METHODS: A cluster-randomized controlled trial was conducted with 180 participants from 12 schools, randomly assigned to intervention or control groups. The intervention group participated in a 90-minute educational session, with follow-up assessments at baseline, and at 1, 3, and 6 months' post-intervention, using validated Arabic questionnaires. Data analysis was performed using SPSS version 22.0, with Generalized Estimating Equations (GEE) applied to assess differences within and between groups over time. Statistical significance was set at P
DESIGN: A systematic review was conducted that adhered to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses.
DATA SOURCES: MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, Web of Science, PsycINFO and Google Scholar were searched up to 23 February 2024.
STUDY ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA AND SETTING: Qualitative, quantitative and mixed-method primary research studies. There was no limitation on the publication date, geographical locations or the study settings.
PARTICIPANTS: Pharmacists, doctors, nurses and students from these respective professional groups in any country.
PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURES: The levels of healthcare staff and students' KAPs about disposal of unwanted medications.
DATE EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS: Data extraction was conducted by four of the researchers independently. The study details were categorised into three main domains, that is, KAP using the KAP model. Other relevant information was also extracted, and synthesised in overall themes, such as challenges and recommendations.
RESULTS: Thirty-seven studies from 18 countries (Asia n=21, the USA n=7, Africa n=5, EU n=2, South America n=2) were included. 86.5% (n=32) investigated participants' knowledge of medication disposal. Although there was a good level of awareness about the environmental impacts, there were significant gaps in knowledge regarding correct disposal methods, available services, guidelines and training. Thirty studies explored participants' attitudes towards medication disposal. There was a generally positive attitude towards the need for environmentally safe disposal practices. Thirty-five studies evaluated participants' practices in relation to medication disposal. Although there was generally a positive attitude and some understanding of appropriate disposal methods, the majority of the participants did not follow the practice guidelines, especially outside healthcare settings.
DISCUSSIONS AND CONCLUSIONS: Although healthcare staff and students have fair knowledge and positive attitudes towards medicine disposal, their actual practices are lacking. One significant challenge identified is the limited awareness about proper disposal methods coupled with a lack of established services or guidelines. Even in cases where take-back programmes are available, they often face issues with accessibility. To tackle these challenges, it is suggested that governmental bodies should establish and enforce clear policies on medication disposal while also expanding educational initiatives to increase understanding among professionals and students. Furthermore, improving access to take-back programmes is crucial for ensuring safe medication disposal and minimising potential environmental and health hazards.
PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42024503162.
METHODS: An online cross-sectional study was conducted among undergraduate students at public universities in Malaysia. KAP towards COVID-19 were measured using a structured Malay and English version questionnaire consisting of (i) sociodemographic characteristics, (ii) knowledge of COVID-19 (10 items), attitudes associated with COVID-19 (five items) and practice on COVID-19 preventive measures (six items). Validity and reliability tests were conducted to assess the level of consistency of KAP content with Cronbach alpha values of 0.617, 0.616 and 0.722 for each section, respectively. Descriptive statistics, independent t-tests, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), Mann-Whitney test, Kruskal Wallis test and Pearson correlation were conducted.
RESULTS: Around 73% of the respondents had good knowledge of COVID-19, 58.6% possessed positive attitudes, and 54.6% were classified as having good practices in COVID-19 prevention. There was no significant difference in knowledge scores among sociodemographic data. A significant difference in attitude scores was observed among race, zones of the public university and household incomes. Besides that, a significant difference in practice scores was also observed among gender, race and student accommodation. A weak positive and significant correlation existed between knowledge and practices (r = 0.220 and p = 0.001). Meanwhile, there was no correlation between knowledge and attitude (r = 0.039 and p = 0.517).
CONCLUSION: Undergraduate students from Malaysian public universities had good KAP associated with COVID-19. Still, appropriate health promotion activities are needed to provide the students with adequate knowledge, positive attitudes and good practice of COVID-19 prevention measures in the future.
METHODS: A cross-sectional multi-center study was conducted through face-to-face interviews using a validated structured questionnaire. The study was conducted on pregnant women receiving antenatal care at tertiary care hospitals in four governorates in Yemen. Univariable and multivariate logistic regressions were employed to examine the relationship between participant variables and their knowledge. A P-value of less than .05 was considered statistically significant.
RESULTS: Out of the 1003 pregnant women, 35.4% (n = 355) were aged 21-25 years, 33.9% (n = 340) had primary education, 73.6% (n = 738) lived in urban areas, 12.2% (n = 122) were smokers, 38.3% (n = 384) reported chewing khat, and the majority (90.2%, n = 905) were unemployed. Also, 65.5% (n = 657) of the participants reported taking folic acid in their current pregnancy. A total of 2,623 medications were utilized during pregnancy, with 17.8% during the first trimester (n = 468). Around 39.3% (n = 1,037) of medications used fell under the blood and blood-forming organs category. Education level (AOR: 4.00, P < .001), insurance status (AOR: 1.71, P = .026), information about medication risks to the fetus (AOR: 1.96, P = .023), the use of folic acid either in a previous pregnancy (AOR: 1.65, P < .008) or in the current pregnancy (AOR: 4.26, P < .001), and checking the medication leaflet (AOR: 5.67, P < .001) were predictors of higher knowledge.
CONCLUSION: The findings underscore the pressing need for educational interventions aimed at pregnant women. By bridging knowledge gaps and promoting informed decision-making, such initiatives can contribute to a safer and healthier pregnancy journey, reducing the inclination towards self-medication.
METHODS: This is a cluster randomized controlled trial which involved schoolchildren aged 13, 14 and 16 years old from 15 out of 415 government secondary schools in central Peninsular Malaysia which were randomly assigned into six intervention (N = 579 schoolchildren) and nine control (N = 462 schoolchildren). The intervention group was given NEI consisting of a nutrition education module carried out by trained personnel for 24 weeks on top of the existing curriculum while the control group only followed the existing school curriculum by the Ministry of Education. The primary outcomes were the nutrition knowledge and attitude score. The mixed effect model taking into consideration the cluster effect was used to assess the changes of nutrition knowledge and attitude scores from baseline until 6 months.
RESULTS: Overall, there was no significant increase in the adjusted mean difference (AMD) of nutrition knowledge score (AMD = 0.33%, Confident Interval (95 CI): -4.35% to 5.01) between the intervention and control group after 6 months of intervention after controlling for nutrition knowledge score at baseline, gender, location and ethnicity. Similarly, after controlling for the nutrition attitude score at baseline, ethnicity, location and gender as well as taking into account the cluster effects, there was no significant increase on the AMD of nutrition attitude score in the overall (AMD = 0.194, (95 CI): -1.17 to 1.56) and also among girls, location (urban vs rural) and Malays. There was also no significant reduction of AMD in the nutrition attitude score among boys and non-Malays.
CONCLUSION: MyBFF@school with NEI resulted with no significant improvement for nutrition knowledge and attitude among older schoolchildren. Therefore, to effectively impart the nutrition knowledge and change their nutrition attitude requires an in-depth study and multi-pronged and customized approach.
TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinical trial number: NCT04155255, November 7, 2019 (Retrospective registered). National Medical Research Register: NMRR-13-439-16563. Registered July 23, 2013. The intervention program was approved by the Medical Research and Ethics Committee (MREC), Ministry of Health Malaysia and Educational Planning and Research Division (EPRD), Ministry of Education Malaysia. It was funded by the Ministry of Health Malaysia.
METHODS: All Year 1 to Year 5 dental students (n = 413; response rate = 72.9%) were invited to participate in an online, self-administered survey, which was based on a validated questionnaire. Quantitative data were analysed via chi-squared test (p
METHODS: This cross-sectional online questionnaire study was conducted nationwide among 627 HCPs in Malaysia using the Acute Stroke Management Questionnaire (ASMaQ). Multiple logistic regression was used to predict the relationship between the independent variables (age, gender, years of service, profession, work setting, work sector, seeing stroke patients in daily practice, and working with specialists) and the outcome variable (good vs poor knowledge).
RESULTS: Approximately 76% (95% CI [73-79%]) of HCPs had good overall knowledge of stroke. The highest proportion of HCPs with good knowledge was noted for General Stroke Knowledge (GSK) [88.5% (95% CI [86-91%])], followed by Advanced Stroke Management (ASM) [61.2% (95% CI [57-65%])] and Hyperacute Stroke Management (HSM) [58.1% (95% CI [54-62%])]. The odds of having poor knowledge of stroke were significantly higher among non-doctor HCPs [adjusted OR = 3.46 (95% CI [1.49-8.03]), P = 0.004]; among those not seeing stroke patients in daily practice [adjusted OR = 2.67 (95% CI [1.73-4.10]), P < 0.001]; and among those working without specialists [adjusted OR = 2.41 (95% CI [1.38-4.18]), P = 0.002].
CONCLUSIONS: Stroke education should be prioritised for HCPs with limited experience and guidance. All HCPs need to be up-to-date on the latest AIS management and be able to make a prompt referral to an appropriate facility. Therefore, more stroke patients will benefit from advanced stroke care.
METHODS: Computer-assisted telephone interviews (CATI) were conducted between June 2019 and February 2020.
RESULTS: There are gaps in knowledge about the symptoms, mode of transmission, and risk of microcephaly. The mean for the Zika-related knowledge score was 5.9 (SD ± 4.4) out of a possible score of 14. The majority perceived little or no risk of getting ZVD (75.0%) and 75.5% were a little or not at all worried about ZVD. A high proportion reported the use of insect sprays or mosquito coils to prevent mosquito bites; however, a relatively lower proportion of people reported fixing mosquito netting on doors and windows, and using mosquito bed nets. The mean for the mosquito prevention practices score was 11.9 (SD ± 4.7) out of a possible score of 27. Important factors influencing mosquito prevention practices include household income, environment factors, risk perception, and Zika-related knowledge.
CONCLUSION: Zika prevention measures should be targeted in priority toward residents in lower socioeconomic neighborhoods. Campaigns should focus on messages highlighting the high risk of getting dengue.