Effectiveness of Malaria Free Zone Program on the Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Malaria Prevention among university students in Conakry, Guinea: Protocol of a Randomized Controlled Trial

@#Introduction: Malaria is a vector-borne disease caused by the bites of infected female mosquitoes that transmit the parasite to humans. In Guinea, the entire population is at risk of malaria infection. The objective of this study is to develop, implement and evaluate the effectiveness of the Malaria Free Zone program using the Health Belief Model (HBM) to improve malaria prevention knowledge, attitudes, and practices among university students in Conakry, Guinea. Methods: The study design is a clustered randomized controlled trial (RCT). Students are selected using the clustered sampling method, with each university representing one group, either the intervention or control group. The sample size is 113 university students from each group. The content of the Malaria Free Zone program includes eight sessions, which are based on the HBM constructs. This program takes approximately 6 hours and 30 minutes to complete. Respondents are required to complete a questionnaire over four time points. Generalized Estimating Equation (GEE) will be used to determine the effectiveness of the Malaria Free Zone program on malaria prevention knowledge, attitudes, and practices, adjusted with covariates. Conclusion: It is expected that there will be a significant difference in knowledge, attitude, and practice of malaria prevention in the post-test, 2-week and 2-month follow up of the intervention group after the Malaria Free Zone program. Students in the intervention group will have significant higher knowledge, attitude and practice of malaria prevention compared to students in the control group. Trial Registration: PACTR202102614259601

Effectiveness of Oral Health Education Program using Home-using Portable Device for Children / 대한소아치과학회지

This study was performed to determine the effectiveness of oral health education program with a home-using portable device according to the individual oral health status in children.58 children who were 6 – 12 years old were included in this study. All subjects were affiliated to moderate or high caries risk group based on caries risk test. They were divided into 2 groups: (I) home-using portable device group (II) control group. Both groups were evaluated with simple plaque score (SPS) using camera type quantitative light-induced fluorescence device and educated with identical oral health education methods. Subjects in group I were demanded to use a home-using portable device. After 1 month, both groups were re-evaluated.Cariview score that can reflect the acidogenic potential of plaque bacteria was statistically reduced in both groups (p < 0.001). There was a statistically significant difference between two groups in the change of Cariview score (p = 0.022). In group I, the decrease was larger than that in group II. There was no statistically significant difference in the change of SPS (p = 0.937).Oral health education improved oral hygiene status in children. However, this study confirmed that it was much more effective to improve oral health status in children with a home-using portable device in their daily oral hygiene care.

Analysis of Factors Affecting the Need for Health Education Programs in Middle-aged Women

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to analyze the factors affecting health education program needs as defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) for promoting health in middle-aged women. METHODS: Study subjects included 203 middle-aged women ranging in ages between 40 and 59 years, living in S-city. Data were collected from September 10 to 24, 2011. Descriptive statistics, independent t-test, and one-way ANOVA were used to analyze general characteristics and the need for health education programs related to the general characteristics. Hierarchical multiple regression was used to access the factors influencing the need for health education programs. All data were analyzed by SPSS/WIN 17.0 program. RESULTS: The average score of the health promotion behaviors was 3.46 (+/-0.74). The average score of the need for health education programs (including physical, psychological, and social health education programs) was 3.88 (+/-0.13); and this was affected by age (psychological health education programs beta=-0.21), self-actualization (physical, psychological, social health education programs beta=0.28, beta=0.30, beta=0.30), health responsibility (social health education programs beta=0.21), interpersonal support (physical health education programs beta=0.18), and stress management (social health education programs beta=0.18). CONCLUSIONS: Based on the study results, health education for middle-aged women should be impacted less by monthly income and educational background, and should have more specialized, accessible contents considering not only programs that middle-aged women prefer but also the factors influencing the needs of health education.

Related factors of the approval for the community water fluoridation program in Incheon Metropolitan City / 대한구강보건학회지

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to heighten the community residents' support and approval on the community water fluoridation program, which presents the basic data in devising strategies that will expand the program. METHODS: The research subjects of this study were 700 adults, over the age of 20, who resided in the Incheon Metropolitan City. In order to analyze the factors that were related to the approval on administering the community water fluoridation program, the data were analyzed using a chi-squared test and a multiple logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Respondents approving the implementation of the community water fluoridation program, in Incheon Metropolitan City, were 58.7%. Major reasons for opposing the program were 'harmful', 'influence the taste and color of water', and 'objections without a particular reason'. The approval rate for implementation of the program was higher in the group who perceived that oral health was good and practiced oral health behaviors, like visiting the dental clinics on a regular basis. Also, it was higher in the group who had the experience of hearing of this program at least once and a higher knowledge of the community water fluoridation program. Especially, the strongest correlations were found between the knowledge of community water fluoridation program and the approval rate for implementation the program. CONCLUSIONS: In order to enhance the rate of approval on administrating the community water fluoridation program, it is necessary to publicize the purpose, effect, and stability of this program, through a diverse mass media and reinforce the health education program to oral health management.

Effects of a Health Education Program for Elementary School Children in Gyeonggi-do Rural Area / 대한지역사회영양학회지

The purpose of this study was to implement and evaluate the health education program for elementary school children. The program consisted of nutritional education and physical exercise. The subjects composed of 89 school children, first through sixth grade (n = 100), who had completed ten weeks of health education program from April through July 2010. Pre-post intervention design was used to evaluate the program effectiveness. After completing health education program, the number of overweight subjects decreased (boys 13 to 11 and girls 11 to 9) and the number of obese subjects decreased from 5 to 4 for boys and 4 to 2 for girls The number of sit-ups significantly increased in both 1-2 grade girls and 3-4 grade girls. Backward trunk extension of 1-2 grade girls also significantly increased (p < 0.05). The level of serum total cholesterol decreased from 171.8 mg/dL to 153.5 mg/dL (p < 0.001). Hypercholesterolemia (above 239 mg/dL), hyperLDLcholesterolemia (above 175 mg/dL) and low level hemoglobin subjects changed to normal levels. Total score of nutrition knowledge increased from 5.9 to 6.1 (p < 0.05), percentage of perception answers increased significantly in 5 out of 10 items and percentage of correct answers increased significantly in 6 out of 10 items (p < 0.05). Three food habits improved, including, "having breakfast", "having diverse foods" and "having vegetables per meal" (p < 0.05). Two self-efficacy items improved significantly, including, "having meals slowly", "having exercise instead of watching TV or computer" (p < 0.05). These results suggest that health education program for elementary school children including nutritional education and physical exercise may be effective to improve their anthropometric characteristics, physical fitness, hyperlipidemia, nutrition knowledge, food habits and self-efficacy.