Evaluating a service-learning assignment in a doctor of chiropractic program public health course

Objective Despite the use of service learning in other health care education programs, little is published about its use in doctor of chiropractic programs. Since 2017, the public health course at our institution has included a service-learning assignment in which students volunteer for nonprofit organizations and write an essay about their experience. The objective of this study was to assess the effects of the assignment on students' self-reported public health knowledge and attitudes. Methods Between April 2017 and June 2018, 56 essays were collected from students who volunteered at a nonprofit organization focused on 3 categories: youth, the environment, or poverty. Each essay was deidentified and assigned random 4-digit-number file names. Ten files were randomly selected from each of the 3 categories for qualitative thematic analysis using deductive and inductive coding. Results Student essays demonstrated competency in public health concepts, including organizational systems, levels of prevention, and the social ecological model. In addition, a majority of the students went beyond discussing knowledge gained from this assignment and described the impact of their experience on their personal growth. Conclusion This study demonstrates that students respond favorably to a service-learning assignment that addresses public health competencies and may foster personal and professional development.

Effect of Student’s Centred Method of Learning on Sexual Health Knowledge and Attitudes of Adolescents in Anambra State Secondary Schools

This study is on effects of student’s centred method of learning (cooperative learning method) on sexual health knowledge and attitudes of adolescents in Anambra State secondary schools. The inability of adolescents to acquire adequate knowledge regarding sexual health could be due to the method of teaching used which are mainly techer-centred methods such as lecture, discussion, Socratic, demonstration teaching methods among others. Therefore, students’ centered method is recommended in today’s teaching and learning and cooperative learning method is one of them. The main purpose of the study was to determine the mean scores of adolescents in Anambra State secondary schools exposed to cooperative learning method on sexual health knowledge and attitudes and by comparing the scores with that of control group. The study was guided by six research questions and eight hypotheses. Quasi experimental research design was used and the population consisted of 20,342 senior secondary two (SS2) students in Anambra State. One hundred and fourty SS2 students comprised sample for the study using simple random sampling technique without replacement. Four secondary schools in Anambra state were sampled. Then one intact class was sampled from each of the sampled schools using simple random sampling technique without replacement. Two schools were exposed with cooperative learning method and the other two schools were used as control group for six weeks. The instruments for data collection were Sexual Health knowledge Test (SHKT) and Sexual Health Attitudes Questionnaire (SHAQ). Analyses of data were carried out using Mean, Standard Deviation and Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA). The findings of the study among others revealed that cooperative learning method improved sexual health knowledge and attitudes of the subjects as depicted by the positive gained mean scores recorded more than the control group. Male adolescents exposed to cooperative learning method had better sexual health knowledge gained mean score (X = 37.27) than their female counterparts (X = 32.46) exposed to the same method. But the female adolescents’ standard deviation showed better homogeneity of responses than their male counterparts. Female adolescents exposed to cooperative learning method had better sexual health attitude gained mean score (X = 11.38) and their standard deviation showed better homogeneity of responses than their male counterparts exposed to the same method (X = 9.37). The effect of cooperative learning method on the mean sexual health knowledge and attitudes scores of adolescents in Anambra state secondary schools differ significantly using their post-test mean scores P < 0.05. On the contrary, the effect of cooperative learning method on the mean sexual health knowledge and attitudes scores of male and female adolescents in Anambra state secondary schools did not differ significantly using their post-test mean scores P > 0.05. It was recommended among other things that there is need to include cooperative learning method in handling sexual health education in the school curriculum at all levels of education in Nigeria.

Faktor-Faktor Yang Berhubungan Dengan Status Karies Gigi Pada Anak Sekolah Min 1 Kota Banjarmasin

Background of the study: At the age of 10 and over, 71,2% of children experience dental caries. The prevalence of active caries in Kota Banjarmasin is 65%. While in Puskesmas (Public health service) Kelayan Timur working area, 389 cases of dental caries found. Additionaly, the governement through Kemen-Kes RI (Indonesian Health Ministry) tergeting Indonesian society to be free from dental caries by 2030. Some factors influencing dental caries are dental health awareness and attitudes namely time and frequency of brushing teeth, cariogenic foods, and the method of brushing teeth. Purpose of the study: this study is aimed to reveal the correlation between knowledge factors as well as dental health attitudes and dental caries status. Methods: This is an anlytical study utilizing cross sectional. The sample of the study is students of MIN 1 Kota Banjarmasin in 2018 with the total of 53, taken by means of perposive sampling. Statistical testing used is chi-square with 95% of reliance degree. Result of the study: The result shows that there are correlations between dental health knowledge p-value 0,004, time and frequency of brushing teeth p-value 0,002, cariogenic foods p-value 0,018, as well as teeth brush method p-value 0,015 and dental caries occasion in MIN 1 Kota Banjarmasin. Conclusion: The dental caries status is affected by dental health knowledge and attitudes.