifically breastfeeding. Needs assessment surveys for child care directors and infant room teachers were developed, tested and mailed to the 277 Colorado child care centers licensed to care for infants (< or = 12 months); 1,385 surveys were mailed. A total of 267 surveys were received for an overall response rate of 20%. The majority (79%) of infant room teachers and directors reported low knowledge on ways to adequately store breastmilk and formula. Perceived attitudes on the advantages and disadvantages of breastmilk versus formula as well as behaviors associated with offering working mothers a supportive breastfeeding environment (e.g. breast pumps available at center, offer mothers a place to breastfeed) were also examined. Directors and infant room teachers desired updated infant feeding information for themselves, co-workers and parents. They wanted English and Spanish information regarding breastfeeding, formula feeding and introducing solid foods. Eighty-six percent of directors and 67% of teachers stated they have Internet access at work. Eighty-eight percent of directors and 79% of teachers would be interested in an infant feeding website. According to the results of the needs assessment, child care directors and infant room teachers are in need of current, accessible infant feeding information. Child care directors and infant room teachers desired a website with bilingual and best practice infant feeding information specific to the needs of child care providers.

Child sun protection: sun-related attitudes mediate the association between children's knowledge and behaviours.

PubMed

Wright, Caradee; Reeder, Anthony I; Gray, Andrew; Cox, Brian

2008-12-01

To describe and investigate the relationship among the sun-related knowledge, attitudes and behaviours of New Zealand primary schoolchildren and consider the roles of sex and school year level. A randomly selected, two-stage cluster sample of 488 children from 27 primary schools in five regions of New Zealand was surveyed regarding their sun-related knowledge, attitudes and behaviours. A scoring system was used to assign a knowledge, attitude and behaviour score to each child. Although knowledge increased with school year level, there was a decline in sun protective attitudes and behaviours. There was little variation in knowledge, attitudes and behaviour between boys and girls, but sex-year level interactions were found for knowledge and behaviour. When considering children's knowledge, attitudes and behaviours simultaneously, knowledge was only significantly associated with behaviours when mediated by attitudes. When targeting child sun protection and skin cancer prevention programmes, a focus on attitudes towards sun exposure and a suntan may prove beneficial in influencing sun-related behaviours.

Environmental risk factors associated with leptospirosis among butchers and their associates in Jamaica.

PubMed

Brown, P D; McKenzie, M; Pinnock, M; McGrowder, D

2011-01-01

Leptospirosis, a spirochetal zoonosis, is considered an occupational disease of persons engaged in agriculture, sewage works, forestry, and butchery. To determine the environmental sources and the knowledge, attitude and practices for leptospirosis among butchers and slaughterhouse workers, as well as the seroprevalence of leptospirosis among cattle and pigs presented for slaughter. Using an interviewer administered questionnaire, all 110 butchers and other slaughterhouse workers in the parishes of Kingston and St. Andrew, Jamaica were surveyed. In addition, 179 blood samples from animals presented for slaughter were tested for anti-Leptospira antibodies using the microscopic agglutination test (MAT). Analyses indicated that people with the studied occupations are at risk for developing leptospirosis due to several environmental risk factors that exist in slaughterhouses. Among the risk factors, limited knowledge of the disease and its transmission, lower educational level attained, younger age and unhealthy behaviors (e.g., hand washing and improper or lack of use of personal protective gears), presence of stray dogs and rodents, and inadequate maintenance of physical plants, were found to be important. Of the total number of animal samples tested, 20 (11%) were positive. Canicola and Hardjo (among cattle) and Bratislava (among pigs) were the major seroreactors. Butchers and slaughterhouse workers engaged in animal handling and slaughtering could be frequently exposed to leptospirosis, and hence control strategies targeting at these populations should be implemented.

Knowledge, attitude and practice about cancer of the uterine cervix among women living in Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of Congo

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Cervical cancer is the most frequent cancer of women in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Nevertheless, the level of women’s awareness about cervical cancer is unknown. Knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) are important elements for designing and monitoring screening programs. The study purpose was to estimate KAP on cervical cancer and to identify associated factors. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted in Kinshasa, DRC, including 524 women aged 16–78 years (median age 28; interquartile range 22–35). The women were interviewed at home by trained field workers using a standardized questionnaire. The women’s score on knowledge, attitude and practice were dichotomized as sufficient or insufficient. We used binary and multiple logistic regression to assess associations between obtaining sufficient scores and a series of socio-demographic factors: age, residence, marital status, education, occupation, religion, and parity. Results The women’s score on knowledge was not significantly correlated with their score on practice (Spearman’s rho = 0.08; P > 0.05). Obtaining a sufficient score on knowledge was positively associated with higher education (adjusted odds ratio (OR) 7.65; 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 3.31-17.66) and formal employment (adjusted OR 3.35; 95% CI 1.85-6.09); it was negatively associated with being single (adjusted OR 0.44; 95% CI 0.24-0.81) and living in the eastern, western and northern zone of Kinshasa compared to the city centre. The attitude score was associated with place of residence (adjusted OR for east Kinshasa: 0.49; 95% CI 0.27-0.86 and for south Kinshasa: 0.48; 95% CI 0.27-0.85) and with religion (adjusted OR 0.55; 95% CI 0.35-0.86 for women with a religion other than Catholicism or Protestantism compared to Catholics). Regarding practice, there were negative associations between a sufficient score on practice and being single (adjusted OR 0.24; 95% CI 0.13-0.41) and living in the eastern zone of the city (adjusted OR 0.39; 95% CI 0.22-0.70). Although 84% of women had heard about cervical cancer, only 9% had ever had a Papanicolaou (Pap) smear test. Conclusions This study shows a low level of knowledge, attitude and practice on cervical cancer among women in Kinshasa. Increasing women’s awareness would be a first step in the long chain of conditions to attain a lower incidence and mortality. PMID:24548698

Knowledge, attitude and practice about cancer of the uterine cervix among women living in Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of Congo.

PubMed

Ali-Risasi, Catherine; Mulumba, Paul; Verdonck, Kristien; Vanden Broeck, Davy; Praet, Marleen

2014-02-18

Cervical cancer is the most frequent cancer of women in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Nevertheless, the level of women's awareness about cervical cancer is unknown. Knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) are important elements for designing and monitoring screening programs. The study purpose was to estimate KAP on cervical cancer and to identify associated factors. A cross-sectional study was conducted in Kinshasa, DRC, including 524 women aged 16-78 years (median age 28; interquartile range 22-35). The women were interviewed at home by trained field workers using a standardized questionnaire. The women's score on knowledge, attitude and practice were dichotomized as sufficient or insufficient. We used binary and multiple logistic regression to assess associations between obtaining sufficient scores and a series of socio-demographic factors: age, residence, marital status, education, occupation, religion, and parity. The women's score on knowledge was not significantly correlated with their score on practice (Spearman's rho = 0.08; P > 0.05). Obtaining a sufficient score on knowledge was positively associated with higher education (adjusted odds ratio (OR) 7.65; 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 3.31-17.66) and formal employment (adjusted OR 3.35; 95% CI 1.85-6.09); it was negatively associated with being single (adjusted OR 0.44; 95% CI 0.24-0.81) and living in the eastern, western and northern zone of Kinshasa compared to the city centre. The attitude score was associated with place of residence (adjusted OR for east Kinshasa: 0.49; 95% CI 0.27-0.86 and for south Kinshasa: 0.48; 95% CI 0.27-0.85) and with religion (adjusted OR 0.55; 95% CI 0.35-0.86 for women with a religion other than Catholicism or Protestantism compared to Catholics). Regarding practice, there were negative associations between a sufficient score on practice and being single (adjusted OR 0.24; 95% CI 0.13-0.41) and living in the eastern zone of the city (adjusted OR 0.39; 95% CI 0.22-0.70). Although 84% of women had heard about cervical cancer, only 9% had ever had a Papanicolaou (Pap) smear test. This study shows a low level of knowledge, attitude and practice on cervical cancer among women in Kinshasa. Increasing women's awareness would be a first step in the long chain of conditions to attain a lower incidence and mortality.

Effects of Knowledge on Attitude Formation and Change Toward Genetically Modified Foods.

PubMed

Zhu, Xiaoqin; Xie, Xiaofei

2015-05-01

In three waves, this study investigates the impact of risk and benefit knowledge on attitude formation toward genetically modified (GM) foods as well as the moderating effect of knowledge level on attitude change caused by receiving information. The data in Wave 1 (N = 561) demonstrate that both benefit and risk knowledge either directly contribute to attitude formation or indirectly affect attitudes through the mediating roles of benefit and risk perceptions. Overall, benefit and risk knowledge affect consumer attitudes positively and negatively, respectively. In Wave 2, 486 participants from Wave 1 were provided with information about GM foods, and their attitudes were assessed. Three weeks later, 433 of these participants again reported their attitudes. The results indicate that compared with the benefit and mixed information, risk information has a greater and longer lasting impact on attitude change, which results in lower acceptance of GM foods. Furthermore, risk information more strongly influences participants with a higher knowledge level. The moderating effect of knowledge on attitude change may result from these participants' better understanding of and greater trust in the information. These findings highlight the important role of knowledge in attitude formation and attitude change toward GM foods as well as the necessity of considering the determinants of attitude formation in attitude change studies. © 2014 Society for Risk Analysis.

Study of the effects of informational and persuasive messages on the attitudes of high school students toward the use of nuclear energy for electrical production

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Showers, D.E.

1986-01-01

This investigation assessed the relationship between knowledge about and attitudes toward nuclear energy. The study's purpose was accomplished by attempting to manipulate knowledge about and attitude toward nuclear energy independently. Over two thousand high school students participated in the study. A Non-Equivalent Control Group quasi-experimental design was used involving random assignment by intact groups to treatments. A knowledge treatment was designed to increase student knowledge without affecting attitudes. An attitude treatment was designed to change attitudes without changing knowledge, and a control treatment was employed for comparison to the experimental treatments. Each treatment consisted of a videotape with a viewingmore » guide and a homework assignment. The Nuclear Energy Assessment Battery was used as a pretest, post-test, and retention test. Males scored significantly higher in knowledge and positive attitudes, but no interaction between gender and treatment was found. The study concluded that (1) there is a correlation between nuclear knowledge and attitudes, (2) knowledge about nuclear energy can be changed without affecting attitude and attitude can be changed without affecting knowledge, and (3) students show differences and attitude based on gender.« less

Attitudes towards poverty, organizations, ethics and morals: Israeli social workers' shared decision making.

PubMed

Levin, Lia; Schwartz-Tayri, Talia

2017-06-01

Partnerships between service users and social workers are complex in nature and can be driven by both personal and contextual circumstances. This study sought to explore the relationship between social workers' involvement in shared decision making with service users, their attitudes towards service users in poverty, moral standards and health and social care organizations' policies towards shared decision making. Based on the responses of 225 licensed social workers from health and social care agencies in the public, private and third sectors in Israel, path analysis was used to test a hypothesized model. Structural attributions for poverty contributed to attitudes towards people who live in poverty, which led to shared decision making. Also, organizational support in shared decision making, and professional moral identity, contributed to ethical behaviour which led to shared decision making. The results of this analysis revealed that shared decision making may be a scion of branched roots planted in the relationship between ethics, organizations and Stigma. © 2016 The Authors. Health Expectations Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Professionals' Attitude Toward Reporting Child Sexual Abuse in Saudi Arabia.

PubMed

Al-Saif, Dalia M; Al-Eissa, Majid; Saleheen, Hassan; Al-Mutlaq, Huda; Everson, Mark D; Almuneef, Maha A

2018-01-01

Child sexual abuse (CSA) requires specialized knowledge and training that includes forensic interview skills. The aim of this study was to determine variations in professionals' attitudes toward CSA by measuring three aspects of forensic attitudes (sensitivity, specificity, and skepticism) and evaluating disagreements concerning the assessment of CSA cases in Saudi Arabia. A cross-sectional, web-based study, in which the Child Forensic Attitude Scale was used to measure professionals' attitudes, was conducted. Professionals who dealt with suspected cases of CSA as part of their jobs or were in professions that necessitated involvement with such cases, were selected as participants. Of 327 participants, 53% were aged ≤40 years, and 54% were men. In addition, 24% were doctors/nurses, 20% were therapists/psychiatrists, 24% were social workers, 17% were educators, 9% were law enforcement professionals, and 5% were medical examiners. Attitude subscale scores differed significantly according to participants' sex, specialty, and training. Women, healthcare professionals, and those who had participated in more than five training courses were more concerned about the underreporting of abuse (high sensitivity) relative to other professionals. In comparison, men, medical examiners, law enforcement officers, and undertrained professionals tended to underreport suspected sexual abuse cases (high specificity). High specificity in attitudes toward suspected cases of CSA could affect professionals' judgment and contribute to low reporting rates. Certain strategies, including increasing self-awareness of personal bias, specific CSA recognition courses, and team approaches to case assessment and management, should be implemented to control the influence of subjective factors.

Pesticide risk perceptions and the differences between farmers and extensionists: Towards a knowledge-in-context model

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ríos-González, Adriana, E-mail: adrianariosg@hotmail.com; The Africa and Latin America Research Groups Network; Jansen, Kees, E-mail: Kees.Jansen@wur.nl

A growing body of literature analyzes farmer perceptions of pesticide risk, but much less attention has been given to differences in risk perception between farmers and technical experts. Furthermore, inconsistencies in knowledge have too easily been explained in terms of lack of knowledge rather than exploring the underlying reasons for particular forms of thinking about pesticide risks. By doing this, the division between expert and lay knowledge has been deepened rather than transcended. Objective: This study aims to understand differences and similarities among the perceptions of pesticide risks of farmers, farm workers, and technical experts such as extensionists, by applyingmore » a social science approach towards knowledge and risk attitudes. Methods: Semi-structured interviews and field observations were conducted to smallholders, farm workers, extensionists, health professionals and scientists involved in the use and handling of pesticides. Subsequently, a survey was carried out to quantify the farmers and extensionists' acceptance or rejection of typical assertions expressed previously in the semi-structured interviews. Results: Smallholders showed to gain knowledge from their own experiences and to adapt pesticides practices, which is a potential basis for transforming notions of pesticide safety and risk reduction strategies. Though extensionists have received formal education, they sometimes develop ideas deviating from the technical perspective. The risk perception of the studied actors appeared to vary according to their role in the agricultural labor process; they varied much less than expected according to their schooling level. Conclusions: Commitment to the technical perspective is not dramatically different for extensionists on the one hand and farmers as well as farm workers on the other hand. Ideas about a supposed lack of knowledge by farmers and the need of formal training are too much driven by a deficit model of knowledge. Further research on risk perceptions of pesticides and training of rural people will benefit from the development of a knowledge-in-context model. -- Highlights: • Researching perceptions of farmers' extensionists and other professionals. • Experts as well as farmers deviate from the technical perspective. • Blaming who is responsible for pesticide problems creates expert-lay division. • Qualitative and quantitative methods, not as complementary but integrated. • Knowledge-in-context model as an alternative to the knowledge-deficit model.« less

Northwest Entry-Level Worker Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Owens, Thomas; Cohen, Carolyn

A survey elicited workers' opinions in five areas: (1) essential skills, attitudes, and behaviors needed on the job by entry-level workers; (2) the purposes, content, and delivery of training needed and desired by workers; (3) productivity; (4) workplace environment; and (5) employee benefits. Information was gathered through written surveys of…

Career Aspirations of Older Workers: An Australian Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pillay, Hitendra; Kelly, Kathy; Tones, Megan

2006-01-01

Global challenges associated with the ageing workforce include lower levels of education and negative attitudes of older workers towards learning and covert age discrimination in the workplace. This report discusses initial findings from a survey of older workers employed in regional areas in Australia. The older workers surveyed were…

Employers' Attitudes toward Employing People with Mental Handicap.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tse, John W. L.

1993-01-01

A survey of 66 Hong Kong companies and factories identified factors affecting employers' decisions to hire workers with mental handicaps. The five most important factors were emotional problems and personalities of workers, workers' ability to perform the job, availability of low-level jobs, productivity of workers, and possible special…

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - A worker calibrates a tracking telescope, part of the Distant Object Attitude Measurement System (DOAMS), located in Cocoa Beach, Fla. The telescope provides optical support for launches from KSC and Cape Canaveral.

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-09-03

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - A worker calibrates a tracking telescope, part of the Distant Object Attitude Measurement System (DOAMS), located in Cocoa Beach, Fla. The telescope provides optical support for launches from KSC and Cape Canaveral.

Attitudes of Mental Health Workers and Psychologists Regarding the Usefulness of Mediated Learning Experience as a Supplement to Multi Systemic Treatment.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Posy, Yosef

This study compares the attitudes of two groups of professionals involved in adolescent drug and alcohol treatment regarding the usefulness of Mediated Learning Experience as a supplement to Multi Systemic Treatment (MST) for substance abuse. Fifteen social workers and 15 school psychologists completed a rating scale to record their opinions of…

Promoting safer sexual practices among young adults: a survey of health workers in Moshi Rural District, Tanzania.

PubMed

Ngomuo, E T; Klepp, K I; Rise, J; Mnyika, K S

1995-01-01

As part of the national effort to prevent further spread of HIV/AIDS, rural health workers in Tanzania are asked to promote safer sex practices among the sexually active population. We conducted a survey among health workers in Moshi Rural District, Kilimanjaro, designed to assess their attitudes, perceived norms and self-efficacy with respect to the promotion of safer sexual practices among young adults 15-35 years old. Health workers at all private and governmental health facilities were included (n = 342; participation rate of 68.4%). We observed relatively strong associations between the frequency and quality of reported counselling behaviour and perceived norms, attitudes and self-efficacy (standardized regression coefficients (beta) of 0.329, 0.252 and 0.159 respectively). In addition, exposure to behaviour change strategies during formal training and marital status of the health workers were associated with counselling behaviour (beta of 0.133 and 0.118 respectively). Overall, these factors accounted for 40.8% of the observed variance in reported counselling behaviour. It is recommended that continued education for health workers focus on providing normative support for promoting safer sex, provide information which may help foster positive attitudes and teach practical counselling skills to further increase the self-efficacy regarding counselling young people.

Incorporating cultural competence content into graduate nursing curricula through community-university collaboration.

PubMed

Axtell, Sara A; Avery, Melissa; Westra, Bonnie

2010-04-01

Health professionals are reorienting workforce education to better prepare students for working with increasingly diverse populations. The authors describe a community-based curriculum deliberation process in which community leaders and health workers deliberated with faculty and students to make recommendations about a graduate nursing curriculum. There were five areas of competencies recommended for graduate nursing to improve care of diverse populations: self-awareness, basic knowledge of culture and identity, attitudes that promote cross-cultural communication, cross-cultural clinical skills, and advocacy skills. The school now is in the process of phasing in recommendations gained from the deliberation.

Changing the Guard: Male Correctional Officers' Attitudes toward Women as Co-Workers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walters, Stephen

1993-01-01

Surveyed male correctional officers at four correctional facilities concerning their attitudes toward their role as correctional officers and corrections in general. Respondents (n=178) gave their attitudes toward working with women as correctional officers. Significantly related to "pro-women" attitudes were quality of working relationship with…

Behavioral and Psychosocial Correlates of HIV Testing Among Male Clients of Female Sex Workers in Tijuana, Mexico.

PubMed

Fleming, Paul J; Patterson, Thomas L; Chavarin, Claudia V; Semple, Shirley J; Magis-Rodriguez, Carlos; Pitpitan, Eileen V

2017-08-01

We use data collected from a sample of 400 male clients of female sex workers (FSW) to examine their HIV testing behavior. We present frequencies of HIV testing and used bivariate and multivariable analyses to assess its socio-demographic, behavioral, and psychosocial correlates. We found that the majority (55 %) of male clients of FSW in Tijuana, Mexico had never had an HIV test and the prevalence of HIV testing within the past year was low (9 %). In multivariable analyses, significant correlates of having ever tested for HIV were higher age, higher HIV knowledge score, lower sexual compulsiveness score, lower misogynistic attitudes score, having a condom break during sex with a FSW, and higher frequency of sex with a FSW while she was high. Our findings represent an important starting point for developing effective interventions to address the need to promote HIV testing among this population.

An ecological approach to hearing-health promotion in workplaces.

PubMed

Reddy, Ravi; Welch, David; Ameratunga, Shanthi; Thorne, Peter

2017-05-01

To develop and assess use, acceptability and feasibility of an ecological hearing conservation programme for workplaces. A school-based public health hearing preservation education programme (Dangerous Decibels®) was adapted for workplaces using the Multi-level Approach to Community Health (MATCH) Model. The programme was delivered in small manufacturing companies and evaluated using a questionnaire before the training and at one week and two-months after training. Workers (n = 56) from five small manufacturing companies were recruited. There was a significant improvement in knowledge, attitudes and behaviour of workers at the intrapersonal level; in behaviour motivation and safety culture at the interpersonal and organisational levels; and an overall improvement in hearing-health behaviour after two months post-intervention. The developed programme offers a simple, interactive and theory-based intervention that is well accepted and effective in promoting positive hearing-health behaviour in workplaces.

An evaluation of knowledge and attitudes toward epilepsy in Eastern Turkey.

PubMed

Kiyak, Emine; Dayapoglu, Nuray

2017-10-01

This study was designed to determine the knowledge and attitudes regarding epilepsy among individuals in eastern Turkey. This descriptive study involved 530 healthy individuals who came to the Research and Application Hospital of Ataturk University in Erzurum, Turkey. A questionnaire and the epilepsy knowledge and attitude scale were administered to collect data. Mann-Whitney U, Kruskal-Wallis, and Spearman's correlation tests were used to analyze the data. The participants' epilepsy knowledge mean score was 6.34 (SD=3.71), and their attitude mean score was 50.22 (SD=11.17). There was a positive (r=0.404) correlation between the knowledge and the attitude scores (p<0.001), and negative correlations between age and the knowledge (p=0.036) and the attitude scores (p<0.001). The mean knowledge and attitude scores were higher for the participants who were high school and university graduates, had expenses equal to income, and lived in nuclear families and in the city center (p<0.001). Civil servants and housewives had significantly higher mean knowledge scores, and students had significantly higher mean attitude scores (p<0.001). Significantly higher knowledge and attitude mean scores were also found for those who knew patients with epilepsy, had witnessed epileptic seizures, obtained information from healthcare personnel, and did not believe that epilepsy was associated with religion (p<0.001). The study participants had low knowledge about epilepsy but displayed positive attitudes toward it. Higher knowledge positively affected attitude, and younger individuals had greater knowledge and, thus, more positive attitudes. Women, civil servants, and housewives had higher knowledge, whereas singles and students had better attitudes. The participants who had high educational levels and expenses equal to income and lived in nuclear families and the city center had more knowledge and displayed more positive attitudes. Greater knowledge and more positive attitudes were also found among the participants who knew patients with epilepsy, had witnessed epileptic seizures, obtained the information from healthcare personnel, and did not believe that epilepsy was associated with religion. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Environmental attitudes, knowledge, intentions and behaviors among college students.

PubMed

Levine, Debra Siegel; Strube, Michael J

2012-01-01

College students (N = 90) reported their pro-environment behaviors as well as their pro-environment intentions, their explicit and implicit attitudes about the environment, and their knowledge about environmental issues. Intentions and knowledge significantly and independently predicted behavior. Environmental knowledge was not significantly related to attitudes. Implicit and explicit attitudes were significantly but only moderately related. Only explicit attitudes, however, were strongly related to intentions, and intentions completely mediated the influence of explicit attitudes on behavior. Men were found to be more knowledgeable than women about environmental issues; older students had more favorable implicit and explicit environmental attitudes. This research suggests that knowledge about the environment and explicit attitudes influence behavior through different pathways, which may have implications for interventions seeking to increase environmentally friendly behavior.

Predictors of female worker attitudes towards menstruation and the provision of help to institutionalized women with intellectual disabilities in Taiwan.

PubMed

Chou, Yueh-Ching; Lu, Zxy-yann J; Pu, Cheng-yun; Lan, Chung-Fu

2008-08-01

No previous research has examined the importance of both individual and environmental factors for predicting caregivers' menstrual attitudes. To explore the predictors of female caregivers' attitudes towards menstruation and the help they give to women with intellectual disabilities, we conducted a cross-sectional questionnaire survey which was completed by 725 female workers from 12 institutions in Taiwan. The Menstrual Attitudes Questionnaire (MAQ) and a structured questionnaire were used. Logistic regression analysis revealed that individual characteristics such as age and education were significantly associated with menstrual attitudes of female caregivers working with institutionalized women with intellectual disabilities. Furthermore, the environmental context, such as the frequency of discussions with colleagues, training in menstrual management care and the level of difficulty when giving help in menstruation management, was important for improving caregivers' menstrual attitudes. This study contributes to the existing literature by determining both individual and environmental predictors of caregivers' menstrual attitudes.

Exploring knowledge and attitudes toward non-communicable diseases among village health teams in Eastern Uganda: a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Ojo, Temitope Tabitha; Hawley, Nicola L; Desai, Mayur M; Akiteng, Ann R; Guwatudde, David; Schwartz, Jeremy I

2017-12-12

Community health workers are essential personnel in resource-limited settings. In Uganda, they are organized into Village Health Teams (VHTs) and are focused on infectious diseases and maternal-child health; however, their skills could potentially be utilized in national efforts to reduce the growing burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). We sought to assess the knowledge of, and attitudes toward NCDs and NCD care among VHTs in Uganda as a step toward identifying their potential role in community NCD prevention and management. We administered a knowledge, attitudes and practices questionnaire to 68 VHT members from Iganga and Mayuge districts in Eastern Uganda. In addition, we conducted four focus group discussions with 33 VHT members. Discussions focused on NCD knowledge and facilitators of and barriers to incorporating NCD prevention and care into their role. A thematic qualitative analysis was conducted to identify salient themes in the data. VHT members possessed some knowledge and awareness of NCDs but identified a lack of knowledge about NCDs in the communities they served. They were enthusiastic about incorporating NCD care into their role and thought that they could serve as effective conduits of knowledge about NCDs to their communities if empowered through NCD education, the availability of proper reporting and referral tools, and visible collaborations with medical personnel. The lack of financial remuneration for their role did not emerge as a major barrier to providing NCD services. Ugandan VHTs saw themselves as having the potential to play an important role in improving community awareness of NCDs as well as monitoring and referral of community members for NCD-related health issues. In order to accomplish this, they anticipated requiring context-specific and culturally adapted training as well as strong partnerships with facility-based medical personnel. A lack of financial incentivization was not identified to be a major barrier to such role expansion. Developing a role for VHTs in NCD prevention and management should be a key consideration as local and national NCD initiatives are developed.

Knowledge and Attitude of Nursing Students toward Electroconvulsive Therapy

PubMed Central

Sharma, Nitasha; Ghai, Sandhya; Grover, Sandeep

2017-01-01

Background: Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is one of the commonly used treatment modalities for patients with severe mental disorders. However, acceptance of ECT by the patient and relatives often depends on how the health-care professionals themselves present the treatment modality to the patients and their relatives. There is a lack of information about the knowledge and attitude toward ECT among health professionals. Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the knowledge about and attitude toward ECT among nursing students. Methodology: Knowledge of and attitudes toward ECT among nursing students were assessed using ECT knowledge and attitude questionnaires. Results: The study included 183 nursing students. Majority (n = 62; 60.8%) of the participants obtained information about ECT from media (movies, television, print media, etc.). None of the students had full knowledge about ECT. Although a significant proportion of students had knowledge about the ECT procedure and consent procedure, majority of them had poor knowledge about the effectiveness, mechanism of action, indications, and side effects of ECT. Negative attitudes were also highly prevalent, with more than two-thirds of the participants having negative attitudes toward ECT on more than half of the attitude items of the scale. Total knowledge score positively correlated with total attitude score, suggesting that higher knowledge was associated with more positive attitude. Conclusions: Although nursing students have knowledge about basic ECT procedure and consent, they lack knowledge about the effectiveness, mechanism of action, indications, and side effects of ECT. Negative attitude toward ECT is also highly prevalent among nursing students. Accordingly, there is a need to improve the knowledge and address the negative attitude of nursing students, which may ultimately lead to better acceptance of the treatment. PMID:28936064

Knowledge and Attitude of Nursing Students toward Electroconvulsive Therapy.

PubMed

Sharma, Nitasha; Ghai, Sandhya; Grover, Sandeep

2017-08-01

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is one of the commonly used treatment modalities for patients with severe mental disorders. However, acceptance of ECT by the patient and relatives often depends on how the health-care professionals themselves present the treatment modality to the patients and their relatives. There is a lack of information about the knowledge and attitude toward ECT among health professionals. This study aimed to evaluate the knowledge about and attitude toward ECT among nursing students. Knowledge of and attitudes toward ECT among nursing students were assessed using ECT knowledge and attitude questionnaires. The study included 183 nursing students. Majority ( n = 62; 60.8%) of the participants obtained information about ECT from media (movies, television, print media, etc.). None of the students had full knowledge about ECT. Although a significant proportion of students had knowledge about the ECT procedure and consent procedure, majority of them had poor knowledge about the effectiveness, mechanism of action, indications, and side effects of ECT. Negative attitudes were also highly prevalent, with more than two-thirds of the participants having negative attitudes toward ECT on more than half of the attitude items of the scale. Total knowledge score positively correlated with total attitude score, suggesting that higher knowledge was associated with more positive attitude. Although nursing students have knowledge about basic ECT procedure and consent, they lack knowledge about the effectiveness, mechanism of action, indications, and side effects of ECT. Negative attitude toward ECT is also highly prevalent among nursing students. Accordingly, there is a need to improve the knowledge and address the negative attitude of nursing students, which may ultimately lead to better acceptance of the treatment.

Nurses' attitude and intention of medication administration error reporting.

PubMed

Hung, Chang-Chiao; Chu, Tsui-Ping; Lee, Bih-O; Hsiao, Chia-Chi

2016-02-01

The Aims of this study were to explore the effects of nurses' attitudes and intentions regarding medication administration error reporting on actual reporting behaviours. Underreporting of medication errors is still a common occurrence. Whether attitude and intention towards medication administration error reporting connect to actual reporting behaviours remain unclear. This study used a cross-sectional design with self-administered questionnaires, and the theory of planned behaviour was used as the framework for this study. A total of 596 staff nurses who worked in general wards and intensive care units in a hospital were invited to participate in this study. The researchers used the instruments measuring nurses' attitude, nurse managers' and co-workers' attitude, report control, and nurses' intention to predict nurses' actual reporting behaviours. Data were collected from September-November 2013. Path analyses were used to examine the hypothesized model. Of the 596 nurses invited to participate, 548 (92%) completed and returned a valid questionnaire. The findings indicated that nurse managers' and co-workers' attitudes are predictors for nurses' attitudes towards medication administration error reporting. Nurses' attitudes also influenced their intention to report medication administration errors; however, no connection was found between intention and actual reporting behaviour. The findings reflected links among colleague perspectives, nurses' attitudes, and intention to report medication administration errors. The researchers suggest that hospitals should increase nurses' awareness and recognition of error occurrence. Regardless of nurse managers' and co-workers' attitudes towards medication administration error reporting, nurses are likely to report medication administration errors if they detect them. Management of medication administration errors should focus on increasing nurses' awareness and recognition of error occurrence. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

[Knowledge level and professional attitudes to the Living Will: Differences between different professionals and provinces in the same autonomous community].

PubMed

Fajardo Contreras, M C; Valverde Bolívar, F J; Jiménez Rodríguez, J M; Gómez Calero, A; Huertas Hernández, F

2015-04-01

Primary: To determine the differences, by occupational category and province, in the knowledge and attitudes of health professionals on the Living Wills Document (LWD) in 4 Andalusian provinces: Cordoba, Jaen, Cadiz, and Granada. Secondary: To determine the number of documents prepared in these areas and the number consulted in terminal situations. Descriptive observational multicenter study, with 17 health areas in 4 Andalusian provinces. Family doctors, nurses and social workers of the areas studied (n=340). Interventions Validated self-administered questionnaire about advance directives. Descriptive and bivariate (×2) analysis of data was performed. Mean age 46±8.8 years, 53.2% women. Physicians 56.1%, nurses 41.1%, social workers 2.6%. The mean score (0-10) of their knowledge was 5.42±2.41, with 78.4% believing that LWD are regulated in Andalusia (provinces differences, P=.001). More than one-third (36.7%) had read the document (differences by occupation, P=.001). The mean score on the advantage of preparing a LWD for the patient was 8.27±2.16 (significant differences between provinces P=.02). Mean score about the practitioner would respect the wishes of a patient in a LWD was 9.14±1.64 (significant difference between provinces P=.03). The mean score of the question about expressing the desires of the professional on preparing their LWD in the following year was 4.85±3.74 (P=.02). There are different behaviors between professions on reading the LWD. There are differences between provinces in the following aspects: whether the documents are regulated, whether the professionals prepare the LWD, and whether the professionals respects the provisions of the LWD. Copyright © 2014 Sociedad Española de Médicos de Atención Primaria (SEMERGEN). Publicado por Elsevier España. All rights reserved.

Sexual harassment in the Chinese workplace. Attitudes toward and experiences of sexual harassment among workers in Taiwan.

PubMed

Luo, T Y

1996-09-01

This study, with the use of a questionnaire survey method, examined the characteristics of sexual harassment experiences and the dynamics of the attitudes toward sexual harassment among male and female workers in Taipei. An occupationally representative sample of male and female workers was recruited to participate in the survey. The findings showed that 1 in 4 workers in Taipei experienced some sort of sexual harassment in the workplace, 36% (n = 493) of the surveyed women and 13% (n = 415) of the surveyed men reported experiencing workplace sexual harassment. The most frequently reported type of sexual harassment was unwanted sexual jokes/comments, followed by unwanted deliberate body contact, and unwanted requests/pressure for a date. The major source of sexual harassment came from coworkers of the opposite sex. Majority of the alleged victims attributed their sexual harassment incident to insensitivity of the initiator. In being consistent with previous research, the study established three attitudinal models toward sexual harassment among Chinese workers: the victim-blame/trivialization model, the natural/biological explanation, and the power/manipulation model. The study found no consistent relationship between the self-rated attitudes toward sexual harassment and the self-reported sexual harassment experiences.

Restaurant manager and worker food safety certification and knowledge.

PubMed

Brown, Laura G; Le, Brenda; Wong, Melissa R; Reimann, David; Nicholas, David; Faw, Brenda; Davis, Ernestine; Selman, Carol A

2014-11-01

Over half of foodborne illness outbreaks occur in restaurants. To combat these outbreaks, many public health agencies require food safety certification for restaurant managers, and sometimes workers. Certification entails passing a food safety knowledge examination, which is typically preceded by food safety training. Current certification efforts are based on the assumption that certification leads to greater food safety knowledge. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention conducted this study to examine the relationship between food safety knowledge and certification. We also examined the relationships between food safety knowledge and restaurant, manager, and worker characteristics. We interviewed managers (N=387) and workers (N=365) about their characteristics and assessed their food safety knowledge. Analyses showed that certified managers and workers had greater food safety knowledge than noncertified managers and workers. Additionally, managers and workers whose primary language was English had greater food safety knowledge than those whose primary language was not English. Other factors associated with greater food safety knowledge included working in a chain restaurant, working in a larger restaurant, having more experience, and having more duties. These findings indicate that certification improves food safety knowledge, and that complex relationships exist among restaurant, manager, and worker characteristics and food safety knowledge.

Restaurant Manager and Worker Food Safety Certification and Knowledge

PubMed Central

Brown, Laura G.; Le, Brenda; Wong, Melissa R.; Reimann, David; Nicholas, David; Faw, Brenda; Davis, Ernestine; Selman, Carol A.

2017-01-01

Over half of foodborne illness outbreaks occur in restaurants. To combat these outbreaks, many public health agencies require food safety certification for restaurant managers, and sometimes workers. Certification entails passing a food safety knowledge examination, which is typically preceded by food safety training. Current certification efforts are based on the assumption that certification leads to greater food safety knowledge. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention conducted this study to examine the relationship between food safety knowledge and certification. We also examined the relationships between food safety knowledge and restaurant, manager, and worker characteristics. We interviewed managers (N = 387) and workers (N = 365) about their characteristics and assessed their food safety knowledge. Analyses showed that certified managers and workers had greater food safety knowledge than noncertified managers and workers. Additionally, managers and workers whose primary language was English had greater food safety knowledge than those whose primary language was not English. Other factors associated with greater food safety knowledge included working in a chain restaurant, working in a larger restaurant, having more experience, and having more duties. These findings indicate that certification improves food safety knowledge, and that complex relationships exist among restaurant, manager, and worker characteristics and food safety knowledge. PMID:25361386

HIV-related high-risk behaviors among Chinese migrant construction laborers in Nantong, Jiangsu.

PubMed

Zhuang, Xun; Wu, Zunyou; Poundstone, Katharine; Yang, Changqing; Zhong, Yaqin; Jiang, Shengyang

2012-01-01

HIV transmission in rural areas of China is being fueled in part by migrant workers who acquire HIV outside of their hometowns. Recent surveillance statistics indicate that HIV prevalence among returning migrants has increased significantly. We conducted a community-based cross-sectional study to assess HIV-related knowledge, attitudes and behaviors among migrant returnees in Nantong, Jiangsu Province, one of the largest exporters of migrant laborers. A total of 1625 subjects were enrolled with a response rate of 89%. All participants were male and of the majority Han ethnicity. The mean age was 39.0 years (SD = 6.7; range: 18 to 63), and most had a stable partner (N = 1533, 94.3%). Most correctly identified the major modes of HIV transmission (68.9%-82.0%), but fewer were able to identify ways that HIV cannot be transmitted. Nearly one-third of participants held positive attitudes toward having multiple sex partners, and nearly half believed that sex work should be legalized. Multiple logistic regression analysis indicated that risky sexual behavior (defined as sex with a casual or commercial sex partner) was associated with no stable partner; working abroad; correct condom use; age <22 at first sex; higher coital frequency; and having a positive attitude towards multiple sex partners. We found high levels of reported sex with a casual or commercial sex partner and low levels of consistent condom use. HIV prevention interventions among migrant workers need to focus on younger migrants, migrants without stable partners, and migrants who travel abroad for work.

HIV-Related High-Risk Behaviors among Chinese Migrant Construction Laborers in Nantong, Jiangsu

PubMed Central

Zhuang, Xun; Wu, Zunyou; Poundstone, Katharine; Yang, Changqing; Zhong, Yaqin; Jiang, Shengyang

2012-01-01

Background HIV transmission in rural areas of China is being fueled in part by migrant workers who acquire HIV outside of their hometowns. Recent surveillance statistics indicate that HIV prevalence among returning migrants has increased significantly. Methods We conducted a community-based cross-sectional study to assess HIV-related knowledge, attitudes and behaviors among migrant returnees in Nantong, Jiangsu Province, one of the largest exporters of migrant laborers. Results A total of 1625 subjects were enrolled with a response rate of 89%. All participants were male and of the majority Han ethnicity. The mean age was 39.0 years (SD = 6.7; range: 18 to 63), and most had a stable partner (N = 1533, 94.3%). Most correctly identified the major modes of HIV transmission (68.9%–82.0%), but fewer were able to identify ways that HIV cannot be transmitted. Nearly one-third of participants held positive attitudes toward having multiple sex partners, and nearly half believed that sex work should be legalized. Multiple logistic regression analysis indicated that risky sexual behavior (defined as sex with a casual or commercial sex partner) was associated with no stable partner; working abroad; correct condom use; age <22 at first sex; higher coital frequency; and having a positive attitude towards multiple sex partners. Conclusions We found high levels of reported sex with a casual or commercial sex partner and low levels of consistent condom use. HIV prevention interventions among migrant workers need to focus on younger migrants, migrants without stable partners, and migrants who travel abroad for work. PMID:22479313

Health professionals' knowledge and attitudes toward older people in primary care in Saudi Arabia.

PubMed

Alamri, Badrya H; Xiao, Lily D

2017-03-01

Previous international studies have indicated that a range of factors influence knowledge and attitudes toward older people were education, past work experiences, and social contact with healthy older people. This article reports on the findings of a literature review in relation to attitudes toward older people among health professionals working in primary healthcare centers in Saudi Arabia. The findings of this narrative literature are reported through 5 themes: the instruments used in the selected studies to measure attitudes toward older people; the instruments used to measure knowledge on ageing; attitudes toward older people; knowledge of the care of older people; and factors that influence knowledge and attitudes toward older people. Further investigation is needed to identify the level of knowledge on ageing, attitudes toward older people, and the factors which affect health professionals' knowledge and attitudes toward older people in primary healthcare centers in Saudi Arabia.

Health professionals’ knowledge and attitudes toward older people in primary care in Saudi Arabia

PubMed Central

Alamri, Badrya H.; Xiao, Lily D.

2017-01-01

Previous international studies have indicated that a range of factors influence knowledge and attitudes toward older people were education, past work experiences, and social contact with healthy older people. This article reports on the findings of a literature review in relation to attitudes toward older people among health professionals working in primary healthcare centers in Saudi Arabia. The findings of this narrative literature are reported through 5 themes: the instruments used in the selected studies to measure attitudes toward older people; the instruments used to measure knowledge on ageing; attitudes toward older people; knowledge of the care of older people; and factors that influence knowledge and attitudes toward older people. Further investigation is needed to identify the level of knowledge on ageing, attitudes toward older people, and the factors which affect health professionals’ knowledge and attitudes toward older people in primary healthcare centers in Saudi Arabia. PMID:28251216

Using WeChat official accounts to improve malaria health literacy among Chinese expatriates in Niger: an intervention study.

PubMed

Li, Wei; Han, Le Qiang; Guo, Yan Jun; Sun, Jing

2016-11-24

Malaria is the main health risk for Chinese expatriates working in Niger. Health education is a recommended intervention for prevention of malaria among non-immune travellers and expatriate workers. It is urgent to develop an effective and feasible way for these populations to obtain information about the prevention and treatment of malaria. An individually randomized, unblinded, controlled trial was used to evaluate the effectiveness of using WeChat official accounts for health education to improve malaria health literacy among Chinese expatriates in Niger. A total 1441 participants completed a baseline malaria health literacy questionnaire and were randomly assigned to an intervention or comparison group in a ratio of 1:1. From July to October 2014, 50 malaria prevention and treatment messages were sent to the intervention group; 50 health news messages were concurrently sent to the control group. Both groups completed the malaria health literacy questionnaire again 4 months after the start of the education intervention. A questionnaire addressing satisfaction with the health education programme was completed by the intervention group. Malaria morbidity data for 2013 and 2014 were also collected. At baseline, participant health literacy rates were 58.29, 62, 54, and 34% for skills, knowledge, practice, and attitude, respectively. After the intervention, rates for all four aspects of malaria literacy were above 70%. There was greater change in knowledge, attitude, practice, skills, and overall health literacy among the intervention group compared with the controls, with a statistically significant difference (p < 0.01). This was especially true for acquisition of malaria-related knowledge, practice and attitude; comprehensive intervention practices; and, correct use of rapid diagnostic tests (p < 0.001). The reported malaria morbidity during the study period decreased from 23.72 to 15.40%. Participants reported high levels of satisfaction with the WeChat health education programme with over 80% stating that they would continue to follow the programme. The present health education intervention, via a WeChat official account, for the prevention and treatment of malaria among non-immune travellers and expatriate workers proved to be an effective, sustainable, feasible, and well accepted strategy for improving malaria health literacy among Chinese expatriates in Niger.

Knowledge About the Waterpipe (Hookah), a Qualitative Assessment Among Community Workers in a Major Urban Center in Canada.

PubMed

Hammal, Fadi; Wild, T Cameron; Finegan, Barry A

2016-08-01

Waterpipe (WP) use has surged in popularity since the introduction of flavoured shisha. It is now an increasingly popular form of smoking among youth in North America. Health professionals/educators knowledge about the WP may well be inadequate. This study, using qualitative methods, sought to explore the knowledge and attitude of leaders in the community toward the WP. Family physicians, pharmacists, tobacco counsellors, social workers and educators were invited to participate in a one-one interview using open-ended questions. A total of 27 interviews were conducted. Individuals from Eastern Mediterranean backgrounds raised doubt about the overemphasised cultural significance of the WP and perceived this as a marketing strategy by industry. Most felt that WP smokers believed the WP to be less harmful than cigarettes and that the use of flavoured tobacco was motivating people to smoke. Participants believed that education should be directed at the general public and healthcare professionals, suggesting school programs and the use of social media to inform young smokers. Most thought that the current practices regarding packaging and second hand smoke exposure are confusing. They identified the lack of knowledge, poor enforcement procedures, "so called cultural aspects" and the economic impact of banning the WP on small businesses as barriers to change. Despite the awareness of an increase in WP use, our participants recognized that little has been done to curb this problem. Our findings emphasize the need for further education and better legislation to regulate WP use and availability.

Nurses' knowledge and attitudes regarding major immobility complications among bedridden patients: A prospective multicentre study.

PubMed

Li, Zhen; Zhou, Xinmei; Cao, Jing; Li, Zheng; Wan, Xia; Li, Jiaqian; Jiao, Jing; Liu, Ge; Liu, Ying; Li, Fangfang; Song, Baoyun; Jin, Jingfen; Liu, Yilan; Wen, Xianxiu; Cheng, Shouzhen; Wu, Xinjuan

2018-05-01

To gain insight into nurses' knowledge and attitudes regarding major immobility complications (pressure ulcers, pneumonia, deep vein thrombosis and urinary tract infections) and explore the correlation of nurses' knowledge and attitudes with the incidence of these complications. Immobility complications have adverse consequences, and effective management requires appropriate knowledge, attitudes and skills. Evidence about nurses' knowledge and attitudes regarding immobility complications is lacking. Cross-sectional study. A total of 3,903 nurses and 21,333 bedridden patients from 25 hospitals in China were surveyed. Nurses' knowledge and attitudes regarding major immobility complications were assessed using researcher-developed questionnaires. The content validity, reliability and internal consistency of the questionnaires were validated through expert review and a pilot study. The incidence of major immobility complications among bedridden patients from selected wards was surveyed by trained investigators. Correlations between knowledge, attitudes and the incidence of major immobility complications were evaluated with multilevel regression models. Mean knowledge scores were 64.07% for pressure ulcers, 72.92% for deep vein thrombosis, 76.54% for pneumonia and 83.30% for urinary tract infections. Mean attitude scores for these complications were 86.25%, 84.31%, 85.00% and 84.53%, respectively. Knowledge and attitude scores were significantly higher among nurses with older age, longer employment duration, higher education level, previous training experience and those working in tertiary hospitals or critical care units. Nurses' knowledge about pressure ulcers was negatively related to the incidence of pressure ulcers, and attitude towards pneumonia was negatively correlated with the incidence of pneumonia. Clinical nurses have relatively positive attitudes but inadequate knowledge regarding major immobility complications. Improved knowledge and attitudes regarding major immobility complications may contribute to reducing these complications. Nursing managers should implement measures to improve nurses' knowledge and attitudes regarding major immobility complications to reduce the incidence of these complications in bedridden patients. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Does journal club membership improve research evidence uptake in different allied health disciplines: a pre-post study.

PubMed

Lizarondo, Lucylynn M; Grimmer-Somers, Karen; Kumar, Saravana; Crockett, Alan

2012-10-29

Although allied health is considered to be one 'unit' of healthcare providers, it comprises a range of disciplines which have different training and ways of thinking, and different tasks and methods of patient care. Very few empirical studies on evidence-based practice (EBP) have directly compared allied health professionals. The objective of this study was to examine the impact of a structured model of journal club (JC), known as iCAHE (International Centre for Allied Health Evidence) JC, on the EBP knowledge, skills and behaviour of the different allied health disciplines. A pilot, pre-post study design using maximum variation sampling was undertaken. Recruitment was conducted in groups and practitioners such as physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech pathologists, social workers, psychologists, nutritionists/dieticians and podiatrists were invited to participate. All participating groups received the iCAHE JC for six months. Quantitative data using the Adapted Fresno Test (McCluskey & Bishop) and Evidence-based Practice Questionnaire (Upton & Upton) were collected prior to the implementation of the JC, with follow-up measurements six months later. Mean percentage change and confidence intervals were calculated to compare baseline and post JC scores for all outcome measures. The results of this study demonstrate variability in EBP outcomes across disciplines after receiving the iCAHE JC. Only physiotherapists showed statistically significant improvements in all outcomes; speech pathologists and occupational therapists demonstrated a statistically significant increase in knowledge but not for attitude and evidence uptake; social workers and dieticians/nutritionists showed statistically significant positive changes in their knowledge, and evidence uptake but not for attitude. There is evidence to suggest that a JC such as the iCAHE model is an effective method for improving the EBP knowledge and skills of allied health practitioners. It may be used as a single intervention to facilitate evidence uptake in some allied health disciplines but may need to be integrated with other strategies to influence practice behaviour in other practitioners. An in-depth analysis of other factors (e.g. individual, contextual, organisational), or the relative contribution of these variables is required to better understand the determinants of evidence uptake in allied health.

Does journal club membership improve research evidence uptake in different allied health disciplines: a pre-post study

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Although allied health is considered to be one 'unit' of healthcare providers, it comprises a range of disciplines which have different training and ways of thinking, and different tasks and methods of patient care. Very few empirical studies on evidence-based practice (EBP) have directly compared allied health professionals. The objective of this study was to examine the impact of a structured model of journal club (JC), known as iCAHE (International Centre for Allied Health Evidence) JC, on the EBP knowledge, skills and behaviour of the different allied health disciplines. Methods A pilot, pre-post study design using maximum variation sampling was undertaken. Recruitment was conducted in groups and practitioners such as physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech pathologists, social workers, psychologists, nutritionists/dieticians and podiatrists were invited to participate. All participating groups received the iCAHE JC for six months. Quantitative data using the Adapted Fresno Test (McCluskey & Bishop) and Evidence-based Practice Questionnaire (Upton & Upton) were collected prior to the implementation of the JC, with follow-up measurements six months later. Mean percentage change and confidence intervals were calculated to compare baseline and post JC scores for all outcome measures. Results The results of this study demonstrate variability in EBP outcomes across disciplines after receiving the iCAHE JC. Only physiotherapists showed statistically significant improvements in all outcomes; speech pathologists and occupational therapists demonstrated a statistically significant increase in knowledge but not for attitude and evidence uptake; social workers and dieticians/nutritionists showed statistically significant positive changes in their knowledge, and evidence uptake but not for attitude. Conclusions There is evidence to suggest that a JC such as the iCAHE model is an effective method for improving the EBP knowledge and skills of allied health practitioners. It may be used as a single intervention to facilitate evidence uptake in some allied health disciplines but may need to be integrated with other strategies to influence practice behaviour in other practitioners. An in-depth analysis of other factors (e.g. individual, contextual, organisational), or the relative contribution of these variables is required to better understand the determinants of evidence uptake in allied health. PMID:23106851

Pesticides exposure in Culturama, Brazil--knowledge, attitudes, and practices.

PubMed

Recena, Maria Celina P; Caldas, Eloisa D; Pires, Dario X; Pontes, Elenir Rose J C

2006-10-01

In this study, the knowledge, attitudes, and practices associated with pesticide use and exposure were evaluated in the agricultural community of Culturama, in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. A standardized questionnaire was completed by 250 farm workers aged > or =18 years old. The average age of the studied population was 43.6 years and 17.6% had never been to school. Their farms were small (approximately 30ha) and family operated and did not utilize advanced farming technology. About 92% of the interviewees had worked directly with pesticides and 59.6% reported typical intoxication symptoms. Only 44.3%, however, believe that they had been intoxicated. A significant correlation was found between hand washing after pesticide application and reporting symptoms (P=0.014). Over 90% of the farmers reported using the organophosphorus insecticide methamidophos. A great majority (>90%) considered pesticides to be harmful to human health, but less than 20% used masks, impermeable clothes, or gloves during pesticide application. These results indicate that special educational programs, legislation promoting the use of safer pesticides, and implementation of personal protective measures are necessary to decrease the pesticide exposure of farmers in Culturama.

Customizing Survey Instruments and Data Collection to Reach Hispanic/Latino Adults in Border Communities in Texas

PubMed Central

Pederson, Linda L.; Thorne, Stacy L.; Caraballo, Ralph S.; Evans, Brian; Athey, Leslie; McMichael, Joseph

2010-01-01

Objectives. We sought to modify an instrument and to use it to collect information on smoking knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors among Hispanics/Latinos, and to adapt survey methods to obtain high participation levels. Methods. Promotoras (outreach workers) conducted face-to-face interviews with 1485 Hispanic adults (July 2007–April 2008). The project team used GeoFrame field enumeration methods to develop a sampling frame from households in randomly selected colonias (residential areas along the Texas–Mexico border that may lack some basic necessities (e.g. portable water), in El Paso, Texas. Results. The revised questionnaire included 36 unchanged items from the State Adult Tobacco Survey, 7 modified items, and 17 new items focusing on possible culturally specific quitting methods, secondhand smoke issues, and attitudes and knowledge about tobacco use that might be unique for Hispanic/Latino groups. The eligibility rate was 90.2%, and the conservative combined completed screener and interview response rate was 80.0%. Conclusions. Strategic, targeted, carefully designed methods and surveys can achieve high reach and response rates in hard-to-reach populations. Similar procedures could be used to obtain cooperation of groups who may not be accessible with traditional methods. PMID:20147687

[Reduced preoperative fasting periods. Current status after a survey of patients and colleagues].

PubMed

Breuer, J-P; Bosse, G; Prochnow, L; Seifert, S; Langelotz, C; Wassilew, G; Francois-Kettner, H; Polze, N; Spies, C

2010-07-01

Since October 2004 German Anaesthesiology Societies have officially recommended a decreased fasting period of 2 h for clear fluids and 6 h for solid food before elective surgery. A survey of patients and health care workers was carried out in our university clinic to assess the implementation of the new fasting recommendations. Surgical patients (n=865) as well as physicians and nurses specialized in anaesthesia and surgery (n=2,355) were invited to complete a written questionnaire. The survey inquired about prescribed and practiced duration of fasting, attitudes towards reduced preoperative fasting and knowledge of the new guidelines. Data from 784 patients (91%) and 557 health care workers (24%) were analysed. Patients reported mean fasting times of 10+/-5 h for fluids and 15+/-4 h for solid food. Of the patients 52% and 16% would have preferred to drink and eat before surgery, respectively and 10% were informed about the new recommendations of shorter preoperative fluid and solid fasting. Such patients reported significantly reduced fasting times for fluids compared with those who were recommended to fast for the traditional longer periods (8+/-6 versus 12+/-4 h, p<0.001). Preoperative fasting advice remembered by the patients significantly differed from the prescribed recommendations (2 h fluid fasting, 22 versus 53%, p<0.001). Anaesthesiologists were significantly more knowledgeable of the new guidelines (90 versus 32-42%, p<0.001) and significantly more willing to recommend the new short preoperative fasting times (75 versus 15-19%, p<0.001) than other health care workers. Of all health care workers 82% and 32% reported patients' frequent desire to drink and eat before surgery, respectively, 92% considered reduced preoperative fasting to be positive, 76% feared increased risks for patients and 42% expected a decreased flexibility in their daily work. The current guidelines for preoperative fasting have not been widely implemented. Besides a knowledge discrepancy, remarkable concerns remain regarding higher risk for patients which may be important barriers to implementation. Nevertheless, health care workers are aware of patients' desire for shorter preoperative fasting. If the new guidelines are recommended patients will make use of them. Further training of staff and adequate implementation tools are needed.

Knowledge and Attitudes Regarding Sea Turtles in Elementary Students on Zakynthos, Greece.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dimopoulos, Dimitrios I.; Pantis, John D.

2003-01-01

Utilizes a 32-item survey instrument to measure knowledge and attitudes of 5th and 6th grade students regarding sea turtle conservation on Zakynthos, Greece. Results indicate low knowledge scores and high scores for attitudes, but an overall positive correlation between knowledge and attitudes. Knowledge, understanding and/or concern, and locus of…

The attitudes of primary healthcare providers towards web-based training on public health services in rural China: a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Zhan, X X; Zhang, Z X; Sun, F; Peng, W J; Zhang, H; Yan, W R

2016-12-01

To explore the attitudes of primary healthcare workers, including township public health workers (TPHWs) and village doctors (ViDs), towards web-based training on basic public health services (BPHS) and to examine the factors influencing their attitudes. Cross-sectional study. Questionnaires addressing training status, needs, and attitudes towards web-based public health training were administered to 2768 primary healthcare workers from May to September 2013. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to identify the factors that were significantly associated with a positive attitude towards web-based public health training. Among the 2768 participants, 90.6% of the TPHWs and 86.9% of the ViDs expressed a positive attitude towards web-based BPHS training. TPHWs who had a positive attitude towards previous public health training (odds ratio [OR] = 2.75, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.28-5.93) and better computer skills (OR = 2.59, 95% CI = 1.03-6.48) were more likely to adopt web-based training on BPHS, as were ViDs who had better computer skills (OR = 2.54, 95% CI = 1.58-4.11) and better Internet speeds (neutral: OR = 2.81, 95% CI = 1.58-5.01; satisfied: OR = 2.53, 95% CI = 1.28-5.01). TPHWs who tended to read papers (OR = 0.24, 95% CI = 0.11-0.50) and were aged 50 years or older (OR = 0.34, 95% CI = 0.14-0.87), as were ViDs who tended to read papers (OR = 0.48, 95% CI = 0.29-0.77), expressed a more negative attitude towards web-based BPHS training. The findings indicated that most primary healthcare workers have a positive attitude towards web-based BPHS training. More priority measures, such as conducting computer training, improving Internet quality and integrating mobile technology, are recommended and will further improve the implementation of web-based public health training programs. Copyright © 2016 The Royal Society for Public Health. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Knowledge of and attitudes to influenza in unvaccinated primary care physicians and nurses

PubMed Central

Domínguez, Angela; Godoy, Pere; Castilla, Jesús; María Mayoral, José; Soldevila, Núria; Torner, Núria; Toledo, Diana; Astray, Jenaro; Tamames, Sonia; García-Gutiérrez, Susana; González-Candelas, Fernando; Martín, Vicente; Díaz, José; Working Group, the CIBERESP; in Primary Health Care Workers, for the Survey on Influenza Vaccination

2014-01-01

Primary healthcare workers, especially nurses, are exposed to the vast majority of patients with influenza and play an important role in vaccinating patients. Healthcare workers’ misconceptions about influenza and influenza vaccination have been reported as possible factors associated with lack of vaccination. The objective of this study was to compare the characteristics of unvaccinated physicians and unvaccinated nurses in the 2011–2012 influenza season. We performed an anonymous web survey of Spanish primary healthcare workers in 2012. Information was collected on vaccination and knowledge of and attitudes to the influenza vaccine. Multivariate analysis was performed using unconditional logistic regression. We included 461 unvaccinated physicians and 402 unvaccinated nurses. Compared with unvaccinated nurses, unvaccinated physicians had more frequently received seasonal influenza vaccination in the preceding seasons (aOR 1.58; 95% CI 1.11–2.25), and more frequently believed that vaccination of high risk individuals is effective in reducing complications (aOR 2.53; 95% CI 1.30–4.95) and that influenza can be a serious illness (aOR 1.65; 95% CI 1.17–2.32). In contrast, unvaccinated physicians were less concerned about infecting patients (aOR 0.62; 95% CI 0.40–0.96). Unvaccinated nurses had more misconceptions than physicians about influenza and the influenza vaccine and more doubts about the severity of annual influenza epidemics in patients with high risk conditions and the prevention of complications by means of the influenza vaccination. For unvaccinated physicians, strategies to improve vaccination coverage should stress the importance of physicians as a possible source of infection of their patients. The effectiveness of influenza vaccination of high risk persons should be emphasized in nurses. PMID:25424945

Knowledge, attitudes and practices of South African healthcare workers regarding the prevention and treatment of influenza among HIV-infected individuals.

PubMed

Duque, Jazmin; Gaga, Sisanda; Clark, David; Muller, Madeleine; Kuwane, Bulenani; Cohen, Cheryl; Walaza, Sibongile; Tempia, Stefano; Ramatoboe, Puleng; Furumele, Tsakani; Widdowson, Marc-Alain; McMorrow, Meredith L; Cohen, Adam L

2017-01-01

The South African Department of Health (DOH) publishes annual guidelines identifying priority groups, including immunosuppressed individuals and healthcare workers (HCW), for influenza vaccination and treatment. How these guidelines have impacted HCW and their patients, particularly those infected with HIV, remains unknown. We aimed to describe the knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding influenza and the vaccine among South African HCW. Surveys were distributed by two local non-governmental organizations in public health clinics and hospitals in 21 districts/municipalities (5 of 9 provinces). There were 1164 respondents; median age 41 years; 978/1126 (87%) female; 801/1122 (71%) nurses. One-third (34%) of HCW reported getting influenza vaccine 2013/2014 and most (94%) recommended influenza vaccine to patients infected with HIV. Ability to get vaccine free of charge (aOR 1.69; 95% CI 1.21-2.37) and having received influenza government training (aOR 1.50; 95% CI 1.04-2.15) were significantly associated with self-reported vaccination in 2013/2014. Self-reported 2013/2014 vaccination (aOR 3.76; 95% CI 1.28-11.03) and availability of influenza vaccine during the healthcare visit (aOR 2.56; 95% CI 1.18-5.57) were significantly associated with recommending influenza vaccine to patients infected with HIV/AIDS. Only one-third of participants were vaccinated in 2013-2014 but those who were vaccinated were more likely to recommend vaccination to their patients. Free and close access to influenza vaccine were associated with a higher likelihood of getting vaccinated in 2013/2014. HCW who reported getting the influenza vaccine themselves, had vaccine to offer during the patient consult and were familiar with DOH guidelines/trainings were more likely to recommend vaccine to HIV-infected patients.

Can labour contract differences in health and work-related attitudes be explained by quality of working life and job insecurity?

PubMed

Wagenaar, Alfred F; Kompier, Michiel A J; Houtman, Irene L D; van den Bossche, Seth; Smulders, Peter; Taris, Toon W

2012-10-01

We hypothesise that due to a lower quality of working life and higher job insecurity, the health and work-related attitudes of temporary workers may be less positive compared to permanent workers. Therefore, we aimed to (1) examine differences between contract groups (i.e. permanent contract, temporary contract with prospect of permanent work, fixed-term contract, temporary agency contract and on-call contract) in the quality of working life, job insecurity, health and work-related attitudes and (2) investigate whether these latter contract group differences in health and work-related attitudes can be explained by differences in the quality of working life and/or job insecurity. Data were collected from the Netherlands Working Conditions Survey 2008 (N = 21,639), and Hypotheses were tested using analysis of variance and cross-table analysis. Temporary work was associated with fewer task demands and lower autonomy and was more often passive or high-strain work, while permanent work was more often active work. Except for on-call work, temporary work was more insecure and associated with worse health and work-related attitude scores than permanent work. Finally, the quality of working life and job insecurity partly accounted for most contract differences in work-related attitudes but not in health. Especially agency workers have a lower health status and worse work-related attitudes. Job redesign measures regarding their quality of working life and job insecurity are recommended.

A cross-sectional pilot study assessing needs and attitudes to implementation of Information and Communication Technology for rational use of medicines among healthcare staff in rural Tanzania.

PubMed

Nilseng, Jessica; Gustafsson, Lars L; Nungu, Amos; Bastholm-Rahmner, Pia; Mazali, Dennis; Pehrson, Björn; Eriksen, Jaran

2014-08-27

In resource-poor countries access to essential medicines, suboptimal prescribing and use of medicines are major problems. Health workers lack updated medical information and treatment support. Information and Communication Technology (ICT) could help tackle this. The impact of ICT on health systems in resource-poor countries is likely to be significant and transform the practice of medicine just as in high-income countries. However, research for finding the best way of doing this is needed. We aimed to assess current approaches to and use of ICT among health workers in two rural districts of Tanzania in relation to the current drug distribution practices, drug stock and continuing medical information (CME), as well as assessing the feasibility of using ICT to improve ordering and use of medicines. This pilot study was conducted in 2010-2011, mapping the drug distribution chain in Tanzania, including problems and barriers. The study was conducted in Bunda and Serengeti districts, both part of the ICT4RD (ICT for rural development) project. Health workers involved in drug procurement and use at 13 health facilities were interviewed on use and knowledge of ICT, and their attitudes to its use in their daily work. They were also shown and interviewed about their thoughts on an android tablet application prototype for drug stock inventory and drug ordering, based on the Tanzanian Medical Stores Department (MSD) current paper forms. The main challenge was a stable supply of essential medicines. Drug supplies were often delayed and incomplete, resulting in stock-outs. All 20 interviewed health workers used mobile phones, 8 of them Smartphones with Internet connection. The Health workers were very positive to the tablet application and saw its potential in reducing drug stock-outs. They also expressed a great need and wish for CME by distance. The tablet application was easily used and appreciated by health workers, and thus has the potential to save time and effort, reduce transportation costs and minimise drug stock-outs. Furthermore, the android tablet could be used to reach out with CME programs to health care workers at remote health facilities, as well as those in towns.

A cross-sectional pilot study assessing needs and attitudes to implementation of Information and Communication Technology for rational use of medicines among healthcare staff in rural Tanzania

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background In resource-poor countries access to essential medicines, suboptimal prescribing and use of medicines are major problems. Health workers lack updated medical information and treatment support. Information and Communication Technology (ICT) could help tackle this. The impact of ICT on health systems in resource-poor countries is likely to be significant and transform the practice of medicine just as in high-income countries. However, research for finding the best way of doing this is needed. We aimed to assess current approaches to and use of ICT among health workers in two rural districts of Tanzania in relation to the current drug distribution practices, drug stock and continuing medical information (CME), as well as assessing the feasibility of using ICT to improve ordering and use of medicines. Methods This pilot study was conducted in 2010–2011, mapping the drug distribution chain in Tanzania, including problems and barriers. The study was conducted in Bunda and Serengeti districts, both part of the ICT4RD (ICT for rural development) project. Health workers involved in drug procurement and use at 13 health facilities were interviewed on use and knowledge of ICT, and their attitudes to its use in their daily work. They were also shown and interviewed about their thoughts on an android tablet application prototype for drug stock inventory and drug ordering, based on the Tanzanian Medical Stores Department (MSD) current paper forms. Results The main challenge was a stable supply of essential medicines. Drug supplies were often delayed and incomplete, resulting in stock-outs. All 20 interviewed health workers used mobile phones, 8 of them Smartphones with Internet connection. The Health workers were very positive to the tablet application and saw its potential in reducing drug stock-outs. They also expressed a great need and wish for CME by distance. Conclusion The tablet application was easily used and appreciated by health workers, and thus has the potential to save time and effort, reduce transportation costs and minimise drug stock-outs. Furthermore, the android tablet could be used to reach out with CME programs to health care workers at remote health facilities, as well as those in towns. PMID:25158806

Knowledge and Attitudes of Selected Home Economists toward Irradiation in Food Preservation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Faye C. Stucy

1990-01-01

A survey of the knowledge and attitudes of 485 California home economists toward the use of irradiation to preserve food revealed that they lacked the knowledge although they had a positive attitude toward it. An interactive teleconference on irradiation increased positive attitudes and improved knowledge. (JOW)

Setting priorities for surveillance, prevention, and control of zoonoses in Bogotá, Colombia.

PubMed

Cediel, Natalia; Villamil, Luis Carlos; Romero, Jaime; Renteria, Libardo; De Meneghi, Daniele

2013-05-01

To establish priorities for zoonoses surveillance, prevention, and control in Bogotá, Colombia. A Delphi panel of experts in veterinary and human medicine was conducted using a validated prioritization method to assess the importance of 32 selected zoonoses. This exercise was complemented by a questionnaire survey, using the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) methodology, administered in 19 districts of Bogotá from September 2009 to April 2010 to an at-risk population (workers at veterinary clinics; pet shops; butcher shops; and traditional food markets that sell poultry, meat, cheese, and eggs). A risk indicator based on level of knowledge about zoonoses was constructed using categorical principal component and logistic regression analyses. Twelve experts participated in the Delphi panel. The diseases scored as highest priority were: influenza A(H1N1), salmonellosis, Escherichia coli infection, leptospirosis, and rabies. The diseases scored as lowest priority were: ancylostomiasis, scabies, ringworm, and trichinellosis. A total of 535 questionnaires were collected and analyzed. Respondents claimed to have had scabies (21%), fungi (8%), brucellosis (8%), and pulicosis (8%). Workers with the most limited knowledge on zoonoses and therefore the highest health risk were those who 1) did not have a professional education, 2) had limited or no zoonoses prevention training, and 3) worked in Usme, Bosa, or Ciudad Bolívar districts. According to the experts, influenza A(H1N1) was the most important zoonoses. Rabies, leptospirosis, brucellosis, and toxoplasmosis were identified as priority diseases by both the experts and the exposed workers. This is the first prioritization exercise focused on zoonoses surveillance, prevention, and control in Colombia. These results could be used to guide decision-making for resource allocation in public health.

Knowledge, perceptions, and practices of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus transmission prevention among health care workers in acute-care settings.

PubMed

Seibert, Dorothy J; Speroni, Karen Gabel; Oh, Kyeung Mi; DeVoe, Mary C; Jacobsen, Kathryn H

2014-03-01

Health care workers (HCWs) play a critical role in prevention of health care-associated infections such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), but glove and gown contact precautions and hand hygiene may not be consistently used with vulnerable patients. A cross-sectional survey of MRSA knowledge, attitudes/perceptions, and practices among 276 medical, nursing, allied health, and support services staff at an acute-care hospital in the eastern United States was completed in 2012. Additionally, blinded observations of hand hygiene behaviors of 104 HCWs were conducted. HCWs strongly agreed that preventive behaviors reduce the spread of MRSA. The vast majority reported that they almost always engage in preventive practices, but observations of hand hygiene found lower rates of adherence among nearly all HCW groups. HCWs who reported greater comfort with telling others to take action to prevent MRSA transmission were significantly more likely to self-report adherence to recommended practices. It is important to reduce barriers to adherence with preventive behaviors and to help all HCWs, including support staff who do not have direct patient care responsibilities, to translate knowledge about MRSA transmission prevention methods into consistent adherence of themselves and their coworkers to prevention guidelines. Copyright © 2014 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Technology, Division of Labor and Alienation From Work. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shepard, Jon M.

This study investigated the theory that a worker's relationship to technology instills in him identifiable attitudes about work. Using samples of office workers from a bank and five insurance companies, and samples of factory workers from the oil refining and automobile industries, a total of 1,888 workers were divided into (1) office and factory…

Variations in hospital worker perceptions of safety culture.

PubMed

Listyowardojo, Tita Alissa; Nap, Raoul E; Johnson, Addie

2012-02-01

To compare the attitudes toward and perceptions of institutional practices that can influence patient safety between all professional groups at a university medical center. A questionnaire measuring nine dimensions of organizational and safety culture was distributed to all hospital workers. Each item was rated on a 1 ('strongly disagree') to 5 ('strongly agree') scale. Professionals (2995), grouped as 'physicians' (16.6%), 'nurses' (40.3%), 'clinical workers' (e.g. psychologists; 21.7%), 'laboratory workers' (e.g. technicians; 11%) and 'non-medical workers' (e.g. managers; 10.4%). One-way analysis of variances (ANOVAs) carried out separately on each dimension with professional group as the independent variable of interest. Differences in ratings of organizational and safety culture were found across professional groups. Physicians and non-medical workers tended to rate the dimensions of organizational and safety culture more positively than did nurses, clinical workers and laboratory workers. For example, physicians gave more positive ratings of 'institutional commitment to safety' than did nurses, clinical workers and laboratory workers (mean = 3.71 vs. 3.62, 3.61 and 3.58, respectively, P < 0.01) and non-medical workers gave more positive ratings than did physicians, nurses, clinical workers and laboratory workers to 'perceptions towards the hospital' (mean = 3.69 vs. 3.39, 3.36, 3.49 and 3.47, respectively, P < 0.001). Interventions to promote safety culture should be tailored to the target group as attitudes and perceptions may differ among groups.

Effect of infection control strategy on knowledge, attitude and practice towards hepatitis B transmission and prevention in vulnerable populations.

PubMed

Al-Tawil, M M; El-Gohary, E E; El-Sayed, M H

2013-01-01

Health care workers (HCWs) and hematological patients needing blood/ blood product transfusion are particularly vulnerable to blood born infections (BBI) including viral hepatitis. To evaluate knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) of these target groups regarding viral hepatitis B (HBV) transmission and its change with implementing infection control policy and procedures. An anonymous questionnaire with closed questions was used to evaluate KAP including vaccination status in 2 target groups, in Children Hospital, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt: 184 nurses and 210 children and adolescents with blood diseases. One year after instituting infection control as a part of hospital procedures, the same questionnaire was reused to evaluate KAP towards HBV. Baseline knowledge regarding HBV transmission, sequelae and preventive measures, was poor in both groups. Among nurses, only 62% wore gloves on withdrawing or giving blood to patients, 43.5% routinely washed hands between patients and 37.5% reported exposure after sharp injury. Only 38% of patients and 40% of nurses received HBV vaccination. Targeted infection control policy and procedures significantly improved KAP regarding HBV in both groups. Vaccination coverage significantly increased and reached 88.7% for nurses and 72% for patients. Hospital based infection control units with established policy and procedures against BBI significantly improved KAP towards HBV including a significant increase in vaccination intake.

PubMed Central

Marotta, C.; Ventura, G.; Casuccio, N.; Dieli, F.; D'Angelo, C.; Restivo, V.; Costantino, C.; Vitale, F.; Casuccio, A.

2017-01-01

Summary Introduction. Vaccination coverages threaten to decrease because of false beliefs in their unsafety and inefficacy. Therefore formation of future health-care workers on this topic is fundamental to deal with any doubt and to promote active immunization among general population. Methods. In order to assess health-care students' knowledge about vaccination before an integrated seminar on this topic, and to evaluate their improvement after the educational intervention, an integrated educational intervention was held by a multidisciplinary team. Before and after the seminar, 118 students of medicine and biology schools at Palermo University were asked to answer 10 multiple-choice questions regarding vaccine history, mechanism of action, side effects, composition, use and nowadays issues (hesitancy). Two more questions investigating possible changes on students' attitudes towards vaccination and the usefulness of the formative intervention, were added at the post-test phase of the survey. Results. Eighty-one out of 118 students (68.6%) answered to both pre- and post-test questions. 97.6% and 81.5% of the participating group also completed the two additional questions about their improvement in knowledge (question 11) and attitudes (question 12) towards vaccinations. The post-test results showed a significant improvement for all questions administered, except for number 3 (about a specific immunological content), with an overall percentage of correct answers increasing from 38.8% to 77.6% (p©< 0.001). Conclusions. The present explorative study put the basis for future studies, stronger in the methodology, and highlights the importance of educating health-care professions students by integrated extra-curricular intervention to be held early in their degree curricula and in order to improve knowledge and attitudes towards vaccinations and to prepare them to promote vaccines among the general population. PMID:28900348

"If I have only two children and they die… who will take care of me?" -a qualitative study exploring knowledge, attitudes and practices about family planning among Mozambican female and male adults.

PubMed

Capurchande, Rehana; Coene, Gily; Roelens, Kristien; Meulemans, Herman

2017-08-22

By focusing upon family planning counselling services, the Mozambican government has significantly enhanced the general health of female and male clients. However, little is known about the experiences of family planning by female and male adults. This article focuses on knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding contraceptive methods and fertility intentions. An in-depth qualitative study of female and male clients was conducted in two settings in Maputo province - Ndlavela and Boane. A total of sixteen in-depth interviews, four informal conversations, and observations were equally divided between both study sites. The analysis followed a constructionist approach. Three steps were considered in the analysis: examining commonalities, differences and relationships. Although there was a high level of family planning knowledge, there were discrepancies in clients' everyday practices. Male and female clients are confronted with a variety of expectations concerning fertility intentions and family size, and are under pressure in numerous ways. Social pressures include traditional expectations and meanings connected to having children, as well as religious factors. Short interaction time between clients and health workers is a problem. Additionally, imposed contraceptive methods, and typically brief conversations about birth control between couples only adds to the burden. Because family planning is largely viewed as a woman's concern, most clients have never attended counselling sessions with their partners. Attitudes towards responsibility for contraceptive use and risk-taking are strongly gendered. Female and male clients have differing expectations about contraceptive use and fertility intentions. They participate differently in family planning programs leading to their inconsistent and ambivalent practices as well as vague perceptions of risk-taking. Therefore, policymakers must address the reasons behind ambivalence and inconsistency regarding contraceptives and family planning.

Health workers' attitudes, perceptions and knowledge of influenza immunization in Lima, Peru: A mixed methods study.

PubMed

Bazán, Magdalena; Villacorta, Erika; Barbagelatta, Gisella; Jimenez, M Michelle; Goya, Cecilia; Bartolini, Rosario M; Penny, Mary E

2017-05-19

Vaccination against seasonal influenza in health workers is recommended but coverage is variable. This study aimed to determine coverage of influenza vaccination among health workers in Lima, Peru in 2010; explore barriers and enabling elements for vaccination; and suggest strategies to improve coverage. Qualitative interviews informed the development of a survey instrument that consisted of open and close-ended questions. Sub-analyses were done by occupational group and results were calculated as percentages for each possible response with confidence intervals of 95%. Coverage of the influenza vaccination was 77.2%. Vaccinated staff were less likely to have permanent contracts (p=0.0150) and vaccination coverage was lower in physicians (p=0.0001). Over 90% cited protection of themselves, families and patients as reasons for vaccination and 48% mentioned peer encouragement. Fear of adverse events (47%) and organizational barriers (>30%) were reasons for non-vaccination. To improve coverage, highest priority was given to strategies providing more information. Key factors in driving health worker vaccination include desire for protection and peer encouragement. Perceptual barriers based on a misunderstanding of the epidemiology of influenza and vaccination could be overcome by targeted education and information. Organizational barriers require attention to how vaccination is implemented within health facilities. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Participatory ergonomics intervention for improving work-related musculoskeletal disorders in the 'One Tambon One Product' industry in Thailand.

PubMed

Hongsranagon, Prathurng; Somana, Yaowanit; Maha-Udomporn, Somkiet; Siriwong, Wattasit; Havanond, Piyalamporn; Deelertyuenyong, Nathawan; Petchprasit, Viroj; Munkatunyu, Nantawadee; Saksri, Pramrudee

2011-12-01

This paper relates to the first phase one of a three-phase study. Phase 1 investigated and identified risk factors for work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) in 26 'One Tambon One Product' (OTOP) groups working in the informal sector. Data was collected from 93 participants in Khangkoi District, Saraburi Province, Thailand during 2009-2010. Results of inspections and direct observations of work places and interviews of managers and workers showed risk factors related to posture, repetition, force and duration in the workers' operations and the application of a checklist revealed that the OTOP groups had simple work processes. A knowledge-attitude-practice survey of managers and workers indicated that there was a moderate to high awareness regarding ergonomics and occupational safety and health principles and approximately 15% of workers reported WMSDs at a moderate level, mainly associated with lower back and shoulder pains, due to protracted periods of sitting. Specific recommendations in response to OTOP conditions and needs were made. The second phase of the study involves a participatory ergonomics worksite intervention by a number of stakeholders and the final phase deals with an evaluation of the intervention and an establishment of guidelines for ergonomics programs for OTOP groups.

Characteristics and determinants of sexual behavior among adolescents of migrant workers in Shangai (China).

PubMed

Li, Shenghui; Huang, Hong; Cai, Yong; Xu, Gang; Huang, Fengrong; Shen, Xiaoming

2009-06-19

China is facing a critical challenge of rapid and widespread human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) increase. Rural-to-urban migration plays a crucial role in shifting the HIV/sexual transmitted infection (STI) epidemic. The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence of sexual behaviors and the correlates among the early adolescents of migrant workers in China. A cross-sectional study was conducted in 10 junior high schools from April to June of 2008. A total of 2821 adolescents aged 14.06 +/- 0.93 years (8.9% of migrant workers vs. 91.1% of general residents) participated in the survey. A self-administrated questionnaire was used to collect information on knowledge, attitude, and behaviors associated with increased risk for HIV/STI. The percentage of adolescents who ever had sexual intercourse or had sexual intercourse in last three months was 7.2% and 4.3% in adolescents of migrant workers, respectively; in contrast, 4.5% and 1.8% in their peers of general residents, respectively. 47.3% adolescents of migrant workers and 34.3% of those adolescents of general residents reported no condom use in sexual intercourse during last three months. Multivariate logistic regression analyses found that migration was a independent risk factor for sexual intercourse in last three months in our sampled adolescents (odds ratio [OR] = 1.23, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.01-1.72). In adolescents of migrant workers, factors such as lower family income (OR: 2.22, CI: 1.09-3.05 for low level; OR:1.25, CI: 1.04-1.59 for medium level), younger age at first sexual intercourse (OR: 1.24, CI: 1.09-1.57), lower knowledge on HIV/AIDS (OR: 0.93, CI: 0.90-0.97), and fewer communication on HIV/AIDS related issues (OR: 0.79, CI: 0.90-0.97) were related to sexual intercourse in last three months. Based on these results, we advocated that heightened concerns targeting the adolescents of migrant workers be particularly necessary, given their higher level of sexual experience, lower socioeconomic status, restricted reproductive health information, and vulnerability to HIV/STI.

Management Attitudes toward Productivity.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chamber of Commerce of the United States, Washington, DC.

In an attempt to discover management attitudes toward productivity, including management's views about worker attitudes and their motivation, managerial practices and organization, and possible changes to effect improvements in productivity, the United States Chamber of Commerce surveyed a sample of 1,870 top business executives across the country…

Stereotype threat among older employees: relationship with job attitudes and turnover intentions.

PubMed

von Hippel, Courtney; Kalokerinos, Elise K; Henry, Julie D

2013-03-01

Stereotype threat, or the belief that one may be the target of demeaning stereotypes, leads to acute performance decrements and reduced psychological well-being. The current research examined stereotype threat among older employees, a group that is the target of many negative stereotypes. Study 1 surveyed older workers in two different organizations regarding their experiences of stereotype threat, their job attitudes and work mental health, and their intentions to resign or retire. Across both samples, feelings of stereotype threat were related to more negative job attitudes and poorer work mental health. In turn, these negative job attitudes were associated with intentions to resign and (possibly) retire. In Study 2, younger and older employees were surveyed. The results indicated that only for older employees were feelings of stereotype threat negatively related to job attitudes, work mental health, and intentions to resign. The implications of these findings for understanding job attitudes and intentions among older workers are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved).

[Psychosocial research and family planning services in Mexico].

PubMed

Urbina Fuentes, M; Vernon Carter, R

1985-01-01

Psychosocial and service studies round out data from the demographic and contraceptive prevalence studies that have been conducted every 3 years since 1976 in Mexico. The studies can be formative, providing basic information for development of a program, or evaluative, indicating how well a program is performing. Among formative psychosocial studies in Mexico have been knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) studies, which are usually helpful in the initial stages of family planning program implementation. A 1964 study of knowledge and practice in 7 Mexican cities showed that attitudes toward family planning were more traditional and disapproving in Mexico City than in other areas, but that many women wanted no more children. About 1/4 of the population of Mexico City knew no contraceptive methods and about 1/2 knew only less effective traditional methods. By 1979, 72% of women knew at least 1 effective method. KAP studies have demonstrated differences in the family size desires of men and women and in the determinants of attitudes toward birth control. Formative studies of surgical contraception have been psychologically oriented, and have helped provide a rational basis for making the operation accessible to the public. Despite some passing problems, most women have adapted to sterilization and their libidos have normalized by 18 months postoperative. Studies of the knowledge and attitudes of physicians conducted in the early days of family planning programs have helped in the design of programs to inform them of the advantages and side affects of contraceptive methods. Other studies have helped identify traditional midwives with large practices in rural areas who could be trained to deliver family planning services and have demonstrated that they develop a good understanding of contraindications and side effects of oral contraceptives. Teaching materials for IEC programs have been evaluated with small samples, but minimal attention has been given to research on the best ways of providing family planning education for physicians, nurses, students, promoters, husbands, or other population groups. The greatest effort appears to have focused on development of educational materials for illiterates. Evaluative research on messages transmitted in IEC campaigns has however been abundant since the start of the programs. Careful studies of IEC c ampaigns in 1980-81 indicated that they improved knowledge of basic aspects of family planning considerably but had little effect on values and beliefs associated with family planning. Data on new acceptors in Mexico have come primarily from institutional registration systems, special studies, and as a subproduct of demographic surveys. Careful studies done by private organizations have provided information needed to reformulate commercial distribution programs and design supporting IEC campagns for their users and agents. Evaluative service studies have focuses on identifying factors in differential continuation rates for different methods and programs. Research on service delivery in rural areas has helped identify the most productive type of community worker and has uncovered causes of dissatisfaction and high turnover among workers which impairs their performance.

Exploratory study of Australian aged care staff knowledge and attitudes of later life sexuality.

PubMed

Chen, Yung-Hui; Jones, Cindy; Osborne, Debora

2017-06-01

To explore aged care staff knowledge and attitudes towards later life sexuality and attitudes about intimacy in people with dementia. Fifty-two care staff working in two aged care facilities with secure dementia care units were recruited. Knowledge and attitudes on later life sexuality and attitudes towards later life sexuality in people with dementia were surveyed using the Aging Sexual Knowledge and Attitudes Scale and the selected eight items of the Staff Attitudes about Intimacy and Dementia, respectively. The results indicated that aged care staff knowledge of later life sexuality is inadequate, but attitudes towards later life sexuality and about intimacy and dementia were relatively permissive. Improving aged care staff knowledge of later life sexuality is needed. Continuing education and training should provide to support the expression of later life sexuality including those with dementia. © 2017 AJA Inc.

Challenges to Implementing Opioid Substitution Therapy in Ukrainian Prisons: Personnel Attitudes Toward Addiction, Treatment, and People With HIV/AIDS

PubMed Central

Polonsky, Maxim; Azbel, Lyuba; Wickersham, Jeffrey A.; Taxman, Faye S.; Grishaev, Evgeny; Dvoryak, Sergey; Altice, Frederick L.

2015-01-01

Background Ukraine is experiencing one of the most volatile HIV epidemics globally, fueled primarily by people who inject drugs (PWIDs), and a parallel incarceration epidemic. Opioid substitution therapy (OST) is internationally recognized as one of the most effective forms of treatment for opioid dependence and is among the most effective HIV prevention strategies available, yet efforts to adopt it in Ukraine’s Criminal Justice System (CJS) have been thwarted. Methods To understand the reluctance of the Ukrainian CJS to adopt OST despite the overwhelming evidence pointing to its health benefits and improved criminal justice outcomes, we conducted the first survey of Ukrainian prison administrative, medical and custodial staff (N=243) attitudes towards addiction in general, OST, and people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) in representative regions of Ukraine. Results Results revealed that Ukrainian CJS workers’ attitudes toward OST, PLWHA, and drug addiction were universally negative, but differed substantially along geographic and occupational lines. Whereas geographic and cultural proximity to the European Union drove positive attitudes in the west, in the southern region we observed an identifiability effect, as workers who worked directly with prisoners held the most positive attitudes. We also found that knowledge mediated the effect of drug intolerance on OST attitudes. Conclusion In Ukraine, adoption of OST is more influenced by ideological biases and prejudices than by existing scientific evidence. By elucidating existing attitudes among CJS personnel, this assessment will help direct subsequent interventions to address the barriers to implementing evidence-based HIV prevention treatments. PMID:25620732

'No sister, the breast alone is not enough for my baby' a qualitative assessment of potentials and barriers in the promotion of exclusive breastfeeding in southern Zambia.

PubMed

Fjeld, Eli; Siziya, Seter; Katepa-Bwalya, Mary; Kankasa, Chipepo; Moland, Karen Marie; Tylleskär, Thorkild

2008-11-05

Appropriate feeding practices are of fundamental importance for the survival, growth, development and health of infants and young children. The aim of the present study was to collect baseline information on current infant and young child feeding practices, attitudes and knowledge in Mazabuka, Zambia, using a qualitative approach. The study was conducted in Mazabuka, 130 km south of Lusaka in Zambia in January and February in 2005. Nine focus group discussions with mothers and a total of 18 in-depth interviews with fathers, grandmothers, health staff and traditional birth attendants were performed in both rural and urban areas. Breastfeeding was reported to be universal, the use of pre-lacteal feeds appeared to be low, colostrum was rarely discarded, and attitudes to and knowledge about exclusive breastfeeding were generally good. However, few practised exclusive breastfeeding. The barriers revealed were: (1) the perception of insufficient milk, (2) the fear of dying or becoming too sick to be able to breastfeed, (3) convention, (4) the perception of 'bad milk' and (5) lack of knowledge on the subject. The health staff and traditional birth attendants were the most important actors in transmitting knowledge about infant feeding to the mothers. Both categories appeared to have updated knowledge on child health and were well respected in the society. Fathers and grandmothers tended to be less knowledgeable on novel subjects such as exclusive breastfeeding and often showed a negative attitude towards it. At the same time they had considerable authority over mothers and children and infant feeding decisions. The rural population was in general less educated and more prone to conventional non-exclusive feeding practices. The message that exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) is beneficial for child health had reached the health workers and was taught to mothers. However, conventions and expectations from family members in this Zambian community were important barriers in preventing the message of EBF from being translated into practice. The deep-rooted beliefs that prohibit EBF need to be addressed in projects and campaigns promoting EBF.

Medical and psychology students' knowledge and attitudes regarding aging and sexuality.

PubMed

Snyder, Rachel J; Zweig, Richard A

2010-01-01

The current study surveys medical and doctoral psychology students (N = 100) from an urban northeastern university regarding knowledge and attitudes toward elderly sexuality and aging using the Facts on Aging Quiz, the Aging Sexuality Knowledge and Attitudes Scale, and measures of interest in gerontology, academic/clinical exposure to aging and sexuality, and contact with elders. The current study found that psychology students demonstrated greater aging knowledge than medical students; however, both groups showed gaps in knowledge about sexuality. Married students had greater academic/clinical exposure and greater knowledge about aging but less permissive attitudes toward elderly sexuality. Generally, knowledge about aging was the strongest correlate of knowledge about sexuality. Level of knowledge about sexuality was not associated with attitudes. Attitudes toward sexuality and aging may be more strongly tied to demographic variables reflective of religious beliefs or adherence to sociocultural norms.

Disability and Sexuality: Knowledge, Attitudes, and Level of Comfort among Certified Rehabilitation Counselors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kazukauskas, Kelly A.; Lam, Chow S.

2010-01-01

This study investigated certified rehabilitation counselors' (CRCs) attitudes, knowledge, and comfort in addressing disability and sexuality issues. One hundred ninety-nine CRCs completed a modified version of the "Knowledge, Comfort, Approach and Attitudes toward Sexuality Scale" to determine the effect of knowledge and attitudes on level of…

78 FR 76315 - Proposed Information Collection; Survey of Rancher Knowledge and Attitudes About Jaguar Habitat...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-12-17

...-FF02ENEH00] Proposed Information Collection; Survey of Rancher Knowledge and Attitudes About Jaguar Habitat... determine their knowledge of and attitudes toward jaguar habitat, the level of knowledge regarding payments for ecosystem services, and attitudes and interest toward a payment for ecosystem services intended to...

Knowledge and Attitudes of Nurses Toward Pressure Injury Prevention: A Cross-Sectional Multisite Study.

PubMed

Barakat-Johnson, Michelle; Barnett, Catherine; Wand, Timothy; White, Kathryn

The purpose of the study was to examine the knowledge and attitudes of nurses on pressure injury prevention and determine if there was a relationship between knowledge, attitude, and years of experience following an unexplained increase in reported hospital-acquired pressure injuries across 1 health district in Sydney, Australia. Multisite cross-sectional study. Registered and enrolled nurses working in acute, medical, and rehabilitation units in 4 hospitals and 5 community health centers across a local health district. Using a modified version of the Pressure Ulcer Knowledge Test and the Staff Attitude Scale, nurses were invited to complete the survey online or on paper. A total of 3123 surveys were distributed and 998 were returned yielding a response rate of 32%. Approximately one-third of nurse respondents who participated in the survey had been practicing for 5 to 10 years. Almost 80% of participants scored 33/47 or more (70% or more correct) on the knowledge survey; the mean score was 35.21. The mean score for the attitudes test was 44.43 ± 4.77, out of 55 (80.7%), indicating a positive attitude toward pressure injury prevention. There was a significant positive correlation between nurses' years of experience and attitudes, but there was no correlation between years of experience and knowledge. Knowledge and attitudes were also significantly positively correlated. Nurses had sound knowledge and held positive attitudes toward pressure injury prevention. Positive attitudes were associated with greater time spent in the workforce. Additional research is required to examine relationships between knowledge of and attitude toward pressure injury prevention and clinical practice. Further research is also needed to determine if improving knowledge and attitudes results in a sustained reduction of hospital-acquired pressure injuries.

Obstetrician Attitudes, Experience, and Knowledge of Planned Home Birth: An Exploratory Study.

PubMed

Leone, Jennifer; Mostow, Jackie; Hackney, David; Gokhale, Priyanka; Janata, Jeffrey; Greenfield, Marjorie

2016-09-01

The incidence of planned home birth is increasing in the United States. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists acknowledges a woman's right to make an informed choice about place of delivery, including home birth. This exploratory study measures obstetricians' attitudes, experiences, and knowledge about planned home birth, identifies associations between these factors, and compares obstetricians' responses in Ohio to those in Arizona and New Mexico. A survey about attitudes, experiences, and knowledge of planned home birth was distributed to obstetricians in Ohio, Arizona, and New Mexico. Attitude and knowledge scores were calculated for each respondent and used to evaluate associations through linear regression. Attitude and knowledge scores in states that have regulation of direct entry midwives (Arizona and New Mexico) were compared to a state which does not (Ohio). Obstetricians in all three states reported little experience and knowledge of planned home birth and overall negative attitudes. Obstetricians with stronger knowledge did not differ in their attitudes from those with less knowledge. No statistically significant differences were found when comparing attitude and knowledge scores in Ohio to Arizona and New Mexico, but Ohio obstetricians responded most negatively to the attitude questions. Obstetricians have limited knowledge and experience and hold very negative attitudes about planned home birth. Research is necessary to determine: 1) whether negative obstetrician attitudes would be modified by exposure to home birth education and experience, and, 2) whether negative obstetrician beliefs deter safe and timely transfer from home or compromise hospital care for transferred parturients. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Prevalence and factors associated with human brucellosis in livestock professionals

PubMed Central

Mufinda, Franco Cazembe; Boinas, Fernando; Nunes, Carla

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE The objective of this study is to estimate the seroprevalence of human brucellosis in livestock professionals and analyze the factors associated with brucellosis focusing on sociodemographic variables and the variables of knowledge and practices related to the characteristics of the activities carried out in livestock. METHODS This is a cross-sectional seroepidemiological study with a population of 131 workers of butchers, slaughter rooms, and slaughterhouse and 192 breeders sampled randomly in Namibe province, Angola. The data were obtained from the collection of blood and use of questionnaires. The laboratory tests used were rose bengal and slow agglutination. The questionnaire allowed us to collect sociodemographic information and, specifically on brucellosis, it incorporated questions about knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of livestock professionals. In addition to the descriptive statistical approach, we used the Chi-square test of independence, Fisher’s test, and logistic regression models, using a significance level of 10%. RESULTS The general weighted prevalence of brucellosis was 15.6% (95%CI 13.61–17.50), being it 5.3% in workers and 16.7% (95%CI 11.39–21.93) in breeders. The statistical significance was observed between human seroprevalence and category (worker and breeder) (p < 0.001) and education level (p = 0.032), start of activity (p = 0079), and service location (p = 0.055). In a multivariate context, the positive factor associated with brucellosis in professionals was the professional category (OR = 3.54; 95%CI 1.57–8.30, related to breeders in relation to workers). CONCLUSIONS Human brucellosis in livestock professionals is prevalent in Namibe province (15.6%), where the professional category was the most important factor. The seroprevalence levels detected are high when compared with those found in similar studies. PMID:28658364

Socioeconomic Status and Unionization Attitudes in the United States.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cornfield, Daniel B.; Kim, Hyunhee

1994-01-01

Survey responses from a national sample of 1,195 nonunion, nonfarm workers suggest that corporations legitimize themselves by appealing to occupational identities of high-status workers, whereas unions legitimize themselves by appealing to social background identities (ethnic, racial, and gender identities) of low-status workers. Prounion…

Environmental knowledge and attitudes and behaviours towards energy consumption.

PubMed

Paço, Arminda; Lavrador, Tânia

2017-07-15

Numerous investigations have arisen in order to study and characterise environmentally friendly consumer profiles, with some authors applying the relationship between knowledge, attitudes and behaviour to this end. The present research approach, based upon the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA), seeks to verify the existence of relationships between knowledge and attitudes and between knowledge and environmental behaviour. In this instance, data collection involved a questionnaire aimed at assessing the overall environmental knowledge of respondents as well as their attitudes and behaviours regarding energy issues (savings, consumption, interest, use). The results pointed to the lack of relationship between knowledge and attitudes, and between knowledge and behaviour whilst the relationship between attitudes and behaviour proved to be only weak. The results also found that males, older students and those studying Engineering and the Social and Human Sciences are those reporting higher levels of environmental knowledge. However, when it comes to attitudes and behaviours, females seem to display more awareness around these issues. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of the Good Start Program: a healthy eating and physical activity intervention for Maori and Pacific Islander children living in Queensland, Australia.

PubMed

Mihrshahi, Seema; Vaughan, Lisa; Fa'avale, Nicola; De Silva Weliange, Shreenika; Manu-Sione, Inez; Schubert, Lisa

2017-01-13

Reducing the prevalence of obesity and chronic disease are important priorities. Maori and Pacific Islander communities living in Australia have higher rates of obesity and chronic disease than the wider Australian population. This study aims to assess the effectiveness of the Good Start program, which aims to improve knowledge, attitudes and practices related to healthy eating and physical activity amongst Maori and Pacific Islander communities living in Queensland. The intervention was delivered to children aged 6-19 years (N = 375) in schools by multicultural health workers. Class activities focused on one message each term related to healthy eating and physical activity using methods such as cooking sessions and cultural dance. The evaluation approach was a quantitative uncontrolled pre-post design. Data were collected each term pre- and post-intervention using a short questionnaire. There were significant increases in knowledge of correct servings of fruit and vegetables, knowledge of sugar and caffeine content of common sugar-sweetened drinks, recognition of the consequences of marketing and upsizing, and the importance of controlling portion size (all P < 0.05). There was also increases in knowledge of physical activity recommendations (P < 0.001), as well as the importance of physical activity for preventing heart disease (P < 0.001) and improving self-esteem (P < 0.001). In terms of attitudes, there were significant improvements in some attitudes to vegetables (P = 0.02), and sugar-sweetened drinks (P < 0.05). In terms of practices and behaviours, although the reported intake of vegetables increased significantly (P < 0.001), the proportion of children eating discretionary foods regularly did not change significantly, suggesting that modifying the program with an increased emphasis on reducing intake of junk food may be beneficial. The study has shown that the Good Start Program was effective in engaging children from Maori and Pacific Island backgrounds and in improving knowledge, and some attitudes and practices, related to healthy eating and physical activity. The evaluation contributes valuable information about components and impacts of this type of intervention, and considerations relevant to this population in order to successfully change behaviours and reduce the burden of chronic disease.

Knowledge: a possible tool in shaping medical professionals' attitudes towards homosexuality.

PubMed

Dunjić-Kostić, Bojana; Pantović, Maja; Vuković, Vuk; Randjelović, Dunja; Totić-Poznanović, Sanja; Damjanović, Aleksandar; Jašović-Gašić, Miroslava; Ivković, Maja

2012-06-01

The attitudes of medical professionals towards homosexuals can influence their willingness to provide these individuals with medical help. The study evaluated the medical professionals' knowledge about homosexuality and their attitudes towards it. The sample consisted of 177 participants (physicians n=79 and students n=98). The study respondents anonymously completed three questionnaires (socio-demographic questionnaire, the questionnaire on knowledge, and the questionnaire on attitudes towards homosexuals). Male and religious participants showed a lower level of knowledge and a greater tendency to stigmatize. Furthermore, the subjects who knew more about homosexuality tended to hold less stigmatizing attitude. Age group, specialty (psychiatry, gynecology, internal medicine and surgery), and student's/physician's status had no effect on stigmatization. The study showed that the final year students/ residents had more knowledge than the second year students/specialists did. Knowledge had significant negative predictive effect on attitudes in the analyzed predictive model. To our knowledge, this has been the first study in Serbia and Eastern Europe, which provides information on knowledge and attitudes of health professionals towards homosexuality. We would like to point out the degree of knowledge on homosexuality as a possible, but not exclusive tool in shaping the attitudes towards homosexuals and reducing stigmatization. However, regardless of the personal attitude, knowledge and variable acceptance of the homosexuals' rights, medical professionals' main task is to resist discriminative behavior and provide professional medical help to both homosexual and heterosexual patients.

AIDS education for primary school children in Tanzania: an evaluation study.

PubMed

Klepp, K I; Ndeki, S S; Seha, A M; Hannan, P; Lyimo, B A; Msuya, M H; Irema, M N; Schreiner, A

1994-08-01

To test the effects of an HIV/AIDS education program. A quasi-experimental, nested cross-sectional design including baseline and 6-month follow-up surveys. Schools, stratified according to location, were randomly assigned to intervention (n = 6) or comparison conditions (n = 12). Public primary schools in Arusha and Kilimanjaro regions, Tanzania. A total of 2026 sixth and seventh grade pupils (average age, 14.0 years) participated at baseline (85%) and 1785 at follow-up. The program was designed to reduce children's risk of HIV infection and to improve their tolerance of and care for people with AIDS. Local teachers and health workers attended a 1-week training workshop before implementing the program over a 2-3-month period (averaging 20 school hours per class). Self-reported exposure to AIDS information, communication regarding AIDS; AIDS knowledge, attitudes towards people with AIDS, attitudes towards having sexual intercourse, subjective norms regarding sexual intercourse, and intention to engage in sexual intercourse. Following this program, intervention pupils reported significantly higher scores for the following outcome measures than pupils attending the comparison schools: AIDS information (13.1 versus 10.5; P = 0.0001), AIDS communication (10.9 versus 7.8; P = 0.0001) AIDS knowledge (14.5 versus 11.5; P = 0.0001), attitudes towards people with AIDS (9.0 versus 6.7; P = 0.0008), subjective norms (45.5 versus 43.9; P = 0.011), and intention (1.3 versus 1.4; P = 0.020). No program effect was seen for attitudes towards sexual intercourse (47.0 versus 46.3, P = 0.44). These results indicate that it is feasible and effective to provide AIDS education for Tanzanian primary school children.

The attitudes of forensic nurses to substance using service users.

PubMed

Foster, J H; Onyeukwu, C

2003-10-01

There is now a body of research that has shown that the attitudes of nurses towards substance misuse in the mentally ill are generally suboptimal and this has an impact on the quality of nursing care provided. Despite this, to date there have been no published studies that have examined the attitudes of forensic nurses towards substance misusing forensic service users. Sixty-three multiethnic registered forensic psychiatric nurses based on an inpatient unit in outer London were surveyed using the Substance Abuse Attitude Survey (SAAS). This has five subscores: Treatment Intervention, Treatment Optimism, Permissiveness, Non-Moralism and Non-Stereotypes. Only Permissiveness scores were at an optimum level and equivalent to other community mental health workers. The Treatment Intervention and Treatment Optimism subscores were well below those of a multidisciplinary group of community mental health workers. Three other findings were of note. Firstly, women had higher Non-Moralism scores than men. Secondly, staff nurses had higher Non-Stereotypes scores than other grades. Finally, Black nurses had higher Treatment Optimism scores than non-Black colleagues. In conclusion, the attitudes of forensic nurses towards substance misuse in forensic clients are more suboptimal than other groups of community mental health workers. Our findings also indicate that gender, staff grading and ethnicity are associated with suboptimal scores.

Cyborgs and Knowledge Workers? Gendered Constructions of Workers in Vocational Education and Training.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Connole, Helen

1996-01-01

Discussions of knowledge workers are gender blind and ignore or devalue women's work. A more useful conception of the worker as cyborg illuminates questions of ownership of skills and knowledge and the blurring of boundaries between humans and technologies. (SK)

Oral health knowledge, attitude, and self-care practices among pharmacists in Riyadh, Riyadh Province, Saudi Arabia.

PubMed

Baseer, Mohammad Abdual; Mehkari, Mohammed Aleemullah; Al-Marek, Fahad AbdulMohsen Fahad; Bajahzar, Omar Ahmad

2016-01-01

Identifying and addressing gaps in the oral health knowledge, attitude, and practices of pharmacists is important before they can be considered as a member of the oral health promotion team. The aim of this study was to determine the prevailing oral health knowledge, attitude, and self-care practices among a sample of pharmacists from Riyadh, Riyadh Province, Saudi Arabia. A cross-sectional study involving 200 pharmacists working in community- and hospital-based pharmacies was conducted using a structured, self-administered, close-ended questionnaire. The responses were collected and descriptive statistics of the mean scores of knowledge, attitude, and self-care practices were calculated. Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis tests were performed to compare the different groups. Spearman's rank correlation coefficient was used to assess the association among knowledge-attitude, knowledge-practice, and attitude-practice. Overall, the mean scores of oral health knowledge, attitude, and self-care practices were found to be 5.27 ± 1.05, 3.89 ± 0.83, and 2.1 ± 0.61, respectively. Male non-Saudi pharmacists working in chain pharmacies, having 11-15 years of experience with a Master's degree qualification showed significantly higher mean knowledge and practices scores as compared to their counterparts. Spearman's correlation tests revealed a significant positive correlation of knowledge-practice (r = 0.262, P < 0.01), whereas knowledge-attitude (r = -0.149, P < 0.05) as well as attitudes-practices (r = -0.196, P < 0.01) were negatively correlated. Pharmacists exhibited an average knowledge, negative attitude, and inadequate self-care practices toward oral health. However, increasing oral health knowledge can have profound improvement in oral self-care practices.

Environmental Attitudes, Knowledge, and Alternative Conceptions of Primary School Children in Greece

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Malandrakis, Georgios; Chatzakis, Stergios

2014-01-01

In this study the environmental attitudes, knowledge, and alternative conceptions of 281 primary school children from 5th and 6th grade, ages 10-12 years were explored. Low knowledge scores, indicate a substantial lack of knowledge on basic environmental issues, while attitude scores were relatively high. Children's environmental attitudes and…

The Relationship between Attitudes, Knowledge, and Demographic Variables of High School Teachers Regarding Food Irradiation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thompson, B. M.; Ribera, K. P.; Wingenbach, G. J.; Vestal, T. A.

2007-01-01

The purpose of this study was to use a validated instrument to determine the attitudes and knowledge of high school teachers regarding food irradiation, and to determine the correlations among their knowledge and attitudes and certain demographic variables. Knowledge and attitudes about food irradiation were measured in selected high school family…

Impact of knowledge of leprosy on the attitude towards leprosy patients: a community study.

PubMed

Raju, M S; Kopparty, S N

1995-01-01

NLEP, through its survey-education-treatment (SET) pattern, attempts to educate the community members about the scientific facts of leprosy with the view to improve their knowledge leading to a more positive attitude towards the leprosy afflicted. This paper explores the impact of knowledge on the attitudes of 1199 community members drawn from two States, Andhra Pradesh and Orissa, towards leprosy. The results show that, overall, a high knowledge level did not necessarily generate positive attitudes. There was a general negative attitude despite 35% to 50% of the respondents having high knowledge level. There were, however, situations in which a high level of knowledge helps to have positive attitudes. These situations differ in the two states studied.

Aging and sexuality: how much do gynecologists know and care?

PubMed

Langer-Most, Orli; Langer, Nieli

2010-01-01

Enhanced knowledge and healthy attitudes toward aging sexuality can help promote the perception that full sexual expression is part of the entire extent of adulthood. We sought to determine gynecologists' knowledge and attitude regarding sexuality in older women. A total of 141 gynecologists in five hospitals responded to the survey: Aging Sexual Attitude and Knowledge Scale (ASKAS). No correlation was found between respondents' knowledge and attitude (r = .06, p = .54); no correlation found between respondents' age and knowledge (r = .20, p = .02), but 20% of the variance in attitude could be explained by age (beta 0.20, p = .02). Neither gender, ethnicity, level of training, nor hospital location demonstrated a significant correlation to either knowledge or attitude scores.

Age Stereotypes as a Function of Sex, Race, and Vocational Preference.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crew, James C.

1983-01-01

Examined the influence of race, age, sex, and vocational preference on attitudes toward older workers in a study of 125 business students. Results showed Blacks rated a younger worker more favorably and an older worker less favorably than Whites on three of four work-related dimensions. (JAC)

Crisis Workers' Attributions for Domestic Violence.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Madden, Margaret E.

Attributions affect coping with victimization. Battered women who blame their husbands' moods are less likely to leave than are women who blame their husbands' permanent characteristics for the violence. Abused women often have repeated contacts with crisis intervention workers and the attitudes of those workers may affect the attributions made by…

The Worker and Work: Contemporary Problems and Perspectives: Three Lectures.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clarke, Oliver

The series of three lectures examine different aspects of work as manifested in changes in workers' attitudes, responses to these changes in the European context, and significant European developments in relation to worker participation. The first lecture discusses social, technological, educational, and economic changes that have affected…

Community knowledge, attitudes and practices on Yellow fever in South Omo area, Southern Ethiopia.

PubMed

Legesse, Mengistu; Endale, Adugna; Erku, Woldearegay; Tilahun, Getachew; Medhin, Girmay

2018-04-01

Yellow fever (Yf) outbreak was recently reported in South Omo of Southern Ethiopia. This area was also highly affected by Yf outbreak in the 1960s. However, there is no reliable information on the level of community knowledge attitudes and practices about the disease in the area. The objective of the current study was to assess level of community knowledge, attitudes and practices about Yf. Between March and May 2017, a community-based cross-sectional survey was conducted in two districts of the South Omo area. During the survey, 612 randomly selected adults were interviewed about Yf using structured questionnaire. Out of the 612 study participants, 508 (83.0%) reported that they heard about Yf which is locally known as "a disease that causes vomiting blood". Most (90.4%) of the study participants also said that Yf is different from malaria. Two hundred thirteen (41.9%) participants said that Yf can be transmitted from a patient to another person, while only 80 (37.6%) mentioned that the disease is transmitted through mosquitoes bite. Out of 333 (65.7%) study participants who believed that Yf is a preventable disease, 280 (84.1%) mentioned vaccine as a preventive method. The majority believed that the disease is a killer (97.2%) and a newly emerging (69.4%). Among the total of 612 study participants, 221(36.1%) were considered as having a high level of overall knowledge of Yf. Having educational level above 7th grade (AOR = 3.25, 95% CI: 1.39, 7.57, p = 0.006) and being resident of Bena-Tsemay district (AOR = 1.77, 95% CI: 1.12, 2.78, P = 0.014) were significantly associated with having a high level of overall knowledge of Yf. Agro-pastoralism as an occupation compared to farming was associated with having a low level of overall knowledge of Yf (AOR = 0.51, 95% CI, 0.33, 0.79, P = 0.003). The findings indicate that most of the study community members had a low level of overall knowledge of Yf, especially about its cause, mode of transmission and preventive methods. Thus, there is a need to increase people's knowledge and practices regarding the cause, mode of transmission and preventive methods like avoiding mosquitoe breeding sites beside vaccination through various strategies like disseminating information through community health extension workers and community leaders in the study area.

Group Supervision Attitudes: Supervisory Practices Fostering Resistance to Adoption of Evidence-Based Practices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brooks, Charles T.; Patterson, David A.; McKiernan, Patrick M.

2012-01-01

The focus of this study was to qualitatively evaluate worker's attitudes about clinical supervision. It is believed that poor attitudes toward clinical supervision can create barriers during supervision sessions. Fifty-one participants within a social services organization completed an open-ended questionnaire regarding their clinical supervision…

Opportunity and Attitudes toward Job Advancement in a Manufacturing Firm.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harlan, Sharon L.

1989-01-01

Examines the relation between opportunity for promotion in work organizations and promotion attitudes. Reveals that effects of opportunity variables on promotion attitudes are significant even when age, education, and gender are controlled. Argues that one dimension of opportunity is embodied in workers perceptions of fairness and accessibility of…

Medical students and interns' knowledge about and attitude towards homosexuality.

PubMed

Banwari, G; Mistry, K; Soni, A; Parikh, N; Gandhi, H

2015-01-01

Medical professionals' attitude towards homosexuals affects health care offered to such patients with a different sexual orientation. There is absence of literature that explores the attitudes of Indian medical students or physicians towards homosexuality. This study aimed to evaluate Indian medical students and interns' knowledge about homosexuality and attitude towards homosexuals. After IEC approval and written informed consent, a cross-sectional study was conducted on a purposive sample of undergraduate medical students and interns studying in one Indian medical college. The response rate was 80.5%. Only completely and validly filled responses (N = 244) were analyzed. The participants filled the Sex Education and Knowledge about Homosexuality Questionnaire (SEKHQ) and the Attitudes towards Homosexuals Questionnaire (AHQ). SEKHQ consisted of 32 statements with response chosen from 'true', 'false', or 'don't know'. AHQ consisted of 20 statements scorable on a 5-point Likert scale. Multiple linear regression was used to find the predictors of knowledge and attitude. Medical students and interns had inadequate knowledge about homosexuality, although they endorsed a neutral stance insofar as their attitude towards homosexuals is concerned. Females had more positive attitudes towards homosexuals. Knowledge emerged as the most significant predictor of attitude; those having higher knowledge had more positive attitudes. Enhancing knowledge of medical students by incorporation of homosexuality related health issues in the curriculum could help reduce prejudice towards the sexual minority and thus impact their future clinical practice.

HIV Knowledge, Risk Behavior, Stigma, and Their Impact on HIV Testing among Asian American and Pacific Islanders: A Review of Literature.

PubMed

Sen, Soma; Nguyen, Hoang Dung; Kim, So Yung; Aguilar, Jemel

2017-01-02

Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) are the fastest growing population in the United States with documented increases in HIV rates. AAPIs are as likely as other racial/ethnic groups to engage in HIV-related risk behaviors, while being concomitantly less likely to have been HIV tested. Testing is a critical step in HIV prevention. Research points to various barriers to HIV-related testing including HIV knowledge and attitude and stigma. However, these factors and their impact among AAPIs are poorly understood. Myths about this population's "model minority" status compound AAPIs' sociocultural factors including English language proficiency, access to healthcare, and a culture of "silence" that negatively influences HIV-related research. In this article, the authors review the scientific literature on knowledge, risk behavior, and stigma to document the current state of research. Based on the review the authors offer a set of research, policy, and practice recommendations for social workers and other service providers working with AAPIs.

Determinants of knowledge and attitudes about sugar and the association of knowledge and attitudes with sugar intake among adults: A systematic review.

PubMed

Gupta, Adyya; Smithers, Lisa G; Harford, Jane; Merlin, Tracy; Braunack-Mayer, Annette

2018-07-01

Efforts to reduce sugar intake levels have been primarily limited to increasing knowledge and changing attitudes. We conducted a systematic review to (1) identify factors influencing adults' knowledge and attitudes about sugar, and (2) determine if there is an association between knowledge and attitudes about sugar and sugar intake. We searched 15 electronic databases from inception to December 2016 for English language publications including adults with relevant exposure and outcome measures. Findings were summarised meta-narratively. Of 3287 studies, 22 studies (14 for objective one and 8 for objective two) were included. Individual (liking of sugary food), interpersonal (attitudes of peers) and environmental factors (media, health professionals and food labelling) influenced adults' knowledge and attitudes about sugar, at least to some extent. Overall, quality of the studies included in our review was weak, and evidence for the application of the Knowledge-Attitude-Behavior model for understanding sugar intake is limited. Protocol registered in the PROSPERO International prospective register of systematic reviews (registration number CRD42015027540). Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Nursing students' knowledge and attitude on pressure ulcer prevention evidence-based guidelines: a multicenter cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Simonetti, Valentina; Comparcini, Dania; Flacco, Maria Elena; Di Giovanni, Pamela; Cicolini, Giancarlo

2015-04-01

Pressure ulcers still remain a significant problem in many healthcare settings. Poor knowledge and negative attitudes toward pressure ulcer prevention could undesirably affect preventive care strategies. To assess both knowledge and attitudes among nursing students on Pressure Ulcer Prevention Evidence-Based Guidelines. A multicenter cross-sectional survey was carried out from December 2012 to August 2013. The study was carried out in seven Italian nursing schools. We involved a convenience sample of nursing students (n=742) METHODS: Data were collected using two validated questionnaires to assess students' knowledge and attitudes on pressure ulcer prevention. The overall Knowledge and Attitude scores were 51.1% (13.3/26) and 76.7% (39.9/52), respectively. We found a weak correlation between total Knowledge scores and total Attitude scores (rho=0.13, p<0.001). We also observed that nursing students' year of education, training experience and number of department frequented during their clinical placement were significantly related to both the Knowledge and the Attitude total scores (p<0.05). Nursing students' knowledge on pressure ulcer prevention was relatively low. However, we observed an association between a high level of education/training experience and higher knowledge scores. Most of the participants showed high attitude scores. These results suggest that positive attitudes toward pressure ulcer prevention may contribute to the compliance with the guidelines in clinical practice. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

An examination of the impact of non-formal and informal learning on adult environmental knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Digby, Cynthia Louise Barrett

The purpose of this research is to consider the environmental knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors, of adults in Minnesota, and possible factors that influence environmental literacy. Specifically, this study is designed to: (1) measure the environmental literacy of Minnesota adults, (2) explore possible relationships between Minnesota adults, environmental literacy variables and their demographic, non-formal and informal learning, and (3) determine the relative contribution of demographic and learning variables for predicting environmental knowledge, attitudes and behaviors. This research was accomplished by conducting a secondary data analysis of The Third Minnesota Report Card on Environmental Literacy: A Survey of Adult Environmental Knowledge, Attitudes and Behavior (Murphy & Olson, 2008). Phone interviews were completed between August and November 2007 with one thousand adults throughout Minnesota. Findings indicated that for age, education, and income, there was a weak positive relationship with environmental knowledge, attitude and behavior scores. There was a significant effect for gender and environmental knowledge scores, with males receiving higher environmental knowledge scores than females. There was a significant effect for gender and environmental attitudes, and behavior scores as well, with females receiving slightly higher environmental attitude and behavior scores than males. After controlling for the effects of demographic variables on environmental knowledge, attitudes and behaviors, non-formal learning participation appears to be a moderate contributor to both environmental knowledge and environmental behaviors. After controlling for the effects of demographic variables on environmental knowledge, attitudes and behaviors, informal learning participation appears to be a slight contributor to environmental attitudes, and a moderate contributor to environmental knowledge and behaviors. Overall, the results of this study suggest that participation in non-formal and informal education venues improved environmental knowledge, attitude and behavior models, providing evidence for the value and need for non-formal and informal environmental adult education venues.

Knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors of the business community relative to HIV-AIDS.

PubMed Central

Farnham, P G

1991-01-01

One of the goals of the Centers for Disease Control's (CDC) policy on the prevention of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is to support business organizations in implementing HIV and AIDS information, education, and prevention activities. However, the response of the American business community to HIV infection and AIDS has been varied. Although company executives consider AIDS to be one of the leading problems in the country, surveys typically indicate that less than one-third of businesses have or are developing some type of AIDS policy. The workplace appears to be a valid site for AIDS information and education programs, given the weight employees attach to information received there. However, workplace education and information programs are undertaken primarily by large companies. Many small companies do not devote much time and effort to these activities, even though extensive, indepth educational programs are likely to have positive impacts on worker attitudes and behavior, whereas short programs or literature distribution may only increase workers' fears. The question of what is an effective workplace program still needs additional research. Very little is known about the magnitude of the costs of HIV infection and AIDS to business. These costs, which are affected by the changing roles of employer-based health insurance, cost shifting, and public programs, will influence how employers react to the epidemic and how they respond to CDC's prevention initiatives. PMID:1956975

Turkish university students' knowledge of biotechnology and attitudes toward biotechnological applications.

PubMed

Öztürk-Akar, Ebru

2017-03-04

This study questions the presumed relation between formal schooling and scientific literacy about biotechnologies. Comparing science and nonscience majors' knowledge of and attitudes toward biotechnological applications, conclusions are drawn if their formal learnings improve pupils' understandings of and attitudes toward biotechnology applications. Sample of the study consists of 403 undergraduate and graduate students, 198 nonscience, and 205 science majors. The Biotechnology Knowledge Questionnaire and the Biotechnology Attitude Questionnaire were administered. Descriptive statistics (mean and percentages), t test, and correlations were used to examine the participants' knowledge of biotechnology and attitudes toward biotechnological applications and differences as regards their majors. Although the science majors had higher knowledge and attitude scores than the nonscience majors, it is not possible to say that they have sufficient knowledge of biotechnologies. Besides, the participants' attitudes toward biotechnological applications were not considerably related to their knowledge of biotechnology. © 2016 by The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 45(2):115-125, 2017. © 2016 The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

[Knowledge, attitude and practice of condom use by women of an impoverished urban area].

PubMed

Andrade, Smalyanna Sgren da Costa; Zaccara, Ana Aline Lacet; Leite, Kamila Nethielly Souza; Brito, Karen Krystine Gonçalves de; Soares, Maria Júlia Guimarães Oliveira; Costa, Marta Miriam Lopes; Pinheiro, Ana Karina Bezerra; Oliveira, Simone Helena Dos Santos

2015-06-01

Assessing the adequacy of knowledge, attitude and practice of women regarding male and female condoms as STI/HIV preventive measures. An evaluative Knowledge, Attitude and Practice (KAP) household survey with a quantitative approach, involving 300 women. Data collection took place between June and August 2013, in an informal urban settlement within the municipality of João Pessoa, Paraiba, Northeast Brazil. Regarding the male condom, most women showed inadequate knowledge and practice, and an adequate attitude. Regarding the female condom, knowledge, attitude and practice variables were unsatisfactory. Significant associations between knowledge/religious orientation and attitude/education regarding the male condom were observed. A multidisciplinary team should be committed to the development of educational practices as care promotion tools in order to improve adherence of condom use.

Environmental education and its effect on the knowledge and attitudes of preparatory school students.

PubMed

Abd El-Salam, Magda M; El-Naggar, Hesham M; Hussein, Rim A

2009-01-01

Considering the serious environmental threats facing Egypt, environmental education (EE) that provides the knowledge, skills, and motivation to take individual or collective action is needed to create a sustainable quality of life. This study was carried out aiming at measuring the level of environmental knowledge among preparatory school students in Alexandria, determining their attitudes towards some environmental concepts, and assessing the effect of EE on these knowledge and attitudes. The study sample was selected by stratified random method, and the assessment was conducted using a questionnaire. Results of the study revealed that 77% of the students had poor level of environmental knowledge and that 23% had fair level. In addition, 80% of the students were found to have negative attitude toward the environment and the remainder 20% were indifferent. Such knowledge and attitudes were positively correlated to their socio-economic levels. Following six EE sessions, an improvement in their knowledge and attitudes was observed where 69% of the students had a satisfactory level of knowledge and 88% had positive attitude toward the environment. Attitude was found to be positively correlated to their level of knowledge prior to and following the EE sessions. These results support the need for development and implementation of environmental education programs as part of the regular school curriculum.

Women's voices: attitudes and behaviors of female Ghanaian sex workers regarding HIV prevention and AIDS-related stigma.

PubMed

Raingruber, Bonnie; Uwazie, Ernest; Bowie, Sylvester

2010-08-01

Attitudes and behaviors of sex workers have a pivotal influence on the spread of AIDS. A qualitative descriptive study was undertaken to elicit Ghanaian female sex workers' perspectives regarding effective methods of HIV prevention, sources of AIDS-related stigma, and challenges associated with sex work. Women described that: (1) sex work is hard; (2) they felt God would protect their health; (3) staying safe is both a gift and a priority; (4) sex work allows for autonomy; and (5) AIDS-related stigma is very real. To design effective prevention programs it is necessary to consider the culture and perspectives of those who will be served.

Nothing but Net: American Workers and the Information Economy. Work Trends: Americans' Attitudes about Work, Employers and Government.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rutgers, The State Univ., New Brunswick, NJ. John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development.

A study explored the implications of the information economy of the late 1990s for American workers, focusing on workers' experience with computers in the workplace, workers' perceptions about their future in the information economy, and the role of government in the information age. Research data were gathered through a survey of 1,005 adults…

Occupational health and safety issues affecting young workers: a literature review.

PubMed

Laberge, Marie; Ledoux, Elise

2011-01-01

Many overview articles, reports, book chapters and literature reviews have examined the health and safety of young workers. These sources discuss the relationships between the work conditions of young workers and the various indicators of accidents and occupational diseases. Breslin et al. [12,13] conducted two literature reviews of quantitative studies to determine which factors best predicted work accidents and occupational disorders in young people. The present article proposes a review of young people's occupational health and safety (OHS) factors (e.g., demographic, individual, professional, organizational, temporal and operational factors) in both qualitative and quantitative studies. Five types of problems were analyzed in greater depth, namely MSD symptoms, respiratory, allergy and toxicological problems, mental health and well-being, alcohol and drug consumption, and fatigue. This review likewise examines related dimensions that allow us to adopt a more global perspective on this subject by considering such elements as young people's values, their knowledge and attitudes, safety practices in companies, the safe integration of young people, and rehabilitation. A total of 189 scientific articles were selected on the basis of certain criteria. These articles came from refereed OHS journals published between 1994 and 2005.

Tuberculosis in the workplace: developing partnerships with the garment industries in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Zafar Ullah, A N; Huque, R; Husain, A; Akter, S; Akter, H; Newell, J N

2012-12-01

To implement and evaluate a public-private partnership model involving garment factories to reduce the tuberculosis (TB) burden in this workforce. We used operational research to develop and evaluate a mechanism for effective and sustainable TB control in workplaces in three areas of Dhaka, Bangladesh. Strategies, protocols, guides and tools were developed with stakeholders. We assessed the impact of the project using quantitative and qualitative measures: changes in TB outcomes were calculated using standard indicators based on factory and DOTS centre records; changes in TB care-seeking behaviour were assessed using qualitative in-depth interviews with factory managers and medical personnel, and focus group discussions with factory workers, including TB patients. The project brought positive changes in knowledge, attitudes and practices of managers, workers and health care providers on TB care and control. During 2008-2010, a total of 3372 workers from a workforce of 69,000 were referred for sputum microscopy and 598 were diagnosed with smear-positive TB, 145 of whom received care at their workplace. The overall treatment success rate was 100%. It is feasible to engage factories in TB control activities in Bangladesh, and thereby increase case notifications and improve treatment outcomes.

Knowledge of, beliefs about, and perceived barriers to organ and tissue donation in Serbian, Macedonian, and Greek Orthodox communities in Australia.

PubMed

Phillipson, Lyn; Larsen-Truong, Karen; Pitts, Leissa; Nonu, Miriam

2015-03-01

Despite the lifesaving benefits of organ and tissue donation, a worldwide shortage of suitable and registered donors exists. Although the reasons for this shortage are multifactorial, it has been recognized that distinct barriers to registration, family discussion, and consent that require targeted intervention and action are present among minority cultural, religious, and immigrant communities. To explore the knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs of 3 orthodox religious communities in Australia (Macedonian, Greek, and Serbian Orthodox) and determine the implications for engaging with these communities to improve knowledge, attitudes, family discussion, and the ability to make an informed decision about donation. Qualitative approach using focus groups moderated by researchers and bicultural health workers with the assistance of accredited interpreters. 98 adult members of the Greek, Macedonian, and Serbian Orthodox communities in the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Australia. Clear barriers to discussing and making an informed decision about organ and tissue donation were identified. Knowledge of processes and procedures was low and discussion about death (and organ and tissue donation) with family members and loved ones was considered taboo. Despite these barriers, all 3 communities expressed a desire for more information and engagement. Of particular interest were the perspectives of 3 types of "experts": medical, religious, and other community members (who had experience with the organ and tissue donation system). Future programs designed for orthodox religious communities should consider the need for active strategies that facilitate information sharing and engagement between community members and these 3 types of experts.

A Cross Sectional Study of Public Knowledge and Attitude towards Antibiotics in Putrajaya, Malaysia.

PubMed

Lim, Ka Keat; Teh, Chew Charn

2012-12-01

The objective of the study was to assess public knowledge and attitudes regarding antibiotic utilization in Putrajaya, Malaysia. A self-administered questionnaire survey was conducted among public attending a local hospital. The four-part questionnaire collected responses on demographic characteristics, recent use of antibiotics, knowledge and attitude statements. Cronbach's alpha for knowledge and attitude statements were 0.68 and 0.74 respectively. Only questionnaires with complete responses were analysed. General linear modelling was used to identify demographic characteristics which contributed significantly to knowledge and attitude. Multiple logistic regression was used to determine the adjusted odds ratios of obtaining an inappropriate response for each knowledge and attitude statement. The relationship between antibiotic knowledge and attitude was examined using Pearson's correlation and correlation between related statements was performed using the Chi-square test. In all statistical analyses, a p-value of < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. There was positive correlation (p<0.001) between mean knowledge (6.07±2.52) and attitude scores (5.59±1.67). Highest education level (p<0.001) and healthcare-related occupation (p=0.001) contributed significantly to knowledge. Gender (p=0.010), race (p=0.005), highest education level (p<0.001), employment status (p=0.016) and healthcare-related occupation (p=0.005) contributed significantly to attitude. The differences in score between demographic groups were small. Misconceptions that antibiotics would work on both bacterial and viral infections were reported. Approximately three quarters of respondents expected antibiotics for treatment of coughs and colds. Close to two thirds (60%) believed that taking antibiotics would improve recovery. Several demographic groups were identified as 'high risk' with respect to gaps in knowledge and attitude. This study has identified important knowledge and attitude gaps as well as people 'at risk'. These findings would be useful in strategizing targeted antibiotic awareness campaigns and patient counselling.

A Cross Sectional Study of Public Knowledge and Attitude towards Antibiotics in Putrajaya, Malaysia

PubMed Central

Lim, Ka Keat; Teh, Chew Charn

2012-01-01

Objective: The objective of the study was to assess public knowledge and attitudes regarding antibiotic utilization in Putrajaya, Malaysia. Methods: A self-administered questionnaire survey was conducted among public attending a local hospital. The four-part questionnaire collected responses on demographic characteristics, recent use of antibiotics, knowledge and attitude statements. Cronbach’s alpha for knowledge and attitude statements were 0.68 and 0.74 respectively. Only questionnaires with complete responses were analysed. General linear modelling was used to identify demographic characteristics which contributed significantly to knowledge and attitude. Multiple logistic regression was used to determine the adjusted odds ratios of obtaining an inappropriate response for each knowledge and attitude statement. The relationship between antibiotic knowledge and attitude was examined using Pearson’s correlation and correlation between related statements was performed using the Chi-square test. In all statistical analyses, a p-value of < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: There was positive correlation (p<0.001) between mean knowledge (6.07±2.52) and attitude scores (5.59±1.67). Highest education level (p<0.001) and healthcare-related occupation (p=0.001) contributed significantly to knowledge. Gender (p=0.010), race (p=0.005), highest education level (p<0.001), employment status (p=0.016) and healthcare-related occupation (p=0.005) contributed significantly to attitude. The differences in score between demographic groups were small. Misconceptions that antibiotics would work on both bacterial and viral infections were reported. Approximately three quarters of respondents expected antibiotics for treatment of coughs and colds. Close to two thirds (60%) believed that taking antibiotics would improve recovery. Several demographic groups were identified as ‘high risk’ with respect to gaps in knowledge and attitude. Conclusions: This study has identified important knowledge and attitude gaps as well as people ‘at risk’. These findings would be useful in strategizing targeted antibiotic awareness campaigns and patient counselling. PMID:23532680

School Social Workers' Experiences with Youth Suicidal Behavior: An Exploratory Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Singer, Jonathan B.; Slovak, Karen

2011-01-01

No published studies have explored school social workers (SSWs) experiences with, or beliefs and attitudes about, working with suicidal youths at the elementary, middle, and high school levels. The authors surveyed SSWs (N = 399) who were members of the 11-state Midwest Council on School Social Workers. Results indicated significant SSW…

Medical students and interns’ knowledge about and attitude towards homosexuality

PubMed Central

Banwari, G; Mistry, K; Soni, A; Parikh, N; Gandhi, H

2015-01-01

Background and Rationale: Medical professionals’ attitude towards homosexuals affects health care offered to such patients with a different sexual orientation. There is absence of literature that explores the attitudes of Indian medical students or physicians towards homosexuality. Aim: This study aimed to evaluate Indian medical students and interns’ knowledge about homosexuality and attitude towards homosexuals. Materials and Methods: After IEC approval and written informed consent, a cross-sectional study was conducted on a purposive sample of undergraduate medical students and interns studying in one Indian medical college. The response rate was 80.5%. Only completely and validly filled responses (N = 244) were analyzed. The participants filled the Sex Education and Knowledge about Homosexuality Questionnaire (SEKHQ) and the Attitudes towards Homosexuals Questionnaire (AHQ). SEKHQ consisted of 32 statements with response chosen from ‘true’, ‘false’, or ‘don’t know’. AHQ consisted of 20 statements scorable on a 5-point Likert scale. Multiple linear regression was used to find the predictors of knowledge and attitude. Results: Medical students and interns had inadequate knowledge about homosexuality, although they endorsed a neutral stance insofar as their attitude towards homosexuals is concerned. Females had more positive attitudes towards homosexuals. Knowledge emerged as the most significant predictor of attitude; those having higher knowledge had more positive attitudes. Conclusion: Enhancing knowledge of medical students by incorporation of homosexuality related health issues in the curriculum could help reduce prejudice towards the sexual minority and thus impact their future clinical practice. PMID:25766341

Nurses' knowledge and attitudes toward aged sexuality in Flemish nursing homes.

PubMed

Mahieu, Lieslot; de Casterlé, Bernadette Dierckx; Acke, Jolien; Vandermarliere, Hanne; Van Elssen, Kim; Fieuws, Steffen; Gastmans, Chris

2016-09-01

Admission to a nursing home does not necessarily diminish an older person's desire for sexual expression and fulfillment. Given that nursing staff directly and indirectly influence the range of acceptable sexual expressions of nursing home residents, their knowledge and attitudes toward aged sexuality can have far-reaching effects on both the quality of care they provide to residents and the self-image and well-being of these residents. To investigate nursing staff's knowledge and attitudes toward aged sexuality, to determine whether certain sociodemographic factors of the nursing staff relate to their knowledge and attitudes toward later-life sexuality, and to examine the relationship between knowledge and attitudes. Descriptive cross-sectional survey study. The administered questionnaire collected sociodemographic data and data from an adapted, Dutch version of the Aging Sexual Knowledge and Attitudes Scale. Data were collected from November 2011 through April 2012. A total of 43 geographically dispersed nursing homes in Flanders, Belgium, participated. Out of a potential research sample of 2228 nursing staff respondents, 1166 participated. The study protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Faculty of Medicine of the KU Leuven. Nursing staff appeared to be moderately knowledgeable about aged sexuality and displayed a rather positive attitude toward sexuality in older people. Significant relationships between various variables were found both at univariable and multivariable levels. Knowledge and attitudes proved to be positively related, indicating that a higher level of knowledge of aged sexuality is associated with a more positive attitude toward sexuality in later life. Research findings are discussed within a broader international context. There is room for improvement for both nursing staff's knowledge and attitudes toward aged sexuality. This might be aided by appropriate educational interventions. Our results identified different target groups of nursing home staff for these interventions. © The Author(s) 2015.

Hearing protection use in manufacturing workers: a qualitative study.

PubMed

Reddy, Ravi K; Welch, David; Thorne, Peter; Ameratunga, Shanthi

2012-01-01

Occupational noise is a significant contributor to disabling hearing loss worldwide. Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) has resulted in huge human and economic consequences costing New Zealand approximately $53M annually and rising. A high proportion of hearing loss claims are made by workers in the manufacturing sector. Hearing protection devices (HPDs) are used together with engineering and administrative controls to minimize noise exposure and to prevent hearing loss. Unfortunately, inconsistent and improper use of HPDs has hindered efforts to prevent NIHL. The purpose of this study was to understand the factors that influence the use of HPDs amongst a group of manufacturing workers in New Zealand. A purposive sample of twenty-five workers was recruited to take part in semi-structured interviews. The open-ended questions were aimed at exploring the participants' knowledge, attitude, beliefs, and behavior towards noise and HPDs. The data were analyzed using conventional content analysis and key themes emerged in relation to HPD use. Themes that emerged from the interviews either supported good hearing protection behavior or acted as barriers against it. Five major themes, (perception of noise, hearing preservation, reluctance to use HPDs, workplace interaction, and value of hearing) and sub-themes described various factors that influence hearing protection use. Both personal and environmental factors influence the use of HPDs. Based on this study, personal and environmental factors need to be targeted for further research using ecological models to develop interventions that promote HPD use amongst workers.

Effect of structured teaching programme on VIA test for early detection and diagnosis of cervical cancer.

PubMed

Chacko, Shiny

2014-01-01

The conceptual framework of the study, undertaken in select health centres of New Delhi, was based on General System Model. The research approach was evaluative with one group pre-test and post-test design. The study population comprised of Community Health Workers working in selected centres in Najafgarh, Delhi. Purposive sampling technique was used to select a sample of 30 Community Health Workers. A structured knowledge questionnaire was developed to assess the knowledge of subjects. A Structured Teaching Programme was developed to enhance the knowledge of Community Health Workers. Pre-test was given on day 1 and Structured Teaching Programme administered on same day. Post-test was conducted on day 7. Most of the Community Health Workers were in the age group of 21-30 years with academic qualification up to Higher Secondary level. Maximum Community Health Workers had professional qualification as ANM/MPHW (female). Majority of the Community Health Workers had experience up to 5 years. Initially there was deficit in scores of knowledge of Community Health Workers regarding Visual Inspection with Acetic Acid (VIA) test. Mean post-test knowledge scores of Community Health Workers were found to be signifi- cantly higher than their mean pre-test knowledge score. The Community Health Workers after expo- sure to Structured Teaching Programme gained a significant positive relationship between post-test knowledge scores. The study reveals the efficacy of Structured Teaching Programme in enhancing the knowledge of Community Health Workers regarding VIA test and a need for conducting a regular and well planned health teaching programme on VIA test for improving their knowledge on VIA test for the early detection and diagnosis of cervical cancer.

Relational skill assets and anti-immigrant sentiments.

PubMed

Lee, Naeyun; Lee, Cheol-Sung

2015-07-01

This study introduces the role of relational skill assets in accounting for attitudes toward immigrants: relational skill assets. Drawing upon stratification researchers' notion of "non-cognitive skills," we build a theoretical framework highlighting the role of occupational skill requirements in explaining anti-immigrant sentiment. Then, utilizing two occupation-specific measures, interpersonal skill requirement and instrumental skill requirement, we construct an explanatory factor, relational skill specificity. We test its effect on anti-immigrant attitudes as well as on the concentration of foreign-born workers in occupations, using the 2004 national identity module of General Social Survey. The findings confirm our argument that workers with a higher possession of interpersonal skill assets relative to instrumental skill assets are exposed to less intense competitions with immigrants, and are therefore less likely to express anti-immigrant sentiments. Our findings suggest that occupational-level relational skill assets based on sociocultural differences play an important role in shaping native workers' attitudes' toward immigrants. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Use of a dementia training designed for nurse aides to train other staff.

PubMed

Irvine, A Blair; Beaty, Jeff A; Seeley, John R; Bourgeois, Michelle

2013-12-01

Problematic resident behaviors may escalate in long-term care facilities (LTCs). If nurse aides (NAs) are not nearby, the nearest staff to intervene may be non-direct care workers (NDCWs), who have little or no dementia training. This pilot research tested Internet dementia-training program, designed for NAs, on NDCWs in a LTC setting. Sixty-eight NDCWs participated, filling out two baseline surveys at 1-month intervals and a posttest survey after training. The surveys included video-situation testing, items addressing psychosocial constructs associated with behavior change, and measures training-acceptance. Paired t tests showed significant positive effects on measures of knowledge, attitudes, self-efficacy, and behavioral intentions, with small-moderate effect sizes. Nursing staff as well as non-health care workers showed improved scores, and the web-site training program was well received by all participants. These results suggest that Internet training may allow staff development coordinators to conserve limited resources by cross-training of different job categories with the same program.

Community Disasters, Psychological Trauma, and Crisis Intervention.

PubMed

Boscarino, Joseph A

The current issue of International Journal of Emergency Mental Health and Human Resilience is focused on community disasters, the impact of trauma exposure, and crisis intervention. The articles incorporated include studies ranging from the World Trade Center disaster to Hurricane Sandy. These studies are related to public attitudes and beliefs about disease outbreaks, the impact of volunteerism following the World Trade Center attacks, alcohol misuse among police officers after Hurricane Katrina, posttraumatic stress disorder after Hurricane Sandy among those exposed to the Trade Center disaster, compassion fatigue and burnout among trauma workers, crisis interventions in Eastern Europe, and police officers' use of stress intervention services. While this scope is broad, it reflects the knowledge that has emerged since the Buffalo Creek and Chernobyl catastrophes, to the more recent Hurricane Katrina and Sandy disasters. Given the current threat environment, psychologists, social workers, and other providers need to be aware of these developments and be prepared to mitigate the impact of psychological trauma following community disasters, whether natural or man-made.

Longitudinal determinants of energy levels in knowledge workers.

PubMed

Arnetz, Bengt B; Broadbridge, Carissa L; Ghosh, Samiran

2014-01-01

Increasingly, workers in the service, welfare, and health care sectors suffer adverse effects (ie, depression, burnout, etc) of "low-energy syndromes." Less is known about energy-based outcomes among knowledge workers. This study aimed to identify determinants of self-rated energy in knowledge workers and examine how these determinants change over time. In collaboration with a large union and employer federation, 317 knowledge workers in Sweden responded to the health and productivity survey three times. At each assessment, worry, satisfaction with eating habits, and work-effectiveness were predictive of energy levels; however, only work-effectiveness covaried with energy over time. This study suggests that perceived work-effectiveness is an important factor in preventing knowledge workers from experiencing "low-energy syndromes." Lifestyle factors also play a role. Therefore, multifaceted interventions for increasing energy are needed.

Development and pilot testing of a culturally sensitive multimedia program to improve breast cancer screening in Latina women.

PubMed

Goel, Mita Sanghavi; Gracia, Gaby; Baker, David W

2011-07-01

Our study goal was to assess the effects of a brief patient video on breast cancer knowledge and attitudes among Latina women at a community health center. We conducted pre- and post-testing of knowledge and attitudes in women aged 40 years or older with active screening referrals (n=91). We compared pre- and post-test knowledge and attitudes overall and by baseline values. Mean knowledge increased from 5.8/10 to 6.9/10 (p<0.05), with the greatest increases in those with low baseline knowledge (p<.001). There were no changes in mean attitudes, which were high at baseline (3.8/5); however, among the 16 women with negative/neutral attitudes, 50% developed positive attitudes after watching the video (p<0.05). Baseline intention to complete screening was high at 98%. Although the overall effects were modest, the greatest improvements were in those with low baseline knowledge scores and negative/neutral baseline attitudes. Future testing should examine the effects in a community-based sample. A brief patient video has promise for influencing patient knowledge and perhaps attitudes while being amenable to integration into clinical flow. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Factors associated with knowledge, attitude and practice related to hepatitis B and C among international students of Universiti Putra Malaysia.

PubMed

Ahmad, Abdulrahman; Munn Sann, Lye; Abdul Rahman, Hejar

2016-07-21

Knowledge of hepatitis B and C has been reported to be low among respondents in different studies. We conducted a cross-sectional study among international students of Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) to ascertain their levels of knowledge, attitude and practices regarding hepatitis B and C and its associated factors. Six hundred and sixty two (662) international students participated in this study. A cluster sampling method was employed and data was generated using self-administered questionnaire, which was validated and its reliability checked. Normality test was conducted followed by descriptive statistics, spearman's correlation and Chi-square tests to explore associations between variables in the study. The response rate was 71.49 %. Of these, 50.3 % of the respondents had better knowledge of hepatitis B; 52.7 % had better knowledge of hepatitis C; 54.8 % had positive attitude towards hepatitis B and C and 77.6 % had safer practices towards hepatitis B and C. Positive correlations were found between knowledge of hepatitis B and knowledge of hepatitis C; knowledge hepatitis B and attitude; knowledge hepatitis C and attitude; knowledge hepatitis B and practice; knowledge hepatitis C and practice; and attitude and practice regarding hepatitis B and C. Similarly, some socio-demographic variables and history of hepatitis were found to be associated with knowledge, attitude and practice related to hepatitis B and C. The levels of knowledge and attitude towards hepatitis B and C were low among respondents but majority of them exhibited safe practices. The study level, faculty, age, nationality, marital status and gender of the respondents were significantly associated with their levels of knowledge, attitude and practices towards the disease. These findings imply that there is need for hepatitis health promotion among the international students of UPM and possibly other international students across the globe. It will serve to improve their levels of knowledge, attitude and practices in short term and get them protected against the disease in the long run.

The training needs of Turkish emergency department personnel regarding intimate partner violence

PubMed Central

Aksan, H Asli Davas; Aksu, Feride

2007-01-01

Background Violence against females is a widespread public health problem in Turkey and the lifetime prevalence of IPV ranges between 34 and 58.7%. Health care workers (HCW) sometimes have the unique opportunity and obligation to identify, treat, and educate females who are abused. The objective of this study was to evaluate the knowledge, attitudes, and experiences of the emergency department (ED) staff regarding intimate partner violence (IPV) at a large university hospital in Turkey. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted in a large university hospital via questionnaire. The study population consisted of all the nurses and physicians who worked in the ED during a two month period (n = 215). The questionnaire response rate was 80.5% (41 nurses and 132 physicians). The main domains of the questionnaire were knowledge regarding the definition of IPV, clinical findings in victims of IPV, legal aspects of IPV, attitudes towards IPV, knowledge about the characteristics of IPV victims and abusers, and professional and personal experiences and training with respect to IPV. Results One-half of the study group were females, 76.3% were physicians, and 89.8% had no training on IPV. The majority of the nurses (89.5%) and physicians (71.1%) declared that they were aware of the clinical appearance of IPV. The mean of the knowledge scores on clinical knowledge were 8.84 ± 1.73 (range, 0–10) for acute conditions, and 4.51 ± 3.32 for chronic conditions. The mean of the knowledge score on legal procedures and the legal rights of the victims was 4.33 ± 1.66 (range, 0–7). At least one reason to justify physical violence was accepted by 69.0% of females and 84.7% of males, but more males than females tended to justify violence (chi square = 5.96; p = 0.015). However, both genders accepted that females who experienced physical violence should seek professional medical help. Conclusion The study participants' knowledge about IPV was rather low and a training program is thus necessary on this issue. Attention must be given to the legal aspects and clinical manifestations of IPV. The training program should also include a module on gender roles in order to improve the attitudes towards IPV. PMID:18078505

[The study on behaviour of protective equipment utilization of workers exposed to benzene and factors based on Planned Behavior Theory].

PubMed

Huang, J Y; Liu, C D; Zhang, W M; Fu, Y K; Ma, H Y

2018-02-20

Objective: To investigate and predict the behavioral intention and mode of the protective equipment utilization selection of the workers who used Benzene, the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) was applied to establish the behavioral model to enhance the theoretical foundation for long-term intervention. Methods: Questionnaires were used to survey the 707 workers, and all the behaviors of using protective equipment were investigated. Evaluate the relationships between each variable and obtain the influence affects by structural equation model. Results: The investigation showed that 38.47% of the total workers (272 cases) used whole body protection, 13.58% used partially, and 16.69% didn't use any body protection. There were significant difference between the varying degrees in the four dimensions (behavioral attitude, perceived behavior control, subjective norm, and behavioral intention) (P<0.01) . The results of structural equation model revealed that perceived behavior control was the most important influencing factor, subjective norm, positive attitude, negative attitude were the other three respects in sequence. The path co-efficient were 0.600、0.215、0.141 and 0.046 respectively. Conclusion: The study show that the theory of planned behavior can effectively explain the behavioral intention and behavior of protective equipment utilization. Therefore, combining the subjective initiative of individuals with the supervision of enterprises, In order to effectively enhance the protective equipment utilization of benzene workers.

Owner attitudes and self reported behavior towards modified work after occupational injury absence in small enterprises: a qualitative study.

PubMed

Andersen, Lars Peter; Kines, Pete; Hasle, Peter

2007-03-01

Opportunities for modified work after an occupational injury are thought to be limited in small enterprises. This paper explores owner attitudes and self reported behavior towards modified work after injury-absence in small enterprises. Twenty-two owners of small construction and metal-processing enterprises were interviewed. Opportunities for modified work were possible in spite of some owners' general objections. Owners found their own solutions here-and-now without help from external stakeholders, and had little knowledge of possibilities for financial or practical support for early return-to-work initiatives. Initiatives formalizing modified work must be arranged in a way that supports the close social relations in small enterprises. Information to support the return to work process must be given when it is needed, i.e. at the onset of the prospect of lengthy work absence. The actual form of modified work should mainly be left up to the employer and the injured worker.

Relationships between work outcomes, work attitudes and work environments of health support workers in Ontario long-term care and home and community care settings.

PubMed

Berta, Whitney; Laporte, Audrey; Perreira, Tyrone; Ginsburg, Liane; Dass, Adrian Rohit; Deber, Raisa; Baumann, Andrea; Cranley, Lisa; Bourgeault, Ivy; Lum, Janet; Gamble, Brenda; Pilkington, Kathryn; Haroun, Vinita; Neves, Paula

2018-03-22

Our overarching study objective is to further our understanding of the work psychology of Health Support Workers (HSWs) in long-term care and home and community care settings in Ontario, Canada. Specifically, we seek novel insights about the relationships among aspects of these workers' work environments, their work attitudes, and work outcomes in the interests of informing the development of human resource programs to enhance elder care. We conducted a path analysis of data collected via a survey administered to a convenience sample of Ontario HSWs engaged in the delivery of elder care over July-August 2015. HSWs' work outcomes, including intent to stay, organizational citizenship behaviors, and performance, are directly and significantly related to their work attitudes, including job satisfaction, work engagement, and affective organizational commitment. These in turn are related to how HSWs perceive their work environments including their quality of work life (QWL), their perceptions of supervisor support, and their perceptions of workplace safety. HSWs' work environments are within the power of managers to modify. Our analysis suggests that QWL, perceptions of supervisor support, and perceptions of workplace safety present particularly promising means by which to influence HSWs' work attitudes and work outcomes. Furthermore, even modest changes to some aspects of the work environment stand to precipitate a cascade of positive effects on work outcomes through work attitudes.

Do attitudes and knowledge predict at-risk drinking among Russian women?

PubMed Central

Balachova, Tatiana; Bard, David; Bonner, Barbara; Chaffin, Mark; Isurina, Galina; Tsvetkova, Larissa; Volkova, Elena

2016-01-01

Background Drinking patterns among Russian women indicate substantial risk for alcohol-exposed pregnancies. Data about women’s knowledge and attitudes related to alcohol consumption during pregnancy and the extent to which women’s knowledge and attitudes affect their alcohol use remain limited. Objectives To describe Russian women’s knowledge and attitudes and assess whether women’s knowledge and attitudes were associated with their risky drinking. Methods Cross-sectional survey. Women of childbearing age (n=648) were recruited at women’s health clinics and asked about their alcohol consumption, pregnancy status, attitudes, and knowledge about effects of alcohol and Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS). Results Women exhibited misconceptions and 40% believed or were uncertain whether alcohol consumption during pregnancy was acceptable. Although 34% had heard of FAS, only 8% possessed accurate knowledge. Knowledge was associated with alcohol consumption among pregnant women, but there was no association between knowledge and risky drinking in non-pregnant women, including those who were at risk for an unplanned pregnancy or were trying to conceive. Attitudes were strongly associated with risky drinking by non-pregnant women across levels of knowledge about FAS and any alcohol use by pregnant women. Conclusions Russian women had limited knowledge and misconceptions about effects of alcohol on fetus, and risky alcohol consumption was strongly associated with women’s attitudes and knowledge. The study provides strong evidence to support continuing public health education about effects of alcohol use during pregnancy. Correcting specific misconceptions and targeting the preconceptional period in health communications are necessary to reduce at-risk drinking and the risk for alcohol-exposed pregnancies. PMID:27074154

Examining the Relationship between Degree of Religiousness and Attitudes toward Elderly Sexual Activity in Undergraduate College Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bonds-Raacke, Jennifer M.; Raacke, John

2011-01-01

Research has been conducted on individual's knowledge and attitudes toward older adult sexuality. This includes investigating attitudes and knowledge of nursing home staff, college students, and the elderly themselves. The current experiment sought to replicate previous research findings by comparing college students' attitudes and knowledge of…

A study of masturbatory knowledge and attitudes and related factors among Taiwan adolescents.

PubMed

Wang, Rung-Jy; Huang, Yu; Lin, Yen-Chin

2007-09-01

The main purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between masturbatory knowledge and masturbatory attitudes among Taiwan adolescents. This study was based on a structured questionnaire survey that used the Adolescent Masturbatory Knowledge Inventory (AMKI) and the Adolescent Negative Attitude toward Masturbation Inventory (ANAMI). Subjects were recruited from the third grade of high school and vocational school students aged 17-18 living in Kaohsiung (southern Taiwan) using stratified and cluster sampling approaches. Seven hundred and eighty questionnaires were sent out, with a 96.8% response rate. A total of 95.3% of male subjects and 30.3% of female subjects reported having masturbation experience. Masturbatory knowledge was significantly related to the variables "school system", "frequency of viewing pornographic media", "status of being sexually active", and "conversation about sex with friends". Masturbatory attitudes were significantly associated with the same variables as well as with gender and masturbatory behavior. Masturbatory attitudes were positively correlated with masturbatory knowledge. The school system explained 15.4% of masturbatory knowledge variance. Masturbatory knowledge, masturbatory behavior, frequency of viewing pornographic media and status of being sexually active explained 39.5% of masturbatory attitude variance. In conclusion, adolescents in Taiwan hold positive attitudes toward masturbation and reported having insufficient knowledge regarding masturbation. Results can assist school staffs and parents to gain a deeper understanding of adolescents' knowledge about and attitudes toward masturbation.

How do public child healthcare professionals and primary school teachers identify and handle child abuse cases? A qualitative study

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Public child healthcare doctors and nurses, and primary school teachers play a pivotal role in the detection and reporting of child abuse, because they encounter almost all children in the population during their daily work. However, they report relatively few cases of suspected child abuse to child protective agencies. The aim of this qualitative study was to investigate Dutch frontline workers’ child abuse detection and reporting behaviors. Methods Focus group interviews were held among 16 primary school teachers and 17 public health nurses and physicians. The interviews were audio recorded, transcribed, and thematically analyzed according to factors of the Integrated Change model, such as knowledge, attitude, self-efficacy, skills, social influences and barriers influencing detection and reporting of child abuse. Results Findings showed that although both groups of professionals are aware of child abuse signs and risks, they are also lacking specific knowledge. The most salient differences between the two professional groups are related to attitude and (communication) skills. Conclusion The results suggest that frontline workers are in need of supportive tools in the child abuse detection and reporting process. On the basis of our findings, directions for improvement of child abuse detection and reporting are discussed. PMID:24007516

Counselor Attitudes toward and Use of Evidence-Based Practices in Private Substance Use Disorder Treatment Centers: A Comparison of Social Workers and Non-Social Workers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bride, Brian E.; Kintzle, Sara; Abraham, Amanda J.; Roman, Paul M.

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine factors that may be associated with variation in social workers' perceptions of effectiveness, perceptions of acceptability, and use of psychosocial evidence-based practices (EBPs) for the treatment of substance use disorders (SUD) in comparison to other SUD counselors who are non-social workers. A national…

Attitudes of consumers and live-poultry workers to central slaughtering in controlling H7N9: a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Lin, Xiao; Zhang, Dingmei; Wang, Xinwei; Huang, Yun; Du, Zhicheng; Zou, Yaming; Lu, Jiahai; Hao, Yuantao

2017-05-26

Guangdong Province in the Pearl River Delta of Southeast China is among the areas in the country with the highest rates of avian flu cases. In order to control the outbreak of human-infected H7N9 cases, Guangdong launched a new policy on the central slaughtering of live poultry in 2015. This study aims to evaluate attitudes of consumers and live-poultry workers toward the policy. The live-poultry workers consisted of two sub-groups: live-poultry traders and poultry farm workers. Consumers and live-poultry workers from Guangdong were enrolled by stratified multi-stage random sampling. Online and field surveys were conducted to investigate participants' attitudes on policy implementation. Questionnaires were developed to quantify participant demographics, to collect information about attitudes toward the policy, and to identify influential factors of policy acceptability. Proportional odds logistics regression was used in the univariate and multivariate analyses. A total of 1449 consumers, 181 live-poultry traders, and 114 poultry farm workers completed the study. Policy acceptability percentages among consumers, live-poultry traders, and poultry farm workers were 57.1, 37.9, and 62.6%, respectively. Logistics regression shows that consumers tended not to support the policy if they were males, if they were concerned with the food safety of chilled products, and if they preferred purchasing live poultry. Live-poultry traders tended not to support if they were subsidized by the government, if they were males, if they experienced a drop in trading volume, and if they were unclear whether avian flu was a preventable disease. Finally, poultry farm workers tended not to support if they experienced a drop in trading volume, if they operated a poultry farm on a small to medium scale, and if they experienced inconvenience in their work due to the policy. The study reveals a substantial refusal or slowness to accept the policy. Failure to accept the policy results from varying reasons. Among consumers, concern about food safety and dietary preference are two major causes of disapproval. Policy acceptability among live-poultry workers diverges within the two sub-groups. While a large percentage of poultry farm workers accept the policy, the drop in trading and an insufficient subsidy hamper acceptance by live-poultry traders. We recommend that policy-makers promote health education and alleviate the policy impact on trading with a reformed subsidy policy to increase acceptability. These findings are crucial for the prevention of human-infected H7N9 cases in Guangdong.

Changes in healthcare workers' knowledge about tuberculosis following a tuberculosis training programme.

PubMed

Naidoo, S; Taylor, M; Esterhuizen, T M; Nordstrom, D L; Mohamed, O; Knight, S E; Jinabhai, C C

2011-08-01

In resource-limited countries, health policy makers and practitioners need to know whether healthcare workers have sufficient knowledge of tuberculosis and its management. We conducted a study to: (1) measure knowledge changes among healthcare workers who participated in a tuberculosis training programme; and (2) make recommendations about future tuberculosis training for healthcare workers in the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health. A cross-sectional study conducted in 2007 measured changes in tuberculosis knowledge of doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers after a training programme based on World Health Organization tuberculosis training modules. Data were collected before and after training using a self-administered, 98-item questionnaire covering eight components. A total of 267 healthcare workers, mean age 40.7 years, answered both pre- and post-training questionnaires. Mean total knowledge scores were low despite significant changes (p<0.001) from a pre-training score of 59.5% to a post-training score of 66.5%. Nurses showed significant improvements in mean total knowledge scores (p<0.001) but had the lowest mean total knowledge score post-training, 63.2%. Doctors had significantly better pre-training (p<0.001) and post-training (p<0.001) mean total knowledge scores compared to nurses. Improvement in healthcare workers' overall knowledge of tuberculosis during a training programme was not clinically significant. Periodic field training and supervision should be considered to ensure tuberculosis knowledge improvements.

High School Students' Knowledge and Attitudes regarding Biotechnology Applications

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ozel, Murat; Erdogan, Mehmet; Usak, Muhammet; Prokop, Pavol

2009-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate high school students' knowledge and attitudes regarding biotechnology and its various applications. In addition, whether students' knowledge and attitudes differed according to age and gender were also explored. The Biotechnology Knowledge Questionnaire (BKQ) with 16 items and the Biotechnology Attitude…

The Roles of Labor Migrants’ Wives in HIV/AIDS Risk and Prevention in Tajikistan

PubMed Central

Golobof, Alexandra; Weine, Stevan; Bahromov, Mahbat; Luo, Jing

2013-01-01

This study aimed to build formative knowledge regarding labor migrants' wives' knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors regarding HIV/AIDS risk and protection that would inform developing innovative HIV prevention strategies. This was a collaborative ethnography in Tajikistan that included minimally structured interviews and focused field observations with 30 Tajik wives in Dushanbe married to Tajik male migrant workers currently working in Moscow. The results documented the wives' concerns over their husbands’ safety in Moscow and the difficulties of living without husbands. In a male-dominated society, gender norms limit the wives' abilities to protect themselves and their husbands from HIV/AIDS. They have some awareness of HIV/AIDS, but limited abilities to speak about sexual activity, HIV/AIDS, condoms, and HIV testing. Wives do not use condoms with their husbands and depend upon their husband's role as their protector. Wives often turn for support to their “circle of friends” or to a primary care nurse for support, but seldom do these relationships focus on preventing HIV/AIDS. To respond to HIV/AIDS risks amongst the wives of Tajik male migrant workers in Moscow, preventive interventions could build upon migrants' wives' role as the primary family caregiver and their existing sources of social support from women's circles and nurses. The overall intervention strategy could be to expand their role as family caregivers to include HIV/AIDS protection, through enhancing their HIV/AIDS knowledge and prevention skills and negotiation strategies with their husbands. PMID:21218281

Passive smoking: directions for health education among Malaysian college students.

PubMed

Kurtz, M E; Johnson, S M; Ross-Lee, B

1992-01-01

This study investigated knowledge, attitudes, and preventive efforts of Malaysian college students regarding health risks associated with passive smoking, as well as possible directions for intervention and health education programs. Students responded anonymously to a structured written questionnaire. Statistical analyses were conducted to examine (1) differences in knowledge, attitudes, and preventive efforts between smokers and nonsmokers and between men and women; (2) the relationship between smoking by parents, siblings, and friends, and students' knowledge, attitudes, and preventive efforts; and (3) relationships between knowledge, attitudes, and preventive efforts. Peer groups and siblings had a substantial influence on students' attitudes toward passive smoking and their preventive efforts when exposed to passive smoke. A regression analysis revealed a statistically significant linear dependence of preventive efforts on knowledge and attitudes, with the attitude component playing the dominant role. This research suggests that educational efforts on passive smoking, directed toward young college students in developing countries such as Malaysia, should concentrate heavily on changing attitudes and reducing the effects of peer group and sibling influences.

The Development of Instruments to Measure Attitudes toward Abortion and Knowledge of Abortion

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Snegroff, Stanley

1976-01-01

This study developed an abortion attitude scale and abortion knowledge inventory that may be utilized by health educators, counselors, and researchers for assessing attitudes toward abortion and knowledge about it. (SK)

The Impact of a Concussion-U Educational Program on Knowledge of and Attitudes about Concussion.

PubMed

Eagles, Matthew E; Bradbury-Squires, David J; Powell, Maria F; Murphy, Justin R; Campbell, Graeme D; Maroun, Falah B

2016-09-01

The diagnosis of a sports-related concussion is often dependent on the athlete self-reporting their symptoms. It has been suggested that improving youth athlete knowledge and attitudes toward concussion may increase self-reporting behaviour. The objective of this study was to determine if a novel Concussion-U educational program improves knowledge of and attitudes about concussion among a cohort of elite male Bantam and Midget AAA hockey players. Fifty-seven male Bantam and Midget AAA-level hockey players (mean age=14.52±1.13 years) were recruited from the local community. Each participant completed a modified version of the Rosenbaum Concussion Knowledge and Attitudes Survey-Student Version immediately before and after a Concussion-U educational presentation. Follow-up sessions were arranged 4 to 6 months after the presentation, and assessed retention of knowledge and attitude changes. Forty-three players completed all three surveys. Concussion knowledge and attitude scores significantly (p<0.01) increased from pre- to post-presentation by 12.79 and 8.41%, respectively. At long-term follow-up, knowledge levels remained significantly (p<0.01) higher than baseline by 8.49%. Mean attitude scores were also increased at follow-up; however, this increase was not statistically significant. A Concussion-U educational program led to an immediate improvement in concussion knowledge and attitudes among elite male Bantam and Midget AAA hockey players. Increased knowledge was maintained at long-term follow-up, but improved attitude was not. Future studies should investigate whether similar educational programs influence symptom reporting and concussion incidence. In addition, they should focus on how to maintain improved concussion attitudes.

Sexual Knowledge and Attitude among Girls Who are Getting Married Based on the Information from Yas Pre-marriage Counseling Center.

PubMed

Baghersad, Zahra; Fahami, Fariba; Beigi, Marjan; Hasanzadeh, Akbar

2017-01-01

High prevalence of sexual dysfunction results from inadequate knowledge or inappropriate attitude toward the natural phenomenon of sexual desire. This study aimed to define sexual knowledge and attitude among girls who were getting married and referred to Yas pre-marriage counseling center. This research was a descriptive analytical study. The information of 165 girls, who were about to get married, were collected through convenient sampling using a researcher-made questionnaire. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 16 software. Inferential statistical method and Pearson correlation were used for data analysis. Results showed that the mean scores of sexual knowledge and attitude among the participants were 57.42 and 69.02, respectively. There was a significant association between the mean scores of sexual knowledge and sexual attitude ( P < 0.001, r = 0.63). Results showed that the participants had relatively appropriate knowledge and attitude toward sexual relationship.

Point of care hand hygiene-where's the rub? A survey of US and Canadian health care workers' knowledge, attitudes, and practices.

PubMed

Kirk, Jane; Kendall, Anson; Marx, James F; Pincock, Ted; Young, Elizabeth; Hughes, Jillian M; Landers, Timothy

2016-10-01

Hand hygiene at the point of care is recognized as a best practice for promoting compliance at the moments when hand hygiene is most critical. The objective of this study was to compare knowledge, attitudes, and practices of US and Canadian frontline health care personnel regarding hand hygiene at the point of care. Physicians and nurses in US and Canadian hospitals were invited to complete a 32-question online survey based on evidence supporting point of care hand hygiene. Eligible health care personnel were in direct clinical practice at least 50% of the time. Three hundred fifty frontline caregivers completed the survey. Among respondents, 57.1% were from the United States and 42.9% were from Canada. Respondents were evenly distributed between physician and nurses. The US and Canadian respondents gave identical ranking to their perceived barriers to hand hygiene compliance. More than half of the respondents from both the United States and Canada agreed or strongly agreed that they would be more likely to clean their hands when recommended if alcohol-based handrub was closer to the patient. This survey demonstrates that similarities between Canada and the United States were more common than not, and the survey raises, or suggests, potential knowledge gaps that require further illumination. Copyright © 2016 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Vaccination knowledge, attitude and practice among Chinese travelers who visit travel clinics in Preparation for international travel.

PubMed

Zhang, Min; Zhang, Jianming; Hao, Yutong; Fan, ZhengXing; Li, Lei; Li, Yiguang; Ju, Wendong; Zhang, Hong; Liu, Wei; Zhang, Mengzhang; Wu, Di; He, Hongtao

2016-06-01

Although international travel has become increasingly more common in main land China, few data are available on vaccination knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) among Chinese travelers. In each of 14 International Travel Healthcare Centers (ITHCs) situated in mainland China 200 volunteers were recruited for a cross-sectional investigation by questionnaire on KAP related to travel vaccinations. For the evaluation the study subjects were grouped by demographic data, past travel experience, travel destination, duration of stay abroad, purpose of travel. Among the 2,800 Chinese travelers who participated in the study, 67.1% were aware of national and travel vaccination recommendations. The knowledge about vaccine preventable diseases was low. The most common sources (73.4%) of information were requirements by destination countries obtained in connection with the visa application, Chinese companies employing workers/laborers for assignments overseas, and foreign schools. The overall acceptance rate of recommended vaccines was 68.7%, but yellow fever was accepted by 99.8% of the participants when recommended. Among 81.1% respondents who recalled to have received vaccinations in the past, only 25.9% of them brought the old vaccination records with them to their ITHC consultations. The results indicate that increased awareness of the importance of pre-travel vaccination is needed among the travellers in order to improve their KAP. © International Society of Travel Medicine, 2016. All rights reserved. Published by Oxford University Press. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Seroepidemiology and risk factors of Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever among butchers and slaughterhouse workers in southeastern Iran.

PubMed

Mostafavi, Ehsan; Pourhossein, Behzad; Esmaeili, Saber; Bagheri Amiri, Fahimeh; Khakifirouz, Sahar; Shah-Hosseini, Nariman; Tabatabaei, Seyed Mehdi

2017-11-01

Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) is a viral zoonotic disease. Butchers and slaughterhouse workers are considered to be high risk occupational groups for the disease. Sistan and Baluchistan province is an area in southeastern Iran which is endemic for CCHF, and the most confirmed cases of the disease are reported from this province. The aim of this study was to investigate the seroprevalence of CCHF and risk factors for seropositivity among them in Sistan and Baluchistan province in 2011. Questionnaire data and blood sample collection were carried out for each participant and the sera samples were sent to the national reference laboratory for ELISA IgG testing. In this study, the seroprevalence of CCHF among 190 butchers and slaughterhouse workers from 11 counties was 16.49%. 79% of participants were aware that they were at risk of zoonosis and 39.7% did not use any personal protective equipment during their work. Of 31 CCHF IgG positive individuals in this study, eleven individuals had a previous record of CCHF infection in 57 months prior to the study. High seroprevalence of CCHF among butchers and slaughterhouse workers and minimal use of personal protective equipment's during daily work indicates the need for training courses, for these groups to increase their knowledge, attitude and practice with respect to zoonosis. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Assessment of the knowledge and attitudes regarding HIV/AIDS among pre-clinical medical students in Israel

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Today’s medical students are the future physicians of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). It is therefore essential that medical students possess the appropriate knowledge and attitudes regarding PLWHA. This study aims to evaluate knowledge and attitudes of pre-clinical Israeli medical students and to assess whether their knowledge and attitudes change throughout their pre-clinical studies. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among all pre-clinical medical students from the four medical schools in Israel during the academic year of 2010/2011 (a total of 1,470 students). A self-administered questionnaire was distributed. The questionnaire sought student responses pertaining to knowledge of HIV transmission and non-transmission routes, basic knowledge of HIV/AIDS treatment and attitudes towards HIV/AIDS. Results The study’s response rate was 62.24 percent. Knowledge among pre-clinical medical students was generally high and showed a statistically significant improvement as students progressed through their pre-clinical studies. However, there were some misconceptions, mostly regarding HIV transmission via breastfeeding and knowledge of HIV prevention after exposure to the virus. Students’ attitudes were found to include stigmatizing notions. Furthermore, the majority of medical students correlated HIV with shame and fear. In addition, students’ attitudes toward HIV testing and providing confidential medical information were contradictory to health laws, protocols and guidelines. Overall, no positive changes in students’ attitudes were observed during the pre-clinical years of medical school. Conclusion The knowledge of pre-clinical medical students in Israel is generally high, although there are some knowledge inadequacies that require more emphasis in the curricula of the medical schools. Contrary to HIV-related knowledge, medical students’ attitudes are unaffected by their progression through medical school. Therefore, medical schools in Israel should modify their curricula to include teaching methods aimed at improving HIV-related attitudes and adherence to medical professionalism. PMID:24650351

Viable Farmer-Worker Relationships: A Study of Selected Cases in New York State in 1966. Bulletin 1019.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adams, Leonard P.; And Others

In an effort to understand the nationwide problem of recruitment, training, and retention of farm workers, 28 representative New York farm operators with a reputation for success in dealing with hired workers were interviewed in the summer of 1966. Information obtained included personal and educational characteristics, attitudes and aspirations,…

Women's perceptions of the quality of emergency obstetric care in a referral hospital in rural Tanzania.

PubMed

Stal, Karen Berit; Pallangyo, Pedro; van Elteren, Marianne; van den Akker, Thomas; van Roosmalen, Jos; Nyamtema, Angelo

2015-07-01

To assess perceptions of the quality of obstetric care of women who delivered in a rural Tanzanian referral hospital. A descriptive-exploratory qualitative study, using semistructured in-depth interviews and participatory observation. Nineteen recently delivered women and 3 health workers were interviewed. Although most women held positive views about the care they received in hospital, several participants expressed major concerns about negative attitudes of healthcare workers. Lack of medical communication given by care providers constituted a major complaint. A more positive attitude by health workers and the provision of adequate medical information may promote a more positive hospital experience of women in need of obstetric care and enhance attendance. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Effects of Teaching Health Care Workers on Diagnosis and Treatment of Pesticide Poisonings in Uganda.

PubMed

Sibani, Claudia; Jessen, Kristian Kjaer; Tekin, Bircan; Nabankema, Victoria; Jørs, Erik

2017-01-01

Acute pesticide poisoning in developing countries is a considerable problem, requiring diagnosis and treatment. This study describes how training of health care workers in Uganda affects their ability to diagnose and manage acute pesticide poisoning. A postintervention cross-sectional study was conducted using a standardized questionnaire. A total of 326 health care workers in Uganda were interviewed on knowledge and handling of acute pesticide poisoning. Of those, 173 health care workers had received training, whereas 153 untrained health care workers from neighboring regions served as controls. Trained health care workers scored higher on knowledge of pesticide toxicity and handling of acute pesticide poisoning. Stratification by sex, profession, experience, and health center level did not have any influence on the outcome. Training health care workers can improve their knowledge and treatment of pesticide poisonings. Knowledge of the subject is still insufficient among health care workers and further training is needed.

Students Enrolled in an Introductory Gerontology Course: Their Knowledge of and Attitudes toward Sexual Expression in Older Adults

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ewen, Heidi H.; Brown, Pamela S.

2012-01-01

Little is known about younger adults' attitudes towards age-related sexual changes and behaviors. Research using the Aging Sexuality Knowledge and Attitudes Scale (ASKAS) (White, 1982) has been effective in determining knowledge and attitudes among the staff of long-term care facilities, nurses, undergraduate nursing students, health care…

Construction of Knowledge, Attitude and Practice Questionnaire for Assessing Plagiarism

PubMed Central

Poorolajal, J; Cheraghi, P; Irani, A Doosti; Cheraghi, Z; Mirfakhraei, M

2012-01-01

Background This study was conducted to develop a questionnaire in order to evaluate knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) of the faculty members and students toward plagiarism. Methods: A KAP study was conducted from June to October 2011 enrolling 390 volunteers anonymously (response rate 96%). The questionnaire included the following four parts: (a) general characteristics like gender, academic degree and education level; (b) nine questions regarding knowledge (Min=0, Max=9); (c) nine questions regarding attitude (Min=9, Max=27); and (d) eight questions regarding practice (Min=0, Max=8). A pilot study was conducted to assess reliability of the questions regarding knowledge and attitude. Cronbach’s alpha coefficient for the knowledge and attitude questions was 0.70 and 0.74 respectively. Results: The overall prevalence of at least once plagiarism commission was 38% (SD=0.035). The overall mean score of knowledge, attitude and practice was 5.94 (SD=1.66), 24.12 (SD=2.99), and 0.66 (SD=1.15) respectively. Knowledge of plagiarism was significantly higher among higher academic degrees and females. Their negative attitude toward plagiarism was stronger too. No statistically significant difference regarding plagiarism commission was observed among different academic degrees in both sexes. According to linear regression analysis, plagiarism commission decreased 13% per one unit increase in score of knowledge (P=0.005) and 16% per one unit increase in score of attitude (P<0.001). Conclusions: This knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) questionnaire was developed as a standard tool in order to assess perception of subjects toward plagiarism and to estimate the prevalence and the type of plagiarism commission. PMID:23304676

Construction of knowledge, attitude and practice questionnaire for assessing plagiarism.

PubMed

Poorolajal, J; Cheraghi, P; Irani, A Doosti; Cheraghi, Z; Mirfakhraei, M

2012-01-01

This study was conducted to develop a questionnaire in order to evaluate knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) of the faculty members and students toward plagiarism. A KAP study was conducted from June to October 2011 enrolling 390 volunteers anonymously (response rate 96%). The questionnaire included the following four parts: (a) general characteristics like gender, academic degree and education level; (b) nine questions regarding knowledge (Min=0, Max=9); (c) nine questions regarding attitude (Min=9, Max=27); and (d) eight questions regarding practice (Min=0, Max=8). A pilot study was conducted to assess reliability of the questions regarding knowledge and attitude. Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the knowledge and attitude questions was 0.70 and 0.74 respectively. The overall prevalence of at least once plagiarism commission was 38% (SD=0.035). The overall mean score of knowledge, attitude and practice was 5.94 (SD=1.66), 24.12 (SD=2.99), and 0.66 (SD=1.15) respectively. Knowledge of plagiarism was significantly higher among higher academic degrees and females. Their negative attitude toward plagiarism was stronger too. No statistically significant difference regarding plagiarism commission was observed among different academic degrees in both sexes. According to linear regression analysis, plagiarism commission decreased 13% per one unit increase in score of knowledge (P=0.005) and 16% per one unit increase in score of attitude (P<0.001). This knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) questionnaire was developed as a standard tool in order to assess perception of subjects toward plagiarism and to estimate the prevalence and the type of plagiarism commission.

Why do workers behave unsafely at work? Determinants of safe work practices in industrial workers.

PubMed

Garcia, A M; Boix, P; Canosa, C

2004-03-01

To explore the relation between safety climate (workers' perceptions regarding management's attitudes towards occupational safety and health) and workers' behaviour at work. Cross sectional survey of workers at the pottery industry in Castellon, Spain. Sampling was stratified by plant size and workers' gender, according to data on the working population at this setting. A total of 734 production workers were interviewed. Information was collected on safety climate and workers' behaviour towards occupational risks with a specific questionnaire. A safety climate index (SCI, scale 0-100) was constructed adding scores for each item measuring safety climate in the questionnaire. Workers' unsafe behaviour was analysed for the different safety climate index levels. Mean score for SCI was 71.90 (SD 19.19). There were no differences in SCI scores according to age, gender, education, children at charge, seniority at work, or type of employment. Small workplaces (<50 workers) showed significantly worse SCI (mean 67.23, SD 19.73) than the largest factories (>200 workers). Lower levels of SCI (SCI <50) were related to workers' unsafe behaviours (full/high accord with the statement "I excessively expose myself to hazards in my work", adjusted odds ratio ORa 2.79, 95% CI 1.60 to 4.88), and to lack of compliance with safety rules (ORa 12.83, 95% CI 5.92 to 27.80). Safety climate measures workers' perception of organisational factors related to occupational health and safety (for example, management commitment to risk prevention or priorities of safety versus production). In this study these factors are strongly associated with workers' attitudes towards safety at work. Longitudinal studies can further clarify the relation between safety climate and workers' behaviour regarding occupational safety and health.

Current patient and healthcare worker attitudes to eHealth and the personally controlled electronic health record in major hospitals.

PubMed

Armani, R; Mitchell, L E; Allen-Graham, J; Heriot, N R; Kotsimbos, T; Wilson, J W

2016-06-01

The current health system in Australia is comprised of both electronic- and paper-based medical records. The Federal Government has approved funding for the development of an individual health identifier and a universally adopted online health repository. To determine attitudes and beliefs of patients and healthcare workers regarding the use of stored medical information and the personally controlled electronic health record (PCEHR) in selected major hospitals in Victoria. Qualitative survey of patients and healthcare workers (n = 600 each group) conducted during 2014 across five major hospitals in Melbourne to measure the awareness, attitudes and barriers to electronic health and the PCEHR. Of the patients, 93.3% support the concept of a shared electronic healthcare record, 33.7% were aware of the PCEHR and only 11% had registered. The majority of healthcare workers believed that the presence of a shared health record would result in an increased appropriateness of care and patient safety by reducing adverse drug events and improving the timeliness of care provided. However, only 46% of healthcare workers were aware of the PCEHR. This study provides a baseline evaluation of perceptions surrounding eHealth and PCHER in acute health services in five metropolitan centres. While there appears to be a readiness for adoption of these strategies for healthcare documentation, patients require motivation to register for the PCEHR, and healthcare workers require more information on the potential benefits to them to achieve more timely and efficient care. © 2016 Royal Australasian College of Physicians.

Nursing students' knowledge and attitudes toward urinary incontinence: A cross-sectional survey.

PubMed

Luo, Yan; Parry, Monica; Huang, Yan-Jin; Wang, Xiu-Hua; He, Guo-Ping

2016-05-01

Nurses must have adequate knowledge to manage the complexities of urinary incontinence. Nursing students are the nurses of the future, yet little is known about urinary incontinence education in undergraduate nursing programs. The aim of this study was (a) to assess the knowledge and attitudes of urinary incontinence held by undergraduate nursing students in China and (b) to explore the relationship between knowledge, attitudes and socio-demographic characteristics. A cross-sectional survey using cluster random sampling. Undergraduate departments of Nursing within the Faculty of Health Sciences at six Universities, located in different areas of China. A random selection of 6 faculties with a total of 1313 full time undergraduate nursing students completed the survey. Self-reported data were collected using two validated questionnaires, the Urinary Incontinence Knowledge Scale and the Urinary Incontinence Attitude Scale, to access students' knowledge and attitudes toward urinary incontinence. Overall urinary incontinence knowledge was poor (49.9%, 15.0/30) and attitudes about urinary incontinence were generally positive (71.7%, 43.0/60). A high level of interest in learning more about urinary incontinence was found. There was a weak correlation between urinary incontinence knowledge and attitudes (r=0.135, p<0.01). There was also a significant positive correlation between urinary incontinence knowledge and attitudes and nursing students' year of study, urinary incontinence education and training, and formal clinical practicum experience in urology (p<0.05). Chinese nursing students showed poor urinary incontinence knowledge but generally positive attitudes toward urinary incontinence. This study suggests there is a need to examine urinary incontinence content throughout undergraduate nursing curricula in China. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Three-Lesson Teaching Unit Significantly Increases High School Students’ Knowledge about Epilepsy and Positively Influences Their Attitude towards This Disease

PubMed Central

Simon, Uwe K.; Gesslbauer, Lisa; Fink, Andreas

2016-01-01

Epilepsy is not a regular topic in many countries’ schools. Thus many people harbor misconceptions about people suffering from this disease. It was our aim to a) examine what grade ten students know and believe about epilepsy, and b) to develop and test a teaching unit to improve their knowledge and attitude. The test group comprised eight grade ten classes from six different Austrian high schools (54 girls and 51 boys aged 14–17), the control group (no intervention) five grade ten classes from the same schools (26 girls and 37 boys aged 14–17). The teaching unit consisted of three 45-min lessons using different methods and material. Changes in knowledge about and attitude towards epilepsy as a result of the intervention were psychometrically assessed in a pre-test intervention post-test design (along with a follow-up assessment two months after the intervention) by means of a questionnaire capturing different facets of epilepsy-related knowledge and attitude. Across all knowledge/attitude domains, students of the test group had a significantly improved knowledge about and a more positive attitude towards epilepsy and people suffering from it after the teaching unit. However, starting levels were different between the five knowledge/attitude domains tested. Medical background knowledge was lowest and consequently associated with the highest increase after the intervention. This study shows that epilepsy-related knowledge of many grade ten high school students is fragmentary and that some harbor beliefs and attitudes which require improvement. Our comprehensive but concise teaching unit significantly increased knowledge about epilepsy and positively influenced attitude towards individuals with epilepsy. Thus we recommend implementing this unit into regular school curricula. PMID:26919557