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Biomedical subjects

R Hornik

Publications and source records attributed to R Hornik.

7 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2001

Care seeking in Sri Lanka: one possible explanation for low childhood mortality.

This paper examines care-seeking practices of mother caretakers with children less than five years of age in a rural district of Sri Lanka. The study was carried out from June to September 1998, documenting care-seeking practices of mother caretakers in a population of 2248 children in 60 villages. Of the five targeted diseases in the IMCI programme (Integrated Management of Childhood Illnesses) that were the focus of the study, acute respiratory infections (82.0%) and diarrhoea (14.8%) were predominant. Although malnutrition was highly prevalent it was not recognised by mother caretakers as an illness. Findings show that in 65.0% of illness episodes in children the mother caretakers sought outside care and treatment. Caretakers sought treatment from both private and public sectors with the majority seeking care in the private sector. Care seeking of mother caretakers was driven by symptomology. Young children with higher perceived severity and high-risk symptoms were brought to provider care more frequently, although a large percentage of episodes with low-risk symptoms were also brought for outside care. Care seeking was similar across socio-economic groups. The study points out that high care seeking of mother caretakers in Sri Lanka, particularly for illnesses with acute high-risk symptoms and signs, is a plausible explanation for the low level of childhood mortality despite the prevalence of a high rate of malnutrition.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1992

HIV education for youth: the importance of social consensus in behaviour change.

Most theories of health education focus on change in the knowledge, beliefs, and skills of individuals as causes of behaviour change. We argue that this neglects the important contribution of the social environment in supporting healthier behaviour, and we describe a model of social consensus that allows alternative routes for educational influence at both individual and social levels. This model assumes that basic knowledge and skills for avoiding health threats may not be sufficient for behaviour change unless socially-mediated influences that can inhibit behaviour change are addressed. This is especially crucial given the nature of HIV infection and the controversy surrounding its discussion. We illustrate the potential for social influences to have played a role in inhibiting the adoption of safer sexual behaviour in young people, and use our model to analyse young people's responses to the epidemic as documented in available research. The analysis also suggests possible educational strategies to overcome social obstacles in the future.

Denial, Psychological↗
PubMed1988

A descriptive analysis of infant social referencing.

The study was designed to provide a descriptive analysis of the frequency and patterning of social referencing in a seminaturalistic setting. 32 infants, half of them 12 and half 18 months old, were observed exploring a caged rabbit with their mothers present. Referencing was operationalized as looks directed toward the mother following a look to the rabbit, accompanied by quizzical facial or vocal expressions. As a function of initial reaction to the rabbit, the infants were classified as wary or bold. Wary infants were more likely to reference their mothers when the rabbit was first presented; however, as the exploration period progressed, bold and wary infants referenced equally often. Referencing occurred less often than affective sharing; it increased in frequency when the mother was instructed to actively offer information and the infant no longer needed to solicit information by looking at her. Mothers directed both affective and instrumental information to their infants, providing affective information through facial expressions and tone of voice, and emphasizing instrumental information in the semantic content of their vocalizations.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The impact of the Healthcom mass media campaign on timely initiation of breastfeeding in Jordan.

Initiation of breastfeeding within several hours after a child's birth increases the likelihood of exclusive breastfeeding and longer duration of breastfeeding. However, common beliefs among mothers and health-care providers and routine hospital practices can constrain timely breastfeeding initiation. This article examines the impact of a mass media breastfeeding campaign in Jordan within the context of other activities occurring during and after the child's birth. The campaign had a positive impact on all mothers' knowledge, and on timely initiation of breastfeeding for home and public hospital deliveries, but not for those in private hospitals. The findings indicate that a communication campaign can bring about change in breastfeeding initiation behavior, but that providing mothers with information should be but one part of an integrated program to ensure that hospital and midwife policies and practices support timely initiation.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Evaluating the program effects of a radio drama about AIDS in Zambia.

This study describes an approach to the analysis of data that is designed to isolate program effects for evaluations and applies that approach to a program in Zambia designed to disseminate AIDS information. Evidence is considered that a radio drama broadcast for nine months had an impact on knowledge and behavior related to AIDS among Bemba speakers in northern Zambia. Using results from large sample surveys (1,600 men and women), conducted before and after the drama was broadcast, the analyses compare changes in knowledge and behavior in those most likely and least likely to have listened to the broadcast. While the population as a whole had improved its knowledge substantially, and some people reported having reduced risky behavior, attributing these changes to the program itself was not possible.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗