scholarly journals COVID-19 health literacy, coping strategies and perception of COVID-19 containment measures among community members in a southwestern state in Nigeria

GERMS ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 478-497
Author(s):  
Victor O Ukwenya ◽  
Temiloluwa A Fuwape ◽  
Olayinka S Ilesanmi
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Aziz Rahman ◽  
Sheikh Mohammed Shariful Islam ◽  
Ramy Abdelnaby ◽  
Rayan Jafnan Alharbi ◽  
Talal Ali Alharbi ◽  
...  

Author(s):  
Lichtveld ◽  
Covert ◽  
Sherman ◽  
Shankar ◽  
Wickliffe ◽  
...  

Environmental health literacy (EHL) involves understanding and using environmental information to make decisions about health. This study developed a validated survey instrument with four scales for assessing media-specific (i.e., air, food, water) and general EHL. The four scales were created as follows: 1) item generation: environmental health scientists and statisticians developed an initial set of items in three domains: knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors; 2) item review: items were reviewed for face validity; 3) validation: 174 public health students, the exploratory sample, and 98 community members, the test sample, validated the scales. The scales’ factor structure was based on exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and model fit was assessed through confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). For each scale, the final EFA resulted in an independent three-factor solution for knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors. Good fit for the three-factor structure was observed. Model fit for CFA was generally confirmed with fit indices. The scales showed internal consistency with Cronbach’s alpha from 0.63 to 0.70. The 42-item instrument represents an important contribution towards assessing EHL and is designed to enable meaningful engagement between researchers and community members about environmental health. The intended outcome is sustained community–academic partnerships benefiting research design, implementation, translation, dissemination, and community action.


2015 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 174-183 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adriana Arcia ◽  
Niurka Suero-Tejeda ◽  
Michael E Bales ◽  
Jacqueline A Merrill ◽  
Sunmoo Yoon ◽  
...  

Abstract Objective To collaborate with community members to develop tailored infographics that support comprehension of health information, engage the viewer, and may have the potential to motivate health-promoting behaviors. Methods The authors conducted participatory design sessions with community members, who were purposively sampled and grouped by preferred language (English, Spanish), age group (18–30, 31–60, >60 years), and level of health literacy (adequate, marginal, inadequate). Research staff elicited perceived meaning of each infographic, preferences between infographics, suggestions for improvement, and whether or not the infographics would motivate health-promoting behavior. Analysis and infographic refinement were iterative and concurrent with data collection. Results Successful designs were information-rich, supported comparison, provided context, and/or employed familiar color and symbolic analogies. Infographics that employed repeated icons to represent multiple instances of a more general class of things (e.g., apple icons to represent fruit servings) were interpreted in a rigidly literal fashion and thus were unsuitable for this community. Preliminary findings suggest that infographics may motivate health-promoting behaviors. Discussion Infographics should be information-rich, contextualize the information for the viewer, and yield an accurate meaning even if interpreted literally. Conclusion Carefully designed infographics can be useful tools to support comprehension and thus help patients engage with their own health data. Infographics may contribute to patients’ ability to participate in the Learning Health System through participation in the development of a robust data utility, use of clinical communication tools for health self-management, and involvement in building knowledge through patient-reported outcomes.


Author(s):  
Seyed Alireza Afshani ◽  
Seyed Mostajad Hosseini-motlagh

Introduction: Lifestyle of a community members  should be investiagted, especially in the devotees and their families. The present research aimed at measuring and comparing the lifestyle status of veteran and non-veteran families in Iran. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, the statistical population included the veteran and non-veteran families in Tehran City and the sample size included 360 people. The research instruments were Lali, Abedi, and Kajbaf’s Lifestyle Questionnaire (LSQ) (2012), and All Aspects of Health Literacy Scale (AAHLS, 2013). The data were analyzed by SPSS v.24. At the descriptive level, graphing was performed and at the inferential level, Pearson, t-test, Friedman, and analysis of variance tests were run. Results: A significant difference was observed between the mean scores of lifestyle in two groups of Veteran and Non-Veteran in Tehran. No significant difference was found between the lifestyle scores of men and women in the Non-Veteran group as well as between the mean scores of the single and married lifestyle in the Veteran and Non-Veteran group (P<0/05). However, a significant relationship was found between health literacy and lifestyle of the veteran and non-veteran participants (p<0/05). Conclusion: The results showed that lifestyle should be considerd as a set of observable behaviors and health literacy should be investiagted as predicting variables in promoting lifestyle in the Veteran and Non-Veteran groups.


2020 ◽  
Vol 44 (2) ◽  
pp. 244-251
Author(s):  
Charlee N. Brissette ◽  
Z. Erum Whyne ◽  
H. Matthew Lehrer ◽  
Jihun Woo ◽  
Mary A. Steinhardt

Objectives: Native Americans have higher rates of mental health symptoms and chronic disease compared to the general population, partly due to historical loss (eg, land, language, culture). Few studies have examined strength-based characteristics that enable Native populations to cope with loss and reduce loss-related emotional symptoms (eg, anxiety, anger). Methods: We recruited 81 participants (mean age 47.9 years; 61% female) in a midwestern Anishinaabe community using convenience sampling. Participants completed questionnaires assessing historical loss, loss-related emotional symptoms, psychological resilience, and maladaptive and adaptive coping strategies. Hierarchical regression analyses examined associations of historical loss, psychological resilience, and coping strategies with loss-related emotional symptoms after controlling for demographics. Results: Historical loss ( β = .56, p < .001) and maladaptive coping strategies ( β = .23, p < .05) were positively associated with loss-related symptoms among Anishinaabe community members; psychological resilience was inversely associated with loss-related symptoms ( β = -.21, p < .05). Adaptive coping strategies ( β = .02, p > .05) were not associated with loss-related symptoms. Conclusions: Findings suggest that historical loss is associated with loss-related emotional symptoms in the Anishinaabe population. Public health programs that foster psychological resilience and reduce maladaptive coping strategies are needed to address these loss-related symptoms.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Simone Nash ◽  
Amit Arora

Abstract Background Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples continue to experience poorer health outcomes than other population groups. While data specific to Indigenous Australians are scarce, a known social health literacy gradient exists linking low health literacy and poor health outcomes within many minority populations. Improving health literacy among Indigenous Australians is an important way to support self-determination and autonomy in both individuals and communities, by enhancing knowledge and improving health outcomes. This review aims to rigorously examine the effectiveness of health literacy interventions targeting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Methods A systematic review across six databases (The Cochrane Library, PubMed, Embase, SCOPUS, ProQuest Dissertation and Thesis and Web of Science) was performed for publications evaluating interventions to improve health literacy among Indigenous Australian adults using search terms identifying a range of related outcomes. Results Of 824 articles retrieved, a total of five studies met the eligibility criteria and were included in this review. The included studies evaluated the implementation of workshops, structured exercise classes and the provision of discounted fruit and vegetables to improve nutrition, modify risk factors for chronic diseases, and improve oral health literacy. All interventions reported statistically significant improvement in at least one measured outcome. However, there was limited involvement of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community members in the research process and participant retention rates were sub-optimal. Conclusion There is limited evidence on interventions to improve health literacy in Indigenous Australian adults. Participation in interventions was often suboptimal and loss to follow-up was high. Future studies co-designed with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community members are needed to improve health literacy in this population.


2016 ◽  
Vol 44 (2) ◽  
pp. 206-214 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jean P. Shipman ◽  
Erica Lake ◽  
Alice I. Weber

Purpose University of Utah has created various partnerships to improve health literacy and health outcomes among patient populations, employees and community members. Health sciences librarians have been key members of these partnerships. This paper aims to describe and share several of these partnerships, including training programs, research efforts and advocacy initiatives, to encourage others to engage in similar activities. Design/methodology/approach Case studies include outreach projects and partnerships to foster health literacy and promote healthy living such as: highly visible information resource provision and associated outreach for patients and families; community health fairs; research on providing point-of-need information for vulnerable community populations; health literacy awareness and resources for professionals; health literacy education for interprofessional students; and a competition for interprofessional students to create health videos to address a variety of topics in multiple languages. Findings Partnerships and outreach efforts lead to improved awareness by institutional personnel of the importance of health literacy. Research on using health literacy to empower patients and increase patient satisfaction can demonstrate how to lower institutional costs and improve guideline compliance, as well out health outcomes. Originality/value Librarians’ instructional skills create personal health educational content for patients and professionals; engaging colleagues to address health literacy lowers health care costs, institutional costs and increases patient compliance and satisfaction.


2021 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
pp. 57
Author(s):  
Diana Süsser ◽  
Andrzej Ceglarz ◽  
Vassilis Stavrakas ◽  
Johan Lilliestam

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has affected societies and economies around the world, and the scientific community is no exception. Whereas the importance of stakeholder engagement in research has grown quickly for many EU projects, yet no research has studied the consequences of the pandemic on this. In this paper, we investigate the effects of the COVID-19 crisis on European energy research, in particular the stakeholder work, during the first wave of the coronavirus in spring and summer 2020. We pose the research questions: (i) How big of a problem are the coronavirus containment measures for stakeholder engagement? (ii) How have researchers coped with the situation, and (iii) How do they evaluate alternative stakeholder activities implemented? We conducted an online survey among European energy research projects with stakeholder engagement between June and August 2020. We found that only one of six engagement activities could be implemented as planned, whereas almost half were cancelled or delayed. The most common coping strategies were changing involvement formats – mainly to webinars or online workshops – or postponement. Webinars, online interviews, and online surveys were seen as the best online formats. Most respondents plan to continue using online formats to complement, but not to replace, physical meetings in future research. All long-term effects remain to be seen, but given the postponement of many stakeholder involvement activities, many projects may face problems at later stages of their realisation. These findings are highly relevant for funding institutions and provide important insights on coping strategies for fellow researchers beyond the energy field.


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