Digital Commons Network^™

Culturally Appropriate Information, Education And Communication Strategies For Improving Adolescent Reproductive Health In Cusco, Peru, Marco Florez-Arestegui Cornejo, Rosalinda Barreto Silva

Reproductive Health

The project Culturally Appropriate Information, Education and Communication Strategies for Improving Adolescent Reproductive Health in Cusco, Peru was designed in response to the evident lack of information and education on adolescent reproductive health in the country and, in particular, in the rural areas of the department of Cusco. Research revealed that a great need for sexual and reproductive health information still exists among indigenous adolescents in the rural areas of the region and that sexual education programs have to be sustainable. This report recommends that the Ministry of Education train more teachers in sexual and reproductive health topics, taking into …

Improving Health Care Providers' Knowledge, Attitudes, And Practices In Reproductive Health In Rural Romania, Elaine Claire Himelfarb

Reproductive Health

To support new health reform initiatives undertaken by the Romanian Ministry of Health and Family, and in support of the USAID Romania strategy for improving women’s reproductive health, Project Concern International/Romania (PCI/R) was awarded a two-year grant to implement a reproductive healthcare project, Healthy Parents-Healthy Children (HP-HC). This project trained family physicians and nurses in rural dispensaries in techniques to improve pre- and postnatal care, including training on modern contraception, cervical and breast cancer screening, treating menopause and its symptoms, and the encouragement of healthy lifestyles. The goal of this OR project was to test the efficacy of interventions to …

Involving Men In Maternity Care: South Africa, Busi Kunene, Mags Beksinska, Simphiwe Zondi, Nobuhle Mthembu, Saiqa Mullick, Emma Ottolenghi, Immo Kleinschmidt, Susan E. Adamchak, Barbara Janowitz, Carmen Cuthbertson

Reproductive Health

The Reproductive Health Research Unit University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa, in partnership with the FRONTIERS Program of the Population Council, and the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health conducted a three-year operations research study titled “Men in Maternity” in the Ethekwini district. The intervention was clinic-based and included two broad strategies: improving antenatal care services by strengthening the existing antenatal package and service monitoring and supervision; and introducing couple counseling by providing training to health providers, inviting partners of antenatal women to attend counseling twice during pregnancy and once post delivery, and providing information to couples with a new antenatal booklet. …

Tulane University Final Report, M. Celeste Marin, Anastasia J. Gage, Suhaila Khan

Reproductive Health

The Frontiers in Reproductive Health (FRONTIERS) program is a 10-year cooperative agreement between the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Population Council in partnership with Family Health International and Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. This report summarizes the main activities undertaken by Tulane University under its subagreement with the Population Council on the FRONTIERS project from 1998–2004. As a partner, Tulane furthered progress toward all three of the program’s intermediate results: contributing innovative interventions tested to improve reproductive health through the small grants program; helping research staff take a more proactive approach to …

Etude Expérimentale Sur L'Offre De Services À Base Communautaire De Santé De La Reproduction Au Sénégal: Une Étude De Cas Dans Le District Sanitaire De Kébémer, Diouratie Sanogo, Mady Cisse, Adama Ndoye, Laty G. Ndoye, Ousmane Faye, Balla Mbacke Mboup

Reproductive Health

La Division de la Santé de la Reproduction (DSR) du Ministère de la Santé et de l'Action Sociale du Sénégal, en partenariat avec le programme FRONTIERS in Reproductive Health du Population Council et le Management Sciences for Health, a mené une étude visant à déterminer l'acceptabilité et la faisabilité des modèles de services à base communautaire expérimentés du point de vue de leur acceptabilité, de leur faisabilité, de leur efficacité, de leur performance, et de leur coût et rentabilité. L'objectif général de cette étude était de contribuer à l'élaboration d'un programme intégré rentable visant à accroître l'accessibilité et la disponibilité …

Testing The Effectiveness Of Integrating Community-Based Approaches For Encouraging Abandonment Of Female Genital Cutting Into Care's Reproductive Health Programs In Ethiopia And Kenya, Jane Chege, Ian Askew, Susan Igras, Jacinta Muteshi-Strachan

Reproductive Health

CARE International, with technical support from the Frontiers in Reproductive Health Program completed a study in Ethiopia and Kenya designed to test the effectiveness of education activities using behavior change communication (BCC) approaches and advocacy activities by religious and other key leaders to abandon female genital cutting (FGC). In Ethiopia, the increased knowledge of harmful FGC effects and human rights issues translated to a positive attitude in support of FGC abandonment and an intention not to cut their daughters in the future. In Kenya, the analysis indicated mixed results in attitude and intended behavior change.

Experience From A Community-Based Education Program In Burkina Faso: The Tostan Program, Djingri Ouoba, Zakari Congo, Nafissatou J. Diop, Molly Melching, Baya Banza, Georges Guiella, Inge Baumgarten

Reproductive Health

This study describes a project that tested the feasibility and effectiveness of replicating the village empowerment program (VEP) developed by the Senegalese NGO, TOSTAN, in Burkina Faso. Although originally developed for empowering women, the program implemented in Burkina Faso also involved men because of their key role in such decisions. Frontiers in Reproductive Health, with funding from USAID and the GTZ Supra Regional Project for the Elimination of FGC, supported the adaptation, implementation, and evaluation of the VEP model in 23 villages in the province of Bazega/Zoundwéogo. In the existing social climate among the Burkinabé, where there is widespread awareness …

The Tostan Program: Evaluation Of A Community Based Education Program In Senegal, Nafissatou J. Diop, Modou Mbacke Faye, Amadou Moreau, Jacqueline Cabral, Helene Benga, Fatou Cisse, Babacar Mane, Inge Baumgarten, Molly Melching

Reproductive Health

This operations research project evaluated the effect and impact of a basic education program, developed by TOSTAN, a nongovernmental organization based at Thiès, Senegal. The basic education program consisted of four modules: hygiene, problem-solving, women’s health, and human rights. Through these four themes, emphasis was placed on enabling the participants, who were mostly women, to analyze their own situation more effectively and thus find the best solutions for themselves. The GTZ Supra Regional Project for the Elimination of Female Genital Cutting funded implementation of the program in 90 villages in Kolda Region, and the Population Council’s Frontiers in Reproductive Health …

Medicalization Of Female Genital Cutting Among The Abagusii In Nyanza Province, Kenya, Carolyne Njue, Ian Askew

Reproductive Health

This study sought to understand the role that health providers play in the medicalization of female genital cutting (FGC) among the Abagusii community in western Kenya, among whom the practice continues to be almost universal. Interviews with service providers and their clients revealed an overwhelming belief that FGC fulfills a traditional cultural obligation among the Abagusii, and that it limits a woman’s sexual desire and confers respect on girls. New approaches are needed within this community to present FGC as violating human rights and national laws, as well as threatening girls’ and women’s health. The study recommends measures such as …

Encuestas De Voluntad De Pago Para Fijar Precios De Productos Y Servicios De Salud Reproductiva: Manual De Usuarios, Karen G. Fleischman Foreit, James R. Foreit

Reproductive Health

Social programs need to balance volume (coverage) and income (sustainability). The law of supply and demand states that we can not obtain coverage and support at the same time, because when prices rise, demand decreases. This manual presents willingness-to-pay (WTP) surveys that allow program managers to simulate changes in demand related to price, without actually changing prices. The Population Council, with The Futures Group International, developed these surveys that can be used for existing and new products and services, collect responses from clients with no formal education with sensitivity to their individual characteristics, and provide conservative estimates that accurately predict …

Female Circumcision In Indonesia. Extent, Implications And Possible Interventions To Uphold Women's Health Rights, Meiwita P. Budiharsana, Lila Amaliah, Budi Utomo

Reproductive Health

In Indonesia, the practice of female circumcision (FC) has long existed, but information concerning where and how it is carried out has been limited. The specific aims of the study conducted by the Population Council Jakarta were to provide research-based information on FC customary practices and their socio-cultural determinants, and if possible, to assess any long-term physical and psychological consequences. Study findings indicate that in general Muslim communities support the continuation of FC practice, because they perceive it as both a societal custom and a religious duty. The report strongly recommends that key donor agencies pressure the Ministry of Health …

Safe Motherhood Demonstration Project, Western Province: Final Report, Charlotte E. Warren, Wilson Liambila

Reproductive Health

Since March 2000, the Population Council and the University of Nairobi have been assisting the Kenya Ministry of Health to implement Safe Motherhood activities in Western Kenya. The purpose of this project was to increase utilization of quality maternal services in the selected districts and, in an effort to improve pregnancy outcomes, focused on improving quality of antenatal care, essential obstetric care, clean and safe delivery, postpartum care, postabortion care, and management issues at all levels. In addition, the project focused on strengthening referral practices and addressing factors responsible for delays by pregnant women in making decisions on when, where, …

Leveling The Playing Field: Electoral Thresholds And The Representation Of Women, Tracy Quinlan '04

Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research

There are large cross-national differences in the percentage of women in legislatures. Institutional arrangement is a considerable explanatory factor in the disparity in women’s representation, and many mechanisms have been implemented to increase parity. Within PR systems, electoral systems are a way to try to increase the representation of women. Previous studies have linked thresholds to increased party magnitude and in turn to increased women’s representation, but there have not been extensive studies to directly link thresholds to women’s representation. This paper analyzes the impact of thresholds directly, finding that the relationship between thresholds and women’s representation is not as …

The European Road Map To A Zero Victim Target: The Ec Mine Action Strategy And Multi Annual Indicative Programming 2005-2007, European Community

Global CWD Repository

Outlines main aspects of EC mine action programming- development highlighted as key criteria. Emphasises that mine action is mainstreamed into wider EC programmes wherever possible.

Speaking Freely In A Time Of War, Barry J. Mauer

Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Anti-speech advocates have made several arguments aimed at critics of the Iraq War. Many of these anti-speech arguments are enthymemes. If the purpose of these rhetors is to deceive others into accepting a weak claim, then enthymemes are ideal forms because they hide the weakest parts of the argument. By exposing their hidden premises, the parts that are implicit but left unstated, I demonstrate that the anti-speech arguments used against critics of the war are not sound. This essay examines the logos, ethos, and pathos in these anti-speech arguments.

Reflections [Complete Issue : Fourth Quarter 2004, Vol 30, 4], Sigma Theta Tau International, Carolyn (Carrie) J. Lee, Allison Hosley, Peter Block, Larry C. Spears, Deirdre Baggot, Thad Wilson, Jan Russell

Sigma Past Publishing - Reflections Magazine

Publishing History: Print issues of Reflections magazine were published from 1975 to 1999 and its successor, Reflections on Nursing Leadership (RNL) began publication in 2000. RNL migrated to an online format, http://www.reflectionsonnursingleadership.org, in 2006 and continues today.

RNL is a member benefit of the Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International (STTI). The historical print issues have been made openly available.

Publishing Frequency: Quarterly until its transition to online. It’s now updated virtually every day.

Format: Print, 1975 - 2005; Online, 2006 - present

Feature Articles in this Issue:

The Gifts of Nursing

Her Name is Mmapelo, "Person …

Multiple Sclerosis. Recent Modalities Of Treatment, Abdulkader M. Daif

Neurosciences

Multiple sclerosis (MS) has devastating physical, psychological, and economic consequences. The disease commences in most patients with a relapsing-remitting course, and it is likely that treatment is most effective during this phase before permanent axon damage has occurred. Despite the absence of a cure for MS, the 4 available drug therapies (Interferon (IFN) beta-1a, IFN beta-1b, glatiramer acetate, and mitoxantrone) play a role in the management of MS based on their demonstrated efficacy. In particular, the use of disease-modifying drugs has been shown to reduce the frequency and severity of debilitating relapses and to delay disease progression. Efforts to develop …

Pattern Of Admission And Clinical Profile Of Post-Stroke Patients In A Community Hospital In Najran, Sarosh A. Khan, Abdul-Rahman Bhat, Aijaz A. Malik, Latif A. Khan

Neurosciences

No abstract provided.

Vertigo. A Neurobiological Review, Hassan M. Ismail

Neurosciences

Dizziness is one of the most common presenting symptoms in clinical practice. Yet, the meaning of this symptom is patient-dependent and can span from true vertigo due to vestibular dysfunction to syncope or vertebro-basilar stroke. This review addresses the neurobiological background of vertigo and the most common syndrome of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, with an outline of the approach towards localization and management of the acute vertiginous patient.

Emotional And Behavioral Problems Among Male Saudi Schoolchildren And Adolescents, Saeed M. Al-Asmary, Moataz M. Abdel-Fattah, Abdelrahman A. Asal, Nabil S. Al-Helali, Tawfiq M. Al-Jabban, Mostafa A. Arafa

Neurosciences

OBJECTIVE: Determination of the prevalence rate of emotional or behavioral problems, or both, among male Saudi schoolchildren and identifying the possible risk factors behind these problems. METHODS: The study was conducted from March-May, 2003 and included all male schoolchildren of Al-Abnae schools specialized for the sons of the employees of the Saudi Ministry of Defense (military and civilians) in Taif Governorate, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (total number 1416 students). It was conducted through 2 phases: A screening phase (using the Child Behavior Checklist “Parent’s form”) for all schoolchildren and adolescents included in the study through a cross-sectional approach to assess …

Editorial Message

Neurosciences

The Editors would like to thank the outgoing Editorial Board members who have now finished their term (Siema Bakheet, Saeed Bohlega and Abdelkarim Al-Qudah) and would also like to welcome Talat Al-Wazna, Yousef Comair and Hussein Malibary to the Advisory Board and Ibrahim Al-Orainy, Mahr Al-Jadid, Jun Kimura and Imad Najm to the Editorial Board. Our thanks also goes to the reviewers who have participated in the excellent review of manuscripts and books for the year 2003.

Disease Burden And Case Management Of Bacterial Meningitis Among Children Under 5 Years Of Age In Saudi Arabia, Yagob Y. Al-Mazrou, Elgeili K. Musa, Mohamed N. Abdalla, Mohamed H. Al-Jeffri, Sami H. Al-Hajjar, Omer M. Mohamed

Neurosciences

OBJECTIVE: This study was designed to explore the case management and disease burden of bacterial meningitis among children below the age of 5 years in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. METHODS: A prospective descriptive study was conducted during June 1999 through to May 2001 in 8 hospitals from 5 cities in different areas of the country. Those were, King Fahad Specialist Hospital and Maternity & Children Hospital, Buraidah, Belgorashi General Hospital and King Fahad Specialist Hospital, Al-Baha, Maternity & Children Hospital and Ohud Hospital, Al-Madina, Al-Qatif General Hospital in the Eastern Region and Prince Abdulrahman Bin Ahmed Alsudairy Central Hospital, …

Women, Epilepsy And Anti-Epileptic Drugs, Sonia A. Khan

Neurosciences

Epilepsy is a chronic disease interlinked with many aspects of a womans life. The objective for this syllabus is to review these aspects and update physicians treating epileptic women on the recent management recommendations in this population. Epilepsy is more common in males except in adolescence and the elderly. Certain epileptic syndromes are exclusively seen in females such as Rett syndrome, Aicardi syndrome and periventricular nodular heterotopia. Female sex hormones may alter seizure threshold in epileptic women and form the basis for catamenial epilepsy. Seizures particularly those of temporal lobe may influence the normal hormonal balance leading to menstrual irregularities …

Autonomy And Rehabilitation, Mohammed A. Saadah, Loai M. Saadah

Neurosciences

In minority world countries, autonomy is central to client focused rehabilitation, as it represents a prerequisite for effective participation in the process of rehabilitation. The diverse and dynamic paradoxes within the “autonomy paradigm” will ensure its safe application and survival in such communities. However, the strong family relationships and different cultural backgrounds of majority world countries motivate us to conclude that a “patient-family interactive deliberative process” based on accommodation and negotiation is more acceptable, reliable and implementable in these communities. Our suggested model of decision making is more convenient, particularly in cases where competency is compromised by cognitive dysfunction, political …

False Beliefs And Medication Non-Compliance In Psychiatric Patients, Alireza G. Nejad, Fatemeh Pouya

Neurosciences

No abstract provided.

Relationship Between Dream Contents And Positive/Negative Symptoms In Schizophrenic Patients, Alireza G. Nejad, Batool A. Zadeh

Neurosciences

OBJECTIVE: The relationship between dreams and schizophrenia has been a subject of discussion for many years ago. Little is known about details of dream contents in schizophrenia. The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between dream contents and positive and negative symptoms in schizophrenia. METHODS: Fifty schizophrenic patients in Beheshti Hospital, Kerman, Iran, over a 6-month period from July to December 2002, were evaluated for dream contents using free recall of dreams and a checklist which was provided in a previous pilot study. Positive and negative symptoms were evaluated by the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). …

Socio-Demographic Study Of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder In Qatar, Ehsane M. Gad, Taher E. Shaltout

Neurosciences

OBJECTIVE: We dedicated our work to study the socio-demographic aspect of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) patients seeking psychiatric treatment in the outpatient clinic of Hamad General Hospital for a duration of approximately 5 years of continuous follow-up. METHODS: Out of 8878 individual patients who attended the psychiatric outpatient clinic of Hamad General Hospital in Qatar, during the period from August 1996 to December 2001, we reviewed a total number of 348 patients with the diagnosis of OCD (according to International Classification of Diseases-10 diagnostic criteria). We divided them according to their age, sex, nationality, duration of illness, occupation and marital …

Acute Epidural Hematoma Following Restoration Of Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt Patency, Mohamed A. Alsheheri, Orighoye P. Binitie

Neurosciences

Acute bilateral frontal epidural hematoma developed in a child with long standing hydrocephalus following restoration of ventriculoperitoneal shunt patency. A CT brain scan revealed acute bifrontal epidural hematoma. The epidural hematoma developed as a result of rapid decompression of the hydrocephalus. An emergency neurosurgical evacuation of the hematoma saved the patient from this rather rare and potentially fatal complication that can occur in patients with hydrocephalus.

The Investigation Of A Wireless Medical Homecare Data Logger, Aisling Cronin

Masters

Modern, portable self-measurement devices such as hand-held glucometers and ECG instruments can provide feedback in electronic form to patients. However the information is mostly transmitted by proprietary cable and there is no agreed format for migrating this data to information systems in clinics where it can be used by clinicians. The result is a muddle of transport mechanisms and software. There is a clear need for a simple, open and agreed means of data communication to help patients to manage their condition and to support clinicians who engage in home telemonitoring. To allow patients freedom to move, the first stage …

Teaching Of An Integrated Human Nervous System Course In The Sultanate Of Oman, Abdul-Aleem Khan, Ragini Vaishnav, Omar Habbal

Neurosciences

The College of Medicine at Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Oman has opted for the credit system that makes the designing of an integrated, multidisciplinary course a challenging proposition. The human nervous system course is no exception to that. The aim of the course is to guide students to understand the structure and function of the brain and to learn about the disorders afflicting it. There are 4 major problems encountered in this course. First, due to the relative weighting of different subjects in the course, the students tend to ignore the topics that have less credit hours and contribute fewer …