The Effects Of A Teaching Program About Aids Prevention On The Knowledge, Attitudes, And Behaviors Of High School Students

As the number of adolescents contracting Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) increases, the importance of educational interventions to change behaviors, attitudes, and knowledge regarding AIDS becomes more significant. The purpose of this study was to ascertain the effects of a teaching program about AIDS prevention on the knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of high school students. Orem\u27s Self-Care Theory was used to guide this quasi-experimental study. The sample consisted of 49 twelfth-grade students who were drawn from two high schools in rural Northeast Mississippi. The Student Health survey was utilized to assess students\u27 knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors about AIDS. Descriptive analysis and the t test were employed to analyze the data. Three hypotheses were formulated. Hypotheses 1 was accepted: High school students who attended an AIDS prevention class had a significantly higher posttest score than high school students who did not attend. Hypothesis 2 was rejected since high school students had no significant difference in attitudes, after education. The third hypothesis was not tested due to the time constraints; however, pretest responses were significant for high-risk sexual behaviors. The researcher concluded that, after an educational intervention, subjects’ knowledge level regarding AIDS issues was significantly increased; however, increased knowledge did not significantly change students\u27 attitudes toward AIDS. Additional findings indicated that 82% of the sample had engaged in sexual intercourse, and the majority of these subjects did not use condoms. Students indicated that because of AIDS they have to be more careful about their sexual behavior. Many students did not consider themselves at risk for AIDS. Implications for nursing science include the continued application of Orem\u27s Self-Care Theory with other adolescent groups, refinement, and perpetual AIDS prevention programs to all age groups and the inclusion of assessment of highrisk sexual behaviors of adolescents as a part of the data base. Recommendations for future research included replication of the study with a larger sample including representation from other socioeconomic and ethnic groups, development of valid and reliable instruments to measure high-risk behaviors, and further studies utilizing the Orem Self-Care Theory with other adolescent groups

Prevalence of distress and its associated factors among caregivers of people diagnosed with cancer: A cross-sectional study

Aims and Objectives: To (i) determine prevalence of distress among caregivers of people living with cancer, (ii) describe caregivers’ most commonly reported problems and (iii) investigate which factors were associated with caregivers’ distress. Background: The psychological distress associated with a cancer diagnosis jointly impacts those living with cancer and their caregivers(s). As the provision of clinical support moves towards a dyadic model, understanding the factors associated with caregivers’ distress is increasingly important. Design: Cross-sectional study. Methods: Distress screening data were analysed for 956 caregivers (family and friends) of cancer patients accessing the Cancer Council Western Australia information and support line between 1 January 2016 and 31 December 2018. These data included caregivers\u27 demographics and reported problems and their level of distress. Information related to their care recipient\u27s cancer diagnosis was also captured. Caregivers\u27 reported problems and levels of distress were measured using the distress thermometer and accompanying problem list (PL) developed by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network. A partial-proportional logistic regression model was used to investigate which demographic factors and PL items were associated with increasing levels of caregiver distress. Pearlin\u27s model of caregiving and stress process was used as a framework for discussion. The Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) checklist was followed. Results: Nearly all caregivers (96.24 %) recorded a clinically significant level of distress ( ≥ 4/10) and two thirds (66.74 %) as severely distressed ( ≥ 7/10). Being female, self-reporting sadness, a loss of interest in usual activities, sleep problems or problems with a partner or children were all significantly associated with increased levels of distress. Conclusions: Caregivers of people with cancer reporting emotional or familial problems may be at greater risk of moderate and severe distress. Relevance to Clinical Practice: Awareness and recognition of caregiver distress are vital, and referral pathways for caregivers are the important area of development

Prevalence of distress, its associated factors and referral to support services in people with cancer

Aims and objectives: To (i) characterise prevalence of distress amongst people diagnosed with cancer, (ii) determine factors associated with increasing distress, (iii) describe reported problems for those with clinically significant distress and (iv) investigate the factors associated with referral to support services. Background: International studies report a high prevalence of clinically significant distress in people with cancer. Australian studies are notably lacking. Additionally, clinicians still do not fully understand the factors associated with cancer-related distress. Design: Period prevalence study. Methods: Distress screening data were analysed for 1,071 people accessing the Cancer Council Western Australia information and support line between 01/01/2016–31/12/2018. These data included people\u27s demographics, cancer diagnoses, level of distress, reported problems and the service to which they were referred. Distress and reported problems were measured using the National Comprehensive Cancer Network Distress Thermometer and Problem List. A partial proportional logistic regression model was constructed to determine which factors were associated with increasing levels of distress. Standard binary logistic regression models were used to investigate factors associated with referral to support services. The STROBE checklist was followed. Results: Prevalence of clinically significant distress was high. Self-reported depression, sadness, worry and a lack of control over treatment decisions were significantly associated with increasing distress. Emotional problems were the most prevalent problems for people with clinically significant distress. Most people were referred to emotional health services, with depression, fatigue, living regionally and higher socioeconomic status associated with referral. Conclusions: Emotional problems such as depression, sadness and worry are associated with increasing levels of distress. Relevance to clinical practice: Not all factors associated with referral to support services were those associated with increasing levels of distress. This suggests that other factors may be more influential to referral decisions

Evaluation of a remote symptom assessment and management (SAM) system for people receiving adjuvant chemotherapy for breast or colorectal cancer: Mixed methods study

©Lisa Whitehead, Laura Emery, Deborah Kirk, Diane Twigg, Deborah Brown, Joanna Dewar. Background: The Symptom Assessment and Management (SAM) program is a structured, online, nurse-supported intervention to support symptom self-management in people receiving adjuvant chemotherapy post surgery for breast or colorectal cancer. Objective: The objective of this study was to describe the development, implementation strategy, and evaluation of the SAM system. Methods: The development of the SAM program involved 3 phases. In phase 1, the web app was developed through consultation with consumers and clinicians and of the literature to ensure that the system was evidence-based and reflected the realities of receiving treatment and supporting patients through treatment. In phase 2, 7 participants recorded the severity of 6 symptoms daily over the course of 1 cycle of chemotherapy. In phase 3, 17 participants recorded their symptoms daily over the course of 3 cycles of chemotherapy. Once symptoms were recorded, participants received immediate feedback on the severity of their symptoms and self-management recommendations, which could include seeking immediate medical attention. Data on quality of life, symptom burden, anxiety and depression, distress, and self-efficacy were collected during treatment; participants’ perceptions of the SAM program were evaluated following participation via interview. Results: The outcomes of the SAM project include the development of a system that is reliable and easy to use and navigate. Participants reported benefits related to using the SAM program that included feeling more in control of managing their symptoms and feeling reassured. Engagement with the system on a daily basis was variable, with some participants completing the symptom tracker daily and others engaging some of the time. The feedback from all participants was that the system was easy to navigate and the information was relevant and supportive. Conclusions: The SAM program has the potential to enhance the management of symptoms for people receiving chemotherapy treatment. The system creates an accurate repository of symptoms that can be accessed easily and highlight patterns in symptom experience. These can be shared with clinicians, with patient permission, to inform and support treatment plans. The potential to predict the risk of developing severe symptoms can be developed to anticipate the need for care and support. Further considerations on how to increase engagement with the system, the value of the system for people diagnosed with other tumor types and treatment regimes, and the incorporation of the system into everyday clinical practice are needed

Prostitution or partnership? Wifestyles in Tanzanian artisanal gold-mining settlements

Tanzania, along with several other African countries, is experiencing a national mining boom, which has prompted hundreds of thousands of men and women to migrate to mineral-rich locations. At these sites, relationships between the sexes defy the sexual norms of the surrounding countryside to embrace new relational amalgams of polygamy, monogamy and promiscuity. This article challenges the assumption that female prostitution is widespread. Using interview data with women migrants, we delineate six ‘wifestyles’, namely sexual-cum-conjugal relationships between men and women that vary in their degree of sexual and material commitment. In contrast to bridewealth payments, which involved elders formalising marriages through negotiations over reproductive access to women, sexual negotiations and relations in mining settlements involve men and women making liaisons and co-habitation arrangements directly between each other without third-party intervention. Economic interdependence may evolve thereafter with the possibility of women, as well as men, offering material support to their sex partners

(Un)Becoming Queer/(Un)Becoming LGBTIC

This article is one result of an ongoing dialogue among a number of members of the LGBTIC/Queer Caucus. The dialogue has taken place primarily through a torrent of e-mails, but also through a number of emotionally charged telephone calls. It began as a friendly, (perhaps naively) simple idea -to turn members\u27 viewpoints about changing the name of our caucus, from Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered Issues Caucus to Queer Issues Caucus into an article. What began with good will and a fervent hope for understanding, at times turned into vitriol and contention -volleys of world views, personal identities, and philosophies. Although tempers flared occasionally, we feel each of us came to better understandings of the others\u27 points of view. Editors Debbie and Kim have attempted to distill a bubbling pot of various points of view into an imaginary roundtable dialogue: respecting all stances, without silencing anyone, without hurting anyone\u27s feelings, and without privileging anyone viewpoint. All actors in this drama are named above and identified in the text by their initials. We apologize in advance

Trapped in a disrupted normality : survivors' and partners' experiences of life after a sudden cardiac arrest

Aim of the study Advances in resuscitation science have resulted in a growing number of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) survivors. However, we know very little about the natural history of recovery and the unmet needs of survivors and their partners. This qualitative study sought to address this knowledge gap to improve understanding of the consequences of surviving cardiac arrest. Methods In-depth qualitative interviews were undertaken separately with survivors and their partners between 3 and 12-months following the cardiac arrest. An interpretative phenomenological approach (IPA) to data analysis was adopted. Developing themes were discussed between members of the research team. Results 8 survivors (41–79 years; 5 male; mean time 6.3 months post-hospital discharge) and 3 partners (1 male) were interviewed. The key (super-ordinate) theme of being ‘trapped in a disrupted normality’ was identified within the data. Five related subordinate themes included: existential impact, physical ramifications, emotional consequences, limiting participation in social activities and altered family roles. Conclusion Recovery for survivors is hindered by a wide range of physical, emotional, cognitive, social and spiritual challenges that disrupt perceptions of ‘normality’. Survivors and their carers may benefit from focussing on establishing a ‘new normal’ rather than striving to achieve a pre-cardiac social and physical position. Survivor-centred assessment should support rather than undermine this goal

Apparent Tolerance Of Turkey Vultures (\u3ci\u3eCathartes Aura\u3c/i\u3e) To The Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug Diclofenac

The nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug diclofenac is extremely toxic to Old World Gyps vultures (median lethal dose ~0.1–0.2 mg/kg), evoking visceral gout, renal necrosis, and mortality within a few days of exposure. Unintentional secondary poisoning of vultures that fed upon carcasses of diclofenac-treated livestock decimated populations in the Indian subcontinent. Because of the widespread use of diclofenac and other cyclooxygenase-2 inhibiting drugs, a toxicological study was undertaken in turkey vultures (Cathartes aura) as an initial step in examining sensitivity of New World scavenging birds. Two trials were conducted entailing oral gavage of diclofenac at doses ranging from 0.08 to 25 mg/kg body weight. Birds were observed for 7 d, blood samples were collected for plasma chemistry (predose and 12, 24, and 48 h and 7 d postdose), and select individuals were necropsied. Diclofenac failed to evoke overt signs of toxicity, visceral gout, renal necrosis, or elevate plasma uric acid at concentrations greater than 100 times the estimated median lethal dose reported for Gyps vultures. For turkey vultures receiving 8 or 25 mg/kg, the plasma half-life of diclofenac was estimated to be 6 h, and it was apparently cleared after several days as no residues were detectable in liver or kidney at necropsy. Differential sensitivity among avian species is a hallmark of cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors, and despite the tolerance of turkey vultures to diclofenac, additional studies in related scavenging species seem warranted

Apparent Tolerance Of Turkey Vultures (\u3ci\u3eCathartes Aura\u3c/i\u3e) To The Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug Diclofenac

The nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug diclofenac is extremely toxic to Old World Gyps vultures (median lethal dose ~0.1–0.2 mg/kg), evoking visceral gout, renal necrosis, and mortality within a few days of exposure. Unintentional secondary poisoning of vultures that fed upon carcasses of diclofenac-treated livestock decimated populations in the Indian subcontinent. Because of the widespread use of diclofenac and other cyclooxygenase-2 inhibiting drugs, a toxicological study was undertaken in turkey vultures (Cathartes aura) as an initial step in examining sensitivity of New World scavenging birds. Two trials were conducted entailing oral gavage of diclofenac at doses ranging from 0.08 to 25 mg/kg body weight. Birds were observed for 7 d, blood samples were collected for plasma chemistry (predose and 12, 24, and 48 h and 7 d postdose), and select individuals were necropsied. Diclofenac failed to evoke overt signs of toxicity, visceral gout, renal necrosis, or elevate plasma uric acid at concentrations greater than 100 times the estimated median lethal dose reported for Gyps vultures. For turkey vultures receiving 8 or 25 mg/kg, the plasma half-life of diclofenac was estimated to be 6 h, and it was apparently cleared after several days as no residues were detectable in liver or kidney at necropsy. Differential sensitivity among avian species is a hallmark of cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors, and despite the tolerance of turkey vultures to diclofenac, additional studies in related scavenging species seem warranted