ABSTRACT
Lifestyle modification in relation to disease prevention and outcome has recently received increasing awareness around the world and in Nigeria. Poor lifestyle choices make people susceptible to many chronic illnesses including thirteen cancers. Medical doctors are gate keepers and educators of health.Objectives:The aim of the study was to assess the level of knowledge of healthy living and preventive health among doctors in Port-Harcourt and ascertain the practices and to investigate the barriers and facilitators of healthy living among doctors in Port-Harcourt.Methods: It was a comparative cross-sectional study with purposive sampling method. The tool used was an online questionnaire. MS Excel and SPSS was used for data analysis. Ethical approval was obtained from UPTH ethical committee. Results: A total of 201 doctors participated. With 54.7% being females and 53.2% within the 30-40 years age group. Resident doctors accounted for 42.8%. 92% received some form of lifestyle education; seminars (48.1%), CME's (47.0%), and social media (44.9%) were the top three. Just 15.2% knew what the daily portion of fruit was and 82.6% knew the cut off for obesity. 50% were aware of the recommended exercise frequency. 60% concluded that adults should sleep for 7-9 hours, however, 61.2% slept for 4-6 hours a day. 84.6% of respondents did not have a dedicated physician.Conclusion: There is a knowledge gap among doctors which impacts everyday lifestyle choices regarding, diet, exercise and rest. More doctors need their own personal physicians and hospital management should establish strong lifestyle policies.
Subject(s)
Humans , Healthy Lifestyle , Life Style , Preventive Health Services , Preventive Medicine , Cross-Sectional Studies , Community Health WorkersABSTRACT
Breast cancer is a severe illness that often has fatal consequences. Adherence to the recommendations for breast cancer surveillance is poorly practiced among African American women. The study aimed to identify barriers to preventative screening for breast cancer among African American women (AAW) using a qualitative research design. We explored the influence of personal barriers,stereotypes, socioeconomic status, culture, attitudes, and beliefs on African American women's behavior regarding breast cancer screening. Fourteen African American women were interviewed. Data analysis was completed with Interpretative Phenomenology Approach (IPA). This study's findings demonstrated that African American women perceived the barriers to breast cancer screening include lack of information about available resources, belief that screening cannot change genetic predisposition, embarrassment from exposing the breast for a mammogram, fear of mammograms, and fear of a positive result. These findings may be used to develop interventions to increase AAW's participation in breast cancer screening. (Afr J Reprod Health 2022; 26[7]: 22-28).
Subject(s)
Humans , Female , Breast Neoplasms , Mammography , Women , Black or African American , Blood-Testis Barrier , Preventive Medicine , Early Detection of CancerABSTRACT
The University of Pretoria's Student Health Services provides free; voluntary; family-medicine-orientated health services with an emphasis on offering preventative medicine and health education to enrolled students. Students are examined and/or educated by skilled personnel familiar with the University's environment and demands. Apart from the family medicine services; the Student Health Services also educates students concerning contraception and sexually-transmitted diseases; carries out HIV/AIDS counselling and provides a comprehensive dietetic service. During the period 2000 to 2005 the percentage of students visiting the Student Health Services; of the total number of students enrolled at the University; remained almost constant at 12.5. A large percentage of the students making use of these services do belong to a medical aid and it is estimated that during the past six years the University of Pretoria has subsidised an amount of about R2.4 million towards the medical costs of students belonging to a medical aid