Understandings of influenza and promoting influenza vaccination among high-risk urban dwelling Thai adults

The research aimed to explore beliefs about influenza and influenza vaccination, and the social influences on decisions whether or not to accept the influenza vaccination in a sample of urban-dwelling Thai adults. It also aimed to test the effect of a Health Action Process Approach (HAPA)-based leaflet on influenza vaccination behaviours among these high-risk individuals, and to evaluate the impact of a HAPA-based leaflet on potential mediators of behavioural change. Additional aim was to examine the predictive utility of the HAPA model in relation to both intention and subsequent vaccination behaviour in a certain high risk group. Firstly, a qualitative study was carried out. In-depth interviews were conducted among 20 high-risk individuals who were either (i) aged 65 and over, or (ii) under 65 years with chronic diseases that had clinical indications requiring influenza vaccination. Findings indicate that most participants had insufficient knowledge about influenza and influenza vaccination. Their decisions whether or not to get vaccinated against influenza were based on a number of factors, including salience of risk, influence of others, perception of the need for preventive health care, and the availability of influenza vaccine. Secondly, a controlled before and after trial was conducted. Participants in the intervention (n = 99) received a HAPA-based leaflet and asking them to form an action plan identifying where, when and how they would seek vaccination. Those in the comparison condition (n = 102) received a standard government information leaflet. The HAPA intervention resulted in greater changes on measures of risk perception, outcome expectancies, self-efficacy, and intention than the comparison condition. No significant difference in vaccination rates was observed between two groups. Influenza vaccination was directly predicted by self-efficacy and intention.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

Understandings of influenza and promoting influenza vaccination among high-risk urban dwelling Thai adults

The research aimed to explore beliefs about influenza and influenza vaccination, and the social influences on decisions whether or not to accept the influenza vaccination in a sample of urban-dwelling Thai adults. It also aimed to test the effect of a Health Action Process Approach (HAPA)-based leaflet on influenza vaccination behaviours among these high-risk individuals, and to evaluate the impact of a HAPA-based leaflet on potential mediators of behavioural change. Additional aim was to examine the predictive utility of the HAPA model in relation to both intention and subsequent vaccination behaviour in a certain high risk group. Firstly, a qualitative study was carried out. In-depth interviews were conducted among 20 high-risk individuals who were either (i) aged 65 and over, or (ii) under 65 years with chronic diseases that had clinical indications requiring influenza vaccination. Findings indicate that most participants had insufficient knowledge about influenza and influenza vaccination. Their decisions whether or not to get vaccinated against influenza were based on a number of factors, including salience of risk, influence of others, perception of the need for preventive health care, and the availability of influenza vaccine. Secondly, a controlled before and after trial was conducted. Participants in the intervention (n = 99) received a HAPA-based leaflet and asking them to form an action plan identifying where, when and how they would seek vaccination. Those in the comparison condition (n = 102) received a standard government information leaflet. The HAPA intervention resulted in greater changes on measures of risk perception, outcome expectancies, self-efficacy, and intention than the comparison condition. No significant difference in vaccination rates was observed between two groups. Influenza vaccination was directly predicted by self-efficacy and intention

Psychological factors associated with uptake of the childhood influenza vaccine and perception of post-vaccination side-effects : a cross-sectional survey in England

Objectives To identify predictors of: uptake of the childhood influenza vaccine in the 2015–2016 influenza season, parental perceptions of side-effects from the influenza vaccine and intention to vaccinate one's child for influenza in the 2016–2017 influenza season. Design Cross-sectional online survey. Setting Data were collected in England shortly after the end of the 2015–2016 immunization campaign. Participants 1001 parents or guardians of children aged between two and seven. Main outcome measures Self-reported uptake of the childhood influenza vaccine in the 2015–2016 influenza season, perception of side-effects from the influenza vaccine and intention to vaccinate one's child in the 2016–2017 influenza season. Results Self-reported uptake of the childhood influenza vaccine was 52.8%. Factors strongly positively associated with uptake included the child having previously been vaccinated against influenza, perceiving the vaccine to be effective and perceiving the child to be susceptible to flu. Factors strongly negatively associated with uptake included perceiving the vaccine to be unsafe, to cause short-term side-effects or long-term health problems and believing that yearly vaccination may overload the immune system. Predictors of intended vaccine uptake in 2016–2017 were similar. Participants who perceived side-effects after the 2015–2016 vaccination reported being less likely to vaccinate their child next year. Side-effects were more likely to be reported in first-born children, by participants who knew another child who had side-effects, those who thought that the vaccine would interact with medication that the child was currently taking, and those who believed the vaccine causes short-term side-effects. Conclusions Perceptions about the childhood influenza vaccine show strong associations with uptake, intended uptake and perception of side-effects. Attempts to improve uptake rates from their current low levels must address these perceptions

Developing community-based preventive interventions in Hong Kong: a description of the first phase of the family project

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>This paper describes the development of culturally-appropriate family-based interventions and their relevant measures, to promote family health, happiness and harmony in Hong Kong. Programs were developed in the community, using a collaborative approach with community partners. The development process, challenges, and the lessons learned are described. This experience may be of interest to the scientific community as there is little information currently available about community-based development of brief interventions with local validity in cultures outside the West.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The academic-community collaborative team each brought strengths to the development process and determined the targets for intervention (parent-child relationships). Information from expert advisors and stakeholder discussion groups was collected and utilized to define the sources of stress in parent-child relationships.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Themes emerged from the literature and discussion groups that guided the content of the intervention. Projects emphasized features that were appropriate for this cultural group and promoted potential for sustainability, so that the programs might eventually be implemented at a population-wide level. Challenges included ensuring local direction, relevance and acceptability for the intervention content, engaging participants and enhancing motivation to make behavior changes after a brief program, measurement of behavior changes, and developing an equal partner relationship between academic and community staff.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>This work has public health significance because of the global importance of parent-child relationships as a risk-factor for many outcomes in adulthood, the need to develop interventions with strong evidence of effectiveness to populations outside the West, the potential application of our interventions to universal populations, and characteristics of the interventions that promote dissemination, including minimal additional costs for delivery by community agencies, and high acceptability to participants.</p

Increasing the intent to receive a pandemic influenza vaccination: Testing the impact of theory-based messages

Objective. Vaccination is an effective preventive measure to reduce influenza transmission, especially important in a pandemic. Despite messages encouraging vaccination during the last pandemic, uptake remained low (37.6% in clinical risk groups). This study investigated the effect of different types of messages regarding length, content type, and framing on vaccination intention. Method. An online experiment was conducted in February 2015. A representative sample of 1424 people living in England read a mock newspaper article about a novel influenza pandemic before being randomised to one of four conditions: standard Department of Health (DoH) (long message) and three brief theory-based messages - an abridged version of the standard DoH and two messages additionally targeting pandemic influenza severity and vaccination benefits (framed as risk-reducing or healthenhancing, respectively). Intention to be vaccinated and potential mediators were measured. Results. The shortened DoH message increased vaccination intention more than the longer one, by increasing perceived susceptibility, anticipated regret and perceived message personal relevance while lowering perceived costs, despite the longer one being rated as slightly more credible. Intention to be vaccinated was not improved by adding information on severity and benefits, and the health-enhancing message was not more effective than the risk-reducing. Conclusion. A briefer message resulted in greater intention to be vaccinated, whereas emphasising the severity of pandemic influenza and the benefits of vaccination did not. Future campaigns should consider using brief theoretically-based messages, targeting knowledge about influenza and precautionary measures, perceived susceptibility to pandemic influenza, and the perceived efficacy and reduced costs of vaccination

The Impact of a genre-based approach on English language teaching in an EFL tertiary context in Thailand

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether a genre-based approach could support Thai students’ English literacy development. Specifically, the study aimed to see how an EFL literacy program informed by a genre-based approach helped students to develop an analytical appreciation of texts. This study also was to explore students’ attitudes towards the teaching program. The participants in this study were fourteen third-year students in the Bachelor of Arts in the English major program at Chiangrai Rajabhat University. This study adopted a qualitative case study design, and a ten-week teaching cycle was designed and implemented at Chiangrai Rajabhat University. The cycle was aimed at helping students to gain access to the Appraisal resources and gain control of the review genre in particular. Data were collected from multiple sources, including core data and supplementary data. The supplementary data included teacher and student journal entries. These data were used to adjust and improve the quality of teaching whilst the research was being conducted. The core data involved the recording of students’ group discussion, students’ written texts on a review, and interview data. The students’ group discussion was collected to see how students were able to use linguistic tools to analyse texts. Students’ written texts were collected and analysed by using linguistic analysis and in particular Appraisal theory in order to see how students could use the knowledge they had learnt to improve their writing. Interview data were collected before and after the teaching program. The pre-instruction interview was aimed at exploring students’ background in their reading classes at secondary and university levels. A post-instruction interview was used to elicit their attitudes toward such a teaching program. The results revealed that the genre-based approach had a positive impact on students’ English literacy development. Such an approach helped the students develop a better understanding of texts. The approach also helped students to gain control of the review genre. They were able to employ Appraisal resources to help them achieve the purpose of such genre. They also showed positive attitudes towards the approach. An unanticipated finding of this study was the extent to which the metalanguage, provided in this program, enabled students to engage in extended dialogue

Using the Health Action Process Approach and implementation intentions to increase flu vaccine uptake in high risk Thai individuals: A controlled before-after trial.

&#60;p&#62;Objective: Influenza vaccination rates remain suboptimal in many countries, including Thailand. This study compared the effect of a theory-based educational leaflet, based on the Health Action Process Approach (HAPA), and action planning intervention with a standard government information leaflet designed to increase influenza vaccination uptake among high-risk Thai adults. Design: A controlled before and after trial was conducted. Participants in the intervention (n = 99) received a leaflet based on the HAPA and asking them to form an action plan identifying where, when, and how they would seek vaccination. Those in the comparison condition (n = 102) received a standard government information leaflet. Main Outcomes Measures: There are 2 sets of outcome measures: (a) process measures of HAPA related variables taken at T1 and T2, and (b) vaccination rates during the subsequent 2 months. Results: The HAPA intervention resulted in greater changes on measures of risk perception, outcome expectancies, self-efficacy, and intention than the comparison condition. Stronger intentions to obtain vaccination were explained by changes in outcome expectancies, perceived self-efficacy for arranging time and transportation, and planning. No significant difference in vaccination rates was observed between two groups. Influenza vaccination was directly predicted by self-efficacy and intention. Conclusion: Results demonstrate that a HAPA-based leaflet may be a useful tool to enhance individual's vaccination intention, but larger trials are required to confirm these findings.&#60;/p&#62