• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.18
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• pp.7679-7686
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• 2014

Background: This study aimed to seek insights into Chinese women's lay beliefs about cervical cancer causal attributions and prevention. Materials and Methods: Twenty-three new immigrant adult women from Mainland China and thirty-five Hong Kong adult women underwent semi-structured in-depth interviews. Interviews were audio taped, transcribed and analyzed using a Grounded Theory approach. Results: This study generated three foci: causal beliefs about cervical cancer, perceived risk of cervical cancer, and beliefs about cervical cancer prevention. Personal risky practices, contaminated food and environment pollution were perceived as the primary causes of cervical cancer. New immigrant women more likely attributed cervical cancer to external factors. Most participants perceived cervical cancer as an important common fatal female cancer with increased risk/prevalence. Many participants, particularly new immigrant women participants, expressed helplessness about cervical cancer prevention due to lack of knowledge of prevention, it being perceived as beyond individual control. Many new immigrant participants had never undergone regular cervical screening while almost all Hong Kong participants had done so. Conclusions: Some Chinese women hold pessimistic beliefs about cervical cancer prevention with inadequate knowledge about risk factors. Future cervical cancer prevention programs should provide more information and include capacity building to increase Chinese women's knowledge and self-efficacy towards cervical cancer prevention.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.97-110
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• 2009

Objectives: This study investigated Korean public's beliefs on helpfulness of various resources and preferred ways of addressing symptoms of mental health problems. Methods: A household survey was conducted on a stratified sample of adults aged between 18 and 74 (N=1,584). The participants were asked to provide their opinion on helpfulness of 39 resources for problems presented in the vignette, either depression(DEP) or schizophrenia(SPR). Descriptive statistics and factor analysis were conducted to summarize their opinion and to identify the underlying structure of beliefs about helpfulness of various resources. Results: Counselors/psychologists/social workers, family, psychiatrists, other therapists, and religious leaders were believed to be the most helpful. Methods that require one's initiatives marked percentages much higher than those of 'waiting to get better' or 'dealing with it alone'. The percentages for medications were lower than other methods in general, but higher than those of a western sample especially on antidepressants and anti-psychotics. Psycho/social approach was favored more for SPR than for DEP, and popular/cultural approach was favored much more for DEP than for SPR; physical/medical approach was strongly unfavored against DEP. Conclusion: Strategies need to be developed for utilizing various helpful resources to diversify modality of mental health services and facilitate referrals and gatekeeping. The differences in beliefs on helpfulness of various methods between DEP and SPR point to the need for problem-specific strategies.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.11
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• pp.4595-4599
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• 2014

Background: Colorectal cancer is a serious health problem. Early detection of colorectal cancer is crucial for treatment and reducing mortality. Beliefs related to colorectal cancer have been found to be a factor in a person's decision about colorectal cancer screening programs. To determine such beliefs, a valid and reliable instrument is necessary. Objective:The aim of this study was to adapt and determine the psychometric properties of the Persian version of Champion's Health Belief Model Scale of breast cancer screening in the measurement of beliefs toward colorectal cancer (CRC) screening. Materials and Methods: The 'forward-backward' procedure was applied to translate the instrument from English into Persian. This study was conducted in Iran from June 2012 to May 2013. A convenience sample of 200 individuals aged 50 years and older was recruited from the population at the outpatient clinics in the three teaching hospitals. Validity was assessed using content, face and construct validity. To test reliability, the internal consistency was assessed by using Cronbach's alpha coefficient and test-retest (intraclass correlation coefficient) analyses. Exploratory factor analysis was used to assess the construct validity and determine the factors of adapted Champion's Health Belief Model Scale. Results: The mean age of the participants were 62.5 years (SD=10.8 years) and the majority of them (75.5 percent) were female. The results of exploratory factor analysis indicated a six-factor solution for the questionnaire (benefits, motivation and confidence, seriousness, susceptibility, emotional barriers and background barriers) that jointly accounted for 55.52% of variance observed. Cronbach's alpha of the subscales ranged from 0.57 to 0.89 and test-retest reliability ranged from 0.81 to 0.93 indicating a good range of reliability. Conclusions: The findings of this study suggest that the Persian version of Champion's Health Belief Model Scale of CRC screening has good psychometric properties and could be an appropriate measure for health beliefs related to CRC screening in national and international studies.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.7
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• pp.3301-3307
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• 2016

Background: Cancer is a leading cause of death in Korea. To prevent cancer, it is essential to facilitate and promote appropriate cancer screening behavior in the adult population. The aim of this study was to examine health beliefs related to cancer screening intentions using the Health Belief Model (HBM). Materials and Methods: The research participants comprised 275 male health and safety managers at commercial companies in Korea. The self-administered survey explored demographic characteristics, cancer-related factors, beliefs about cancer/cancer screening (BCCS) (vulnerability to cancer, severity of cancer, benefits of screening, and barriers to screening), and cancer screening intention. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to identify factors associated with an intention to be screened for cancer. Results: Perceived health status and need for cancer prevention education were major factors associated with BCCS. Poorer health status was associated with greater perceived vulnerability, a perception of fewer benefits, and more barriers (p<0.05). A perceived greater need for cancer prevention education was associated with a higher perceived severity of cancer and more perceived barriers to screening (p<0.05). Marital status, cancer screening experience, and perceived vulnerability to cancer were significant influences on the cancer screening intention (p<0.05). Participants who had undergone cancer screening in the past 2 years were more likely to intend to be screened for cancer than were those who had not been screened; this was true across all degrees of intention and all types of cancer (p<0.01). Hesitant people considered themselves less vulnerable to gastric, lung, and liver cancer than did the poeple who intended to undergo cancer screening (p<0.05). Conclusions: Based on our findings, we recommend that workplace cancer prevention programs attempt to increase awareness about vulnerability to cancer among workers who hesitate to undergo cancer screening.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.2315-2320
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• 2016

Background: This study investigated the influence of religious beliefs on the health of cancer patients and identified the factors contributing to the influence. Materials and Methods: A questionnaire survey was conducted using a convenient sampling method. A structured questionnaire was used to the samplings, and the data of 200 cancer patients were collected. Results: The effects of religion on the health of cancer patients achieved an average score of 3.58. The top five effects are presented as follows: (a) Religion provides me with mental support and strength, (b) religion enables me to gain confidence in health recovery, (c) religion motivates me to cope with disease-related stress positively and optimistically, (d) religion helps me reduce anxiety, and (e) religion gives me courage to face uncertainties regarding disease progression. Moreover, among the demographic variables, gender, type of religion, and experience of religious miracles contributed to the significantly different effects of religion on patients. Specifically, the effect of religion on the health of patients who were female and Christian and had miracle experiences was significantly (p< .01) higher than that on other patients. Conclusions: These results are helpful in understanding the influence of religious beliefs on the health of cancer patients and identified the factors contributing to the influence. The result can serve as a reference for nursing education and clinical nursing practice.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.309-316
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• 2012

This study used the health belief model of college students to investigate the not with regards to their health status awareness, health management, and their health beliefs. Logistic regression analysis showed a significantly high odds ratio between intent of hepatitis B vaccination and gender, The trend for receiving a hepatitis B vaccination was highest in groups with awareness of the high susceptibility and seriousness of hepatitis B, groups with awareness of the low barrier, and women as opposed to men. Therefore future research is needed regarding appropriate promotions of the seriousness and benefits of hepatitis B vaccinations as well as the development of a integrated health education mediation program and effect evaluation.

• Korean Journal of Occupational Health Nursing
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.198-207
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• 2013

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to describe hospital nurses' knowledge and beliefs about hand hygiene and to identify the relationships between knowledge and beliefs. Methods: Data were collected from 232 nurses working in four university hospitals and were analyzed using SPSS/WIN 20.0 program. Results: The mean score of knowledge of hand hygiene was 8.1. The mean scores of behavioral, normative, and control belief about hand hygiene were 2.3, 2.5, and -0.7, respectively. Knowledge was correlated with educational level (p=.013) and experience of hand hygiene campaign (p=.018). The behavioral belief was correlated with age (p<.001) and career (p=.002). The normative belief was correlated with work department (p=.007). The control belief was correlated with educational level (p=.043) and experience of being monitored on hand hygiene (p=.010). The subjects who believed that head nurses, charge nurses, and colleagues practiced better hand hygiene had higher behavioral and normative belief scores than those who did not. There were no significant relationships between knowledge and beliefs. Conclusion: There is a need to improve knowledge of hand hygiene in hospital nurses. This study provides information for developing strategies to strengthen beliefs about hand hygiene.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.3 no.3
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• pp.220-225
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• 2009

The objective of this study was to assess beliefs (e.g. advantages, disadvantages, benefits, barriers) and knowledge about eating peanuts and tree nuts. Personal interviews based on the Theory of Planned Behavior were conducted to elicit beliefs about eating nuts. Then, a cross-sectional survey was administered to WIC participants from one county in North Carolina. One-hundred-twenty-four WIC participants (mean (SD) age=28.39 (8.09) completed the study. Most were Caucasian (51.6%) females (96%). About one third believed that eating nuts may help to lower cholesterol level. However, only about one forth believed that nuts can lower a risk of a heart attack or diabetes. More than one third believed that eating nuts will cause weight gain. The knowledge of respondents' about nutrient content of nuts was low with correct answers to most questions about 20% or below. The mean (SD) positive attitude, negative attitude, benefits and barriers scores, based on a range from 1 to 5, were 2.53 (0.91), 3.25 (0.89), 2.97 (0.85) and 2.90 (0.76), respectively. WIC participants' beliefs regarding the health effects of nuts are inconsistent with the most recent research findings. They are in a need to education about benefits of eating nuts.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.482-490
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• 2001

Purpose I investigated how beliefs in punishment have influence on child abuse. Also, I investigated how socio-demographic variables of parents' have influences on child abuse by parents. Sampling was conveniently and total 160 parents replied to the study. Data analysis was done by descriptive statistics, Pearson's correlation using SPSSWIN. The results were as follows. Mild child abuse: 'Throwing the object at me(21.1%)', 'Clutching, and pushing (21.0%)', 'Slapping on the cheek (19.1 %), Severe child abuse: 'Kicking, pounding and biting(4.1%)', 'Rod, stick, belt, broom beating using a various objects such as(51.7%)', 'Beating all over the body(6.8%)'. Very severe child abuse: 'Burning with cigarette (0%)', 'Threatening me with a knife, a hammer, a naxe, a gimlet the objects such as(0.7%)', 'Injuring me with the objects such as (0%)', 'Hospitalized by belting(0%)'. Correlations of major variables were as follows. Physical child abuse by elementary student's parents has significantly positive correlation with beliefs in punishment(r= .244 p= .003) and has significantly negative correlation with parent's age(r=-.273, p=.001). But physical child abuse has not significant correlations with family income, education. Conclusion: Beliefs in punishment of parents have influences on child abuse. To prevent child abuse, effective parenting program development is required.

• Journal of the Korean Society of School Health
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.305-319
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• 1999

The objective of this study were to evaluate the relation between post-examination management states of dental caries in elementary school students and a mother's dental health beliefs. We systematically chose 10 elementary school in urban and rural areas of Chungnam Province and determined the first class students of 5 and 6 grade in each school as study subjects. Among 837 participants, 669 students were diagnosed with dental caries after a 1998 periodic dental health examination was answered completely and analysed. The contents of the questionnaire for students were general characteristics, dental health behaviors, notification factors, treatment factors. Their mothers were surveyed by another questionnaire. The contents of the questionnaire for mothers were also general characteristics, dental health behaviors, and dental health beliefs. The result of this study were as follows 1. The prevalence of dental caries was 65.0% and there was no significant difference between urban and rural areas. 2. Meanwhile, 63.8% of students in urban areas knew the examination result through a doctor's explanation, 52.4% of students in rural areas learned through a school notification letter, 82.9% of all the students let their parents know of their dental caries. 3. Among the dental caries group, 36.3% of the students were treated as for treatment, most students in urban areas visited a dental clinic, but those in rural areas visited the dental dept of a public health center as for the treatment time, 35.9% of the students were treated immediately after the examination. 4. 44.9% of those treated answered that they felt they needed treatment; 67.2% of those not treated answered that they considered the treatment as a bother and unnecessary due to no pain. 5. Overall, the scores in the dental health beliefs in mothers were low. Especially among the 5 items of susceptibility and seriousness, the scored were very low but the benefit was high. Logistic regression analysis showed that the treatment of a child's dental caries was significantly associated with low scores of benefit in those untreated and high scores among those treated. Considering these results, health education to stimalate a mother's susceptibility and seriousness in health beliefs and for students to learn the need for treatment, including a more detailed post exam management system at the school level should be considered for a higher treatment rate.