Impact of food hygiene and safety training on knowledge, attitude, and practices of food hygiene and safety practices among food handlers in boarding schools of Embu County, Kenya

Background: The reduction of foodborne illnesses depends on the adoption and evaluation of effective food handling procedures in the food service industry. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the impact of food hygiene and safety training on the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of food handlers in boarding schools in Embu County, Kenya. Methods: A longitudinal nonequivalent quasi-experimental survey design was utilized. A sample size of 198 study respondents was generated, Magnani formula was used. Multistage sampling was applied to select the study participants. STATA version 17 was employed for data analysis. Results: The knowledge score changed from 71% at baseline to 90% at the end line compared to the control arm which did not significantly change. Attitude score changed from 71% at baseline to 89% at endline compared to the control arm which did not significantly change (64% to 63%). This corresponds to a DID change of 19 percent increase in the attitudes scores (p<0.001). Lastly, practices score changed from 63% at baseline to 93% at endline. This corresponded to a 34 percentage point increase in the practice scores (p<0.001). Conclusions: Overall, Knowledge, attitude and practices were low at baseline than at the endline survey. Statistically, the study revealed that knowledge, attitude, and practices were associated with adherence to food safety and hygiene standards. The Government through the Ministries of health and education should consider training of food handlers on food safety and hygiene for improved knowledge, attitude, and practices.

Systematic Review of Intervention Programs to Improve the Level of Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices towards Work Safety Culture among Office Workers

@#Introduction: Workplace safety culture (WSC) is crucial in providing a safe working environment. Workers need to be reminded regularly of its importance, and therefore effectively, work safety intervention programs need to be identified to be used for this purpose. The main objective is to identify workplace intervention programs to improve WSC among office workers. The specific goals are to determine the types of intervention (knowledge-based, attitudinal, and practices-based interventions), the theories used, and the effectiveness. Methods: Databases such as ProQuest, CINAHL, Medline, and ScienceDirect were used to perform literature searches with the keywords [“safety culture training” OR “safety culture education” OR “safety culture promotion”] AND [“office workers” OR “civil servant” OR “white-collar workers” OR “administrative officers” OR “clerical officer”]. The inclusion criteria set for the search process included research articles, publication between January 1, 2015, and September 10, 2020, which were research articles within five years and eight months of publication to the time of data extraction of this study. Availability of full-text articles, articles published in English, and only articles among office workers. Results: This review includes seven articles and the techniques used for these studies were knowledge, attitude, and practices towards WSC. Conclusion: As the number and scope of intervention of studies on WSC seem scarce, the nature of jobs nowadays and in the future seems to be more office-based; consequently, more of these studies are recommended among office workers.

Awareness of health care workers regarding COVID-19 vaccine in a tertiary care hospital-a knowledge, attitude, and practice study

Background: Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) coronavirus-2-novel coronavirus termed as COVID 19 is a major outbreak which was deleterious globally created a rapid cases of pulmonary infectious disease that caused the SARS. Building up confidence in vaccination depends on the interaction between public and doctors. Attitude toward usage of vaccination by healthcare workers (HCWs) is a major factor that is associated with general public acceptance of vaccination, fidelity to schedules, and devoid of hesitation/aversion. In addition, vaccinated HCWs also have a perceptible effect of decisiveness in general public to take a vaccine. Aims and Objectives: To understand the knowledge, attitude and practices on COVID vaccine among HCWs. Materials and Methods: This is a hospital-based, observational cross-sectional study done in Hassan Institute of Medical Sciences, Teaching hospital, Hassan. A sample of 340 HCWs who have been vaccinated 1st dose of inactivated COVID Vaccine was taken up for the study. A predesigned questionnaire was prepared and given to all the HCWs in the observation period of 30 min after vaccination. The questionnaire had 13 questions, and the data were collected and analyzed. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistical analysis. Results: This study was done in a district hospital, Hassan, Karnataka with a sample size of 340 HCWs participated in the study and completed the study questionnaire, out of which 146 men (43.4%) and 190 women (56.54%). Willingness to take the vaccine is 96%. 93.4% of HCWs encourage others to take vaccine. Our institution arranged a adverse events following immunization reporting and monitoring team management and 93.9% of the HCWs knew where to report if any adverse events occur in the observation period of 30 min after vaccination and also after going back to their respective homes through a telephone number and also this will help knowing the and acceptability of the vaccines. Conclusion: HCWs play an influential role in general public vaccination program. The information from this study will help to gain more knowledge and also allow the general public to future vaccination acceptability. The approach of HCWs might help in creating awareness and preventing false information about COVID vaccine among general public.

A study on knowledge, attitude, and practices about COVID-19 among community health officer trainees under health wellness center program study centers in Maharashtra, India

Background: Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) is a rapidly spreading pandemic. Under the Ayushman Bharat Scheme of Govt. of India, community health officer (CHO) trainees undergo 6 months of training to provide comprehensive primary health care to the patients attending health wellness centers. Aims and Objectives: This study was conducted to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practices (KAPs) about COVID-19 among CHO trainees in Maharashtra. The relation between sociodemographic factors of CHO trainees and their KAPs was also studied. Materials and Methods: An online study was conducted during September 15, 2020 to October 15, 2020 among CHO trainees of the March 2020 batch undergoing training under health wellness program study centers in Maharashtra using a prevalidated questionnaire. Data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25.0. Results: One hundred and sixty CHO trainees participated in this study. The majority of respondents (98 [61.3%]) were females with a mean age of 27.86 years (SD 4.862) and (range 20–43 years). Seventy-five (46.8%) respondents were ayurvedic doctors, whereas 85 (53.2%) were nursing graduates. Overall, 159 (98.76%) had sufficient knowledge, 126 (78.26%) had a positive attitude, and 65 (40.37%) had fair practices toward COVID-19. Age >30 years was associated with good knowledge. CHO trainees with age ? 30 years and using social media to access information on COVID-19 were having a good attitude. CHO trainees with age ? 30 years, working in the civil hospital and those with Bachelor of Ayurveda, Medicine, and Surgery (BAMS) degrees were significantly (P < 0.05) more likely to have fair practices. Conclusion: Studies involving CHO training centers all over India should be conducted.

Knowledge, attitude, and practices toward COVID-19 and infection prevention and control among tertiary level hospital labor and delivery room healthcare workers in time of pandemic: A cross-sectional survey / Philippine Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology

Background@#In our recent times, COVID-19 is an evolving, rapidly changing global health challenge affecting all sectors. Health-care workers (HCWs) are not only the first in defense against this highly contagious infectious disease but also are directly or indirectly affected by it, and the likelihood of acquiring this disease is higher among HCWs compared to the overall population. It is of utmost importance, therefore, that HCWs have adequate knowledge about all aspects of the disease from clinical manifestation, diagnosis, proposed treatment, and established prevention strategies. In this present study, we assessed the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) among HCWs toward the COVID-19 and infection prevention during the ongoing pandemic. @*Methodology@#A KAP and infection prevention and control (IPC) questionnaire was adapted and was administered to the recruited labor and delivery room HCWs involved in the COVID-19 response at a tertiary-level hospital. Clinical characteristics, prevention, and management of COVID-19 consisted of the knowledge questionnaire. Knowledge questionnaire on IPC consisted of questions regarding nosocomial infections, hand hygiene, and universal precautions. Assessment on attitudes and practices toward COVID-19 included questions on behavior and change in practices made toward COVID-19 response while attitude and practice assessment on IPC included questions on guidelines, conducts, and trainings. Knowledge scores were considered and associated by demographic characteristics and their attitude and practices.@*Results@#The study included 114 HCWs with a median age of 30 years (range: 22–72), dominated by females, 85.09% versus 14.91%. The majority of the respondents attained doctorate (44.55%) and bachelor (43.56%) degrees. These HCWs mostly assume 8–16 h tour of duty (62.28%). The mean knowledge score of the HCWs on COVID-19 was 87.48 ± 14.17. The correct overall rate of the knowledge questionnaire was 80.7%. The mean attitude was 3.32 ± 0.55. More than half contemplated that the country is not on a good position to contain COVID-19 spread (54.39%) and only 38.60% are confident that they can manage patients with signs and symptoms of the disease when present to them. As for their current health practices, the past 14 days before the time of data gathering, 63.16% admitted that they have never gone to any crowded places. They always wore their masks when contact with patients (99.12%), refrained from doing handshakes (80.70%), cautiously washed their hands before and after handling patients (99.12%), and avoided patients with signs and symptoms suggestive of COVID-19 (82.46%). Overall, up to 97.4% of the participants had good practices. Based on the study findings, it was evident that HCWs are knowledgeable in IPC. The mean score for knowledge among nurses in IPC was 86.7. The mean scores for attitude and practices among nurses in IPC were 4.06 and 2.69, respectively. Therefore, nurses had positive attitudes and good practice toward IPC.@*Conclusion@#Our findings suggest that labor and delivery room HCWs have adequate knowledge, and possess good preventive practice to contain the transmission of SARS-COV-2 during the amount of the COVID-19. They even have adequate knowledge and positive attitude and apply appropriate practice on IPC. However, their attitude was less optimistic toward COVID-19 even with better knowledge. Health education schemes geared toward improving COVID-19 knowledge are helpful for encouraging an optimistic attitudes and maintaining safe practices. Continued professional education is suggested among HCWs to enhance the knowledge of HCWs, hence averting negative attitudes and promoting positive preventive and therapeutic practices.

Assessment of the knowledge, attitude and practice of pregnant women towards hepatitis B infection seen at a tertiary hospital in the Philippines / Philippine Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology

Background@#Multiple studies have described the insufficiency in knowledge, attitude and practices of the general population and of healthcare workers towards HBV infection across different countries.@*Objective@#This study aims to assess the knowledge level and correlate it with the attitude and practices of pregnant women towards Hepatitis B infection.@*Methodology@#This is a descriptive study on pregnant women consulting for their first antenatal visit in the outpatient department of a tertiary hospital. A structured self-administered questionnaire, adapted from a study by Han et al, was reviewed and modified by infectious disease experts, and then validated prior to use. 164 pregnant patients, aged 18-45 years old, were recruited. Logistic regression analysis was used to correlate attitude and practice to knowledge scores.@*Results@#Most participants (48.78%) belonged to the 18-25 year old age group. Only 7.32% of the participants answered all knowledge questions correctly while 39.02% answered at least 2/3 of the questions correctly. Knowledge scores were not associated with patient demographic information but were correlated with their attitude and practices towards Hepatitis B infection.@*Conclusion@#A lack of knowledge regarding Hepatitis B infection exists among pregnant patients. Government and private institutions must invest time and effort to bridge this knowledge gap. Health promotion should be directed towards the pregnant population since vertical transmission remains to be the most common route of transmission in our country.

Assessment of knowledge, attitude and practice about menstruation and menstrual hygiene among adolescent girls in rural area of district Kathua, Jammu and Kashmir

Background: Good hygiene practices are very much needed during menstrual period. Adolescent girls especially in rural areas often lack information about good menstrual hygienic practices. Cultural beliefs about menstruation like food taboos, not going to the religious places also have a negative impact on the adolescent girls in the rural areas. This study was undertaken with an aim to evaluate the knowledge, attitude and practices of adolescent girls regarding menstruation and menstrual hygiene.Methods: This cross- sectional study was conducted among adolescent girls from 8th to 12th class, from 5 schools of zone Budhi; which is a field practice area of department of community medicine, GMC Kathua; by simple random sampling technique. Out of total 323 girls, 300 girls willing to participate in the study (convenience sampling) were included. A semi- structured self- administered questionnaire was used.Results: A total of 300 adolescent girls were enrolled in the study. Majority of adolescent girls had fair to good knowledge and practice scores regarding menstruation, menstrual hygiene and its management but poor attitude scores due to some cultural taboos like restrictions in kitchen, religious places etc.Conclusions: Proper IEC activities need to be performed at school level and Anganwadi level to create awareness among adolescent girls regarding menstrual hygiene management so that they are able to make appropriate choices so that it enable them to lead a healthy life and prevent the girls from reproductive tract infections.

Knowledge, attitude and practices of childhood diarrhoea among mothers of children under five years of age: a cross sectional study

Background: Diarrhoea is an important communicable disease which can be prevented by proper hygiene and other simple practical measures. We assessed the knowledge, attitude and practices among mothers regarding childhood diarrhoea in a secondary care hospital in Dimapur, Nagaland.Methods: Cross-sectional observational study conducted over a period of one year including 449 mothers in the age group <45 years with atleast one child under 5 years of age using an interviewer administered, pilot tested, semi-structured questionnaire under the following as categories demography, knowledge, attitude and practices.Results: 97.8% had good knowledge regarding causes and prevention of diarrhoea, 65% had good knowledge regarding the management of diarrhoea while 31% mothers had moderate knowledge. 98% mothers had good attitude but only 17.8% had good practice scores. Multivariate regression analysis showed education > class 10 and residence in urban area were significantly associated with good knowledge and education >class 10, age of mothers ≥29 years, employed mothers, family income Rs. ≥28000 were significantly associated with good practice.Conclusions: Good knowledge and attitude regarding diarrhoea prevention and management among our study population did not translate to good practice. These could also be due to the lower knowledge about management of diarrhoea. Widespread prevalence of wrong practices in the community like irrational use of antibiotics could also have resulted in low practice scores. The gaps between knowledge and attitude and practices among the mothers need to be addressed.

Knowledge, attitudes and practices of adolescent school girls regarding prevention of iron deficiency anaemia

Background: Anaemia is very prevalent in adolescent girls, especially in developing countries like India. Treatment of anaemia based on the cause during adolescence decreases morbidity and mortality during early pregnancy. Despite weekly iron and folic acid supplementation programmes, the prevalence of anaemia among women and adolescent girls is still high. The objective of the study was to assess the proportion of anaemia and its determinants among adolescent school girls.Methods: An observational study was conducted in adolescent school girls of Chandragiri from January to March, 2018. Demographic data, knowledge and practices of personal hygiene were collected. Nutritional status was assessed by collecting anthropometric, body composition measurements, dietary habits and haemoglobin was estimated.Results: Of the 111 girls studied, 55.9% were found to be anaemic. Knowledge and practices of personal hygiene was lower in anaemic girls compared to non-anaemic girls. The extent of deficit of iron rich food consumption was low in both anaemic and non-anaemic girls.Conclusions: Prevalence of mild anaemia was high and iron rich foods intake was low in our study subjects. Assessment of burden of anaemia among adolescent girls is essential to address gaps in implementation of public health programs and effective intervention programs can be designed to reduce the burden of anaemia.

A study to assess knowledge, attitude, and practices related to menstrual cycle and management of menstrual hygiene among school-going adolescent girls in a rural area of South India

Background: The onset of menstruation is the most important physical change that occurs among girls during adolescence. Menstrual hygiene management is an important issue for adolescent girls. Lack of education and communication regarding reproductive system further adds to the problem. Several studies have shown that the knowledge regarding menstrual cycle is not sufficient. Insufficient management of menstrual hygiene may result in symptoms involving genitourinary tracts. With this background, the present study was conducted. Objectives: This study aims to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practices in relation to menstrual cycle and factors influencing the same. Materials and Methods: The present study is a cross-sectional study conducted in the rural field practice area under the department of community medicine. Two schools, one government and one private, were selected for the study. A pre-designed, pre-tested, and semi-structured questioner used for the collection of data by personal interviews method. Statistical analysis used: Percentages and Chisquare. Results: A total of 226 girls were studied. Overall, the knowledge about menstrual cycle is very poor. Menstrual awareness was found in 35.8% of girls. Source of knowledge for most of the girls were mothers, followed by friends. 97% are using sanitary pads. Menstrual hygienic practices are found to be satisfactory but need improvement in disposal of menstrual waste. Conclusion: The knowledge about menstrual cycle is found to be very poor with schools playing no role in its improvement. Schools need to be encouraged in imparting right information and encouraging girls to speak.

A cross-sectional study on the knowledge, attitude and practices (KAP) of mothers and caregivers on immunization in Quezon City / The Health Sciences Journal

INTRODUCTION@#Despite establishing immunization as an effective approach, the number of deaths from immunizable diseases among 0 to 14 years old remained high in 2012. This prompted the researchers to determine the knowledge, attitude and practices of mothers/caregivers regarding the immunization of their children. @*METHODS@#The research utilized a descriptive cross-sectional design. An interviewer-guided validated questionnaire was administered to mothers and caregivers with at least one child 12 months or younger who was eligible for immunization. @*RESULTS@#Around half of the 211 respondents were aged 20-35 years old, married and living in their own home. A large percentage were unemployed, and the highest educational attainment was high school. Most respondents had one child in care undergoing immunization, mostly in a health center. Results showed that all respondents scored below the MPL for knowledge. For attitude, all scored above the MPL. Only 45.02% of mothers/caregivers scored above the MPL for practices.@*CONCLUSION@#Despite poor knowledge, mothers and caregivers displayed good attitude towards immunization, however this did not translate into bringing their children for vaccination.

Knowledge, Attitude and Practice regarding voluntary blood donation among the bachelor level students of Chitwan, Nepal

Background and Objectives:  Blood transfusion is a core service within health care systems and individuals who donate their blood in the treatment of sick human for different conditions such as surgery, accident, delivery and treatment of different diseases. The donation of blood by voluntary non-remunerated blood donors is recognized as being crucial for the safety and sustainability of national blood supplies. The study is carried out to find out the prevalence of blood donors and to explore the knowledge, attitude and practice on voluntary blood donation of medical students.Material and Methods:  Data were collected from a semi-structured questionnaire and technique was  self-administered  questionnaire  to  know  the  level  of  knowledge,  attitude  and  practices  of blood donation and analyze by using SPSS software among 167 medical students of Shree Medical and  Technical  College,  Chitwan.  The scoring system in knowledge was included.  Attitude was assessed by using 3-point Likert scale. Results:  Majority of respondents (92.8%) had heard about voluntary blood donation and almost all (97.2%) respondents knew the correct meaning of voluntary blood donation. About 38.9% had poor  knowledge  regarding  voluntary  blood  donation  and  61.1%  of  the  respondents  had  good knowledge  on  voluntary  blood  donation  and  mean  knowledge  was  found   to  be  56.17%.  Those respondents who had work experience had significantly low level of knowledge than who did not have work experience (p = 0.0025).Conclusion: To increase the prevalence of voluntary blood donation, specific campaigns involving interactive  awareness  sessions  on  blood  donation  should  be  organized,  targeting  the  youth, motivating them to become regular voluntary blood donors should be conducted. Efforts must be undertaken  to  bring  the  knowledge  and  positive  attitude  towards  students  into  application  in future to achieve the goal of 100% VBD.

Knowledge, attitude and practices regarding HIV/AIDS among the community of Rawalpindi and Islamabad, Pakistan.

Background: The study was conducted to assess the awareness regarding Knowledge, Attitude and Practices about HIV/AIDS in the community of Rawalpindi and Islamabad. Methods: The study was conducted in Rawalpindi and Islamabad with age of 18 years and more. The data was randomly selected from 120 people having qualification of undermatric/matric/graduation/masters and above through questionnaire. The duration of the study was one year from April 2012 to March 2013. Results: Study showed that media is major source of awareness through Television (81.7%) and News Paper (67.5%).It was seen that 48.3% knew the difference between HIV and AIDS. 53.3% knew the signs and symptoms of HIV/AIDS but more than 46% did not know clinical features. Most of the community (79.2%) knew about the mode of transmission but small percentage (20.8%) did not have knowledge about transmission of disease. 85.8% knew about mode of prevention of HIV/AIDS. More than 80% of the participants suggested for compulsory screening of HIV/AIDS whereas a small percentage (up to 20%) did not suggest. Attitude of community was mix reply with positive attitude (58.3%) and negative attitude (41.7%).About 40% were in favor of health insurance whereas around 60% feel no need of health insurance to the HIV/AIDS patients.70% of the participants recommended to maintain the confidentiality of patient while 30% gave negative reply. Community was opinion that health awareness would reduce (96.7%) the risk of disease while only a small percentage (3.3%) thought for having no impact on prevention. Conclusions: The study showed sufficient knowledge and awareness but negative attitude of community towards patients of HIV/AIDS.

Knowledge, attitude and practices (KAP) regarding voluntary non-remunerated blood donation (VNRBD) among the students of colleges of Jammu, India.

Background: A voluntary non-remunerated blood donor forms the firm foundation of blood transfusion services of a country. The healthy, active and receptive student population can be potential blood donor to meet the safe blood requirements. The objective of this study was to find out the prevalence of blood donors and to explore the Knowledge, Attitude and Practices (KAP) of the college students of Jammu, India regarding Voluntary Non-Remunerated Blood Donation (VNRBD). Methods: A descriptive study was conducted over a period of one year. It involved students of six colleges. A structured donor questionnaire regarding KAP on VNRBD was distributed among the college students. Results: 1520 college students with 880 females and 640 males were involved in the study. Out of which 210 were blood donors. Prevalence of blood donors was 13.81%. In this study 81.57 % of students were aware of Voluntary Blood Donation (VBD). 62.5% of the students had awareness regarding spread and transmission of HIV/AIDS. 49.34% students were not aware of the fact that paid / professional blood donation has been banned in India. 76.68% of the students had knowledge that blood donation has medical benefits. The commonest reason for blood donation was sense of social responsibility and for not donating blood was fear of illness. 90.13% of the students were willing to donate blood in future. Conclusions: To increase the prevalence of voluntary blood donation, specific campaigns involving interactive awareness sessions on blood donation should be organized, targeting the youth, motivating them to become regular voluntary blood donors should be conducted. Barriers to blood donation especially by women should be studied and evaluated. Efforts must be undertaken to bring the knowledge and positive attitude towards VBD into application in future to achieve the goal of 100% VNRBD.

Social Determinants of Malaria among Gold Miners in Shwekyin Township, Myanmar.

Background: Myanmar is one of the countries with evidence of artemisinin resistance and the greatest burden of malaria in the Greater Mekong Subregion. At present, migrant/mobile populations are considered to play a major role in the potential spread of artemisinin-resistant malaria within countries and across borders. In this regard, we conducted a cross-sectional community-based survey in Shwekyin Township, Bago Division, of Myanmar from March to April of 2013 to investigate social determinants of malaria among gold miners. Methodology: We conducted a total of nine Key Informant Interviews and five Focus Group Discussions in two gold mines and two villages with different accessibilities to health facilities. We asked key informants about local health services, people’s perception of malaria, and treatment-seeking behaviors. We performed Focus Group Discussions on knowledge, attitudes, and treatment-seeking behaviors of migrants regarding malaria. Results: Most villagers and gold miners had a fair understanding of causes, transmission, and symptoms of malaria though somewhat mixed and confused. The villagers had better knowledge and practices of prevention than the gold miners. Though villagers close to rural health centre used to undergo treatment within 48 hours of fever, those living with malaria social workers and gold miners were still experiencing self-treatment. Drug retailers played a major role in their first and initial response to malaria. Artesunate and artemether were the most familiar anti-malarials among all respondents. All the respondents accepted the use of rapid diagnostic tests well but they understood negative test results poorly and sometimes this led to self-treatment using artemisinin-based monotherapies. Conclusion: Limited knowledge and practice of malaria prevention might be social determinants of malaria among gold miners. Self-treatment using artemisinin-based monotherapies was still common, even after negative rapid diagnostic test results in the vicinity of a health facility.

Saúde ocular em escolares: conhecimentos, atitudes e práticas dos enfermeiros da estratégia saúde da família de uma área de planejamento no Município do Rio de Janeiro / Eye healthcare for school children: Family Healthcare Strategy's Nurses knowledge, attitudes, and practices at a Planning Area in the Municipality of Rio de Janeiro

O objetivo deste estudo foi analisar os conhecimentos, as atitudes e as práticas sobre saúde ocular em escolares dos enfermeiros que atuam na Equipe de Saúde da Família. Trata-se de um estudo descritivo, do tipo inquérito KAP (Kowledge, Attitudes and Practices) com enfermeiros (n = 94) lotados na Área de Planejamento 3.1. O período de coleta de dados foi entre maio e junho de 2013, após aprovação do Comitê de Ética em Pesquisa da Escola de Enfermagem Anna Nery, sob o protocolo 240.019. Os dados foram digitados, revisados e analisados utilizando o software Epi-Info (versão 3.5.2). Os resultados, após análises univariadas com distribuição de frequências simples, foram apresentados em tabelas e quadros e apresentados separadamente de acordo com cada variável do método. Destaca-se a predominância do sexo feminino (84%), com tempo de formação de um a cinco anos (49,9%) e 21,3% tiveram cargo de gerente de Unidade Básica. No consolidado dos percentuais de respostas adequadas, a população estudada apresentou conhecimento adequado (61,26%), atitude positiva (90,15%) e, em destaque, um percentual baixo de práticas adequadas (36,43%). O nível de conhecimento e atitudes foi favorável, visto que a maioria das respostas demonstrou ser adequada. Com relação à prática, o baixo nível evidenciou que, no momento da realização da pesquisa, poucos praticavam ações voltadas para saúde ocular em ambiente escolar, assim como no ambiente ambulatorial. O método utilizado permitiu que os objetivos fossem alcançados, sendo que o estudo possibilitou a realização de um diagnóstico seccional da área de planejamento sobre a promoção da saúde voltada para saúde ocular, permitindo a descrição dos conhecimentos, atitudes e práticas...

The aim of this study is to analyze the knowledge, attitudes and practices of Nurses who work with the Family Health Strategy Staff, in regards to the eye healthcare in school children. This is a descriptive study, of the KAP (Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices) kind, with Nurses (n=94) with a position at the Planning Area 3.1. The timeline for data collection was from May to June, 2013, after the approval granted by the Research Ethics Committee at the Escola de Enfermagem Anna Nery, #240.019. Data was digitalized, revised and analysed using the Epi-Info (version 3.5.2) software. After uni-varied analyses with simple frequency distribution, the results were presented in tables and charts, and were separately presented according to each method's variable. The predominance of female gender (84%), time of finishing education (49.9%), and having occupied the Basic Unit's managing position (21.3%) were highlighted. The consolidated percentages of adequate responses showed that the studied population presented adequate knowledge (61.26%), a positive attitude (90.15%), and, highlighted, a low percentage of adequate practices (36.43%). The level of knowledge and attitude were favorable, since the majority of answers showed to be adequate. In relation to the practice, the low level indicated that, at the time of the research, there were only a few actions in practice that were turned to the Eye Healthcare at the school environment, as well as at the outpatient environment...

El objetivo de este estudio es analizar los conocimientos, actitudes y prácticas en salud ocular en escolares de los enfermeros que actúan en el Equipo de Salud de la Familia. Este es un estudio descriptivo, de tipo entrevista KAP (Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices) con enfermeros (n = 94) que trabajan en el Área de Planeamiento 3.1. El período de coleta de datos fue entre mayo y junio de 2013, después de la aprobación del Comité de Ética en Pesquisa de la Escola de Enfermagem Anna Nery, bajo número 240.019. Los datos fueran digitalizados, revisados y analizados usándose el software Epi-Info (versión 3.5.2). Los resultados, después de análisis univariadas con distribución de frecuencias simples, fueran presentados en tablas y cuadros, y fueran presentados en separado de acuerdo con cada nivel del método. Destacase la predominancia del sexo femenino (84%), con tiempo de formación de uno a cinco años (49.9%) y 21.3% tuvieran la posición de gerente de Unidad Básica. El resultado consolidado presentó porcentuales de respuestas adecuadas: la población estudiada presentó conocimiento adecuado (61.26%), actitud positiva (90.15%) y, destacándose, un bajo porcentual de prácticas adecuadas (36.43%)...

Nutritional Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices among HIV-positive Individuals in India.

This descriptive study investigated the nutrition-related knowledge, attitude, and practices (KAP) among people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHIV) in India. Data relating to nutritional KAP and sociodemographic profile were gathered from a sample of 400 PLHIV from New Delhi, India, using preset multiple-choice questionnaire. The knowledge on HIV/AIDS was low; nutritional knowledge was moderate as 80% of respondents could answer 4 out of 7 questions correctly. The attitude toward disease and food was positive but the application of nutritional knowledge was lacking as indicated by the moderate practice score of 8.1±2.3 out of a total score of 15. There were no significant differences in scores between genders. The PLHIV had knowledge about importance of nutrition during infection, had positive attitude toward the disease and the importance of nutrition during the course of the disease but translation of this knowledge into practice was low. Thus, there is a need for continuous interventions primarily aiming at behaviour change to convert knowledge into healthy dietary practices.

Adesão dos profissionais de enfermagem à higienização das mãos: uma análise segundo o modelo de crenças em saúde / Nursing professionals' compliance with hand-washing: an analysis according to the health belief model / Adhesión de los profesionales de enfermería a la higienización de las manos: un análisis según el modelo de creencias en salud

Estudo descritivo e analítico cujo objetivo foi compreender fatores relacionados à prática da higienização das mãos. Participaram 40 profissionais de enfermagem de um hospital de ensino da capital paranaense, no período de abril a maio de 2007. Realizou-se entrevista semiestruturada baseada no Modelo de Crenças em Saúde; a análise dos dados foi realizada com auxílio de estatística descritiva e recortes dos depoimentos foram utilizados para ilustrar a opinião e valor atribuídos à prática de higienização de mãos. A maioria referiu ter participado de treinamento sobre o tema em estudo, reconheceram sua importância e a própria suscetibilidade a infecções, citaram como benefício a prevenção desses agravos e apontaram como barreiras a falta de conhecimento e as lesões cutâneas decorrentes da higienização das mãos. O Modelo de Crenças em Saúde proporcionou reconhecimento da realidade local e pode contribuir para o planejamento das ações que visem a promoção da higienização de mãos.

A descriptive and analytic study, whose objective was to understand factors related to the practice of hand-washing. 40 nursing professionals from a teaching hospital in the capital of Paraná participated in the study in the period from April to May 2007. Semi-structured interviews based on the Health Belief Model were undertaken; data analysis was done with the help of descriptive statistics and excerpts from the statements were used to illustrate the opinions and value given to the practice of hand-washing. The majority referred to having participated in training on the theme under study, recognized its importance and their own susceptibility to infections, cited it as a benefit in the prevention of these, and indicated as barriers lack of knowledge and skin problems arising from hand-washing. The Health Belief Model afforded recognition of the local reality and can contribute to the planning of actions aimed at promoting hand-washing.

Estudio descriptivo y analítico cuyo objetivo fue comprender factores relacionados a la práctica da higienización de las manos. Participaron 40 profesionales de enfermería de un hospital de enseñanza de la capital paranaense, en el periodo de abril a mayo de 2007. Fueron realizadas entrevistas semi estructuradas basadas en Modelo de Creencias en salud; el análisis de los datos fue realizado con ayuda de estadística descriptiva y recortes de los relatos fueron utilizados para ilustrar la opinión y valor atribuidos a la práctica de higienización de manos. La mayoría refirió haber participado de entrenamiento sobre el tema en estudio, reconocieron su importancia y la propia susceptibilidad a infecciones, citaron como beneficio la prevención de eses agravios y apuntaron como obstáculos la falta de conocimiento y las lesiones cutáneas causadas por la higienización de los manos. El Modelo de Creencias en salud proporcionó reconocimiento de la realidade local y puede contribuir para el planeamiento de las acciones para la promoción de la higienización de manos.

Oral health-related knowledge, attitude, and practices among 12-year-old schoolchildren studying in rural areas of Panchkula, India.

Oral health is fundamental to general health and well being. Schools can provide a supportive environment for promoting oral health. School policies and education on health-related matters are imperative for the attainment of good oral health and control of related risk behaviors. Aim: This study was conducted to assess oral health-related knowledge, attitude, and practices among 12-year-old schoolchildren studying in rural areas of Panchkula, India. The ultimate goal was to implement an oral health-promotion program in this area. Materials and Methods: A total of 440 children (216 males and 224 females) from 12 schools were included in this study. All the participants were requested to complete a 13-question closed-ended questionnaire. The statistical significance of any difference between the two genders was determined using the Chi-square test. Results: Only 25% of the participants said that they cleaned their teeth more than once in a day. Thirty-two percent did not clean their teeth daily. Over the preceding 1 year, 45.5% of the childern had had some problem with their teeth and/or gums, but only 35.9% visited the dentist. Among these children, 8.2% used tobacco in some form. Oral health-related knowledge of girls was significantly better than that of boys. Conclusion: Based upon the findings of the present study, the knowledge, attitude, and practices of the surveyed children with regard to oral health is poor. Hence, there is a need for regular oral health education of the children, as well as their parents and school teachers.

Blood and Body Fluid Exposure Related Knowledge, Attitude and Practices of Hospital Based Health Care Providers in United Arab Emirates

OBJECTIVES: Knowledge, attitudes, and practices of healthcare providers related to occupational exposure to bloodborne pathogens were assessed in a tertiary-care hospital in Middle East. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was undertaken using a self-administered questionnaire based on 3 paired (infectivity known vs. not known-suspected) case studies. Only 17 out of 230 respondents had an exposure in the 12 months prior to the survey and of these, only 2 had complied fully with the hospital's exposure reporting policy. RESULTS: In the paired case studies, the theoretical responses of participating health professionals showed a greater preference for initiating self-directed treatment with antivirals or immunisation rather than complying with the hospital protocol, when the patient was known to be infected. The differences in practice when exposed to a patient with suspected blood pathogens compared to patient known to be infected was statistically significant (p < 0.001) in all 3 paired cases. Failure to test an infected patient's blood meant that an adequate risk assessment and appropriate secondary prevention could not be performed, and reflected the unwillingness to report the occupational exposure. CONCLUSION: Therefore, the study demonstrated that healthcare providers opted to treat themselves when exposed to patient with infectious disease, rather than comply with the hospital reporting and assessment protocol.