scholarly journals Assessment of the physical environment situation in primary schools in the Republic of North Macedonia

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sanja Prosheva ◽  
Elena Kjosevska ◽  
Vesna Velikj Stefanovska
Keyword(s):  
Physical Environment ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Rapid Assessment ◽  
Current Situation ◽  
Healthy Food ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Safe Place ◽  
School Canteen

It is important for the health of the children who go to primary school to have clean drinking water, appropriate toilets, healthy food available  for all and a safe place to learn and play within the school. The aim of this paper was to assess the physical environment of the primary schools across the country, taking into account the current situation of the schools and the priorities they have for improving the school physical environment. Material and methods: Home and foreign literature deposited in PubMed, Scopus and other scientific basses was used. A cross-sectional study covering 320 primary schools in RNM was conducted. The data were collected using the Rapid Assessment Tool, and they were statistically analyzed using the SPSS software package, version 22.0 for Windows (SPSS, Chicago, IL, USA). Qualitative analysis was performed by determining coefficients of relationships, proportions, and rates. Quantitative series were analyzed using central tendency measures as well as dispersion measures. Results: The current situation was rated as the best (75.31%) by the statement - "All buildings of the school maintain a pleasant temperature, lighting and ventilation". The lowest rated (36.56%) was the current status statement - "School canteen, store and appliances offer healthy food and drink at reasonable prices." Priority (83.44%) was the statement - "School buildings are tailored to students, they are safe, clean and promote hygiene for all students". We can see that better conditions in terms of physical environment are observed among students who attend classes in Macedonian language or are multiethnical, compared to students who attend classes in Albanian language, as well as that the urban schools compared to village schools have better conditions for work. Although the situation in the Southwest region is among the worst at the moment, the schools in this region are still striving to improve. Conclusion: According to the current situation, there is a lack of school canteens, shops and appliances near the schools that would offer healthy food and drinks. The highest priority is for school facilities to be adapted to students, to be safe, clean and to promote hygiene for all students and school staff.

scholarly journals The role of the school food environment in improving the healthiness of school canteens and the readiness to reopen post COVID-19 pandemic: A study conducted in Indonesia

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hamam Hadi ◽  
Resti K. Triastanti ◽  
Devita Anggraeni ◽  
Esti Nurwanti ◽  
Emma C. Lewis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Food Policy ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Study Data ◽  
School Food ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Print Material ◽  
School Canteen

Background: Indonesian school children spend one-third of their time in school, where they are exposed to a variety of foods at school canteens. However, the healthiness of school canteens is not yet well understood. This study was conducted to (1) characterize the healthiness and quality of management of school canteens, and (2) measure readiness of school canteens to reopen following COVID-19 closures.Design and Methods: Mixed-methods were used to conduct a cross-sectional study. Data were collected from schools located in the Bantul District of Indonesia. Primary schools (n=152) were randomly selected, with a final sample size of 147. Data were collected using Google Forms, delivered via WhatsApp or email. School canteens were classified as healthy if they had a Healthy Canteen Score (HCS) >= 10, or unhealthy if they had a HCS < 10.Results: Less than half (43.5%) of school canteens were deemed to be healthy. School canteens were more likely to be healthy if the canteen manager had a formal decision letter (OR=15.2; 95% CI=3.7-62.5); used print material messaging (OR= 3.2 to 4.6 times); or received inspection by external officers periodically (OR=2.8; 95% CI= 1.04-7.5). Readiness to reopen was 4.5 (OR=4.5; 95%CI: 1.1-17.9) times higher among schools that had their own canteen, and 4 (OR=3.9; 95% CI =1.1-13.8) times higher among schools located in rural areas, adjusting for the remaining variables.Conclusions: School canteen healthiness can be improved by implementing national food policy and healthy school canteen standards accompanied by the existence of good management practices within schools, particularly following the COVID-19 pandemic.

scholarly journals A cross-sectional assessment of food- and nutrient-based standards applied to British schoolchildren’s packed lunches

2016 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 565-570 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charlotte EL Evans ◽  
Janet E Cade
Keyword(s):  
Primary Schools ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Dietary Assessment ◽  
Quality Score ◽  
Food Groups ◽  
Multilevel Regression ◽  
Optimal Model ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Dietary Data

AbstractObjectiveIn England, standards for school meals included both foods and nutrients until 2015. School policies for packed lunches are generally food based; research is needed to determine whether these are adequate or whether a small number of nutrients would potentially improve their quality.DesignFrom dietary data obtained using a weighed dietary assessment tool, a diet quality score (DQS) for packed lunches was calculated using the number of standards met out of twenty-one (eight foods and thirteen nutrients). Multilevel regression analysis determined the foods and nutrients contributing to variation in the DQS.SettingEighty-nine primary schools across the four regions of the UK (England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland).SubjectsBritish schoolchildren (n 1294), aged 8–9 years, taking a packed lunch.ResultsThe optimal model included all eight foods and seven of the thirteen nutrients, explaining 72 % of the variance in DQS. Folate, Fe and vitamin C, together with the eight food groups, explained 70 % of DQS variation.ConclusionsIdeally, policies for school packed lunches should include food-based standards plus recommendations based on a small number of nutrients.

scholarly journals Investigating differences between traditional (paper bag) ordering and online ordering from primary school canteens: a cross-sectional study comparing menu, usage and lunch order characteristics

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Alecia Leonard ◽  
Tessa Delaney ◽  
Kirsty Seward ◽  
Rachel Zoetemeyer ◽  
Hannah Lamont ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Primary School ◽  
Nutritional Quality ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
Saturated Fat ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Primary School Children ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
South Wales ◽  
School Canteen

Abstract Objective: To assess differences between traditional paper bag ordering and online ordering from primary school canteens in terms of menu, usage and lunch order characteristics. Design: A cross-sectional study. Setting: New South Wales (NSW) primary schools that offered both paper bag and online canteen ordering. Participants: Students (aged 5–12 years) with a lunch order on the day of the observation. Results: Across the six school canteens, 59–90 % of all available items were listed on both the online and paper menus, with no significant differences in the nutritional quality (‘Everyday’/‘Occasional’) or nutritional content (kJ/saturated fat/sugar/sodium) of menu items. In total, 387 student lunch orders were placed, containing 776 menu items. Most orders (68 %) were placed online. There were no significant differences between order modality in the quantity of items ordered or the cost of orders, or the nutritional quality of orders based on the classification system of the NSW Healthy School Canteen Strategy (‘Everyday’/’Occasional’). However, nutritional analysis revealed that paper bag orders contained 222 fewer kJ than online orders (P = 0·001), 0·65 g less saturated fat (P = 0·04) and 4·7 g less sugar (P < 0·001). Conclusions: Online canteens are commonly used to order canteen lunches for primary school children. This is the first study to investigate differences between traditional paper bag ordering and online ordering in this setting. Given the rapid increase in the use of online ordering systems in schools and other food settings and their potential to deliver public health nutrition interventions, additional research is warranted to further investigate differences in ordering modalities.

scholarly journals Quality of Pre-Service Midwifery Education in Public and Private Midwifery Schools in Afghanistan: A Cross Sectional Survey

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Partamin Manalai ◽  
Sheena Currie ◽  
Massoma Jafari ◽  
Nasratullah Ansari ◽  
Hannah Tappis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Practice ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Rapid Assessment ◽  
Newborn Care ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Midwifery Education ◽  
Quality Aspects

Abstract Background Midwives are the key skilled birth attendants in Afghanistan. Rapid assessment of public and private midwifery education schools was conducted in 2017 to examine compliance with national educational standards. Aim was to assess midwifery education to inform Afghanistan Nurses and Midwives Council and other stakeholders priorities for improving quality of midwifery education. Methods A cross-sectional assessment was conducted from September 12–December 17, 2017, using a modified Midwifery Education Rapid Assessment Tool to assess education quality aspects related to infrastructure, management, teachers, preceptors, clinical practice sites, curriculum and students in 29 midwifery schools. A purposive sample of six Institute of Health Sciences schools, seven Community Midwifery Education schools and 16 private midwifery schools was used. Participants were midwifery school staff, students and clinical preceptors. Results Libraries were available in 28/29 (97%) schools, active skills labs in 20/29 (69%), childbirth simulators in 17/29 (59%) and newborn resuscitation models in 28/29 (97%). School managers were midwives in 21/29 (72%) schools. Median numbers of students per teacher and students per preceptor were 8 (range 2–50) and 6 (range 2–20). There were insufficient numbers of teachers practicing midwifery (132/163; 81%), trained in teaching skills (113/163; 69%) and trained in emergency obstetric and newborn care (88/163; 54%). There was an average of 13 students at clinical sites in each shift. Students managed an average of 15 births independently during their training, while 40 births are required. Twenty-four percent (7/29) of schools used the national 2015 curriculum alone or combined with an older one. Ninety-one percent (633/697) of students reported access to clinical sites and skills labs. Students mentioned, however, insufficient clinical practice, lack of education materials, transport facilities and disrespect from school teachers, preceptors and clinical site providers as challenges. Conclusions Positive findings included availability of required infrastructure, amenities, approved curricula in 7 of the 29 midwifery schools, appropriate clinical sites and students’ commitment to work as midwives upon graduation. Gaps identified were use of different often outdated curricula, inadequate clinical practice, underqualified teachers and preceptors and failure to graduate all students with sufficient skills such as independently having supported 40 births.

scholarly journals Parents’ and Teachers’ Views of Food Environments and Policies in Indian Private Secondary Schools

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (7) ◽  
pp. 1532 ◽  
Author(s):  
Neha Rathi ◽  
Lynn Riddell ◽  
Anthony Worsley
Keyword(s):  
Secondary Schools ◽  
Healthy Food ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Food Environments ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
School Food ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Effective School ◽  
School Canteen ◽  
Food Policies

School food environments and policies can play a pivotal role in inculcating healthy food habits among young people. This cross-sectional survey explored teachers’ and parents’ views of the role of school food environments and policies in promoting healthy food consumption among Indian adolescents. Thirty-two teachers and 280 parents from five private, English-speaking, secondary schools in Kolkata, India took part in a short questionnaire survey which included closed and open answer questions. Descriptive and chi-square analyses were performed to compare the responses of parents and teachers. Thematic data analysis underpinned by Template Analysis Technique was employed to examine the qualitative responses. The easy availability and accessibility of energy-dense, nutrient-poor foods, the limited availability of nutritious foods, the absence of written food policies, and inflated prices of nutritious foods were reported as problems in the Indian school food environment. However, the respondents also noted that schools restricted the sale of sugar-sweetened beverages and adopted hygienic food practices. Novel ideas for creating healthy school food environments and effective school canteen policies were also captured during the survey. These findings point to the need to create effective school food policies in Indian secondary schools to help adolescents eat healthily at school. Future research is required to test the feasibility of the implementation of school food policies.

scholarly journals Students’ Perception about Status of Bedside Teaching in Undergraduate Medical Education of Bangladesh

2017 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 163-169
Author(s):  
Jobaida Sultana ◽  
Iffat Ara ◽  
Md Humayun Kabir Talukder ◽  
Md Manir Hossain Khan ◽  
Mahmuda Sultana ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Medical Education ◽  
Undergraduate Medical Education ◽  
Group Dynamics ◽  
Physical Environment ◽  
Educational Process ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Bedside Teaching ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Obstetrics And Gynaecology ◽  
Teaching Tasks

Introduction: Bedside teaching is the core teaching strategy in the clinical study in undergraduate medical education of Bangladesh. Many of the environments and opportunities available for bedside teaching and learning have changed. Students’ views about current status of bed side teaching in Obstetrics and Gynaecology was studied in this study.Methodology: This was a cross sectional study conducted in seven (three public and four private) medical colleges in Bangladesh from July 2012 to June 2013. A total 578, 5th year MBBS students were enrolled who have completed at least 15 days of bedside teaching in Obstetrics and Gynaecology department. A self-administered structured questionnaire (Annex 1) with a five point Likert scale (1- strongly disagree, 5-strongly agree) was used for obtaining information from the students. The questionnaire had four main sections- physical environment of bedside sessions, issues regarding patient’s comfort and attitude towards patient, teaching tasks, group dynamics and there was a space to write any other comments. Each section had a number of items and total 25 items were observed. For each variable frequency distribution, mean score and standard deviation (SD) were calculated. Here mean score 5- no need of further improvement, as it covered all the required criteria, 4 to <5- very minimum effort, 3 to <4- some effort, 2 to <3= moderate effort, 1to <2= considerable efforts are needed to fulfill the required criteria.Result: The overall mean score on physical environment factors was 2.75(.44), issues regarding patient’s comfort and attitude toward patient was 3.74(.48), teaching tasks was 3.12(.45) and group dynamics was 3.08(.21).Conclusion: In all aspects of bed side teaching minimum to moderate efforts are necessary to make it more effective. The administrators and teachers should ensure comfortable physical environment in bedside teaching and must learn how to involve patients and learners in the educational process. So along with training on general principles of teaching, the clinical teachers should be provided with special training on bedside teaching skills.J Bangladesh Coll Phys Surg 2017; 35(4): 163-169

scholarly journals Quality of pre-service midwifery education in public and private midwifery schools in Afghanistan: a cross sectional survey

2022 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Partamin Manalai ◽  
Sheena Currie ◽  
Massoma Jafari ◽  
Nasratullah Ansari ◽  
Hannah Tappis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Practice ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Rapid Assessment ◽  
Newborn Care ◽  
Infrastructure Management ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Midwifery Education

Abstract Background Midwives are the key skilled birth attendants in Afghanistan. Rapid assessment of public and private midwifery education schools was conducted in 2017 to examine compliance with national educational standards. The aim was to assess midwifery education to inform Afghanistan Nurses and Midwives Council and other stakeholders on priorities for improving quality of midwifery education. Methods A cross-sectional assessment of midwifery schools was conducted from September 12–December 17, 2017. The Midwifery Education Rapid Assessment Tool was used to assess 29 midwifery programs related to infrastructure, management, teachers, preceptors, clinical practice sites, curriculum and students. A purposive sample of six Institute of Health Sciences schools, seven Community Midwifery Education schools and 16 private midwifery schools was used. Participants were midwifery school staff, students and clinical preceptors. Results Libraries were available in 28/29 (97%) schools, active skills labs in 20/29 (69%), childbirth simulators in 17/29 (59%) and newborn resuscitation models in 28/29 (97%). School managers were midwives in 21/29 (72%) schools. Median numbers of students per teacher and students per preceptor were 8 (range 2–50) and 6 (range 2–20). There were insufficient numbers of teachers practicing midwifery (132/163; 81%), trained in teaching skills (113/163; 69%) and trained in emergency obstetric and newborn care (88/163; 54%). There was an average of 13 students at clinical sites in each shift. Students managed an average of 15 births independently during their training, while 40 births are required. Twenty-four percent (7/29) of schools used the national 2015 curriculum alone or combined with an older one. Ninety-one percent (633/697) of students reported access to clinical sites and skills labs. Students mentioned, however, insufficient clinical practice due to low case-loads in clinical sites, lack of education materials, transport facilities and disrespect from school teachers, preceptors and clinical site providers as challenges. Conclusions Positive findings included availability of required infrastructure, amenities, approved curricula in 7 of the 29 midwifery schools, appropriate clinical sites and students’ commitment to work as midwives upon graduation. Gaps identified were use of different often outdated curricula, inadequate clinical practice, underqualified teachers and preceptors and failure to graduate all students with sufficient skills such as independently having supported 40 births.

scholarly journals COVID-19 Preparedness and Response: Validation of a Rapid Assessment Tool to Evaluate Priorities of Health Workers at the Grassroots Level

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bach Xuan Tran ◽  
Chi Linh Hoang ◽  
Nguyen Thao Thi Nguyen ◽  
Huong Thi Le ◽  
Hai Quang Pham ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Medical Students ◽  
Disease Control ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
Rapid Assessment ◽  
Internal Validity ◽  
Health Priorities ◽  
Local Health ◽  
Cross Sectional

Since the initial phases of the COVID-19 outbreak, international recommendations for disease control have been readily available. However, blind implementation of these recommendations without grassroot-level support could result in public distrust and low adherence. This study evaluated the use of a public health priorities survey to rapidly assess perceptions of local health workers. A cross-sectional study using a web-based survey was conducted among 5,847 health workers and medical students from January to February 2020 to evaluate the level of prioritization of various public health measures. Measures with the highest levels of prioritization were “Early prevention, environmental sanitation, and improvement of population health” and “Mobilization of community participation in disease control,” which were concordant with policies implemented by the Vietnamese government. This study also demonstrated a high level of internal validity among survey items and shared ranking of priorities among all occupational groups. The use of this public health priorities survey was found to be effective in identifying priorities as identified by grassroots health workers to provide real-time feedback to the national government. However, future iterations of this survey should consider limiting the use of each prioritization score to ensure that responses represent the reality of source limitations and consider focusing on medical professionals and community workers due medical students' limited experience with Vietnam's healthcare infrastructure.

scholarly journals Current Status of Soil-Transmitted Helminths among School Children in Kakamega County, Western Kenya

2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Teresia Ngonjo ◽  
Collins Okoyo ◽  
Julius Andove ◽  
Elses Simiyu ◽  
Agola Eric Lelo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Primary School ◽  
School Children ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
Control Strategies ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Current Status ◽  
School Age Children ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Western Kenya ◽  
Mean Intensity

Background.School age children are at high risk of soil-transmitted helminth (STH) worldwide. In Kenya, STH infections in children remain high despite the periodic administration of anthelmintic drugs. Our study assessed the prevalence and intensity of STH in primary school-aged children in Kakamega County, western Kenya.Methodology.We carried out a cross-sectional study on a population of 731 children attending 7 primary schools in March 2014. Children aged 4–16 years were examined for STH by the quantitative Kato-Katz technique. Infection intensities were expressed as eggs per gram (epg) of faeces.Findings.Among 731 school children examined for STH, 44.05% were infected. Highest prevalence of STH was in Shitaho primary school where 107 participants were examined and 62.6% were infected with mean intensity of 11667 epg. Iyenga had the least prevalence where 101 participants were examined and 26.7% were infected with mean intensity of 11772 epg.A. lumbricoideswas the most prevalent STH species with 43.5% infected, while hookworm infections were low with 1.8% infected.Conclusion.Prevalence of STHs infections in Kakamega County remains high. We recommend guidelines and other control strategies to be scaled up to break transmission cycles.

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