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At least 865 records · Page 48Linked to original sources
PubMed1997

Extremely low awareness of AIDS, sexually transmitted diseases and condoms among Dai ethnic villagers in Yunnan province, China.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the awareness of AIDS, other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), condoms, sources of health information and HIV-related societal risks among Dai villagers in southern Yunnan Province, China. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: In November-December 1994, a cross-sectional descriptive study, comprising a questionnaire-based survey and focus group discussions, was conducted in three Dai villages in Mengla county; a total of 177 Dai villagers were interviewed in the survey and eight focus group discussions were held. Ethnographic observations provided a composite picture of HIV risks in the area. RESULTS: Only 18% of respondents had heard of AIDS, and only 25 and 28%, respectively, had heard of STDs or condoms. Furthermore, among these more aware groups, the level of knowledge was low and misconceptions were common. An ability to understand the official language (Mandarin) was the most important predictor of awareness of AIDS, other STDs or condoms. The sources of information in the three Dai villages sampled included TV, videos, radio and magazines, but only TV and videos had a large audience. Even so, these media were mostly in Mandarin and were not used in AIDS education. Travel outside of China was frequent; most villagers (77%) had traveled to Laos and 9% had traveled to Thailand. Societal risks of HIV transmission, such as an increasing incidence of STDs and an active sex industry, were observed in this area. CONCLUSIONS: Dai villagers in southern Yunnan Province had an extremely low awareness and knowledge of AIDS, other STDs and condoms. Given the high mobility of ethnic villagers to neighboring countries in Southeast Asia and the societal risks of HIV transmission in this area, there is an urgent need to provide accessible education about AIDS and other STDs. Suggestions regarding such health education and the implications of HIV policy-making are discussed.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Women's awareness of, and attitudes towards, hormone replacement therapy: ethnic differences and effects of age and education.

To investigate ethnic differences and the effect of age and education on awareness and attitudes of women towards hormone replacement therapy (HRT), we conducted a questionnaire survey of 180 women attending a gynaecology clinic, of whom 152 (84.4%) responded. Seventy-one of the women had heard of HRT. Awareness of HRT was higher in the 50-59 year age group and in women with higher education, but lower in Indo-Asian women than in white and black/Afro-Caribbean women. Friends, relatives and the media were important sources of information (apart from the doctor), especially among the younger age groups. The women themselves ranked their overall understanding of HRT as 'low'; 78% felt they did not know enough about the subject. A distorted perception of benefits/risks associated with HRT was also noted--cardiovascular protection was not appreciated, whereas there was an excessive fear of breast cancer. Twenty-eight per cent of the menopausal, postmenopausal and hysterectomised women surveyed were current HRT users. We conclude that factors such as ethnicity, age and educational level have an impact on women's awareness of and attitudes towards HRT. Some confusion about the real benefits/risks still exists, which probably accounts for low acceptance of this treatment, and suggests that clinicians prescribing HRT need to be aware of these problems.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Cervical cancer awareness and risk factors among female university students.

Population cervical screening programmes are necessary for meaningfully reducing cervical cancer morbidity and mortality. Because of the high incidence of cervical cancer in South Africa, the need for a national screening programme has become evident. The success of such a programme will depend on, among others, the level of cervical cancer awareness among the target population, and their willingness to utilise cytological services and to comply with treatment and follow up protocols. We conducted a survey among female university students, as an elite group of women, to determine their level of cervical cancer awareness and the prevalence of the major risk factors for cervical cancer among them, their rate of utilisation of existing Pap smear services, and their attitudes to Pap smears in general. The majority of respondents were young, single (93.0%) and sexually active (86.9%,) having initiated sexual activity at a mean age of 17.27 +/- 2.18 years. There was a high prevalence of the major risk factors for cervical cancer among the respondents, and these included initiation of coitus before 18 years (53.3%), multiple sexual partners (73.6%), male partner with other partners (37.7%), and previous history of sexually transmitted diseases (42.2%) and vulval warts (4.7%). Their overall knowledge of cervical cancer was poor, although the majority of respondents were able to identify the major risk factors from a given list. This level of awareness of cervical cancer risk factors, however, did not translate into appreciation of personal risk of cervical cancer, safer sex practices or utilisation of Pap smear services. In conclusion, this elite group of women is at a high risk of cervical cancer and would benefit from cervical screening programmes. This would have to be coupled with measures to increase the level of awareness and knowledge of cervical cancer and its prevention.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2003

Awareness, knowledge, and attitudes of older americans about high blood pressure: implications for health care policy, education, and research.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of high blood pressure (HBP), particularly isolated systolic hypertension, rises with age, whereas control rates decline. METHODS: Since awareness, knowledge, and attitudes about HBP can influence control, information on these factors was obtained by telephone interview of a nationally representative sample of 1503 adults 50 years or older. RESULTS: Among Americans 50 years or older, 94% had at least one blood pressure (BP) measurement during the past year, yet 46% did not know their BP. Only 27% acknowledged current HBP, although 37% reported taking antihypertensive medications. Systolic hypertension was probably underrecognized, since 30% who reported a value of 140 mm Hg or higher indicated they did not have HBP. Among those acknowledging current HBP, 80% reported taking medications "precisely as prescribed." Of the approximately 20% of hypertensive patients no longer taking medications or taking fewer medications than prescribed, cost was a major factor in approximately 1 in 5 or roughly 4% of the total. Sixty percent of patients receiving treatment indicated that medications alone do not control HBP. Most survey respondents (>or=90%) concurred that several lifestyle changes lower BP; 75% reported a lifestyle change; and 61% indicated it lowered their BP. When asked what HBP information was most important, 34% reported alternative therapies and 28% reported prevention strategies. CONCLUSIONS: Limited awareness of systolic hypertension emerges as a greater barrier to BP control than cost of medications in Americans 50 years or older. Many older Americans prefer to integrate traditional, complementary, and alternative strategies. Education addressing limited awareness of systolic hypertension, policies facilitating a more holistic management approach, and research identifying the most effective innovations may improve outcomes.

Age Factors↗
PubMed2003

Trends in prevalence, awareness, treatment, and control of hypertension in the United States, 1988-2000.

CONTEXT: Prior analyses of National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data through 1991 have suggested that hypertension prevalence is declining, but more recent self-reported rates of hypertension suggest that the rate is increasing. OBJECTIVE: To describe trends in the prevalence, awareness, treatment, and control of hypertension in the United States using NHANES data. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Survey using a stratified multistage probability sample of the civilian noninstitutionalized population. The most recent NHANES survey, conducted in 1999-2000 (n = 5448), was compared with the 2 phases of NHANES III conducted in 1988-1991 (n = 9901) and 1991-1994 (n = 9717). Individuals aged 18 years or older were included in this analysis. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Hypertension, defined as a measured blood pressure of 140/90 mm Hg or greater or reported use of antihypertensive medications. Hypertension awareness and treatment were assessed with standardized questions. Hypertension control was defined as treatment with antihypertensive medication and a measured blood pressure of less than 140/90 mm Hg. RESULTS: In 1999-2000, 28.7% of NHANES participants had hypertension, an increase of 3.7% (95% confidence interval [CI], 0%-8.3%) from 1988-1991. Hypertension prevalence was highest in non-Hispanic blacks (33.5%), increased with age (65.4% among those aged > or =60 years), and tended to be higher in women (30.1%). In a multiple regression analysis, increasing age, increasing body mass index, and non-Hispanic black race/ethnicity were independently associated with increased rates of hypertension. Overall, in 1999-2000, 68.9% were aware of their hypertension (nonsignificant decline of -0.3%; 95% CI, -4.2% to 3.6%), 58.4% were treated (increase of 6.0%; 95% CI, 1.2%-10.8%), and hypertension was controlled in 31.0% (increase of 6.4%; 95% CI, 1.6%-11.2%). Women, Mexican Americans, and those aged 60 years or older had significantly lower rates of control compared with men, younger individuals, and non-Hispanic whites. CONCLUSIONS: Contrary to earlier reports, hypertension prevalence is increasing in the United States. Hypertension control rates, although improving, continue to be low. Programs targeting hypertension prevention and treatment are of utmost importance.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Awareness and barriers to use of cancer support and information resources by HMO patients with breast, prostate, or colon cancer: patient and provider perspectives.

This study assessed patient awareness and use--as well as obstacles to use--of HMO- and community-based psychosocial support services designed for cancer patients. Participants were a randomly selected group of patients from a large Northwest HMO, with breast (N=145), prostate (N=151), or colon cancer (N=72), and their oncology and urology providers (N=29). Patient awareness was highest for HMO-based services (68-90%) and lower for community- (33%) or Internet-based (10-14%) services, and use rates were low across all services (range 2-8%). Providers reported referring 70% of their patients to HMO cancer support services, but their estimates of actual patient use of these services (40%) were inflated. Providers reported few barriers to referring patients to support services. The most commonly reported patient barriers to using such services were already having adequate support, lack of awareness of the service, and lack of provider referral. Results of regression analyses suggest that education, physician referral, social support, and spirituality may be important influences on use of cancer support services. This study takes a first step toward understanding patient use of existing cancer support services and suggests ways to increase participation in these services.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Parallels between perception without attention and perception without awareness.

Do studies of perception without awareness and studies of perception without attention address a similar underlying concept of awareness? To answer this question, we compared qualitative differences in performance across variations in stimulus quality (i.e., short vs. long prime-mask stimulus onset asynchrony) with qualitative differences in performance across variations in the direction of attention (i.e., focused vs. divided). The qualitative differences were based on three different phenomena: Stroop priming, false recognition, and exclusion failure. In all cases, variations in stimulus quality and variations in the direction of attention led to parallel findings. These results suggest that perception with and without awareness and perception with and without attention are equivalent ways of describing the same underlying process distinction.

Attention↗
PubMed1997

The functional neuroanatomy of awareness: with a focus on the role of various anatomical systems in the control of intermodal attention.

This review considers a number of recent theories on the neural basis of consciousness, with particular attention to the theories of Bogen, Crick, Llinás, Newman, and Changeux. These theories allot different roles to various key brain areas, in particular the reticular and intralaminar nuclei of the thalamus and the cortex. Crick's hypothesis is that awareness is a function of reverberating corticothalamic loops and that the spotlight of intramodal attention is controlled by the reticular nucleus of the thalamus. He also proposed different mechanisms for attention and intention ("will"). The current review presents a new hypothesis, based on elements from these hypotheses, including intermodal attention and olfaction and pain, which may pose problems for Crick's original theory. This work reviews the possible role in awareness and intermodal attention and intention of the cholinergic system in the basal forebrain and the tegmentum; the reticular, the intralaminar, and the dorsomedial thalamic nuclei; the raphe and locus coeruleus; the reticular formation; the ventral striatum and extended amygdala; insula cortex, and other selected cortical, areas. Both clinical and basic research data are covered. The conclusion is reached that the brain may work by largely nonlinear parallel processing and much intramodal shifts of attention may be effected by intracortical, or multiple corticothalamic mechanisms (small local "flashlights" rather than one major "searchlight"). But this is constrained by the functional anatomy of the circuits concerned and waking "awareness" is modulated by the many "nonspecific" systems (cholinergic from the basal forebrain, noradrenergic from the locus coeruleus, dopaminergic from the substantia nigra and ventral tegmentum, and serotoninergic from the raphe). But the principal agents for intermodal attention shifts, the "searchlight," may be two key nuclei of the cholinergic system in the mesencephalon. Clinical loss of consciousness results from damage to these nuclei but not from damage to the cholinergic nucleus basalis of the basal forebrain.

Attention↗
PubMed1997

Means to the goal of remembering: developmental changes in awareness of strategy use--performance relations.

We examined awareness of the causal relation between strategy use and recall performance among preschoolers, first graders, and third graders, and the relation of this awareness to children's study behavior and recall. In session 1, children were presented with two study-recall trials; the second trial included questions concerning the child's study behavior. During Session 2, children viewed videotapes in which a model's strategy use (labeling versus no labeling) and recall level (high versus low) were varied orthogonally. Children judged whether the model tried to remember, rated how hard the model tried to remember, and described how they knew. Children who gave mentalistic explanations for their study behaviors in Session 1 recalled more than those giving nonmentalistic explanations. In Session 2, age-related differences were observed in awareness of the relation between strategy use and performance level. Further, children who demonstrated understanding of strategy use-performance relations in Session 2 were more likely to give mentalistic explanations for their own study behaviors in Session 1. The results further delineate the metamemorial development that contributes to effective strategy utilization.

Attention↗
PubMed1998

Children's phonological awareness: confusions between phonemes that differ only in voicing.

Given the role of phonemic awareness in learning to read and spell, it is important to examine the linguistic factors that influence children's performance on phonemic awareness tasks. We found that, contrary to some previous claims, children did not perform better with fricative consonants (e.g., /z/) than with stops (e.g., /d/) in a phoneme recognition task. However, preschoolers and kindergartners were more likely to mistakenly judge that a syllable began with a target phoneme when the initial phoneme of the syllable differed from the target only in voicing (e.g., /t/ for the target /d/) than when it differed in place of articulation (e.g., /b/-/d/) or in both place and voicing (e.g., /p/-/d/). These results shed light on the organization of children's phonological systems. They also have implications for the design and interpretation of phonemic awareness tasks.

Analysis of Variance↗
PubMed1976

Awareness during electromyographic biofeedback: of signal or process?

During relaxation training, awareness of trial-to-trial changes in frontalis-muscle tension levels was assessed with and without auditory electromyographic (EMG) biofeedback. Immediately after each 128-sec training trial, the subject was required to guess whether muscle tension indexed by EMG activity increased ("Up") or decreased ("Down") relative to the immediately preceding trial. The probability of correct guessing, P(c), improved as the absolute difference in EMG increased between trials only when biofeedback was presented. For subjects not receiving biofeedback, P(c) remained low even when the absolute difference between trials was large. Subjects in each condition employed a strategy to guess "Down" more often consistent with the expectation that they were being trained to relax. The "Down" set strategy was shown to be separable from the informational basis of P(c) provided by biofeedback. This procedure can be employed to evaluate central assumptions of biofeedback relating to posttraining awareness of changes in muscle tension and the relationship between awareness and control of muscle tension.

Acoustic Stimulation↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Awareness and attitudes concerning BRCA gene testing.

BACKGROUND: The availability of a commercial test for the breast cancer susceptibility genes, BRCA1 and BRCA2, has generated interest in both the medical community and the general public. METHODS: Patients and family members were approached in the waiting room and asked to fill out an anonymous questionnaire about their awareness of breast cancer genes and breast cancer gene testing, and their desire to be tested. chi2 analysis was used to analyze frequencies between groups. RESULTS: A total of 354 women completed a questionnaire concerning the breast cancer genes BRCA1 and BRCA2. The very young, the very old, and African-Americans were the least informed in terms of awareness of the genes and the availability of testing for the breast cancer susceptibility genes. Jewish people, people with a college education or beyond, people earning more than $30,000 a year, and Caucasians were more aware of the genes and of testing for these genes. Interest in being tested was similar in all groups, except for participants over 60 and those who had only an elementary-school education. CONCLUSIONS: Information concerning the breast cancer susceptibility genes has not reached the general public uniformly. A concerted effort is needed if this information is to be passed on to those people at risk.

Adult↗
PubMed1979

Awareness, muscle relaxants and balanced anaesthesia.

The incidence of awareness during insufficient anaesthesia is reported to be one per cent. It is usually due to the use of muscle relaxants, a balanced technique and the lightest possible depth of anaesthesia. Increased incidences were noted in open-heart surgery, during intubation-endoscopy procedures and in caesarean delivery patients. Experiences of awareness are disturbing to patients, who are usually benefited by a sympathetic and forthright explanation of the event. Fourteen representative cases of the problem are reported. Since no adequate sign or test exists for detection of awareness during very light anaesthesia or with associated paralysis, more meticulous attention is required in using relaxants or the balanced technique. Greater anaesthetic supplementation and reduction in the use of relaxants are recommended to halt the recurrence of this most serious anaesthetic problem.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Unintentional intraoperative awareness during sufentanil anaesthesia for cardiac surgery.

PURPOSE: The aim of this clinical report is to describe a case of unintentional intraoperative awareness during sufentanil anaesthesia in a patient undergoing elective aortocoronary bypass grafting. CLINICAL FINDINGS: After premedication with morphine (5 mg) and scopolamine (0.2 mg), this 51-yr-old woman received sufentanil (10 micrograms.kg-1), midazolam (4 mg) and isoflurane (0.3-0.4% end-tidal). The patient recalled specific events and discussions which took place in the operating room during surgery. This patient's report was clear and corroborated by operating room personnel. The patient denied having felt pain, anxiety or emotional distress. CONCLUSION: Although awareness during opioid anaesthesia has been previously described with morphine and fentanyl, as far as we know this is the first clinical report of awareness with sufentanil. Given that recent efforts of early extubation in cardiac surgery patients may involve a reduction in the amount of opioid administered, this report serves as a reminder of the ever present potential for this disturbing complication.

Anesthesia, General↗
PubMed1998

Do we know the costs of what we prescribe? A study on awareness of the cost of drugs and devices among ICU staff.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the level of cost awareness of drugs and devices among intensive care unit (ICU) doctors with variable levels of experience (senior intensivists, junior intensivists, residents). DESIGN: Interview-questionnaire. SETTING: ICU of the University of Rome "La Sapienza". PARTICIPANTS: 60 ICU doctors (40 specialists in anaesthesia and intensive care, 20 residents). MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: The estimated prices of drugs and devices were compared with the correct prices; responses within a range +/- 20% of the true price were arbitrarily considered correct; all the subgroups of doctors made inaccurate estimates of the prices, showing an absence of any impact of professional experience of cost awareness. CONCLUSION: The doctors in the study showed a high level of inaccurate cost awareness of drugs and devices.

Awareness↗
PubMed2004

Awareness of osteoporosis among physicians in China.

Epidemiological studies have projected a vast increase in osteoporotic fractures in Asia, with the majority occurring in China. Awareness of osteoporosis among medical professionals and the pattern of management in Asia have not been explored. A total of 504 doctors in Hong Kong, China with their self-reported practice likely to receive clients with or at risk of osteoporosis were invited to complete a postal questionnaire on the diagnosis and management of their osteoporotic patients. In all, 204 questionnaires were returned, with a response rate of 41%. Only 76% of the respondents reported treating osteoporosis patients in their practice. Ninety-one percent believed that osteoporosis was under-diagnosed. The asymptomatic nature of the disease (66%), inaccessibility (45%) and high cost (54%) of the diagnostic tools were considered major reasons for under-diagnosis. DXA was employed for diagnosis by only 53% of the doctors. Peripheral machines such as ultrasound and quantitative computed tomography were used by 35% of the responders as the only diagnostic tool, especially among clinic-based doctors (clinic-based physicians 47%, hospital-based physicians 17%; P<0.001). Thirty-three percent of the surveyed doctors were unaware of published guidelines for bone mineral density (BMD) measurements. Concerning treatment goals, 82% considered prevention of future fractures and 66% believed improvement in the quality of life of patients as critical or highly important, whereas only about half of the doctors thought that increase in BMD was important. On the other hand, 60% of the doctors considered the cost of therapy a critical or highly important element in the management of osteoporosis. This study showed that physicians in Hong Kong were aware of osteoporosis, though the disease was still under-diagnosed due to inaccessibility and high cost of the diagnostic tools and therapeutic agents. These findings stress the importance of expanding efforts to increase knowledge and awareness among health care providers and also provide future directions for developing strategies for managing osteoporosis in developing Asian regions.

Absorptiometry, Photon↗
PubMed2007

Auditory evoked visual awareness following sudden ocular blindness: an EEG and TMS investigation.

Neurophysiological and neuroanatomical studies have provoked controversy about whether the visual cortex may be more modifiable than previously believed. Auditory processing is enhanced in blind compared to sighted people, and the enhancement might reflect encroachment of auditory transmission onto visual cortex. To address this issue, we recorded the auditory event-related potentials (ERPs) correlated with auditory related paradoxical visual awareness in a subject with traumatic total late-onset blindness. We found that (1) there was auditory related brain activity over the occipital visual scalp regions starting from a very early stage (< 80 ms) and (2) this occipital activity was significantly different between "visually aware" and "visually unaware" responses in the P1 (40-80 ms) component following meaningful stimuli. There was also a significant difference between responses with and without visual awareness in the N1 (100-120 ms) component following either tones or meaningful stimuli. The phosphenes accompanying auditory stimuli in the ERP experiment were always perceived to be directly in front of the subject and this was reproduced by transcranial magnetic stimulation over the blind primary visual cortex and by sudden sounds delivered to the side or behind the subject. The TMS induced phosphenes were restricted to the central part of the space and were, at least qualitatively, the same as those induced by sounds. The results are clear evidence that human perceptual functions can be reorganized after sudden, late-onset, total ocular blindness.

Acoustic Stimulation↗
PubMed2007

Characterising error-awareness of attentional lapses and inhibitory control failures in patients with traumatic brain injury.

Awareness deficits are a significant problem following traumatic brain injury (TBI). This study examined error processing as candidate marker of awareness and compared the performance of 18 TBI participants and 18 controls using an online error-monitoring task while participants performed simple go/no-go tasks. Error-monitoring performance was compared where the no-go target was part of (a) a predictive sequence, (b) predictive sequence plus a dual-task element and (c) a random sequence. Results showed that the TBI participants, in contrast to control participants, were significantly impaired at monitoring their errors during both predictive sequence tasks but were not impaired on the random sequence task. These findings suggest that following TBI, when an error is more impulsive it may be more easily monitored, whereas when an error is characterised by attentional drift, subsequent error-processing mechanisms may fail to engage. Higher levels of online error-awareness were also associated with lower levels of anxiety, fewer symptoms of frontal dysfunction and greater competence in everyday functioning.

Adult↗