Public Health Commons^™

A Synthesis Of Research Findings On Quality Of Services In The Indian Family Welfare Programme, Gillian H.C. Foo

Reproductive Health

In recent years, there has been growing recognition among researchers and policymakers that the quality of care provided by family planning (FP) programs in developing countries is an important determinant of whether couples adopt contraception and continue as contraceptive users, or whether these programs are underutilized. A major initiative to identify and implement improvements in the quality of services within the Indian program calls for a systematic analysis, organization, and presentation of the available data to the policymakers and program managers concerned. Additional data is also required on issues such as user's perception of quality of care, the relative importance …

A Model Of Costs Of Rti Case Management Services In Uttar Pradesh, Saumya Ramarao, John Townsend, M.E. Khan

Reproductive Health

The Government of India has adopted a Reproductive and Child Health (RCH) approach as the basis of its new family welfare policy. One component of RCH is management of reproductive tract infections (RTIs). The Population Council's Asia and the Near East Operations Research and Technical Assistance (ANE OR/TA) Project, in collaboration with the State of Uttar Pradesh, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, is conducting a study on the feasibility and cost of providing RTI case management at the primary-care level. The estimated annual cost of RTI case management at the district level would be about US$64,000. From the analysis, …

Inopal Ii Final Report, Population Council

Reproductive Health

The goal of the Population Council's “Investigación Operacional en Planificación Familiar y Atención Materno-Infantil para América Latina y el Caribe” (INOPAL) program was to conduct operations research and provide technical assistance to improve the coverage, quality, and sustainability of family planning (FP) services in Latin America and the Caribbean. INOPAL II was the successor to INOPAL I (1984–1989). Like its predecessor, INOPAL II was supported by a contract from the USAID Office of Population, when it was replaced by a new USAID-funded project, INOPAL III. INOPAL II objectives included: expanding access to FP services, improving the operations of programs by …

Male Involvement In Family Planning: A Challenge For The National Programme Workshop, National Institute Of Population Research And Training, Deutsche Gesellschaft Fur Technische Zusammenarbeit (Gtz), Population Council, Avsc International

Reproductive Health

The Bangladesh family planning (FP) program has achieved success in reducing fertility during the past decades, but male involvement is lagging behind. A two-day seminar on "Male Involvement in Family Planning: A Challenge for the National Programme" was held in Dhaka June 25–26, 1996. The objectives were to review research findings on methods currently used, determine male involvement policy and strategy, and formulate an action plan including IEC, counseling, and programmatic interventions. Speakers emphasized the need for more male involvement in FP and the prevailing misconceptions about male contraception that should be addressed with IEC programs. Participants felt that to …

Communications Needs Assessment In Egypt: Final Report, Sahar Hegazi

Reproductive Health

The recently approved dissemination strategy of the Population Council's ANE OR/TA Project aims to improve the communication process for diffusing study results, enhance their utilization, and institutionalize the operations research communications methods in each of the ANE OR/TA countries. A communications needs assessment was conducted to re-examine the target audiences, define the type of messages each responds to best, identify the most appropriate mix of media for transmitting those messages, and consolidate linkages with other communications professionals working within related fields. This exercise was conducted in Egypt between January and March 1996. The methodology was based on conducting in-depth interviews …

Indonesia Norplant® Removal Assessment Study, Andrew A. Fisher, Joedo Prihartono, Jayanti Tuladhar, Anthony Tan

Reproductive Health

The Indonesia Norplant® Removal Assessment Study was prepared for the World Bank and USAID/Indonesia. All women interviewed had Norplant (contraceptive implant) inserted for five or more years before the interview. For the entire sample, 8.2 percent had not yet had Norplant removed at the time of the interview. This report indicates a very high continuation rate for each Norplant insertion cohort from 1987 through 1991. Almost all Norplant users continue through the fourth year. Between the end of the fourth year and the end of the fifth year, there is a sharp drop in use from 90 percent to 66 …

Indonesia: Utilization Of Completed Operations Research Studies, Meiwita B. Iskandar, Subadra Indrawati

Reproductive Health

In the past eight years, many operations research (OR) programs were implemented in Indonesia to increase the availability, accessibility, and acceptability of services desired by family planning (FP) users. OR has also been employed to improve quality and sustainability by studying the performance, efficiency, and effectiveness of services delivered by providers. Nonetheless, relatively little is known about the true effects of OR studies in identifying and solving program problems in order to support the planning and coordinating of a particular program. Measuring utilization of OR results is not simple. In 1989, USAID signed its last bilateral assistance agreement with the …

Lactational Amenhorrhoea Method For Birth Spacing In Uttar Pradesh, India: Supporting Technical Data, Leila Caleb-Varkey, John Townsend

Reproductive Health

Following the International Population and Development Conference in Cairo, there has been widespread consensus in the international community that family planning (FP) programs must be people-centered and focus not just on contraception, but on the reproductive health (RH) of men and women throughout their lives. This policy brief reviews the research and policy implications of promoting the Lactational Amenorrhea Method (LAM) as a component of FP counseling in India. The Government of India and the Population Council are using a pregnancy-based approach in Uttar Pradesh to improve the delivery of FP services through the rural primary health care system. Introducing …

Communications Needs Assessment: India, Sanjeev Kumar

Reproductive Health

“Needs assessment” refers to the process of assessing needs—of services, products, or information. The objectives of this communications needs assessment report are to identify policymakers and program managers’ specific information needs; to refine project audience segments according to information needs; and to assess current ANE OR/TA dissemination activities in India. Currently the ANE OR/TA Project is using many conventional and some innovative channels to reach a diverse audience, including: research summaries, final reports, policy briefs, working papers, personal communication with decisionmakers, workshops and seminars, OR home page on the Internet, and local and national media. To assess the information needs …

Proceedings Of The Operations Research Training Workshop: Mainstreaming Nfp In The Public Sector, August 15-18, 1996, Family Planning Service, Philippine Federation For Natural Family Planning, The Family Planning Operations Research And Training (Fport) Program, Population Council

Reproductive Health

This report summarizes the proceedings of the “Operations Research Training Workshop: Mainstreaming Natural Family Planning in the Public Sector,” held August 15-18, 1996, in Boracay, Aklan, Philippines. The workshop was sponsored by the Philippine Federation for Natural Family Planning (NFP), the Family Planning Service of the Department of Health, and the Family Planning Operations Research and Training (FPORT) Program of the Population Council, Manila. Program managers and health officials were trained in operations research (OR) to enhance their understanding and appreciation of OR and its role in integrating NFP technology in the public health sector. Results of several diagnostic and …

Dmpa Injectable Use: Findings From The 21-Month Dmpa Monitoring Study, Population Council

Reproductive Health

This report presents the results of the DMPA Monitoring Study undertaken by the Population Council, Manila, as a technical assistance project for the DMPA Reintroduction Program of the Department of Health. The primary objective is to provide data on DMPA utilization and continuation rates to project the logistical needs of the program during the next three years. Data on availability of DMPA supplies and IEC (information, education, and communication) materials relating to DMPA were also monitored to provide some measure of effectiveness of the program's distribution system. The study covers a 21-month observation period from April 1994 to December 1995 …

Proceedings Of The Operations Research Workshop For Lgu Health And Population Officials And Researchers, August 9-13, 1996, Family Planning Service, The Family Planning Operations Research And Training (Fport) Program, Population Council

Reproductive Health

This report summarizes the results of the training workshop for health and population officials and researchers who gathered in Boracay, Aklan, Philippines, on August 9-13, 1996, to discuss the tenets and applications of operations research (OR). This workshop was co-sponsored by the Family Planning Service of the Department of Health (DOH) and the Family Planning Operations Research and Training Program of the Population Council, Manila. Fourteen local government units (LGUs) were represented in the workshop: Benguet, Cagayan, Ilocos Sur, Tarlac, Quezon City, Capiz, Negros Oriental, Bacolod, Misamis Oriental, Davao del Sur, Davao City, Maguindanao, North Cotabato, and South Cotabato. They …

Women's Experiences Of Unwanted Pregnancy And Induced Abortion In Nigeria, Friday E. Okonofua, Clifford Odimegwu, Bisi Aina, Patrick H. Daru, Agnes Johnson

Reproductive Health

A population-based study was conducted to determine the prevalence and pattern of abortion use among women in two communities of Nigeria. The results show a high frequency of reports of unwanted pregnancy and induced abortion among the women. Furthermore they suggest that detailed information can be obtained on abortion in areas with restrictive laws if a sensitive approach to interviewing is adopted. The results presented in this report have implications as the Nigerian government begins designing a set of realistic policies and programs to address the high rate of morbidity and mortality associated with induced abortion in that country. The …

What's Sex Got To Do With It? Challenges For Incorporating Sexuality Into Family Planning Programs, Kirsten Moore, Judith F. Helzner

Reproductive Health

In February 1996, IPPF/WHR and the Population Council’s Ebert Program on Critical Issues in Reproductive Health jointly hosted a meeting on the challenge of incorporating sexuality into family planning. This report was compiled after organizers concluded that the ideas and strategies presented during the meeting merited wider recognition and debate within the family planning field. The meeting examined five myths that have prevented family planning and reproductive health services from dealing directly with issues of sexuality and gender. The report draws principally on the discussions from the meeting as well as on the perspectives of the organizers. The authors hope …

Issues In Essential Obstetric Care, Diana Measham, Virginia Kallianes

Reproductive Health

This report summarizes the proceedings of a meeting on essential obstetric care (EOC) convened by the Population Council on behalf of the Inter-Agency Group for Safe Motherhood (IAG). This technical meeting was held to clarify the definition of EOC, bridge the gap between research and program planning, and stimulate field-level activity. The president of the Population Council closed and summarized the meeting by noting that the IAG is making progress, but that work remains to be done. Progress will begin to occur more rapidly when we are able to prove that lives have been saved and to state definitively that …

Analytical Perspectives On A Protohistoric Cache Of Ceramic Jars From The Lower Colorado Desert, James M. Bayman, Richard H. Hevly, Boma Johnson, Karl J. Reinhard, Richard Ryan

Karl Reinhard Publications

A cache of hermetically sealed ceramic jars found in the Lower Colorado Desert was examined using chronometric dating, pollen and macrofossil extraction, design analysis, and water retention experimentation. The cache apparently dates to the protohistoricfifteenth through seventeenth centuries. Findings from these studies contribute to knowledge in four problem areas: (1) ceramic jar function and use-history; (2) storage technology and caching behavior; (3) ceramic dating and chronology; and (4) symbolic iconography. Biotic remains from inside the jars document their use for transporting a variety of riverine and desert plants, before they were finally filled with flowers and seeds, and placed in …

Affective Reactions, Social Support And Willingness To Self-Disclose To Hiv Seropositive Individuals: Impact Of Sexual Orientation And Responsibility For The Infection, Susan Paige Sherburne

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

An attributional model of controllability suggests that perceptions of someone's controllability of an event lead to anger and rejection, whereas perceptions of uncontrollability lead to pity and helping. This study examined the impact of an HIV victim's sexual orientation and "responsibility" for infection on subjects' affective responses, self-disclosure to the person, social support, and liking and trust for the person. Subjects received messages from their "partner" (a confederate) stating that he had just learned he was HIV positive. The message either stated that he was heterosexual or homosexual, and that he had either only one partner or many partners. Subjects …

The Dmpa Service Provider: Profile, Problems And Prospects—Philippines, Maria Carmela Patron, Marilou P. Costello

Reproductive Health

This report presents the results of interviews conducted with 60 trained DMPA service providers from seven of the ten local government units (LGUs) covered by Phase I of the Philippine Department of Health's DMPA Reintroduction Program. DMPA, or Depot-medroxyprogesterone acetate, is an injectable contraceptive commonly known as Depo-Provera. The interviews were undertaken as part of the DMPA Monitoring and Follow-up Studies sponsored by the Population Council under the Asia and Near East Operations Research and Technical Assistance (ANE OR/TA) Project. While the monitoring study and the follow-up survey focused on DMPA users and dropouts, this study centered on the service …

Effect Of A No-Smoking Policy Aboard A U. S. Navy Aircraft Carrier, Suzanne L. Hurtado, Scott A. Shappell

Publications

The purpose of this study was to assess the impact if a no-smoking policy aboard the Atlantic Fleet carrier USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT (CVN-71) on the crew's smoking behavior and exposure to ETS, as well as crew attitudes regarding smoking policy. All crew members aboard ship were asked to participate in a baseline and post-intervention survey.

Ethnic Minorities And Mental Health: Ethical Concerns In Counseling Immigrants And Culturally-Diverse Groups, Gemima M. Remy

Trotter Review

Between 1980 and 1990 nearly 9 million foreign-born individuals migrated to the United States. In 1993, the Immigration and Naturalization Service recorded the entry of over 900,000 immigrants and refugees. This figure is believed to be higher given the estimated 1.5 to 2.5 million people who enter this country illegally each year. Currently, ethnic minority groups make up one-fourth of the United States population. It is estimated that by the year 2000, one-third of the U.S. population will be comprised of ethnic minorities. As the population of the United States becomes increasingly diverse, considerable attention is being directed to a …

Warning: Urban Living May Be Hazardous To Your Health: A Personal Perspective, Frederick G. Adams

Trotter Review

As a result of remarkable scientific and medical achievements of the 20th century, we now know that full and quality health is within reach for all Americans. Yet, despite these achievements, the burdens of inadequate health services too often falls more heavily on some population groups more so than on others. The fact that this "gap" in health status occurs more frequently among people with low income and people belonging to racial/ethnic minority groups, in particular African Americans, has been well documented nationally. Not only does the "gap" in the health status experienced by these groups include consistently higher excess …

Coalition Building: Moving Toward Effective Coalitional Strategies Of Hiv/Aids Prevention In Communities Of Color, Lisa Roland

Trotter Review

Despite the overwhelming burden carried by blacks and Latinos in terms of AIDS, it has become evident that in keeping with the general and historical pattern of discrimination reflected in funding, allocation of resources, policies etc., communities of color have received insufficient support to effectively address the problem at hand. Further compounding this dilemma, communities of color have fought against each other to secure funding for particular community programs. While looking at our individual, immediate, and entirely valid needs, many of us have at times failed to see the impact of our individual actions and attitudes on a broader picture.

Can The Health Needs Of African American Men Be Met Through Public Health Empowerment Strategies?, Deborah Prothrow-Stith, Eric Whitaker

Trotter Review

Health promotion and disease prevention efforts, which use empowerment strategies and emphasize community control, are essential to overcoming the legacy of medical malfeasance and successfully improving the health status of black males. This discussion depicts the legacy of harm and presents the case for empowerment strategies; it also describes one Boston community-based program example of utilizing an empowerment strategy and concludes with a challenge to all health professionals to become enablers of empowerment rather than obstructions to it.

Improving Health Care For Disadvantaged Local Communities: Proposing User Fees Based On Some International Experiences, Saskia Wilhelms

Trotter Review

The fact that national health care reform in the United States has been stalled is not reason for resign. More than ever, one has to design and implement creative options to achieve satisfactory health service at low costs. The political turnover in Congress shifts more responsibility to local governments. This means less funding and less willingness by the national government to be held accountable for health and social services. On the other hand, this situation may carry opportunity to impact social policies on a local level.

The living conditions in some of our communities equal those in so-called third world …

A National Minority Organ/Tissue Transplant Education Program: The First Step In The Evolution Of A National Minority Strategy And Minority Transplant Equity In The Usa, Clive O. Callender, Alvina S. Bey, Patrice V. Miles, Curtis L. Yeager

Trotter Review

In 1978, members of the Southeastern Organ Procurement Foundation approached us concerning the disparity between the large number of African American patients, 50% to 70% of all patients on dialysis (artificial kidney machines), and the small number of African American donors (3%), and asked us why and what could be done about it? From my perspective as an African American transplant surgeon at Howard University, these observations piqued my curiosity and I agreed to investigate them. Our investigation took us into three areas: 1. An evaluation of the data regarding transplantation in patients at the Howard University Hospital Transplant Center …

Programmatic Responses To The Aids Epidemic By Communities Of Color In Massachusetts, Ron E. Armstead

Trotter Review

The Centers for Disease Control found that minorities now account for more than half of all the HIV cases in the United States. For African Americans, the rate was more than 5 times as high as that for whites. Further, the disease has equally affected women and children in the African American community; 84% of the AIDS cases involving children age 12 and under can be found in the African American community. AIDS has now become the second leading cause of death for African American women. This essay describes a research project focusing on the factors involved in developing and …

Disparities In The Health Care Status Of Women: Implications For Research, Marcia I. Wells-Lawson

Trotter Review

Even a cursory review of data on the health status of women reveals striking differences by race. According to data from the National Center for Health Statistics, death rates among Black women from the three leading causes of death (cardiac disease, cancer and cerebrovascular disease) exceed those of white, Asian, Native American and Latina women for each age category from 45-84. With the exception of Black women, the death rates among white women from these diseases exceed those of other ethnic groups of women. Data on two of the risk factors for cardiac and cerebrovascular diseases (hypertension and obesity), show …

The Multicultural Mental Health Research Center (Mmhrc), Castellano Turner

Trotter Review

African Americans, Asian Americans, Hispanic/Latino Americans, and Native Americans have had relatively less access to the resources of society compared to white Americans. These resources include such things as educational and employment opportunities, political and economic power, and the goods and services that a prosperous society can produce. Health care is an important resource to which access is not equal for all groups. African Americans and other ethnic minority groups are, by most indices of health care access and utilization, underserved. Mental health services, in particular, have been shown to be less available to ethnic minority populations. Jones and Korchin, …

Identification Of Variables Influencing Women's Breast Cancer Detection, Sherri Duckworth Kemp

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

This study investigated the variables influencing women's breast cancer detection behavior. Using social learning theory as an organizing framework. factors influencing women's decisions to seek breast cancer detection and the respondent's personal demographics were examined for their contribution to explaining women's decisions to seek breast cancer detection.

A [convience] sample from a university medical center provided data for the study. Data were gathered with a voluntary questionnaire. A total of 25 employees from the medical center participated in the study during the winter quarter of 1994.

The findings of the study provide insight into some of the variables affecting women's …

Ua66/13/3 Health Link, Vol. 1, No. 1, Wku Public Health

WKU Administration Documents

Newsletter created by and about the WKU Public Health department.