Application of health belief model for hygienic behavior of mothers of hospitalized children in Alexandria

Background: Health Belief Model [HBM] explains different health behaviors, including hygienic practices, in light of different perceptions about health risks and related behaviors

Objective[s]: To assess mothers' perceptions about childhood infections and hygienic behavior based on the constructs of the Health Belief Model

Methods: A convenient sample of 300 mothers admitted with their children at El Anfoushy paediatrics hospital was interviewed. Data was collected using an interviewing questionnaire investigating mothers' knowledge, health beliefs, self-efficacy and practices regarding hygienic behavior

The total beliefs' score was graded as high if exceeded 75% of the maximum score or low if score is below 50%. Hygienic practices of a subsample of 100 mothers were assessed using a structured observational checklist covering data about the cleanliness of mother, child and area surrounding their hospital bed

Results: The mean age of the interviewed mothers was 26.18+/-3.99 years

About 40% of them had basic education and almost half of them were of middle socioeconomic standard. The level of mothers' knowledge about hygiene was fair in 47.7% and poor in 36% of the mothers

The majority of mothers showed a high level of perceived susceptibility [86.3%], severity [88.7%] and benefits [96.7%]. Less than half of the mothers [44.3%] showed a high level of perceived barriers to adhering to hygienic behavior. Almost 60% of the sample showed a high level of self-efficacy. Reported level of mothers' hygienic practices was high in 50.3% of the sample, while observation showed a high level of practice in only 11% and low practice level in 57% of the subsample. Multiple regression analysis showed a positive significant influence of knowledge, self-efficacy, perceived susceptibility, severity and benefits on hygienic behavior of mothers. Perceived barriers had a significant negative influence on the studied behavior

Conclusion: The hygienic behavior of mothers is markedly influenced by their beliefs regarding the relation between health and hygiene as well as their beliefs regarding their ability to and cost of performing these behaviors

Knowledge, attitude, and practices of pregnant women towards antenatal care in primary Healthcare centers in Benghazi, Libya

Many underlying factors influence the capacity of women to survive from complications emerging during pregnancy and childbirth, including women's health and nutritional status starling from childhood and during pregnancy. Also, women's access to and the use of appropriate health services according to their knowledge, attitude, and behavior during pregnancy. This study was designed to assess the knowledge, the attitude, and practices of pregnant women toward antenatal care in primary healthcare centers in Benghazi, Libya. A cross-sectional study was conducted on a sample of 300 pregnant women, who were chosen from three primary healthcare centers with the highest attendance rate of pregnant women in Benghazi, Libya, using a structured interview questionnaire. The highest percentage [85.3%] of pregnant women had a high knowledge score regarding antenatal care, and most of them [96.0%] showed a positive attitude; the highest percentage [76.4%] of pregnant women also had good practice scores. The level of overall knowledge had a significant direct correlation with the practices towards antenatal care [r= 0.228, P< 0.001], whereas it had an insignificant correlation with the attitude [r=0.029, P=0.619]. The majority of the participants of the study tended to have a high level of knowledge and practices. Also, most of them had a positive attitude towards antenatal care. These findings can be used to plan a customized health intervention program aiming to improve maternal health practices regarding antenatal care and eventually improve the health status of Libyan women

Knowledge, perceptions and practices of mothers regarding care of preschool children's teeth [Part I]

Early childhood caries is of epidemic proportions in many developing countries. A recent study, done in Alexandria, showed that more than half the children in age group 2-5 years had caries. The present study was designed to assess preschool children preventive dental practices and factors affecting these practices. Accordingly, a cross- sectional study was carried out at two MCH centers affiliated to the Directorate of Health Affaires in Alexandria. From each MCH center 100 mothers of preschool children were selected randomly to form a total of 200. A pre-designed questionnaire included: socio-demographic data and items to assess mothers' knowledge, perceptions and practices related to childhood dental caries. Analysis of results revealed that only 39.5% of mothers indicated that brushing of children teeth should start as early as 2 years and only 41.1% of them mentioned that the child should use tooth brush three times daily. Only 8.5% of mothers attained good knowledge score regarding childhood dental caries while about one third of them had poor knowledge. About two fifths of the mothers were not practicing tooth brushing for their children. Only one third of them used to brush their children teeth more than once daily. Two thirds of the mothers never took their children for dental check up. More than two thirds of them [69%] mentioned that their children consume excess sweets, 42% of them mentioned that their children eat vegetables and fruit more than once daily. After controlling for confounding, using Stepwise Multiple Logistic Regression, tooth brushing was significantly associated with higher mothers' perception of benefit of brushing, increased child age, higher mothers' perception of seriousness of dental caries and higher mothers' perception of barrier that the child still young [OR = 6.7, 5.9, 3.5, 4.2, P<0.01 respectively]. Also dental check up was significantly associated with higher mothers' perception of benefit of check up, increased mothers' educational level, increased mothers' knowledge score [regarding childhood dental caries], higher mothers' perception of benefit of treatment and their higher perception seriousness of dental caries [OR = 4.9, 3.2, 6.6, 2.4, 2.1 respectively]. Health education program should be done especially for mothers of preschool children to improve their knowledge, perceptions and practices regarding childhood dental caries

Attitude of dental students towards public health and other dental specialities as professional careers

This investigation was carried out to study attitudes of Egyptian dental students concerning dental public health. A sample of time of 2084 dental students was selected. The results showed that dental students regarded dental public health career as less successful, exciting, rewarding, valuable, reputable and meaningful than the other two dental professions: private practice and dental teaching careers. No statistically significant difference was found between male and female students, attitudes towards career in "dental public health". A statistically significant difference was found between students in different dental Faculties in their attitudes towards career in dental public health, as dental students in El-Mansoura and El-Azhar Universities had more favourable attitude than those in other Universities. Dental students expressed neutrality when asked to define the degree of attractiveness of the "career in dental public health" [the mean score was 3.88]

Traumatic dental injuries among primary school children in Alexandria

Children accidents are everyone's responsibility. Accident prevention is everyone's job. Traumatic dental injuries were studied among 6061 primary school children. The males had higher rate of accidents than girls and the accidents were higher among children with illeterate mother or only read and write and not working. Most of injuries occured at street followed by home. Single fractures, maxillary central incisors and enamel dentine type of fracture were the most frequent type of fractures

Domestic water supplies and community self-help in Sidi Ghazzi area Nile delta A strategy for schistosomiasis control: part III, the acceptability of community participation

With the aim of assessing the acceptance of the concept of community participation by the community, 128 village leaders in Sidi-Ghazy were subjected to a questionnaire survey and a schistosomiasis infection investigation. Results revealed that while sufficient knowledge of the relationship between schistosomiasis and water contact was generally poor, it appeared particularly so in the older age groups. At the same time the more the knowledge the lower was the infection rate. The acceptance of community participation in schistosomiasis infection rate was lower the more the acceptance of community participation in water supplies and maintenance. Conclusively it appears that acceptance of C.P. While currently inadequate could be raised with the up lifting of the standard of knowledge about disease transmission and water contact hazards. Meanwhile, it seems of prime importance that links between the community and governmental sectors involved be strong in order to raise community confidence and self-help

Medical audit of blood transfusion services in Gamal Abdel-Nasser Hospital

Blood is a scarce and valuable resource and blood transfusion is often a risky procedure. It is therefore essential that blood transfusion be carried only when absolutely necessary. Certain criteria [blood pressure, pulse and Hgb level] must be set to justify each transfusion. From this study it was revealed that almost 1/4 of the cases transfused received unjustifiable transfusions according to the criteria used and 41.67% of cases suffering from post-transfusion reactions could have been spared their suffering since they were unjustifiably transfused. All of this points to the need for more adequate management of blood transfusion services through a "blood utilization review" committee. The most frequent reason for blood transfusion in general as well as for unjustifiable transfusion was correction of anaemia. Only 4.55% of anaemic cases received the correct blood component therapy i.e. packed RBC. Single unit transfusion proved to be a very frequent procedure, despite the numerous controversial opinions regarding its validity. Patient monitoring before and after transfusion proved to be quite inadequate. Finally, the outcome of blood transfusion services provided to patients, as measured by the patients health status on discharge, was found to be below the acceptable level

Social structure of pediatric hospital

The hospital is a social system and it has a social structure. The study explored some main elements of social structure of Anfoshy paediatric hospital [groups and social institutions]. It was shown that it is composed of different groups forming a unit for variety of activities. There was an interrelated network of social relations between the different groups according to the social institutions inside the hospital. Informal social relation that may be powerful influence of social system was not apparently clear in the hospital. Another aspect of relationship between paediatric hospital and community is shown by community demands for services