scholarly journals Practices and Perceptions Regarding Pain and Pain Management during Routine Childhood Immunizations: Findings from a Focus-Group Study with Nurses Working at Toronto Public Health, Ontario

2011 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 43-48 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Kikuta ◽  
Fauzia Gardezi ◽  
Vinita Dubey ◽  
Anna Taddio
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Pain Management ◽  
Focus Group ◽  
Injection Pain ◽  
Focus Group Study ◽  
Attitudes And Practices ◽  
Topical Anesthetics ◽  
Childhood Immunizations ◽  
Geographical Regions ◽  
Process Factors

INTRODUCTION: Despite the availability of a variety of evidence-based interventions, it has previously been reported that the majority of infants and children undergo vaccine injections without the benefit of analgesia. Nurses in public health administer a substantial number of injections; however, their attitudes and practices surrounding acute pain during vaccine injections have not been previously explored.METHODS: A focus-group interview was conducted in Toronto, Ontario, with 10 nurses who immunize children. Participants reported their perceptions and practices with regard to vaccine injection pain and pain management.RESULTS: Three key themes emerged: environmental and process factors, perceptions regarding the effectiveness of different analgesic interventions, and perceptions regarding pain and fear. Participants reported a lack of control over their environment, resulting in fear and discomfort for children. They recommended increased support from external partners such as school teachers and administrators. Participants reported that pharmacological interventions, such as topical local anesthetics, were not used; however, psychological and physical interventions were commonly used. Nurses questioned the effectiveness of topical anesthetics, and indicated that more education was required regarding effective analgesic interventions. Needle pain was reported to be the most prominent concern for children undergoing vaccine injections, and children were described as being fearful.DISCUSSION: Nurses reported vaccination setting, analgesic effectiveness and relative importance given to pain as important factors for pain and pain management during vaccine injections. Future studies should explore whether additional perspectives are present in vaccinators in other geographical regions. The effectiveness of educational resources and pain management programs aimed at improving current practices should be investigated.

Public attitudes to COVID-19 ‘booster vaccinations and influenza vaccines: A qualitative focus group study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simon Nicholas Williams
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Focus Group ◽  
Public Attitudes ◽  
Influenza Vaccines ◽  
Focus Group Study ◽  
Initial Decision ◽  
Population Immunity ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Online Focus Groups ◽  
Flu Vaccine

Objectives This study explored public attitudes to COVID-19 ‘booster’ vaccines and influenza vaccines, including participants intentions to have them or not, and their preferences on how and when they should be administered. Study design. Qualitative study using online focus groups and interviews.Methods Group and individual online interviews were conducted with a diverse sample of 21 adults in the United Kingdom to explore their views on the issue of COVID-19 booster and influenza vaccination. Data were analysed using a framework approach.Results Three themes emerged to unpack participants views on COVID-19 booster and flu vaccinations: (1) Booster intentions correspond with decisions around initial vaccination (2) Mixed views on booster and flu vaccines (3) Mixed views on whether to get COVID-19 booster and flu vaccines together or separately. Those who had been more willing to accept their initial COVID-19 vaccine were more willing to accept a booster and a flu vaccine, whereas those who had been more hesitant about their initial COVID-19 vaccine were more hesitant about getting a booster and a flu vaccine – including the idea of getting them together.Conclusions Public health messaging related to COVID-19 boosters might emphasise that they can be seen as: an extension of their initial decision to get vaccination; a way to maintain population immunity over the longer term; a collective act (to protect others); a way to maintain freedoms or ‘normality’. Messaging around boosters and influenza vaccines needs to emphasise they are safe and convenient to be taken together and that both are important, especially for those clinically vulnerable

American Evangelicals and Islam: Their Perspectives, Attitudes and Practices Towards Muslims in the US

2016 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 26-37 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amit A Bhatia
Keyword(s):  
Focus Group ◽  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Religious Diversity ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Focus Group Study ◽  
Outreach Ministry ◽  
Attitudes And Practices ◽  
The Us

In light of the increasing presence of Muslims in the US, this article elucidates the perspectives, attitudes and practices of American evangelicals towards Muslims in the US. The discussion is informed by data that were gathered through a qualitative study of 40 lay American evangelicals and four pastors, as well as through a focus group study of an evangelical outreach ministry among Muslims. Literature on religious diversity in the US forms the background within which the information drawn from the qualitative interviews and focus group study is discussed and analyzed. The respondents’ perspectives and attitudes towards Islam and Muslims in general are quite negative, as well as conflicted in that while the respondents claimed to be open to interacting and dialoguing with Muslims, their practices towards Muslims were often not so hospitable. This inhospitality was a result of a general fear of Islam and Muslims exhibited by the respondents.

scholarly journals Exploring the characteristics of a local demand for African wild meat: A focus group study of long-term Ghanaian residents in the Netherlands

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. e0246868
Author(s):  
Sandrella M. Morrison-Lanjouw ◽  
Roel A. Coutinho ◽  
Kwasi Boahene ◽  
Robert Pool
Keyword(s):  
Focus Group ◽  
The Netherlands ◽  
West African ◽  
Focus Group Discussions ◽  
Focus Group Study ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Attitudes And Practices ◽  
Wild Meat ◽  
The City

While there is a growing body of research documenting unregulated African wild meat imports into Europe from the Africa continent, the drivers of this demand are virtually unknown. This study employs focus group discussions and a survey questionnaire to examine the attitudes and practices related to African wild meat consumption in the city of Amsterdam, Netherlands. The Ghanaian community was selected as the object of this study, as it is the largest West African population in the Netherlands and represents an important part of Dutch society. We model our report on a recent US study of the Liberian community of Minneapolis, Minnesota, which allows for the comparison of results between two Western countries. The overall perceived health risk of consuming African wild meat in The Netherlands is low and unlikely to deter consumption. However, local prices for the meat may be prohibitive in some cases. Incentives include health benefits, cultural drivers and a strong preference for the taste of African wild meat over all local meat alternatives. The study calls for further research into the nature of the drivers of demand for African wild meat as well as its public health consequences, in the Netherlands and beyond.

“Public Health Investigation”: Focus Group Study of a Regional Infectious Disease Exercise

2008 ◽  
Vol 25 (6) ◽  
pp. 546-553 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Ablah ◽  
Debbie Nickels ◽  
Amanda Hodle ◽  
Deborah J. Wolfe
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Infectious Disease ◽  
Focus Group ◽  
Focus Group Study

Focus Group Study of Hand Hygiene Practice among Healthcare Workers in a Teaching Hospital in Toronto, Canada

2010 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 144-150 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ti-Hyun Jang ◽  
Samantha Wu ◽  
Debra Kirzner ◽  
Christine Moore ◽  
Gomana Youssef ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Focus Group ◽  
Hand Hygiene ◽  
Role Models ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Urgent Care ◽  
Focus Group Study ◽  
Behavioral Determinants ◽  
Limited Access ◽  
Attitudes And Practices ◽  
Hospital Equipment

Objective.To understand the behavioral determinants of hand hygiene in our hospital.Design.Qualitative study based on 17 focus groups.Setting.Mount Sinai Hospital, an acute care tertiary hospital affiliated with the University of Toronto.Participants.We recruited 153 healthcare workers (HCWs) representing all major patient care job categories.Methods.Focus group discussions were transcribed verbatim. Thematic analysis was independently conducted by 3 investigators.Results.Participants reported that the realities of their workload (eg, urgent care and interruptions) make complete adherence to hand hygiene impossible. The guidelines were described as overly conservative, and participants expressed that their judgement is adequate to determine when to perform hand hygiene. Discussions revealed gaps in knowledge among participants; most participants expressed interest in more information and education. Participants reported self-protection as the primary reason for the performance of hand hygiene, and many admitted to prolonged glove use because it gave them a sense of protection. Limited access to hand hygiene products was a source of frustration, as was confusion related to hospital equipment as potential vehicles for transmission of infection. Participants said that they noticed other HCWs' adherence and reported that others HCWs' hygiene practices influenced their own attitudes and practices. In particular, HCWs perceive physicians as role models; physicians, however, do not see themselves as such.Conclusions.Our results confirm previous findings that hand hygiene is practiced for personal protection, that limited access to supplies is a barrier, and that role models and a sense of team effort encourage hand hygiene. Educating HCWs on how to manage workload with guideline adherence and addressing contaminated hospital equipment may improve compliance.

scholarly journals Perceptions of labour pain management of Dutch primary care midwives: a focus group study

2016 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Trudy Klomp ◽  
Ank de Jonge ◽  
Eileen K. Hutton ◽  
Suzanne Hers ◽  
Antoine L. M. Lagro-Janssen
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
Pain Management ◽  
Focus Group ◽  
Labour Pain ◽  
Focus Group Study

scholarly journals Can focus groups be a tool for change? Introducing health equity to environmental public health practice

2016 ◽  
Vol 59 (4) ◽  
pp. 113-116 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen Rideout ◽  
Dianne Oickle ◽  
Connie Clement
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Focus Group ◽  
Focus Groups ◽  
Public Health Practice ◽  
Organizational Level ◽  
Systematic Change ◽  
Focus Group Study ◽  
Group Participation ◽  
New Concepts ◽  
Additional Support

This qualitative investigation was undertaken to explore the value of focus group participation to introduce new concepts into practice within public health. Seven public health inspectors who participated in an earlier focus group study responded to follow-up questions designed to assess whether their participation in the original focus group sessions lead to changes in their thinking or practice. Findings suggest that focus group participation can provide an opportunity to start conversations about new concepts, highlight ways to put thoughts into action, validate how current practice supports broader goals, and identify gaps and next steps. Although an important tool for change, systematic change requires additional support at the organizational level to achieve full implementation. Further research into the use of focus groups as a tool for reflective practice is recommended.

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