scholarly journals Investigating the Relationships Between Public Health Literacy and Public Trust in Physicians in China's Control of COVID-19: A Cross-Sectional Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dongjin Chen ◽  
Qian Zhou ◽  
Cornelius B. Pratt ◽  
Zhenhua Su ◽  
Zheng Gu
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Literacy ◽  
Care Delivery ◽  
Public Trust ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Association Coefficient ◽  
Solid Foundation ◽  
Trust In Physicians ◽  
Public Health Literacy

Objective: Public trust in physicians and public health literacy (HL) are important factors that ensure the effectiveness of health-care delivery, particularly that provided during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. This study investigates HL as a predictor of public trust in physicians in China's ongoing efforts to control COVID-19.Methods: Data were gathered in February 2020 during the peak of the disease in China. Based on Nutbeam's conceptualization of HL, we measure HL vis-à-vis COVID-19 by using a six-item scale that includes two items each for functional, interactive, and critical HL. Trust in physicians was measured by assessing physicians' capability to diagnose COVID-19. A rank-sum test and ordinal logit regression modeling were used to analyze the data.Results: Two key findings: (a) trust in physician handling of treatment for COVID-19 is reported by about 74% of respondents; and (b) five of the six HL measures are positive predictors of public trust in physician treatment of the disease, with functional HL1 having the highest level of such association (coefficient 0.285, odds ratio 1.33%, p < 0.01).Conclusions: Improving public HL is important for better public-physician relationships, as well as for nations' efforts to contain the pandemic, serving as a possible behavioral, non-clinical antidote to COVID-19. Being confronted with the unprecedented virus, humans need trust. Health education and risk communication can improve public compliance with physicians' requirements and build a solid foundation for collective responses.

scholarly journals Digital health literacy and online information queries in Portuguese university students

2021 ◽  
Vol 31 (Supplement_3) ◽  
Author(s):  
R Rosário ◽  
C Augusto ◽  
MJ Silva ◽  
S Martins ◽  
A Duarte ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Literacy ◽  
University Students ◽  
Information Seeking ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Digital Health ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Online Information ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Logistic Regression Models

Abstract Background Worldwide there is an overwhelming amount of information about COVID-19 circulating online, also named infodemic. Misinformation (the unintentional) and disinformation (the intentional) spreading of false information have proven to be very dangerous to public health. Hence, more than ever, people need skills for searching, evaluating and integrating information related to health in daily life, i.e., health literacy. Until now, little is known about the digital health literacy of university students and their information-seeking behaviour. Hence, this study aimed to analyse the associations between university students' digital health literacy and online information queries during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic (and infodemic) in Portugal. Methods A cross-sectional study of 3.084 Portuguese university students (75.7% females), with an average age of 24.2 (SD = 7.5), was conducted using an online survey. We used sociodemographic data (sex, age, subjective social status) and the digital health literacy questionnaire adapted to the specific COVID-19 context. Online information queries included the topics related to SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 searched by students. Logistic regression models were performed. Results Online information queries (e.g., individual measures to protect against infection, current spread of the virus, current situation assessments and recommendations) were associated with an increased odds of achieving sufficient digital health literacy. Conclusions Online information queries related to epidemiological and public health topics are significantly associated with digital health literacy in times of COVID-19. Further studies are needed, including programs that improve digital health literacy among university students and increase the availability of high-quality content information.

Why COVID-19 symptomatic patients did not seek healthcare service in Bangladesh: Evidence from a cross-sectional study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Md. Hasanul Siam ◽  
Md. Mahbub Hasan ◽  
Mohammad Meshbahur Rahman ◽  
Rashawan Raziur Rouf ◽  
Mohammad Sorowar Hossain
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Literacy ◽  
Healthcare System ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Statistical Significance ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Disease Spread ◽  
Contact Tracing ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional

Abstract Background: During an outbreak, the health-seeking behaviour (HSB) of patients plays a vital role to mitigate the disease spread. Poor HSB may significantly increase mortality and complicate contact tracing. In our study, we aimed to assess the status of HSB among the educated young adults of Bangladesh.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted online in June-July 2020 when the country was under strict social distancing measures. A snowball sampling method was employed to capture the suspected COVID-19 patients who did not undergo the COVID-19 test. Descriptive and inferential analyses were performed with statistical significance defined as p < 0.05. Results: Among the 390 participants, more male (79.5%) and urban-dwelling residents (80.3%) participated in the study. About 45% of the participants had a bachelor’s degree followed by 25.9% of post-graduation degrees such as master’s and Ph.D. Common symptoms included fever (77.7%), cough (50.5%), headache (46.2%), body pain (36.4%), sore throat (35.6%), anosmia (31.3%), anorexia (13.8%), diarrhea (11.4%) and dyspnea (11.3%). Compared to females, males were more likely to self-medicate. The odds of male participants considering COVID-19 infection as harmless was 3.2 times higher (AOR: 3.2, CI: 1.28-7.98) than the female participants. Smokers were more likely to use government hotlines for support and take drugs at home. Participants from rural areas were 2.5 times more likely to purchase drugs from nearby stores. The most common reasons for not taking the COVID-19 test were limited testing facilities (48%), risk of infection from the test centre (46%), fear of social stigma (19%), belief that COVID-19 will not cause any harm (18%) and fear of forced quarantine (5%). Respondents having higher monthly income were less likely to fear forced quarantine (AOR: 0.27, CI: 0.4-2.02) but more likely to consider the risk of being infected from the test centre (AOR: 1.75, CI: 0.88-3.49). Conclusion: Non-compliance with public health guidelines by educated people in the epidemic reflects the absence of health literacy and distrust in the healthcare system. Along with enhanced infrastructure, improved public health risk communication and health literacy efforts are needed to rebuild public trust in the healthcare system.

scholarly journals Evaluation of public health literacy in adults who applied for primary health care in Turkey

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
A Kılınç ◽  
C Çam ◽  
S Aydoğan Gedik ◽  
D Oktar ◽  
U Taşcıoğlu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Primary Health Care ◽  
Health Literacy ◽  
Education Level ◽  
Study Group ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Health Decisions ◽  
Primary Health ◽  
Public Health Literacy

Abstract Background The climate change, conflicts, mass migrations and global epidemics happening in today's world shows that it's necessary for the communities to implement public health decisions. In this context, the degree of obtaining and complying with the information required for individuals to process, understand and evaluate public health decisions has revealed the concept of public health literacy. The aim of the study was to determine the public health literacy (PHL) levels in adults applying for health care. Methods This is a cross-sectional study conducted on 1672 adults who applied for primary health care in Eskişehir in 2019. Public Health Literacy Knowledge Scale (PHLKS) which is created with a WHO initiative was used to assess the PHL levels. The scores that can be obtained from this scale ranges from 0 to 17 and higher score implies higher literacy levels. In the study group, Cronbach's alpha value was 0.72 for the PHLKS. Multiple linear regression was used to determine the variables that affect PHLKS score. Results In the study group; 924 (55.3%) were male, 399 (23.9%) were living in a rural area, their ages ranged from 18 to 87 and the mean age was 40.94 ± 15.22. The median score from the PHLKS was 13.0 and mean score was 12.38 ± 2.99. Among the participants, 27.8% of them had a correct response rate of ≥ 90% for the items of the scale. Variables related to PHLKS were found to be high level of education, to exercise regularly and to perceive the general health status as good (F = 28.869, p &lt; 0.001, R2 = 0.161). Education level was the most important variable related with PHL level (Standardized β coefficient: 0.34 95% CI: 0.28-0.39). Conclusions PHL levels of the participants was thought to be moderate. Education level and the lifestyle choices were related to PHL. Key messages It was thought that new and improved tools to measure public health literacy levels are needed. Societies should improve their education levels and invest in health education programs for more effective public health interventions.

scholarly journals English Reading Proficiency: A Study of Public Health Students in Indonesia

2021 ◽  
pp. 639-646
Author(s):  
Tri Bayu Purnama ◽  
Idris Sadri
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Literacy ◽  
English Language ◽  
Curriculum Evaluation ◽  
Health Study ◽  
First Year ◽  
College Level ◽  
Study Program ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Public Health Literacy

This study aimed to determine the English-language public health literacy of public health students. Literacy of public health constitutes proficiency and application of complex skills such as reading, critical and analytical thinking, listening and decisionmaking skills about emerging health situations. We used a quantitative approach with cross-sectional research to investigate the extent of English-language public health literacy among first year public health students. There were 110 participants in this study, all of whom were first year students of the Faculty of Public Health/ Public Health Study Program in North Sumatra Province and more than half were 18 years old with the sex dominated by women. The English-language public health literacy was quite high while students had limitations in understanding the content and main ideas of the articles they read. Students tended to hesitate to disseminate and explain information because they were not confident in their literacy skills. These findings can be used as material for English language curriculum evaluation and competency adjustment of public health students at college level. Keywords: Cross-sectional study, public health literacy, public health students, reading skill, undergraduate student

Disposal Practices of Unused Medications Among Patients in Public Health Centers of Dessie Town, Northeast Ethiopia: A Cross-sectional Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 105-110
Author(s):  
Haile Kassahun ◽  
Dugessa Tesfaye
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Health Centers ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Global Challenge ◽  
Northeast Ethiopia ◽  
Unused Medications ◽  
At Home

Background: Disposal of pharmaceutical waste among patients is a global challenge especially in developing countries like Ethiopia. Improper medication disposal can lead to health problems and environmental contaminations. Therefore, the present study aimed to assess disposal practices of unused medications among patients in public health centers of Dessie town, Northeast Ethiopia. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 263 patients in four public health centers of Dessie town, Ethiopia from March to June, 2019. Face-to-face interviews using structured questionnaires were used to collect data from each study subject. Results: The majority of the respondents, 224 (85.17%) had unused medications at their home during the study period. The most commonly reported disposal method in the present study was flushing down into a toilet 66 (25.09%). None of the respondents practiced returning unused medications to Pharmacy. Moreover, 85 (32.31%) of the respondents reported never disposing their medications and believed that it is acceptable to store medications at home for future use. Conclusion: In the present study, there was a high practice of keeping medications at home and most of the disposal practices were not recommended methods. In addition, most of the respondents did not get advice from pharmacists and other health care professionals on how to dispose off unused medications. Hence, there is a need for proper education and guidance of patients regarding disposal practices of unused medications.

Instagramming our way through public health communication: why and who is using it?

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
R Vareda ◽  
T Garcia ◽  
J Rachadell
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Health Promotion ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Communicable Diseases ◽  
Healthy Lifestyles ◽  
Communication Tool ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Non Communicable Diseases

Abstract Background From disease prevention to health promotion, communication is key for Public Health (PH) practice and, according to the 9th Essential Public Health Operation its goal is to improve populations health literacy and capacity to access, understand and use information. Though social media is frequently presented as a potentially useful tool for PH communication, there is a lack of evidence about its effectiveness and impact on PH outcomes. This study researches Instagram® as a PH tool and aims to know who is using it, what content is shared on the platform and how much engagement there is. Methods This cross-sectional study regards information on 1000 Instagram® posts with the hashtags publichealth, publichealthpromotion, healthpromotion, publichealthmatters and publichealtheducation. Authors categorized post content and creators, and reviewed the number of likes and comments per post to determine engagement. Data analysis was performed on IBM SPSS® Statistics. Results The most common content categories were communicable diseases (n = 383), non-communicable diseases (n = 258) and healthy lifestyles (n = 143). Health professionals post more about communicable diseases (43,6%) and non-professionals about healthy lifestyles (36,1%). Non-professionals (n = 191) post about PH issues almost as much as health professionals (n = 220) and PH associations (n = 201). Most don't reference their sources (n = 821). Posts on communicable diseases have the most likes and comments per post (mean of 172 likes and 3,1 comments). Conclusions Half the Instagram® posts analysed in this study were made by health professionals or organizations. Communicable diseases, non-communicable diseases and healthy lifestyles were the most frequent content categories and had the most engagement. The majority of posts didn't reference their sources. Though Instagram® seems to be a potential PH communication tool, further research is needed to confirm its benefits for PH. Key messages Social media platforms like Instagram® are potentially powerful tools for PH communication. There is a need to understand the efficacy of social media as health promotion tools.

scholarly journals The impact of health literacy on health outcomes in individuals with chronic pain: a cross-sectional study

Physiotherapy ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 105 (3) ◽  
pp. 346-353
Author(s):  
Laura M. Mackey ◽  
Catherine Blake ◽  
Maire-Brid Casey ◽  
Camillus K. Power ◽  
Ray Victory ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Chronic Pain ◽  
Health Literacy ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
The Impact

scholarly journals Panic and Trust during COVID-19: A Cross-Sectional Study on Immigrants in South Korea

Healthcare ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 199
Author(s):  
Myeong Sook Yoon ◽  
Israel Fisseha Feyissa ◽  
So-Won Suk
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
South Korea ◽  
Pearson Correlation ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Native Community ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
The Public ◽  
Marginalized Groups ◽  
Local Media ◽  
Effective Public Health

In the COVID-19 pandemic, marginalized groups like migrants are disproportionately affected. As panic, fear of neglect, and mistrusting institutions in these groups are presumed to be apparent, their detachment to health services still needs to be investigated. This study comparatively analyzed the level of panic and trust between South Koreans and immigrants who are living within highly affected areas of South Korea. Mann–Whitney-U-Test and Pearson correlation showed panic is more pronounced in the Korean group while having a similar panic display pattern with the immigrants. The immigrant group appears to highly trust the Korean health system, health institutions, local media, and the local native community. Beyond conventional expectations, participant’s average panic score showed a statistically significant positive correlation with items of the trust scale, indicating a level of individual reliance amid the pandemic panic. Thus, ascertaining institutional trust and matured citizenry are identified as factors for effective public health outcomes. During such a pandemic, this study also reminded the public health needs of immigrants as secondary citizens, and presumptions of immigrants’ mistrust in such settings might not always be true.

scholarly journals Retrospective study of the distribution of doctors in municipalities of extreme poverty in Brazil

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
B L O Luizeti ◽  
E M M Massuda ◽  
L F G Garcia
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health System ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Extreme Poverty ◽  
The Public ◽  
The North ◽  
Unified Health System ◽  
Shortage Of Doctors ◽  
Demographic Distribution

Abstract In view of the national scenario of scarcity of material and human resources in public health in Brazil, the survey verified the demographics of doctors who attend the Unified Health System (SUS) in municipalities of extreme poverty. An observational, analytical and cross-sectional study was carried out, based on secondary quantitative data from the Department of Informatics of the SUS using the TABNET of December 2019. The care networks variable was restricted to infer the number of physicians who attend the SUS in extreme poverty municipalities in Brazil. Municipalities of extreme poverty are those that at least 20% of the population have a household income of up to 145 reais per capita monthly. In Brazil, there are 1526 municipalities in extreme poverty, 27.4% of the country's total municipalities. 14,907 doctors linked to SUS work in this condition, 3.19% of the total of these professionals in Brazil. There is still disproportion between regions: North concentrates 11.2% of the municipalities in extreme poverty and 8.61% of the total number of doctors; Northeast, with 61.33% of these municipalities, for 61.5% of doctors; Southeast, with 15.46% of the municipalities in this condition, has 20.6% of doctors; South concentrates 10.87% of the municipalities under discussion with 5.61% of doctors and the Midwest, with 4.87% of these municipalities, has 3.54% of doctors. Between 2009 and 2018, there was a 39% increase in the number of doctors in these locations, however, for 2019, there was a decrease of 3.89%. The medical demographic distribution in Brazil is uneven, especially in the North. There is also the vulnerability of this population in view of the observed reduction in the number of professionals between 2018 and 2019 in municipalities of extreme poverty, for political reasons. It is evident the need to restructure the health system to guarantee access to health for this population, through the attraction and fixation of doctors in needy regions in Brazil. Key messages Shortage of doctors in extreme poverty municipalities reinforces the health vulnerability of the population in Brazil. The uneven medical demography in Brazil requires restructuring in the public health system.

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