scholarly journals Impact of Health Education on Knowledge and Behaviors toward Infectious Diseases among Students in Gansu Province, China

2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manli Wang ◽  
Xuemei Han ◽  
Haiqing Fang ◽  
Chang Xu ◽  
Xiaojun Lin ◽  
...  

Objectives. Infectious disease knowledge and behaviors are key elements that ensure student health and safety. This study explores the impact of health education on student knowledge and behaviors toward infectious diseases and determines the factors affecting infectious diseases knowledge and behaviors among students in Gansu, China. Methods. A cross-sectional study and three sampling methods were used in two counties, 12 schools, and 32 classes in Gansu, China, from 2012 to 2013. Collected data included the following: (1) sociodemographic characteristics of 2002 students (1001 participants in the intervention group and 1001 in the control group); (2) accuracy of student knowledge and behaviors toward infectious diseases based on comparison of intervention and control groups through X2 test; and (3) mean scores on knowledge and behavior of students with different characteristics toward infectious diseases, as analyzed through analysis of variance (ANOVA). Multiple linear regression was conducted to analyze factors affecting student knowledge and behaviors toward infectious diseases. Results. Statistically significant differences were observed among eight items of infectious disease transmission and treatment knowledge between intervention and control groups (P<0.001). Average accuracies of knowledge and behaviors toward infectious diseases reached 72.23% and 60.03%. Significant differences were observed in six items on student behavior in rural and urban areas (P<0.001). Health education, household register, and county affected scores of student knowledge and behaviors toward infectious diseases (P<0.05). Gender and education level also affected scores of student behaviors toward infectious diseases (P<0.001). Conclusions. Health education contributes to student knowledge and behaviors toward infectious diseases. Students in the control group need intensified health education on infectious diseases. Health education needs to pay particular attention to rural students, all male students, and students at senior high school level living on campus.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammed Dauda Goni ◽  
Nyi Nyi Naing ◽  
Habsah Hasan ◽  
Nadiah Wan-Arfah ◽  
Zakuan Zainy Deris ◽  
...  

Abstract Background This study was aimed at demonstrating the impact of a health education intervention on reducing the incidence of influenza-like illnesses symptoms among Malaysian's Hajj pilgrims. MethodsThis study utilizes a quasi-experimental study in the evaluation of the impact of the intervention. Participants were recruited during Hajj orientation courses organized by private Hajj companies. Participants from two separate companies were recruited into an intervention group and control group respectively. The intervention group received a Health Belief Model (HBM) based smartphone health education intervention application while the control group received a normal Hajj guide intervention smartphone application before departure to Hajj. Data on the incidence of influenza-like illnesses (ILI) were collected from participants from two Hajj companies before and after returning from Hajj. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS with descriptive analysis, and analytical tests were conducted at 5% significance level. ResultsA total of 102 pilgrims completed the study in both intervention and control groups. The incidence of the symptoms of influenza-like illnesses (ILI) was statistically significant between the intervention and control groups (p = 0.049). The change in the level of knowledge and attitude among the intervention was statistically significant (p= 0.001, p = 0.029). ConclusionIn conclusion, the health education intervention has an impact on reducing the incidence of symptoms among Hajj pilgrims.


Author(s):  
Behnam Behforouz ◽  
Anca Daniela Frumuselu

This paper investigates the efficiency of text messaging as an English as a Foreign Language (EFL) instructional tool to enhance learner autonomy and perception at the Islamic Azad University-South Tehran Branch, Iran. The study considers seventy-four learners to participate in the study after the administration of an Oxford Placement Test to measure their proficiency level. Participants are randomly assigned in experimental and control groups, including 37 participants each. A questionnaire is used as a pretest and posttest to measure learners` autonomy. Participants from the experimental group use text messaging (the treatment) to receive instructions, whereas those from the control group receive traditional classroom instructions in a face-to-face channel. A semi-structured interview is also used to collect date on experimental group participants` perception in using MALL in classrooms. The results reveal remarkable differences between the experimental and control groups’ means on their learner autonomy scores. However, the impact of the independent samples t-test has shown that there is no statistically meaningful gender difference among the learners regarding their autonomy scores. The findings based on the semi-structured interview showed complimentary views on MALL. The current study is beneficial since its outcomes could be relevant for EFL curriculum developers and English language teachers in the use of mobile learning and text messaging in the English classroom.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leila Kianfard ◽  
Farkhonde Amin SHokravi ◽  
Sakineh Rakhshanderou ◽  
Shamsaddin Niknami

Abstract BackgroundPhysical activity during pregnancy period is one of the issues with priority during pregnancy period. Researches show that women reduce their physical activity during this period and are unaware of the benefits on the health of the mother and embryology. Although researchers regarding physical activity during pregnancy have prepared many guidelines; it is not however clear why pregnant women do not perform physical activity and the effectiveness factors that facilitate the desired behavior. MethodsThe research population included all pregnant women aged 18 to 40 years with gestational age of 12-38 weeks referring to the healthcare centers in District 5 of Tehran Municipality, from 22 districts of the city who had eliminated their physical activity during pregnancy. Questionnaires of physical activity assessment questionnaire after educational intervention in pregnant women (PPAQ) and a questionnaire designed based on the results of the needs assessment and the dimensions of the PEN-3 model were used for assessment. This study is a Research Clinical Trial (RCT). Due to the nature, a quasi-experimental research design (pre-test, post-test) with the control group was used in this research. ResultsBased on the obtained results, the intervention based on E-learning has a significant effect of enabling factors to increase physical activity in pregnant women in the experimental group. In addition, the intervention based on E-learning has a significant effect on the training factors in order to increase physical activity in pregnant women in the experimental group. ConclusionBased on the research results, it can be said that there is a statistically significant difference between the experimental and control groups in the scores obtained from training factors in the pretest and the experimental group. Furthermore, it can be said that there is a statistically significant difference between the experimental and control groups in the scores obtained from the enabling factors in the pre-test and the experimental group.


2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (11) ◽  
pp. 1179-1183
Author(s):  
Geeta Sharma ◽  
Tom Stewart ◽  
Scott Duncan

Background: Curriculum-integrated dance programs are a promising but relatively under-researched strategy for increasing children’s physical activity (PA). The aim of this study was to determine the impact of a curriculum-integrated dance program on children’s PA. Methods: A total of 134 primary children aged 7–9 years from 4 New Zealand schools were assigned to either a dance group (n = 78) or a control group (n = 56). The dance group participated in a 6-week curriculum-integrated dance program during school time. Although the dance program focused on curricular learning, fitness and coordination were embedded in the dance sessions. Intensity of PA varied according to the focus of each dance session. PA was measured at baseline and postintervention using a waist-mounted ActiGraph GT3X+ accelerometer for 8 consecutive days. Results: There were no significant intervention effects on PA levels between the dance and control groups postintervention. Conclusion: Dance-embedded learning did not increase overall levels of PA in this study. Future studies may consider assessing longer term effects of a dance-based intervention, or programs that place more focus on PA promotion.


2019 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 166-191 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aurik Gustomo ◽  
Hary Febriansyah ◽  
Henndy Ginting ◽  
Imelia Martinovita Santoso

PurposeEmployee engagement has been directly linked to organizational outcomes, and at present, improving employee engagement has increasingly been a main focus for organizations. However, studies evaluating the impact of storytelling interventions on increasing the level of employee engagement are limited. Storytelling is one of the intervention methods that can provide cognitive stimulus to employees, which in turn could change their attitudes toward work including employee engagement. The purpose of this study is to determine the effectiveness of storytelling as an intervention tool for increasing employee engagement in one of the state-owned enterprises (SOEs) in West Java, Indonesia.Design/methodology/approachThis study uses a quantitative method. Employees from a West Java branch of large SOEs were randomly assigned into experimental and control groups. The research design used a pretest and a post-test with an expressive writing method to identify the extent of employee engagement by comparing participant groups and measuring the increase of employee engagement as a result of the storytelling intervention. The experimental group participated in three storytelling sessions that had been set up by panels of experts, while the control group was not given any treatment. The expressive writing analysis was conducted using software that has been developed and tested for validity and reliability. Furthermore, statistical analysis was used to test the results of expressive writing scoring to determine the impact of storytelling interventions.FindingsDirect storytelling is proven to be one of the most effective methods of increasing employee engagement in one of the SOEs in the West Java region. The results of this study showed that there were differences between the experiment and control groups after experiencing a direct storytelling intervention where there was a significant increase in the dimensions of employee engagement. Participants in experimental group had higher scores than participants in control group in most of the employee engagement dimensions. Additionally, expressive writing methods are also proven to be able to provide a stimulus for employees in expressing thoughts, perceptions and motivations for employee engagement in the company.Research limitations/implicationsAs direct storytelling has not been frequently used, especially to improve employee engagement, more studies should be conducted in various settings, with different measurement tools, and in a more controlled environment to confirm the effects of the intervention.Practical implicationsThis paper provides insight into how companies can use direct storytelling to improve the dimensions of employee engagement. Additionally, this research can also be used as a reference by companies in Indonesia, especially SOEs, for applying the same method in an effort to improve work-related attitudes, such as employee satisfaction and organizational commitment.Social implicationsThis study raises social implications in which employees enthusiasm increases in improving personal relationships between employees and storytellers, who are middle or upper management employees. In addition, employees also more appreciate their struggles when starting their careers, so they care more about increasing their role and involvement in the company.Originality/valueThis paper provides resources and information for companies and organizations to improve employee engagement through the implementation of direct storytelling. The focus of this paper is to gain information on the role of direct storytelling in improving employee engagement within a company or organization.


2004 ◽  
Vol 122 (6) ◽  
pp. 252-258 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tathiana Pagano ◽  
Luciana Akemi Matsutani ◽  
Elisabeth Alves Gonçalves Ferreira ◽  
Amélia Pasqual Marques ◽  
Carlos Alberto de Bragança Pereira

CONTEXT: Fibromyalgia is a syndrome characterized by chronic, diffuse musculoskeletal pain, and by a low pain threshold at specific anatomical points. The syndrome is associated with other symptoms such as fatigue, sleep disturbance, morning stiffness and anxiety. Because of its chronic nature, it often has a negative impact on patients' quality of life. OBJECTIVE: To assess the quality of life and anxiety level of patients with fibromyalgia. TYPE Of STUDY: Cross-sectional. SETTING: Rheumatology outpatient service of Hospital das Clínicas (Medical School, Universidade de São Paulo). METHODS: This study evaluated 80 individuals, divided between test and control groups. The test group included 40 women with a confirmed diagnosis of fibromyalgia. The control group was composed of 40 healthy women. Three questionnaires were used: two to assess quality of life (FIQ and SF-36) and one to assess anxiety (STAI). They were applied to the individuals in both groups in a single face-to-face interview. The statistical analysis used Student's t test and Pearson's correlation test (r), with a significance level of 95%. Also, the Pearson chi-squared statistics test for homogeneity, with Yates correction, was used for comparing schooling between test and control groups. RESULTS: There was a statistically significant difference between the groups (p = 0.000), thus indicating that fibromyalgia patients have a worse quality of life and higher levels of anxiety. The correlations between the three questionnaires were high (r = 0.9). DISCUSSION: This study has confirmed the efficacy of FIQ for evaluating the impact of fibromyalgia on the quality of life. SF-36 is less specific than FIQ, although statistically significant values were obtained when analyzed separately, STAI showed lower efficacy for discriminating the test group from the control group. The test group showed worse quality of life than did the control group, which was demonstrated by both FIQ and SF-36. Even though STAI was a less efficient instrument, it presented significant results, showing that fibromyalgia patients presented higher levels of anxiety, both on the state and trait scales. Thus, patients with fibromyalgia had higher levels of tension, nervousness, preoccupation and apprehension, and higher propensity towards anxiety. CONCLUSION: The three instruments utilized showed efficiency in evaluating fibromyalgia patients. FIQ was found to be the most efficient instrument for discriminating and assessing the impact of fibromyalgia on their quality of life. It can be concluded that such patients have a worse quality of life and higher levels of anxiety.


2009 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 259-273 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erin R. Mazzoni ◽  
P. Lynn Purves ◽  
Julie Southward ◽  
Ryan E. Rhodes ◽  
Viviene A. Temple

The impact of a six-week indoor wall climbing on the perceptions of self for children with special needs aged 6–12 years was explored. Participants (n = 46) were randomly assigned to the intervention (girls, n = 4; boys, n = 19) and control groups (girls, n = 5; boys, n = 18). Belayers’ and children’s perceptions of efficacy were measured using specifically designed questionnaires and perceptions of competence and global self-worth were measured using Harter’s (1985) Self-Perception Profile for Children for participants with an adaptive age of 8 years or higher. Children’s self-efficacy and belayers’ ratings of children’s efficacy improved significantly, t(21) = 3.9, p = .001, d = .84 and F(2, 44) = 30.03, p < .001, respectively. The children’s judgments of their athletic and social competence and global self-worth, however, did not change over time or differ from the wait-listed control group (p > .05). These results suggest that it is likely that many experiences that enhance self-efficacy may be needed to improve self-perceptions.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kustati Budi Lestari ◽  
Intan Fauzia Dwi Lestari ◽  
Iman Santoso

Anaemia is currently still a global health problem. About 26.8% of Indonesian adolescents suffer from anaemia. Most of them do not realize that they suffer from anaemia, neither do they understand the effects of it; this, therefore, warrants a need for health education by utilizing online technology. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of health education through online learning on the knowledge level of adolescents about anaemia. This study is quasi-experiment research with a pretest–posttest using a control-group design. The sampling technique used was stratified random sampling, with a total of 36 respondents who were divided into control and intervention groups. The respondents were screened using the Haemoglobin Test Strip Monitoring System and data were collected using a questionnaire. Data analysis in this study used the Wilcoxon and Mann–Whitney tests. The results showed that there was an increase in the mean knowledge value of anaemic adolescents (p < 0.05) based on the Wilcoxon test results, while based on the Mann–Whitney test, there was no difference between the intervention and control groups (p > 0.05). Health education through online learning media can be given to adolescents because through these media, adolescents can quickly get information related to anaemia anywhere and anytime, and there is a need for active interaction during activities. Keywords: online learning, health education, anaemia, adolescents


2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 193 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jong Eun Park ◽  
Tae Gun Shin ◽  
Ik Joon Jo ◽  
Kyeongman Jeon ◽  
Gee Young Suh ◽  
...  

Sepsis is a common cause of delirium in the intensive care unit (ICU). Recently, vitamin C and thiamine administration has been gaining interest as a potential adjunct therapy for sepsis. We investigated the impact of early vitamin C and thiamine administration on ICU delirium-free days among critically ill patients in septic shock. We performed a single-center, retrospective study of patients who visited the emergency department (ED) from January 2017 to July 2018. We categorized patients into a treatment (received vitamin C and thiamine) and control group. We compared delirium-free days within 14 days after ICU admission using propensity score matching. Of 435 patients with septic shock, we assigned 89 propensity score-matched pairs to the treatment and control groups. The median delirium-free days did not differ between treatment (11, interquartile range [IQR] 5–14 days) and control (12, IQR 6–14 days) groups (p = 0.894). Secondary outcomes were not different between the two groups, including delirium incidence and 28-day mortality. These findings were consistent after subgroup analysis for patients who met the sepsis-3 definition of septic shock. Vitamin C and thiamine administration showed no association with ICU delirium-free days among patients in septic shock.


2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Esra Uyar ◽  
Deniz Usal ◽  
Belgin Selam ◽  
Mehmet Cincik ◽  
Tayfun Bagis

Abstract Background T- shaped uterus may be associated with infertility and adverse pregnancy outcomes. Hysteroscopic metroplasty may improve the reproductivity for these cases. To our knowledge, there is no data in literature about the clinical consequences of in vitro fertilization (IVF) in patients undergoing hysteroscopic metroplasty for T-shaped uterus. The principal objective of the current study is to assess the impact of hysteroscopic metroplasty for T-shaped uterus on the reproductive outcomes of IVF. Methods IVF outcomes of 74 patients who underwent hysteroscopic metroplasty for T- shaped uterus and 148 patients without any uterine abnormalities and with diagnosis of unexplained infertility (control group) were retrospectively analyzed. Results Patients in metroplasty and control groups were comparable with respect to age, BMI, partner’s age and duration of infertility. Number of patients with a history of pregnancy beyond 20 weeks of gestation was significantly lower in the metroplasty group (4.1% vs 18.2%; p < 0.05). Number of previous unsuccessful cycles and percentage of patients with ≥3 unsuccessful IVF cycles (35.1% vs 17.6%; p < 0.05) were significantly higher in the metroplasty group. There were no significant differences in the reproductive outcomes such as the pregnancy rate, clinical pregnancy or live birth rate between the metroplasty and control groups. There were non-significant trends for higher rates of miscarriage (18.8% vs 8%, p > 0.05) and biochemical pregnancy (20.0% vs 10.7%, p > 0.05) in the metroplasty group compared to the control group. Conclusions Reproductive results of the IVF cycles after hysteroscopic correction of T-shaped uterus were comparable to those of the patients without any uterine abnormalities and with diagnosis of unexplained infertility. Hysteroscopic metroplasty may contribute to improved IVF outcomes in patients with T-shaped uterus.


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