Assessing Nursing Students’ Sex Knowledge and Sexual Attitudes: Implications for Primary Health Care

@#Health professionals, especially nurses, in primary care setting are considered most appropriate for providing sexual health care. To provide quality sexual health care, nurses should have adequate sex knowledge and hold positive attitude towards sexuality. However, nurses’ perceived inadequate knowledge and negative attitudes towards sexuality were reported to be two major barriers to sexual health care, yet little is known about these barriers among nursing students in Hong Kong. This study was conducted to examine sex knowledge and attitudes towards sexuality among nursing students in Hong Kong. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted on the first year nursing students (N= 258) who were recruited to participate via convenience sampling. The General Sexual Knowledge Scale (GSKS) and Attitude towards Sexuality Scale (ATSS) were used to collect data for this study. The data were analysed by descriptive statistics and independent t-test. Results Sex knowledge was 10.4 ± 3.5 and sexual attitude was 32.9 ± 4.6 indicating nursing students’ sex knowledge was poor and their sexual attitudes were neutral. Sex knowledge was positively related to the sexual attitudes (r = 0.47, p < .01). The attitudes were more liberal in students aged 20 years old or above than students aged 19 or below. Sexual attitudes were also more liberal among students who did not reported religious affiliation than students who did. Conclusions Knowledge and positive attitudes regarding human sexuality needed to be promoted among nursing students. Findings from this study provided useful information in preparing nursing students to render high quality sexual health care in primary care settings.

Perfil clínico de los pacientes ingresados al programa EPOC en un consultorio de atención primaria durante 10 años / Clinical profile of patients admitted to a COPD program in a primary care setting during 10 years

Our objective was to determine the clinical profile of patients admitted to the COPD program of CESFAM Silva Henríquez of Puente Alto, Chile, between 2004 and 2014. We analyzed the clinical and spirometric data of medical and controls records as being admitted to the program. The predicted FEV1 percentage average of the 65 patients analyzed was 76.6%. 47.7% had mild, 40% moderate and 12.3% severe COPD. The patients were 62 years-old in average, 55.4% were women, 78.5% had smoking history, 73.6% had been exposed to wood and/or coal combustion (50.1% to both), 61.5% had some comorbidity (90% cardiovascular). 40% were under monotherapy with short-acting bronchodilator (BDc) and 50.7% received dual therapy with BDc and inhaled corticosteroid. Our COPD patients were predominantly women over 60 years old, exposed to tobacco and biomass and most of them had cardiovascular comorbidities.

Nuestro objetivo fue conocer el perfil clínico de los pacientes ingresados al programa EPOC del CESFAM Silva Henríquez de la comuna de Puente Alto entre 2004 y 2014. Para eso analizamos los datos clínicos y espirométricos de las fichas clínicas y cartolas de controles al momento del ingreso al programa. El porcentaje del VEF1 predicho promedio de los 65 pacientes analizados fue de 76,6%. El 47,7% fue EPOC leve, 40% moderado y 12,3% severo. La edad promedio fue 62 años, el 55,4% fueron mujeres, 78,5% tenía antecedentes tabáquicos, 73,6% había estado expuesto a combustión de leña y/o carbón (50,1% a ambos), 61,5% tenía alguna comorbilidad (90% cardiovascular). Al 40% se les indicó monoterapia con broncodilatador de acción corta (BDc) y al 50,7% terapia dual con BDc más corticoide inhalado. Nuestros EPOC fueron predominantemente mujeres mayores de 60 años, expuestas a tabaco y biomasa y con comorbilidades, preferentemente cardiovasculares.

Effective Smoking-Cessation Strategies in Primary Care Setting / 대한내과학회지

Smoking leads to nicotine addiction and serious health problems and smoking cessation can reduce the risk of developing smoking-related diseases and premature death. Smoking is a chronic disease that requires repeated interventions, including counseling and pharmacotherapy. These are both effective for smoking cessation, but combined intervention is more effective than using either alone. Several first-line medications are effective and recommended for use, such as nicotine-replacement therapy (patch, gum, inhaler, lozenge, and nasal spray), bupropion SR, and varenicline. Special populations such as adolescent smokers, pregnant women, and smokers with mental illness can be treated with both counselling and medication. Physicians should recommend effective counselling and pharmacotherapy strategies to all smokers at every clinic visit. Insurance coverage for counselling and medications for quitting smoking are essential to reduce the smoking rate, especially in a primary care setting.

Introduction to Motivational Interviewing (MI)

Changing our patients’ health behaviour has always been difficult. To enhance their intrinsic motivation to change, we need to explore and resolve their ambivalence through motivational interviewing (MI). The four broad principles in MI are expressing empathy, developing discrepancy, rolling with resistance and supporting self-efficacy. Key skills in the practice of MI include using open ended questions, reflective listening and pulling change. While full blown MI may not be practical in our primary care setting, understanding the concept and principles of MI can help us be more patient-centred and collaborative which will help build motivation for change. Though time is a limiting factor for using MI in medical and public health settings, brief strategies like the Elicit-Provide-Elicit model can be used to give patients feedback and information about their health.