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Prisoners' knowledge of HIV/AIDS and its prevention in Kerman, Islamic Republic of Iran.

Knowledge of prisoners regarding HIV/AIDS in Kerman was evaluated. Analysis indicated that the sample (n = 350) of prisoners had relatively high knowledge about HIV/AIDS and its modes of transmission. However, they had a lower level of knowledge about HIV/AIDS prevention. The overall knowledge of men about AIDS was significantly lower than women. Persons aged 46 years and older and illiterate inmates had the least knowledge about modes of transmission. In addition, the knowledge of illiterate prisoners about HIV/AIDS prevention was significantly lower than others. Evaluation of attitudes and practices of prisoners and implementation of educational programmes regarding HIV/AIDS are suggested.

Adult↗

Emergency ventilation of the tracheostomy patient, Part I: Knowledge assessment of healthcare professionals.

A nurse-driven investigation, using a convenience sample and comparative descriptive design, was conducted within a large medical center to identify healthcare professionals' (N=885) knowledge of emergency ventilation strategies for the tracheostomy patient. Registered nurses and physicians comprised the majority of survey respondents (n=587) who answered a three-item questionnaire to assess specific knowledge. Findings focused primarily on differences in knowledge among subgroups of nurses, including those in critical care and noncritical acute care settings. Although increasing knowledge levels are documented since the mid 1980's, concern for the knowledge available to manage the emergency ventilation of tracheostomy patients is voiced. Less than half of nurses and physicians in this sample were able to answer correctly all three questions asked regarding emergency strategies. Recommendations address this knowledge deficit.

Academic Medical Centers↗

Behavior, attitudes and knowledge about antibiotic usage among residents of Changhua, Taiwan.

This study surveyed the behavior, attitudes, and knowledge about antibiotic usage among residents of Changhua County, Taiwan. A questionnaire designed to evaluate general knowledge and attitudes towards antibiotic usage was administered to a total of 1024 adults. The male-to-female ratio was 0.75. All of the 1024 adults were aware of the term "antibiotics". Only 39.2% of subjects had knowledge about basic antibiotic terminology, 69.7% expected that physicians should educate people about antibiotics. There were 7 main findings of this study: (1) 52.7% of subjects considered that physicians advice about the need for compliance was poor; (2) 15.3% of subjects always requested an antibiotics prescription when they suffered from flu-like symptoms; (3) 49.8% failed to comply with prescribed antibiotic regimens; (4) 53.1% of subjects were not aware that antibiotic syrup should be stored in the refrigerator; (5) 27.1% of subjects lacked knowledge about how to deal with the misuse of antibiotics; (6) 9.3% of pregnant and breast-feeding subjects did not have adequate knowledge of the safety of using antibiotics during pregnancy; and (7) 30% of subjects did not know how to obtain information about antibiotic usage. Residents of Changhua County had inadequate or incorrect knowledge about antibiotic usage. The findings of this study imply the need for programs to promote greater education about antibiotics usage in the general population of Taiwan.

Adult↗

[Survey on the knowledge of epilepsy to patients and their family members].

OBJECTIVE: To study the epilepsy patients and their family members on their knowledge of the disease. METHODS: A 34-point questionnaire with 34 questions related to epilepsy knowledge was used for the survey on 170 pairs of epilepsy patients and their family members in Huashan hospital. Characters of the disease on the subjects were recorded. RESULTS: The mean scores of the epilepsy knowledge of the patients and their family members were 16.5 +/- 8.2 and 16.1 +/- 8.5, respectively. The scores were quite low with no statistical difference between patients and their family members. The rate of correct answer in the urban subjects was obviously higher than those subjects living in the rural areas. All the subjects lacked the knowledge on the "cause of disease" when comparing with items as "diagnosis" and "treatment". Multivariate analysis showed that rural residents (P = 0.0001, OR = 52.963) and low education level (P = 0.0294, OR = 2.266) related to low epilepsy knowledge score among epilepsy patients. However, for family members, the factor related to low score was only living in the rural area (P = 0.0001, OR = 37.229). CONCLUSION: Education on the epilepsy knowledge should be strengthened, especially in the rural areas.

Adolescent↗

Nigerian back school model: development and effect on industrial workers' knowledge of back pain and back care.

Back schools are health education programmes on back pain. Many back schools have been developed for different populations since 1969 when the first one was developed in Sweden, but none for the Nigerian setting. The need to develop a back school that would be appropriate for the Nigerian environment was therefore identified. As a step towards its development, this preliminary study was carried out to determine the effect of a back school model (BSM) on some Nigerian industrial workers' knowledge of low back pain and back care. The subjects were 110 workers of a soap industry in Lagos, Nigeria. Apre-test, post-test quasi-experimental design was used. The BSM consisted of two 45 minute teaching sessions on structure and functions of the back, epidemiology and causes of back pain, correct postures and demonstration of exercises that may prevent/alleviate back pain. Data on demographic information, low back pain (LBP) experience, knowledge of back structure and back care were collected using a questionnaire with closed ended questions, which was completed before, immediately after and 8-weeks after BSM administration. The results showed that the subjects' mean knowledge score increased significantly from an initial value of 16.1 + 5.3 to 24.0 + 5.6 (p < 0.05) immediately after and 23.1 + 3.9 (p < 0.05) 8 weeks after BSM administration. Educational attainment had no influence on subjects' knowledge scores before or 8 weeks after BSM administration. Reported experience of LBP and duration on the job had no significant influence on subjects' knowledge scores before, immediately or 8-weeks following BSM administration. It was concluded that the BSM was effective in improving the workers' knowledge of LBP and back care. We believe that this findingjustifies the effort to develop the Nigerian model of back school.

Adult↗

Attitudes of school environment towards integration of HIV-positive pupils into regular classes and knowledge about HIV/AIDS: cross-sectional study.

AIM: To estimate the attitudes of teachers, parents, and pupils in primary schools towards the integration of HIV-positive pupils into regular schools, and their knowledge about HIV/AIDS. METHODS: Teachers (n=64), seventh and eight grade pupils (n=108), and their parents (n=124) from a big city and a small town in Croatia were examined by two specially designed instruments which measured their attitudes towards the integration of pupils with HIV/AIDS and knowledge about HIV/AIDS. RESULTS: All three populations showed positive attitudes towards the integration of children with HIV/AIDS into regular schools. A group of parents had lower attitude score (mean-/+standard deviation, 3.1-/+0.6) compared with teachers or pupils (3.5-/+0.4 and 3.4-/+0.4 respectively, P<0.001, ANOVA, and post hoc Tukey test). Knowledge about HIV/AIDS was high in all three groups. Pupils scored lower (8.2-/+4.1 out of maximum 15) than their teachers or parents (11.2-/+3.8 and 10.3-/+3.5 respectively, P<0.001). In all three subsamples, groups with higher level of education had more positive attitudes towards the integration of children with HIV/AIDS into regular schools as well as higher knowledge scores. No significant correlation was found between participants' attitudes and knowledge. CONCLUSION: School environment - teachers, pupils, parents - had generally positive attitudes towards the integration of HIV positive pupils and high level of knowledge about HIV/AIDS. Generally, parents showed less favorable attitudes than teachers and pupils and this may be a possible obstacle to the integration of HIV positive students into regular schools. There is obviously a need for a coordinated public intervention aimed at informing the public about HIV/AIDS.

Adolescent↗

[Knowledge of tuberculosis amongst service industry workers of the floating population in Changning district, Shanghai].

OBJECTIVE: To study tuberculosis related knowledge among the floating population who work in service enterprises in Changning District, Shanghai. METHODS: A self-completed questionnaire interview was conducted in Nov. 2003 among 274 floating persons who were recruited through cluster sampling in Changning District (male 113, female 161). RESULTS: It was found that the floating population had some knowledge of tuberculosis, however, the weighted marks were not high. 34.7% of the study subjects responded correctly to more than 60% of the knowledge questions, and therefore were considered to have an adequate knowledge of tuberculosis. Through logistic regression, education level and marriage status were found to be correlated with the mean weighted marks of knowledge of tuberculosis (chi(2) = 19.650, P < 0.01; chi(2) = 4.059, P < 0.05). It was also found that education level was associated with the ways of obtaining knowledge (chi(2) = 6.87, < 0.01). As to the expected ways of receiving health education, it was correlated with education level and the work place (chi(2) = 6.74, P < 0.05; chi(2) = 17.81, < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Findings from this study reflect that it is important to provide health education on tuberculosis to the floating population in order to prevent tuberculosis infection and transmission and to improve the case detection of tuberculosis among the floating population in cities.

China↗

Poor knowledge about osteoporosis in learned Indian women.

OBJECTIVES: The present study was done to assess knowledge about osteoporosis in learned Indian women, identify their source of knowledge and to study the correlation of level of knowledge with other variables. METHODS: A total of 73 female staff members (average age 44.7 years) of a teaching institute completed the Osteoporosis Questionnaire (OPQ). The mean +/- SD of total score for the sample was 4.1 +/- 4.1 (range -8 to 15; maximum possible score 20). RESULTS: The correct definition of osteoporosis was given by 74%, but there was general lack of awareness in all the areas assessed. There was statistically significant difference in the total score depending on the faculty of education, with staff members from the science faculty having the maximum mean score (p < 0.05). We found no influence of age, menopausal status, previous history of fracture and family history of osteoporosis on the level of knowledge. Media (74%) was the commonest source of knowledge followed by friends (49%) and doctors (25%). CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights the general lack of knowledge about osteoporosis in learned Indian women and also the need for increased involvement of medical professionals in patient education.

Adult↗

Subject knowledge in the health sciences library: an online survey of Canadian academic health sciences librarians.

OBJECTIVES: This study investigated whether Canadian academic health sciences librarians found knowledge of the health sciences to be important and, if so, how they acquired and maintained this knowledge. METHODS: Data were gathered using a Web-based questionnaire made available to Canadian academic health sciences librarians. RESULTS: Respondents recognized the need for subject knowledge: 93.3% of respondents indicated that subject knowledge was "very important" or "somewhat important" to doing their job. However, few respondents felt that holding a degree in the health sciences was necessary. Respondents reported devoting on average more than 6 hours per week to continuing education through various means. Reading or browsing health sciences journals, visiting Websites, studying independently, and participating in professional associations were identified by the largest number of participants as the best ways to become and stay informed. CONCLUSIONS: Although more research needs to be done with a larger sample, subject knowledge continues to be important to Canadian academic health sciences librarians. Continuing education, rather than formal degree studies, is the method of choice for obtaining and maintaining this knowledge.

Canada↗

Individuals' cardiovascular risk profile projected by family doctors and individuals' knowledge of cardiovascular risk factors: a challenge for primary prevention. The cardiovascular risk prevention project "Help Your Heart Stay Young".

BACKGROUND: Whether the practice of family doctors of assessing individuals' cardiovascular risk profile improves individuals' knowledge of risk factors in primary prevention has not been established. Accordingly, we evaluated patients' knowledge of cardiovascular risk factors and lifestyle in healthy subjects whose family doctors provided individual cardiovascular risk score. METHODS: Subjects who visited their family doctor in a time frame of 3 months, who accepted to fill-in a simple questionnaire measuring their knowledge of cardiovascular risk factors and of non-pharmacological interventions able to reduce cardiovascular risk were evaluated. RESULTS: Fifty-one family doctors were involved. The study sample comprised 4239 subjects (mean age 56 +/- 9 years, 62% women) in primary prevention. They were classified by their family doctors, based on the Framingham algorithm, as being at low (< 10%; 45.7% of subjects), medium (10-20%; 38.7% of subjects) or moderate-to-high (> 20%; 15.6% of subjects) cardiovascular risk. The prevalence of obese subjects (40, 48, and 49%, respectively) and of heavy smokers (> or = 20 cigarettes/day; 26, 30, and 34%) increased from the low to the moderate-to-high risk group (both p < 0.05). The proportion of subjects unaware of personal history of arterial hypertension (5, 6, and 9%) and that of subjects who were unaware of history of elevated cholesterol levels (10, 11, and 12%, both p < 0.01) increased with higher cardiovascular risk score. The proportion of subjects self-reporting blood pressure > 135/85 mmHg, but self-reporting being normotensive (30, 50, and 52%), and the proportion of subjects who referred cholesterol levels > 200 mg/dl among those who self-referred not to have elevated cholesterol levels (13, 25, and 31%) increased both with cardiovascular risk category (p < 0.001). The proportion of subjects who were unaware of their personal history of diabetes was similar in the cardiovascular risk groups. The prevalence of low educational level was higher (56, 58, and 62%, p < 0.01) and the level of knowledge of non-pharmacological remedies to cardiovascular risk factors (63, 61, and 59%, p < 0.01) was lower in higher cardiovascular risk score group. Subjects aged < 55 years showed similar lack of knowledge about cardiovascular risk factors and the proportion of heavy smoking was as high as in the group of older participants. CONCLUSIONS: In cardiovascular primary prevention, the projection of higher individuals' risk profile by family doctors was not paralleled by an increase in individual's knowledge of major cardiovascular risk factors and of lifestyle interventions able to reduce the cardiovascular risk.

Cardiovascular Diseases↗

Schoolteachers' knowledge of common health problems in Bahrain.

Schoolteacher could be a useful source of health information for students but that they themselves would have to possess adequate and accurate knowledge of health issues. We assessed Bahraini schoolteachers' knowledge of some common health problems using a pre-tested, structured questionnaire which requested information on schools, teachers' demographic data, and knowledge about 5 common health problems in Bahrain: bronchial asthma, sickle-cell anaemia, hypertension, diabetes mellitus and the dangers of smoking. We analysed the data on 1140 respondents from a random selection of teachers in all schools in Bahrain. The schoolteachers scored only around 50% on average for knowledge about common health problems which indicates a need to educate schoolteachers about health in order to improve their knowledge and their capability to disseminate health knowledge and information to students.

Adult↗

Dengue knowledge and practices and their impact on Aedes aegypti populations in Kamphaeng Phet, Thailand.

A knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) survey and an extensive entomologic survey were conducted in two sub-districts of Kamphaeng Phet province, Thailand, to test the hypothesis that correct dengue knowledge and practice reduce dengue vector populations. We found a negative association between respondents' knowledge of preventive measures and the number of unprotected containers in and around their houses. Knowledge of development sites was positively associated with unprotected containers. No relationships existed between knowledge of dengue and adult mosquito reduction practices. A higher number of unprotected containers increased the likelihood of the house being infested with one or more adult Aedes aegypti. Surprisingly, houses of respondents that used mosquito coils or had screening on doors and windows were significantly more likely to be infested (odds ratio =2.0) with adult Ae. aegypti. We conclude that there is a direct link between knowledge on dengue prevention and container protection practices, whereas measures against adult mosquitoes are used only when people experience a mosquito nuisance problem.

Adolescent↗

Chewing of betel, areca and tobacco: perceptions and knowledge regarding their role in head and neck cancers in an urban squatter settlement in Pakistan.

The link of betel, areca and chewable tobacco with head and neck cancers is clearly established. Fifty eight percent of the global head and neck cancers occur in South and Southeast Asia, where chewing of betel, areca and tobacco are common. This study was carried out to establish the pattern of use of Paan, Chaalia, Gutka, Niswar, Tumbaku and Naas among population of squatter settlement of Karachi and to determine the perceptions and knowledge regarding their role in the etiology of head and neck cancers. It was a cross-sectional study, performed at Bilal colony in Karachi. Through systematic sampling, 425 subjects [a male and female from a household] were interviewed with a structured questionnaire. Knowledge regarding etiology of head and neck cancers was classified in ordinals of "good", "some" and "poor", for each substance separately, while practices were classified into "daily user", "occasional user" and "never user". About 40% of the participants were chewing at least one item [betel, areca or tobacco products] on daily basis. This prevalence was 2.46 times higher among males than females and 1.39 times higher among adolescents than adults. At least 79% of the participants were classified as having poor knowledge about the carcinogenicity of each of these items. Knowledge increased with age and level of education. Health hazards of these items were poorly recognized and about 20% perceived at least one of these items to be beneficial. Positive attitudes were seen regarding the steps to curb the production, business and consumption of these substances. In conclusion, prevalence of chewing of betel, areca and tobacco among adults and adolescents is high. Deficiency in knowledge and wrong perception of favorable effect of chewing products is common. Besides curtailing the availability of chewing products, correct knowledge regarding its ill-effects should be inculcated among population to decrease the burden of head and neck cancers.

Adolescent↗

Diet, nutritional knowledge and health status of urban middle-aged Malaysian women.

The objective of the study was to assess nutritional and health status as well as nutritional knowledge in urban middle-aged Malaysian women. The impact of menopause on diet and health indices was also studied. The study included 360 disease free women, non users of HRT,aged > or =45 years with an intact uterus recruited from November 1999 to October 2001. Personal characteristics, anthropometric measurements and blood sample were acquired followed by clinical examination. Nutrient intake and nutritional knowledge was determined by a quantitative FFQ and KAP. The findings showed that urban middle-aged women, aged 51.65+/-5.40 years had energy intakes (EI) 11% below RDA, consisting of 53% carbohydrates, 15% protein and a 32% fat which declined with age. The sample which comprised of 42.5% postmenopausal women had a satisfactory diet and healthy lifestyle practices. Premenopausal women consumed more dietary fat (6%) with other aspects of diet comparable to the postmenopausal women. Iron intake was deficient in premenopausal women, amounting to 56% RDA contributing to a 26% prevalence of anaemia. Overall, calcium intake reached 440 mg daily but dairy products were not the main source. The postmenopaused had a more artherogenic lipid profile with significantly higher total cholesterol (TC) and LDL-C, but more premenopausal women were overweight/obese (49% versus 35%). EI was the strongest predictor for BMI and waist circumference (WC), with WC itself an independent predictor of fasting blood sugar and TC with BMI strongly affecting glucose tolerance. High nutritional knowledge was seen in 39% whereas 20% had poor knowledge. Newspapers and magazines, followed by the subject's social circle, were the main sources of nutritional information. Nutritional knowledge was positively associated with education, household income, vitamin/ mineral supplementation and regular physical activity but inversely related to TC. In conclusion, middle-aged urban women had an adequate diet with low iron and calcium intakes. Nutritional knowledge was positively associated to healthier lifestyle practices and lower TC. A comparable nutrient intake and lifestyle between pre and postmenopausal women suggested that health changes associated with menopause was largely independent of diet.

Anthropometry↗

[Evaluation of dietary habits of a population of university students in relation with their nutritional knowledge].

UNLABELLED: Food behaviour is acquired in childhood and is very defficult to be changed latterly in adulthood. The aim of this study was to evaluate if food behaviour and other health habits were in accordance with the nutrition knowledge of a sample of University students from different Health Sciences Careers. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: We studied 105 students (aged 21 +/- 2 years) from San Pablo-CEU University (Madrid); 21 where studying Nursing (N), 32 Pharmacy (Ph); 34 Nutrition and dietetics (ND) and 18 were students of Podology (P), all of them had been studying Nutrition as subject during 2003-2004 academic year. All the students filled a questionnaire about health habits and some body image perceptions, diet was evaluated by a 3 day diet record and nutrition knowledge by a 20 questions test. Height and weight were measured using standard procedures. RESULTS: ND students believed they had a medium-high level of nutrition knowledge while Pharmacy and nursing students believed they had a medium-low level and the podology ones had the perception to have a low level of knowledge in the subject. Results of test were in accordance with those perceptions as highest records were obtained by the Nutrition students. Nevertheless very few differences were found in the diet of the four populations. Mean energy intake was similar in the four groups, deficiencies (<80% RDA) were observed in fibre, magnesium, folic acid and vitamin E. About body image, 67% of total population had a BMI of 19-25, no differences were appreciated between groups. Male self-reported weight and height were closer to real than those from women, who underestimated weight (p < 0.05) and overestimated height. No differences were observed between healthy living habits (tobacco, alcohol and physical activity) in the four populations. CONCLUSION: Even if N students believed and showed to have a better nutrition knowledge, no changes in food behaviour or other health habits were found. Improving knowledge does not necessary imply change in food habits.

Adult↗

Challenges in ambulatory resident education: medication knowledge in disadvantaged patients.

CONTEXT: Medication mismanagement results in 10% of hospitalizations and 50% of therapeutic failures. Little is known about low-income patients' medication knowledge, a group disproportionately affected by chronic disease and often cared for by residents. This study assesses patients' medication knowledge, discrepancies between the patient and chart, and preferences for medication information in the training setting. DESIGN: This cross-sectional study evaluated adults receiving care in two teaching clinics. Patients were asked their medications' names, doses, frequencies, indications, and side effects (SE) and what information they needed to take medications safely. Charts served as a medication reference standard. RESULTS: Most patients were female, nonwhite, had > or = one chronic condition, took a median of five drugs, and saw three different residents in the same clinic. Despite six clinic visits annually, patients could cite only 50% of their medication names, frequencies, and indications, 25% of doses, and 0% of SE, yet they paradoxically responded that SE knowledge was essential for safety. Forty-three percent reported > or = one medication that was undocumented in the chart. There were 84 total discrepant medications of which 63% were prescription only. CONCLUSION: Low-income patients had poor medication knowledge despite good clinic access. Discontinuity of resident providers may contribute to this phenomenon. Poor global knowledge, the large discrepancy between reported and charted medications, and lack of SE knowledge threaten medication adherence, achievement of treatment goals, and patient safety.

Adult↗

Improvement of oral health knowledge in a group of visually impaired students.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a repeated oral health education programme on oral health knowledge and hygiene of visually impaired students. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was conducted at one of the two visually impaired boarding schools of Istanbul, Turkey. The number of subjects was 65, comprising 28 totally and 37 partially visually impaired students between 7 and 17 years of age. A 24-item verbal questionnaire was developed to record their general health, impairment, the socio-economic profile and education level of their parents, oral health knowledge, sources of information about oral health, awareness of sugar in-take/caries risk, frequency of dental check-ups and oral hygiene habits, as well as any difficulties they experienced thereby. They were given individual training on oral care three times with two-month intervals within the nine-month framework of the programme. To measure the oral hygiene status, plaque index (PI) and gingival index (GI) scores were recorded of all teeth at four sites throughout the sessions. After completion of the programme, the oral health knowledge of the students was evaluated using the same questionnaire to determine the effectiveness of the programme. RESULTS: Statistically significant improvements were found at the level of oral health knowledge and oral hygiene status both in totally and partially visually impaired students at the end of the study (p < 0.001) as compared with at the beginning. No significant difference was found between the knowledge of totally visually impaired and partially visually impaired students. CONCLUSION: It was concluded that with an appropriate programme, the oral health knowledge of visually impaired students could be improved. This programme, if conducted on a one-to-one basis, ensures clinical and statistical significance.

Adolescent↗

Knowledge of and attitude towards road traffic codes among commercial motorcycle riders in Anambra State.

Road traffic accidents (rtas) represent a major epidemic of non communicable disease in the country and has since escalated with the introduction of the new phenomenon of commercial motorcycle transportation such as is found in the two urban towns of nnewi and Awka of Anambra state, Nigeria. making use of a pre-tested, semi structured, interviewer administered questionnaire, relevant data on socio demographic and motorcycle characteristics were collected from a sample of commercial motorcyclists selected by systematic sampling technique. their knowledge of and attitude towards road traffic and safety codes were elicited. The result showed that the all-male commercial motorcyclists had a mean age of 30+8.9 years. one hundred and seventy six (32.6%) possessed good knowledge of road traffic codes and safety, while 35 (6.5%) exhibited good attitude towards them. both knowledge of and attitude towards traffic codes and safety improved with increase in educational level (p<0.005, p<0.001 respectively). the younger motorcyclists also possessed statistically significant better knowledge of traffic codes than their older counterparts (p<0.025). attitude to traffic codes and safety had no association with age of the motorcyclists (p>0.25). the study has provided useful information on the knowledge of and attitude towards road traffic and safety codes among commercial motorcyclists in nigeria. pursuit of knowledge through formal and informal education should run pari pasu with efforts to improve the nigerian economy in order to ensure a sustainable positive attitudinal change towards road traffic codes and safety among commercial motorcyclists.

Accident Prevention↗