Challenges to immunization: the experiences of homeless youth

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Homelessness is a critical social issue, both a product of, and contributing to, poor mental and physical health. Over 150,000 young Canadians live on the streets. Homeless youth experience a high incidence of infectious diseases, many of which are vaccine preventable. Early departure from school and limited access to public health services makes them a particularly vulnerable high-risk group. This study explores challenges to obtaining essential vaccines experienced by homeless youth.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A qualitative research study to explore knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and experiences surrounding immunization of hard-to-reach homeless youth was designed. Participants were recruited for focus groups from Phoenix House and Shelter, a non-profit, community-based organization assisting homeless youth in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. An experienced facilitator guided the recorded discussions. Transcripts of audiotapes were analyzed using a constant comparative method until data revealed a set of exemplars and themes that best captured participants’ knowledge, attitudes, beliefs and experiences surrounding immunization and infectious diseases.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Important themes emerged from our analysis. Considerable variability in knowledge about immunization and vaccine preventable diseases was found. The homeless youth in the study had limited awareness of meningitis in contrast to a greater knowledge about sexually transmitted infections and influenza, gained during the H1N1/09 public health campaign. They recognized their poverty as a risk for contracting infectious diseases, along with their inability to always employ known strategies to prevent infectious diseases, due to circumstances. They showed considerable insight into the detrimental effects of poor hygiene, sleeping locations and risk behaviour. Interviewed homeless youth regarded themselves as good compliers of health professional advice and offered valuable suggestions to improve immunization in their population.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>To provide effective public health interventions, it is necessary to consider the knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and experiences of hard to reach, high risk groups. Our study shows that homeless youth are interested and capable in discussing immunization. Active targeting of homeless youth for public health immunization programs is needed. Working collaboratively with non-profit organizations that assist homeless youth provides an opportunity to increase their knowledge of infectious risks and to improve immunization strategies in this vulnerable group.</p

Knowledge, attitude, influences and use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) among chiropractic and nursing students

Background: Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is becoming more widely used in the community however there are differences in knowledge and attitudes among and within the various health professions. Chiropractic and nursing students represent a future generation of two health profession groups who may have differing views on CAM. The objectives of this study were to investigate the knowledge, attitudes and beliefs of nursing and chiropractic students about CAM. To investigate the factors that influence their attitudes and beliefs and their likelihood of recommending CAM; and to compare the findings between nursing and chiropractic students to determine similarities and differences. Methods: A modified and pre-tested survey including a previously validated 10-item CAM Health Belief Questionnaire (CHBQ) was administered to nursing and chiropractic students at Murdoch University. Student's demographics were collected as well as other information regarding knowledge, attitudes, influences and use of CAM. Results: Three hundred twenty-one nursing and 227 chiropractic students responded with a 91% response rate. The CHBQ overall mean scores for nursing and chiropractic students were 47.6 and 47.4 out of possible 70 respectively, confirming positive attitudes toward C AM in both groups. Nursing and chiropractic students also demonstrated similar knowledge levels. Factors that were most influential in shaping both chiropractic and nursing students' attitudes and beliefs towards CAM were personal experience and the influence of external peers. Nursing students would not dissuade future patients from CAM, however chiropractic students were more likely to recommend CAM to their future patients. Conclusions: Nursing and chiropractic students demonstrate relatively positive attitudes and beliefs towards CAM despite, their limited knowledge concerning CAM modalities generally. © 2017 The Author(s)

A música como recurso no cuidado à criança hospitalizada: uma intervenção possível? La musica como recurso en el cuidado al niño hospitalizado: una intervención possible? Musica as a resource in care for hospitalized children: a possible intervention?

Trata-se de um estudo bibliográfico realizado a partir das bases de dados MEDLINE e LILACS e vias não-sistematizadas, no período de 1994 a 2004. Teve como objetivo analisar a produção bibliográfica da enfermagem pediátrica quanto à utilização da música como recurso terapêutico no espaço hospitalar, a fim de identificar o estado do conhecimento desta área nesse campo. Da análise do material empírico, emergiram três unidades de significados: o cenário, as intervenções e as repercussões. Os resultados evidenciaram os benefícios da música para a criança hospitalizada, seus familiares e equipe de saúde e constatou-se que este recurso pode ser utilizado no espaço hospitalar como uma intervenção de baixo custo, não-farmacológica e não-invasiva, promovendo um processo de desenvolvimento que visa à saúde da criança, da família e dos trabalhadores.<br>Se trata de un estudio bibliográfico realizado a partir de bases de datos MEDLINE, LILACS y vías no sistematizadas que comprendió el período de 1994 al 2004. Tiene como objetivo analizar la producción bibliográfica relacionada a enfermería pediátrica la música con el fin de identificar el estado del conocimiento en ese campo. Del análisis del material empírico, surgieron tres unidades de significado: el escenario, las intervenciones y las repercusiones. Los resultados evidenciaron los beneficios de la música para el niño hospitalizado, sus familiares y equipo de salud. Verificamos que la música puede ser utilizada en los hospitales como una intervención de bajo costo, no farmacológica y no invasiva, promoviendo los procesos de desarrollo, visualizando la salud del niño, de la familia y de los trabajadores.<br>This bibliographic study involved the Medline and LILACS databases as well as non-systematized searches and covered the period from 1994 to 2004. We aimed to analyze the bibliographic production on pediatric nursing and music, in order to identify current knowledge in this area. Our analysis revealed 3 units of meaning: the setting, interventions and repercussions. The results disclose the benefits music can offer to hospitalized children, their family members and health teams. We observed that music can be used in hospitals as a low-cost, nonpharmacological and noninvasive intervention, promoting development processes with a view to the health of children, families and workers

Why Am I Still Here? The Impact of Survivor Guilt on the Mental Health and Settlement Process of Refugee Youth

People who survive traumatic events, such as war or serious illness, may experience guilt because they survived. This is called ‘survivor guilt’, a complex phenomenon that is not given much attention by mental health professionals. In the case of refugees, this guilt can lead to issues that inhibit settlement in the new society, such as idealization of the past, a desire to return home and resistance to claim their place in the new society.https://source.sheridancollege.ca/fahcs_books/1011/thumbnail.jp