Promotion & education最新文献

This paper focuses on methodological innovations used in the National Health Educator Competencies Update Project (CUP) in the United States. The CUP was a six-year research study designed to delineate the role of the health educator in the USA. Individuals who self-identified as health educators were included in the study. To provide context, the background for the research is presented, followed by a brief overview of the research process. Some of the key methodological innovations discussed are: selecting a representative sample when the total population of those working as health educators was not easily identified or readily accessible; assessing response methodology preferences through pilot studies; enhancing the response rate through accurate, up-to-date mailing lists and incentives; and exploring new approaches to large-scale data analyses. Insights gained are included for other researchers who may wish to undertake similar studies or draw from the CUP dataset for secondary analyses.

This paper reviews the status of health education in urban schools in three cities in Liaoning province, China. The cities represent the upper, middle and lower levels of city economy based on the GDP per person within the province. A self-administered questionnaire was provided to 500 primary and secondary schools and 436 questionnaires (87.2%) were returned completed. The questionnaire assessed health education offerings in the schools, permitting the comparison of similarities and differences in school practices, and the identification of obstacles that prevent schools becoming health promoting. The analysis revealed that 0.7% of schools fulfilled criteria for good status of health education. The negative attitudes of school management, teachers and pupils towards health education, as well as the lack of in-service training for staff, were perceived as key obstacles to school health education. Few provincial and school-based policies mentioned pupil involvement in health policy development and only a small number of schools acknowledged the need to improve community and parental involvement. In this paper we discuss the challenges facing provincial education and health authorities, and make recommendations about how to assist Chinese schools to develop and implement high quality health education initiatives.

Although it is recognized that community health promotion succeeds or fails by level of participation, effectiveness and benefits of community programs are underestimated, because participation is seldom monitored and evaluated. In the Dutch "Healthy Lifestyle Westerpark" program in Amsterdam, participation was both the main working principle and the main goal.Between 2003 and 2006, the Municipal Health Service (MHS) carried out a qualitative study on the background of overweight in Turkish and Moroccan women aged 25 to 45 years and on possibilities for promoting health with and for the target group. The aim of the program was to increase the women's participation and to evaluate participation levels in all phases. The research aim of this paper is to contribute to the development of participatory methods.Needs assessment and intervention development phases resulted in implementation of aerobic lessons and nutrition interventions. In the evaluation phase, participation levels were measured using Pretty's typology in focus groups.Results show that women appreciate participating in the program. Increase in physical activity was not measured. Women's knowledge about healthy food increased, women changed behavior by buying healthier food ingredients and women continued to participate.Participatory approaches facilitate participation at the desired level in the different phases of the program. Participatory approaches are time-consuming but worthwhile. Pretty's typology is useful to measure degree of participation, although methods can be improved and the meaning of participation should be reconsidered.The added value of this article is twofold: 1. it demonstrates that participatory methods and tools both facilitate and evaluate participation, and 2. it shows how to evaluate the degree of participation.

The position of Vice President for Strategy and Governance was created at the first full meeting of the International Union for Health Promotion and Education Board of Trustees in June 2007 in Vancouver, Canada. Specific duties were developed for the position and the newly elected Vice President developed a work plan for the period of 2007-10. This paper describes the responsibilities of the newly created Vice Presidency and the work plan developed to meet those responsibilities. The key action areas for the focus of the work of the Vice President for Strategy and Governance include: finalising the rewritten Strategic Directions for 2008-10; developing Strategic Directions for 2010-16; developing and implementing processes to improve the strategic coordination and reporting of work plans across the organisation; and broad responsibility for eliciting and working with the organisation to respond to governance issues.

Nigeria's maternal mortality rate has been on the increase even after the launching of the Safe Motherhood Initiative (SMI) 16 years ago. The causes of this increase are well known, and mainly result from inability of a health system to deal effectively with complications, especially during or shortly after childbirth. Shortage of health professionals and health facilities equipped to offer EOC and emergency obstetric care 24 hours a day are significantly related to quality of care and maternal mortality rates. Since the Primary Health Care (PHC) level is usually the first contact point for the majority of our women, it must be able to deliver the essential services in full and make appropriate referrals when necessary. From available statistics, provision of EOC services in Nigeria has been deplorable. Deficient areas within the health system concerning EOC services are highlighted and suggestions made on how to improve and sustain services.It is concluded that provision of effective and efficient EOC facilities and services will play a key role in maternal mortality reduction, not only in Nigeria but in most developing regions of the world.

This study examines the knowledge, attitudes and beliefs of Greek-Cypriot adolescents regarding sexuality, sexual and reproductive health in Cyprus. This is the first study in Cyprus that focuses on these issues. During the study, a survey was administered to a random sample of third grade students (N = 697, Mean age = 14 +/- 1 years, 48% males). Descriptive and comparative statistics were primarily used for the data analysis. The results indicated that young Greek-Cypriots have limited knowledge on sexual health issues and that there are gender differences regarding role expectations of sexuality. Thus, in the promotion of healthy sexuality and sexual behaviours among youth, practitioners should include gender and cultural perspectives. Qualitative research is needed to explore in depth how young Greek-Cypriots feel about sexuality and sexual and reproductive health.

Using a randomised controlled trial design, this feasibility study assessed the impact of two walking interventions on quality of life (QoL) and job performance of Catalan university employees. A convenience sample of 70 employees completed baseline and intervention measures of step counts (Yamax SW 200 pedometer), wellbeing (SF-12 questionnaire) and work performance (Work Limitations Questionnaire) over 9 weeks. Before intervention, baseline step counts (five working days) were used to randomly allocate participants to a control (n = 26), "walking routes" (n = 19) and "walking while working" (n = 25) groups. Intervention effects were evaluated by calculating differences between pre-intervention and intervention data. One-way ANOVA was used to examine differences between groups. No significant group differences were found for changes in work-day step counts, QoL or work performance. When data from the two intervention groups were pooled (n = 44) there was a significant increase in step counts (+659 steps/day; n = 12; p < 0.01) among participants classified as ;Sedentary-Low active' (0-7499 steps/day) at baseline. In contrast there was a significant decrease (-637 steps/day; p < 0.05) in those initially categorised as ;Active' (> 10,000 steps/day; n = 21) and no change in those categorised as ;Moderately Active' (7500-9999, n = 11). The ;Sedentary-Low activity' group showed consistently greater improvements in QoL and work performance scores than the Moderate and Active groups. Initially low active participants showed the greatest increase in step counts and improved QoL and work productivity profiles. These data indicate the potential for improving QoL and job productivity through workplace walking in inactive Catalan employees.

Utilizing ethnographic research methods, this case study examines the experiences of an NGO-sponsored health care program in rural Mali. The findings indicate that while, in principle, the organization operates from an alternative development base, it has been unable to decentralize the decision-making process and facilitate community dialogue and participation. Numerous problems resulted, including superficial forms of local participation, lack of community ownership, non-remuneration of health workers and midwives, inadequate training, and ultimately, limited program gains. The analyses highlight the complexity and dynamic nature of health program implementation in a developing context, and suggest several factors important to project success. These include drawing on diverse local perspectives, promoting broad-based participation, and providing culturally appropriate ways to include all community members, particularly women.

The SARS outbreak in Toronto was a public health crisis. It was particularly frightening to the Chinese-Canadians, because of the origin of the deadly disease. The Chinese-Canadian community organizations launched various activities to help the Chinese-Canadians as well as other Asian-Canadian communities to fight against SARS and its social side-effects. From launching the SARS Supporting Line, distributing health promotional material, disseminating SARS related information, paying tribute to frontline health workers, and promoting local business, to fundraising for SARS related research; they played an active role in easing the public's anxiety, especially for the Chinese-Canadians in the great Toronto area. The culturally diverse population brought problems as well as solutions. Ethnic groups have expertise in almost all areas, including people with leadership skills. The Toronto Chinese community's experience in combating SARS is a good example. The Chinese-Canadian community organizations' activities during the SARS outbreak demonstrate that ethnic minority organizations can play an important role in public health, especially in a public health crisis, and beyond.