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  • Title/Summary/Keyword: PREVENTION AND HEALTH BEHAVIOR

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Psychological Problems and Psychosocial Predictors of Cigarette Smoking Behavior among Undergraduate Students in Malaysia

  • Saravanan, Coumaravelou;Heidhy, Imran
    • Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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    • v.15 no.18
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    • pp.7629-7634
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    • 2014
  • Background: Cigarette smokers have their own motivation and justification to smoke. For example, smoking reduces their stress or enhances their pleasure. This study aimed to identify the (a) prevalence of cigarette smokers among undergraduates in Malaysia, (b) gender differences in nicotine dependence among current smokers, (c) differences in psychological problems (depression, anxiety and stress) based on the status of smoking cigarettes (current, former and non-smokers) and (d) extent to which precipitating factors (tension reduction, addiction, automatism, handling, social interaction, pleasure, and stimulation) predict the smoking behavior among current smokers. Materials and Methods: In this study 780 undergraduate students participated from a private university in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor state in Malaysia. The Depression, Stress and Anxiety Scale, Modified Reason for Smoking Scale and Fagerstrom Nicotine Dependence Test were used to measure psychological problems, predictors of smoking behavior and nicotine dependency among current smokers. Results: The results showed that 14.7%(n=106) of the students were smokers. Current smokers exhibited more psychological problems (depression, anxiety and stress) compared to former and non-smokers. Addiction, tension reduction, pleasure and automatism were predictors of smoking behavior among the current smoking students. Step wise regression analysis showed that smoking behavior was highly predicted by nicotine dependency or addiction. Smoking students were motivated to smoke cigarettes as they believed that it reduced their tension and enhance pleasure. Conclusions: Hence, there is a need for health promotion and anti-tobacco prevention as cigarette smokers experience more psychological problems. Nicotine dependency or addition was one of the major causes for smoking behavior among the student population in Malaysia.

Psychosocial Predictors of Breast Self-Examination among Female Students in Malaysia: A Study to Assess the Roles of Body Image, Self-efficacy and Perceived Barriers

  • Ahmadian, Maryam;Carmack, Suzie;Samah, Asnarulkhadi Abu;Kreps, Gary;Saidu, Mohammed Bashir
    • Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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    • v.17 no.3
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    • pp.1277-1284
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    • 2016
  • Background: Early detection is a critical part of reducing the burden of breast cancer and breast self-examination (BSE) has been found to be an especially important early detection strategy in low and middle income countries such as Malaysia. Although reports indicate that Malaysian women report an increase in BSE activity in recent years, additional research is needed to explore factors that may help to increase this behavior among Southeastern Asian women. Objective: This study is the first of its kind to explore how the predicting variables of self-efficacy, perceived barriers, and body image factors correlate with self-reports of past BSE, and intention to conduct future breast self-exams among female students in Malaysia. Materials and Methods: Through the analysis of data collected from a prior study of female students from nine Malaysian universities (n=842), this study found that self-efficacy, perceived barriers and specific body image sub-constructs (MBSRQ-Appearance Scales) were correlated with, and at times predicted, both the likelihood of past BSE and the intention to conduct breast self-exams in the future. Results: Self-efficacy (SE) positively predicted the likelihood of past self-exam behavior, and intention to conduct future breast self-exams. Perceived barriers (BR) negatively predicted past behavior and future intention of breast self-exams. The body image sub-constructs of appearance evaluation (AE) and overweight preoccupation (OWP) predicted the likelihood of past behavior but did not predict intention for future behavior. Appearance orientation (AO) had a somewhat opposite effect: AO did not correlate with or predict past behavior but did correlate with intention to conduct breast self-exams in the future. The body image sub-constructs of body area satisfaction (BASS) and self-classified weight (SCW) showed no correlation with the subjects' past breast self-exam behavior nor with their intention to conduct breast self-exams in the future. Conclusions: Findings from this study indicate that both self-efficacy and perceived barriers to BSE are significant psychosocial factors that influence BSE behavior. These results suggest that health promotion interventions that help enhance self-efficacy and reduce perceived barriers have the potential to increase the intentions of Malaysian women to perform breast self-exams, which can promote early detection of breast cancers. Future research should evaluate targeted communication interventions for addressing self-efficacy and perceived barriers to breast self-exams with at-risk Malaysian women. and further explore the relationship between BSE and body image.

The relations between mothers' oral health behavior and children's mean number of decayed or filled primary teeth (어머니의 구강보건관리행태와 자녀의 우식경험유치지수와의 관련성)

  • Jang, Kyeung-Ae;Kim, Dong-Yeol
    • Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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    • v.10 no.1
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    • pp.215-229
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    • 2010
  • Objectives : This study was to assess the children's mean number of decayed or filled primary teeth in relation to their mother's oral health behavior and then to increase children's oral health. Methods : The 346 children and their mothers were selected for this study. The children were 4 or 7 years old in the 4 dental clinics in Busan and Kyungnam, Korea. Data were collected by examination on children and self-administrated questionnaire on their mothers. The questionnaire was surveyed mother's oral health behaviour and children experienced dental caries or not and the number of decayed or filled they had were used as outcome variables. Results : 1. The mother's education level affected children's dft index significantly(p<0.05), In the case of tooth brushing method of children, the group with circle teeth wipes shows the low dft index(p<0.01). 2. On the other hand the group with snack as food eaten between meals has high dft index(p<0.001). 3. The group with mother's visiting to dentist within recent 1 year, experience in removing plaque or willing to attend the oral health education show low dft index(p<0.05). The important variables affecting to dft index are experience with oral health education, tooth brushing guidance, replacement of toothbrushes, the kind of food eaten between meals, recent experience of plaque removal and willing to participating in the oral health class. Conclusions : This study showed that the mother's oral health behavior and concern play an important role for the prevention of preschooler's dental caries. Dental health education would be focused on the mothers, expecially for the practice of preventive behavior by preschools themselves.

A study on some workers' effective oral health behavior and workplace oral examination (일부 근로자의 유효구강건강행태 및 직장구강검진에 관한 연구)

  • Kim, Young-Im
    • Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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    • v.13 no.2
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    • pp.239-247
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    • 2013
  • Objectives : The direction for qualitative improvement of our country's workers' by arranging data necessary for improving oral health program and system aiming to promote workers' oral health in the future is suggested in this study. Methods : The questionnaire by self-administrated method, which was selected by convenience sampling method, was carried out from October 4th to December 31th, 2011 targeting 424 workers from 6 working places in Jellabuk-do Province. Results : 1. It was indicated that workers' interest in oral health is higher than moderate and that workers are perceiving oral health as one of critical problems and thinking that the level of their oral health knowledge is low and oral health status is under moderate. 2. It was indicated that the rate of workplace oral screening is high, but the dissatisfaction ratio with workplace oral examination is high. Non-screening of medical treatment was indicated to be the highest after oral examination. 3. Factors of having influence upon the workplace oral examination included age, marital status, appearance, educational level, work-life term, and average monthly household income. Conclusions : It is judged to be likely important to make them have positive attitude toward oral health care through the accurate publicity of workplace oral examination and education on prevention of oral disease by reflecting workers' high interest in oral health.

Infection prevention management organization Convergence research on citizenship behavior: Focusing on the Moderating Effect of Organizational Trust (감염병 예방관리의 조직시민행동에 관한 융합연구: 조직신뢰의 조절효과를 중심으로)

  • Jang, Byeong-Yeon
    • Journal of the Korea Convergence Society
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    • v.8 no.10
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    • pp.147-153
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    • 2017
  • The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of laws, systems, surveillance systems, and response management systems on organizational citizenship behavior and the moderating effect of organizational trust from the viewpoint of infectious disease prevention management for public hospitals. As a result of the analysis, the relationship between the monitoring system and the emergency response system showed a stronger relationship in the prevention management of infectious diseases. Therefore, it is expected that the effective management of the organization will be carried out in the field based on the theoretical foundation that the importance of the organization trust is paid attention and the firm the theoretical foundation in the future.

Analysis of Perceived Levels on Health in Paraguay (파라과이 보건의료분야에 대한 인식수준 실태분석)

  • Lee, Myung-Sun
    • The Journal of Korean Society for School & Community Health Education
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    • v.14 no.3
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    • pp.67-76
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    • 2013
  • Objectives: This study was intended to provide the base of developing countries' Health Partnership Strategy by investigating the Paraguay's awareness level of health and analyzing the actual state. Methods: The data was collected from 11 government employees, 20 hospital staffs, 26 local residents on Asunciˊon, Paraguay in February, 2012. The method of the study was the questionnaires consisting of 62 questions including 7 questions of general features, 3 questions of awareness on maternal health care, child health care, planned parenthood program, 52 questions of awareness on health. The questionnaires was translated into Spanish which is local language in Paraguay. Results: The results of this study are summarized as follows; 1) The most important awareness on maternal healthcare, child healthcare, planned parenthood program was providing child health care. 2) The most important awareness to prevent non-health behavior was sufficient nutrition. The most important awareness to reduce the rate of chronic disease was diabetes. The most important awareness to eradicate communicable disease was HIV/AIDS. 3) The most important awareness to provide healthcare service was vaccination. 4) The most important awareness on healthcare delivery system was policy. The most important awareness on health education was student's health education. 5) The most important awareness to strength healthcare capacity was developing domestic economy. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that awareness levels on health are high against low health behavior status in Paraguay. But awareness on health can lead to health behavior by healthcare system. Therefore, it has to induce the healthcare network and system by injecting public health funds, infrastructure, human resources on prevention of disease and healthcare management.

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