Digital Commons Network^™

Enquête Sur La Contraception D'Urgence (Cu) Au Niveau Des Pharmacies, Nafissatou J. Diop, Babacar Mane, Ousseynou Faye, Cheikh Ibrahima Niang, Thiaba Thiaw, Aissatou Sano Coly, Fatou Mbow, Youmane Niang Faye

Reproductive Health

No abstract provided.

Maximizing Utilization Of Research, Frontiers In Reproductive Health

Reproductive Health

Operations research (OR) can only be judged successful if results are utilized for making decisions to strengthen RH/FP policies and service delivery. How can this best be achieved? How can both process and impact of OR be measured? Drawing from ten years of FRONTIERS in Reproductive Health OR experience, a number of key principles for promoting research utilization, illustrated with documented examples, are presented here. One important first step is clarifying terms used, almost interchangeably, in research utilization, as it incorporates a range of ways in which research can be used for making decisions to strengthen RH/FP policies and programs. …

Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting: Change Is Possible, Frontiers In Reproductive Health

Reproductive Health

Changing long-standing cultural practices—even when such practices are harmful—is difficult, but the impressive success in reducing the acceptability and incidence of female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) in several settings shows it is possible. Research by FRONTIERS in Burkina Faso, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mali, and Senegal has provided insight into the sociocultural and religious underpinnings of FGM/C and has identified approaches that, over time, have contributed to individual and community decisions to abandon the practice. This information can help reduce the risk of undergoing FGM/C faced by three million girls and women every year. This is one of eight Legacy Papers synthesizing …

Operational Research For The Introduction Of An Adolescent Health Package In The Context Of Cervical Cancer Prevention, Marieke G. Van Dijk, Katherine Wilson, Claudia Diaz, Sandra G. Garcia

Reproductive Health

This report provides findings from a WHO/PAHO/UNFPA meeting that took place in Mexico City in 2009. Participants discussed a proposed operational research study on adolescent health and cervical cancer prevention that would help support countries that have already made or will soon make a policy decision to introduce the HPV vaccine. Adolescents typically have little contact with health services, particularly for immunization programs. Since new HPV vaccines target adolescent girls, the introduction of HPV vaccines may provide an opportunity for adolescents to engage more with health services and this may create openings to offer packages of adolescent health services that …

Acceptability And Promotion Strategies For Lng-Ius In Ghana: A Public Health Assessment, Philomena Nyarko, Cletus Adohinzin, Placide Tapsoba, Selina F. Esantsi, John Townsend, Nicholas Kanlisi, Ekua Ed-Nighpense, Gloria Quansah Asare

Reproductive Health

In response to concerns about the side effects of the IUD, the commonly known reversible, long-term method in Ghana, and to curb the shift from long-term to short-term methods, the Ghana Health Service decided to expand women’s contraceptive method choices by introducing the Levonorgestrel-releasing Intrauterine System (LNG-IUS), a hormonal IUD, into the contraceptive method mix. The LNG-IUS is a uterine contraceptive that provides effective long-term protection up to five years. Even though the product has been certified as safe and effective, it was necessary to ensure that it satisfies client’s needs and meets provider expectations. The Population Council, in collaboration …

Improving The Health Care Response To Gender-Based Violence: Phase Ii, Meiwita P. Budiharsana, Mai Quoc Tung

Reproductive Health

In 2009, the Population Council/Vietnam in collaboration with the Hanoi Health Service carried out an evaluation survey among Duc Giang Hospital staff to assess the extent to which awareness and perceptions of gender-based violence (GBV) had changed since the project commenced in 2005. The survey also assessed the extent to which the response of the hospital and Women’s Center for Counseling and Health had been strengthened, and made recommendations on changes to improve the situation. Overall, this project has been effective in raising awareness and willingness to integrate GBV screening into health services. The project conducted its training program at …

Multi-Sectoral Approaches To Preventing Sexual Assault And Domestic Violence: A Collective Force To Stop The Violence, Population Council

Reproductive Health

The Multi-Sectoral Approaches to Preventing Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Symposium took place May 6–7, 2009, in Gauteng, South Africa. The symposium aimed to: increase awareness of sexual assault and domestic violence and its relationship to HIV and AIDS among decision-makers; promote evidence-based programming for practitioners; advocate for increased preventative measures and service delivery around sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) in the public and private sectors; facilitate networking, strengthen and develop partnerships, and create opportunities for ongoing collaboration between key stakeholders; and inspire a coordinated plan of action for prevention that supports the government’s 365-day plan. South Africa has some …

Ecp Handbook: Introducing And Mainstreaming The Provision Of Emergency Contraceptive Pills In Developing Countries, Sharif M.I. Hossain, M.E. Khan, Ricardo Vernon, Jill Keesbury, Ian Askew, John Townsend, Victoria Rumbold

Reproductive Health

For many women, emergency contraceptive pills (ECPs) offer an opportunity to prevent unintended pregnancy following contraceptive method failure, rape, or unprotected sex. Access to this safe, effective option remains an essential element of women’s quality reproductive health care. However, ECPs remain inaccessible across much of the world, particularly in developing countries where limited commodity supplies, provider competency, public awareness, and misinformation routinely coalesce to restrict availability. While ECPs have been introduced on a pilot basis in many countries, their effective integration into both the public and private sectors has lagged. Successful interventions are guided by the principle that provision of …

Mainstreaming Emergency Contraception In Kenya: Final Project Report, Jill Keesbury, Wilson Liambila, Francis Obare, Paul Kuria

Reproductive Health

For more than a decade, advocates have sought to improve access to emergency contraception (EC) around the world. These efforts have been highly successful in Europe and North America, have generated much debate in Latin America, and are beginning to take hold in Asia. In Africa, however, the success of EC programs remains limited. Even in countries where the regulatory environment is favorable, resource constraints within the public sector limit the ability to provide consistent and quality EC services at low cost. In a growing number of African countries, the private sector has emerged to fill these gaps, increasing access …

Being (Becoming Empowered In Nursing Growth): Training Guide For Nursing Students On Sexuality And Gender, Maryann Washington

Reproductive Health

This training guide was produced as part of a Health and Population Innovation Fellowship administered by the Population Council, India, and aims to help the faculty of nursing students to deliver comprehensive sexuality education effectively and efficiently, to help trainee nurses see the whole picture of sexuality in its matrix of safety, pleasure, reproduction, illness, and health. The package is called ‘BEING’ (acronym for Becoming Empowered in Nursing Growth) as it is assumed that, if delivered well, it could empower nurses’ growth to address these issues.

The Refentse Model For Post-Rape Care: Strengthening Sexual Assault Care And Hiv Post-Exposure Prophylaxis In A District Hospital In Rural South Africa, Julia C. Kim, Ian Askew, Lufuno Muvhango, Ntabozuko Dwane, Tanya Abramsky, Stephen Jan, Ennica Ntlemo, Jane Chege, Charlotte Watts

Reproductive Health

The Refentse study aimed to develop a nurse-driven, post-rape care model that could be integrated into existing reproductive health/HIV services within a rural South African hospital, and to evaluate the impact of this model on the quality of care delivered. Following the intervention, there were significant improvements in the quality of clinical history and examination, and the provision of pregnancy testing, emergency contraception, STI treatment, HIV counseling and testing, post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), trauma counseling, and referrals. The report concludes that it is possible to improve sexual assault services including PEP within a rural South African hospital at modest cost, using …

Premarital Sexual Behaviour Among Unmarried College Students Of Gujarat, India, Rachna Sujay

Reproductive Health

The aim of this report is to explore experiences of sexual relations and factors (including, for example, those at the individual, parental, peer, and college levels) associated with premarital sex, safe and otherwise, among college-going male and female students in Gujarat, India. Findings suggest that awareness of sexual and reproductive matters was relatively limited, attitudes to premarital sex typically gendered, and fewer than half of all students had been exposed to sexuality education in school or college. Romantic partnerships and physical intimacy were reported by considerable proportions of male and female students; premarital sex among notable minorities; and unsafe sex, …

Medical Response To Male Same-Sex Sexuality In Western India: An Exploration Of 'Conversion Treatments' For Homosexuality, Ketki Ranade

Reproductive Health

This report aims to explore the use of conversion therapy by healthcare providers in Western India to treat homosexuals, the criteria used for selecting clients for conversion therapy, the types of therapies employed, and perceived outcomes of such therapies. In contrast to most international guidelines for treatment of homosexuality, conversion therapy still seems to be practiced by many healthcare providers in India. Findings suggest that providers’ attitudes, understanding, and assumptions regarding normative and non-normative sexuality, homosexuality, marriage, procreation, and change or cure of homosexual sexual orientation makes up a complex belief system that has not incorporated some of the latest …

Best Practices Guide To Synthetic Nanoparticle Risk Management, Claude Ostiguy, Brigitte Roberge, Luc Ménard, Charles-Anica Endo

Rapports de recherche scientifique

Cliquez ici pour la version française de ce rapport

Une nouvelle révolution industrielle est amorcée autour des nanotechnologies. Les applications devraient permettre d’améliorer de façon substantielle les performances de multiples produits et favoriser le développement économique, l’amélioration de la qualité de vie et la protection de l’environnement. La très petite taille des nanoparticules de synthèse (NP < 100 nanomètres) leur confère des propriétés uniques qui ne se retrouvent pas chez les produits de même composition chimique mais de plus grande taille. Des impacts majeurs sont anticipés dans tous les domaines de la vie économique et sociale et la plupart des universités québécoises de même que plusieurs centres de recherche œuvrent déjà à la conception de nouvelles applications. Plusieurs entreprises sont en phase de démarrage, en exploitation ou incorporent déjà des NP dans leurs procédés afin d’améliorer la performance de leurs produits et la tendance devrait s’accentuer au cours des prochaines années. Au niveau international, en 2007, on comptait plus de 500 produits nanotechnologiques commercialisés, pour un marché mondial de 88 milliards de dollars lequel devrait presque doubler en 2008.

La synthèse et la production de ces nouveaux matériaux soulèvent actuellement de nombreuses questions et génèrent des inquiétudes à cause des connaissances scientifiques fragmentaires sur les risques pour la santé et pour la sécurité. Néanmoins, la recherche a déjà démontré différents risques reliés à …

Exploring Differences In The Representations Held By Clinicians And Those Held By Workers Suffering From Musculoskeletal Disorders, During The Occupational Rehabilitation Process, Marie-France Coutu, Raymond Baril, Marie-José Durand, Nicole Charpentier, Annick Rouleau, Daniel Côté, Geneviève Cadieux

Rapports de recherche scientifique

Cliquez ici pour la version française de ce rapport

Problématique :

Le travail occupe une place importante dans la vie active des individus et joue un rôle déterminant dans l’identité et la conformité sociale des adultes. Or, chaque année, un nombre important de personnes est exclu du travail en raison d’un trouble musculo-squelettique (TMS) engendrant chez 8 % d’entre eux une incapacité à maintenir une vie active au travail. Ce petit nombre compte pour la moitié des coûts d’indemnisation à la CSST. Plusieurs facteurs sont impliqués dans le développement et la persistance de l’incapacité au travail. Parmi ces facteurs, certains …

Health Communication Theories: Implications For Hiv Reporting In Asia And The Pacific, Trevor Cullen

Research outputs pre 2011

This paper focuses on the expanding HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) epidemic in parts of Asia and the Pacific region and recommends the adoption of insights from particular health communication theories. The author argues that these paradigms can assist in broadening the current scope and content of HIV reporting. One theory in particular - Social Change Communication (SCC) - challenges the media to extend the framing of HIV from primarily a health story to one that is linked to more macro socio-economic, cultural and political factors. Asian and Pacific countries that have an emerging or expanding HIV epidemic need to realise …

An Assessment Of Sexual And Gender Based Violence In Wajir District, North Eastern Kenya, Gladys K. Mwangi, Guyo W. Jaldesa

Reproductive Health

A 2006 baseline survey conducted by CARE Kenya indicated that sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) is widespread throughout Kenya’s North Eastern Province. Other findings revealed that high levels of stigma and gender imbalances are associated with sexual violence and female genital mutilation (FGM) and that a coordinated approach to responding to the service needs of survivors is missing. As noted in this report, there is limited awareness of the legal mechanisms available to survivors. The Population Council’s study in Wajir District ascertained the need for and possible components of an integrated and comprehensive services model that could meet the needs …

Participation And Determinants Of Physical Activity Amongst Irish 3rd Level Students., Jonathan Lerner

Theses

Currently, there is a dearth of research investigating physical activity patterns among Irish third level young adults (17-22 year olds). Both national and international research report that levels of physical activity decline in adolescence, this trend being most pronounced among females. Various biological, psychological, social, and environmental determinants have been found to influence physical activity; however, specific factors associated with the decline in activity during adolescence remain largely unknown. This research study examines participation and determinants of physical activity among Irish third level students.

A “National questionnaire” was administered to a sample of 532 students from Health Education Authority (HEA) …

Taking Be Proud! Be Responsible! To The Suburbs: A Replication Study, Elaine A. Borawski, Erika S. Trapl, Kimberly Adams-Tufts, Laura L. Hayman, Merdith A. Goodwin, Loren D. Lovegreen

Ellmer School of Nursing Faculty Publications

CONTEXT: An important phase of HIV prevention research is replicating successful interventions with different groups and in different settings.

METHODS: Be Proud! Be Responsible!, a successful intervention originally targeting black urban males and carried out in nonschool settings, was presented in health classes at urban and suburban schools with diverse student bodies. A group-randomized intervention study, which included 1,357 ninth and 10th graders from 10 paired schools in a Midwestern metropolitan area, was conducted in 2000-2002. Half the schools received the intervention, and half received a general health promotion program. Students' reports of their sexual behavior and selected cognitive mediators …

Recent High School Graduates Knowledge About Physical Activity Guidelines And Disease Related To Sedentary Lifestyle, Soojin Yoo

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This study examined recent high school graduates' knowledge about physical activity (PA) guidelines and disease related to sedentary lifestyle. Using a cross-sectional descriptive design, focus was on assessing knowledge performance and relating it to gender, ethnicity, PA behavior, and conceptualizations about high school health education (HE) and physical education (PE). Study participants were 394 recent high school graduates between the ages of 18-20 years of age. Participants completed a questionnaire designed to measure knowledge about PA guidelines and disease associated with sedentary lifestyle. In addition, the questionnaire also comprised items designed to capture demographical information and provide some information about …

A Comparison Of Lifestyle Intervention Sessions And Clinical Screening As Motivators In The South Dakota Wisewoman Program, Jacy Clarke

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

WISEWOMAN (WW) is a comprehensive program for medically underserved women in South Dakota (SD), aged 30 to 64, which aims to reduce morbidity and mortality from chronic diseases. Screening services include blood total cholesterol, blood pressure and blood glucose, and body mass index (BMI). Lifestyle intervention (LSI) sessions are also offered to address physical activity and nutrition. The purpose of this retrospective longitudinal study was to quantitatively examine whether the combination of LSI's and clinical screenings or clinical screenings alone lead to improvements in blood pressure, blood glucose, total cholesterol, and/or BMI at rescreening 10 to14 months from initial screening. …

Antibiotics, Herbs, And Magic: Health Practices In Contemporary St. Petersburg, Christine Shu

Honors Theses

In St. Petersburg, Russia, two seemingly conflicting health doctrines, western medicine and alternative medicine, play significant roles in residents' health culture. I define alternative medicine as all health practices that use such natural products as herbs, natural honey, water, seeds, berries, and even animal products, and as such unobtrusive body therapies as acupuncture, massage, yoga, or animal therapies. I define western medicine as all treatments that involve the manipulation of ingredients in a chemistry laboratory (such as antibiotics, antiviral drugs, antihistamines. or pain killers) and all body therapies intrusive to the body (such as operations). Through interviews with St. Petersburg …

Parenting Practices And Desire For A Child Among Mothers Living With Hiv, Natalie De La Cruz

All ETDs from UAB

One-quarter of adults living with HIV/AIDS in the US are women, most of whom are facing decisions regarding their reproductive future. Despite clear challenges and complexities facing HIV-positive women, most research suggests that they maintain strong desires and intentions for motherhood. This research explores the correlates of desire for another child, with a specific emphasis on examining the relationship between current parenting experiences and future childbearing desires, among a predominantly black sample of HIV-positive women (n=96) participating in the Making Our Mothers Stronger (MOMS) Project. Predictors of contraceptive use and consistency between contraceptive practices and fertility desires are also explored …

Parental Attitudes Of Human Papillomavirus Vaccination Of Adolescent Girls In Alabama, Allison G. Litton

All ETDs from UAB

Human papillomavirus is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the United States. This study examined racial and socio-demographic differences between African Americans and non-Hispanic Whites in Alabama regarding HPV vaccine acceptability. This cross sectional study employed a statewide survey of Alabama parents using a random digit dial phone method conducted through the Survey Research Unit at UAB. Participants were female caregivers of adolescent girls between the ages of 10-14 years. The final sample size was 403. Analyses included descriptive statistics, cross tabulations and odds ratios to assess race/ethnicity and other subgroup differences and logistic regression of intention to vaccinate …

Maintaining Healthy Eating Behaviors With Women After A Weight Management Program: A Grounded Theory Approach, Christie Zunker

All ETDs from UAB

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the process of how women maintain their weight and continue healthy eating behaviors after completing a weight management program, which emphasized low-energy density foods. This is important since many women regain weight after participating in weight management programs. Theoretical sampling strategies guided participant recruitment. Inclusion criteria were: self-reported African American or Caucasian women aged 30 and older who lost > 5% of their body weight during their participation in the EatRight weight management program at least one year ago or longer. Height and weight was measured. Participants that remained > 5% below their …

Evaluation Of A Community-Based Cervical Cancer Education Program On Perceptions And Knowledge Of Screening Among Low-Income Hispanic Women, Claudia S. Lozano

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Cervical cancer affects Hispanic women disproportionately in comparison to their non-Hispanic white counterparts. In 2004, the incidence rate was 12.2 per 100,000 persons among Hispanic women compared to 7.5 per 100,000 among non-Hispanic white women (U.S. Cancer Statistics Working Group, 2007). Although this form of cancer is easily diagnosed through recommended screening tests, Hispanic women are often less likely to get screened (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2000). Research based on the Health Belief Model (HBM) examining attitudes and beliefs about cervical cancer and screening among Hispanic women has demonstrated that non-compliance with Pap smear screening was attributed …

Prenatal Physical Activity Patterns And Determinants In An Urban Ecuadorian Population, Erika Gonzalez Beltran

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Background & Significance. Evidence has accumulated over the past two decades suggesting that healthy pregnant women who engage in regular moderate physical activity (PA) may reduce their risk for certain adverse pregnancy and postnatal health outcomes. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS)/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently issued the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans which recommends at least 150 minutes/week of moderate-intensity aerobic PA for pregnant women. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG, 2002) recommends 30 min of moderate-intensity PA, specified as derived from recreational or leisure activities on most or all …

Implications For Nursing Practice: Delivering The Folic Acid Message, Kimberly Townsend Little

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

In 1995, North Carolina (NC) had one of the highest prevalence rates of neural tube defects (NTDs) in the United States. Since the NC Folic Acid Council began focusing their efforts on educating women of childbearing age regarding NTDs in 1994, the prevalence of NTDs has declined overall by 40%; however, NTD prevalence among Hispanics in NC continues to be double the rate of non-Hispanics. Research has found daily consumption of a multivitamin with folic acid significantly decreases NTDs. Healthy People 2010 include in their objectives the need to increase folic acid consumption in women and reduce the NTD rates. …

The Role Of Information And Communication Technologies In Managing Transition And Sustaining Women's Health During Their Midlife Years, Julie Dare

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This research has been motivated primarily by a desire to extend and enrich existing research on women’s uses of information and communication technologies (ICTs) to manage relationships, and access and construct social support during their transitional midlife years. In doing so, this research addresses a gap in the literature on women’s consumption of such technologies. Since the late 1980s, when several landmark studies investigated women’s use of the telephone, there has been little systematic evaluation of the degree to which newer communication technologies have become integrated into women’s communication practices.

Another key feature of this research is an examination of …

Children's Exposure To Lead And Nickel In Esperance - A Case Study, Matthew Tristan Winters

Theses : Honours

This is a cross-sectional study of lead and nickel exposure of children aged 2-12 years living at varying distances from a point source of pollution in Esperance. Esperance was an ideal case study location because of previous environmental contamination with lead and nickel above background levels. Non-invasive biological samples of hair, toenails and urine were collected from participating children, and environmental samples, including house dust, soil and drinking water were also sampled from each participant household. Exposure was assessed by measuring the concentration of metals found in the biological samples, and determining their relationships with the environmental samples from each …