ABSTRACT
Introduction: The study aimed to develop and examine the aesthetic, bedtime story, connecting with nature, and drawing (ABCD), community based, program for grandparents to help them promote their grandchildren's development. Methods: The action research was conducted in two phases. In the first phase, semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions were utilized to gather information from healthcare providers, teachers, and community leaders to develop the ABCD program. This was followed by a critical evaluation of the program's activities, materials, and contents. The second phase was to examine the program's effectiveness. A one-group pretest-posttest design was used to study the effectiveness of the program among 20 dyads of grandparents and grandchildren. Results: All grandparents attended and completed the program. The grandparents' knowledge increased significantly (p = 0.024), and satisfaction with the program was high (X = 9, SD = 0.93) while children's development was not statistically different (p = 0.317). Conclusion: The ABCD program was found to be feasible and acceptable to grandparents of skipped families to promote their grandchildren's development. The importance of healthcare providers, teachers, and community leaders in providing ABCD programs must also be recognized.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: We synthesized the effects of mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) on psychological outcomes in college and university students during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHOD: Ten electronic databases were searched from inception to December 2021. We reviewed studies with college and university students receiving MBIs with psychological outcomes. We only reviewed studies written in English. A random-effects model was used to compute the effect size. RESULTS: Overall, MBIs showed a significantly moderate improvement in anxiety (g = 0.612, 95% CI: 0.288-0.936, I2 = 77%); depression (g = 0.372, 95% CI: 0.032-0.713, I2 = 72%); and mindfulness (g = 0.392, 95% CI:0.102-0.695, I2 = 64%) compared with control groups, while these interventions had a small effect in reducing stress, but not a significant one (g = 0.295, 95% CI: -0.088 to 0.676, I2 = 77%) compared with control groups. CONCLUSION: MBIs significantly improved psychological outcomes among college and university students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Clinicians and health providers should consider using MBIs as alternative complementary treatment for improving and preventing anxiety and depression in college and university students during COVID-19. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The use of MBIs for college and university students is an effective method to decrease anxiety, depressive symptoms, and increase mindfulness. MBIs would become a very useful means of alternative complementary treatment in mental health and clinical psychiatry.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Mindfulness , Humans , Mindfulness/methods , Universities , Pandemics , Anxiety/therapy , Anxiety/psychology , StudentsABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Expanded programs on immunization (EPIs) are country-specific vaccine programs designed and implemented to prevent childhood diseases globally, including in Thailand. Hill tribe children in Thailand live in remote areas with underdeveloped education systems and low economic status. This study aimed to assess serocoverage under the EPI and access to vaccination clinics. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was performed to assess serocoverage after childhood vaccination among hill tribe children who lived in 34 selected villages in Chiang Rai Province, Thailand. A validated questionnaire was administered, and 3-mL blood specimens were collected. Antibodies against hepatitis B surface antigen (anti-HBs), hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc), measles, Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV), and tetanus were detected. Chi-square tests were performed to detect the different proportion of patients with antibodies with different characteristics. RESULTS: Half of the hill tribe children aged 1-18 years did not have medical evidence (logbook) of immunization. More than 98.0% of the children who had medical evidence received the recommended immunizations. Only half of the children had anti-HBs (51.1%), and 22.3% had antibodies against JEV. The majority were found to be positive for antibodies against measles (83.3%) and tetanus (91.4%). Sex (p-value = 0.028), tribe (p-value < 0.001), age (p-value < 0.001), and parents' monthly income (p-value = 0.008) were associated with a lack of medical evidence. CONCLUSIONS: Existing immunization programs for hill tribe children in Thailand should be urgently evaluated and monitored for effectiveness.
Subject(s)
Hepatitis B Vaccines , Hepatitis B , Child , Cross-Sectional Studies , Humans , Immunization , Immunization Programs , ThailandABSTRACT
This study aims to understand the experiences of families of children with special healthcare needs in rural areas in Thailand. Grounded theory (GT) was employed to understand families' experiences when caring for children with special healthcare needs (CSHCN) in rural areas. Forty-three family members from thirty-four families with CSHCN participated in in-depth interviews. Interviews were recorded and transcribed. The constant comparative method was used for data analysis and coding analysis. Adjusting family's life was the emergent theory which included experiencing negative effects, managing in home environment, integrating care into a community health system, and maintaining family normalization. This study describes the process that families undergo in trying to care for CSHCN while managing their lives to maintain a sense of normalcy. This theory provides some intervention opportunities for health care professionals when dealing with the complexities in their homes, communities and other ambulatory settings throughout the disease trajectory, and also indicates the importance of taking into consideration the family's cultural background.
