An investigative study on the perception and acceptability of a COVID-19 Vaccine of the public in Trinidad and Tobago

• The COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating impact on global morbidity and mortality rates and adversely affected society and economies. • To control this pandemic, mass vaccination is required. • Many countries have reported varying levels of COVID-19 vaccine acceptance. • The public perception of the COVID-19 vaccine and acceptance of the vaccine are unknown in Trinidad and Tobago.

Men's Perspectives on 'Male Sensitive' Health Services

Men, in general, are more likely to hold negative views and be unwilling to access health services (Hawkes and Buse, 2013) except in circumstances when they view their lives qas being imperilled (Novak, et al., 2019). However, this is associated with the social constructionof masculinity an the expectations of how masculinity should be performed (Novak, et al 2019.) Being concerned about one's health is perceived as a female concern and creates cognitive dissonance for men in deciding whether they should behave as though they don't care or should care for their health (Robertson and Williams, 2010, Elliott. 2015, Bonhomme, Brott and Fadich, 2017, Novak, et al., 2019). In spite of the growing body of literature on masculinity and health; addressing issues of men's health is challening since there is an absence of agreement on what constitutes 'men's health', in spite of attempts to do so (Bardehle, Dinges and Whitw, 2016). Although a number of studies have been conducted on men in the Caribbean, there is a dearth of literature on men and their perceptions of 'male sensitive' health services among men between the ages of 18 yeas to 65 years in Trinidad and Tobago. The research questions was: What are men's perceptions about masculinity and its implications for 'male sensitive' health services?

Dental Students' and Examiner perceptions of an OSCE in the DDS programme in Trinidad

Objective: The School of Dentistry introduced an Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) in 2014 for Year 3 students in its Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) programme, designed to ensure patient care competency. The objective of the study was to determine student and examiner perceptions of thedental OSCE which takes place in Year 3 Semester I. Design and Methodology: All year 3 dental students (n=27) and examiners (n=14) took part in the study. Following ethical approval, a cross-sectional survey method was used. Data were collected on structured questionnaires administered to students and examiners to obtain their perceptions of the OSCE stations which included: History taking, Examination of a patient, Radiographic examination, Basic Life Support and six other specialty stations. Results: Student survey: Fifteen (15) students (55.6%) agreed that the OSCE was fair and 73.1% agreed they were well organized. However, only 55.6% thought there was sufficient time. Nearly 75% felt the OSCE was representative of real clinical scenarios but only 48.1% agreed it was valid in terms of assessing clinical competence. Examiner Survey: Nearly 93% of examiners thought their OSCE station was well organized and that the time allocated was sufficient. One hundred percent (100%) agreed that their OSCE station was fair, a good assessment of the students' competency to begin seeing patients and that the OSCE was a valid form of assessing clinical competence. Conclusion: While less than half of students thought that the OSCE was valid in terms of assessing clinical competence, all of the Examiners thought that it was valid. The discrepancy between student and examiner perceptions needs further investigation.

Perceptions of disadvantage, ethnicity and psychosis.

BACKGROUND: People from Black ethnic groups (African-Caribbean and Black African) are more prone to develop psychosis in Western countries. This excess might be explained by perceptions of disadvantage. AIMS: To investigate whether the higher incidence of psychosis in Black people is mediated by perceptions of disadvantage. METHOD: A population-based incidence and case-control study of first-episode psychosis (Aetiology and Ethnicity in Schizophrenia and Other Psychoses (AESOP)). A total of 482 participants answered questions about perceived disadvantage. RESULTS: Black ethnic groups had a higher incidence of psychosis (OR= 4.7, 95 per cent CI 3.1-7.2). After controlling for religious affiliation, social class and unemployment, the association of ethnicity with psychosis was attenuated (OR=3.0, 95 per cent CI 1.6-5.4) by perceptions of disadvantage. Participants in the Black non-psychosis group often attributed their disadvantage to racism, whereas Black people in the psychosis group attributed it to their own situation. CONCLUSIONS: Perceived disadvantage is partly associated with the excess of psychosis among Black people living in the UK. This may have implications for primary prevention.

Perception of a healthy diet: a survey among fourth form students in Trinidad [abstract]

The objective of this study was to determine the percentage of students with the correct perception of a healthy diet and whether perception varied with gender, type and geographic location of schools, religion, ethnicity, family history of chronic disease and exposure to nutritional information. A cross-sectional survey of 795 randomly chosen 4th form students, from randomly chosen secondary schools throughout Trinidad, was conducted over two weeks. Students who passed all six sections of a self-administered, anonymous questionnaire, with at least 50 percent correct responses in each section, were deemed to have the correct perception of a healthy diet. One hundred and sixty-five (21 percent) students had the correct perception of a healthy diet and 102 (23.9 percent) females vs 63 (17.7 percent males passed (p= 0.036). A significantly higher proportion (p= 0.008) of government-assissted school students (30.8 percent) passed, compared with students from Government schools (19.6 percent). Concerning "Healthy Choices", 87.3 percent of students passed whereas the "Dietary Beliefs" section had the lowest pass rate of 30.8 percent. Of the 676 students who reported being exposed to nutritional information, 153 (22.6 percent) had the correct perception. However, 11.3 percent of the students who reported no previous exposure to such information passed (p= 0.008). Religion, ethnicity and family history of chronic disease had no significant influence on students' perception. In conclusion, it was found that the majority of students sampled had an incorrect perception of a healthy diet. Perception varied with gender, exposure to nutritional information, type and geographic location of school attended. (AU)

Jamaican nurses' perception of their work experiences with foreign nurses

OBJECTIVE: To explore the perception of Jamaican nurses regarding their work experiences with nurses from Cuba, Nigeria and Ghana. METHOD: A 24-item pretested self-administered questionnaire was distributed to 30 Registered Nurses working with foreign nurses on five selected wards at Kingston Public Hospital. Twenty-three nurses (77 percent) completed the questionnaire. Data were analysed using SPSS Version 6.13. RESULTS: In terms of clinical performance, ability to communicate with patients and staff and pleasant work attitude, the nurse rated those from Ghana highest, followed by Nigerians and Cubans (p<0.001). The majority (91 percent) of the respondents were concerned about the cost of recruiting foreign nurses, some of whom they perceived to be lazy and incompetent. They felt that Jamaican nurses should be treated better by improving salaries and benefits. Sixty-one per cent suggested that the benefits to foreign nurses surpassed their own. CONCLUSION: Nurses from Ghana were the most popular with Jamaican nurses. The cost of improving salaries and benefits to retain Jamaican nurses should be weighed against the cost of recruiting foreign nurses to work in Jamaica.(Au)

Perception of a healthy diet (PHD): a survey among fourth form secondary school students in Trinidad

OBJECTIVES: To determine the percentage of students with the correct perception of a healthy diet and to ascertain determinants of students' perceptions. DESIGN AND METHODS: A cross-sectional survey of 795 randomly chosen secondary schools throughout Trinidad was conducted over two weeks. Students who completed all six sections of a self-administered, anonymous questionnaire with at least 50 percent correct response in each section were deemed to have the correct perception of a healthy diet. RESULTS: 165 (21.1 percent) students had the correct perception of a healthy diet. More females (102,23.9 percent) than males (63, 17.79 percent; p=0.036) gave correct responses. A significantly higher proportion of students from Government schools (30.8 percent vs 19.6 percent, p=0.008). Concerning "Healthy Choices", 87.3 percent of students passed whereas the "Dietary Beliefs" section had the lowest pass rate of 30.8 percent. Of the 676 students who reported being exposed to nutritional information, 153 (22.64 percent) had the correct perception. However, 11.3 percent of the students who reported no previous exposure to such information passed (p=0.008). Religion, ethnicity and family history of chronic disease had no significant influence on students' perception. CONCLUSION: The majority of students sampled had an incorrect perception of a healthy diet. Perception varied with gender, exposure to nutritional information, type and geographic location of school attended.(Au)

Patients' perception and satisfaction with health care professionals at primary care facilities in Trinidad and Tobago

This paper endeavours to identify the background characteristics of health centre users in Trinidad and Tobago and their perceptions of the efficiency of the services provided. Multistage sampling was employed to select 1451 users. Data were obtained during structured interviews on regular clinic days. Of the people using health centres 80.4 percent were unemployed and 75.9 percent were women. People aged over 60 accounted for 25.4 percent of the sample. Users included a disproportionately high number of persons from the lower socioeconomic categories. The proportions of person of different ethnic and religious groups closely reflected those in the country's general population. Approximately 74 percent of the interviewees were satisfied with the performance of the doctors in the health centres. For nurses the satisfaction ratings was about 10 percent higher. The greatest needs for improvement were perceived to be in pharmacists' and doctors' services with particular reference to waiting times.(AU)

The Jamaican body's role in emotional experience and sense perception: feelings, heart, minds and nerves

When Jamaican speak of feelings, they literally mean feelings: physical sensations. Emotions, which emerge through social interaction, comprise an unmarked subset of feelings. They can affect the mind in ways that are actualized in behavior. Emotions affect other parts of the body as well, in ways that follow from an equilibrium model of health. Non-emotional feelings index bodily disequilibrium rather than causing it. An example of such is seen in nerves: a chronic feeling-complaint that comes about when the nerves, associated with perception and sensation, are weakened, and which entails visual dimness, jumpiness, and joint trouble. Although exacerbated by certain social situations and often used in social commentary and manipulations, nerves is experienced and treated as a physical rather than a socially-based disorder. By studying the bodily dimension of nerves and other feelings we may gain insight into the ways in which the body serves as a source of culture (e.g., nerves culture) as well as into how culture influences bodily experience. We may broaden our understanding of the complex interplay between the bodily and mental dimensions of people's lives.(AU)

Utilization of the maternal and child health services in St. Thomas, Jamaica W.I

It is noted that there are inadequacies in distribution of maternal / child health clinics in this parish and where they exist the general quality of the facilities leave much to be desired. In addition it is thought that the attendance of mothers at clinic is not regular enough to be of full benefit to themselves and their unborn children. The attendance of children at child health clinics is also unsatisfactory. Nurses in the parish feel that a health education programme would be of benefit to the population as well as general improvements in the facilities. (AU)