Digital Commons Network^™

Special Needs Of In-School Hiv Positive Young People In Uganda, Francis Obare, Harriet Birungi, Anne Katahoire, Hannington Nkayivu, Aggrey David Kibenge

Reproductive Health

Since 2006, the Population Council has pioneered operations research in collaboration with local partners in Uganda to promote the sexual and reproductive health and rights of young people aged 10–19 years infected with HIV. Key findings show that many young people perinatally infected with HIV want to be in school to avoid social isolation, and about 70 percent of them attend school. However, there has been limited understanding of how the education sector should support this vulnerable group of learners. The objective of this study was to explore the special needs of HIV-positive young people in primary and secondary schools …

Standards Required In Maintaining The Chain Of Evidence In The Context Of Post Rape Care Services: Findings Of A Study Conducted In Kenya, Carol Ajema, Emily Rogena, Hadley Muchela, Buluma Bwire, Nduku Kilonzo

Reproductive Health

Sexual violence (SV) is a serious societal problem that creates significant challenges to local communities in their attempt to create an overall plan for meeting the medical, emotional, physical safety, and legal needs of SV survivors. It is important to understand the existing links between the health sector and police as a basis for addressing the complexities surrounding SV. Appropriate management of SV survivors requires a standardized clinical evaluation, an effective interface with law enforcement for the handling of forensic evidence, and coordination of the continuum of care. From the public health perspective, the issues to be addressed revolve around …

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 …

Sexual Violence: Setting The Research Agenda For Kenya, Catherine Maternowska, Jill Keesbury, Nduku Kilonzo

Reproductive Health

This research agenda is the result of a stakeholders’ meeting held in Nairobi on June 11–12, 2008, that identified, developed, and prioritized areas for research on sexual violence in Kenya. The meeting was convened by the Population Council, Liverpool VCT, Care & Treatment, and the International Centre of Reproductive Health, Kenya. Kenya’s research agenda is premised on the need to generate the evidence required to impact policy formulation and services strengthening. Knowledge gaps that form the basis of key research areas identified include the need to: 1) Understand the nature, contexts, and prevalence of sexual violence; 2) Document and evaluate …

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 …

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 Copperbelt Model Of Integrated Care For Survivors Of Rape And Defilement: Testing The Feasibility Of Police Provision Of Emergency Contraceptive Pills, Jill Keesbury, Mary Zama, Sudha Shreeniwas

Reproductive Health

The Zambian Ministry of Home Affairs (Police Service), Ministry of Health (MOH) and the Population Council collaborated on an operations research study designed to improve services for survivors of gender-based violence (GBV). Specifically, the study tested the feasibility of police provision of emergency contraception (EC). It also hypothesized that the intervention could strengthen GBV services at both police and health facilities through an increased emphasis on multisectoral collaboration. Based on the study’s findings, national scale-up of this program has been widely endorsed. The following recommendations are offered to guide such scale-up: ensure that a dedicated EC pill is available through …

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 …

Donner Un Sens Au Travail : Promouvoir Le Bien-Être Psychologique, Estelle M. Morin, Charles Gagné

Rapports de recherche scientifique

Click here for the English version of this report

Un travail auquel on attribue du sens a des effets vitaminiques sur la santé mentale du travailleur et stimule son engagement envers une organisation, alors qu'un travail qui n'en a pas favorise l'apparition de symptômes de stress, voire de détresse. À l'aide de questionnaires, l'équipe de recherche a colligé des données auprès du personnel de quatre organisations dans le but de démontrer que des caractéristiques telles l'utilité du travail, la rectitude morale du travail, les occasions d'apprentissage et de développement, l'autonomie, la reconnaissance et la qualité des relations humaines avaient un …

4,4'-Diphenylmethane Diisocyanate (Mdi): Safety Practices And Concentration During Polyurethane Foam Spraying, Brigitte Roberge, Rodrigue Gravel, Daniel Drolet

Rapports de recherche scientifique

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Au cours des dernières années, des travailleurs québécois de la construction ont été «sensibilisés» au diisocyanate-4,4’ de diphénylméthane (MDI). Cette substance est émise lors de la pulvérisation d’un polyisocyanate (mélange de polymères de MDI) et d’un composé polyhydroxylé (résine) pour former une mousse rigide de polyuréthane utilisée comme isolant thermique de bâtiments. La valeur d’exposition admissible (VEA) québécoise du MDI est de 0,051 mg/m³ (51 μg/m³) pour la forme monomère. Cette substance est identifiée sensibilisant dans le Règlement sur la santé la sécurité du travail (RSST), qui mentionne …

Occupational Risks In The Performing Arts: An Exploratory Study, Élise Ledoux, Esther Cloutier, François Ouellet, Isabelle Gagnon, Chloé Thuilier, Julie Ross

Rapports de recherche scientifique

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Cette étude exploratoire émane d’une demande de la Table de concertation paritaire en santé et sécurité du travail du domaine des arts de la scène. Cette Table de concertation découle de la mesure cinq du Plan d’action pour l’amélioration des conditions socioéconomiques des artistes, « Pour mieux vivre de son art », rendu public en 2004. En lien avec cette mesure, il est prévu de réaliser une étude sur les risques en matière de santé et de sécurité au travail. En effet, depuis les travaux de Michel Perreault (1988), très peu …

Cleaning And Decontamination Of Workplaces Containing Beryllium: Techniques And Cleaning Solutions, Stéphanie Viau, Chantal Dion, Guy Perrault, André Dufresne, Valérie Turcotte, Hooman Golshahi, Bethany Campbell, Teodor Mocanu, Annie Ouellet, Pierre-Jean Désormeaux

Rapports de recherche scientifique

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La relation entre l’exposition au béryllium (Be) par voie respiratoire et l’atteinte à la santé n’est pas bien définie. La contribution de l’absorption par la voie cutanée a été suggérée pour expliquer le développement de la sensibilisation (BeS). Dans ce contexte, la surveillance des niveaux de contamination des surfaces constitue un outil important de la maîtrise des émissions. De bonnes pratiques de nettoyage des lieux où il y a utilisation ou manipulation de béryllium sont nécessaires afin de prévenir l’accumulation de béryllium sur les surfaces et les outils de travail.

La …

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

Rapports de recherche scientifique

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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

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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 …

Making Work Meaningful: Promoting Psychological Well-Being, Estelle M. Morin, Charles Gagné

Rapports de recherche scientifique

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Un travail auquel on attribue du sens a des effets vitaminiques sur la santé mentale du travailleur et stimule son engagement envers une organisation, alors qu'un travail qui n'en a pas favorise l'apparition de symptômes de stress, voire de détresse. À l'aide de questionnaires, l'équipe de recherche a colligé des données auprès du personnel de quatre organisations dans le but de démontrer que des caractéristiques telles l'utilité du travail, la rectitude morale du travail, les occasions d'apprentissage et de développement, l'autonomie, la reconnaissance et la qualité des relations humaines avaient un …

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 …

The Influence Of Familism On Descriptive And Injunctive Norms In Predicting The Intention To Eat A Vegetarian Diet Among Chinese Seventh-Day Adventists, See Wei Toh

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

According to the theory of planned behavior (TpB), one determinant of intention to engage in a behavior is the subjective norm. Various studies have found that subjective norm is often the weaker predictor of intention compared to perceived behavioral control and attitude. This study examined whether familism (emphasis on the family rather than the individual) would contribute positively to the predictive power of the TpB model through interactions with the family portion of descriptive and injunctive norms. Descriptive and injunctive norms are component variables of the subjective norm. A sample of 284 adult Chinese Seventh-day Adventists 18 years and older …

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 …

Understanding Middle School Students' Perspectives Regarding Physical Activity And Fitness, Susan Yesalonia

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research confirms inactivity increases in adolescence and that unfit youth are at risk of acquiring cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, obesity, or other significant physical disorders later in life. Thus, the purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the experience of chronically inactive children who were exposed to an exercise intervention program. The specific focus of the research was to better understand the essential educational needs of the participants and the effective elements of the program, Moving for Fun (MFF), a 7-week after-school fitness intervention program designed to modify chronic inactivity. Open-ended interviews and 3 observations were conducted with 8 middle …

Elevated Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone In Human Pregnancy Increases The Risk Of Postpartum Depressive Symptoms, Ilona S. Yim, Laura M. Glynn, Christine Dunkel Schetter, Calvin J. Hobel, Aleksandra Chicz-Demet, Curt A. Sandman

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Postpartum depression (PPD) is common and has serious implications for the mother and her newborn. A possible link between placental corticotropin-releasing hormone (pCRH) and PPD incidence has been discussed, but there is a lack of empirical evidence.

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 …

“Riding Bareback”: Factors Involved In The Development Of A Bareback Identity, Scott Charles Musgrove

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Researchers in the area of HIV prevention have long been aware of the rising incidence of unprotected sex among men who have sex with men (MSM). In recent years researchers have witnessed the emergence of the behaviors, attitudes and practices that discriminate between those of the MSM community who strictly and consistently adhere to safer sex practices, those who inconsistently practice safer sex, and those who eschew protected sex altogether. Understanding the factors that motivate the development and adoption of a "barebacker identity" in spite of serious potential for HIV infection may well help support the efforts of public agencies …

The Relation Of Alcohol Expectancies To Alcohol Consumption And Alcohol-Related Problems Among College Students, Michelle Nicholle Greco

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of the present study was to examine the relationships among positive and negative alcohol expectancies and alcohol consumption and alcohol-related problems in a sample of Hispanic, predominantly Mexican-American, college students. It was hypothesized that positive expectancies would be positively related to alcohol consumption and alcohol-related problems and that negative expectancies would be negatively related to alcohol consumption and alcohol related problems. Little is known and understood about the role of positive and negative expectancies in Hispanic college students and even less is known about how expectancies relate to alcohol related problems in this population.

This study was a …

Project L.E.A.N.: An After-School Health And Exercise Project For Elementary School Children In El Paso, Texas, Hendrik De Heer

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

INTRODUCTION: After-school activities provide valuable opportunities for health promotion activities that do not interfere with the regular school day, especially in minority populations with higher rates of obesity and type 2 diabetes. The current study is an evaluation of an after-school health education and physical activity program conducted in nine elementary schools in 2008 in El Paso, Texas. METHODS: The intervention consisted of a 10-12 week (twice a week) after school program consisting of a pilot (with two experimental schools) and main intervention (six schools each including a control and experimental group). The main outcome variables were Body Mass Index, …

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 Resilience And Purpose In Life In Habituation To Heat And Cold Pain, Bruce W. Smith, Erin M. Tooley

Arts & Sciences Faculty Publications

This study examined the role of resilience in habituation to heat and cold pain in healthy women (n = 47). Heat and cold pain thresholds were each assessed across 5 equally spaced trials. Re- silience, purpose in life, optimism, social support, and neuroticism were assessed using self-report measures. The hypothesis was that the resilience and the associated resilience factors would be pos- itively related to habituation to heat and cold pain while controlling for neuroticism. Multilevel mod- eling was used to test the hypothesis. When considering each characteristic separately, resilience and purpose in life predicted greater habituation to heat pain …