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Results for “Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice”

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PubMed2006

Predictors of course satisfaction and perceived course impact of addiction nurses undertaking a postgraduate diploma in addictive behaviour.

The effectiveness and impact of continuing education for specialist nurses working with drug and alcohol had been poorly documented and the purpose of this study was to enhance our understanding of this process. The aims of the study were to identify predictors of course satisfaction and perceived course impact and to examine students' satisfaction with modules' learning outcomes and their applications to practice. This study was a cross-sectional survey of 46 part-time students enrolled a Postgraduate Diploma in Addictive Behaviour. Three instruments were used to measure modules' satisfaction, post-course satisfaction (PCSQ-18) and on-the-job impact (CIQ-17). The findings provided some support on the effect and impact of an educational programme on the practice development of addiction nurses. Within the multilayered hypothesis, the results indicate that expectations on the Health Education and Prevention Module were the only significant predictor of course satisfaction and Expectation of the Special Population Module was the only significant predictor of course impact on professional practice. Clinical placements have had a significant impact on professional practice of addiction nurses. Further evaluative studies need to be undertaken to examine the impact of educational programmes on its applications to clinical practice and the quality of care provided.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Using Theraplay in shelter settings with mothers & children who have experienced violence in the home.

This article describes a group program for women and children exposed to violence in the home. The program is primarily based on Theraplay, an attachment-based intervention approach for working with both adults and children who have a variety of emotional and behavioral difficulties. The theoretical and research bases, as well as the guiding principles of Theraplay, will be outlined and discussed, and the rationale for its application to a shelter setting will be highlighted. Finally, the benefits of and challenges to implementing such a program and the implications for practice and further evaluation will be explored.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Health literacy within the reality of immigrants' culture and language.

The Second Canadian Conference on Literacy and Health addressed issues of health literacy, culture, and linguistic diversity. This article aims to introduce the presenters' ideas, reports of the learners' discussion, and attendees' recommendations. There is also a literature review of the links between health literacy and use of health services among newcomers in Canada. Newcomers to Canada tend to be unfamiliar with the Canadian health care system in terms of navigating needed services and/or seeking health-related information. Health professionals report difficulties in communicating effectively with these populations about risk-taking behaviours. Educational resources and approaches only partially reach people from cultural minorities. E-health information does little for those with language and literacy limitations. Barriers to accessing information, specifically written material, are widely reported. Consequently, many ethnocultural groups do not participate in health promotion initiatives. Among newcomers to Canada, the problems of adapting to a new health culture are linked to both a lack of information about the new health care available and subsequently their experience with that health care system. There is also a structural barrier. It includes lack of access to preventive health care services and the lack of a formal and informal support network. This results in less effective use of these preventive services. Linguistic, religious, and cultural factors contribute to the newcomers' social isolation. Multidisciplinary work to enhance health literacy and awareness about health and healthy lifestyles will permit ethnocultural populations to develop their potential and more fully enjoy their lives in Canada. Simultaneously, health educators should have the opportunity to realize their limitations and challenges in dealing with the complexity of providing health education to this population. There remain gaps in our knowledge about the access and use of health services by subpopulations from different cultural groups in terms of their gender, learning practices, ways of navigating services, and help-seeking behaviours.

Canada↗
PubMed2006

Health promotion and health education with particular emphasis on bone diseases among rural population in Poland.

Osteoporosis and osteoarthrosis are the most common diseases of bone tissue affecting both rural and urban populations. The aim of the study was to investigate the level of education and requirement for health promotion within the scope of common diseases of the skeletal system among rural population in Poland. This was an exploratory study with a cross-sectional design performed between May 2004-September 2005 in rural areas of 16 Voivodeships (main provinces) of Poland. The study population comprised of 404 (62.9%) rural women and 238 (37.1%) rural men (total 642). All subjects were randomly sampled and recruited by personal contact in primary health care centres. Study data were obtained using a specially prepared questionnaire. The most commonly reported diseases were: arterial hypertension (26.1%), joint degenerative disease (24.6%) and osteoarthritis (14.7%). The occurrence of osteoarthritis and joint degenerative disease increased with age and was highest in the group aged over 50 (21% and 38.7% respectively). Osteoarthitis was more frequent in women compared to men (16% and 12.2% respectively). In most cases, the basic information about methods of prevention and treatment given by a General Practitioner or a specialist was characterized as "satisfactory" (73.6% and 62.9% respectively). The most popular prophylactic action performed in local communities was bone densitometry (14.1%), and the most important source of knowledge - TV and radio (65%). Populations living in rural areas have limited access to health education and health prophylaxis actions, irrespective of the geographical region of Poland. Inhabitants with secondary or higher education, as well as those with a higher household income, have better knowledge about skeletal system diseases compared to those with a lower educational level. The practical implications of this study suggest the necessity for paying more attention to etiology, symptoms and methods of prevention and treatment of bone diseases when attending to patients in specialist practice.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Preparation for cancer care: perceptions of newly qualified health care professionals.

The present paper is derived from a larger survey which examined the perceptions of recently qualified health care professionals' experience on evidence-based practice, team working and cancer care. This study reports solely on the findings relating to cancer care. The perceptions of recently qualified professionals in relation to their initial educational input on issues such as confidence, anxiety, communication skills and practice in cancer care as well as adequacy of support, professional supervision and use of reflection were gathered using a cross-sectional postal survey design. A total of 50 graduates from each professional category in nursing, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, and social work were sampled yielding a total sample of 200. Eighty-five questionnaires were returned yielding a response rate of 43%. Twenty-eight (33%) respondents stated that they were currently involved in working with people with cancer. These were as follows: 5 nurses, 8 physiotherapists, 9 occupational therapists and 6 social workers. Despite the low response rate, the findings suggest that health care professionals' educational input and experiences of working with people with cancer were overall positive; for example, in the respondents' confidence, communication skills, decrease in anxiety and application of knowledge gained in classroom to professional practice. Moreover, most respondents learnt about caring for cancer patients through practice rather than classroom teaching. A high percentage (i.e. 64%;18) across all groups felt supported when caring for people with cancer and reported receiving professional supervision as well as being able to actively reflect on their practice. The implications for education and practice were discussed particularly as there have been few studies conducted in relation to the specific needs and collaborative learning of these health care professional groups.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗
PubMed2005

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders prevention: an exploratory study of women's use of, attitudes toward, and knowledge about alcohol.

PURPOSE: The incidence of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) is increasing, even though it is 100% preventable. This study examined use of, knowledge about, and attitudes toward alcohol of women requesting emergency contraception (EC) and/or a pregnancy test, and evaluated whether a brief intervention would be effective in educating them about the risks of FASD. DATA SOURCES: Fifty women from two outpatient clinics participated. Information was collected on demographic and personal health habits, alcohol use, and knowledge of and attitudes toward alcohol. As a brief intervention to increase knowledge about FASD, participants read a short pamphlet about the risks of alcohol exposure in pregnancy and then completed a post-test questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, including means, standard deviations, and skewness, were calculated for all variables. Pearson correlations were computed to assess relationships between demographic/lifestyle variables and attitudes toward and knowledge about alcohol. Paired t-tests were used to analyze the relationship between pretest and post-test knowledge scores. CONCLUSIONS: The majority of participants were single (76%), college educated (94%), and received EC at the clinic visit (60%). The average age was 24 years. Slightly over half (52%) reported drinking beer at least once a week, with one to six cans on occasion. Younger women expressed more tolerant attitudes toward alcohol use (p= .02) and drank significantly more beer on occasion (p= .015). Women who reported drinking alcohol when they last had sex were significantly (p= .017) less tolerant in their attitudes toward alcohol use. The intervention used in this study was effective in communicating knowledge about FASD to this population (p < .0001). IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: These findings suggest that young women may be engaging in behaviors that could put potential offspring at risk for exposure to alcohol. Clinicians are advised to take a thorough history to determine alcohol use in all women of childbearing age and to provide information regarding FASD prevention.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Improving breastfeeding knowledge, attitudes, and practices of WIC clinic staff.

OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to assess the impact of a breastfeeding promotion clinic environment project implemented by the state of Mississippi on breastfeeding knowledge, attitudes, and practices of WIC clinic staff. METHODS: Thirteen pairs of matched intervention and comparison WIC clinics participated in the study. Clinical and administrative staff completed pre-test and post-test self-administered questionnaires in 1998 and 1999. RESULTS: A total of 397 staff members provided pre-test data, and 277 staff members provided post-test data. Before project implementation, the intervention and comparison groups were similar overall. The majority of staff had positive attitudes/beliefs about breastfeeding, but gaps in knowledge and practices were noted. Post-test data showed that the project improved knowledge, attitudes/beliefs, and confidence/practice of intervention clinic staff. CONCLUSIONS: Clinic environment projects, which combine physical improvements and staff training, are effective in promoting support for breastfeeding among public health clinic staff. Similar interventions may contribute to the overall effectiveness of breastfeeding promotion programs.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗
PubMed2006

Factors influencing Hong Kong Chinese patients' decision-making in seeking early treatment for acute myocardial infarction.

The purpose of this study was to identify, through in-depth interview, factors that influenced 27 Hong Kong Chinese patients' decision-making in seeking early treatment for acute myocardial infarction (AMI). The median delay time from the onset of symptoms to arrival at the hospital was 15.6 hours for men and 53.7 hours for women. Three major categories emerged from the data: (a) becoming aware of the threat, (b) maintaining a sense of normality, and (c) struggling to mobilize resources. A variety of decisions were made by patients from the onset of chest pain to seeking help. These decisions were heavily influenced by healthcare factors (access to emergency medical service (EMS) and treatment), personal factors (cognitive interpretations of symptoms), sociocultural factors (family situation, cultural beliefs, and practices), and coping strategies.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed2005

A diabetes intervention program of physical activity carried out at primary care settings in Mexico.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to document physical activity (PA) of migrant Mexican women with type 2 diabetes who have participated in diabetes intervention programs at a primary care level. METHODS: One hundred out of 133 women of seven diabetes education groups from different Mexican institutions located in the city of Tijuana were invited to participate in the study. A PA history questionnaire was completed weekly. Metabolic Equivalents (METs) were used to calculate physical activity level (PAL). RESULTS: Forty percent were classified as overweight and 31% as obese. Six percent of the women performed more than 150 min of moderate/vigorous weekly PA, while more than 80 min of weekly PA was reported by 73% of the population. There was no difference in frequency and intensity of PA between the participants from both institutions. The main indoor activities were cooking, dish washing, clothes washing and cleaning, and the main outdoor activities were walking, semi-active exercise and running. CONCLUSIONS: The majority of these migrant women who participated in the diabetes intervention program seem to engage in the minimum recommended levels of PA. In a country like Mexico, where its public health care system is facing huge economic constraints, PA counseling done in a primary health care practice may be a cost-effective approach.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed2001

Adolescent girls, illegal abortions and "sugar-daddies" in Dar es Salaam: vulnerable victims and active social agents.

Adolescent girls' early sexual activity, early pregnancy, induced abortions and the increase in HIV infections have become major concerns in Sub-Saharan Africa. Efforts, though, to understand their sexual behaviour and to prevent reproductive health problems are almost non-existent. Adolescent girls are normally seen as victims and easy preys of (often older and married) men's sexual exploitation. This article, which is based on a qualitative study of 51 adolescent girls who had just had an illegal abortion in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, reveals that these girls are not only victims but also willing preys and active social agents engaging in high-risk sexual behaviour. In order to get material benefits they expose themselves to serious health risks, including induced abortion - without realising their own vulnerability. In our study, one out of four girls had more than one partner at the time they became pregnant, and many counted on an illegally induced abortion if they got pregnant. Even if adolescents are now allowed free access to family planning information, education and services, our study shows that this remains in the realm of theory rather than practice. Moreover, most adolescent girls are not aware about their right to such services. The paper concludes that the vulnerability of adolescent girls increases without the recognition that sexuality education and contraceptive services do not constitute a licence to practice illicit sex - but rather a means to create more mature and responsible attitudes and to increase sexual and reproductive health.

Abortion, Illegal↗
PubMed2000

An evaluation of skills acquisition on the WHO/UNICEF Breastfeeding Management Course using the pre-validated Breastfeeding Support Skills Tool (BeSST).

OBJECTIVE: To test the hypothesis that midwives who had completed the 20-hour WHO/UNICEF Breastfeeding Management Course would score significantly higher on a validated, quantitative measure of breast-feeding support skills, the Breastfeeding Support Skills Tool (BeSST), than a control group of midwives who had not undertaken the course. DESIGN: Breast feeding support skills were assessed using a between-subjects design conducted in midwives who had not attended the course and at two weeks following the 20 hour course. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: Two groups, consisting of 13 pre- and 15 post-course midwives, were compared. The research was carried out at four hospital sites in the UK, three of which had undertaken the 20 hour course and one which had not adopted the course. FINDINGS: Scores on the BeSST were significantly higher in the post-course group (mean = 29.9) than in the pre-course group (mean = 19.8), t (23.39) = 2.94, P < 0.01. KEY CONCLUSIONS: It is clear that breast-feeding support skills, as demonstrated by the BeSST, are significantly improved two weeks following the 20-hour WHO/UNICEF Breastfeeding Management Course. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: By demonstrating the effectiveness of the 20-hour course in teaching breast-feeding support skills, additional hospitals may be encouraged to adopt the course and thereby contribute further to the advancement of optimum breast-feeding practices. Furthermore, this approach to assessment may be transferred to other areas of midwifery practice enabling the effective evaluation of courses and assessment of student learning.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Experiencing transitions: an emerging middle-range theory.

Changes in health and illness of individuals create a process of transition, and clients in transition tend to be more vulnerable to risks that may in turn affect their health. Uncovering these risks may be enhanced by understanding the transition process. As a central concept of nursing, transition has been analyzed, its components identified, and a framework to articulate and to reflect the relationship between these components has been defined. In this article, the previous conceptual analysis of transitions is extended and refined by drawing on the results of five different research studies that have examined transitions using an integrative approach to theory development. The emerging middle-range theory of transitions consists of types and patterns of transitions, properties of transition experiences, facilitating and inhibiting conditions, process indicators, outcome indicators, and nursing therapeutics. The diversity, complexity, and multiple dimensionality of transition experiences need to be further explored and incorporated in future research and nursing practice related to transitions.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed2000

Assessing community change at multiple levels: the genesis of an evaluation framework for the California Healthy Cities Project.

More than 40 cities have participated in the California Healthy Cities Project since its inception in 1988. Because Healthy Cities efforts are community driven, these cities address diverse health and social issues using a wide variety of strategies. This complexity, in addition to the usual difficulties associated with evaluating community interventions, creates many challenges for evaluation. Given the community building and process orientation of Healthy Cities, it may be most appropriate to measure intermediate community changes that have been linked to health outcomes in previous research or, at a minimum, theoretically. The California Healthy Cities evaluation framework conceptualizes change at five levels: individual, civic participation, organizational, interorganizational, and community. The framework, developed collaboratively with Healthy Cities participants, attempts to synthesize current thinking and practice on evaluation of community projects by applying concepts from community capacity/competence, social ecology, and urban planning.

California↗
PubMed1998

Clinical practice guidelines: a tool to help provide quality care.

Significant variability of medical care exists in the United States that cannot be readily explained on the basis of severity of illness, patient demographics, or clinical necessity. One approach to promoting appropriate decision-making is to make the most recent and relevant information available to physicians in a practice guideline. Physicians are most likely to accept practice guidelines that address a specific need, are supported with scientific evidence, and offer the potential for improving patient outcomes. The implementation of a clinical practice guideline and its impact on the care of patients with uncontrolled hypertension are described.

Aged↗
PubMed2005

Using action research in nursing practice with older people: democratizing knowledge.

AIM: This paper reports on an action research study which raised some questions about the processes of developing a sense of shared ownership in action research in a research environment which does not always have the appropriate mechanisms to support and sustain action research. BACKGROUND: Action research has gained popularity in nursing and healthcare research, offering a way of developing practice-based knowledge, which can assist in changing practice and democratizing inquiry. METHODS: There are other organizational constraints on action research which arise at different levels, and which also require discussion. These can be issues about communication and ownership at a practice level and issues of funding and project management procedures. This paper reports on a study in which these issues came to the fore, and offers some thoughts on how they can affect the processes of action research. CONCLUSION: While the principles of action research appear to offer much towards the development of a practice-rooted body of knowledge for nursing, unless some of the issues of ownership are resolved, it is unlikely to move beyond academic rhetoric. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: If nursing is to engage in action research, this must be done critically and reflectively and careful attention paid to developing an inclusive and collaborative approach to knowledge and practice development. Furthermore, to develop in nursing and health care research, it must find ways to meet the requirements of funding bodies.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed2000

Acute-care nurses' attitudes towards older patients: a literature review.

With increases in life expectancy and increasing numbers of older patients utilising the acute setting, attitudes of registered nurses caring for older people may affect the quality of care provided. This paper reviews recent research on positive and negative attitudes of acute-care nurses towards older people. Many negative attitudes reflect ageist streotypes and knowledge deficits that significantly influence registered nurses' practice and older patients' quality of care. In the acute setting, older patients experience reduced independence, limited decision-making opportunities, increased probability of developing complications, little consideration of their ageing-related needs, limited health education and social isolation. Available instruments to measure attitudes towards and knowledge about older people, although reliable and valid, are outdated, country-specific and do not include either a patient-focus or a caring perspective. This paper argues for the development and utilisation of a research instrument that includes both a patient focus and a caring dimension.

Aged↗