Dataset Information

Pilot of an Elementary School Cough Etiquette Intervention: Acceptability, Feasibility, and Potential for Sustainability.

ABSTRACT: Schools convene many people together for a prolonged time, facilitating spread of respiratory pathogens and amplifying epidemics. Crowded Bangladeshi schools lack the infrastructure to support optimal cough etiquette behaviors. We collected formative data on current practices from four elementary schools, and developed and piloted a low-cost cough etiquette intervention, promoting coughing and sneezing into upper sleeves at four additional schools. We trained teachers to lead behavior change sessions during regular hygiene classes for 4 weeks. We evaluated intervention acceptability, feasibility, and potential for sustainability at 1 month and at 14 months after the intervention commenced. At baseline, among 63 observed students, 58 (92%) coughed/sneezed into open air, five (8%) covered coughs/sneezes with their hands, which were not subsequently washed with soap and water as they judged this infeasible. After 4 weeks, among 70 observed students, 27 (39%) coughed/sneezed into upper sleeves, 33 (47%) into open air, and 10 (12%) covered with hands. After 14 months, among 230 observed students, 13 (6%) used upper sleeves, 154 (67%) coughed/sneezed into open air, and 59 (26%) covered with hands. Students reported that coughing/sneezing into upper sleeves was simple and protected them and their classmates from germs. This school-based intervention was acceptable and feasible, and resulted in short-term reductions in coughing/sneezing into open air, but these habits of comparatively new behavior were not sustained as teachers ceased behavior change session delivery. Strategies to support longer-term adoption of habits should be considered.

SUBMITTER: Sultana F

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5805026 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Pilot of an Elementary School Cough Etiquette Intervention: Acceptability, Feasibility, and Potential for Sustainability.

Sultana Farhana F Nizame Fosiul A FA Southern Dorothy L DL Unicomb Leanne L Winch Peter J PJ Luby Stephen P SP

The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene 20171012 6

Schools convene many people together for a prolonged time, facilitating spread of respiratory pathogens and amplifying epidemics. Crowded Bangladeshi schools lack the infrastructure to support optimal cough etiquette behaviors. We collected formative data on current practices from four elementary schools, and developed and piloted a low-cost cough etiquette intervention, promoting coughing and sneezing into upper sleeves at four additional schools. We trained teachers to lead behavior change ses ...[more]

PMID: 29141703

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Project description:Although fitness may benefit cognition in youth, most attention has been given to cardiorespiratory fitness despite the health benefits of muscular fitness. Few studies have examined interventions that incorporate both cardiorespiratory and muscular fitness or have been offered during school recess. Furthermore, most fitness intervention studies examining cognitive outcomes have not reported on implementation information. The purpose of this pilot study was to examine the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy on fitness and cognition of a recess intervention in elementary school children. Two schools were randomized to either a 3-month cardiorespiratory and muscular fitness intervention (15 minutes/weekday during recess) or control condition (standard recess activities). Process evaluation (feasibility and acceptability) measures were recorded daily (research staff questionnaire), weekly (accelerometer and heart rate monitors), and post-intervention (participant and school-staff questionnaires). Preliminary efficacy measures included pre- and post-intervention inhibition/attention, working memory, and cardiorespiratory and muscular fitness scores. Some feasibility and acceptability measures were favorable (88% of the lessons were implemented, 78% of the lessons were implemented as planned, and the majority of students and school staff were satisfied with most aspects of the intervention). However, intensity adherence during the intervention sessions based on accelerometry (% of time spent in moderate-to-vigorous activity: 41.7 ± 14.5) and participation (19.4% attendance rate) were lower than expected. Preliminary efficacy of the intervention on cognitive and fitness outcomes was not demonstrated. This study provided evidence that some aspects of the fitness intervention were acceptable during school recess. However, important implementation factors (i.e., intervention exposure) should be targeted to improve youth fitness programs offered during this school setting.

Project description:BackgroundThere is a need for innovative strategies to improve TB testing uptake and patient retention along the continuum of TB care early-on in treatment without burdening under-resourced health systems. We used a mixed methods approach to develop and pilot test a tuberculosis literacy and counselling intervention at an urban clinic in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa, to improve TB testing uptake and retention in tuberculosis care.MethodsWe engaged in discussions with clinic staff to plan and develop the intervention, which was delivered by senior social work students who received one-week training. The intervention included: 1) group health talks with all patients attending the primary clinic; and 2) individual counselling sessions, using motivational interviewing techniques, with newly diagnosed tuberculosis patients. We compared social work students' tuberculosis knowledge, attitudes, and practices before and after their training. We assessed the change in number of tuberculosis diagnostic tests performed after implementation via an interrupted time series analysis with a quasi-Poisson regression model. We compared pre- and post-intervention probabilities of treatment initiation and completion using regression analyses, adjusting for potential baseline confounders. We conducted focus groups with the students, as well as brief surveys and one-on-one interviews with patients, to assess acceptability, feasibility, and implementation.ResultsDuring the study period, 1226 individuals received tuberculosis diagnostic testing and 163 patients started tuberculosis treatment, of whom 84 (51.5%) received individual counselling. The number of diagnostic tuberculosis tests performed increased by 1.36 (95%CI 1.23-1.58) times post-intervention, adjusting for background calendar trend. Probabilities of TB treatment initiation and treatment completion increased by 10.1% (95%CI 1.5-21.3%) and 4.4% (95%CI -7.3-16.0%), respectively. Patients found the counselling sessions alleviated anxiety and increased treatment self-efficacy. Social work students felt the clinic staff were collaborative and highly supportive of the intervention, and that it improved patient engagement and adherence.ConclusionsEngaging clinic staff in the development of an intervention ensures buy-in and collaboration. Education and counselling before and early-on in tuberculosis treatment can increase tuberculosis testing and treatment uptake. Training junior social workers can enable task-shifting in under-resourced settings, while addressing important service gaps in tuberculosis care.

Dataset Information

Pilot of an Elementary School Cough Etiquette Intervention: Acceptability, Feasibility, and Potential for Sustainability.

Publications

Pilot of an Elementary School Cough Etiquette Intervention: Acceptability, Feasibility, and Potential for Sustainability.

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