Knowledge attitudes and practices in relation to schistosomiasis in a rural community

A knowledge attitudes and practices survey of sanitation, water supplies and schistosomiasis was carried out in a rural schistosomiasis endemic area of Zimbabwe. Questionnaires were administered to 349 households. No latrines were present in 61% of households and information on use, likes and dislikes was collected. Most drinking water was collected from sources presenting no risk of schistosomiasis whereas most washing activities were carried out at sites presenting such a risk. Schistosomiasis was thought to be a problem in the community by over 50% of households and 79% gave haematuria as a symptom of the disease. There was a correlation between the washing site and the reported presence of schistosomiasis in the family.     

Knowledge, attitudes, and practices about kala-azar and its sandfly vector in rural communities of Nepal.

Reported are the results of a study of the knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) about kala-azar of the inhabitants of two villages (Titaria and Haraincha) situated in terai (plain) areas of Nepal. The villagers had poor knowledge about the transmission of kala-azar, with most villagers perceiving that mosquitos, instead of sandflies, were responsible for transmission of the infection. Most also failed to recognize the common symptoms of kala-azar. The majority of the respondents, 78.9% in Titaria and 48.4% in Haraincha, were aware that the condition can be treated, while fewer than 2% believed that it cannot be treated at all. More than 58% of villagers in Titaria and 36.8% in Haraincha used bednets. The residents of both villages were highly responsive to a programme to spray houses with insecticides. Fewer than 5% of respondents slept outdoors in farm outhouses and these individuals did not take any personal vector control measures. The results of this study show the importance of understanding the beliefs and practices of communities in the successful planning and implementation of kala-azar control activities in Nepal.     

Knowledge, attitudes, and practices survey of rabies in a community in Sri Lanka

Objectives The primary objective of this study was to determine the level of knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) of rabies management and control of a sample population. The secondary objective was to compare the KAP with respect to rabies management and control between urban and rural areas and between pet and non-pet owners. Methods This cross-sectional study was carried out by conducting face-to-face interviews using structured questionnaires among 1570 respondents from selected households in the Kandy District, Sri Landa. Results Approximately 58% of the sample population was pet owners. Among all the respondents, there was a high level of awareness (90%) that dogs are the most common rabies reservoir, that the disease is fatal (79%), and that rabies can be prevented by vaccination (88%). Most of the subjects (96%) would seek treatment from a doctor or a hospital after being bitten by a dog. Although 76% of the respondents said that their pet dogs were vaccinated, only one-half were able to present a vaccination certificate upon request. The subjects from the urban areas would submit the head of an animal for rabies evaluation (69%) compared with those from the rural areas (57%). Pet owners (93%) are more aware that dog rabies vaccines are available from authorized offices than non-pet owners (87%). Conclusions The level of awareness of rabies and the level of receptiveness to rabies control measures are high. There is a difference in the attitudes and pet care practices relevant to rabies control between urban and rural areas. Pet owners tend to be more cooperative to rabies control activities. The attitudes and practices of the respondents may reflect the inaccessibility of facilities and the lack of services that would enable community participation in rabies control.     

Traditional birth attendants in rural Nepal: Knowledge,attitudes and practices about maternal and newborn health

Abstract

Efforts to formalise the role of traditional birth attendants (TBAs) in maternal and neonatal health programmes have had limited success. TBAs’ continued attendance at home deliveries suggests the potential to influence maternal and neonatal outcomes. The objective of this qualitative study was to identify and understand the knowledge, attitudes and practices of TBAs in rural Nepal. Twenty-one trained and untrained TBAs participated in focus groups and in-depth interviews about antenatal care, delivery practices, maternal complications and newborn care. Antenatal care included advice about nutrition and tetanus toxoid (TT) immunisation, but did not include planning ahead for transport in cases of complications. Clean delivery practices were observed by most TBAs, though hand-washing practices differed by training status. There was no standard practice to identify maternal complications, such as excessive bleeding, prolonged labour, or retained placenta, and most referred outside in the event of such complications. Newborn care practices included breastfeeding with supplemental feeds, thermal care after bathing, and mustard seed oil massage. TBAs reported high job satisfaction and desire to improve their skills. Despite uncertainty regarding the role of TBAs to manage maternal complications, TBAs may be strategically placed to make potential contributions to newborn survival.     

Diarrhoeal disease: Knowledge,attitudes and practices in an Aboriginal community

This study was carried out in an Australian Aboriginal community in South Australia on the knowledge, attitudes and practices relating to diarrhoea] disease. Suggestions were sought on appropriate interventions. Dietary causes (including alcohol), factors relating to drinking water, poor environmental hygiene, infective agents and teething were considered by community member to be important in the causation of diarrhoea. Poor personal and domestic hygiene, and the lack of adequate bathing, toilet and laundry facilities were not considered to be important contributory factors. This may reflect the Aboriginal view of hygiene derived from many years of desert living as nomadic hunter-gatherers. The study provides valuable information to enable the selection of appropriate interventions for the control of diarrhoeal disease in this community.     

Knowledge,attitudes, and practices regarding drug interactions among community pharmacists

Journal of Public Health - This study aimed to explore the knowledge, attitude, and practice that community pharmacists of Lebanon hold with regard to checking for drug interactions. This...     

Knowledge,attitudes and practices of community pharmacists on generic medicines in Palestine: a cross-sectional study

Background

Generic substitution in several countries has become a common practice. Besides, it is considered as a major cost minimizing strategy meant to contain pharmaceutical expenditure without compromising healthcare quality. However, the safety and quality issues of generic products are of top concerns of general practitioners and health work professionals. This study aimed to investigate community pharmacist’s knowledge, attitudes and practices toward generic medicines in Palestine.

Methods

This study was a cross-sectional observational study employing a self-administered questionnaire. The questionnaire was of four main sections: demographic and practice details of the participants, knowledge, attitudes and the influencing factors related to selection and dispensing of generic medicines. A convenience sampling technique was implemented in this study in which the data collection form was distributed in West Bank- Palestine among a set of practicing pharmacists. Mann-Whitney-U or Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to comparison of different issues as appropriate. P-values of <0.05 were considered significant.

Results

A total of 302 community pharmacists were interviewed, slightly more than half were males (52.3%). The mean knowledge score of participants regarding generic medicines was (5.91?±?1.27) where the highest score was 8 of 10. Knowledge score was not significantly influenced by any of the socio-demographic characteristics. Our data showed that most of included pharmacists in the study (95.4%) agreed that health authorities should implement bioequivalence policies prior to marketing approval of generics, while 87.4% of participants agreed that they should be given the right to substitute generics and the majority (62.3%) support generic substitution for brand name drugs in all cases when a generic is available The main two factors affect pharmacists’ selection and dispensing of generic medicines are personal faith in the product (86.1%) and cost effectiveness of generic medicines (84.1%).

Conclusions

Generic medicines substitution among pharmacists is widespread and prevalent. Our data found that participant pharmacists in Palestine had basic knowledge with regards to generic medicine. However, their knowledge score pertaining the technical and regulatory aspects of bioequivalence and pharmacokinetic parameters in particular was insufficient.

     

Breastfeeding practices in urban and rural Vietnam

Background

Burnout is a mental condition defined as a result of continuous and long-term stress exposure, particularly related to psychosocial factors at work. This paper seeks to examine the psychometric properties of the Shirom-Melamed Burnout Questionnaire (SMBQ) for validation of use in a clinical setting.

Methods

Data from both a clinical (319) and general population (319) samples of health care and social insurance workers were included in the study. Data were analysed using both classical and modern test theory approaches, including Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and Rasch analysis.

Results

Of the 638 people recruited into the study 416 (65%) persons were working full or part time. Data from the SMBQ failed a CFA, and initially failed to satisfy Rasch model expectations. After the removal of 4 of the original items measuring tension, and accommodating local dependency in the data, model expectations were met. As such, the total score from the revised scale is a sufficient statistic for ascertaining burnout and an interval scale transformation is available. The scale as a whole was perfectly targeted to the joint sample. A cut point of 4.4 for severe burnout was chosen at the intersection of the distributions of the clinical and general population.

Conclusion

A revised 18 item version of the SMBQ satisfies modern measurement standards. Using its cut point it offers the opportunity to identify potential clinical cases of burnout.     

Opinions of rural physicians about their practices,community medical needs,and rural medical care.

In a study in the State of Washington during 1971-73, 41 general practitioners in rural areas were asked their opinions about (a) their present practices, (b) the medical care needs of their communities, and (c) rural medical care in general. The most frequently mentioned enjoyable aspects of their practices were the variety and challange of medical problems confronted, the favorable working conditions of the practices, and the types of communities in which the practices were located. The most frequently mentioned sources of frustration to the physicians were the "excess work, responsibility, demands and expectations by patients and community." The physicians were more reluctant to criticize the care received by the residents of their communities than they were to criticize the care that patients received in other rural areas. Suggestions made by the physicians for improving medical care in rural Washington focused on ways to increase the number of resources used to produce medical care, rather than on structural changes in the way medical care is organized, delivered, and financed.     

Weaning and supplementation practices in a rural community

Weaning and food supplementation practices were examined in a 12-month prospective study of 200 mother-infant pairs from a rural area of Sewagram, India. Only 2 mothers (1%) began weaning before 4 months of age. Between 4 and 6 months, 76 (38%) mothers initiated weaning; at 6 months, this rate was 61%. Illiterate women and mothers with a primary school education, multiparas, and those living in joint families were most likely to defer weaning until after 6 months. Health education campaigns focused on the importance of exclusive breast feeding for the first 4-6 months, followed by the introduction of semisolid foods, are recommended.     

Knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding tuberculosis among immigrants of Somalian ethnic origin in London: a cross-sectional study

The objectives were to study knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) regarding tuberculosis (TB) among Somalian subjects in inner London. We administered structured, fixed response KAP questionnaires to 23 patients (culture proved TB), and two groups of controls: 25 contacts (family members) and 27 lay controls (general Somali immigrant population). Responses were summed on a five-point scale. Most were aware of the infectious nature of TB but uncertain of other risk factors. Many were uncertain about coping with the disease and its effect on lifestyle. Belief in biomedicine for TB was unequivocal with men having a significantly higher belief score than women (p = 0.02); the need to comply with TB medication was unambiguously understood. Somalians interviewed were educated, multilingual, and aware of important health issues. Uncertainties in core TB knowledge need to be addressed with direct educational input, especially in women and recent entrants into the country. Volunteers from the established Somalian community could play a valuable part as links in the community to fight TB.     

Knowledge, attitudes, and dietary practices of female athletes

The relationship between the nutrition knowledge and attitudes and dietary practices of adolescent female athletes was studied, using a 24-hour recall and a 48-hour food record with a modified version of the self-administered knowledge and attitude questionnaire of Werblow et al. Analysis indicated that the diets were similar to those of other teenage girls in the United States. The calculated mean values for vitamins A and C were more than 100% of the RDAs, while those for calcium and iron were less than 67% of the allowances. The mean energy value was less than recommended and may have been inadequate for the active subjects. Food consumption analysis showed that of total servings, the milk and meat groups accounted for only about 10% each and that more than 30% came from the "others" group. Although the subjects had some common misconceptions about nutrition, they were generally knowledgeable as well as positive in their attitudes toward nutrition. Nutrition knowledge and attitudes were positively correlated, indicating that the more nutrition knowledge a subject had, the more positive was the attitude toward nutrition, and vice versa. However, no significant correlation was found between nutrition knowledge or attitudes and dietary intake, suggesting that factors other than nutrition knowledge and attitudes, such as a concern for weight and a dependence on others for food selection, played a role in determining the food practices of the subjects.     

Weight-control practices of adults in a rural community

Abstract: Obesity is recognised as a significant public health problem, and health authorities are concerned with promoting a healthy weight for all adults. However, there is a paucity of data about community weight-control practices. We surveyed weight-control behaviour, strategies and goals in a population-based sample of 1342 adults living in rural Victoria. In addition to the 20 per cent of adults who were attempting to lose weight, 22 per cent were actively trying to maintain their present weight or to avoid weight gain. Those taking action for their weight most often did so for health-related reasons, and most of the strategies used were those recommended by health authorities. However, some adults, particularly women, adopted potentially unhealthy weight-control practices. One in four women whose weight was acceptable was trying to lose weight, and 14 per cent of women had a weight goal that was below the acceptable range. Conversely, 50 per cent of men had a weight goal higher than that currently considered acceptable. Additional research is required to assess more accurately the specific nature of community weight-control practices     

Community knowledge, attitudes, and practices toward rabies prevention in North Vietnam

In recent years, despite the accessibility to vaccines (both for humans and animals), rabies remains a problem in many areas of Vietnam. While the number of rabies deaths decreased by 90% from 1994 to 2003, the number of rabies deaths increased from 2004 to 2007. In 2007, the number of rabies victims was 2-3 times higher than in 2003 and 131 people died as a result of rabies. In order to better understand Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices (KAP) toward rabies in areas of both high and low incidence of rabies mortality in Vietnam, and KAP between pet and non-pet owners, a cross-sectional study was carried out by administering a structured questionnaire to 585 respondents from selected households in Thanh Son District-Phu Tho Province and Viet Yen District-Bac Giang Province, Vietnam. KAP in both high and low incidence areas, especially in groups with pets, need to be improved, particularly regarding treatment practices after a dog-bite and recommended pet care. We recommend not only enhanced IEC activities, but also the development of a Behavior Change Communication Strategy (BCC).     

Knowledge, attitude and practices about zoonoses with reference to Campylobacteriosis in a rural area of West Bengal

Campylobacteriosis is a leading cause of zoonotic diarrhoea in the developed as well as developing countries. Domestic animals particularly the poultry act as a source of human infections. Domestic animal rearing is a very common practice in India particularly in rural areas. The present study of KAP of Zoonosis showed 68.2 % of 500 families interviewed did not have knowledge about zoonotic diseases in rural Bengal and not a single family had any idea of Campylobacter infections.     

Knowledge,attitudes and practices about vaccine-preventable diseases and vaccinations of children among pregnant women in Greece

Vaccine hesitancy has been recognized by the World Health Organization as one of ten threats to public health globally in 2019. Pregnant women constitute an extremely important group for the study of knowledge and attitudes towards pediatric vaccinations. This is a cross-sectional survey conducted in two maternity hospitals in Athens. A standardized questionnaire was used. A total of 814 pregnant women with a mean age of 33.1 years and a mean gestational age of 24.4 weeks were studied. Overall, 717 (89%) of 804 pregnant women reported that they intend to vaccinate their baby in accordance with the National Vaccination Program, 7 (1%) that they do not, while 80 (10%) reported that they have not decided yet. The women provided a mean of 11.4 correct replies out of 14 questions about vaccine-preventable diseases and vaccines (mean knowledge score: 81.5%). A pediatrician has been recognized as the source for information about vaccines in most cases (611/809, 75.5%), while in 215 (26.6%) the internet was also used. Overall, pregnant women trusted physicians about information for vaccines (“very much trusted” in 55.9% and “quite trusted” in 40% of cases). Lastly, 642 (81%) women agreed with the statement “vaccinations should be mandatory for school entry” while 70 (9%) women agreed with the statement “parents should have the right to refuse their children vaccinations”. A multivariate analysis found that a gestational age of ≤20 weeks (OR = 2.33, CIs: 1.27–4.28, p-value = 0.006), having another child (OR = 4.44, CIs: 2.30–8.58, p-value < 0.001), a history of influenza vaccination (OR = 2.54, CIs = 1.37–4.71, p-value = 0.003), and a higher knowledge score about vaccine-preventable diseases and vaccines (OR = 1.33, CIs: 1.23–1.45, p-value < 0.001) were significantly associated with an increased probability to get their child vaccinated in accordance with the National Vaccination Program.     

四川省农村社区居民结核病防治知识现况分析

目的 了解四川省农村社区居民结核病防治核心信息知晓情况,为制订针对农村地区的结核病健康促进方法提供依据。方法 采用多阶段随机抽样方法,在全省范围内抽取21个调查点,共12 629名15岁以上农村居民的调查对象。使用《结核病防治核心信息知晓率调查问卷》对调查对象进行入户面对面调查。〖HTH〗结果 四川省农村社区居民结核病防治知识总知晓率为69.47%(43 865/63 145),5条核心信息全部知晓为36.51%,5条核心信息全部不知晓为6.43%。其中15~24岁年轻人或在校学生、大专以上文化、企事业机关等人群总知晓率高,均高于75%,65岁以上老年人、文盲与半文盲知晓率仍较低,均低于55％,不同年龄、不同文化程度、不同职业的知晓率差异均有统计学意义。结论 目前,四川省农村居民结核病防治知识核心信息总知晓率不高,应针对性地开展不同目标人群的健康促进活动,重点加强老年、文化程度低等重点人群的宣传,提高结核病防治水平。     

Knowledge, attitudes and practices during a community-level ivermectin distribution campaign in Guatemala

Community acceptance and participation are essential for the success of mass ivermectin chemotherapy programmes for onchocerciasis (river blindness). To explore the local understanding of the purpose of ivermectin and willingness to continue taking the drug, we performed questionnaire surveys in four communities with hyperendemic onchocerciasis after each of three ivermectin treatment rounds. More than 100 respondents participated in each KAP survey, representing the heads of 30% of the households in each community. The respondents rarely stated that the goal of the ivermectin treatment programme was to prevent visual loss. Instead, they said they were taking the drug for their general well-being, to cure the onchocercal nodule (filaria), or to cure the microfilaria, a term newly introduced by agents of the treatment programme. The principal reason identified for refusal to take ivermectin was anxiety about drug-related adverse reactions, and there were marked differences between communities in acceptance of treatment. In one community over 50% of residents initially refused to take ivermectin, although participation rates improved somewhat after programmatic adjustments. We recommend that ivermectin distribution programmes establish surveillance activities to detect where acceptance is poor, so that timely and community-specific adjustments may be devised to improve participation.