Knowledge, Behavior and Attitudes Concerning STI Prevention among Out-of-School Youth in the Philippines

The purpose of this study is to determine the current knowledge, behavior and attitude toward STI prevention among out-of-school youth in the Philippines. Anonymous self-administered questionnaires were distributed separately to 28 out-of-school youth (15 male, 12 female, one unspecified). The mean age of the subjects was 18.0 ± 3.0 years, with an overall age range of 15 to 24 years. The female respondents were younger than the male respondents on average. The out-of-school youth obtained information on STIs mainly from the media, and had fewer information sources than in-school students. Although the out-of-school youth had insufficient knowledge of STIs compared to the students, they were fairly knowledgeable about cervical cancer. They were also more sexually active than the students. The out-of-school youth consulted their parents on STI prevention, but received insufficient knowledge on STI prevention from just this source. It was concluded that out-of-school youth could constitute a high risk demographic for STIs, and health education may be essential to help them protect themselves from STIs

Current Status of Knowledge and Attitude toward STI Prevention among Out-of-school Youth in the Philippines

The objectives of this study were to determine the knowledge and attitude toward STI prevention, and actual situation of infections (chlamydia and gonorrhea infections) among out-of-school youth in the Philippines. As many as 129 out-of-school youth age 13-20 years old were participated in this study in September 2017. A self-administered questionnaire was used to assess characteristics, knowledge of STIs; sexual behavior; counselors for sexual problems; access to the internet; concerns about STIs; coping with STI symptoms using the scenario setting; sexual risks for STIs; and opinion. The presence or absence of chlamydia and gonorrhea infections in urine was determined with using Aptima Combo 2 Assay. Data was analyzed statistically with using mean, standard deviation, percentage, Mann-Whitney U, and Chi-square. p Value of <0.05 were considered statistically significant. The subjects were concerned about STI and had basic knowledge toward STI prevention but negative attitude toward safer sex. On the urine test, ten out of 126 participants (7.9%) had positive reactions about chlamydia and three of them were co-infection with gonorrhea. Female participants were much more likely to get infected (12.8%) than male (3.2%). In conclusion, the knowledge toward STI prevention had no correlation with their attitude. Therefore, sexual education is not enough to focus on STI knowledge but also put more emphasis on practice to promote safer sexual behavior

Healthcare service utilization in postpartum women

Background: A low ratio of utilization of healthcare services in postpartum women may contribute to maternal deaths during the postpartum period. The maternal mortality ratio is high in the Philippines. The aim of this study was to examine the current utilization of healthcare services and the effects on the health of women in the Philippines who delivered at home. Methods: This was a cross-sectional analytical study, based on a self-administrated questionnaire, conducted from March 2015 to February 2016 in Muntinlupa, Philippines. Sixty-three postpartum women who delivered at home or at a facility were enrolled for this study. A questionnaire containing questions regarding characteristics, utilization of healthcare services, and abnormal symptoms during postpartum period was administered. To analyze the questionnaire data, the sample was divided into delivery at home and delivery at a facility. Chi-square test, Fisher’s exact test, and Mann–Whitney U test were used. Results: There were significant differences in the type of birth attendant, area of residence, monthly income, and maternal and child health book usage between women who delivered at home and those who delivered at a facility (P<0.01). There was significant difference in the utilization of antenatal checkup (P<0.01) during pregnancy, whilst there was no significant difference in utilization of healthcare services during the postpartum period. Women who delivered at home were more likely to experience feeling of irritated eyes and headaches, and continuous abdominal pain (P<0.05). Conclusion: Financial and environmental barriers might hinder the utilization of healthcare services by women who deliver at home in the Philippines. Low utilization of healthcare services in women who deliver at home might result in more frequent abnormal symptoms during postpartum

Maternal Knowledge Associated with the Prevalence of Iron and Folic Acid Supplementation Among Pregnant Women in Muntinlupa, Philippines : A Cross-Sectional Study

Purpose: The World Health Organization advocates that all pregnant women in areas where anemia is prevalent receive supplements of iron and folic acid. However, owing to a myriad of factors, the uptake of iron and folic acid supplementation (IFAS) is still low in many countries. Therefore, this study was conducted to assess the prevalence of IFAS and its associated factors among pregnant women. Patients and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at a hospital in Muntinlupa, Philippines, between March and August 2019 among 280 pregnant women. A systematic random sampling technique was used to select participants. Data were collected using interviewer-administered questionnaires. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were employed to identify factors associated with the prevalence of IFAS among pregnant women. Results: Among 280 pregnant women, a majority (85.6%, n= 238) took IFAS during pregnancy. Among the respondents, 128 (45.9%) women had knowledge about signs and symptoms of anemia, 126 (45.3%) had knowledge of the benefits associated with IFAS, and 42 (15.4%) had knowledge about side effects associated with IFAS. The main sources of information about IFAS were health care providers (41.8%), followed by community health workers (CHWs) (14.6%). Maternal knowledge concerning IFAS benefits (OR =  2.50, CI =  1.04– 5.97, p=0.04) was positively associated with the prevalence of IFAS. Conclusion: Maternal knowledge about the benefits of taking IFAS was significantly associated with the prevalence of IFAS among pregnant women in Muntinlupa, Philippines. There is a pressing need to improve health education on the benefits of IFAS among pregnant women to increase its prevalence. This emphasizes the necessity of increased involvement of health care providers and CHWs to increase women’s knowledge of IFAS benefits and support them through pregnancy

A qualitative study on the stigma experienced by people with mental health problems and epilepsy in the Philippines

Abstract Background Stigma towards people with mental health problems (PMHP) is known to have substantial negative impacts on their lives. More in-depth exploration of the stigma and discrimination experienced by PMHP in low- and middle-income countries is needed. Previous research suggests that negative attitudes towards PMHP are widespread among the Filipino general public. However, no study has investigated PMHP’s own experiences of being stigmatised in the Philippines. Methods A qualitative study was conducted on the stigma experienced by PMHP (including people with epilepsy) and its related factors in the Philippines, employing the constructivist grounded theory approach. We analysed data on 39 PMHP collected through interviews with PMHP, their carers, and community health volunteers who know them well. Results The findings highlight the culturally and socio-economically specific contexts, consequences, and impact modifiers of experiences of stigma. Participants emphasised that PMHP face stigma because of the cultural traits such as the perception of mental health problem as a disease of the family and the tendency to be overly optimistic about the severity of the mental health problem and its impact on their life. Further, stigma was experienced under conditions where mental health care was not readily available and people in the local community could not resolve the PMHP’s mental health crisis. Stigma experiences reduced social networks and opportunities for PMHP, threatened the economic survival of their entire family, and exacerbated their mental health problems. An individual’s reaction to negative experiences can be fatalistic in nature (e.g. believing in it is God’s will). This fatalism can help PMHP to remain hopeful. In addition, traditional communal unity alleviated some of the social exclusion associated with stigma. Conclusions The study indicates that existing stigma-reduction strategies might have limitations in their effectiveness across cultural settings. Therefore, we propose context-specific practical implications (e.g. emphasis on environmental factors as a cause of mental health problems, messages to increase understanding not only of the possibility of recovery but also of challenges PMHP face) for the Philippines