Deconstructing and Assessing Knowledge and Awareness in Public Health Research.
Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Trevethan R
PROVIDER: S-EPMC5545880 | biostudies-other | 2017
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other
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Project description:Background and aimDespite efforts in controlling and managing liver diseases, significant health issues remain. This study aims to evaluate the degree of public awareness and knowledge regarding liver health and diseases in Singapore.MethodsA cross-sectional, self-reported, web-based questionnaire was administered to 500 adult individuals. Questionnaire items pertained to knowledge and awareness of overall liver health, liver diseases and their associated risk factors.ResultsSixty-four percent of respondents were ≥35 years old and 54.0% were male. While majority agreed that regular screening was important for liver health (91.2%), only 65.4% attended health screening within recent 2 years. Hepatitis B had more awareness than hepatitis C among the respondents. About 70% agreed the consequences of viral hepatitis included liver cirrhosis, failure, and/or cancer. Yet, only 15% knew hepatitis C is not preventable by vaccination and more than half mistaken hepatitis B and C are transmissible via contaminated or raw seafood. Despite 75% being aware of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, many were not aware of the related risk factors and complications. Awareness of specific screening and diagnostic tests for liver health was poor as one-fifth correctly identified the diagnostic tests for viral hepatitis. Preferences for doctor's consultation, TV, or newspapers (online) as information channels contrasted those currently used in the public health education efforts.ConclusionsThe levels of understanding of liver diseases, risk factors, and potential complications are suboptimal among the Singapore public. More public education efforts aligned with respondents' information-seeking preferences could facilitate addressing misperceptions and increase knowledge about liver diseases.
| S-EPMC9290627 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BACKGROUND:Clubfoot is a treatable abnormality that can be managed with early intervention. However, there is a lack of public knowledge regarding clubfoot, which can delay treatment. This study aimed to assess the public awareness of clubfoot and knowledge regarding the importance of treatment in early childhood. METHODS:This cross-sectional survey spanned 6 months, from June through November 2018, and involved persons living in Saudi Arabia. To collect data on public awareness of clubfoot risk factors, treatment, and prognosis, a questionnaire was developed by orthopedic experts and disseminated online. The target population included people of both genders and all age groups from the general population, regardless of their knowledge of someone with clubfoot. RESULTS:By the end of the study period, 746 participants completed the online survey. In total, 520 of the respondents (69.7%) had never heard about clubfoot syndrome. Among the participants, 5.4% had a child with clubfoot syndrome and 4.6% were aware of clubfoot because they had an affected child. The top resource accessed by respondents for obtaining knowledge about clubfoot was social media channels (38.4%), followed by obtaining knowledge from relatives and friends (19.9%). The most reported perceived cause of clubfoot was hereditary and genetic disorders (58.4%), followed by neurological disorders (39.9%). CONCLUSIONS:Results show that there is low public knowledge of clubfoot which may be attributed to a lack of awareness campaigns. We recommend increasing awareness regarding clubfoot through social media platforms and public campaigns in key locations, such as malls, as this may encourage people to seek early treatment. This is important because early management of clubfoot is less invasive and with regular follow-up, leads to better patient outcomes.
| S-EPMC6796333 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Background:Parkinson's disease (PD) is one of the most prevalent neurologic disorders, leading to progressive disability that can be slowed but not stopped by treatment. It is characterized by tremors, slow movements, stiffness in arms and legs, and balance impairment. Despite advancement in treatment, diagnosis, and care of PD patients, lack of adequate knowledge and associated beliefs among the community might have a key role in limiting access to proper treatment and care. Objectives:To identify the level of awareness of our population regarding PD in terms of causes, signs, symptoms, and treatment. Materials and Methods:A cross-sectional study was conducted on Saudis, who have active Twitter accounts. Data were collected through a previously validated questionnaire, which tests recognition of PD symptoms and general knowledge regarding PD. The questionnaire was translated into Arabic. Part 1 of the questionnaire is the demographic data collection sheet, Part 2 of the questionnaire tests recognition of PD symptoms, and Part 3 of the questionnaire tests general knowledge regarding PD. Results:The questionnaire was administered to 3,050 members of the public, of which 2,609 questionnaires (86.20%) were included in the analysis. The tremor was the most widely recognized symptom (86.10%), and weight loss was the most recognized non-motor symptom (24%). Most respondents (56%) were able to identify imbalance as a symptom of PD, whereas only 4.10% of them were able to identify the reduced sense of smell as a symptom of PD. Motor symptoms were significantly better recognized (range 31.30%-86.10%) than non-motor symptoms (range 4.10%-24%). Conclusion:Educational campaigns may be appropriate to improve public awareness of PD and individual knowledge about PD symptoms and treatment.
| S-EPMC6293928 | biostudies-other
Project description:OBJECTIVE:To identify essential knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) for and characterize gaps in KSAs of professionals working in large, urban health departments. DESIGN:A survey was disseminated to potentially eligible supervisors within 26 of 28 health departments in the largest, most urban jurisdictions in the country. A supervisor was eligible to participate if he or she supervised at least 1 staff member whose highest level of education was a master's degree. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS:A total of 645 eligible supervisors participated in the workforce survey for a response rate of 27.1% and cooperation rate of 55.2%. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S):Supervisors were asked to rate the importance of KSAs to their masters-level staffs' work and indicate their staffs' proficiency. RESULTS:Fifty-eight percent of supervisors reported supervising staff with a master of public health/master of science in public health degree. More than 30% of supervisors indicated that all of the 30 KSAs were essential. Four of the top 10 KSAs rated as essential by supervisors pertained to the ability to communicate. The top skills gaps perceived by supervisors were professional staffs' ability to apply quality improvement concepts to their work (38.0%), understanding of the political system (37.7%), and ability to anticipate changes (33.8%). CONCLUSIONS:Public health practitioners receive training in methods, theories, and evidence-based approaches, yet further investment in the workforce is necessary to advance population health. A focus should be placed developing strategic skills rather than advancing narrow specialties. Findings from this research can guide the creation and implementation of training curricula and professional development programs offered within local health departments or targeted to their staff, as well as satisfaction of accreditation requirements. By focusing on building strategic skills, we can ensure a public health workforce that is equipped with the KSAs necessary to practice Public Health 3.0 and leaders who are able to serve as their communities' chief health strategists.
| S-EPMC6078486 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundSocial media has substantially changed how people confront health issues. However, a comprehensive understanding of how social media has altered the foci and methods in public health research remains lacking.ObjectiveThis study aims to examine research themes, the role of social media, and research methods in social media-based public health research published from 2000 to 2018.MethodsA dataset of 3419 valid studies was developed by searching a list of relevant keywords in the Web of Science and PubMed databases. In addition, this study employs an unsupervised text-mining technique and topic modeling to extract research themes of the published studies. Moreover, the role of social media and research methods adopted in those studies were analyzed.ResultsThis study identifies 25 research themes, covering different diseases, various population groups, physical and mental health, and other significant issues. Social media assumes two major roles in public health research: produce substantial research interest for public health research and furnish a research context for public health research. Social media provides substantial research interest for public health research when used for health intervention, human-computer interaction, as a platform of social influence, and for disease surveillance, risk assessment, or prevention. Social media acts as a research context for public health research when it is mere reference, used as a platform to recruit participants, and as a platform for data collection. While both qualitative and quantitative methods are frequently used in this emerging area, cutting edge computational methods play a marginal role.ConclusionsSocial media enables scholars to study new phenomena and propose new research questions in public health research. Meanwhile, the methodological potential of social media in public health research needs to be further explored.
| S-EPMC7453331 | biostudies-literature
Project description:IntroductionThrough funding agency and publisher policies, an increasing proportion of the health sciences literature is being made open access. Such an increase in access raises questions about the awareness and potential utilization of this literature by those working in health fields.MethodsA sample of physicians (N=336) and public health non-governmental organization (NGO) staff (N=92) were provided with relatively complete access to the research literature indexed in PubMed, as well as access to the point-of-care service UpToDate, for up to one year, with their usage monitored through the tracking of web-log data. The physicians also participated in a one-month trial of relatively complete or limited access.ResultsThe study found that participants' research interests were not satisfied by article abstracts alone nor, in the case of the physicians, by a clinical summary service such as UpToDate. On average, a third of the physicians viewed research a little more frequently than once a week, while two-thirds of the public health NGO staff viewed more than three articles a week. Those articles were published since the 2008 adoption of the NIH Public Access Policy, as well as prior to 2008 and during the maximum 12-month embargo period. A portion of the articles in each period was already open access, but complete access encouraged a viewing of more research articles.ConclusionThose working in health fields will utilize more research in the course of their work as a result of (a) increasing open access to research, (b) improving awareness of and preparation for this access, and (c) adjusting public and open access policies to maximize the extent of potential access, through reduction in embargo periods and access to pre-policy literature.
| S-EPMC4511689 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundDementia is a global public health priority. Many modifiable factors have been shown to influence the development of dementia, but these factors are not adequately known by the general public. This study aimed to assess public awareness of the factors that are associated with dementia in China.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted from May to October 2019 using an Internet-based questionnaire. Data on basic sociodemographic characteristics were collected, and the knowledge of risk and protective factors for dementia was investigated. Logistic regression analysis was performed to compare levels of the knowledge of factors associated with dementia across populations with different demographic characteristics.ResultsData from 3338 respondents were analyzed. The percentages of participants who accurately identified the risk factors of dementia were follows: 84.24% for negative affect, 65.07% for alcohol use, 56.68% for smoking, 48.74% for hypertension, and 42.66% for diabetes. The percentages of participants who accurately identified the protective factors for dementia were follows: 90.00% for exercise, 84.69% for social activity, 80.92% for intelligence games, 74.45% for reading, and 6.14% for antihypertensive or hypolipidemic drugs. The majority of Chinese people correctly recognized the role of lifestyle factors in the development of dementia but not medical factors. The levels of knowledge of the factors associated with dementia were significantly distinct across populations with different characteristics. The following sociodemographic characteristics were associated with more comprehensive knowledge of dementia risk and protective factors: women, young age, high education levels, nonmanual jobs, and contact with patients with dementia.ConclusionsPublic awareness and knowledge of risk and protective factors for dementia in China are still insufficient. More efforts are needed to publicize information to reduce the risk of dementia.
| S-EPMC7568826 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundPublic awareness and engagement are among the main prerequisites for protecting the rights of research participants and for successful and sustainable functioning of research biobanks. The aim of our study was to analyse public awareness and attitudes towards research biobanks in Latvia, and to compare these data with the results of the 2010 Eurobarometer study. We also analysed the influence of awareness and attitudes towards biobanks on willingness to participate in biobank studies and on preferred type of informed consent.MethodsWe developed a 12-question survey repeating seven questions about biobanks from the 2010 Eurobarometer questionnaire and adding five others. After describing the study variables, we performed a two-stage analysis of the results. In the first stage we analysed differences between the answers from 2010 and 2019 and conducted univariate analyses of relationships among particular variables, and between those variables and the socio-demographic characteristics of participants. In the second stage we investigated multivariable associations of willingness to participate and type of consent with awareness, trust and the socio-economic characteristics of participants.ResultsAccording to our study, the general public in Latvia is still not well informed about research biobanks. Fewer respondents have heard about research biobanks than in 2010. At the same time, the number of respondents who are willing to donate biological samples and personal data to a biobank has increased, e.g. the number of respondents who would definitely or probably be willing to provide information about themselves has increased from 25.8.% to 40.7 since 2010. Overall, concerns about the donation of different types of biological samples and data to a biobank have slightly decreased.ConclusionsPublic awareness about biobanks is important for their sustainability. It needs to be increased not only by traditional methods of informing the public, but also by more innovative and participatory approaches, e.g. by citizen science projects. There is a need to strengthen the public visibility and trustworthiness of ethics committees in Latvia in the field of biobanking.
| S-EPMC7393882 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundParents of children with food allergy, primary care physicians, and members of the general public play a critical role in the health and well-being of food-allergic children, though little is known about their knowledge and perceptions of food allergy. The purpose of this paper is to detail the development of the Chicago Food Allergy Research Surveys to assess food allergy knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs among these three populations.MethodsFrom 2006-2008, parents of food-allergic children, pediatricians, family physicians, and adult members of the general public were recruited to assist in survey development. Preliminary analysis included literature review, creation of initial content domains, expert panel review, and focus groups. Survey validation included creation of initial survey items, expert panel ratings, cognitive interviews, reliability testing, item reduction, and final validation. National administration of the surveys is ongoing.ResultsNine experts were assembled to oversee survey development. Six focus groups were held: 2/survey population, 4-9 participants/group; transcripts were reviewed via constant comparative methods to identify emerging themes and inform item creation. At least 220 participants per population were recruited to assess the relevance, reliability, and utility of each survey item as follows: cognitive interviews, 10 participants; reliability testing > or = 10; item reduction > or = 50; and final validation, 150 respondents.ConclusionThe Chicago Food Allergy Research surveys offer validated tools to assess food allergy knowledge and perceptions among three distinct populations: a 42 item parent tool, a 50 item physician tool, and a 35 item general public tool. No such tools were previously available.
| S-EPMC2736935 | biostudies-literature
Project description:One of the ethical principles of medical research involving human subjects is obtaining proper informed consent (IC). However, if the participants' actual awareness of medical research terminology is lower than the researchers' prediction of that awareness, it may cause difficulty obtaining proper IC. Therefore, this study aims to clarify the presence of "perception gaps" and then discuss IC-related issues and measures based on the insights obtained. We conducted two online surveys: a "public survey" to understand the Japanese public's awareness of 11 medical research terms and a "physicians' survey" to investigate physicians' predictions regarding public awareness. In the "public survey," for each term, respondents were instructed to select their situation from "understand," "have heard," or "have never heard." In the "physicians' survey," respondents were asked to estimate the proportions of the general public who would "have understood," "have heard," or "have never heard" by using an 11-step scale. We analyzed separately in two age groups to understand the age-related difference. We received 1002 valid responses for the "public survey" and 275 for the "physicians' survey." Of the public respondents, more than 80% had never heard of terms such as interventional study, prospective clinical study, cohort study, Phase I clinical trial, or double-blind study. Concurrently, physicians overestimated general public awareness of the terms placebo, cohort study, double-blind study, and randomized clinical trial (in the group of people under 60). The results revealed the perception gap between the general public and physicians which raise serious concerns about obtaining proper IC from clinical research participants.Supplementary informationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s41649-023-00247-4.
| S-EPMC10555973 | biostudies-literature