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Thesis (MPH)--University of Limpopo,2010. / Background: Tuberculosis is one of the major public health problems in Lesotho. With the occurrence of multi-drug resistant tuberculosis, little is known about the views of health care workers on this disease. The aim of this study was to investigate the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of healthcare professionals about prevention and control of MDR-TB at Botsabelo hospital, situated in Maseru, Lesotho. Methods: This study was conducted by means of a semi-structured, anonymous, and self-administered questionnaire that was sent to health care workers. Returned questionnaires were collected through designated boxes stationed at selected places at the study site from 23rd September to 13th October 2010. The investigator and his assistants collected the returned questionnaires on the 15th October 2010. Results: The results of this study indicate that, overall, less than half (47.3%) of respondents had good level of knowledge about MDR-TB; but the overwhelming majority of them held negative attitude towards patients with MDR-TB. Further analysis showed that the level of knowledge did not affect the attitude towards patients suffering from MDR-TB but it influenced their practices. Having good level of knowledge about MDR-TB was associated with good practices such as the use of protective masks and MDR-TB guidelines and involvement in educating patients about MDR-TB. Moreover, the findings of this study showed also that the attitude of respondents towards patients suffering from MDR-TB did not influence their practices. Conclusion: In conclusion, less than half of respondents had good level of knowledge about MDR-TB, but over 85.5% of them held negative attitude towards patients suffering from MDR-TB. Although the level of knowledge about MDR-TB was found not to have influenced the attitude of respondents towards patients suffering from MDR-TB; and that xi their attitude did not influence practices, good level of knowledge was positively associated with safer practices such as using protective masks, educating patients on MDR-TB, and referring to the MDR-TB guidelines manual. An educational remedial intervention is recommended.

This thesis investigates the development and implementation of health promotion strategies and methods in remote Aboriginal communities via the Kimberley Aboriginal Health Promotion Project (KAHPP), a project funded under a grant from the Commonwealth Department of Health and Family Services and conducted by the School of Public Health at Curtin University of Technology. The aim of the project was to investigate the effectiveness of health promotion strategies and methods in remote Aboriginal communities and to develop structures for implementing effective Aboriginal health promotion programs.There were three main research components in this study: an assessment of health indicators; an assessment of the intervention impact; and an assessment of the media component of the intervention. The research methodology included the development of a culturally appropriate survey instrument and the conduct of cross-sectional surveys of three remote Aboriginal communities with differing historical circumstances in the Kimberley region. The questionnaire and field study methods were piloted in 1990 and the main study conducted in 1991 1[superscript].A health promotion intervention was conducted based on an approach originally developed in the Northern Territory 2[superscript]. The intervention employed community development and mass media strategies. Community members nominated health issues that they wished to address, from which 'storyboards' were created for health promotion advertisements to appear on remote television on a paid schedule 3[superscript]. Representative random samples of adult males and females from three remote Aboriginal communities were surveyed according to a range of attitudinal and behavioural health indicators. A post-test survey assessed media reach and impact and pre-post surveys assessed relevant changes in the communities.The cross-sectional survey ++ / of health indicators found differences between communities in terms of self-assessed health and risk behaviours. These are discussed in terms of the historical differences between communities and with respect to each community's current situation. Respondents from all communities rated environmental factors as important in their contribution to health, and generally more so than individual lifestyle behaviours.The study demonstrated that television has the potential to reach the vast majority of Aboriginal people in remote communities in the Kimberley. There was some indication that participation in the development of advertisements was associated with higher recognition and more positive assessments of that advertisement. No significant differences in selected indicators of community 'empowerment' were detected following the intervention.The thesis methodology has contributed to the development of a set of guidelines for the conduct of survey research in remote Aboriginal communities, 4[superscript] and has guided the formation of Aboriginal health promotion units in Western Australia and elsewhere.1. Spark R, Binns C, Laughlin D, Spooner C, Donovan RJ. Aboriginal people's perceptions of their own and their community's health: results of a pilot study. Health Promotion Journal of Australia 1992; 2(2):60-61.2. Spark R, Mills P. Promoting Aboriginal health on television in the Northern Territory: a bicultural approach. Drug Education Journal of Australia 1988; 2 (3):191-198.3. Spark R, Donovan RJ, Howat P. Promoting health and preventing injury in remote Aboriginal communities: a case study. Health Promotion Journal of Australia 1991; 1(2):10-16.4. Donovan RJ, Spark. R. Towards guidelines for conducting survey research in remote Aboriginal communities. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health 1997; 21:89-94.

Thesis--PlanB (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Stout, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hong Kong, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 328-359).

Background: The prevalence of adult overweight and obesity is increasing worldwide. Innovative weight reduction interventions are needed to decrease the physical, psychological, and financial costs associated with this condition. Individually-adapted physical activity interventions delivered by Health Educators in a primary care setting have shown promise in addressing adult overweight and obesity. Process evaluations are needed to clarify results obtained from randomized controlled trials and to provide insight regarding optimal programming strategies for obesity reduction interventions. Purpose: To investigate the process evaluation components dose, fidelity, and quality of implementation of the PROACTIVE intervention to increase physical activity among overweight and obese adults in a primary care setting. Methods: One hundred ninety-four overweight or obese adults (135 women, mean age = 51.3 years, SD = 10.8; 59 men, mean age = 54.3 years, SD = 10.6) were randomized to attend 22 individualized behavioural counselling sessions over 12 months. The Physical Activity Recall questionnaire, Session Summary Forms, and Health Care Climate Questionnaire were utilized to measure physical activity and intervention dose, fidelity, and quality. Hierarchical multiple regressions were conducted. Results: Overall physical activity and total active hours did not significantly change after 6 and 12 months of participation in PROACTIVE; however, physical activity intensity did significantly change. Light intensity physical activity decreased while moderate intensity physical activity increased from baseline to 6 months; this shift was maintained from 6 to 12 months. Dose and fidelity of implementation did not predict physical activity involvement at 6 and 12 months. Three-quarters of the intervention was implemented as planned and women received a significantly greater percentage of intervention content then men. Quality of the Health Educator-client relationship significantly predicted total number of hours spent being physically active at 12 months, but should be interpreted with caution due to the small sample size. Conclusion: Preliminary results suggest that dose and fidelity do not predict physical activity involvement and that additional research is warranted to investigate quality. It is recommended that future studies examine the critical intervention content that correlates to an increase in physical activity among overweight and obese adults. / Thesis (Master, Kinesiology & Health Studies) -- Queen's University, 2009-06-26 23:21:43.09