Informação e prevenção não farmacológica da COVID-19 no território de uma unidade de saúde da família em Pernambuco / Information and non-pharmacological prevention of COVID-19 in the territory of a family health unit in Pernambuco / Información y prevención no farmacológica del COVID-19 en el territorio de una unidad de salud de la familia en Pernambuco

Introdução: O conhecimento da magnitude em que a população implementa medidas de proteção emitidas pelas autoridades de saúde pública é essencial na prevenção da doença do novo coronavírus (COVID-19). A eficácia de medidas não farmacológicas de prevenção e das políticas públicas destinadas a reduzir o contágio pela COVID-19 depende de quão bem os indivíduos são informados sobre as consequências da infecção e as medidas que devem adotar para reduzir sua propagação. O entendimento, as atitudes e as práticas das pessoas em relação à COVID-19 e sua prevenção são basilares para a compreensão da dinâmica epidemiológica, demandando a realização de pesquisas sobre o cumprimento de medidas não farmacológicas de prevenção do contágio em diversos territórios. Para isso, em 2020, medidas não farmacológicas contra a COVID-19 foram divulgadas por fontes diversas, estatais e privadas, para a maior parte da população brasileira, com a finalidade de orientar comportamentos para conter a crise sanitária. As equipes da Estratégia Saúde da Família têm um papel fundamental neste processo de educação em saúde, pois compreendem elementos socioculturais das suas comunidades, alcançando-as tanto em capilaridade quanto em adequação local da informação técnico-científica. Este artigo abrange uma pesquisa de campo, parte de um projeto multicêntrico nacional. Objetivo: Avaliar se a população do território de uma unidade da Estratégia Saúde da Família da cidade de Condado-PE entende e aplica as informações que recebeu sobre medidas não farmacológicas de prevenção em suas práticas de proteção contra a COVID-19. Mais especificamente, a pesquisa visou determinar que informações foram recebidas pelos respondentes, quais as suas fontes, o grau de confiabilidade atribuído a estas, além da adesão deles às medidas não farmacológicas e sua relação com variáveis sociodemográficas. Métodos: O modelo do estudo foi observacional e descritivo, com abordagem quantitativa, a partir da coleta de dados primários com 70 usuários por entrevista presencial com questionário estruturado. Resultados: Os resultados mostraram que a população recebeu vasta informação sobre prevenção da doença. Conclusão: Com níveis variados de confiabilidade das fontes, atribuindo importância relevante às medidas de prevenção e adotou a maioria delas, com exceção do isolamento social total.

Introduction: Knowledge of the magnitude to which the population implements protective measures issued by public health authorities is essential in preventing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The effectiveness of non-pharmacological prevention measures (NPM) and public policies aimed at reducing the spread of COVID-19 depends on how well individuals are informed about the consequences of the infection and the measures they must adopt to reduce its spread. The understanding, attitudes, and practices of people in relation to COVID-19 and its prevention are fundamental for understanding the epidemiological dynamics, demanding research on compliance with NPM to prevent contagion in different territories. To this end, in 2020, NPM against COVID-19 were released by various sources, state and private, for most of the Brazilian population, with the aim of guiding behaviors to contain the health crisis. The Family Health Strategy (FHS) teams play a key role in this health education process, as they comprise sociocultural elements of their communities, reaching them both in capillarity and in local adequacy of technical-scientific information. This article covers field research, part of a national multicenter project. Objective: To evaluate whether the population of the territory of an FHS unit in the city of Condado, Pernambuco, understands and applies the information it received about NPM prevention in their practices to protect against COVID-19. More specifically, the research aimed to determine what information was received by the respondents, what are their sources, the degree of reliability attributed to these, in addition to their adherence to the NPM and their relationship with sociodemographic variables. Methods: The study model was observational and descriptive, with a quantitative approach, based on the collection of primary data with 70 users through face-to-face interviews with a structured questionnaire. Results: The results showed that the population received extensive information on disease prevention. Conclusion: With varying levels of reliability of the sources, attributing relevant importance to prevention measures and adopted most of them, with the exception of total social isolation.

El conocimiento de la magnitud con la que la población implementa las medidas de protección emitidas por las autoridades de salud pública es fundamental en la prevención de la enfermedad por coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19). La efectividad de las medidas de prevención no farmacológicas (MFN) y de las políticas públicas dirigidas a reducir la propagación de la COVID-19 depende de qué tan bien se informe a las personas sobre las consecuencias de la infección y las medidas que deben adoptar para reducir su propagación. La comprensión, actitudes y prácticas de las personas con relación al COVID-19 y su prevención son fundamentales para comprender la dinámica epidemiológica, exigiendo investigaciones sobre el cumplimiento de las MNF para prevenir el contagio en diferentes territorios. Con ese fin, en 2020, MNF contra el COVID-19 fueron divulgados por diversas fuentes, estatales y privadas, para la mayoría de la población brasileña, con el objetivo de orientar comportamientos para contener la crisis sanitaria. Los equipos de la Estrategia de Salud de la Familia (ESF) juegan un papel fundamental en este proceso de educación en salud, ya que integran elementos socioculturales de sus comunidades, alcanzándolas tanto en la capilaridad como en la adecuación local de la información técnico-científica. Este artículo aborda una investigación de campo, parte de un proyecto multicéntrico nacional, con el objetivo de evaluar si la población del territorio de una unidad de la ESF en la ciudad de Condado-PE comprende y aplica la información recibida sobre la prevención de MNF en sus prácticas de protección contra el COVID -19. Más específicamente, la investigación tuvo como objetivo determinar qué información recibieron los encuestados, cuáles son sus fuentes, el grado de confiabilidad atribuido a estas, además de su adherencia al MNF y su relación con variables sociodemográficas. El modelo de estudio fue observacional y descriptivo, con enfoque cuantitativo, basado en la recolección de datos primarios con 70 usuarios a través de entrevistas cara a cara con un cuestionario estructurado. Los resultados mostraron que la población recibió amplia información sobre prevención de la enfermedad, con diversos niveles de confiabilidad de las fuentes, atribuyendo importancia relevante a las medidas de prevención y adoptando la mayoría de ellas, con excepción del aislamiento social total.

Understanding of the role of serum creatinine in a subset of the Brazilian population / Conhecimento de uma amostragem da população brasileira sobre a função da creatinina sérica

Abstract Introduction: Chronic kidney disease is usually asymptomatic, and its diagnosis depends on laboratory tests, with emphasis on serum creatinine and proteinuria. Objective: To assess knowledge on the role of serum creatinine as a biomarker of kidney function in a sample of the Brazilian population. Method: Cross-sectional observational study conducted in São Paulo (SP, Brazil), in which a random adult population was interviewed. Results: A total of 1138 subjects were interviewed, with a median age of 36 years old (27-52); 55.1% were female. Regarding the "creatinine" biomarker, 40.6% stated they had never performed such a test. When asked about their knowledge on the usefulness of this exam, only 19.6% knew its function. The other responses were "I don't know" (71.6%), evaluating heart function (0.9%) and liver function (7.8%). Of those who reported they had already taken a creatinine test, only 29.4% correctly identified the role of creatinine. When dividing the groups into "knows" and "does not know" the function of creatinine, a statistically significant difference (p < 0.05) was observed regarding level of education, female sex, being a healthcare student/worker, having ever measured creatinine, knowing someone with kidney disease and older age. In the multivariate analysis, the main variable related to knowing the creatinine role was having previously taken the test (OR 5.16; 95% CI 3.16-8.43, p < 0.001). Conclusion: There is a significant lack of knowledge about creatinine and its use in checkups. The results indicate that greater efforts are needed from healthcare professionals to raise awareness on the role of serum creatinine.

Resumo Introdução: A doença renal crônica costuma ser assintomática e seu diagnóstico depende da realização de exames laboratoriais, com destaque para a creatinina sérica e pesquisa de proteinúria. Objetivo: Avaliar em uma amostra da população brasileira o conhecimento sobre o papel da creatinina sérica como marcador de função renal. Método: Estudo observacional transversal realizado na cidade de São Paulo (SP, Brasil), em que foi entrevistada uma população adulta aleatória. Resultados: Foram entrevistados 1138 indivíduos, com idade mediana de 36 anos (27-52); 55,1% do sexo feminino. Com relação ao marcador "creatinina", 40,6% afirmaram que nunca realizaram tal dosagem. Quando questionados quanto ao conhecimento sobre a utilidade desse exame, somente 19,6% sabiam a sua função. As outras respostas foram "não sei" (71,6%), avaliar o funcionamento do coração (0,9%) e fígado (7,8%). Dos que afirmaram já terem realizado o exame de creatinina, somente 29,4% acertaram a função da creatinina. Ao dividir os grupos em "sabe" e "não sabe" a função da creatinina, percebeu-se diferença estatisticamente significante (p < 0,05) em relação ao grau de escolaridade, sexo feminino, ser aluno/trabalhador da saúde, ter dosado creatinina alguma vez, conhecer alguém com doença renal e maior idade. Na análise multivariada, a principal variável relacionada com conhecer a função da creatinina foi ter realizado o exame anteriormente (OR 5,16; IC 95% 3,16-8,43, p < 0,001). Conclusão: Há grande desconhecimento sobre a creatinina e seu uso em check-ups. Os resultados indicam que é necessário maior esforço por parte dos profissionais de saúde para divulgar o papel da creatinina sérica.

Development and evaluation of a food literacy questionnaire for schoolchildren in France.

Food literacy is gaining importance in nutrition education programs for children. To date, food literacy assessment tools have been developed in many countries, however, none exist in France. The objectives of this study were to develop a questionnaire and to evaluate its measurement properties among French schoolchildren aged 8 to 11 years. The questionnaire was developed in three phases: i) item selection (literature review and adaptation or creation of items) and content validity (submission to an expert panel), ii) questionnaire development including a pre-test in a small sample of children (n=41) and item reduction and dimensionality based on the responses of children who completed the questionnaire in 31 schools between December 2022 and March 2023, and iii) questionnaire evaluation in terms of reliability, validity and acceptability. In total, 1,187 responses were included in the analysis. The mean age of the children was 9.6±0.7 years (girls: 51.2%, boys: 48.8%). The development process resulted in a 25-item questionnaire with good acceptability and satisfactory estimated reliability (McDonald omega coefficient=0.73). Factor evaluation revealed a three-dimensional structure encompassing food and nutrition knowledge, participation in food preparation activities and food habits. To our knowledge, this study was the first to assess food literacy for schoolchildren in France. Our questionnaire can contribute to assess the factors that make food literacy vary, especially regarding socioeconomic variables to target priority populations for nutrition education actions and to describe changes in food literacy scores from a longitudinal perspective.

Prevalence of non-communicable disease risk factors among nursing staff in a low and middle-income country: A cross-sectional digital survey-based study.

AIM: To assess the prevalence of non-communicable disease risk factors among the nursing staff and educate them on prevention. BACKGROUND: Nursing staff is integral to the Indian community healthcare systems. Recent studies report a high prevalence of non-communicable diseases in Indian nursing staff. Therefore, data on the prevalence of non-communicable disease risk factors among nursing staff are crucial for education on prevention. DESIGN: A cross-sectional digital survey-based study. METHOD: We invited 4435 nursing staff to attend our online survey. We used a customized questionnaire for data collection, including a digitized version of the Community-Based Assessment Checklist form. A score of >4 was considered high risk and warranted screening. RESULT: Among 682 nursing staff who attended, 70% had never undergone screening for non-communicable diseases. The prevalence of non-communicable disease risk factors was significantly higher in male nursing staff. In addition, logistic regression analysis showed that age, tobacco and alcohol use, increased waist circumference, physical inactivity and family history of non-communicable diseases were significant risk factors among nursing staff. CONCLUSION: The study findings suggest that the nursing staff have suboptimal self-health concerns on non-communicable diseases. This situation warrants continued medical education, awareness campaigns on adopting a healthy lifestyle and health promotion.

Effects of school nurse-led health education to reduce malnutrition among primary school children in Bangladesh: Cluster nonrandomized controlled trial.

Background: Malnutrition is a major health concern among children especially in low and middle-income countries. However, there are limited studies on school health in Bangladesh. This study aimed to reduce malnutrition among primary school children in Bangladesh by increasing awareness and knowledge through school nurse-led health education. Methods and Materials: A prospective, open-label, parallel-group (1:1), cluster nonrandomized controlled trial on primary school children conducted in rural Bangladesh. The study lasted 13 months between September 2021 and September 2022. Four schools were selected and assigned to the intervention and control groups (CGs). Next, school nurses provided evidence-based health education to the children in the intervention group (IG) for 9 months to improve awareness and knowledge of malnutrition. Data were collected at baseline, midline, and endline. Results: Overall, 604 children were enrolled at the baseline; among them, 455 (CG, n = 220; IG, n = 235) completed the study. Changes in the malnutrition rate-the primary outcome-were not significant (P = 0.225). However, after adjusting the endline data with baseline and sociodemographic data, the children's body mass index improved significantly in the IG than in the CG (P < 0.05). Changes in eating behavior, and awareness and knowledge of malnutrition-the secondary outcomes-significantly differed between the groups (P < 0.001). Conclusion: The school nurse-led health education program significantly improved primary school children's awareness and knowledge of malnutrition. This study revealed the effectiveness of school nurses in reducing malnutrition among children, which may decrease future morbidity and mortality rates in children.

Assessing the impact of physical activity on reducing depressive symptoms: a rapid review.

CONTEXT: The prevalence of depression among teenagers is a significant issue worldwide, which calls for a thorough investigation of non-drug treatments. This expedited evaluation examines 24 specifically chosen studies to clarify the correlation between physical activity depression symptoms in teenagers, undertaken following PRISMA principles. METHODS: A wide range of research methods, including longitudinal studies, surveys, and cross-sectional analyses, were used in different nations to understand the intricate relationship between physical activity, sedentary behaviours, and depression symptoms. The data-gathering methods included standardised questionnaires, accelerometer measurements, and self-report instruments. FINDINGS: The review highlights the crucial significance of engaging in physical activity to alleviate depression symptoms. Improved self-esteem consistently acts as a crucial intermediary between participation in physical activity and decreased rates of depression. Engaging in physical activity is a safeguard, particularly for individuals with restricted access to physical activity. In contrast, a sedentary lifestyle greatly increases the probability of developing moderate to severe symptoms of depression. Gender differences are apparent, with females being disproportionately impacted by depression. There are strong connections between engaging in physical activity and reducing symptoms of depression, which can be observed in various situations, such as participating in team sports or engaging in leisure activities. CONCLUSION: This study provides insight into the potential of physical activity as a non-pharmacological approach to address adolescent depression. This highlights the significant impact of physical activity, which has important implications for public health programs aimed at improving the mental well-being of adolescents by promoting physical activity. It is crucial to do additional research that considers gender-specific variations and various physical activity circumstances to enhance our comprehension of this important matter.

Shapeshifters: Global South scholars and their tensions in border-crossing to Global North journals.

INTRODUCTION: Global South researchers struggle to publish in Global North journals, including journals dedicated to research on health professions education (HPE). As a consequence, Western perspectives and values dominate the international academic landscape of HPE. This study sought to understand Global South researchers' motivations and experiences of publishing in Global North journals. METHODS: This study used a hermeneutic phenomenological perspective. Unstructured interviews were conducted with 11 authors from 6 Global South countries. Interview transcripts were analysed through a process of familiarisation, identifying significant statements, formulating meanings, clustering themes, developing exhaustive descriptions, producing a fundamental structure and seeking verification. RESULTS: Participants described being motivated by local institutional expectations, to improve reputation, to meet Global North perceptions of quality and to draw attention to their Global South context. Participants described experiences where their work was deemed irrelevant to Global North audiences, they were unable to interpret rejections and had learnt to play the publishing game by attending to both local and global imperatives. These motivations and experiences revealed several practical, academic and transformational tensions that Global South authors faced. CONCLUSION: The tensions and negotiations encountered by Global South authors who publish in HPE journals reflect a 'border consciousness' whereby authors must shift consciousness, or become 'shapeshifters', inhabiting two or more worlds as they cross borders between the Global South and Global North conventions. There is an added burden and risk in performing this shapeshifting, as Global South authors stand astride the borders of two worlds without belonging fully to either.

Visitor characteristics and changes in mental health stigma after attending the Mind Space mental health experience exhibition.

Introduction: Mind Space is an experiential mental health exhibition in Hong Kong, aiming to raise public awareness and provide education regarding mental health. This prepost study aimed to 1) examine the relationships between visitors' characteristics and their mental health stigma at baseline, and 2) provide a preliminary evaluation of the effectiveness of Mind Space in reducing stigma and promoting help-seeking attitudes toward mental health conditions. Methods: We analyzed data from all consenting visitors who attended Mind Space between September 2019 and December 2021. Visitors' attitudes toward mental health conditions and their willingness to seek professional psychological help were measured through online questionnaires before and after visits. Multiple linear regression was used to identify the demographic predictors of outcome variables at baseline. Changes in outcome variables after attending Mind Space were assessed using paired sample t-tests. Results: A total of 382 visitors completed the baseline questionnaires, among which 146 also completed the post-test. At baseline, higher socioeconomic levels and personal contact with people with mental health conditions predicted more positive attitudes and understanding toward mental disorders. Tentatively, the results also showed that after attending Mind Space, a significant reduction in negative attitudes about mental illness (t=4.36, p=<.001; d=.361) and improvements in the propensity to seek professional help (t=-5.20, p<.001; d=-.430) were observed, along with decreases in negative attitudes toward stereotypes (t=4.71, p=<.001; d=.421) and restrictions (t=2.29, p=.024; d=.205) among healthcare professionals. Discussion: Our findings highlight the need for mental health education for people with lower socioeconomic status and the importance of direct contact in public mental health education initiatives. The present study also suggests that Mind Space may be a useful model for public mental health education, but the exhibition requires further evaluation to ascertain if any reductions in stigma are maintained over time.

Corrigendum: Impact of a mobile health intervention based on multi-theory model of health behavior change on self-management in patients with differentiated thyroid cancer: protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1327442.].

Predictors on Parent's Attitudes towards the Measles-Rubella (MR) Vaccine in Jordan: An Education Program.

BACKGROUND: Vaccine hesitancy is considered one of the top ten threats to global health. This study aims to assess the impact of an education program on parents' attitudes toward the MR vaccine. METHOD: A study was conducted with 250 parents using a randomized controlled trial design. The intervention group (125 parents) received training, education programs, and video, while the control group (125 parents) only received video. The Parent Attitudes about Childhood Vaccines (PACV) scale, including its behavior, safety and efficacy, and trust subscales, was used for pre-post assessment. This allowed for comparison between the groups and measurement of score differences. The PACV scale (range 0-42) identified vaccine hesitancy, with a score below 21 indicating "non-hesitant" and 21 or higher indicating "hesitant." RESULTS: The intervention group had a significant decrease in PACV scores after the program (17.54±4.7, p=0.001), mainly in behavior, safety, efficacy, and trust (6.4±3.6, 9.8±4.7, 3.9±2; p=0.001, 0.011, 0.002). The control group showed no changes (23.6±3.5; p=0.402). Post-intervention PACV score differences were significant (t=11.5619, p=0.001). DISCUSSION: Findings indicate that the education program had a positive effect on changing vaccine hesitancy. CONCLUSION: The education programs promoted vaccine acceptance among parents.

Evaluating a novel online behavioural intervention to encourage cost-conscious strategies among US adults with chronic conditions who are enrolled in a high-deductible health plan: a proof-of-concept pilot study.

OBJECTIVES: Patients with chronic conditions enrolled in high-deductible health plans (HDHPs) face cost-related access barriers and high out-of-pocket spending. Our objectives were to develop a novel behavioural intervention to help HDHP enrollees with chronic conditions use cost-conscious strategies and evaluate the intervention's preliminary effectiveness, acceptability and feasibility. DESIGN: Prospective. SETTING: Online (USA). PARTICIPANTS: 36 US adults enrolled in an HDHP through their employer or an exchange with diabetes, hypertension, asthma, coronary artery disease and/or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. 31/36 participants completed the study. INTERVENTION: We developed a 5-week intervention consisting of a website with educational modules on discussing costs with clinicians, saving for future healthcare costs, comparing healthcare prices and quality, preparing for appointments, following up after appointments and planning for future healthcare needs; and emails encouraging participants to access each module. OUTCOMES: We conducted a single-arm proof-of-concept pilot study of the intervention. Baseline and postintervention surveys measured primary outcomes of health insurance literacy and confidence in using cost-conscious strategies. 10 participants completed postintervention interviews. RESULTS: 31 (86%) participants completed a baseline and postintervention survey. Mean health insurance literacy scores (20-80 scale) improved from 56.5 to 67.1 (p<0.001). Mean confidence scores (0-10 scale) improved for talking to a healthcare provider about cost (6.1-7.6, p=0.0094), saving for healthcare (5.8-6.6, p=0.068), comparing prices (5.4-6.9, p=0.005) and comparing quality (6.1 to 7.6, p=0.0034). Participants found the website easy to use and helpful for learning about cost-conscious strategies on postintervention interviews. CONCLUSIONS: Our novel behavioural intervention was acceptable to HDHP enrollees with chronic conditions, feasible to deliver and associated with increased health insurance literacy and confidence in using cost-conscious strategies. This intervention should be tested in a definitive randomised controlled trial that is fully powered to evaluate its effects on cost-related access barriers, out-of-pocket spending and health outcomes in this growing patient population.

Understanding the contents and gaps in sexual and reproductive health toolkits designed for adolescence and young adults: a scoping review.

INTRODUCTION: Adolescence is a crucial stage of physical and sexual maturation and development and a period in which understanding sexual and reproductive health (SRH) is important. SRH interventions and toolkits provide a range of valuable resources and information to young people, educators, and members of the community on numerous topics, including contraception and puberty. OBJECTIVES: The usefulness and reliability of these available toolkits have not been previously studied, thus limiting our understanding of their appropriateness and contents. Hence, this scoping review aimed to synthesize the available toolkits aimed at the SRH of adolescents and young adults to understand the contents, design, and information gaps. METHODS: A systematic search was conducted of 6 medical databases and 12 gray literature sites. Sixteen toolkits published globally before May 2023 were included in our review. RESULTS: The majority of toolkits (n = 12) contained information related to general SRH knowledge and contraception, whereas only 3 contained information on teenage pregnancy. We found that aiming the toolkits toward educators and health care workers was a favorable design over targeting adolescents and young adults directly and that vulnerable youth-including LGBTQI+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, asexual or allied, intersex, and additional identities) and youth from humanitarian settings-were not well represented. CONCLUSION: We identified key gaps in the inclusion of information in a range of SRH topics, such as LGBTQI+ sexuality, teenage pregnancy, and safe abortion, in the currently available SRH toolkits and their lack of applicability in a global context. Furthermore, we provide recommendations for areas of improvement to encourage adolescents' agency in their SRH education.

Promoting Healthy Adolescent Romantic Relationships: Results of a Multisite, Two-group Parallel Randomized Clinical Trial.

PURPOSE: To examine the impact of About Us, an innovative healthy relationships intervention that promotes positive adolescent romantic relationships and the use of effective contraceptives, on improving behavior, attitudes, and intentions related to sexual intercourse, relationship communication, and conflict resolution at 3- and 9-month follow-up, compared to services as usual. METHODS: This was a multi-site, two-group, parallel, randomized-controlled trial with an intervention/comparison allocation ratio of 3:2 conducted at seven high schools in California between February 2018 and May 2021. RESULTS: Overall, our study did not find statistically significant evidence of improved behavior, attitudes, and intentions related to sexual intercourse, relationship communication, and conflict resolution among participants (14-18 years old) randomized to the intervention group (n = 316) compared to services as usual (n = 217) during follow-up (group x time; p > .05). Exploratory within group analyses showed that, compared to baseline, at the 3-month follow-up, the prevalence of reporting having had sex increased in the control group relative to intervention group (+19% vs. +9%, p < .01). Our sub-group analyses showed that changes in condom use intentions scores differed across school sites (group x time x school; p < .01); mixed (positive and negative) trends were observed for intervention effect, and schools with positive intervention effect trends tended to have greater program participation. DISCUSSION: About Us did not show statistically significant positive impacts on primary or secondary outcomes as anticipated. Our exploratory findings show evidence of some promising trends of intervention effects at the school-level, suggesting a need for better tailored intervention components and/or delivery to address the unique environmental contexts of participants. Overall, the context of study implementation was negatively affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and challenges related to using a non-classroom delivery intervention approach. Combined, these factors may have contributed to the study null findings. Moreover, it is difficult to know (or determine) the intervention's impact under more ideal conditions (i.e., no COVID pandemic).

Responsible ownership and health education can reduce the time of sporotrichosis treatment in domestic cats.

Sporotrichosis is a widespread fungal infection that affects skin and subcutaneous tissues in humans and animals. In cats, it is displayed as nodules, ulcers and lesions on the nasal and respiratory mucosa. Antifungal treatment of cats is crucial but many cases are difficult, thus resulting in discontinue of the treatment, with disastrous consequences for the animal, encouraging contamination of the environment, other animals and people. The effects of responsible ownership education and health education for owners of cats with feline sporotrichosis as well as the interval between veterinary consultations on treatment outcomes for three groups of owners and their pet cats were evaluated in this study. The responsible ownership education and health education strategies consisted in videos in easy and accessible language for people with any level of education and were presented during consultations for two of the three groups included. The time between appointments was two weeks for two of the groups, and four weeks for one of the groups. The median of treatment time for the group without educational activities was 138 days, while for the other two groups it was 77.5 days and 86 days. It was found a significative reduction in the treatment time in the groups exposed to Responsible ownership education videos. There was no contamination of those responsible for home treatment, and the interval between monthly appointments did not impact on cure or death rates compared to the interval between fortnightly appointments. All these results can be applied to feline sporotrichoses treatment protocols increasing the owners treatment adherence and reducing either, the treatment discontinuation and the treatment costs and helps to control zoonotic sporotrichosis. The importance of attractive and comprehensible educational strategies as part of the feline sporotrichosis treatment protocol for the promotion of one health was highlighted.

Digital Health Education for the Future: The SaNuRN (Santé Numérique Rouen-Nice) Consortium's Journey.

SaNuRN is a five-year project by the University of Rouen Normandy (URN) and the Côte d'Azur University (CAU) consortium to optimize digital health education for medical and paramedical students, professionals, and administrators. The project includes a skills framework, training modules, and teaching resources. In 2027, SaNuRN is expected to train a significant portion of the 400,000 health and paramedical professions students at the French national level. Our purpose is to give a synopsis of the SaNuRN initiative, emphasizing its novel educational methods and how they will enhance the delivery of digital health education. Our goals include showcasing SaNuRN as a comprehensive program consisting of a proficiency framework, instructional modules, and educational materials and explaining how SaNuRN is implemented in the participating academic institutions. SaNuRN is a project aimed at educating and training health-related and paramedics students in digital health. The project results from a cooperative effort between URN and CAU, covering four French departments. The project is based on the French National Referential on Digital Health (FNRDH), which defines the skills and competencies to be acquired and validated by every student in the health, paramedical, and social professions curricula. The SaNuRN team is currently adapting the existing URN and CAU syllabi to FNRDH and developing short-duration video capsules of 20 to 30 minutes to teach all the relevant material. The project aims to ensure that the largest student population earns the necessary skills, and it has developed a two-tier system involving facilitators who will enable the efficient expansion of the project's educational outreach and support the students in learning the needed material efficiently. With a focus on real-world scenarios and innovative teaching activities integrating telemedicine devices and virtual professionals, SaNuRN is committed to enabling continuous learning for healthcare professionals in clinical practice. The SaNuRN team introduced new ways of evaluating healthcare professionals by shifting from a knowledge-based to a competencies-based evaluation, aligning with the Miller teaching pyramid and using the Objective Structured Clinical Examination and Script Concordance Test in digital health education. Drawing on the expertise of URN, CAU, and their public health and digital research laboratories and partners, the SaNuRN project represents a platform for continuous innovation, including telemedicine training and living labs with virtual and interactive professional activities. The SaNuRN project provides a comprehensive, personalized 30-hour training package for health and paramedical students, addressing all 70 FNRDH competencies. The program is enhanced using AI and NLP to create virtual patients and professionals for digital healthcare simulation. SaNuRN teaching materials are open-access. The project collaborates with academic institutions worldwide to develop educational material in digital health in English and multilingual formats. SaNuRN offers a practical and persuasive training approach to meet the current digital health education requirements.

Associations between knowledge of health issues and health care satisfaction and propensity to complain: a cross-sectional survey of adult men in Denmark.

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to investigate associations between knowledge of health issues and healthcare satisfaction and propensity to complain including the association between knowledge and greater patient involvement. DESIGN: The present study is a secondary analysis of a larger cross-sectional case vignette survey. SETTING: Survey conducted in adult Danish men. PARTICIPANTS: Participants included 6755 men aged 45-70 years. INTERVENTIONS: Participants responded to a survey with scenarios illustrating prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing and different information provision. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: Using Likert scales (scored 1-5), participants rated their satisfaction with the care described and their inclination to complain and responded to a short quiz (scored 0-3) assessing their knowledge about the PSA test. RESULTS: Satisfaction with healthcare increased with better quiz performance (Likert difference 0.13 (95% CI .07 to 0.20), p <0.001, totally correct vs totally incorrect responders) and correspondingly, the desire to complain significantly decreased (Likert difference -0.34 (95% CI 0.40 to -0.27), p <0.001). Respondents with higher education performed better (mean quiz score difference 0.59 (95% CI 0.50 to 0.67), p <0.001, most educated vs least educated). Responders who received information about the PSA test generally performed better (quiz score difference 0.41 (95% CI 0.35 to 0.47), p<0.001, neutral vs no information). Overestimation of PSA merits was more common than underestimation (7.9% vs 3.8%). CONCLUSIONS: Mens' knowledge of the benefits of screening varies with education, predicts satisfaction with care and the desire to complain, and may be improved through greater involvement in decision-making.

Quality and Readability Assessment of Web-based Arabic Health Information on Early Childhood Caries.

Background: Patients are increasingly using the internet for searching health-related information. However, the quality and readability of the information available on the internet need to be assessed. To date, no study has assessed the quality and readability of web-based Arabic health information on early childhood caries. Objectives: To evaluate the quality and readability of patient-oriented online Arabic health information regarding early childhood caries. Materials and Methods: For this infodemiological study, the Google and Yahoo search engines were searched using specific Arabic terms for early childhood caries, and the top 100 searches from both search engines were considered. Eligible websites were categorized in terms of affiliation as commercial, health portal, dental practice, professional, and journalism. The quality of the websites was assessed using the QUality Evaluation Scoring Tool (QUEST), and readability using the Gunning Fog index (GFI). Results: A total of 140 websites were included after applying the exclusion criteria, of which 50.7% websites were of journalism. The majority of the websites (70%) had an overall low-quality level, with a QUEST score <10. The quality of websites retrieved from Google searches was of significantly higher quality than those from Yahoo (P < 0.0001). More than half (51.4%) of the websites had good readability, with a GFI score ≤8. Journalism websites had a significantly higher proportion of websites with poor readability level (62%) compared with other affiliations (P = 0.0072). Conclusion: The web-based Arabic information regarding early childhood caries is currently of low quality and moderate readability level, thereby indicating a need for improving such patient-facing content.

Provision of sexual health education in secondary schools: A multidisciplinary lens of stakeholders in southern highlands, Tanzania.

Introduction: School-based sexual health education reduces risky sexual outcomes for in-school adolescents such as unintended premarital pregnancies, unsafe abortions, increased risk of contracting sexually transmitted infections (STIs) including HIV and AIDS, early parenthood, a massive dropout from schools and untimely deaths. Despite the teaching of sexual health education in secondary schools, adolescents in Iringa Region are being exposed to increasing risks of sexual behaviours such as premarital sex, multiple sexual partners, and unprotected sex. This study examines stakeholders' attitudes and beliefs toward providing sexual health education in secondary schools in Iringa Region, Tanzania. Methods: A qualitative approach under cross-sectional design was used. A purposive sampling technique was applied in selecting the Districts and participants for the study while simple random was used in the selection of schools. The participants were purposively selected depending on their position and knowledge of the subject matter. This study had 50 participants in total, 36 of them were teachers (6 from each school) who participated in focus group discussions (FGDs). After that, in-depth interviews with 14 participants were also conducted including 6 headmasters/mistresses, 6 healthcare professionals and 2 District secondary education officers. All FGDs and in-depth interviews used standardized questions to elicit information. The collected data were audio-recorded through tape recorders, transcribed, and translated into English. An initial coding matrix was developed and refined throughout the coding process. Transcripts were coded and analyzed using the content analysis approach. Results: Findings from this study revealed all stakeholders having positive attitudes toward the provision of sexual health education in secondary schools. Results also revealed participants in favour of adolescents being taught several topics except for homosexuality. Findings on the appropriate age to start learning sexual health education revealed participants having trouble in fixing the right age, however, they said, at least 5 through 10 years before a child initiates sexual activity. Conclusion: The study concludes that stakeholders in the study areas have a positive attitude towards the provision of sexual health education in secondary schools and want students to be taught a wide range of topics before they initiate sexual activity. It is recommended that age-appropriate comprehensive sexuality education be given to teenagers to provide them with the knowledge they need to make informed decisions about their sexuality. This requires concerted efforts from the school, government and community involvement in the provision of sexual health education to in-school adolescents.

Comparing Mobile-Based to Group-Based Education for Weight Reduction in a Developing Country: A Randomized Study.

Background: This study compared the impact of Short Message Service (SMS)-based education with traditional group-based education and the control group on body mass index, weight, and lifestyle in obese and overweight patients in a limited-resource country. It also compared the direct financial costs between the two intervention groups. Methods: In this controlled randomized educational study, 90 overweight or obese adults from four family physician clinics in Shiraz, Iran were randomly allocated to three training groups: SMS-based education, group-based education, and a control group. The participants' weight, body mass index (BMI), and waist circumference were measured at baseline, and the Physical Activity Scale questionnaire was completed. Group-based training was conducted in 1-hour weekly sessions. The SMS group received a text message each morning. The control group received routine care from a family physician. The intervention lasted 12 weeks. All participants were re-examined for the studied variables. Additionally, the direct costs were estimated, calculated, and compared. Results: The mean weight, BMI, and waist circumference changed significantly after 3 months compared to baseline in each group. The mean weight change differed significantly among the three groups (P-value=0.04), and the mean BMI changes were near significant (P-value=0.06). A post hoc comparison of changes in weight and BMI showed a significant difference between the control and SMS groups. SMS education incurred much lower costs for patients and healthcare services than group-based education. Conclusion: The study showed that SMS is an effective and cost-saving educational method for weight loss compared to group-based education, especially in developing countries.