Displaying publications 21 - 40 of 1369 in total

Abstract:
Sort:
  1. Fulltext Leptospirosis and its prevention: knowledge, attitude and practice of urban community in Selangor, Malaysia
    Abdullah NM, Mohammad WMZW, Shafei MN, Sukeri S, Idris Z, Arifin WN, et al.
    BMC Public Health, 2019 May 22;19(1):628.
    PMID: 31117995 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-019-6981-0
    BACKGROUND: Leptospirosis is still endemic in Malaysia and has been prevalent in Selangor where cases have been underreported. Primarily, this was due to lack of awareness in the urban community in this region. This study determined the knowledge, attitude and preventive practice (KAP) of leptospirosis, and identified the significant predictors influencing KAP among urban community in Hulu Langat, Selangor.

    METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted from 2015 to 2017 using validated questionnaire. Sampling methods included multistage cluster sampling, followed by simple random sampling to obtain 315 respondents. Descriptive analysis was performed to determine the KAP while χ2 and the subsequent logistic regression analysis were carried out to identify associations and predictors between variables.

    RESULTS: Respondents were mainly Malaysian Bumiputra with a mean (Standard Deviation (SD)) age of 32.5 (13.0) years. Of 315 respondents, 80.3% (n = 253) had poor knowledge, 87.0% (n = 274) had good attitude, and 81.3% (n = 256) showed unacceptable practice towards leptospirosis and its prevention. Regression analysis identified age as the sole predictor influencing good knowledge (AOR 2.388; 95% CI = 1.298, 4.396; p = 0.005). Education level (AOR 2.197; 95% CI = 1.109, 4.352; p = 0.024) was also noted as the significant predictor influencing the overall practice.

    CONCLUSIONS: The urban community in Selangor showed a positive attitude in waste management despite having little knowledge regarding the disease itself. The study also discovered inadequacy in preventive practice, hence marking the importance of the proper integration of knowledge and attitude into forming an acceptable practice to reduce transmission of Leptospira among urban population in Malaysia.

    Matched MeSH terms: Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice*
  2. Cervical cancer screening after 50: near extinction?
    Abdullah NN, Daud S, Al-Kubaisy W, Saari IS, Saad SR
    Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol, 2016 Nov;206:136-140.
    PMID: 27693934 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejogrb.2016.09.011
    OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study were to determine the prevalence and predictors of Pap smear screening among women aged 50 years and older.
    STUDY DESIGN: This cross-sectional study was conducted at two large urban health centres in Selangor. A total of 515 women aged 50 and older were recruited.
    RESULTS: The mean age of the respondents was 58.83±7.05, with a range of 50- 83 years. The prevalence of Pap smear screening was 39.22% (n=202). From the multivariate analysis, Pap smear screening was significantly associated with health care provider advice (adjusted odds ratio (AOR)=18.75; 95% CI=8.30, 42.37); tertiary (AOR=11.26; 95% CI=1.50, 84.68) and secondary education level (AOR=9.47; 95% CI=1.43, 62.84); use of contraception (AOR=2.90; 95% CI=1.48, 5.69); heart disease (AOR=0.22; 95% CI=0.05, 0.97); and worry about Pap smear results (AOR=0.20; 95% CI=0.09, 0.42).
    CONCLUSION: The prevalence of Pap smear screening in the older women is unsatisfactory. Health care provider advice, education level, use of contraception, heart disease and worry about Pap smear results were predictors of undergoing Pap smear screening in this study population.
    Study site: Two Klinik Kesihatan in Gombak, Selangor, Malaysia
    Matched MeSH terms: Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
  3. Knowledge management in healthcare: towards 'knowledge-driven' decision-support services
    Abidi SS
    Int J Med Inform, 2001 Sep;63(1-2):5-18.
    PMID: 11518661
    In this paper, we highlight the involvement of Knowledge Management in a healthcare enterprise. We argue that the 'knowledge quotient' of a healthcare enterprise can be enhanced by procuring diverse facets of knowledge from the seemingly placid healthcare data repositories, and subsequently operationalising the procured knowledge to derive a suite of Strategic Healthcare Decision-Support Services that can impact strategic decision-making, planning and management of the healthcare enterprise. In this paper, we firstly present a reference Knowledge Management environment-a Healthcare Enterprise Memory-with the functionality to acquire, share and operationalise the various modalities of healthcare knowledge. Next, we present the functional and architectural specification of a Strategic Healthcare Decision-Support Services Info-structure, which effectuates a synergy between knowledge procurement (vis-à-vis Data Mining) and knowledge operationalisation (vis-à-vis Knowledge Management) techniques to generate a suite of strategic knowledge-driven decision-support services. In conclusion, we argue that the proposed Healthcare Enterprise Memory is an attempt to rethink the possible sources of leverage to improve healthcare delivery, hereby providing a valuable strategic planning and management resource to healthcare policy makers.
    Matched MeSH terms: Knowledge
  4. Fulltext Knowledge, attitude and perception of second-hand smoke and factors promoting smoking in Malaysian adolescents
    Abidin NZ, Zulkifli A, Abidin EZ, Rasdi I, Ismail SN, Rahman AA, et al.
    Int J Tuberc Lung Dis, 2014 Jul;18(7):856-61.
    PMID: 24902566 DOI: 10.5588/ijtld.13.0906
    OBJECTIVE: To identify the relationship between knowledge, attitude and perception regarding environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) and smoking among Malaysian adolescents living in states with complete or partial smoke-free legislation (SFL).
    METHODS: A total of 898 respondents aged 13-14 years were randomly selected from 21 secondary schools. The Malay version of the modified Global Youth Tobacco Survey questionnaire was used. Hierarchical logistic regression was performed in examining predictors of smoking attempt among adolescents.
    RESULTS: Participants exposed to ETS >5 h/day were more likely to have smoked compared to those exposed to ETS <1 h/day (OR 4.1, 95%CI 1.03-16.0). Living in a state with partial SFL was associated with a two-fold increase in self-reported smoking attempts (OR 1.95, 95%CI 1.10-3.43) compared to living in a state with complete SFL. Negative attitudes and perceptions towards smoking and ETS exposure were linked to lower smoking attempts in states with complete SFL.
    CONCLUSIONS: Adolescents with limited ETS exposure who lived in a state with complete SFL were less likely to attempt smoking compared to those exposed more regularly to ETS and living in a state with partial SFL. Preventing adolescents from becoming smokers is the key to reducing national prevalence rates in smoking. There is a need to implement comprehensive smoke-free legislation nationally across Malaysia.
    Matched MeSH terms: Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice*
  5. Fulltext Are health professionals responsible for the shortage of organs from deceased donors in Malaysia?
    Abidin ZL, Ming WT, Loch A, Hilmi I, Hautmann O
    Transpl Int, 2013 Feb;26(2):187-94.
    PMID: 23199156 DOI: 10.1111/tri.12019
    The rate of organ donations from deceased donors in Malaysia is among the lowest in the world. This may be because of the passivity among health professionals in approaching families of potential donors. A questionnaire-based study was conducted amongst health professionals in two tertiary hospitals in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Four hundred and sixty-two questionnaires were completed. 93.3% of health professionals acknowledged a need for organ transplantation in Malaysia. 47.8% were willing to donate their organs (with ethnic and religious differences). Factors which may be influencing the shortage of organs from deceased donors include: nonrecognition of brainstem death (38.5%), no knowledge on how to contact the Organ Transplant Coordinator (82.3%), and never approaching families of a potential donor (63.9%). There was a general attitude of passivity in approaching families of potential donors and activating transplant teams among many of the health professionals. A misunderstanding of brainstem death and its definition hinder identification of a potential donor. Continuing medical education and highlighting the role of the Organ Transplant Coordinator, as well as increasing awareness of the public through religion and the media were identified as essential in improving the rate of organ donations from deceased donors in Malaysia.
    Matched MeSH terms: Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
  6. Fulltext Dengue in Dhaka, Bangladesh: Hospital-based cross-sectional KAP assessment at Dhaka North and Dhaka South City Corporation area
    Abir T, Ekwudu O, Kalimullah NA, Nur-A Yazdani DM, Al Mamun A, Basak P, et al.
    PLoS One, 2021;16(3):e0249135.
    PMID: 33784366 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0249135
    Dengue, the most important mosquito-borne viral disease of humans is a recurring global health problem. In Bangladesh, dengue outbreaks are on the increase despite the efforts of government and it is not clear what the understanding of the general Dhaka population towards dengue fever is. Knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) studies are essential guides in public health interventions. Hence, using KAP, this study aims to assess patient-perspectives with regards to factors associated with dengue, as well as investigate the associated factors between the two corporations in Dhaka. A Hospital-based cross-sectional study of 242 fever patients from two city-corporations in Dhaka (Dhaka North City Corporations, DNCC (n = 91, 37.6%) and Dhaka South City Corporation, DSCC (n = 151, 62.4%) was conducted using pre-tested KAP items. Wilcoxon's Rank Sum was used to determine the KAP by DNCC, DSCC and both corporations and multivariate Poisson regression analyses. The two corporations were analysed separately due to the differences in income distribution, concentration of slums, hospitals and clinics. The study found that more than half of the study population were knowledgeable about dengue (mean percentage scores was 52%), possess an appropriate and acceptable attitude towards the disease (69.2%), and about two thirds of the respondents (71.4%) engaged in practices towards its prevention. After adjusting for the potential cofounders, the factors associated with KAP about dengue fever varied between DNCC and DSCC; with duration of residency and use of mosquito nets were associated with knowledge in the north while income class and age were associated with knowledge and attitude in the south. In the pooled analysis (combining both corporations), knowledge of dengue was associated with good practice towards dengue fever among the respondents. The duration of residence in Dhaka (10+ years), not using mosquito nets and length of time spent in the hospital (7+ days) due to dengue, and decreased knowledge (Adjusted coefficient (β) = -0.01, 95%CI: -0.02, -0.01) were associated with attitude towards dengue in DNCC. On the other hand, middle-high income class, age (40+ years) and increased knowledge were associated with practice towards dengue in DSCC (β = 0.02, 95%CI: 0.01, 0.03). Efforts to increase knowledge about dengue fever through education by the administrations of both corporations would benefit from targeting these high-risk groups for a more sustainable outcome.
    Matched MeSH terms: Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice*
  7. Fulltext Male involvement in maternal health: perspectives of opinion leaders
    Aborigo RA, Reidpath DD, Oduro AR, Allotey P
    BMC Pregnancy Childbirth, 2018 01 02;18(1):3.
    PMID: 29291711 DOI: 10.1186/s12884-017-1641-9
    BACKGROUND: Twenty years after acknowledging the importance of joint responsibilities and male participation in maternal health programs, most health care systems in low income countries continue to face challenges in involving men. We explored the reasons for men's resistance to the adoption of a more proactive role in pregnancy care and their enduring influence in the decision making process during emergencies.

    METHODS: Ten focus group discussions were held with opinion leaders (chiefs, elders, assemblymen, leaders of women groups) and 16 in-depth interviews were conducted with healthcare workers (District Directors of Health, Medical Assistants in-charge of health centres, and district Public Health Nurses and Midwives). The interviews and discussions were audio recorded, transcribed into English and imported into NVivo 10 for content analysis.

    RESULTS: As heads of the family, men control resources, consult soothsayers to determine the health seeking or treatment for pregnant women, and serve as the final authority on where and when pregnant women should seek medical care. Beyond that, they have no expectation of any further role during antenatal care and therefore find it unnecessary to attend clinics with their partners. There were conflicting views about whether men needed to provide any extra support to their pregnant partners within the home. Health workers generally agreed that men provided little or no support to their partners. Although health workers had facilitated the formation of father support groups, there was little evidence of any impact on antenatal support.

    CONCLUSIONS: In patriarchal settings, the role of men can be complex and social and cultural traditions may conflict with public health recommendations. Initiatives to promote male involvement should focus on young men and use chiefs and opinion leaders as advocates to re-orient men towards more proactive involvement in ensuring the health of their partners.

    Matched MeSH terms: Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice*
  8. Fulltext Semantic representation of monogenean haptoral Bar image annotation
    Abu A, Susan LL, Sidhu AS, Dhillon SK
    BMC Bioinformatics, 2013;14:48.
    PMID: 23398696 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2105-14-48
    Digitised monogenean images are usually stored in file system directories in an unstructured manner. In this paper we propose a semantic representation of these images in the form of a Monogenean Haptoral Bar Image (MHBI) ontology, which are annotated with taxonomic classification, diagnostic hard part and image properties. The data we used are basically of the monogenean species found in fish, thus we built a simple Fish ontology to demonstrate how the host (fish) ontology can be linked to the MHBI ontology. This will enable linking of information from the monogenean ontology to the host species found in the fish ontology without changing the underlying schema for either of the ontologies.
    Matched MeSH terms: Knowledge Bases
  9. Fulltext Insufficient Knowledge of Breast Cancer Risk Factors Among Malaysian Female University Students
    Abu Samah A, Ahmadian M, Latiff LA
    Glob J Health Sci, 2016;8(1):277-85.
    PMID: 26234996 DOI: 10.5539/gjhs.v8n1p277
    Despite continuous argument about the efficacy of breast self-examination; it still could be a life-saving technique through inspiring and empowering women to take better control over their body/breast and health. This study investigated Malaysian female university students' knowledge about breast cancer risk factors, signs, and symptoms and assessed breast self-examination frequency among students.
    Matched MeSH terms: Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice*
  10. Public Knowledge and Attitudes Regarding the Use of Antibiotics and Resistance: Findings from a Cross-Sectional Study Among Palestinian Adults
    Abu Taha A, Abu-Zaydeh AH, Ardah RA, Al-Jabi SW, Sweileh WM, Awang R, et al.
    Zoonoses Public Health, 2016 09;63(6):449-57.
    PMID: 26752329 DOI: 10.1111/zph.12249
    Antibiotics are considered to be among the most commonly sold drug classes in Palestine. Resistance to antibiotics has increased for reasons relating to the use and misuse of antibiotics. The aim of this study was to evaluate the knowledge, and attitudes regarding antibiotic use and awareness about resistance among adults visiting the emergency departments at hospitals in North Palestine. A self-administered cross-sectional questionnaire survey involving participants aged 18 or over was conducted from June 2012 to February 2013. Adults who visited the emergency departments at hospitals in North Palestine were included. Demographic characteristics, knowledge and attitudes towards antibiotic use were included in the questionnaire. Poor and good knowledge were defined as a total knowledge score of 0-7 and 8-15 of 15 questions, respectively. Attitude scores of 0-3 and 4-7 of 7 questions were considered poor and good, respectively. A total of 375 questionnaires were included in the study. A response rate of 83.3% was attained. About 55.0% of the participants had a good knowledge and 56.5% had a good attitude towards rational antibiotic use. A significant positive correlation was shown between participants' knowledge scores and participants' attitude scores towards antibiotic use (R = 0.344, P = 0.001. Participants with a high family income were more likely to be aware of appropriate antibiotic use than participants with a low family income (P-value <0.001). Participants with a higher educational level (university) had a good attitude towards rational antibiotic use than those with a lower education level (P-value <0.001). This study has documented important knowledge and attitude gaps in antibiotic use. These findings will help health policymakers in Palestine to implement intervention programmes to rationalize antibiotic use. Continuing medical education, professional development and training workshops for healthcare professionals regarding rational use of antibiotics and health risks associated with the spread of antibiotic resistance are needed. In addition, minimizing non-prescription use of antibiotics and increasing the public awareness about the health and economic hazards of antibiotic resistance are also required.
    Matched MeSH terms: Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice*
  11. Fulltext Comparative study on drug safety surveillance between medical students of Malaysia and Nigeria
    Abubakar AR, Ismail S, Rahman NI, Haque M
    Ther Clin Risk Manag, 2015;11:1015-25.
    PMID: 26170680 DOI: 10.2147/TCRM.S85019
    BACKGROUND: Internationally, there is a remarkable achievement in the areas of drug discovery, drug design, and clinical trials. New and efficient drug formulation techniques are widely available which have led to success in treatment of several diseases. Despite these achievements, large number of patients continue to experience adverse drug reactions (ADRs), and majority of them are yet to be on record.
    OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this survey is to compare knowledge, attitude, and practice with respect to ADRs and pharmacovigilance (PV) between medical students of Malaysia and Nigeria and to determine if there is a relationship between their knowledge and practice.
    METHOD: A cross-sectional, questionnaire-based survey involving year IV and year V medical students of the Department of Medicine, Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin and Bayero University Kano was carried out. The questionnaire which comprised 25 questions on knowledge, attitude, and practice was adopted, modified, validated, and administered to them. The response was analyzed using SPSS version 20.
    RESULTS: The response rate from each country was 74%. There was a statistically significant difference in mean knowledge and practice score on ADRs and PV between medical students of Malaysia and Nigeria, both at P<0.000. No significance difference in attitude was observed at P=0.389. Also, a statistically significant relationship was recorded between their knowledge and practice (r=0.229, P=0.001), although the relationship was weak.
    CONCLUSION: Nigerian medical students have better knowledge and practice than those of Malaysia, although they need improvement. Imparting knowledge of ADRs and PV among medical students will upgrade their practice and enhance health care delivery services in the future.
    KEYWORDS: KAP; Malaysia; Nigeria; drug safety; medical students; underreporting
    Matched MeSH terms: Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice*
  12. Knowledge and self-confidence of antibiotic resistance, appropriate antibiotic therapy, and antibiotic stewardship among pharmacy undergraduate students in three Asian countries
    Abubakar U, Muhammad HT, Sulaiman SAS, Ramatillah DL, Amir O
    Curr Pharm Teach Learn, 2020 03;12(3):265-273.
    PMID: 32273061 DOI: 10.1016/j.cptl.2019.12.002
    BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Training pharmacy students in infectious diseases (ID) is important to enable them to participate in antibiotic stewardship programs. This study evaluated knowledge and self-confidence regarding antibiotic resistance, appropriate antibiotic therapy, and antibiotic stewardship among final year pharmacy undergraduate students.

    METHODS: A cross-sectional electronic survey was conducted at universities in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Pakistan. A 59-item survey was administered between October 2017 and December 2017.

    FINDINGS: The survey was completed by 211 students (response rate 77.8%). The mean knowledge score for antibiotic resistance, appropriate antibiotic therapy, and antibiotic stewardship was 5.6 ± 1.5, 4.7 ± 1.8 (maximum scores 10.0) and 3.1 ± 1.4 (maximum score 5.0), respectively. Significant variations were noted among the schools. There was poor awareness about the consequences of antibiotic resistance and cases with no need for an antibiotic. The knowledge of antibiotic resistance was higher among male respondents (6.1 vs. 5.4) and those who had attended antibiotic resistance (5.7 vs. 5.2) and antibiotic therapy (5.8 vs. 4.9) courses (p 

    Matched MeSH terms: Knowledge
  13. Knowledge and practices of community pharmacists towards non-prescription dispensing of antibiotics in Northern Nigeria
    Abubakar U, Tangiisuran B
    Int J Clin Pharm, 2020 Apr;42(2):756-764.
    PMID: 32270378 DOI: 10.1007/s11096-020-01019-y
    Background Non-prescription dispensing of antibiotics is common in Nigeria and this could contribute to the emergence of microbial resistance. Objectives To evaluate knowledge, perception and practices of community pharmacists towards dispensing antibiotics without prescription. Setting Community pharmacies in two cities in Northern Nigeria. Methods A prospective cross-sectional study was conducted among community pharmacists in two cities in Northern Nigeria, using a validated and pilot-tested questionnaire. The questionnaire was self-administered and data was collected between 06th April and 31st May 2019. The data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential analyses. Main outcome measure Knowledge, perception and practices towards dispensing antibiotics without prescription. Results A total of 98 out of 130 community pharmacists completed and returned the questionnaire (response rate: 75.3%). About two-third (64.3%) of the community pharmacists were aware that dispensing antibiotics without prescription is illegal. However, this malpractice was common as 39.7% of the respondents indicated that they dispensed antibiotics without prescription five times or more in a day. Antibiotics dispensed without prescription were used for the treatment of urinary tract infections (83.7%), typhoid fever (83.7%) and sexually transmitted infections (66.3%). Pharmacist's confidence in knowledge of antibiotic therapy was the most common reason for non-prescription dispensing of antibiotics. Respondents with less than 5 years of working experience (66.7%) were significantly more likely to dispense antibiotics without prescription 5 times or more in a day compared to those with more than 5 years community pharmacy experience (33.3%), P = 0.031. Conclusion Non-prescription dispensing of antibiotics was common among community pharmacists despite awareness about its prohibition and implications. The malpractice was associated with number of years of community pharmacy experience. Confidence in knowledge of antibiotic therapy was the main reason community pharmacists dispensed antibiotics without prescription. Continuous pharmacy education and training on handling of antibiotics may help to reduce inappropriate practices among community pharmacists.
    Matched MeSH terms: Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice*
  14. Truck driver fatigue risk assessment and management: a multinational survey
    Adams-Guppy J, Guppy A
    Ergonomics, 2003 Jun 20;46(8):763-79.
    PMID: 12745978 DOI: 10.1080/0014013021000056980
    As part of an organizational review of safety, interviews and questionnaire surveys were performed on over 700 commercial goods drivers and their managers within a series of related companies operating across 17 countries. The results examine the reported incidence of fatigue-related problems in drivers and their associations with near miss and accident experience as well as work and organizational factors. Experience of fatigue problems while driving was linked to time of day and rotation of shifts, though most associations were small. There were significant associations found between fatigue experiences and driver and management systems of break taking and route scheduling. The quantitative combined with qualitative information suggested that, where feasible, more flexible approaches to managing the scheduling and sequencing of deliveries assisted drivers in managing their own fatigue problems through appropriate break-taking. The results are interpreted within the overarching principles of risk assessment and risk control.
    Matched MeSH terms: Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
  15. Fulltext Knowledge, practices and attitudes towards adverse drug reaction reporting by private practitioners from klang valley in malaysia
    Agarwal R, Daher AM, Mohd Ismail N
    Malays J Med Sci, 2013 Mar;20(2):52-61.
    PMID: 23983578 MyJurnal
    The study aimed to determine current status of knowledge, practices, and attitudes towards adverse drug reaction (ADR) reporting among private practitioners in Klang region of Malaysia.
    Matched MeSH terms: Knowledge
  16. Disaster management: Emergency nursing and medical personnel's knowledge, attitude and practices of the East Coast region hospitals of Malaysia
    Ahayalimudin N, Osman NN
    Australas Emerg Nurs J, 2016 Nov;19(4):203-209.
    PMID: 27545578 DOI: 10.1016/j.aenj.2016.08.001
    BACKGROUND: Disaster management is critical, as its insight could diminish the impact of a disaster, and participation of emergency medical personnel is crucial. This study explores emergency medical personnel's knowledge, attitude and practice towards disaster management.

    METHODOLOGY: This study utilised a cross-sectional study design, and the data collected from 194 emergency nursing and medical personnel (staff nurses, doctors and assistant medical officers), using a questionnaire.

    RESULTS: Majority of the personnel had an adequate knowledge and practices, and portrayed a positive attitude towards disaster management. Amongst the sociodemographic factors studied, gender and education level were significantly associated with increased knowledge and practice scores. Working experience, involvement in disaster response and attended disaster training had a significant association with higher practice scores. None of the sociodemographic factors studied had an effect on attitude scores.

    CONCLUSION: Despite the diversity of their backgrounds, respondents exhibited their adequate knowledge and practice, and had positive attitudes towards disaster management. It is substantial for emergency nursing and medical personnel, to inhibit the severity of the impacts of the disasters. Their knowledge, attitude and practice studies could assist in the implementation of programmes relevant to disaster management to ensure their preparedness to assist the affected communities.

    Matched MeSH terms: Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice*
  17. Fulltext School-based health education for dengue control in Kelantan, Malaysia: Impact on knowledge, attitude and practice
    AhbiRami R, Zuharah WF
    PLoS Negl Trop Dis, 2020 03;14(3):e0008075.
    PMID: 32218580 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0008075
    The massive flood in Malaysia's east coast in December 2014 has placed Kelantan in a possible dengue outbreak risk. At this point, community awareness is essential in preventing disease spread. However, no data on knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) of dengue in Kelantan have existed in relevance to flood disaster, although such information is necessary for the vector control programs. The purpose of this study is to assess the KAP regarding dengue among school children from flooded and unflooded areas and to evaluate the effectiveness of the dengue health education program in improving their KAP level. A school-based pre- and post-tests design was utilized in this study whereby a booklet on dengue was distributed during the interphase of the tests. The information collected was on the socio-demographic, KAP and the source of dengue information. We statistically compared the KAP between the two study sites and the pre- and post-test scores to evaluate the health education program. A total of 203 students participated in the survey, and 51.7% of them were flood victims. When comparing the baseline KAP, the respondents from the unflooded area had higher knowledge scores compared to those from the flooded area (P<0.05), while non-significant differences were observed in the attitude and practice between the two study areas (P>0.05). The health education program significantly improved knowledge and practice in the flooded area and knowledge only in the unflooded area (P<0.05). The multinomial regression analysis suggests that age and dengue history are the primary determinants that influence the high practice level in both areas. We suggest the need to increase routine dengue health education programs to all age groups targeting both high and low dengue risk areas, and the necessity to ensure the translation of positive knowledge and attitude changes into real dengue preventive practices.
    Matched MeSH terms: Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice*
  18. Fulltext Knowledge, attitude and practice of B.Sc. Pharmacy students about antibiotics in Trinidad and Tobago
    Ahmad A, Khan MU, Patel I, Maharaj S, Pandey S, Dhingra S
    J Res Pharm Pract, 2015 Jan-Mar;4(1):37-41.
    PMID: 25710049 DOI: 10.4103/2279-042X.150057
    OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess the knowledge, attitude and practice of B.Sc. Pharmacy students about usage and resistance of antibiotics in Trinidad and Tobago.
    METHODS: This was a cross-sectional questionnaire-based study involving B.Sc. Pharmacy students. The questionnaire was divided into five components including Demographics data, knowledge about antibiotic use, attitude toward antibiotic use and resistance, self-antibiotic usage and possible causes of antibiotic resistance. Data were analyzed by employing Mann-Whitney and Chi-square tests using SPSS version 20.
    FINDINGS: The response rate was 83.07%. The results showed good knowledge of antibiotic use among students. The overall attitude of pharmacy students was poor. About 75% of participants rarely use antibiotics, whereas self-decision was the major reason of antibiotic use (40.7%) and main source of information was retail pharmacist (42.6%). Common cold and flu is a major problem for which antibiotics were mainly utilized by pharmacy students (35.2%).
    CONCLUSION: The study showed good knowledge of pharmacy students regarding antibiotic usage. However, students' attitude towards antibiotic use was poor. The study recommends future studies to be conducted with interventional design to improve knowledge and attitude of pharmacy students about antibiotic use and resistance.
    KEYWORDS: Antibiotics; Trinidad and Tobago; knowledge; pharmacy students; resistance
    Matched MeSH terms: Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
  19. Fulltext Are healthcare workers ready for Ebola? An assessment of their knowledge and attitude in a referral hospital in South India
    Ahmad A, Khan MU, Jamshed SQ, Kumar BD, Kumar GS, Reddy PG, et al.
    J Infect Dev Ctries, 2016 Aug 02;10(7):747-54.
    PMID: 27482807 DOI: 10.3855/jidc.7578
    INTRODUCTION: The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the Ebola virus disease (EVD) epidemic to be a public health emergency of international concern. Healthcare workers (HCWs) are at the highest risk of infection, as they may come into contact with patients' blood or fluids. This study was conducted to assess knowledge and attitudes of HCWs towards EVD in India.
    METHODOLOGY: A descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted in a multispecialty public sector referral hospital of Telangana, India. Knowledge and attitude of HCWs were evaluated using a pre-validated questionnaire. A sample of 278 participants was selected to participate in this study. The Chi-squared test was used to assess the relationship between attitudes and demographic characteristics. Logistic regression was used examine the association between knowledge and study variables.
    RESULTS: Of 257 participants who responded (92.4% response rate), 157 (61.1%) were females. The majority of the respondents were physicians (n = 117, 45.5%). Radio and television were the major sources of information about EVD reported by participants (89%). Overall knowledge of HCWs was poor (mean knowledge score: 6.57 ± 2.57). Knowledge of physicians and experienced workers (≥ 10 years) was significantly higher than their respective groups. The overall attitude of the participants was positive (mean attitude score: 1.62 ± 0.57). Significant positive correlations between knowledge and attitude were observed.
    CONCLUSIONS: The findings indicate that participants lack basic understanding of EVD. We recommend future studies be conducted across India to identify and subsequently bridge the knowledge gaps among HCWs.
    Matched MeSH terms: Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice*
  20. Fulltext Factors associated with knowledge, attitude and practice related to hepatitis B and C among international students of Universiti Putra Malaysia
    Ahmad A, Munn Sann L, Abdul Rahman H
    BMC Public Health, 2016 07 21;16:611.
    PMID: 27443276 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-016-3188-5
    BACKGROUND: Knowledge of hepatitis B and C has been reported to be low among respondents in different studies. We conducted a cross-sectional study among international students of Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) to ascertain their levels of knowledge, attitude and practices regarding hepatitis B and C and its associated factors.

    METHODS: Six hundred and sixty two (662) international students participated in this study. A cluster sampling method was employed and data was generated using self-administered questionnaire, which was validated and its reliability checked.

    RESULTS: Normality test was conducted followed by descriptive statistics, spearman's correlation and Chi-square tests to explore associations between variables in the study. The response rate was 71.49 %. Of these, 50.3 % of the respondents had better knowledge of hepatitis B; 52.7 % had better knowledge of hepatitis C; 54.8 % had positive attitude towards hepatitis B and C and 77.6 % had safer practices towards hepatitis B and C. Positive correlations were found between knowledge of hepatitis B and knowledge of hepatitis C; knowledge hepatitis B and attitude; knowledge hepatitis C and attitude; knowledge hepatitis B and practice; knowledge hepatitis C and practice; and attitude and practice regarding hepatitis B and C. Similarly, some socio-demographic variables and history of hepatitis were found to be associated with knowledge, attitude and practice related to hepatitis B and C.

    CONCLUSION: The levels of knowledge and attitude towards hepatitis B and C were low among respondents but majority of them exhibited safe practices. The study level, faculty, age, nationality, marital status and gender of the respondents were significantly associated with their levels of knowledge, attitude and practices towards the disease. These findings imply that there is need for hepatitis health promotion among the international students of UPM and possibly other international students across the globe. It will serve to improve their levels of knowledge, attitude and practices in short term and get them protected against the disease in the long run.

    Matched MeSH terms: Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice*
Related Terms
Filters
Contact Us

Please provide feedback to Administrator (afdal@afpm.org.my)

External Links