‘Youth in a void’: sexuality,HIV/AIDS and communication in Kenyan public schools

The disappearance of traditional sex education during rites of passage in African societies has left many youth uncertain of where to look for information. Against this backcloth, the objectives of this study were to identify knowledge gaps amongst adolescents in Kenya regarding sexuality, HIV/AIDS and reproductive health. A thematic analysis was conducted of questions posed by 735 school youth aged 12–18 years from Meru and Kajiado Districts. Results show that many questions showed curiosity and anxiousness. Knowledge appeared to be fragmented and sometimes revealed misconceptions, which may put youth at risk. The raised themes differed by gender and age. Questions on saying no to sex, sexual violence and female circumcision were a great concern for girls. Boys were more concerned with managing boy–girl relationships, preventing STI/HIV infection, and condoms. Concern about transition to adulthood, sexuality, STI and HIV/AIDS, myths and misconceptions, and intergenerational communication cut across both genders. Older teens were more concerned with questions on boy–girl relationships, norms and values regarding sexuality, and STI. Younger teens ( < 15 years) wanted to know about reproduction, saying no to sex, HIV/AIDS, condoms, sexual violence and female circumcision. Compounding these challenges was the lack of intergenerational communication. The study identified important knowledge and communication gaps in sexual and reproductive health among in-school adolescents in Kenya. There is a need for sex education interventions for different age groups and genders. These interventions should work with parents, teachers and health professionals.     

Knowledge of Alzheimer's Disease Among Norwegian Undergraduate Health and Social Care Students: A Survey Study

With an aging general population and a concurrent increase in the prevalence of dementia, health and social care professional students are increasingly exposed to this group of patients during their clinical placements and after graduation. A sound dementia-related knowledge base among health and social care students is important in providing high-quality dementia care. The present study assessed dementia-related knowledge in health and social care students. The Alzheimer's Disease Knowledge Scale (ADKS) was utilized to measure the level of dementia knowledge. A total of 321 undergraduate students from various disciplines in their final years of study, but prior to graduation, participated in this study. The study identified a moderate dementia knowledge base (mean score: 23.51 out of 30) among health and social care students. The results revealed that the students were also ignorant of many facts and had many misconceptions pertaining to Alzheimer's Disease (AD). In addition, significant differences in knowledge were evident between student groups. These results suggest that the current dementia curriculum should be evaluated in an attempt to improve the dementia knowledge base of health and social care students.     

GERONTOLOGICAL KNOWLEDGE AND ELDERLY HEALTH CARE SERVICES IN ALASKA: AGING IN THE LAST FRONTIER

The current research assessed Alaskan health and mental health care professionals’ perceptions regarding Alaska's elderly health care services as well as professional educational and training needs. Fifty‐four percent of community professionals sampled indicated that preexisting services in their community were not adequate to meet the needs of the elderly population. In addition, 55% indicated that the knowledge level of community professionals regarding the elderly and the aging process was insufficient and 51% believed they were not well educated in meeting the needs of Alaskan native elders. An overall 91.8% indicted that they were in need of further training in the field of aging and geriatrics. They noted in particular the lack of knowledge and training opportunities in mental health and Alzheimer's disease. The significance of these findings is discussed in terms of the broader social implications associated with meeting gerontological and geriatric education and training needs, as well as the specific education and training problems of Alaskan health care professionals in keeping up with the recent trend of “aging in the last frontier.”     

The Legal Side of Campus Threat Assessment and Management: What Student Counselors Need to Know

This article identifies what student mental health professionals need to know about legal issues of relevance to threat assessment and management. The article summarizes the common law duties and the common law and statutory standards of care that are likely to apply to the work of college and university threat assessment and management teams. The article also addresses privacy law, disability law, policy, and documentation-related issues that often present challenges in the campus threat assessment and management context. In sum, the article strives to educate student counseling center professionals so that they can contribute effectively to the important work of threat assessment and management teams without being hindered by potential misconceptions about legal issues.     

HEALTH CARE EDUCATORS’ KNOWLEDGE AND ATTITUDES REGARDING SEXUALITY IN THE AGED

Health care providers’ knowledge of and attitudes toward sexuality in older adults may have an impact on the overall quality of care they provide to older clients. One place to begin improving the knowledge and attitudes of health care professionals may be health care educators. If educators have accurate knowledge and positive attitudes, they can help their students acquire accurate knowledge and develop positive attitudes. Forty‐two health care educators in a large community college completed a sexuality knowledge and attitude scale. The study attempted to determine the extent of the educators’ knowledge of sexuality in the aged, their attitudes toward it, the relationship between sexual knowledge and attitudes, and the relationship of knowledge and attitudes to certain personal / demographic variables and professional / experiential factors. The results indicated that the health care educators had limited knowledge regarding aged sexuality but held positive attitudes toward it. No significant relationship was found between knowledge and attitudes. Older health care educators and educators who had participated in continuing education related to sexuality possessed more knowledge about aged sexuality. Educators who rated themselves as more religious held more restrictive attitudes.     

Mental Health Help-Seeking and Young People: A Review

In the United Kingdom, the issue of health and social care of young people is now a major concern for the government. Thus, a recent government green paper has insisted on the provision of early and appropriate interventions for young peoples' mental health difficulties and that their views must be incorporated into the design of mental health services. More recently, the NHS Health Advisory Service has recommended that schools and teachers should assume some responsibility in the identification of pupils who may have mental health difficulties. Unfortunately, there is scant information in the United Kingdom on young peoples' pathways into services. We know very little about their help-seeking strategies and service use, barriers or facilitators to care, satisfaction with services and service preferences. In addition, we have limited knowledge of how young people conceptualize mental health or how they perceive mental health professionals. In brief, the needs and help-seeking behaviours of young people in psychological distress are poorly understood and often mediated through older people such as parents and teachers. In this paper, we examine these issues and discuss the implications of such gaps in the evidence base for our understanding of adolescent help-seeking and our ability to provide appropriate well-targeted services.     

Exploring Secondary Students' Knowledge and Misconceptions about Influenza: Development,validation, and implementation of a multiple-choice influenza knowledge scale

Understanding infectious diseases such as influenza is an important element of health literacy. We present a fully validated knowledge instrument called the Assessment of Knowledge of Influenza (AKI) and use it to evaluate knowledge of influenza, with a focus on misconceptions, in Midwestern United States high-school students. A two-phase validation process was used. In phase 1, an initial factor structure was calculated based on 205 students of grades 9–12 at a rural school. In phase 2, one- and two-dimensional factor structures were analyzed from the perspectives of classical test theory and the Rasch model using structural equation modeling and principal components analysis (PCA) on Rasch residuals, respectively. Rasch knowledge measures were calculated for 410 students from 6 school districts in the Midwest, and misconceptions were verified through the χ ² test. Eight items measured knowledge of flu transmission, and seven measured knowledge of flu management. While alpha reliability measures for the subscales were acceptable, Rasch person reliability measures and PCA on residuals advocated for a single-factor scale. Four misconceptions were found, which have not been previously documented in high-school students. The AKI is the first validated influenza knowledge assessment, and can be used by schools and health agencies to provide a quantitative measure of impact of interventions aimed at increasing understanding of influenza. This study also adds significantly to the literature on misconceptions about influenza in high-school students, a necessary step toward strategic development of educational interventions for these students.     

Marketing Counseling: What Counseling Can Learn From Other Health Care Professions

Counselors can benefit from the knowledge gained by health care professionals to meet clients needs more effectively. Marketing strategies can be used as tools to meet this end.     

A Survey on Dementia Training Needs Among Staff at Community-Based Outpatient Clinics

Dementia is a major public health concern. Educating health-care providers about dementia warning signs, diagnosis, and management is paramount to fostering clinical competence and improving patient outcomes. The objective of this project was to describe and identify educational and training needs of staff at community-based outpatient clinics related to treating and managing veterans with dementia. Health professionals took an online survey consisting of questions related to general knowledge and skills in working with veterans with dementia and their families, staff training, and attitudes toward people with dementia. Most participants considered knowledge of dementia important; however, few reported having received training in dementia care within the past year. Furthermore, over half of participants considered themselves beginners in terms of knowledge and skills in dementia care. Regarding training needs, topics that could improve the overall care of veterans with dementia and their caregivers were most often cited. Participants reported being most satisfied with in-person training. Physicians rated their dementia knowledge and skill as greater than nurses'/other medical professionals’ and support staff's. Compared with support staff, nurses/other medical professionals held more positive attitudes toward persons with dementia. Survey results suggest that staff are interested in improving knowledge of, and skills for, working with persons with dementia, and that job classification is associated with differences in attitudes.     

Responding to environmental challenges: an initial assessment of higher education curricula needs by Australian planning professionals

Environmental planning education has become crucial given the projected implications of climate change for human settlements and nature. However, despite the identified importance of educating planners with regards to sustainability and environmental issues, there has been limited discussion of the topic within literature. In particular, there has been little consultation with planning professionals about their perception of environmental planning curricula needs. This article addresses this need through the survey of planning professionals in Australia. Perceived gaps in environmental knowledge and skills of planners were identified. The key knowledge gaps highlighted included climate change and water management. The key skill gaps highlighted included critical thinking and independent inquiry. Implications for urban planning curricula including the need to revise planning curricula are discussed. The study has implications for and interest to other professional degrees of which environmental sustainability is a component.     

Physicians' Involvement with the New York State Health Care Proxy

This study examined physicians' attitude, involvement, and perceived barriers with the health care proxy. A cross sectional, correlational design was used to survey practicing physicians (N = 70). Physicians had positive attitudes toward the health care proxy and indicated that the most significant barriers to health care proxy completion were patient discomfort in discussing the topic, patient knowledge about the health care proxy, and timing of discussions. Physician involvement with the health care proxy included supporting patients' wishes on the health care proxy, initiating discussions with patients about the New York State (NYS) health care proxy, and advocating for patients' rights about the health care proxy. A multiple regression analysis was conducted to understand the factors that predicted overall physician involvement. End-of-life training was a significant predictor. Implications for training and education of physicians and multidisciplinary work with health care professionals, including social workers and nurses, are discussed.     

医疗保健体育与高职护理专业结合教学探索

运用问卷调查、文献资料、对比实验、数理统计等方法,对襄樊职业技术学院医学院高级护理专业医疗保健体育教学进行调研分析。结论：医疗保健体育教学与护理专业技能培养形成了有机结合的教学模式,提高了高职生身心健康水平,促进高职生掌握医疗保健专业知识;为高职院校体育教学改革更好地服务专业教学开辟了新的途径。对策：提高学生对医疗保健体育价值的认识;把医疗保健体育作为基础课纳入护理专业教学体系;加强医疗保健体育教师队伍建设。     

Using concept maps to elicit and study student teachers’ perceptions about inclusive education: a Tanzanian experience

In this study, concept map activities were used to trigger group discussions about inclusive education, with a focus on learners with disabilities. The participants were 226 Tanzanian student teachers. This article reports and discusses how the maps were analysed and what they indicate about the students’ thinking about certain aspects of inclusive education. The results also indicate that concept mapping as an activity in teacher education may be useful and engaging for students. It may help them to organise knowledge and make them aware of their own and others’ understanding of inclusive education practices. An analysis of concept maps constructed by student teachers may also help lecturers to identify views, misconceptions, knowledge gaps and insights about inclusion in education settings.     

Application of Gap Analysis to Education: A Case Study of the Food Safety and Quality Assurance Program at the University of Guelph

ABSTRACT: This study was designed to identify the skills and knowledge deemed important for food safety professionals and the degree to which the Food Safety and Quality Assurance (FSQA) program at the Univ. of Guelph helps students to develop these skills. The research included 2 phases: interviews were conducted to identify these skill and knowledge items, and the content of the interviews was then used to develop the survey. Individuals in various food safety roles in Canada and stakeholders in the FSQA program were surveyed. Important skill gaps were also identified through survey results. Personal skills were considered more important than technical skills to food safety professionals. Technical and personal skills deemed important by these professionals could be enhanced within the industry and within the food safety and quality assurance program at the Univ. of Guelph.     

Implementation of concept mapping to novices: reasons for errors,a matter of technique or content?

Concept mapping is discussed as a means to promote meaningful learning and in particular progress in reading comprehension skills. Its increasing implementation necessitates the acquisition of adequate knowledge about frequent errors in order to make available an effective introduction to the new learning method. To analyse causes of errors, 283 A‐level sixth graders produced concept maps about two differently complex subject matter lessons, we implemented in a pre‐lesson. We defined six types of errors and analysed the distribution and contingency tables in both subject matters. Students in general produced more complex concept maps in the context of the easier subject matter (A) than that of the difficult content (B). Whereas in the former errors simply indicated knowledge gaps, in the latter they often reflected technical misconceptions. The occurrence of a content‐dependent technical error in (B) pointed to a cognitive overload, since the more difficult content is hypothesised to cause higher intrinsic load. From this following, concept mapping could provoke an instructional enrichment by additionally revealing specific knowledge gaps.     

Identifying strategies to enhance the educational inclusion of visually impaired children with albinism in Malawi

Oculocutaneous albinism is an inherited condition with significant health and social impact on the lives of those affected throughout sub-Saharan, including in Malawi. Myths and superstitions surrounding the condition lead to stigmatisation, rejection and misconceptions. In a participatory study, consultations with educational professionals, children with albinism and their families documented the barriers to full educational access and revealed low-cost strategies that could be implemented in mainstream schools, to minimise the effect of the visual impairment associated with albinism. These were captured in two information booklets in English and vernacular, one for children and the other appropriate for teacher training.     

DEVELOPING AND USING INTERDISCIPLINARY CASE STUDIES IN TEACHING GERIATRICS TO PRACTICING HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS

Continuing education programs for health care professionals who practice in geriatrics are an important part of improving the health care provided to older adults. Programs utilizing active forms of learning that mimic the clinical environment are more successful at changing the behavior of health care professionals than traditional didactic styles of teaching. Problem-based learning methods allow learners to identify their own areas of strength and weakness and to work toward improvement in a manner best suited to their needs. This article describes an interdisciplinary team of educator-clinicians in geriatrics who developed clinical case studies embodying these approaches as one method of improving the learning process for adult health care providers. An actual sample case study is presented as an illustration of the principles embodied in this process. Lessons learned from the development and use of these case studies are summarized in the context of improving the quality of continuing education programs for health care professionals in geriatric practice.