Life and death decisions: using school-based health education to facilitate family discussion about organ and tissue donation

Public education that encourages family discussions about organ and tissue donation can enhance understanding, facilitate a donor's wishes and increase the numbers of donations. Action research methods were used to explore the impact of a student-initiated family discussion about donation. Most discussions were positive; only 7% middle school and 4% high school participants described them as “terrible.” “Getting it started” was the most difficult. High school students felt “very” or “somewhat” prepared, whereas middle school students only felt “somewhat prepared”. Guided family discussions ensure that families have accurate information about donation and an opportunity to talk about end-of-life choices in a non-crisis situation.     

长沙市大学生无偿献血现状分析及对策研究

[目的]了解长沙市大学生无偿献血现状,以探讨针对性的措施来增强大学生的献血意识,提高无偿献血率。[方法]自行设计调查问卷表,随机选择长沙市7所高校各年级学生1 000人进行问卷调查。[结果]59.7%的学生知道有无偿献血活动但很少关注,20%的学生知道有相关活动但从未关注,知道并经常关注的仅占15.6%;学生对献血常识中"《献血法》""世界无偿献血日"和"成分献血与全血献血的区别"三项知之甚少;"采血器具不卫生会传染疾病""认为自己身体差"为影响大学生献血的主要认知因素。[结论]长沙市在校大学生对无偿献血的关注度不够,无偿献血相关知识的知晓率低,需要采取各种更科学更有效的措施来加强《献血法》和无偿献血相关知识的宣传和普及,提高大学生的无偿献血意识。     

Motivators,barriers and communication channels for blood donation in relation to students at a university in Spain

BackgroundTargeting young people to donate blood is a particularly promising option. The aim of this work was to know the motivators, barriers and preferred communication channels for blood donation among university students, and to determine the factors that explain why donors give blood.Materials and methodsA questionnaire was distributed to 420 students (response rate: 88.3 %) attending the University of Huelva (Spain). Data were gathered on sociodemographic variables, blood donation history, motivators and barriers to donation, and communication channels. Non-parametric contrasts were used to determine possible differences in the sociodemographic characteristics or donation history, and logistic regression to determine the factors associated to donation.Results67.38 % of the students surveyed were non-donors, 12.94 % were first-time donors, 11.05 % were infrequent donors and 8.63 % were frequent donors. “Solidarity” was the main motivator for donating blood (40 %). “Lack of information on where and how to give blood” was the main barrier for non-donors (26.4 %), with “medical reasons” cited by first-time donors (22.2 %). 93.8 % of donors wished to be notified about their next donation appointment. The majority of those surveyed preferred e-mail to receive alerts and information on donation campaigns. The factors that explained blood donation were over 26 years of age and place of residence.ConclusionThe study identified differences in the motivators, barriers and choice of communication channel among the university students in terms of blood donation, and the factors that explain blood donation. This knowledge is a useful source of information when designing blood donation campaigns that target young people.     

An analysis of blood donation barriers experienced by North American and Caribbean university students in Grenada,West Indies

Objectives

To estimate the associations of nationality, university program, donation history and gender, with blood donation barriers experienced by non-donating students on the day of a campus blood drive. This project focused particularly on nationality and the effect of the different blood donation cultures in the students' countries of origin.

在校医学生器官移植与捐献态度及认知的调查

背景：在校医学生对器官移植的认知与态度影响着整个社会对器官移植和捐献的认知,进而影响中国器官捐献移植工作的进程。目的：调查在校医学生对人体器官移植与捐献的态度与认知。方法：选择济宁医学院400名学生为被试进行问卷调查。内容主要包括：①对器官移植、器官（遗体）捐献知识的掌握程度。②器官移植、器官（遗体）捐献知识的来源。③对捐献器官（遗体）所持态度。结果与结论：69.8%在校医学生了解器官移植捐献概念,44.6%赞成捐献自己身后器官。说明在校医学生能较好认同器官移植作为治疗终末期器官功能衰竭的有效手段,但对器官捐献所持态度不很乐观,影响其捐献态度的主要因素为家属情感和捐献程序和传统观念。一年级赞同率最低,为26.6%,五年级最高,为61.4%,赞同率随着年级的升高而增加,55.6%的在校医学生认为应该给予器官捐献者一定的奖励或补偿。     

Lesbian,Gay, Bisexual,and Transgender Patient Care: Medical Students' Preparedness and Comfort

Phenomenon: Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals face significant barriers in accessing appropriate and comprehensive medical care. Medical students' level of preparedness and comfort caring for LGBT patients is unknown. Approach: An online questionnaire (2009–2010) was distributed to students (n = 9,522) at 176 allopathic and osteopathic medical schools in Canada and the United States, followed by focus groups (2010) with students (n = 35) at five medical schools. The objective of this study was to characterize LGBT-related medical curricula, to determine medical students' assessments of their institutions' LGBT-related curricular content, and to evaluate their comfort and preparedness in caring for LGBT patients. Findings: Of 9,522 survey respondents, 4,262 from 170 schools were included in the final analysis. Most medical students (2,866/4,262; 67.3%) evaluated their LGBT-related curriculum as “fair” or worse. Students most often felt prepared addressing human immunodeficiency virus (HIV; 3,254/4,147; 78.5%) and non-HIV sexually transmitted infections (2,851/4,136; 68.9%). They felt least prepared discussing sex reassignment surgery (1,061/4,070; 26.1%) and gender transitioning (1,141/4,068; 28.0%). Medical education helped 62.6% (2,669/4,262) of students feel “more prepared” and 46.3% (1,972/4,262) of students feel “more comfortable” to care for LGBT patients. Four focus group sessions with 29 students were transcribed and analyzed. Qualitative analysis suggested students have significant concerns in addressing certain aspects of LGBT health, specifically with transgender patients. Insights: Medical students thought LGBT-specific curricula could be improved, consistent with the findings from a survey of deans of medical education. They felt comfortable, but not fully prepared, to care for LGBT patients. Increasing curricular coverage of LGBT-related topics is indicated with emphasis on exposing students to LGBT patients in clinical settings.     

Community health nurses and family planning services for men

Current concerns about sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), as well as unintended pregnancy, have drawn increasing attention to reproductive health services for men. This report presents information about responses by 844 community health nurses (CHNs) to a self-administered mailed questionnaire that included questions about the extent of the nurses' involvement in delivering or administering family planning services to men, their knowledge and attitudes about men and family planning, and their preparation for working with men. Our sample included CHNs in practice in five states and a sample of CHNs belonging to a national organization of public health nursing, in order to gain information about CHNs in practice in the field and CHNs more likely to be in an educational or administrative position and thus able to influence or to set policy. Two thirds of the nurses surveyed work with men in their reproductive years but only 17.8% delivered or administered family planning services to men (23% of the state sample and 12.5% of the organization sample). Deficits in knowledge about male birth control methods were identified; for example, only 32% knew the use-effectiveness rate of the condom. However, 90% of the CHNs knew the condom has to be put on before any genital contact is made. The CHNs' attitudes were positive; more than 90% said they felt men had equal responsibility with their partners in preventing unwanted pregnancies, using contraception, and contraceptive decision making. Yet, only 9.6% of the CHNs felt men have as much knowledge about contraception as women do. Seventy percent of the nurses felt tha sex education in schools was directed more to female students than to male students. More than 90% said they believed that family planning providers have a responsibility to provide services to men; but two thirds felt that nurses are not as well prepared to work with male as with female clients. Increased educational preparation may improve CHNs' knowledge about men and family planning and enable them to feel professionally prepared to deliver and administer the services they feel are necessary for male as well as female clients. There are 101,430 CHNs in the United States, working in public health departments or other service agencies in almost every community across the country. These CHNs are a major resource for the family planning field.     

Knowledge and attitudes of medical, nursing, dentistry and health technician students towards organ donation: a pilot study

Aim. This pilot study assesses the knowledge and attitudes of medicine, nursing, dentistry and health technical students toward organ donation. Background. Medicine, nursing, dentistry and health technical students’ knowledge of and attitudes towards organ donation may be a factor in organ procurement rates. There is a lack of information about how Turkish medicine, nursing, dentistry and health technical students perceive organ donation, and what they know about it. Method. Students completed a self‐administered questionnaire after a lecture. The questionnaire included a test that was used to assess knowledge of and attitudes about organ donation. Results. Of the students, 56·8% were men, 91·4% were 18–24‐year old and 89·4% from east region of Turkey. Of students, 65·5% were willing, 9% were not willing, 25·5% were hesitant about organ donation and 6% of willing students reported carrying a signed card. The most common reason for unwillingness to organ donation was worries about illegal behaviours (2·4%). There was a statistical relationship between willingness of students for organ donation and gender but were not any statistical relationship between willingness of students for organ donation and age, school, region and recognizing relatives whose need organ transplantation. Majority of the students listed transplantable organs truly but 63·1% were had no idea about organ donation process. Conclusion. Students’ had a lack of information about organ donation. The results of this study support a greater emphasis on providing information regarding transplantation in medicine, nursing, dentistry and health technical schools to improve the knowledge of future heath care professionals about transplantation and organ donation issues. Relevance to clinical practice. These findings highlight a need to review these schools’ curricula and emphasize the importance of organ transplantation. This strategy may be part of the solution to the chronic shortage of donor organs for transplantation.     

The shuttle tragedy, “community grief”, and the schools

Abstract

The impact of the shuttle disaster on America's schools was the subject of much speculation almost from the moment of the tragedy itself. This article looks at reactions which have taken place since the tragedy. It includes results from a questionnaire administered to teachers and students to examine their reactions four months after the episode, as well as a protocol for dealing with grief in the schools. Both teachers and students felt that they had been totally unprepared for such a loss but they expressed positive views of the role of the media in helping them search for personal “answers” following the shuttle explosion. One point of concern for some educators and parents was the use of “humor” as a coping mechanism by students. The topics of their jokes and stories revealed a concern with bodily integrity/disintegration after the shuttle explosion which they felt that they could not speak about in any other fashion.

The protocol cited in the paper was developed at River Dell High School in New Jersey and has been adopted by a number of public schools. This protocol addresses the different approaches to individual loss and to those losses which have an impact on the entire school community.     

Comparison of demographics and motivations of highly committed whole blood and platelet donors

To compare donor demographics and motivations for donation, we surveyed 159 consecutive whole blood donors (WD) and 146 consecutive plateletpheresis donors. All donors had donation experiences of at least 2 gallons (i.e., 16 previous donations). Evaluation of answers to fixed-response and open-ended questions revealed no difference between the two groups in age, type of wages, compensation by employer, “time off” for donation, and church or volunteer organization memberships. The two groups differed in that the platelet donor (PD) group had a higher percentage of males than females (PD group 72.6% males and 27.4% females versus WD group 59% males and 41% females [chi-square = .01]). PDs most often began donating platelets because they were asked (22.6%), demonstrating the importance of active recruitment. When asked why they do not donate platelet products by apheresis, highly committed WDs reported lack of time (25%), lack of knowledge (“Don't know about it,” 21%), lack of recruitment (“No one asked,” 18.5%), or lack of awareness (“Never thought about it,” 5%) as reasons. Factors centering on time constraints, lack of knowledge or awareness about platelet donation by apheresis, and lack of active recruitment prohibit highly committed WDs from entering into plateletpheresis programs. © 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Exploring opinions and beliefs about cord blood donation among Hispanic and non‐Hispanic black women

BACKGROUND: Despite higher birth rates among non‐Hispanic blacks and Hispanics, the availability of umbilical cord blood from these groups is lower due to lower donation rates than that of non‐Hispanic whites. Similar racial and ethnic disparities in donation rates have been found for blood and organ donation. This study is among the first to explore beliefs and attitudes toward umbilical cord blood donation among Hispanic and non‐Hispanic black women. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Five focus groups composed of Hispanic and non‐Hispanic black women were conducted to explore how women conceptualize information needs about umbilical cord blood donation and from whom women want to receive information about donation. Participants were adult women who had given birth within the past year or were pregnant. RESULTS: Lack of basic information regarding umbilical cord blood, its harvesting and use, and the steps and conditions necessary to donate were primary barriers to donation. Women expressed confusion over the differences between “donation” and “banking.” The social value of donation was explicitly weighed in terms of the cost of the donation effort. Doctors were viewed as critical sources for information about donation, although women expressed skepticism about doctors' ability to convey sufficient information during short office visits. CONCLUSION: Efforts to increase donation rates among Hispanic and non‐Hispanic black women should include information about both the technical aspects and the social value of donation. The specific terms “umbilical” and “donation” should be used consistently to prevent misunderstanding. Information should be provided by physicians with follow‐up by other health providers.     

516名中学生应激状况调查分析

为了对中学生的应激状况及影响因素进行探讨,应用Cartwight与Coopel应激自评量表对516名中学生进行了测试。结果发现,20％的学生处于中等应激水平,约1％的学生处于高应激状态,高中生的应激状况高于中专与初中学生,高中女生应激反应高于男生。18～19岁学生应激水平明显高于15～17岁学生,行为应激症状高于躯体症状。提示,中学生中存在不同程度的心理与行为问题,其中学生紧张、就业及家庭关系、父母下岗等是影响应激状况的因素。因此,应该积极地对中学生进行心理健康教育,以使他们身心得以全面发展。     

父母离异对中学生心理健康状况的影响

目的分析父母离异对中学生心理健康状况的影响。方法使用症状自评量表(SCL-90)、自编的基本资料问卷,按随机分层整群抽取,对南宁市2700例中学生采用问卷调查方式做了心理健康状况的调查。结果南宁市父母离异中学生心理问题发生率20.1%,无父母离异中学生心理问题发生率13.8%,两者差异有统计学意义(P0.01)。父母离异中学生SCL-90检测各项因子得分均高于无父母离异中学生SCL-90检测各项因子得分,两者比较差异有统计学意义(P0.01)。结论父母离异严重影响中学生心理健康状况,应得到广泛重视。     

男护生两种职业生涯规划教育体系对比研究

[目的]了解不同教育体系下男护生职业生涯规划及决策困难程度。[方法]选择两所学校,学校1开设《职业生涯规划与指导》课程,学校2开设《就业指导》课程,并应用一般资料问卷、护生职业生涯规划问卷和大学生职业决策困难问卷对两种教学体系下147名男护生进行分层对比。[结果]两校一年级、二年级男护生职业生涯规划得分差异有统计学意义（P〈0.05）;各年级男护生决策困难得分比较差异均无统计学意义（P〉0.05）。[结论]分层级职业生涯教育体系更符合男护生特性;生涯教育目标仅达到了情感承诺,缺乏规范承诺和继续承诺,应重点加强这方面的职业生涯规划教育。     

某地区重复无偿献血人群分布分析

目的 对2007年1月至2011年12月的18 675例重复无偿献血者人群分布进行分析,探讨安全献血人群和工作模式.方法 对18 675例重复无偿献血者按性别、年龄、献血模式、职业、文化程度进行统计比较.结果 在性别方面,女性高于男性;在年龄方面,18～40岁占80.42%;献血模式方面,自愿无偿献血高于计划指令性献血;在职业方面,学生、军人、公务员占60.45%高于工人;在文化程度方面,以中学和大学生为主占81.34%,重复献血人数显逐年增长趋势.结论 在低危人群中采集相对安全的血液的同时,应进一步加大宣传的力度、广度,不断状大重复献血队伍,促使再次献血转化成固定献血者.     

Retention of "safe" blood donors. The Retrovirus Epidemiology Donor Study

BACKGROUND: There are obvious advantages to increasing donor retention. However, for reasons of blood safety, certain donors may, in fact, be more desirable to retain than others. “Safe” donors are defined as those who provided a blood donation that was negative on all laboratory screening tests and who subsequently reported no behavioral risks in response to an anonymous survey. This study identifies the most important factors affecting the intention of “safe” donors to provide another donation. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: An anonymous survey asking about donation history, sexual history, injecting drug use, and recent donation experience was mailed to 50,162 randomly selected allogeneic donors (including directed donors) who gave blood from April through July or from October through December 1993 at one of the five United States blood centers participating in the Retrovirus Epidemiology Donor Study. Before mailing, questionnaires were coded to designate donors with nonreactive laboratory screening tests at their most recent donation. RESULTS: A total of 34,726 donors (69%) responded, with substantially higher response among repeat donors. According to reported intentions only, the vast majority of “safe” donors indicated a high likelihood of donating again within the next 12 months. Only 3.4 percent reported a low likelihood of donating again. A comparison of those likely to return and those unlikely to return reveals significant differences in demographics and in ratings of the donation experience. A higher proportion of those unlikely to return were first-time donors, minority-group donors, and donors with less education. The highest projected loss among “safe” donors was seen for those who gave a fair to poor assessment of their treatment by blood center staff or of their physical well-being during or after donating. CONCLUSION: These data suggest that efforts to improve donors' perceptions of their donation experience, as well as attention to the physical effects of blood donation, may aid in the retention of both repeat and first-time donors.     

北海市中学生心理健康状况及其影响因素研究

【目的】探讨本市中学学生心理健康状况及其影响因素。【方法】采用症状自评量表（SCL90）和父母教育方式评价表,对本市9所中学随机抽样2348人进行问卷调查。【结果】心理问题检出率13．3％;初高中、重点与非重点中学、普通高中与职业高中学生心理问题检出率分别为10．1％与16．8％、i8．1％与12．1％、16．2％与10．5％,差异均有统计学意义（P〈0．05）;独生子女与非独生子女心理问题在抑郁、偏执、敌对、恐怖等因子分存在差异（P〈0．05）。多元回归分析表明中学生心理健康的主要影响因素有父母的拒绝与否认、父亲过度保护与偏爱、母亲的惩罚严厉与干涉及文化程度、是否离异家庭、性别、年级和学习负担。【结论】中学生心理健康状况受成长过程中特点、学习压力、父母养育方式影响,值得医疗卫生保健与学校共同关注。     

中国医学生对活体肝脏捐献的态度（英文）

背景：了解中国大学生尤其是医学生对人体器官捐献的态度与认知对器官移植事业的发展具有重要的意义。目的：调查中国医学生对活体肝脏捐献的态度,以及影响这种态度的相关因素。方法：在中国医科大学临床医学专业随机选取250名学生作为研究对象,按年级进行分层,每年级50人。应用调查问卷评价医学生对活体肝脏捐献的态度及其影响因素。问卷调查采取匿名方式,由受调查者自行填写。使用SPSS统计分析软件,分别应用t检验和χ2检验进行双变量分析。结果与结论：共回收有效问卷243份,回收率为97.2%。其中13.2%（n=32）的受调查者愿意对非亲属进行活体肝脏捐献,66.3%（n=161）的学生只愿意捐献给自己的亲属,6.6%（n=16）的学生不愿意捐献给任何人,还有14.0%（n=34）的学生表示不确定。与医学生对活体肝脏捐献的态度有关的因素包括：医学生对捐献家人器官的态度、对尸体器官捐献的态度、对活体肾脏捐献的态度和接受他人捐献的活体肝脏的态度。总体看来,中国的医学生对活体肝脏捐献表示支持。但目前中国的医学生缺乏关于器官捐献和移植的教育,应在医学生的课程中引入这方面的内容。