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Oct 2016 DOI 10.14302/issn.2474-7785.jarh-16-1128
M. J. Pollux PetraCorresponding author
School of Psychology, University of Lincoln
A popular scale for assessing knowledge about Alzheimer’s disease is the Alzheimer’s Disease Knowledge Scale (ADKS). The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of adding ‘don’t know’ to the original ‘true’ or ‘false’ response option. It was assumed that this modification would provide insight into the reasons underlying incorrect responses and could distinguish between misconceptions and knowledge gaps. To investigate this, carers (care home carers and informal carers) and members of the general population were recruited. The results showed that percentage correct responses was lower than previously reported, suggesting potential inflation of knowledge by guesses without the ‘don’t know’ option. Moreover, care-home workers were more likely to select the incorrect response than ‘don’t know’ compared to informal carers for several items related to the earlier stages of AD, suggesting a higher level of misconceptions around this topic and highlighting potential training needs for care home carers.
Nov 2019 DOI 10.14302/issn.2379-7835.ijn-19-3083
Ververs MijaCorresponding author
Senior Nutritionist/Health Scientist, Emergency Response and Recovery Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Background In November 2014, the World health Organization (WHO), in collaboration with United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), and the World Food Programme, produced interim guidelines (iGL) on providing nutritional support to patients in Ebola treatment units (ETUs). They have been translated into French and issued by the Ministry of Health, UNICEF and WHO in adapted versions to be used in the current outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). This paper evaluates the use and usefulness of the 2014 iGL in the West Africa and current DRC Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreaks and identifies experiences and lessons learned from practitioners on the operational aspects of nutritional care and support in ETUs. Methods Key-informants (n=26), from 12 organizations (Non-Governmental Organizations, United Nations, Red Cross Red Crescent Movement) were interviewed who were actively engaged in the nutritional and/or clinical care of EVD patients. Results There was a consensus among key-informants that the 2014 iGL initially served a guiding purpose. However, the vast amount of learning from the 2014-2016 and current EVD outbreaks indicates that the interim guidelines need to be revised. Practitioners struggled to find operational solutions for nutritional care, and the challenges were plentiful, especially regarding 1) the different perceptions of the importance of nutritional care among ETU staff; 2) the difficulties around food preparation and distribution for EVD patients; 3) how to take into account the patients’ dietary preferences; 4) the nutritional care needed in relation to specific EVD symptoms; 5) who assumed roles in nutritional care in ETUs; 6) if and how feeding support was organized; 7) whether malnutrition needed to be addressed and how; and 8) whether the intake of specific nutrients could contribute to improved treatment outcomes. Information from the key-informants interviews resulted in numerous lessons learned and recommendations for nutritional support during current and future outbreaks. Conclusions This investigation underscored the importance of documenting experiences of practitioners on nutritional care in emerging infectious diseases for which limited scientific evidence exists and for which interim guidelines are produced to fill in knowledge gaps. It also emphasized the importance of nutritional care in ETUs during treatment.
Dec 2018 DOI 10.14302/issn.2641-4538.jphi-18-2464
Källestal CarinaCorresponding author
International Maternal and Child Health, Department of Women's and Children's Health, Uppsala University, Uppsala University Hospital, SE 75185, Sweden.
Background Nicaragua has the highest prevalence of teenage pregnancies in Latin America. Knowledge regarding sexual and reproductive health plays an integral part in sexual behavior. The objective was to assess school going adolescents' knowledge about sexual and reproductive health and possible factors affecting it in the semi-rural community of Tololar, Nicaragua. Methods A cross-sectional study with a self-administered questionnaire on tablets was used for data collection. All 253 registered students at the school present at the time of fieldwork who gave written informed consent were deemed eligible for the study. A total of 225 participants in the ages of 11-19 years were included. Simple linear regression and multiple linear regression were performed analyzing the outcome knowledge. A p-value <0.05 was considered significant. Results The general knowledge about sexual and reproductive health was moderate; however, knowledge gaps were found such as prevailing myths and poor knowledge regarding human immunodeficiency virus (hiv) transmission and contraceptive methods. Being female and single were significant negative determinants of knowledge (p-value < 0.01) and knowledge increased significantly with age (p-value < 0.05). School teachers, websites, social networks, and TV were the most frequently chosen sources of information on the topic. Conclusions Increased education on sexual and reproductive health with new interventions particularly for young females is recommended. Using IT-based materials as a complement may be an effective way to reach out to adolescents.