Enhancing social-emotional well-being in young children through improving teachers’ social-emotional competence and curriculum design in Hong Kong

© 2017, The Author(s). This study aimed to evaluate an intervention programme for the enhancement of social-emotional well-being of young children through improving the social-emotional competence of kindergarten teachers and a specifically designed curriculum, in an urban city in the East Asia region. The design and some preliminary results on the outcome evaluations of the intervention programme are reported in this paper. The design of the intervention programme was based on the conceptual framework of the evidence-based Wisconsin Pyramid Model for Supporting Social Emotional Competence in Infants and Young Children. Kindergarten teachers and children under their care were recruited using a random cluster sampling technique with teachers undergoing a training programme for 2 months with hands on workshops. The social-emotional well-being of preschool children was assessed with the Social Competence and Behavioural Evaluation (SCBE-30) Scale pre- and post-intervention. Changes in outcome measures that compared assessments between baseline and post-intervention were analysed with adjustment to clustering effects. Results suggested a statistically significant improvement in social competence and reduction to anxiety-withdrawal and anger-aggression after intervention. These results were indicative of a potentially successful intervention programme that would require a proper trail to establish its efficacy

Use of health status measurement scales among arthritis patients with low educational level

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Effect on Baby-Friendly Hospital Steps When Hospitals Implement a Policy to Pay for Infant Formula

Background: The Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative requires hospitals to pay market price for infant formula. No studies have specifically examined the effect of hospitals paying for infant formula on breastfeeding mothers' exposure to Baby-Friendly steps. Objectives: To investigate the effect of hospitals implementing a policy of paying for infant formula on new mothers' exposure to Baby-Friendly steps and examine the effect of exposure to Baby-Friendly steps on breastfeeding rates. Methods: We used a repeated prospective cohort study design. We recruited 2 cohorts of breastfeeding mother-infant pairs (n = 2470) in the immediate postnatal period from 4 Hong Kong public hospitals and followed them by telephone up to 12 months postpartum. We assessed participants' exposure to 6 Baby-Friendly steps by extracting data from the medical record and by maternal self-report. Results: After hospitals began paying for infant formula, new mothers were more likely to experience 4 out of 6 Baby-Friendly steps. Breastfeeding initiation within the first hour increased from 28.7% to 45%, and in-hospital exclusive breastfeeding rates increased from 17.9% to 41.4%. The proportion of mothers who experienced all 6 Baby-Friendly steps increased from 4.8% to 20.5%. The risk of weaning was progressively higher among participants experiencing fewer Baby-Friendly steps. Each additional step experienced by new mothers decreased the risk of breastfeeding cessation by 8% (hazard ratio = 0.92; 95% CI, 0.89-0.95). Conclusion: After implementing a policy of paying for infant formula, breastfeeding mothers were exposed to more Baby-Friendly steps, and exposure to more steps was significantly associated with a lower risk of breastfeeding cessation.postprin

Effect of a hospital policy of not accepting free infant formula on in-hospital formula supplementation rates and breast-feeding duration

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of public hospitals in Hong Kong not accepting free infant formula from manufacturers on in-hospital formula supplementation rates and breast-feeding duration. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. SETTING: In-patient postnatal units of four public hospitals in Hong Kong. SUBJECTS: Two cohorts of breast-feeding mother-infant pairs (n 2560). Cohort 1 (n 1320) was recruited before implementation of the policy to stop accepting free infant formula and cohort 2 (n 1240) was recruited after policy implementation. Participants were followed prospectively for 12 months or until they stopped breast-feeding. RESULTS: The mean number of formula supplements given to infants in the first 24 h was 2·70 (sd 3·11) in cohort 1 and 1·17 (sd 1·94) in cohort 2 (P<0·001). The proportion of infants who were exclusively breast-fed during the hospital stay increased from 17·7 % in cohort 1 to 41·3 % in cohort 2 (P<0·001) and the risk of breast-feeding cessation was significantly lower in cohort 2 (hazard ratio=0·81; 95 % CI 0·73, 0·90). Participants who non-exclusively breast-fed during the hospital stay had a significantly higher risk of stopping any or exclusive breast-feeding. Higher levels of formula supplementation also increased the risk of breast-feeding cessation in a dose-response pattern. CONCLUSIONS: After implementation of a hospital policy to pay market price for infant formula, rates of in-hospital formula supplementation were reduced and the rates of in-hospital exclusive breast-feeding and breast-feeding duration increased.postprin

Priorities for Health Education in Hong Kong in Relation to Non-Communicable Diseases

Chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are increasing rapidly worldwide and therefore have considerable implications for health education. Like other advanced countries, Hong Kong, which is a special administrative region of Mainland China, has experienced an epidemiological transition wherein chronic NCDs have overtaken communicable diseases as the major cause of mortality and morbidity. Registered deaths due to infectious and parasitic diseases decreased from 10.1% in 1964 to 2.8% in 2004, while the mortality rate due to neoplasms and diseases of the circulatory system increased twofold, from 30.9% to 59.5% in the same period of time (Department of Health, 2008a)

Applying clinical problem-based learning (CPBL) in the undergraduate nursing curriculum: evaluation of students' approaches to learning

Short Communications - 10H. Problem-Based Learning 2: Evaluation of PBL: no. 10H 5AIM: To evaluate the effect of CPBL on students’ approaches to learning in clinical nursing education SUMMARY OF WORK: Clinical PBL was launched in September 2004 as a learning methodology in an undergraduate nursing curriculum in Hong Kong. Using a one-group before-after quasi-experimental design, the revised two-factor Study Process Questionnaire (R-SPQ-2F) was administered to compare students’ approaches to learning before and after a period of nursing practicum in which CPBL was implemented. Focus group interviews were used to elicit from students their PBL experience. SUMMARY OF RESULTS: Of the 187 students who responded, the R-SPQ-2F scores indicated that for the deep approach to learning, the post-test mean score was higher than that at the pre-test (30.9 vs. 29.0, p = .005). No significant difference was found for the surface approach. Four themes were identified from the focus group analysis: motivation to learn; self-direction in learning; active, interactive and student-centred learning; and enjoyment in learning. CONCLUSIONS: The quantitative and qualitative data suggested that the students adopted a deep approach to learning during the nursing practicum in which CPBL was implemented. The study provided valuable empirical support for the future development and implementation of an evidenced based PBL clinical education model for nursing students

For women smokers in Hong Kong: Providing a gender specific smoking cessation program

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