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Abstract Precise and accurate measurement of metacognitive phenomena has never been more necessary than in today's fast-paced world in which vast quantities of information are readily available to the learner. The MAI, Jr. (see Sperling et al., 2002) is a widely used, 18-question, self-report measure of metacognitive awareness. However, this measure has not been re-examined for construct validity and internal consistency since its inception in 2002. In this manuscript we report on our findings of a 2-year study in which we worked to validate a shortened version of the MAI, Jr. Over the course of 2 years, 601 students in grades 6-8 participated in our study. In each year, data was examined using exploratory factor analysis with common factor extractions (principal axis factoring [PAF]) and oblique rotations (promax). The results of this study support the validation of a shortened, 7-item, scale. We discuss why shorter measures with appropriate construct validity and internal consistency are preferred.
Resumen La medición precisa y exacta de los fenómenos metacognitivos nunca ha sido más necesaria que en el acelerado mundo actual, en el que el alumno dispone de grandes cantidades de información. El MAI, Jr. (ver Sperling et al., 2002) es una medida de autoinforme de conciencia metacognitiva de 18 preguntas ampliamente utilizada. Sin embargo, esta medida no ha sido reexaminada en cuanto a validez de constructo y consistencia interna desde su inicio en 2002. En este documento se informa sobre los hallazgos de un estudio de 2 años en el que trabajamos para validar una versión abreviada del MAI, Jr. En el transcurso de 2 años, 601 estudiantes de 6.º a 8.º grado participaron en nuestro estudio. En cada año, los datos se examinaron mediante análisis factorial exploratorio con extracciones de factores comunes (factorización del eje principal [PAF]) y rotaciones oblicuas (promax). Los resultados de este estudio respaldan la validación de una escala abreviada de 7 ítems. Se discute por qué se prefieren medidas más cortas con validez de constructo y consistencia interna apropiadas.
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Background: Dental caries is one of the most common infectious diseases which occurs during early childhood and continues to be major public problem. Establishing healthy dietary habits right from a very young age not only improves the oral health but is essential for a child’s growth and development. Since parents are the main caregivers and prime regulators of child’s dietary intake, they play an important role in shaping child’s oral hygiene habits. Hence it is necessary for them to be aware of the right nutrition, right oral hygiene modalities and frequent dental visits for the betterment of child’s overall health. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among parents of children visiting to Department of Paediatric and Preventive Dentistry KAHER’s KLE VK Institute of dental sciences, Belagavi. Subjects were selected according to inclusion criteria. This study was a cross-sectional questionnaire-based study conducted among parents about dietary habits and its relation to oral health in children. Results: This study shows the statistically significant results with effect among parents about awareness of dietary habits and its relation to oral health in children. Conclusions: With the results it can be concluded that children who had parents with low knowledge scores were more likely to experience caries and have poor oral hygiene.
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Background: Electronic waste, or e-waste, refers to all items of electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) and its parts that have been discarded by its owner as waste without the intent of re-use. Improper e-waste management can lead to adverse human health effects and environmental pollution. The aim of our study was to assess the knowledge, attitude and practice regarding e-waste management and the factors affecting it. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted from December 2023 to February 2024 in three block panchayats of Malappuram district in Kerala with a sample size of 266 selected using multistage sampling. Data was entered in Microsoft Office and was analysed using statistical package for the social sciences (SPSS) software. Factors affecting the outcome variables was assessed using Chi-square test or Fisher exact test depending on the sample distribution. Results: Study results showed that 28.9% of the participants had good awareness, 27.1% had average awareness and 44% of the population had poor awareness and on e-waste management. 89.5% of population had a very good perception towards e waste management. Age, gender, type of family they come from, educational factors, occupational factors and socioeconomic class were the factors affecting e-waste management. Conclusions: Increasing public awareness and educating stakeholders about the hazards of e-waste is crucial. Promotion of campaigns and programs to inform individuals about the proper disposal methods, recycling options, and the importance of reducing e-waste generation through responsible consumption can significantly improve the management of e-waste.
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Background: Oral health is a key indicator for general health, overall well-being and quality of life. This study evaluated the oral hygiene knowledge, practice and its association with oral problems and create awareness about oral health, oral diseases and its treatment to the people in Ahmedabad. Methods: Sample size was estimated to be approximately 260 based on pilot study and by convenience sampling method. Chi-square test using SPSS statistical software. Results: It was observed that around 74.22% of participants felt tooth pain, of which female were more expressive of their pain as compared to their male counterpart. Of which a staggering 73.07% participants brushed their teeth only once in a day. It was observed that there was a failure among population to use interdental aids for cleaning and maintaining oral hygiene. Approximately 70% of population visited their dentist not even once in the year. Conclusions: It was observed and hence concluded on the basis of the derived results that there was a lack of appropriate oral health awareness among the local people in Ahmedabad even among the literate.
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Background: The purpose of this study was to assess factors associated with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) pre-exposure prophylaxis uptake and retention among sex workers in Nakuru town, Kenya. The theory of planned behavior and the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) risk reduction model served as the study's theoretical framework. Methods: A cross-sectional research design was adopted for this study. The study targeted all the sex workers in Nakuru town who were 18 years old and above. A random sampling technique was used to get the hotspots where the sex workers were to be found. Snow balling sampling technique was then adopted to identify and recruit the study participants. Using primary sources. The quantitative data was obtained from the respondents using a questionnaire. Quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics (regression analysis). The findings presented in table and graphical formats. Results: The analysis using multiple linear regression indicated that there was a collective significant effect between the awareness, health system factors, socio economic individual factors and use of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) among sex workers. A further analysis showed that, put together, the four predictor variables explained 35.7% of variation on PrEP uptake and retention. Conclusions: The study concluded that while use and none use PrEP can be explained by the four factors evaluated in this study, there are a lot of other factors that influence utilization of PrEP.
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Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has posed significant challenges to healthcare systems worldwide, particularly in resource-limited settings. Understanding the awareness and practices of health personnel regarding COVID-19 is crucial for effective infection control and patient care. This study aims to assess the awareness of COVID-19 symptoms, complications, transmission methods, and preventive practices among health personnel in Sirajganj, Bangladesh. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study involved 260 health personnel from Shaheed M. Monsur Ali Medical College and the 250 Beded Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib General Hospital, Sirajganj. Data were collected through a semi-structured questionnaire, focusing on COVID-19 awareness and practices. The study employed purposive sampling and face-to-face interviews for data collection. Results: The study found high awareness of COVID-19 symptoms, with 96.15% recognizing fever and 97.69% identifying loss of smell. Awareness of complications like respiratory failure (80.00%) and pneumonia (60.77%) was also notable. Preventive practices such as handwashing (98.08%) and mask-wearing (98.08%) were widely adhered to. However, 36.15% of participants reported being affected by COVID-19, indicating potential exposure risks. Conclusions: The study reveals a high level of awareness and adherence to COVID-19 preventive measures among health personnel in Sirajganj. Despite this, the infection rate among participants highlights the need for enhanced protective measures and continuous education. These findings can inform strategies to strengthen healthcare responses to ongoing and future pandemics.
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Background: The common psychological difficulties in adolescents are anxiety states or minor depression and apart from that the attention span in adolescents is also shrinking as reported. The Brain Gym exercise is said to release learning blocks and cause improvement in areas such as memory, concentration, and focus. The goal of this study is to improve anxiety and attention in adolescents by performing brain gym exercises. Aim: To study the effects of brain gym exercise on attention and anxiety in adolescents. Methodology: The study employed an experimental study including 134 students within a 15-19 years age group, selected through purposive sampling. The primary outcomes are the Hamilton anxiety rating scale and the mindful attention awareness scale. Brain gym exercise was performed thrice a week for four weeks. Results: A statistically significant improvement in anxiety and attention is observed with using brain gym exercise. The pretest mean anxiety score at week 1 was 18.46 and after four weeks the results showed a statistically significant decrease in anxiety with a mean score of 16.14. The pretest attention score in week 1 was 3.67 and the post-intervention score in week 4 was 3.98 showing a statistically significant increase in attention. The data was statistically significant with a p-value of <0.05.Conclusion: The study concludes there’s a significant effect of brain gym exercises in improving attention and anxiety.
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Background: Health, nutrition, yet education are the three basic elements of human resource development, and they are all combined in a unique program known as the integrated development of children service Scheme.Methods: A quasi experimental design where Pre and post-test with equivalent control group design was used to carry out the study. Mothers with children from selected rural and urban area who were fulfilling the inclusion criteria were selected by using non-probability convenient sampling technique. Total 40 samples were included in the study. Results: The study findings revealed the utilization scores of mothers on ICDS service majority mother 335 (83.8%) were not satisfied followed by 65 (16.3%) were moderately satisfied, the pretest and post knowledge scores of subjects in experimental group mean percent of mother on utilization of ICDS service was 37.63% with mean score 14.3 was in pretest, where as in posttest 57.23% with mean score 21.75, the overall pretest and post attitude scores of subjects in experimental group mean percent of mother on utilization of ICDS service was 28.75% with mean score 28.75 and standard deviation 4.610 was in pretest, where as in posttest 46.35% was mean percent, with mean score 46.35 and standard deviation 4.487. Conclusions: The structured awareness programme on ICDS services and its utilization among mothers proved its beneficial effects in terms of satisfaction, awareness and attitude level.
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Background: There are significant literature evidence across the globe and in India, regarding the effects of recreational noise exposure among young adults and college students, but there is a dearth of literature support regarding its effects among the students of senior grade studying in Indian subcontinent. Since the awareness among school students help in the early preventive measures and hearing conservation, studies must focus on these population to reduce the burden of recreational noise-induced hearing loss on our future generation. This study aims to evaluate the change in knowledge and attitude about noise and its effect on hearing: Post awareness programme among adolescents in Varkala, Thiruvananthapuram district, Kerala. Method: A survey was conducted among the school students within the age group 16-18 years. A questionnaire containing questions related to knowledge and attitude towards noise and its effect on hearing was developed and distributed to the students prior to and after an awareness program making use of a visual awareness material. Wilcoxon signed rank test was used for pre and post comparison. Results: The p value of each aspect related to the knowledge and attitude is less than the significance level, so we can say that there is a significant change in the level of knowledge and attitude after the awareness program. Conclusions: The study highlighted low pre-awareness levels among participants regarding noise's impact on hearing. The awareness program effectively improved understanding, emphasizing its importance for all age groups in dispelling misconceptions and fostering positive attitudes.
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Background: Cancer is a major public health concern and its incidence is growing worldwide. Adolescent and young adult (AYA) age group is a bridge between paediatric and adult age groups. AYAs have unique lifestyle patterns that may contribute to cancer risk. The study sought to assess the awareness and educate AYAs of Panjab University, Chandigarh about cancer risk associated lifestyle factors. Methods: This cross-sectional Interventional study was conducted from March -June 2023. A predesigned, pretested, validated questionnaire was used for data collection. Descriptive and analytical analysis was performed using SPSS, analytical analysis was conducted using Chi square test to find the relationship between different lifestyle factors and demographic characteristics such as age and gender. Results: The study included a total of 360 participants, consisting of 170 (47.2%) males and 190 (52.8%) females, aged between 15 and 39 years, of Panjab University, Chandigarh. Among them, 92.5% had awareness of smoking as risk factor for cancer. However, lower levels of awareness regarding lifestyle behaviours associated with cancer risk, including inadequate consumption of fruits and vegetables, regular intake of sweets and sugary drinks, following a high-fat diet (28.3%); insufficient physical activity (38.3%) and obesity (36.1%). Conclusions: The current study indicated a disparity in knowledge levels among adolescents and young adults (AYAs) of Panjab University. It is crucial to address the gaps in knowledge and promote healthy behaviours related to cancer prevention through targeted education campaigns among adolescents and young adults.
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Background: Prescribing medicine is a core skill for dentists, impacting patient safety and requiring knowledge of medications, dosages, and risks. This study evaluates dental students' awareness of these critical aspects in Kerala, India. Methods: This study aimed to assess drug prescription awareness among dental students in Kerala, India, highlighting current knowledge, standard practices, and areas for improvement. Results: Dental pain emerged as the most commonly treated condition (57.7%), with Amoxicillin reigning as the antibiotic of choice (69.2%-76.3%). Textbooks reigned supreme as the primary source of prescription information (66.4%-58.3%), even as most participants (78.1%-72.4%) acknowledged the WHO prescribing guidelines. While interns demonstrably boasted greater confidence in their knowledge, nearly half of all participants grappled with a lack of confidence in drug dosage and frequency. Incorrect dosage stood out as the Achilles' heel of prescription practices (71.9%-77.6%). Strengths included awareness of the correct route of delivery (61.6%-74.4%) and adherence to WHO guidelines. Conclusions: Dental students in Kerala demonstrate fair drug prescription awareness but have gaps in knowledge regarding dosage, frequency, and duration. Textbooks are the primary information source, highlighting the need for more in-depth education and reliance on evidence-based resources. Targeted interventions focused on these areas could enhance prescribing practices and patient safety.
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Background: Severe acute malnutrition (SAM) is the leading cause of death in children. SAM affects approximately 20 million preschool children, mainly in Africa and South Asia. Children with severe acute malnutrition and severe edema (+++) have an increased risk of death compared with children with severe acute malnutrition and no edema. This study evaluated the nutritional outcome of SAM patients in the presence and absence of edema.Methods: This retrospective study was conducted in malnutrition treatment centre, JK Lon Hospital attached with Govt Medical College, Kota from January 2021 to December 2022 on children of age 6 months to 59 months, with clinical diagnosis of severe acute malnutrition. Ethics committee approval was not required as the study was a retrospective observational study. Patients were divided into three categories, viz. recovered, defaulted and non-responders.Results: A total of 270 patients were selected for this study on the basis of date made available through past records. Of the total patients studied, 32.2% (87) had bilateral edema while the rest (183) were non edematous. From edematous arm, 79.9% children recovered, 9.1% defaulted, and 11% were non-respondents. Conversely, of those without oedema 55.7% recovered, 7.0% defaulted, and 37.3% were non-respondents.Conclusions: Severe acute malnutrition is a preventable and treatable cause of childhood morbidity and mortality. The determinants of SAM include illiteracy, low socio-economic status, malnourished mother, low birth weight, ignorance about specific nutritional requirements of infants and young children, repeated infections, etc. In this study, we documented that the edematous children in the study area had a better likelihood of recovery as compared to those with severe wasting.
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Background: Pregnancy applications are more prevalent than other fitness and health applications. They also utilize immediate connection to seek expert advice and comfort. Recently, apps have emerged as a fresh method for delivering prenatal information that is easily available at the press of a button, for little to no money, at any time, and anywhere. Method: A total of 50 rural and urban primi gravida mothers were included in the study. Utilization statements and knowledge questionnaire and opinionnaire-Likert scale on perception was used to collect data from sample. Results: The majority of primi gravida mothers in rural areas, 15 (60%) expressed neutrality, 10 (40%) expressed dissatisfaction, in contrast, majority of primi gravida mothers in urban areas, 22, (88.0%) expressed neutrality, 3 (12.0%) expressed satisfaction. Majority of urban primi gravida mothers (20) had average knowledge and the remaining 5 (20%) had bad knowledge, the majority of 24 (96.0%) had poor knowledge and 1 (4%) had average knowledge, in contrast, the majority of rural primi mothers 20 out of 20 had unfavorable perceptions, with 60 (24%) having somewhat positive perceptions and the majority of 19 (76.0%) having unfavorable perceptions. Conclusions: The results showed the urban primi gravida mothers were greatly utilizing mobile based application for maternal and foetal outcome, and rural mothers are not aware of mobile based application for maternal and health services and need to teach on mobile based application so that they utilize all governmental services and schemes.
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A critical priority and challenge in nursing education today is caused by the variability of the healthcare environment. This systematic review reported findings on the independent variables that are associated with nursing students' clinical competency. A literature review search was conducted using Mendeley抯 website in 2023 with using keywords such as nursing clinical competency and nursing student. The Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT) was used to appraise and describe the methodological quality. A narrative report was given on the synthesis of the results. Based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 16 papers were retained out of 1162 identified research publications. Among 16 papers, the common predictive factors mentioned in the reviewed articles on the clinical competency of nursing students include clinical learning environment, self-efficacy, and self-awareness. Other factors such as clinical training program, type of learning-teaching, learning experiences, and socio-demographics were involved as the significant variables toward clinical competency. There are several other characteristics or predictors of clinical competency that require further investigation.
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Background: Family planning is adopted voluntarily according to the knowledge, awareness and attitude of the individuals and couples. This study aims to assess the level of awareness, knowledge, practice patterns and attitude about family planning methods in a particular area.Methods: A cross sectional descriptive study was done for 1000 married women and data was obtained by means of a questionnaire.Results: Most common encountered age group was 21-34 years (69%) in our study. Most of the women were residing in rural areas (81%) as compared to 19% in urban areas. In our study, total of 630 women (63%) were aware of family planning methods. Most of them were aware of condoms (56%), OCPs (50%), IUD (43%) and sterilization (43%). They had least information about natural methods (37%) and injectables (12%). Source of knowledge was TV and internet in 30%, friends, family and husband in 40 % and health centre and health professionals in 30% females. Majority were using condom (68%). Others were using OCPs (16%), IUD (5%) and sterilisation (2%). After counselling 55% of women agreed to use contraception and 31% were not sure whether they would use or not.Conclusions: Awareness and usage of contraceptives was low in the present study. So, there is need to educate and motivate the couples for using family planning methods.
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Background: In India, there is a paucity of population-based studies and data on herpes zoster in reporting herpes zoster cases. Several shreds of evidence reflect that the disease causes a burden on population health in India. Besides several known risk factors, myths, lack of knowledge, attitude, and practices towards treating this infection may affect the quality of life and disease burden. Imparting knowledge, awareness regarding myths and misconceptions, and early approaches for treatment can help prevent disease and complications in the population. Methods: Our study variables were myths about herpes zoster infection, knowledge about herpes zoster infection, and attitudes and practices towards the treatment of herpes zoster infection and to evaluate the impact of health awareness programme on it. It is an interventional study where study population is the families of adopted villages by D.Y. Patil Medical College, Kolhapur from the rural population of western Maharashtra. Results: The awareness programme which was the intervention in this study, was effective in increasing the awareness about myths and knowledge about herpes zoster infection as well as positive impact related to treatment practices for herpes zoster infection among the rural population in the adapted villages in western Maharashtra. Conclusions: The awareness programme which was the intervention in this study, was effective in increasing the awareness about myths and knowledge about herpes zoster infection as well as positive impact related to treatment practices for herpes zoster infection among the rural population in the adapted villages in western Maharashtra.
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Background: Dental ergonomics, the science of optimizing the workplace for dental professionals, is essential for preventing musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) and ensuring the long-term health of dental practitioners. Methods: A cross-sectional survey aimed to assess the awareness and attitude of dental students and professionals towards dental ergonomics, with the collected data subsequently subjected to rigorous statistical analysis. Results: A 51% of dental students and 78% of dental professionals were aware about dental ergonomics. Only 12% of the dental students have attended a course regarding dental ergonomics, 73% of the dental professionals among study population have experienced musculoskeletal pain due to dental practice. Conclusions: The survey revealed that dental students exhibited lower awareness of dental ergonomics compared to dental professionals, with a notable discrepancy in the implementation of ergonomic principles. Additionally, a significant prevalence of pain related to MSDs was observed among the dental professionals surveyed.
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Background: Tobacco is used in various forms worldwide. The consumption of each pattern is different by the geographic area, economic status, socio-cultural and religious influence. The tobacco problem in India is more complex than that of any other country in the world, with a significant number of tobacco-related diseases and deaths. Over the years, India’s position has risen from third largest to the second largest unmanufactured tobacco consuming country in the world. This study's findings will aid in the future planning of tobacco control and prevention in Vanakbara village of Diu district. Methods: Community base cross-sectional study was conducted among adult males of Vanakbara village, Diu district. A study was conducted from September to November 2020, A sample was selected from the population by using a simple random sampling method. Data was collected using a preformed questionnaire. Data was entered in MS excel and analysis was done using statistical software like SPSS. Average, and the percentage considered and the frequency table and graphs were prepared wherever applicable. Results: According to the study, smokeless tobacco use was more prevalent among adult males (56.6%) than smoked tobacco (14.6%). The most common form of smokeless tobacco used was mawa. According to the majority of respondents (44.3%), smoking was started because they believe it aids in concentration at work, followed by their friends. The study revealed that 88.6% of respondents are aware that tobacco consumption leads to oral cancer. Conclusions: Our study indicates that there is an urgent need for taking actions aiming at increasing effectiveness of enforcing applicable tobacco control regulations in fisherman units.
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Background: Menstruation is a physiological process of women. Reproductive infection during the menstrual period is a common phenomenon in women in rural areas of India. The present study was conducted to find out the prevalence of hygiene awareness in rural women of West Bengal. Methods: Fifty rural women from the West Medinipur District of West Bengal were studied. Questioner methods were followed to know the knowledge, attitude, and practice towards menstruation hygiene. Results: Proper knowledge of menstruation was absent in a large number of women but a large number of women (80%) took care of their hygiene during menstrual periods. 70% of women agreed to maintain personal hygiene to prevent reproductive-related diseases. 44% of women had a positive attitude towards the cleanness of genital areas with clean water whereas 56% of women did not show any interest. 96% of women change sanitary pads for 2-4 times a day to maintain menstrual hygiene. For disposing of used sanitary pads, 80% of women use home garbage areas whereas 20% of women use open fields outside the home. Conclusions: From the above study it could be concluded that hygiene awareness during the menstruation period among rural women of West Bengal, India is not satisfactory. Educational intervention is required.
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Background: Breast cancer is the leading cause of mortality and morbidity among women worldwide. It is one of the prime health issues in developed and developing countries because of the high prevalence of known risk factors. In the present study, we assess the knowledge of breast cancer and breast self-examination (BSE) screening practices among women in the capital city, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, North India. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in urban and rural areas of Lucknow. The period of study was one year, starting from December 2020 to November 2021. Data were obtained from 400 adult women (212 rural and 193 urban) using a pretested, self-administered questionnaire. Participants aged >20 years were randomly selected from two rural and two urban community health centres (CHCs). The questionnaire assessed respondents’ socio-demographic characteristics, risk factors, signs and symptoms, early detection methods, and knowledge and practices related to self-breast examination among women in Lucknow. Results: Out of 400 respondents, only 33.5% (rural) and 55.96% (urban) women had heard of breast cancer. 17.55% (rural) and 13.47% (urban) women had heard about BSE. 4.72% (rural) and 8.81% (urban) women practice BSE occasionally. Knowledge about breast cancer, its symptoms, risk factors, and screening methods was similarly poor in women of Lucknow. Conclusions: This finding correlated significantly with older age, higher levels of education, and occupation. There is a low level of awareness of breast cancer in Lucknow's urban and rural areas. BSE is hardly practiced, though the willingness to learn it is high.