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Healthcare Professionals and Students' Awareness of Chagas Disease: Design and Validation of Chagas Level of Knowledge Scale (ChaLKS).

ABSTRACT: There are few studies evaluating awareness of Chagas disease among healthcare professionals attending migrants from Latin America or working in Chagas-endemic areas. The objective of this study was to design and validate instruments for assessing knowledge about Chagas disease among healthcare students and residents as well as students and professionals of social and other health science disciplines. Two validated scales have been developed: the 10-item Chagas Level of Knowledge Scale for healthcare professionals (ChaLKS-Medical) and the 8-item ChaLKS-Social&Health for potential aid workers from those fields. Both scales were considered adequate in terms of readability, internal consistency, construct validity, and discriminant validity. The mean number of correct answers on the ChaLKS-Medical among respondents from non-healthcare versus healthcare sectors was 1.80 versus 7.00 (P < 0.001). The scores on the ChaLKS-Social&Health also discriminated between the knowledge levels in these two groups (1.76 versus 6.78, P < 0.001). Knowledge among medical/pharmacy students and residents on the ChaLKS-Medical was acceptable and different (mean: 5.8 and 7.4, respectively; P < 0.001). Respondents' knowledge of Chagas disease was greater in those who had previously received information on the disease; this was true in both respondents from the healthcare sector (mean correct answers, ChaLKS-Medical: 7.2 versus 4.3, P < 0.001) and in potential aid workers (mean correct answers, ChaLKS-Social&Health: 5.1 versus 1.1, P = 0.001). The metric properties of both scales are adequate for their use in supporting aid operations in Chagas-endemic countries or in providing health and social care to migrant populations in non-endemic countries.

SUBMITTER: Ramos-Rincon JM

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7356480 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:ObjectivesSepsis awareness and understanding are important aspects of prevention, recognition, and clinical management of sepsis. We conducted a scoping review to identify and map the literature related to sepsis awareness, general knowledge, and information-seeking behaviors with a goal to inform future sepsis research and knowledge translation campaigns.DesignScoping review.SettingUsing Arksey and O'Malley's methodological framework, we conducted a systematic search on May 3, 2021, across four databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, and Education Research Complete). Title/abstract and full-text screening was done in duplicate. One researcher extracted the data for each included article, and a second researcher checked data accuracy. The protocol was registered on Open Science Framework ( https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/YX7AU ).SubjectsArticles related to sepsis awareness, knowledge, and information seeking behaviors among patients, public, and healthcare professionals.InterventionsNone.Measurements and main resultsOf 5,927 unique studies, 80 reported on patient ( n = 13/80;16.3%), public ( n = 15/80;18.8%), or healthcare professional (nurses, physicians, emergency medical technicians) ( n = 48/80; 60%) awareness and knowledge of sepsis. Healthcare professional awareness and knowledge of sepsis is high compared with patients/public. The proportion of patients/public who had heard of the term sepsis ranged from 2% (Japan) to 88.6% (Germany). The proportions of patients/public who correctly identified the definition of sepsis ranged from 4.2% (Singapore) to 92% (Sweden). The results from the included studies appear to suggest that patient/public awareness of sepsis gradually improved over time. We found that the definition of sepsis was inconsistent in the literature and that few studies reported on patient, public, or healthcare professional knowledge of sepsis risk factors. Most patient/public get their sepsis information from the internet, whereas healthcare professionals get it from their role in healthcare through job training or educational training.ConclusionsPatient, public, and healthcare professional awareness and knowledge of sepsis vary globally. Future research may benefit from a consistent definition as well as country-specific data to support targeted public awareness campaigns.

Project description:Background and Objectives: Folic acid (FA) is a necessary ingredient for numerous bodily activities including pregnancy. Because of this, women should have knowledge and awareness of the health benefits of FA supplementation. Thus, we aimed to investigate the level of knowledge on the importance of FA and determine associated factors for knowledge among female college students at King Saud University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Material and Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study using a questionnaire between January 2020 and February 2021 among female college students aged 17 to 26 years old. The questionnaire adapted with permission from Alnaami et al. included questions on the demographic profile of the participants as well as questions related to their knowledge and awareness of FA, FA supplementation, the importance of supplementation and their sources of knowledge of FA. Results: A total of 437 female undergraduate students participated in the study, 285 (65.2%) of whom were from the non-health colleges and 152 (34.8%) from the health colleges. The majority of participants were between ages 17 and 21 years old (n = 361, 82.6%). Half of the respondents were in their 3rd and 4th year of study (n = 122, 50.8%), 138 respondents (31.6%) were married, and 111 of these married women (80.4%) had children. There were 266 respondents (61.0%) who had heard and had knowledge of FA, 241 (55.3%) knew of FA timing of intake, 243 (55.7%) of FA duration of intake and 362 (83.0%) knew of the diseases prevented by FA supplementation. Linear regression analysis showed that being in the health college (B = 1.464, t = 11.37, p < 0.001, 95% CI = 1.211, 1.717) and a higher educational year level (B = 0.139, t = 2.442, p = 0.015, 95% CI = 0.027, 0.251) were the significant predictors of knowledge of FA. Conclusions: Knowledge of FA and FA supplementation was low at 61% considering that our study population were college students. Being enrolled in a health college and in a higher educational year level were significant positive correlates of higher knowledge of FA and FA supplementation. Despite this, there exists a gap of information regarding FA and FA supplementation particularly among single women and college educated women in the early years of their college life as well as those in non-health colleges.

Project description:BackgroundThe World Health Organization (WHO) declares Chikungunya (CHIK) infection to be endemic in South Asia. Despite its first outbreak in Pakistan, no documented evidence exists which reveals the knowledge or awareness of healthcare students and workers (HCSW) regarding CHIK, its spread, symptoms, treatment and prevention. Since CHIK is an emergent infection in Pakistan, poor disease knowledge may result in a significant delay in diagnosis and treatment. The current study was aimed to evaluate the awareness and knowledge of CHIK among HCSW.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted among HCSW from teaching institutes and hospitals in seven provinces of Pakistan. We collected information on socio-demographic characteristics of the participants and their knowledge by using a 30-item questionnaire. The cumulative knowledge score (CKS) was calculated by correct answers with maximum score of 22. The relationship between demographics and knowledge score was evaluated by using appropriate statistical methods.ResultsThere were 563 respondents; mean age 25.2 ± 5.9 years with female preponderance (62.5%). Of these, 319 (56.7%) were aware of CHIK infection before administering the survey. The average knowledge score was 12.8 ± 4.1 (% knowledge score: 58.2%). Only 31% respondents had good disease knowledge while others had fair (36.4%) and poor (32.6%) knowledge. Out of five knowledge domains, domain III (vector, disease spread and transmission) and V (prevention and treatment) scored lowest among all i.e. percent score 44.5% and 54.1%, respectively. We found that socio-demographic characteristics had no influence on knowledge score of the study participants.ConclusionApproximately one-half of participants were not aware of CHIK infection and those who were aware had insufficient disease knowledge. Findings of the current study underscore the dire need of educational interventions not only for health care workers but also for students, irrespective to the discipline of study.

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Healthcare Professionals and Students' Awareness of Chagas Disease: Design and Validation of Chagas Level of Knowledge Scale (ChaLKS).

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