Health Belief Model applied to non-compliance with HPV vaccine among female university students.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the reasons for refusal of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination, and to explore participants' perceptions and attitudes about Health Belief Model (HBM) constructs (perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, perceived benefits, perceived barriers, cues to action and self-efficacy) among a sample of female university students. STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional. A self-administered questionnaire based on the HBM was used. METHODS: Confirmatory factor analysis was applied to the data to examine the construct validity of the six factor models extracted from the HBM. The predictors of non-HPV vaccination were determined by logistic regression models, using non-HPV vaccination as the dependent variable. RESULTS: The sample included 2007 students. The participation rate was 88.9% and the percentage of non-vaccination was 71.65%. Participants who had high scores for 'general perceived barriers', 'perceived barriers to vaccination', 'no perceived general benefits', 'no perceived specific benefits' and 'no general benefits' were more likely to report being unvaccinated. CONCLUSIONS: The findings demonstrated the utility of HBM constructs in understanding vaccination intention and uptake. There is an urgent need to improve health promotion and information campaigns to enhance the benefits and reduce the barriers to HPV vaccination.

Occupational accidents in Greek Armed Forces in Evros County.

AIM: The purpose of this study was to investigate risk factors for occupational accidents and the relationship between perceived and actual risk of occupational accidents in Greek soldiers. METHOD: A case-control study was conducted of military personnel in Evros county in Greece. Cases (n = 250) were defined as enlisted personnel having had an accident at work and the control series (n = 300) comprised of a simple random sample, stratified by age from the army population. RESULTS: Conscripted soldiers (OR = 3.8, 2.21 to 6.58, p < 0.001) and professional soldiers (OR = 2.2, 1.28-3.75, p = 0.004) had higher frequency of occurrence of accidents in comparison to army officers. The degree of risk perception due to electrical hazards (OR = 2.8, 1.81-4.18, p < 0.001), lighting (OR = 2.6, 1.74-3.97, p < 0.001), falls (OR = 2.9, 1.61-5.13, p < 0.001) and inadequate safety signs (OR = 3.3, 1.99-5.49, p < 0.001) were associated with increased occurrence of accident. Regression analysis demonstrated a significant relationship between the accident and the age, time of service in the present unit, specialty, level of education, years of service and the overall military training. CONCLUSION: This study highlights the increased likelihood of occupational accidents among military personnel with lower rank and lower level of education, less working experience (fewer years of service) and less military training (conscripted and professional soldiers). The existence of occupational accidents in the workplace, civilian or military, creates the need for the adoption of policies for the protection of workers and the organization of occupational preventive services.

Conflict management in public hospitals: the Cyprus case.

BACKGROUND: Conflict among health-care personnel has been identified as an issue within health-care settings around the world. AIM: To investigate the existence and management of conflict among health-care personnel in public hospitals in Cyprus; to assess the factors leading to conflict among staff members; to evaluate the consequences of conflict arising; and to consider the management strategies. METHODS: A self-administered questionnaire was completed by a random sample of 1037 health-care professionals in all (seven) state-run hospitals in Cyprus in 2008. RESULTS: Mean age of respondents was 41 years, and 75% were female. Sixty-four per cent of respondents reported that they had never been informed about conflict management strategies, with physicians being the least informed as the relative percentage was 79.8% (χ(2) = 33, P < 0.001). Sixty per cent of health-care professionals reported conflict at work with other health-care personnel one to five times per week, and 37% of the respondents stated that they devote 90 min (mean value) from work during their shift in conflict resolution, meaning that managing conflicts may absorb 19% of working time daily. The majority of respondents agreed that organizational problems and communication gaps were the main issues creating conflict. Avoidance and collaboration were the preferable strategies for conflict resolution, used by 36.6% and 37.5% of the respondents, respectively. CONCLUSION: Better communication, fair management practices and clear job descriptions and expectations may be needed in order to facilitate change and reverse the negative atmosphere that exists. Further education in conflict management for physicians, nurses and their managers may also be needed.

Risk factors for sporadic Campylobacter jejuni infections in children in a Greek region.

A case-control study was conducted in the urban area of Attica, Greece to investigate risk factors for sporadic Campylobacter jejuni infections in children aged <15 years. Over a 2-year period, 205 cases and 205 controls, matched by age group (<1, 1-4, 5-9, 10-14 years) and gender, were selected from the registries of the paediatric hospitals of this area. In conditional multivariate logistic regression analysis, ethnicity [odds ratio (OR) 5·06, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2·49-10·28], consumption of chicken the week prior to disease onset (OR 1·97, 95% CI 1·10-3·55) and playing in the garden (OR 1·83, 95% CI 1·05-3·19) were independently associated with disease occurrence; consumption of raw vegetables was a 'protective' factor (OR 0·48, 95% CI 0·27-0·85).

[Public health nursing in Greece]. / Il nursing nella sanità pubblica in Grecia.

Nursing is considered, as the main profession that covers the need for primary health care services, in cooperation with physicians and other health and social care professions. In Greece, public or community health nursing as a concept exists since the beginning of professional nursing in the seconf half og the 19 century. There are three professions in Greece that are mainly involved in the provision of community nursing services. These are general nurses, health visitors, and midwives. General nurses are educated at degree level in the university or polytechnics. Health visitors and midwives are separate professions, also educated at degree level in polytechnics. Although all general nurses are prepared to work at any level of health care provision, they are not considered adequately educated to perform their full role in the community, with just their existing knowledge and experience. It is therefore essencial that further education or specialization is needed, in order that they could practice independently or as members of the primary health care teams effectively, and be able to respond to public health needs of the population

Nursing and public health in Europe -- a new continuous education programme.

The aim of this paper is to describe the development of a new education programme in public health for nurses in the European Union (EU). The project, 'Development of a Continuous Professional Education Programme for Nurses in Public Health', is described together with its background and aim, which is to contribute to the development of new competencies of nurses in nursing and public health. For the development of these competencies, the framework for the programme's guidelines is organized around core modules common for all EU countries and elective modules, based on national health needs and policies proposed by each country. An example of the implementation of the programme from Sweden, where the programme has already been offered, is also presented. In addition to the educational programme itself, the opportunities for networking for nurses and teachers from different countries resulting from this effort are discussed. Finally, the evolving nature of public health in nursing is presented in relation to the roles that nurses/midwives already perform in various countries and situations, in order to point out the potential of this programme's contribution to the promotion of health of all European citizens.

[The nurse and occupational health]. / Noseleutike kai ygiene tes ergasias.

Nursing and occupational health. Occupational health is the maintainance and promotion of the health of the workers in the workplace. Occupational health nursing is the application of nursing practice and public health procedures of conserving, promoting and restoring the health of individuals and groups, in their places of employment. In this paper, the main emphasis is given to the role and duties of the nurse as a member of the team, which are valid at every workplace. There are references also to the educational possibilities in occupational health nursing as a specialty and in the status of employment in Greece.

Evaluation of health promotion activities in community nursing practice.

The purpose of this research was to study the extent to which community nurses (CNs) were involved in health promotion activities and to investigate whether these activities were meeting the needs of their clients. A cross-sectional survey by multiple methods was designed and carried out in four district health authorities (DHAs) in one regional health authority in England. Two hundred and fifty-one (83.67%) completed questionnaires were returned by CNs working in primary health care (PHC). Sixty sessions with CNs were observed and 249 interviews were conducted with clients. Additionally, as part of the observation 155 clinical records were examined. CNs reported involvement in a wide range of opportunistic and organized health promotion activities. Lifestyle advice and ill-health prevention were most frequently used by all groups. Health visitors (HVs) were involved significantly more in group and community wide activities. District nurses (DNs) were mainly involved in opportunistic health promotion. Practice nurses (PNs) were found to be involved significantly more in health promotion activities organized on an individual basis. Observation revealed that opportunistic health promotion was carried out in almost half of the consultations observed, of which lifestyle advice was the most frequent. Records however showed that this information was rarely recorded. The clients of PNs were mostly aware of other health promotion activities available within the general practice, while almost half of the HVs' clients knew what other health promotion activities were available to them and few DNs' clients were aware of any.

Sex education and family planning messages in Greek school books.

PIP: The Greek Family Planning Association (GFPA) completed in march 1990 a 3-year effort to evaluate whether sex education was an integral part of the school curricula. It was reported by a representative of the Pedagogical Institute in the Ministry of Education and Religion that important efforts have been made. The findings were presented at the 2nd Sex Education and Health seminar in March, 1990. Greek primary schools have 1 teacher for all lessons; but specialists in various fields of the secondary school curricula. Primary school books have various references and pictures on human reproduction. Equality of the sexes socially and culturally is represented, as well as good health messages on nutrition and hygiene. Noticeably absent, however, is any reference to human sexuality, nude human body or sex organ pictures, or other non-traditional family models. Family planning and contraception are also missing; teacher training or special courses are needed. Secondary school books have clear but limited messages. For example, there is a whole page on the philosophy and aims of family planning, but parenthood is only presented in the context of traditional marriage without contraception. It is recommended that legislative support be engaged to insure that sex education programs are systematic, age-specific, and a continuous activity from the primary level. Another important role in the implementation and curriculum development of sex education is one played by teachers and health professionals, those in touch with young people. GFPA needs to compile basic guidelines for those teaching sex education.^ieng