• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.123-129
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• 2012

Objectives: The study was conducted with the aim of evaluating applied occupational health teaching for final-year medical students at Hacettepe University, Faculty of Medicine. Methods: The study included all sixth grade medical students (n=293) during one academic year. Pre- and post-training tests were used to assess the magnitude of change in knowledge and attitude of students on occupational health, whereas the opinion of students on several aspects of the quality of teaching sessions were assessed by using post-training questionnaires. Results: Post-training tests revealed that the level of knowledge on all aspects of occupational health increased among medical students. An evaluation of the teaching sessions showed favorable results for the overall quality of the sessions: 81.3% of the students stated that the sessions were well organized, 81.7% remarked the workplace/factory visit was a valuable experience, and 91.0% stated feeling more competent on occupational health issues. Conclusion: There was a greater increase in students' knowledge on technical precautions than their knowledge on issues related to medical practice in the workplace. Visiting a workplace was found to contribute to the overall aim of knowledge and attitude change on occupational health issues. The scope of undergraduate medical education should be extended by improving occupational health education with respect to educational content, duration, and methods.

• Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.286-298
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• 2004

The purpose of this study was to survey the general characteristics, lifestyle include health habits, subjective health problems include physical, psychological and overall health complaints that occurring among Korean and Japanese nursing students. Data collected with the self-administered Okayama Medical Index Health Questionnaire(devised Cornell Medical Index) from 466 Korean and 688 Japanese Nursing Students were analyzed. The subjects were 18 to 24 years old in their 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th year-class of nursing department. The total O.M.I. score(section A-R) ranged from 1 to 110 with an average of 22.3(SD=11.5) in Korean nursing students and 18.3(SD=10.1) in Japanese nursing students. A statistically significant inverse correlation was observed between Korean nursing student and Japanese nursing students for the overall health complaints. Korean nursing students have more health problems than Japanese nursing students in terms of physical and overall health complaints excluding psychological problems. About $4\%$ of Korean nursing students were current smokers and $64.2\%$ of Korean nursing students were drinker. Korean nursing students in the drinker's group were more likely to eat fatty foods(p<.001), and take worst lifestyle and have more subjective health problems than non drinker's group of Korean nursing students. Korean nursing students were more likely to perform bad health behaviors than Japanese nursing students. The drink habit is one of the biggest problems among the nursing student, and then we have to have the mobilizing for 'Change on Alcohol' in our universities. This conclusion should provide grounds for future studies of strategies for health promotion and of prevention measures for psychological ill-health of nursing students.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.299-303
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• 2016

Background: This study was conducted to determine knowledge, attitudes and practices about cervical cancer and HPV vaccination of students studying in various faculties of Erciyes University. Materials and Methods: The study was performed among the first and fourth grade students of Medicine, Theology, Education and Economics and Administrative Sciences (FEAS) faculties of Erciyes University. It was aimed to reach 1,073 students and 718 were evaluated. A questionnaire consisting of 48 questions related to the socio-demographic characteristics, knowledge, attitude and practices about cervical cancer and HPV vaccination was administered to the students. The chi-square test and logistic regression were used for the statistical analyses. Results: Of the students, 78.3% were aware of cervical cancer, while 36.1% of them were aware of the HPV vaccine. The percentage hearing about cervical cancer and HPV vaccination was significantly higher among the students of the medical faculty than the others and among fourth grade students comparing with the first grade. The marital status and the presence of a health worker in the family had no significant impact on the knowledge level of the students. The acceptability of the HPV vaccination was low among all students. Conclusions: The knowledge levels of the university students about cervical cancer and HPV vaccination are inadequate. This deficiency is more pronounced among the non-medical students and there is no significant increase during the faculty years. Non-medical students must be provided with information about important public health issues by elective courses. HPV vaccination could provide many benefits for men and women by decreasing the morbidity and mortality of cervical, anal, and penile cancers.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.45-58
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• 2002

This research was conducted to understand and analyze the physical awareness symptoms of college students and get fundamental research data essential to provide efficient student guidance and public health service at schools. The survey was carried out for 1 month from May 7th, 2001 to June 7th, 2001. The interviewees were 950 enrolled students at junior colleges in Daegu. 26.5% of them were men and 73.5% women. Among the surveyed, public health majors were 76.9%. Daytime students were 64.1 %, and the majority of the students, 42.8%, were atheistic. 56.0% of the students grew up in big cities, 22.2% in medium and small-sized cities, and 21.8% in farming and fishing communities. 66.1 % used public transportation. The majority of the students, 48.7%, answered that the satisfaction level for their majors was average. The result shows that the ocular fatigue was indicated as a greatest complaint, and the female students showed the higher complaint rate than the males. In the study of the complaining rate of physical symptoms by major, the public health majors showed the highest complaining rate in gasping when going up/down stairs, shoulder pain, a burning feeling on empty stomach, and leg/knee pain. On the other hand, the highest complaint factors for the technical majors were ocular fatigue and the feelings of heavy head. In the study of the complaining rate of physical symptoms by transportation, gasping during going up/down stairs and shoulder pain were most common, which were 52.2% and 36.0% respectively. In the study of the insecurity response distribution by transportation, college students who drive a car showed 3.8% and students using public transportation 3.7%. In the study of the insecurity response by subject satisfaction, students who answered dissatisfactory were 8.3%, average 3.9%, satisfied 3.0%. Therefore, it was concluded that students who were dissatisfied with their subjects showed the higher rate of insecurity response. it can be recommended that a school health education program regarding ocular fatigue and shoulder pain should be developed.

• Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.179-189
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• 2013

Purpose: This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of a brown rice and vegetable dietary program on the defecation conditions and health status of high school students. Method: A non-equivalent control group and pretest-posttest design was used. The subjects were 62 students (28 in the intervention group, 34 in the control group) who voluntarily participated in the study. The program was conducted from April 6, 2012 to July 3, 2012 at two high schools in Daegu city. During that time, two meals a day were supplied to the experimental group. Data on defecation condition and health status was collected using self-questionnaires. Results: After 12 weeks, students in the intervention group had a significantly better defecation condition than students in the control group. Students in the intervention group also had a significantly higher health status than students in the control group. Conclusion: The results suggest that a brown rice and vegetable dietary program improves the defecation condition and health status of high school students. Therefore, the development and study of nursing intervention and public health education program about brown rice as well as vegetable and fresh fruit consumption are necessary for these subjects.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.11
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• pp.6971-6978
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• 2013

Background: Smoking among adolescents has been linked to a variety of adverse and long term health consequences. "Susceptibility to smoking" or the lack of cognitive commitment to abstain from smoking is an important predictor of adolescent smoking. In 2008, we conducted a study to determine the psycho-sociological factors associated with susceptibility to smoking among secondary school students in the district of Kota Tinggi, Johor. Materials and Methods: Two thousand seven hundred students were randomly selected by proportional stratified sampling. Analyses on 1,736 non-smoking students revealed that prevalence of adolescents susceptible to smoking was 16.3%. Results: Male gender (aOR=2.05, 95%CI= 1.23-3.39), poor academic achievement (aOR 1.60, 95%CI 1.05-2.44), ever-smoker (aOR 2.17, 95%CI 1.37-3.44) and having a smoking friend (aOR 1.76, 95%CI 1.10-2.83) were associated with susceptibility to smoking, while having the perception that smoking prohibition in school was strictly enforced (aOR 0.55, 95%CI 0.32-0.94), and had never seen friends smoking in a school compound (aOR 0.59, 95%CI 0.37-0.96) were considered protective factors Conclusions: These results indicate that follow-up programmes need to capitalise on the modifiable factors related to susceptibility to smoking by getting all stakeholders to be actively involved to stamp out smoking initiation among adolescents.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.53 no.5
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• pp.323-331
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• 2020

Objectives: This study aimed to determine the prevalence and correlates of sexual intercourse among junior secondary and high school students in Indonesia from the 2015 Global School-based Health Survey (GSHS). Methods: The survey was conducted among 11 110 students from 75 schools in Indonesia using a self-administered questionnaire. Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted to explore associations between sexual intercourse and socio-demographic variables, substance use, mental distress, and protective factors. Results: Overall, 5.3% of students reported having ever had sex (6.9% of boys and 3.8% of girls). Of students who engaged in sexual intercourse, 72.7% of boys and 90.3% of girls had an early sexual debut (before reaching the age of 15) and around 60% had multiple sex partners. Sexual intercourse was associated with gender, school grade, smoking, alcohol consumption, drug use, suicidal ideation, truancy, peer support, and parental supervision. Conclusions: These findings indicate a pressing need to develop more comprehensive sexual health education in the national curriculum. An effective strategy should also address other risky behaviours.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.20
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• pp.8735-8740
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• 2014

Background: Previous studies for non-communicable disease cotrol, including cancer, have mostly relied on health literacy in adults. However, limited studies are available for adolescents. This study aimed to assess the status and determinants of health literacy in in-school adolescents in Guangdong, China. Materials and Methods: A total of 3,821 students aged 13-25 years were selected by multi-stage cluster sampling. After the questionnaire of health literacy was answered, the total scores for health knowledge (18 questions), skills (5 questions) and behaviors (14 questions) were determined. The total scores for health literacy and each subscale were recoded into adequate and inadequate subgroups, and logistic regression models were used to identify factors associated with each outcome variable. Results: The prevalence of adequate health literacy was 14.4%, and the prevalences for adequate knowledge, skills and behavior were 22.4%, 64.7% and 6.6%, respectively. Students coming from prestigious schools and having parents with higher education had higher odds of having adequate knowledge, skills and behaviors. Female students had higher odds of having adequate knowledge and behaviors. Students in grade 7-8 had higher odds of having adequate knowledge and skills. The health knowledge was positive associated with health skills (odds ratio [OR] =2.1, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.7-2.5) and behaviors (OR=3.0, 95%CI 2.3-4.0), and health skills were positive associated with health behaviors (OR=2.6, 95%CI 1.8-3.8). Conclusions: Further efforts should be made to increase adolescents' health knowledge and behaviors, especially for low grade and male students in non-prestigious schools.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.11
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• pp.4563-4570
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• 2015

Background: Smoking is a learnt behavior during adolescence and understanding the factor/s associated with smoking will assist in identifying suitable measures in combating the rising prevalence of smoking among adolescents. This research aimed to identify the factor/s associated with smoking among form four students in Kota Tinggi, Johor. Multistage sampling was used to select a representative sample of students in 2008 and data were collected using a self-administered validated questionnaire. This study revealed that the overall smoking prevalence was 19.0% with a significantly higher proportion of male smokers (35.8%) as compared to females (3.15%). Adolescents who were male (aOR 6.6, 95%CI 2.61-16.4), those who had peer/s who smoked (aOR 4.03, 95% CI 1.31-12.4), and those who studied in rural areas and Felda Settlements ( aOR 4.59, 95 CI 1.11-18.0; aOR 9.42, 95%CI 3.91-29.1) were more likely to smoke in the past one week. On the other hand, adolescents with better knowledge on the hazards of smoking and negative attitudes towards smoking were less likely to smoke (aOR 0.51, 95%CI 0.37-0.72; aOR 0.67, 95%CI 0.46-0.99). Future promotional and interventional programmes on smoking should be considered and the above identified risk factors integrated to reduce smoking prevalence among students of school-going ages in Kota Tinggi. Johor.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.59-65
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• 2022

Background: Healthcare workers' attitudes toward vaccination have been widely described in the literature, but a restricted amount of studies assessed healthcare students' knowledge, attitudes, and opinions on this issue. This study aimed to estimate the influence of a degree course on knowledge and immunization behavior among healthcare students and to compare medical students with students from other health profession degree programs to identify possible differences. Methods: A multicenter, cross-sectional study was performed in 2018 in 14 Italian Universities (3,131 students were interviewed). A validated questionnaire was used to assess knowledge, attitudes, and opinions toward vaccinations, with a specific focus on influenza vaccine and attitudes toward mandatory vaccination policies. Statistical software STATA® 14 was used. Results: Significant differences were recorded between medical students and other healthcare students. The intention to get vaccinated against influenza during the next season and having been vaccinated in the previous season was higher in the medical group (p < 0.001). In the group of students of other health professions, we registered a lower probability of identifying themselves as a high-risk group for contracting infectious diseases as a consequence of their profession and health status (aOR 0.49; CI95%: 0.40-0.60) and an increased likelihood of defining their level of knowledge on vaccine-preventable diseases and related vaccinations as "insufficient/sufficient/fair" (aOR 1.31; CI95%: 1.11-1.56). Conclusions: Results show several differences between medical students and students of other health professions when it comes to vaccination knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions, as well as a general low tendency to be vaccinated against influenza.