scholarly journals 95 Child Health Promotion Through Community Educational Sessions in an Urban Inuit Community: A Needs Assessment

2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. e39-e40
Author(s):  
Brian Hummel ◽  
Daniel Bierstone ◽  
Radha Jetty ◽  
Dennis Newhook ◽  
Janice Messam ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Child Health ◽  
Focus Groups ◽  
Needs Assessment ◽  
Knowledge Sharing ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Health Knowledge ◽  
Urban Setting ◽  
Community Partners ◽  
Urban Inuit ◽  
Inuit Community

Abstract Introduction/Background Canadian Inuit children experience significant health disparities compared to their non-Inuit counterparts. Despite almost one-fifth of Canadian Inuit living in urban centres, few studies have explored their health needs. Current literature surveying Indigenous leaders identifies the need for improved access to child health and parenting knowledge. Community-based initiatives have been shown to improve Indigenous maternal and child health outcomes. Our study aimed to describe urban Inuit parents’ perspectives on accessing child health knowledge to guide development of Inuit-specific health knowledge-sharing initiatives. Objectives Design/Methods In conjunction with community partners, we conducted a qualitative needs assessment through focus groups at an urban-situated organization that provides cultural, educational, and social services to Inuit children and families. Participants were parents and caregivers of Inuit children. All focus groups were recorded, transcribed, and imported into NVivo software. Inductive coding was used to identify themes related to participants’ sources of health knowledge, barriers and facilitators to accessing health knowledge, and health topics that participants hoped to learn more about. Results Twenty-four individuals participated in four focus groups, of which twenty-one (88%) identified as Inuit. While participants represented a range of ages (19-40 years), most participants (42%) were 31-40 years old. The majority of participants (88%) identified as female. Participants had lived a median of 15 years in an urban setting (interquartile range 10-23). Seventeen participants (71%) cared for children aged 5 or younger. The main sources of health knowledge reported were Indigenous-focused services, online resources, telehealth and social networks (e.g. family and peers). The most notable barrier to accessing child health information was cultural differences (i.e. lifestyle and parenting practices). Discrimination and challenges with systems navigation also emerged as themes. Key health topics of interest included common childhood complaints (e.g. infections and immunizations), infant care, nutrition, parenting and development, mental health, and sexual education for adolescents. Preferred modes of child health information delivery were in-person sessions, pamphlets, and online videos with preferences for both health care providers and Inuit Elders as facilitators. Key access factors included Inuit language/translation, convenience of location, transportation, scheduling, and presence of food and childcare. Conclusion Our results reveal important factors affecting access to child health knowledge among Inuit families in a large urban setting, as well as key child health topics of interest to this population. Informed by these findings and with help from our community partners, we are co-developing child health knowledge-sharing initiatives specific to the needs of the Inuit community in our region.

70 Sharing Child Health Knowledge in an Urban Inuit Community: A Needs Assessment

2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. e50-e51
Author(s):  
Daniel Bierstone ◽  
Brian Hummel ◽  
Dennis Newhook ◽  
Radha Jetty
Keyword(s):  
Health Promotion ◽  
Child Health ◽  
Focus Groups ◽  
Needs Assessment ◽  
Knowledge Sharing ◽  
Cultural Differences ◽  
Health Knowledge ◽  
Knowledge Dissemination ◽  
Inuit Community ◽  
Parents And Caregivers

Abstract Primary Subject area Public Health and Preventive Medicine Background It is well established that significant health disparities continue to affect Canadian Indigenous children living both in remote and urban areas. A critical component of health promotion is health knowledge dissemination. A 2011 Health Council of Canada study identified the need for better community knowledge of parenting and child health as intervention targets among Indigenous communities across Canada. Objectives In the present study, we aimed to explore the perspectives of Inuit parents and caregivers in one urban setting (Ottawa, Ontario) on the dissemination of child health knowledge specifically, with the intention of guiding future community-based child health promotion initiatives. Design/Methods Ottawa, being home to the largest Inuit population living outside Inuit Nunangat, provided an ideal study location. Many Inuit report relocating to Ottawa for employment, education, or for greater access to heath services. We therefore partnered with the Ottawa-based Inuuqatigiit Centre for Children, Youth, and Families, to design and conduct a needs assessment through a series of focus groups. Focus groups explored participants’ current sources of child health knowledge, child health topics of interest, and preferred formats for child health knowledge dissemination. Focus groups were held at Inuuqatigiit and included a meal of country food shared by study participants and research team members to support relationship-building and engagement. Focus groups were analyzed using an inductive approach to qualitative thematic analysis. Results 24 Inuit parents and caregivers participated in 4 focus groups. Factors affecting preferred sources of health knowledge included trustworthiness, fear of discrimination, cultural differences, and having a holistic approach. Participants identified several child health issues that should be the focus of future child health knowledge sharing initiatives, in particular those in which a sense of cultural dissonance was felt between traditional and Western approaches. In-person and online/interactive sessions were preferred over written materials. Many participants agreed that child health knowledge-sharing initiatives should be designed and delivered with involvement of the community. Participants also emphasized the importance of synthesizing traditional knowledge of Elders with that of health professionals. Conclusion There is a need for better child health knowledge dissemination strategies among the Ottawa Inuit community as a crucial aspect of health promotion. Special considerations when designing such initiatives must be given to historical dynamics of trust and mistrust of the health professions, to addressing cultural differences, and to the role of community members in the design and implementation of initiatives.

scholarly journals A Qualitative Study of Child Nutrition and Oral Health in El Salvador

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (14) ◽  
pp. 2508
Author(s):  
Priyanka Achalu ◽  
Neha Zahid ◽  
Dominique N Sherry ◽  
Andrew Chang ◽  
Karen Sokal-Gutierrez
Keyword(s):  
Oral Health ◽  
Child Health ◽  
Focus Groups ◽  
Child Nutrition ◽  
Health Knowledge ◽  
Qualitative Content Analysis ◽  
Tooth Decay ◽  
Maternal Child Health ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
Sugary Drinks

The nutrition transition from traditional diets to processed snacks and sugary beverages has contributed to a higher burden of child malnutrition, obesity, and tooth decay. While child health interventions typically promote nutritious eating, they rarely promote oral health. Mothers’ motivations for child nutrition and oral health practices need to be better understood. A convenience sample of 102 mothers in eight rural Salvadoran communities participated in focus groups addressing child nutrition and oral health. Focus groups were transcribed and coded using qualitative content analysis. Primary themes included generational changes in health environments; health knowledge, attitudes, and practices; and access and barriers to health services. Mothers noted general improvements in awareness of oral hygiene but poorer child oral health, which they attributed to widespread sales of unhealthy snacks and beverages near schools. Distance and cost limited families’ access to dental services. Knowledge gaps included the belief that oral iron supplements cause tooth decay, uncertainty regarding when to start tooth brushing, and until when parents should help children brush. Maternal-child health programs should emphasize the adverse health consequences of feeding young children processed snacks and sugary drinks, and promote dental care access and regulations to ensure health-promoting environments surrounding schools.

scholarly journals Developing a Quality Benchmark for Determining the Credibility of Web Health Information- a Protocol of a Gold Standard Approach

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lubna Daraz ◽  
Sheila Bouseh
Keyword(s):  
Focus Groups ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Systematic Reviews ◽  
Gold Standard ◽  
Health Knowledge ◽  
Assessment Tools ◽  
Online Health Information ◽  
The Public ◽  
Online Platforms

Background: The current pandemic of COVID-19 has changed the way health information is distributed through online platforms. These platforms have played a significant role in informing patients and the public with knowledge that has changed the virtual world forever. Simultaneously, there are growing concerns that much of the information is not credible, impacting patient health outcomes, causing human lives, and tremendous resource waste. With the increasing use of online platforms, patients/the public require new learning models and sharing medical knowledge. They need to be empowered with strategies to navigate disinformation on online platforms.Methods and Design: To meet the urgent need to combat health “misinformation,” the research team proposes a structured approach to develop a quality benchmark, an evidence-based tool that identifies and addresses the determinants of online health information reliability. The specific methods to develop the intervention are the following: (1) systematic reviews: two comprehensive systematic reviews to understand the current state of the quality of online health information and to identify research gaps, (2) content analysis: develop a conceptual framework based on established and complementary knowledge translation approaches for analyzing the existing quality assessment tools and draft a unique set of quality of domains, (3) focus groups: multiple focus groups with diverse patients/the public and health information providers to test the acceptability and usability of the quality domains, (4) development and evaluation: a unique set of determinants of reliability will be finalized along with a preferred scoring classification. These items will be used to develop and validate a quality benchmark to assess the quality of online health information.Expected Outcomes: This multi-phase project informed by theory will lead to new knowledge that is intended to inform the development of a patient-friendly quality benchmark. This benchmark will inform best practices and policies in disseminating reliable web health information, thus reducing disparities in access to health knowledge and combat misinformation online. In addition, we envision the final product can be used as a gold standard for developing similar interventions for specific groups of patients or populations.

scholarly journals Health Information Technology Knowledge and Skills Needed by HIT Employers

2012 ◽  
Vol 03 (04) ◽  
pp. 448-461 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Joost ◽  
M.J. Gongora-Ferraez ◽  
S.H. Fenton
Keyword(s):  
Information Technology ◽  
Focus Groups ◽  
Needs Assessment ◽  
Health Information Technology ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Valuable Insight ◽  
Healthcare Operations ◽  
Privacy And Security ◽  
Knowledge And Skills ◽  
Technology Knowledge

SummaryObjective: To evaluate the health information technology (HIT) workforce knowledge and skills needed by HIT employers.Methods: Statewide face-to-face and online focus groups of identified HIT employer groups in Austin, Brownsville, College Station, Dallas, El Paso, Houston, Lubbock, San Antonio, and webinars for rural health and nursing informatics.Results: HIT employers reported needing an HIT workforce with diverse knowledge and skills ranging from basic to advanced, while covering information technology, privacy and security, clinical practice, needs assessment, contract negotiation, and many other areas. Consistent themes were that employees needed to be able to learn on the job and must possess the ability to think critically and problem solve. Many employers wanted persons with technical skills, yet also the knowledge and understanding of healthcare operations.Conclusion: The HIT employer focus groups provided valuable insight into employee skills needed in this fast-growing field. Additionally, this information will be utilized to develop a statewide HIT workforce needs assessment survey.Citation: S.H. Fenton; E. Joost; M.J. Gongora-Ferraez. Health Information Technology knowledge and skills needed by HIT employers. Appl Clin Inf 2012; 3: 448–461http://dx.doi.org/10.4338/ACI-2012-09-RA-0035

Challenges of Street-Level Child Welfare Reform and Technology Transfer: The Case of Team Decisionmaking

2008 ◽  
Vol 89 (4) ◽  
pp. 512-520 ◽  
Author(s):  
David S. Crampton ◽  
Thomas M. Crea ◽  
Anne Abramson-Madden ◽  
Charles L. Usher
Keyword(s):  
Technology Transfer ◽  
Child Welfare ◽  
Focus Groups ◽  
Welfare Reform ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Research Team ◽  
Community Partners ◽  
Street Level ◽  
Diverse Communities ◽  
Child Welfare Reform

Team Decisionmaking (TDM) involves a meeting of community representatives, family members, and social workers who review every decision to remove children from their parents or change of placement, including reunification or adoption. Even when the leadership of child welfare organizations mandates the use of TDM, implementing TDM is very challenging. To understand these challenges, a research team visited five diverse communities and conducted 74 focus groups and interviews involving 180 administrators, caseworkers, community partners, supervisors, and TDM facilitators. This article reviews the findings of this TDM study through previous research on street-level bureaucracy and technology transfer. The results suggest successful TDM implementation requires attention to the discretion of street-level caseworkers and the organizational constraints they face.

scholarly journals THE ROLE OF HEALTH INFORMATION SYSTEM IN MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTHCARE SERVICES

2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 29
Author(s):  
Rakhi Chowdhury ◽  
Leena Kumari ◽  
Subhamay Panda
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Information System ◽  
Child Health ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Maternal And Child Health ◽  
Health Information System ◽  
Health Care Sector ◽  
Related Information ◽  
Health Related ◽  
And Child Health

Health information system deals with any system that helps in capturing, storing, transmitting, and managing health-related information of an individual or to demonstrate the activities or organizations working within health-care sector. In the developing countries, maternal and child health is gaining concern due to increasing cases of morbidity and mortality. The disparities among the maternal, infant, and child health are a growing concern in India and are governed by various determinants such as socioeconomic status, literacy, quality of health care, discrimination, and biological and genetic factors. Accurate and reliable health information and data are the basis for decision-making across the health-care sector and are crucial for the development and implementation of health system policy by the policy-makers. Strict monitoring and evaluation of the present program design and its implementation is required at the microlevel to effectively utilize the resources for the improvement of maternal and child health. Our present article focuses on evaluating the coverage gap at the different levels for the provision of health-care facilities to maternal, neonatal, and child health, immunization, and treatment of poor children. Big data plays a major role in providing sound and reliable health-related information and also help in managing and recording structured and unstructured data. More concrete plans are required further to reduce the inequalities in health-care interventions for providing better maternal and child health-care services in our nation.

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