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The use of donated expressed breast milk (DBM) is encouraged in South Africa, with donor milk banks and legislated policies and programmes available in hospitals serving populations with a high HIV prevalence. Concerns over poor attitudes amongst mothers towards DBM seem to persist. A cross-sectional mixed-methods approach was used in a cohort of mothers of neonates in a regional hospital. Between April 2021 and January 2022, survey data on knowledge, awareness and attitudes towards DBM was collected. Qualitative data from open-ended questions were thematically analysed. Comparative analysis using independent sample t-tests and logistic regression to determine differences in variables and to understand associations related to knowledge was conducted. A total of 163 mothers with a mean (SD) age of 27.1 ± 6.3 years were included; 49.7% of mothers had post-high-school qualifications, 82.8% were unemployed and 87.0% received social security. Some 64.4% had inadequate knowledge of DBM. Awareness of DBM had the strongest association with better knowledge concerning DBM and AdjOR (25.25 95% CI 10.60–68.40; p < 0.001). Negative attitudes towards DBM were largely driven by a lack of knowledge regarding human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) screening of donor mothers and fears of HIV transmission when using DBM. Lack of awareness concerning DBM was associated with poor knowledge of DBM, which may drive poor uptake of this critical nutritional source for at-risk neonates. Implementing targeted awareness programmes on DBM, which begin in the antenatal period and specifically address HIV screening of donor mothers, could address the poor uptake of DBM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, public officials in the United States – from the President to governors, mayors, lawmakers, and even school district commissioners – touted unproven treatments for COVID-19 alongside, and sometimes as opposed to, mask and vaccine mandates. Utilising the framework of ‘pharmaceutical messianism’, our article focuses on three such cures – hydroxychloroquine, ivermectin, and monoclonal antibodies – to explore how pharmaceuticals were mobilised within politicised pandemic discourses. Using the states of Utah, Texas, and Florida as illustrative examples, we make the case for paying attention to pharmaceutical messianism at the subnational and local levels, which can very well determine pandemic responses and outcomes in contexts such as the US where subnational governments have wide autonomy. Moreover, we argue that aside from the affordability of the treatments being studied and the heterodox knowledge claiming their efficacy, the widespread uptake of these cures was also informed by popular medical (including immunological) knowledge, pre-existing attitudes toward ‘orthodox’ measures like vaccines and masks, and mistrust toward authorities and institutions identified with the ‘medical establishment’. Taken together, our case studies affirm the recurrent nature of pharmaceutical messianism in times of health crises – while also refining the concept and exposing its limitations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a complex and pervasive public health problem disproportionately affecting Indigenous and Black women. During the COVID-19 pandemic, IPV became more complicated for advocates because social distancing, quarantine, and isolation measures further endangered women experiencing IPV. This manuscript is based on an ongoing community-engaged study in an upper Midwestern state. Our primary goal for this study is to generate urgently needed knowledge on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Indigenous and Black women’s help-seeking behaviours following IPV by systematically documenting barriers women faced during the pandemic. Engaging women in a large study that seeks to garner information about their experiences of violence is complex and challenging and requires significant planning, especially for ensuring participants’ safety. In this write-up, we detail the safety planning protocol developed for the purposes of recruiting and engaging women in rural and urban areas in an upper Midwestern state in the United States. Our goal is to provide scholars conducting research in the area of violence with practical considerations for safely conducting a study of this nature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: A significant portion of autistic adults experience mental health challenges. Currently, the literature is incomplete when it comes to understanding the needs and preferences of autistic adults who receive therapy. This study elicited the perspectives of autistic adults, focusing on the facilitators, barriers and ways to enhance psychotherapy based on receiving this care for mental health problems. Methods: Using the qualitative, exploratory approach of the Enhanced Critical Incident Technique, eight autistic adults took part in interviews. Results: A total of 147 critical incidents were extracted from participant interviews and categories salient to therapeutic practice. The study identified key factors influencing therapy, such as trust and respect, practical approaches, client factors, structure of sessions, knowledge about autism, support for individualized needs, access to mental health services, and involvement of family/advocate. These factors were categorized into eight main areas relevant to therapeutic practice. Conclusions: Findings from this research reveal that psychotherapy with autistic adults is analogous to performing this work with non-autistic adults, in the sense that this work too entails elements of individually tailored treatment and the reliance on common therapeutic factors. There are also differences in this work that necessitate providers having foundational knowledge about autism. Learning directly from autistic adults' insights may help to improve upon the delivery of mental health care for autistic adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted global interdependencies, accompanied by widespread calls for worldwide cooperation against a virus that knows no borders, but responses were led largely separately by national governments. In this tension between aspiration and reality, people began to grapple with how their own lives were affected by the global nature of the pandemic. In this article, based on 493 qualitative interviews conducted between 2020 and 2021, we explore how people in Argentina, Austria, Bolivia, Ecuador, Ireland, Italy and Mexico experienced, coped with and navigated the global nature of the pandemic. In dialogue with debates about the parameters of the 'global' in global health, we focus on what we call people's everyday (de)bordering practices to examine how they negotiated (dis)connections between 'us' and 'them' during the pandemic. Our interviewees' reactions moved from national containment to an increasing focus on people's unequal socio-spatial situatedness. Eventually, they began to (de)border their lives beyond national lines of division and to describe a new normal: a growing awareness of global connectedness and a desire for global citizenship. This newfound sense of global interrelatedness could signal support for and encourage transnational political action in times of crises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Numerical knowledge is critical to global public health, but numbers often emerge from contexts that require serious attention to historical and contextual factors shaped by race and place-based marginalisations. Without such attention, even progressive anti-racist public health projects can cause harm in neighbourhoods like Bayview Hunters Point in San Francisco. The central role of numbers in governance has received substantial scholarly attention and ethnographic studies often foreground the subjective stakes and selective erasures that result from privileging numerical ways of knowing. Based on 12 months of ethnographic research conducted in 2003–2004, we track different interpretations around the closure of an HIV/AIDS medication adherence program in San Francisco's only majority Black neighbourhood. Drawing on Du Bois' double consciousness, we show the entanglement of numbers, race and place through the story of how a program's closure was interpreted by clients in terms of racialised neglect and experimental violence. Twenty years later, in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, the quest for numbers continues to evoke community tensions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Special education is a natural yardstick to measure a country's educational level and the whole civilization. China has a massive special education undertaking that develops rapidly and forms a unique system. This study used bibliometric methods to conduct a macroscopic comparative analysis of Chinese and global literature, discuss the existing problems of China's special education, and put forward relevant recommendations accordingly. The CiteSpace V visual analysis software was used to draw the scientific knowledge map of the Chinese local database CSSCI and the global database SSCI, and the results of the map were discussed. Research conclusions: Firstly, China's research institutions lack a macro-level cooperation network. Second, there are differences in the focus of special education objects between China and the world. This difference is mainly caused by the definition of special education objects, which may be influenced by the formulation of educational concepts and policies. Thirdly, in the reference co-citation analysis, the focus of Chinese research is narrow and generally focuses on special education teachers. This article provides implications for solving special education problems in China, and its research method provides a reference for future related research for other countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was conducted to determine nutritional knowledge, and to identify whether caregivers' knowledge and attitudes related to their breakfast and lunchbox food-providing practices. A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted. Questionnaires were used to collect the data. The study population included 1286 caregivers of foundation phase learners in Quintile 5 schools from Bloemfontein, South Africa. The median score for knowledge regarding breakfast and lunchboxes of caregivers was 55.6% and 73.1%, respectively. Knowledge on breakfast and lunchbox foods was higher for caregivers older than 35 years (breakfast median 55.6, p = 0.0479 and lunchbox median 76.9, p < 0.0001) and who possessed a tertiary qualification (breakfast median 55.6, p = 0.0009 and lunchbox median 76.9, p < 0.0001). The attitudes of caregivers were generally positive towards providing healthy breakfast and lunchbox foods (breakfast median 71.4% and lunchbox median 82.5%). The primary objective of caregivers' provision of a lunchbox was health considerations (n = 658, 54.2%) followed by being filling (n = 277, 22.8%). The median score to rate the provision of healthy breakfast foods was 26.7% and 35.6% for lunchbox foods. Healthier breakfasts and lunchboxes were provided by caregivers with a tertiary qualification. A need to educate caregivers on the provision of healthy breakfast and lunchbox foods has been identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Child marriage is a globally recognised human rights violation that disproportionately affects girls, especially in developing countries. It has serious negative consequences on girls' physical, mental, sexual, and reproductive health and rights. Although well-pronounced laws against child marriage were enacted in Bangladesh, the practice remains a significant challenge. Lack of law enforcement and persistent social norms ultimately allow child marriage to persist around the country. Social norms have an impact on the prevalent attitudes toward child marriage. Therefore, this mixed-method study aimed to explore the legal knowledge, perception, and practice of child marriage in Bangladesh. This study was part of a broader evaluation of a UNICEF media programme. Adolescent boys and girls aged between 10 and 19 years and their parents were interviewed in three Bangladeshi districts. All the respondents were aware of the legal age of marriage and knew that child marriage is punishable by law. This study illuminated the reasons, including early marriage among boys, poverty, dowry, and sexual harassment. Communities and policymakers need to be engaged to trigger larger structural and cultural changes to remedy the harmful social norm and its practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous literature has applied system-focused structures to understand the success of First Nations Peoples' nutrition and exercise group programmes. Existing system-focused measures have included biomedical outcomes, access and service utilization. By broadening the focus of programme success beyond the system, we can evaluate programmes from a First Nations Peoples' lifeworld perspective. Critical hermeneutics and yarning using a lens of Habermas' Theory of Communicative Action to the literature has the potential to transform understandings of "success" in First Nations Peoples' nutrition and exercise group programmes. In this literature interpretation, we explored the critical success factors from a lifeworld perspective, giving scope to go beyond a system perspective to include a cultural, social or personal perspective. Our yarning led us to understand that there is a communicative relationship between explicit system structures and implicit lifeworld concepts that are critical success factors for First Nations nutrition and exercise group programmes. We have developed a set of reflective questions to guide others in considering a lifeworld perspective. Our findings represent a shift away from success measured by the dominant power structure to respect the lifeworld culture, knowledges and values of First Nations Peoples towards shared understanding and mutual decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the expertise in and support of the implemented new method of cancer patient pathways (CPPs) among general practitioners (GPs) and other working physicians in Sweden. A survey in the form of 10 knowledge-based multiple-choice questions (MCQs) and two general questions about CPPs. Physicians from two different regions in Sweden answered the survey between December 2018 and January 2019. GPs in primary care compared to other physicians. 155 participants completed the survey and the response rate was 65%. Physicians' self-estimated knowledge of CPPs in general and opinion of CPPs effect on mortality and morbidity. Their scores on 10 different MCQs. Scores were analysed in subgroups related to the physicians medical specialty and experience. A majority of all physicians (63%) felt that they had insufficient knowledge regarding the procedure of CPPs, and the average score from the MCQs was 3.8 out of 10 correct answers. The results showed that GPs performed significantly better than specialists from other disciplines. The low percentage of correctly answered MCQs shows that the information about the entry part of CPPs needs to be improved. The study demonstrates a support for the system with CPPs because the physicians believed in its' positive effects on morbidity and mortality, however, it also reveals a lack of self-estimated knowledge about the system with CPPs. Cancer patient pathways (CPPs) is a newly implemented method in Sweden that aims to equalize cancer care and reduce the time to diagnosis and treatment. The proficiency of when to initiate an investigation according to a specific CPP seems low. General practitioners (GPs) performed significantly better on knowledge-based questions than other specialists did. Physicians rated their knowledge as insufficient regarding the procedure of CPPs. A clear majority of physicians believed that CPPs promotes a lower mortality and morbidity in cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explore GPs' perspectives on and daily experiences with the relational potential of email consultations. Qualitative study with data from participant observation and semi-structured interviews General practice setting in Denmark Practice personnel from four clinics were observed and 16 GPs (seven women and nine men, between 35 and 70 years of age) interviewed. Field notes and interview data were analysed using an inductive thematic analysis approach. Main themes and subthemes reporting GPs' perspectives on and experiences with the relational potential of email consultations. The analyses showed that due to perceived interpretational shortcomings, the GPs generally experienced email consultation as unsuitable for communication about relational, socio-emotional and sensitive matters. In doctor–patient relationships founded on mutual knowledge and trust, the email consultation was however used as a supportive communication channel, as a way for the patient to express emotions and affect and for the GP to proactively show interest and compassion towards the patient. Email consultations were highly context-variant. Within continuing relationships and in conjunction with face-to-face consultations, email consultation was used for supportive communication holding the potential for maintaining, strengthening and/or dissolving the GP-patient relationship. Therefore, email consultation is not simply an information-delivery tool but also holds more explicit relational potentials. Overall, the GPs perceived email consultation as unsuitable for non-medical, relationship-oriented purposes. Nonetheless, the GPs experienced that email consultations oftentimes comprised communication about relational and socio-emotional issues. Knowledge of the patient was a vital factor for the GP's comfort in and acceptability of relational functions of email consultation. Email consultation is not simply an information-delivery tool as it holds the potential for maintaining, strengthening and/or dissolving the GP-patient relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) have several options for placement within the education system. Placement options typically comprise inclusion, self-contained classrooms in a regular schools, or special education schools. Objectives: The current study reviewed 210 psychological records of Israeli students with ASD from 1994 to 2011 retrospectively, and sought to examine students' placement in relation to three factors: intelligence, diagnosis and socioeconomic status (SES). In addition, transition periods were examined to detect possible key periods for change in placement. Results: All three factors were related to educational placement. Specifically, students in special schools had a significantly lower mean intelligence score, and lower SES was associated with less inclusive placements. Additionally, the transition between 6th and 7th grade was found to be a key period for placement change, mainly from more inclusive placements to less inclusive ones. Conclusions: Implications for policy and practice are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Adolescents are at high risk of unintended pregnancy and consequent unsafe abortion. Evidence from Lao PDR suggests a high but underreported prevalence of induced abortion, especially amongst adolescents. Research suggests adolescents are less likely to have an unsafe abortion when they have accurate knowledge about abortion and hold positive attitudes towards abortion. Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate awareness and attitudes towards abortion and associated factors in Lao PDR. Methods: This study used a descriptive, cross-sectional design. The study was conducted between January and May 2019 in two different provinces within Lao PDR, namely, Khammouane and Champasack provinces. Participants included in- and out-of-school male and female adolescents (n = 800). Data were collected using a structured questionnaire and entered into the EPI Data version 3.1. All analysis was undertaken using STATA v.13. Univariate analysis and frequency distributions were used to study the pattern of responses and bivariate descriptive analysis to report attitudes and knowledge by participant characteristics. The association between participant characteristics and overall scores of attitudes towards abortion was evaluated using multiple logistic regression. Findings: Most respondents (78.8%) were aware of the processes and potential conse- quences of becoming pregnant at a young age. One-third of respondents (31.5%), were aware of induced abortion. Of those, only 12.1% held positive attitudes towards induced abortion. Factors associated with positive attitudes towards abortion were ethnicity, mother's education and ever having had sex. Conclusion: In the case of unintended or unwanted pregnancy, adolescents must also have adequate knowledge and access to safe abortion and associated counselling services. This study suggests a need to increase sexual and reproductive health literacy including information about safe abortion. This requires a holistic approach to sexual education and needs the support and involvement of adolescents themselves as well as parents, community members and healthcare workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Universal health coverage is target 3.8 of the Sustainable Development Goals. In many lower-middle-income countries, however, major coverage gaps exist. Those who do receive services often experience high out-of-pocket expenses. To achieve universal health coverage, Lao PDR, a lower-middle-income country in South-East Asia, is shifting from a fragmented model of health financing to a national health insurance scheme. Objective: The objective of this cross-sectional survey was to assess the knowledge of the NHI in Lao PDR among insured in- and out-patients using health services at selected public health facilities at provincial, district and health centre level in six provinces. Methods: This was a cross-sectional survey. Healthcare facilities were selected based on the rate of use of health services at the health facility and participants selected using systematic random sampling. Exit interviews were conducted with in- and out-patients of each selected health facility, using a pre-tested structured questionnaire. Descriptive statistics were gener- ated including means (median), frequency and percentages. Poisson regression was applied to determine the factors associated with knowledge of the insurance scheme. Results: In total 326 participants were recruited (response rate 93%). Of these, less than two-thirds (62.3%) said they had their eligibility documents with them. Only 23.6% knew the co-payment fee at the health centre level; while 18.1% and 18.7% knew about the co-payment fee at the district and provincial healthcare level, respectively. A key determinant of accessing NHI and health services was knowledge of the scheme and its benefits. Conclusion: This study suggests in Lao PDR, awareness about health insurance is low. More innovative demand-side strategies are needed to create awareness and understanding of the NHI and its benefits. Without an understanding of what insurance policies mean, universal health coverage cannot be achieved, even where appropriate and acceptable services are accessible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The objective of this study was to determine the knowledge, perceptions and practices of HIV-infected mothers regarding human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and infant feeding. Design: A cross-sectional study design was applied. Setting: The study was undertaken at a regional hospital in Bloemfontein. Subjects: A total of 100 mother–infant pairs that were still in hospital after the delivery of the baby were included. All mothers were HIV-infected. Outcome measures: Sociodemographic information, medical history, and knowledge, perceptions and practices related to infant feeding in the context of HIV were noted. Results: The median age of mothers was 31 years, and most mothers reported anti-retroviral therapy (ART) use (93.0%). The median CD4 cell count was 383 cells/mm3, and median haemoglobin level was 11.4 g/dl. Most mothers planned to breastfeed their infant(s) (70.0%). A large percentage of the mothers reported that they did not know or were not aware of the fact that HIV can be transmitted to an infant via breastfeeding (43.0%). Only half of the mothers had been shown how to either breastfeed or formula feed by healthcare staff (depending on their choice). Conclusion: The knowledge, perceptions and practices related to infant feeding were inadequate in mothers included in this study. Providing scientifically based, unbiased information is fundamental during counselling on infant feeding to ensure the success of prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) programmes. If women feel confident in their acquired knowledge, they are more likely to be self-empowered and make informed decisions related to infant feeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global demand for capacity building has increased interest for eLearning. As eLearning resources become more common, effective implementation is required to scale up utilization in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs). This paper describes the process of implementing a malnutrition eLearning course, effectiveness of course delivery models devised, factors affecting course completion, and cost comparison between the models and face-to-face training at healthcare and academic institutions in Ghana. Four delivery models: Mobile Training Centre (MTC), Online Delivery (OD), Institutional Computer Workstation (ICW) and Mixed Delivery (MD) – a combination of OD and ICW – were determined. Participants were enabled to access the course using one of the four models where contextually appropriate. Pre and post-assessments and questionnaires were administered to compare participants' course completion status and knowledge gain between delivery models. The effect of access to computer and Internet at home and relevance of course to job and academic progression on course completion were further investigated. Comparison of delivery model costs against face-to-face training was also undertaken. Of 7 academic and 9 healthcare institutions involving 915 people, 9 used MTC (34.8%), 3 OD (18.8%), 3 ICW (34.2%) and 1 MD (12.2%). Course completion was higher among institutions where the course was relevant to job or implemented as part of required curriculum activities. Knowledge gain was significant among most participants, but higher among those who found the course relevant to job or academic progression. The implementation costs per participant for training with MTC were £51.0, OD £2.2, ICW £1.2 and MD £1.1, compared with a face-to-face training estimate of £105.0 (1 GHS = 0.14 GBP). The malnutrition eLearning course makes global capacity building in malnutrition management achievable. Adopting contextually appropriate delivery models and ensuring training is relevant to job/academic progression can enhance eLearning effectiveness in LMICs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compared to White families, Latino families of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) face systemic barriers when accessing services for their children. Although there is research about systemic barriers among Latino families, less is known about how Latino and White families differ with respect to special education knowledge, family–school partnerships, and empowerment—key traits to access services. In this study, we examined the differences between 44 White and 55 Latino families of children with ASD with respect to special education knowledge, family–school partnerships, and empowerment; we also examined the correlates of special education knowledge, family–school partnerships, and empowerment. Latino parents reported significantly less special education knowledge and less empowerment compared to White parents; notably, among Latino and White families of children with ASD, there was a significant, positive correlation between empowerment and family–school partnerships. Implications for research and practice are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Getting the right diagnosis is supposed to provide an explanation of a patient's health problem and inform health care decisions. As a core element of clinical reasoning, diagnosis deserves systematic and transparent analysis. Conceptual tools can make doctors become aware of and explore diagnostic knowing. Methods: We demonstrate diagnostic knowing analysed as interpretative and contextualised activity. Our analysis is based on Lonergan's theory of knowing, constituting the cognitive structures as experiencing, understanding, and judging, in a general practice case. Findings: Analysis makes the complexity of diagnostic knowing in this context more transparent, in this case concluding with four diagnostic labels: a corn, constipation, headache and atrial fibrillation. We demonstrate how a medically significant diagnosis does not necessarily evolve deductively from complaints. The opening lines from the patient give ideas of where to look for possible explanations – questions for understanding – rather than diagnostic hypotheses. Such questions emerge from the GP's experiences from meeting the patient, including imaginations and interpretations. When ideas and questions regarding diagnoses have been developed, they may be judged and subjected to reflection. Questioning may also emerge as transitory concerns, not extensively ruled out. Lonergan's theory demonstrated a strong fit with these aspects of diagnostic knowing in general practice. Implications: Analysis demonstrated systematic, transparent approaches to diagnostic knowing, relevant for clinical teaching. We argue that an interpretative understanding of diagnosis can change clinical practice, complementing hypothetico-deductive strategies by recognising additional substantial diagnostic modes and giving access to scholarly reflection. Diagnosis is a core element of clinical reasoning, deserving systematic and transparent analysis beyond hypothetico-deductive reasoning or pattern recognition Diagnostic knowing in general practice is a special instance of all human knowing with subjectivity, interpretation and reflexivity as essential elements Lonergan's theory for knowing based on experiencing, understanding, and judging allowed us to map, decode and recognise advanced acts of clinical reasoning We share our experiences of how these concepts gave us a tool for systematic analysis of the complexities taking place in the GP's office on an ordinary day [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This exploratory study examined Chinese teachers' perceptions of the practical uses of Response to Intervention (RTI) in preschool inclusive education settings. A survey and follow-up interviews were conducted to collect information about teachers' perceptions of RTI implementation feasibility in Chinese inclusive early childhood education. Results indicated that even though preschool teachers had limited understanding of the RTI model, they held positive attitudes toward this model and were willing to participate in the learning of this model. However, teachers held negative attitudes toward use of the RTI model in the current situation. The influencing factors included cultural differences, different educational systems, teachers' knowledge and experience, inclusive education supporting system, and teachers' self-efficacy. It is recommended that Chinese teachers' colleges and normal universities could develop and offer more special education courses for the preschool education major in order to enhance the knowledge and skills of inclusive education for all early childhood education teachers. Preschools should build up better inclusive education supporting systems to enable and support teachers' practices. In addition, universities and colleges could provide more RTI model training seminars and learning opportunities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Literature suggests that although behavioral therapy is an effective means of intervention for children with disabilities, family participation in these programs is often lacking. Several barriers exist to meaningful parent education and parent-professional partnerships, which can lead to lower quality outcomes for both the individual with a disability and their families. These barriers should be identified and addressed. This study used a survey measure to gather quantitative and qualitative information on parental perceptions of barriers to behavioral parent education and training as well as suggestions for creating a stronger family-professional partnership. Common themes that emerged from the analysis include: a need for open and honest communication, the importance of a professional's training and experience in the field, and the availability of services. Knowledge of the barriers which exist in behavior parent training will allow providers to better serve families and ensure a stronger outcome of service. Implications for both research and practice are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Counterfactual thinking (CT) is the process of mentally undoing the outcome of an event by imagining alternate antecedent states. This research distinguishes between two types of CT: positive CT, which involves undoing the absence of previous positive outcomes, and negative CT, which involves undoing the presence of previous negative outcomes. Three experiments demonstrate that engaging in positive CT makes an individual's promotional goals (those related to attaining positive outcomes, such as accomplishments) more accessible relative to preventional goals (those related to avoiding negative outcomes, such as mistakes), whereas engaging in negative CT leads to a reversed effect. Furthermore, the type of CT (positive versus negative) induced prior to ad exposure influences the relative persuasiveness of promotion- versus prevention-focused ad appeals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on Sternberg's (1985) theory of human intelligence, the nature of salespeople's street-smarts--one of three aspects of intelligence this theory defines--is evaluated. It is suggested that salespeople's adapting to their environment, selecting to be in a more appropriate environment and shaping or molding their environment, the three elements of street-smarts, all contribute significantly to not only their performance but also their happiness (satisfaction). Further, it is suggested that although there may be a tendency among salespeople to focus on just one of the three aspects, because people like doing what they are best at, a balance among the three aspects of street-smart intelligence is more desirable. The motivational and personality roots of these forms of intelligence are also examined. Optimistic thinking is suggested to be a core, individual characteristic that fosters salespeople's street-smarts. Consequently, while recruiting salespeople sales management ought to evaluate the optimistic tendencies of the prospective employee. Further, while training and managing salespeople, sales management ought to devote considerable effort towards developing optimism among their employees. Since inexperienced, new recruits may be most amenable to optimism training and since this training may inoculate them from later career pessimism, training and managing optimism is particularly critical for rookie salespeople. Overall, this review paper appeals for an emphasis in sales research on understanding salesperson intelligence and how it can be developed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explore how much people with Asperger's syndrome know and understand about early attachment behaviors and whether this knowledge can be increased through a DVD. Adults with Asperger's syndrome who were not parents (N = 28) took part in four experimental conditions: Baseline, pre-intervention, post-intervention, and follow-up. Participants watched a DVD and received a booklet summarizing its contents. Participants were asked seven questions about attachment in all four conditions. Measures of trait emotional intelligence, IQ and autistic symptomatology were explored as possible predicting factors. A significant increase in knowledge of early attachment behaviors was observed at post-intervention for the total knowledge score and four out of the seven attachment questions. This was maintained at follow-up. Trait emotional intelligence, IQ and autistic symptomology did not predict pre-intervention or increase in knowledge. Knowledge and understanding of early attachment behaviors can be improved through the use of a DVD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Previous research has largely focused on evaluating the impact of teaching practical parenting skills to parents with intellectual disabilities. Teaching them about the importance and nature of early attachment behaviors has not yet been explored. This study investigates whether knowledge of early attachment behavior of young adults with an intellectual disability who are not yet parents, can be increased using an educational DVD. Method: A sample of students with intellectual disabilities (N = 25) were asked to complete the 'parent-child questionnaire' at three stages: pre-intervention, post-intervention, and two to three week follow-up. The questions that make up this questionnaire relate to early attachment behaviors. Results: Statistical analyses show that there was a statistically significant increase in knowledge of attachment behavior following the intervention (t(24) = −3.48, p < 0.05) and this increase was maintained at follow-up (t(24) = −3.27, p < 0.05). Increase in knowledge was not significantly associated with any of the demographic factors (gender, age, intelligence quotient, main carer, number of siblings, family history of intellectual disabilities, and previous teaching on childcare). Conclusion: It is concluded that the use of an educational DVD is an effective way of teaching young adults with an intellectual disability about early attachment behaviors between parents and young babies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Somali women suffer from one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world. Somalia characterises a specific low-income country situation with a mix of newly urbanized and nomadic culture combined with a frail health care infrastructure set in a post-conflict era. Very little is known about the effects that these contextual factors can have on maternal mortality. Objectives: To explore and describe causes and contributing factors concerning maternal deaths in the Bosaso District, Puntland State of Somalia. Methods: Data was collected using an adapted Verbal Autopsy tool. In 2017 30 cases of maternal deaths occurring in 2016 in the Bosaso District were reviewed. Information was assessed by three independent reviewers who classified the cause of death and the contributing factors. The Three Delay Model was employed to identify socio-cultural and economic and health system factors that may have contributed to these maternal deaths. Results: Direct obstetric deaths accounted for 28 cases. Among these, haemorrhage was the leading cause, followed by eclampsia, sepsis and obstructed labour. Two cases were indirect obstetric deaths, caused by anaemia. All three types of delay were frequent among the studied cases. Delay in deciding to seek care was found in 25 cases, delay in reaching care in 22 cases and delay in receiving health care in 24 cases. Lack of knowledge, money, transportation, poor access and availability of adequate services, as well as substandard management by health care providers, were all underlying the delays. Conclusion: A comprehensive intervention programme is needed in order to decrease maternal mortality among Somali women. Such a programme must include health education, improved referral systems and strategic upgrading of care services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Policy-makers worldwide are increasingly interested in scaling up evidence-based interventions (EBIs) to larger populations, and implementation scientists are developing frameworks and methodologies for achieving this. But scaling-up does not always produce the desired results. Why not? We aimed to enhance awareness of the various pitfalls to be anticipated when planning scale-up. In lower- and middle-income countries (LMICs), the scale-up of health programs to prevent or respond to outbreaks of communicable diseases has been occurring for many decades. In high-income countries, there is new interest in the scaling up of interventions that address communicable and non-communicable diseases alike. We scanned the literature worldwide on problems encountered when implementing scale-up plans revealed a number of potential pitfalls that we discuss in this paper. We identified and discussed the following six major pitfalls of scaling-up EBIs: 1) the cost-effectiveness estimation pitfall, i.e. accurate cost-effectiveness estimates about real-world implementation are almost impossible, making predictions of economies of scale unreliable; 2) the health inequities pitfall, i.e. some people will necessarily be left out and therefore not benefit from the scaled-up EBIs; 3) the scaled-up harm pitfall, i.e. the harms as well as the benefits may be amplified by the scaling-up; 4) the ethical pitfall, i.e. informed consent may be a challenge on a grander scale; 5) the top-down pitfall, i.e. the needs, preferences and culture of end-users may be forgotten when scale-up is directed from above; and 6) the contextual pitfall, i.e. it may not be possible to adapt the EBIs to every context. If its pitfalls are addressed head on, scaling-up may be a powerful process for translating research data into practical improvements in healthcare in both LMICs and high-income countries, ensuring that more people benefit from EBIs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The emigration of physicians and scientists from resource-constrained countries decreases the country's ability to undertake research. Re-establishing research environments and increasing capacity reduced by these losses are important, particularly in the health sciences. One mechanism for re-establishing strong health sciences research is the introduction of an Alumni Diaspora Fellowship Programme. We define the beneficial effects of a successful single partnership in an Alumni Diaspora Programme. This Host/Alumnus collaboration demonstrates that bi-directional advantages have accrued for both the Host Institution situated in a resource-constrained country and the Alumni's Institution, located in a high-income country. In addition to expanding research in the resource-constrained country, collaborations expanded to other faculty beyond the Alumnus in the sending Institution, in multiple fields including those not readily available in the high-income country (HIV, TB, malaria). The environment at the host Institution in the resource-constrained country has been enriched by increased research publications, training of young scholars (over 200 trained in manuscript and grant application writing), and substantial advances in biomedical informatics. There has been considerable knowledge exchange and development between both Institutions, showing that 'brain circulation' and Diaspora Programmes are valuable strategies for expanding research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To learn if differences in age, intelligence, and sex account for differences in children's recall of TV commercials and in the degree of insistence with which they request that the advertised product be purchased, 54 gifted, 71 normal and 53 educable mentally retarded children of both sexes (7-13 years) were questioned after viewing commercials for breakfast cereals. Analyses of variance reveal that both age and intelligence were significantly related to recall while only intelligence was significantly related to degree of insistence. Sex differences were not significant for either recall or degree of insistence nor were any of the possible 2 way and 3 way interaction terms. The nature of the joint covariance between the outcomes (recall and degree of insistence) and the children's characteristics (age, sex, and intelligence) was explored via canonical analysis, and implications for advertisers in terms of repetition and message complexity are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the role of first line sales managers in a sales organization and the required managerial qualifications. First-line sales managers (FLSM) play important roles in sales organizations. They assist in planning, organizing, controlling, and, directing the activities of their sales departments. First-line supervisors, however, tend to experience more conflict than those at other managerial levels. In a packaged foods manufacturer, FLSM's supervisors and home-office sales management rated "sales performance" as the most important criterion for becoming an FLSM. Sales personnel and FLSMs within the firm, however, judged "leadership" to be the most critical determinant. Sales executives in large firms believe more strongly than their small firm counterparts that aggressiveness is an important criterion. Of the mental skills, only overall intelligence has a significant difference between the importance evaluations given by large and small company sales executives. Large firm sales executives consider this criterion to be more important than do their small firm counterparts.

Objective: The aim of this study is to explore the relationships between early dental wear patterns and preschool IQ (Intelligence Quotient, by Stanford-Binet) of the child to illuminate the historic relationship of mental queries and bruxism.Methods: The dental study participants were 864 Euro-American preschool and school children whose IQs were tested for school maturity purposes at the age of 4 years, followed by dental data in a cross-sectional manner at the mean age of 7.8 years. Worn dentitions were classified as "symmetric" or "right-" and "left-sided," based on the faceting of the teeth.Results: In general, the relationships of tooth wear and intelligence were scarce, reflecting social background factors. Statistically significant results between asymmetric wear and gender groups suggest that direction of jaw function has a role in the regulation of processes responsible for individual mental performance in childhood.Discussion: Increased left-side tooth wear and early advantage in the intelligence test in girls is intriguing due to the fact that they reach maturity earlier than boys in verbal articulation, controlled in most cases by the limited area on the left side of the brain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to provide an analytical insight on the current state of knowledge on gender-based violence among people with disabilities, a topic where the level of data is relatively low. We briefly discuss the current research on: (a) the prevalence, risk factors and the theoretical approaches for gender-based violence among people with disabilities. (b) Service provision among people with disabilities who experience gender-based violence. (c) We also highlight areas where further research is required, the applicable theoretical approaches and provide an example on how Sweden is attempting to bridge this knowledge gap through implementing the Disability and Intimate-partner violence project (DIS-IPV) project. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The South African food-based dietary guidelines (FBDG) were developed and implemented to promote healthy lifestyles in the population along with preventing non-communicable diseases and other forms of diet-related illness. The FBDG were recommended for implementation within the national school curriculum. The objective of this study was to explore perceived challenges to successful implementation of these guidelines in the primary school curriculum. Design: This qualitative study gathered data via semi-structured individual interviews. Data were transcribed and analysed with ATLAS.ti software, using a thematic approach. Setting: Public primary schools located in three education districts in the Western Cape, South Africa. Subjects: Principals at twelve schools from communities with different socioeconomic statuses, and five curriculum advisors of relevant subjects from provincial and district levels. Outcomes measures: Perceived barriers to implementing FBDG in the primary school curriculum. Results: A lack of knowledge and/or expertise related to the FBDG by educators, time constraints within the teaching programme and lifestyle related factors of educators, parents and learners emerged as the three main challenge themes from the interviews. A lack of resources was identified as an additional theme. Conclusions: The principals and curriculum advisors anticipated many barriers to the success of implementing nutrition education using the FBDG in the primary school curriculum. Adequately addressing such barriers through improved awareness and knowledge of the FBDG by school staff could improve the potential of using the FBDG as a nutrition education tool in primary schools in South Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Upper-secondary schooling in Sweden is organised for pupils aged 16–19 in 17 different national study programs. Of these 3 are theoretical programs with mainly academic content. They prepare for further (higher education) studies. The present investigation looks at the influence from these programs on 845 upper-secondary students’ implicit theories of intelligence and achievement goals. These theories have been shown by international research to have significant influence on pupils learning and achievement which is important knowledge for teachers and teacher students. The hypothesis is that exposure to one of the programs, the Natural Science Program, a) increases individual’s beliefs about intelligence as fixed and inherited b) weakens the pupils tendency to choose mastery goals, and c) increase performance approach and the adoption of avoidance goals. This can have negative effects on pupils’ achievement. We have investigated this using 3 × 3 between-subject ANOVA. The investigation showed that beliefs in intelligence as fixed and inherited increased among pupils who spent two or three years at the Natural Science Program and that they also showed a stronger focus on both performance avoidance and performance approach goal orientations compared with other academic program pupils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adding three novel axioms to Kolmogorov's five established probability axioms which were laid in 1933 extends classical probability theory to encompass the imaginary set of numbers. Therefore, all random experiments will be executed in the complex setwhich is the sum of the real setwith its real probability component, and the corresponding imaginary setwith its imaginary probability component. The purpose of extending Kolmogorov's axioms is to add supplementary imaginary dimensions to any random event that occurs in the ‘real’ laboratory and hence to be able to evaluate the associated complex probability in the complex planewhich is always equal to one. My purpose in this work is to link the complex probability paradigm to the vehicle suspension system analytic prognostic in the nonlinear damage accumulation case. Hence, by calculating the parameters of the new prognostic model, we will be able to determine the magnitude of the chaotic factor, the degree of our knowledge, the complex probability, the system failure and survival probabilities, and the remaining useful lifetime probability, after thatNload cycles have been applied to the suspension, and which are all functions of the system degradation subject to random effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The system of axioms for probability theory laid in 1933 by Andrey Nikolaevich Kolmogorov can be extended to encompass the imaginary set of numbers and this by adding to his original five axioms an additional three axioms. Therefore, we create the complex probability set, which is the sum of the real setwith its corresponding real probability, and the imaginary setwith its corresponding imaginary probability. Hence, all stochastic experiments are performed now in the complex setinstead of the real set. The objective is then to evaluate the complex probabilities by considering supplementary new imaginary dimensions to the event occurring in the ‘real’ laboratory. Consequently, the corresponding probability in the whole setis always equal to one and the outcome of the random experiments that follow any probability distribution inis now predicted totally in. Subsequently, it follows that, chance and luck inis replaced by total determinism in. Consequently, by subtracting the chaotic factor from the degree of our knowledge of the stochastic system, we evaluate the probability of any random phenomenon in. This novel complex probability paradigm will be applied to the established theorem of Pafnuty Chebyshev's inequality and to extend the concepts of expectation and variance to the complex probability set. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we offer a perspective on complementarity, acknowledging that it is not possible for human perception and cognition to grasp reality with unambiguous concepts or theories. Therefore, multiple concepts and perspectives are valid when they are not exaggerated beyond reasonable limits and do not claim exclusive validity. We recommend a humble stance enabling respectful dialogue between different perspectives in medical science and practice.KEY POINTSNo single perspective in clinical or scientific medicine can exhaustively explain medical phenomena.Scientific attitude is characterised by a willingness to look for objections against what we prefer as truths.Complementarity or unifying contradictions are concepts that allow for humility and pluralism in clinical and scientific medicine. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Tennis and Dabbs (1975) reported that physically attractive males showed a positivity bias when rating the attractiveness of others. The opposite pattern was observed for females. We attempted to replicate and extend these findings by: (1) using self-assessed attractiveness rather than the experimentally derived attractiveness measure used in previous research, (2) using face-to-face interactions with targets as opposed to using photographs, and (3) examining the effect of another ego-involving attribute: intelligence. Consistent with previous research, attractiveness judgments made by men, but not women, correlated positively with their own self-perceived level of attractiveness (r = .51, p < .001). Attractiveness judgments made by women, but not men, correlated negatively with their intelligence (r = -.32, p = .001). Judgments of attractiveness are thus biased by a rater's own attributes (e.g. attractiveness and intelligence), but these effects are not generalizable across men and women raters, and may be driven by different mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Education is a key variable for reaching individually and socially desired outcomes. Specifically, school grades are important admission criteria for higher education and job positions. Nowadays, in countries committed to equal opportunities, girls obtain better school grades than boys, but the reasons why girls outperform boys are not well understood. In the following, individual student characteristics (i.e. intelligence, personality, motivation) were investigated as promising candidates that may account for gender differences in school performance. Purpose: This is a review of research findings on gender differences in performance-related individual students’ characteristics. These findings may help to explain differences in boys’ and girls’ school achievement. It was hypothesised that girls are better adapted to today’s school environment because of their intelligence (general, specific), personality (Big Five) and motivation (ability self-concept, interest or intrinsic values, goal orientations). To investigate this hypothesis, we reviewed literature with respect to five questions: (1) How strongly are intelligence, personality and motivation associated with school achievement? (2) Are there mean level differences between boys and girls in these characteristics? (3) Do these characteristics show gender differences in predicting school achievement? (4) Can gender differences in these characteristics explain the association between gender and school achievement? (5) Are gender differences in these characteristics causally related to differences in boys’ and girls’ school achievement? Sources of evidence: We mainly based our review on meta-analyses and literature reviews. If no meta-analyses or reviews were available, we reported results of representative single studies, including results from our own studies. To illustrate the magnitude of gender differences, we also reported statistical parameters (correlation coefficients, effect sizes and regression coefficients). Main argument: Concerning the five research questions, we found that, first, among the characteristics investigated here, general intelligence, ability self-concepts and self-discipline were the most important predictors of school performance. Second, gender differences in students’ individual characteristics varied from non-existent (e.g. general intelligence) to strong (e.g. self-discipline). Third, there was no indication that these characteristics were differently important for boys’ and girls’ school performance. Fourth, gender differences in intelligence, personality and motivation partially mediated the association between gender and school achievement but cannot fully explain it. Fifth, whether differences in intelligence, personality and motivation cause performance differences between boys and girls remains unknown because there were no studies that have investigated this question with designs that could test for causal inferences. Conclusion: Gender differences in students’ individual characteristics contribute to a significant extent to gender differences in school performance. Taken together, the effects of gender differences in students’ individual characteristics can partially but not fully account for gender differences in school performance. Girls are somewhat better adapted to today’s school environments, especially because of their better verbal intelligence, higher Agreeableness, stronger self-discipline, as well as certain aspects of their motivation. In light of these specific differences, it is argued that changing certain aspects of school environments might help boys to better succeed in school and, thus, reduce educational inequality. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background: The importance of tackling economic, social and health-related inequities is increasingly accepted as a core concern for the post-Millennium Development Goal framework. However, there is a global dearth of high-quality, policy-relevant and actionable data on inequities within populations, which means that development solutions seldom focus on the people who need them most. INTREC (INDEPTH Training and Research Centres of Excellence) was established with this concern in mind. It aims to provide training for researchers from the INDEPTH network on associations between health inequities, the social determinants of health (SDH), and health outcomes, and on presenting their findings in a usable form to policy makers. Objective: As part of a baseline situation analysis for INTREC, this paper assesses the current status of SDH training in three of the African INTREC countries - Ghana, Tanzania, and South Africa - as well as the gaps, barriers, and opportunities for training. Methods: SDH-related courses from the three countries were identified through personal knowledge of the researchers, supplemented by snowballing and online searches. Interviews were also conducted with, among others, academics engaged in SDH and public health training in order to provide context and complementary material. Information regarding access to the Internet, as a possible INTREC teaching medium, was gathered in each country through online searches. Results: SDH-relevant training is available, but 1) the number of places available for students is limited; 2) the training tends to be public-health-oriented rather than inclusive of the broader, multi-sectoral issues associated with SDH; and 3) insufficient funding places limitations on both students and on the training institutions themselves, thereby affecting participation and quality. We also identified rapidly expanding Internet connectivity in all three countries, which opens up opportunities for e-learning on SDH, though the current quality of the Internet services remains mixed. Conclusions: SDH training is currently in short supply, and there is a clear role for INTREC to contribute to the training of a critical mass of African researchers on the topic. This work will be accomplished most effectively by building on pre-existing networks, institutions, and methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Although substantial efforts have been made to curtail smoking in Vietnam, the 2010 Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) revealed that the proportion of male adults currently smoking remains high at 47.4%. Objectives: To determine the level of, and characteristics associated with, knowledge of the health consequences of smoking among Vietnamese adults. Design: GATS 2010 was designed to survey a nationally representative sample of Vietnamese men and women aged 15 and older drawn from 11,142 households using a two-stage sampling design. Descriptive statistics were calculated and multivariate logistic regression was used to examine associations between postulated exposure factors (age, education, access to information, ethnic group etc.) and knowledge on health risks. Results: General knowledge on the health risks of active smoking (AS) and exposure to second hand smoke (SHS) was good (90% and 83%, respectively). However, knowledge on specific diseases related to tobacco smoking (stroke, heart attack, and lung cancer) appeared to be lower (51.5%). Non-smokers had a significantly higher likelihood of demonstrating better knowledge on health risks related to AS (OR 1.6) and SHS (OR 1.7) than smokers. Adults with secondary education, college education or above also had significantly higher levels knowledge of AS/SHS health risks than those with primary education (AS: ORs 1.6, 1.7, and 1.9, respectively, and SHS: ORs 2.4, 3.9, and 5.7 respectively). Increasing age was positively associated with knowledge of the health consequences of SHS, and access to information was significantly associated with knowledge of AS/ SHS health risks (ORs 2.3 and 1.9 respectively). Otherwise, non-Kinh ethnic groups had significantly less knowledge on health risks of AS/SHS than Kinh ethnic groups. Conclusions: It may be necessary to target tobacco prevention programs to specific subgroups including current smokers, adults with low education, non-Kinh ethnics in order to increase their knowledge on health risks of smoking. Comprehensive messages and/or images about specific diseases related to AS/SHS should be conveyed using of different channels and modes specific to local cultures to increase knowledge on smoking health consequences for general population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractSince 1998 South African law has provided that adults should have access to sterilization but only with their informed consent. However, the right to sterilization and other sexual and reproductive rights have not been fully realized as women struggle to access limited services, and there are allegations of discrimination and sterilization abuses. This qualitative study explores the experiences of 22 HIV-positive women in two provinces who reported being sterilized between 1996 and 2010 without their informed consent (n=18) or without their knowledge (n=4). Key issues reported by participants included failure to respect their autonomy, lack of information given about what sterilization entailed, and subtle or overt pressure to sign the consent form. Although the legal framework was intended to ensure informed decision-making regarding sterilization, these protections appear to have failed the HIV-positive women in this study. The findings suggest that some health professionals may consider a signature on a consent form as sufficient regardless of how it was obtained. Furthermore the women’s perceptions that they were singled out as needing to be sterilized simply because they were HIV-positive warrants further investigation. More research is required on the nature of the problem and on other stakeholders’ perceptions. RésuméDepuis 1998, la loi sud-africaine garantit l’accès des adultes de plus de 18 ans à la stérilisation, mais seulement avec leur consentement éclairé. Néanmoins, le droit à la stérilisation et d’autres droits génésiques ne sont pas pleinement réalisés puisque les femmes luttent pour accéder à des services limités et que certaines se plaignent de discrimination et de stérilisations abusives. Cette étude qualitative menée dans deux provinces analyse l’expérience de 22 femmes séropositives qui ont indiqué avoir été stérilisées sans leur consentement éclairé (n=18) ou à leur insu (n=4). Les principales questions citées par les participantes concernaient le non-respect de leur autonomie, le manque d’informations sur les conséquences de la stérilisation et les pressions subtiles ou manifestes exercées pour leur faire signer le formulaire de consentement. Même si le cadre juridique avait pour but de garantir une prise de décision éclairée sur la stérilisation, les garanties ne semblent pas avoir protégé les femmes séropositives de l’étude. Il apparaît que certains professionnels de santé considèrent comme suffisante une signature dans un formulaire de consentement, quelle que soit la manière dont elle a été obtenue. De plus, l’impression des femmes qu’elles ont été orientées vers la stérilisation simplement du fait de leur séropositivité doit être examinée plus attentivement. Davantage de recherches sont nécessaires sur la nature du problème et les perceptions d’autres parties prenantes. ResumenDesde 1998, la ley de Sudáfrica dispone que toda persona adulta debe tener acceso a esterilización pero solo con su consentimiento informado. Sin embargo, el derecho a la esterilización y otros derechos sexuales y reproductivos no se han realizado plenamente, ya que las mujeres luchan por tener acceso a servicios limitados y existen alegaciones de discriminación y abuso de esterilización. En este estudio cualitativo se exploran las experiencias de 22 mujeres VIH-positivas en dos provincias, quienes relataron haber sido esterilizadas sin su consentimiento informado (n=18) o sin su conocimiento (n=4) entre 1996 y 2010. Los asuntos clave mencionados por las participantes fueron: falta de respeto por su autonomía, falta de información respecto al procedimiento de esterilización y presión sutil o explícita para firmar el formulario de consentimiento. Aunque el marco legislativo fue creado para garantizar una toma de decisiones informadas respecto a la esterilización, estas protecciones parecen haberles fallado a las mujeres VIH-positivas en este estudio. Los hallazgos indican que algunos profesionales de la salud consideran que basta con tener una firma en el formulario de consentimiento, sin importar cómo se obtuvo. Más aún, las percepciones de las mujeres de que fueron señaladas como que necesitaban ser esterilizadas simplemente porque era VIH-positivas, merecen una investigación más a fondo. Se necesitan más investigaciones sobre la naturaleza del problema y sobre las percepciones de otras partes interesadas. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Objectives: To determine the knowledge and attitude of nursing staff and mothers towards kangaroo mother care (KMC) in the eastern sub-district of Cape Town. Design: A cross-sectional descriptive study. Setting and subjects: A multi-stage sample of 30 kangaroo care mothers admitted to the Helderberg District Hospital (HDH); six nurses from the HDH; and nine nurses from the seven antenatal clinics that the mothers attended. The respondents were interviewed using a pretested questionnaire. Outcome measures: Knowledge, attitudes and acceptability of KMC. Results: Data were analysed using CDC Epi Info version 3.3.2, and Microsoft Excel software programmes. The majority of the mothers (83.3%) did not have prior knowledge of KMC. Sixty per cent of the nursing staff did not have any KMC training. The majority of the mothers were committed to KMC, were satisfied with the results (with regard to the weight gain of the infant), and indicated that they would continue to practise KMC at home. The majority of the hospital nursing staff was very positive toward KMC, and agreed that it was beneficial to both mother and infant. Conclusion: Most of the mothers lacked prior knowledge of KMC, and were only informed about it when they were admitted to the KMC ward. All of the nursing staff who were engaged in KMC (n = 15) had a positive attitude towards it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This 2006 study investigated ethnicity-related factors contributing to sub-standard maternity care and the effects on severe maternal morbidity among immigrant women in the Netherlands. In-depth interviews were carried out with 40 immigrant and 10 native Dutch women. The immigrant women reported that health care providers often paid insufficient attention to their pregnancy-related complaints, especially in cases of pre-eclampsia. They also reported delays in receiving information about diagnosis and treatment. Obstetricians who reviewed 20 of these cases judged sub-standard care to have played a role in the development of complications in 16 of them. The women themselves had problems identifying medically significant complications, presenting their complaints to health care providers effectively, and taking an active role as patients. Even highly educated migrant women showed low health literacy skills in their interaction with doctors. Patients' perspectives are valuable as one of the tools to evaluate the quality of maternity care. Communication by maternal health professionals can be improved through more sensitivity to social factors that affect immigrant women's health problems. Women with limited health literacy should be empowered through education about danger signs in pregnancy and information about preferences and policies in obstetrics in the Netherlands. They should also be invited to participate in medical decision-making. Cette étude de 2006 s'est penchée sur les facteurs liés à l'ethnicité qui contribuent à des soins obstétricaux inférieurs à la norme et les conséquences sur la morbidité maternelle sévère chez les immigrantes aux Pays-Bas. Des entretiens approfondis ont été menés avec 40 immigrantes et 10 Néerlandaises de souche. Les immigrantes ont indiqué que, souvent, les prestataires de soins de santé n'accordaient pas suffisamment d'attention à leurs problèmes liés à la grossesse, en particulier dans les cas de pré-éclampsie. Elles ont aussi parlé de retards pour recevoir l'information sur le diagnostic et le traitement. Les obstétriciens qui ont examiné 20 des cas ont jugé que les soins inférieurs avaient joué un rôle dans l'apparition de complications dans 16 d'entre eux. Les femmes elles-mêmes peinaient à identifier des complications médicalement significatives, à présenter efficacement leurs doléances aux prestataires de santé et à jouer un rôle actif comme patientes. Même des migrantes très instruites se montraient peu informées en matière de santé dans leurs interactions avec les médecins. La perspective des patientes est précieuse comme l'un des outils d'évaluation de la qualité des soins obstétricaux. Les professionnels de la santé maternelle peuvent améliorer leur communication en étant plus sensibles aux facteurs sociaux qui touchent les problèmes de santé des immigrantes. Les femmes peu au fait des questions de santé devraient apprendre à reconnaître les signes de danger pendant la grossesse et être informées des préférences et des politiques obstétricales aux Pays-Bas. Elles devraient aussi être invitées à participer aux décisions médicales. En este estudio realizado en 2006 se investigaron los factores relacionados con etnia que contribuyen a la atención obstétrica de calidad inferior y a los efectos en morbilidad materna grave entre mujeres inmigrantes en Holanda. Se realizaron entrevistas a profundidad con 40 mujeres inmigrantes y 10 holandesas. Las inmigrantes informaron que los profesionales de la salud a menudo prestaban insuficiente atención a sus quejas referentes al embarazo, especialmente en casos de preeclampsia. Además, hablaron de demoras en recibir información sobre el diagnóstico y el tratamiento. Los obstetras que revisaron 20 de estos casos determinaron que la atención de calidad inferior contribuyó al desarrollo de complicaciones en 16 de ellos. Las mujeres tuvieron problemas identificando complicaciones de significancia médica, presentando sus quejas eficazmente al personal de salud y asumiendo un rol activo como pacientes. Incluso las inmigrantes muy cultas demostraron un bajo nivel de comprensión sobre la salud en su interacción con los médicos. Las perspectivas de las pacientes son valiosas como una de las herramientas para evaluar la calidad de la atención obstétrica. La comunicación por parte de los profesionales obstétricos puede mejorarse mediante una mayor sensibilidad a los factores sociales que afectan los problemas de salud de las inmigrantes. Las mujeres con limitada comprensión de la salud deben ser empoderadas con educación sobre los signos de alarma en el embarazo y con información sobre las preferencias y políticas de obstetricia en Holanda. Además, se recomienda invitarlas a participar en la toma de decisiones médicas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Volume 1, No. 2, of Studies in Art Education, appearing in spring 1960, included an article by Viktor Lowenfeld titled " Creative Intelligence." Here, he highlighted his belief in the importance of creative intelligence to human functioning, linking it to creative practice as represented most purely in the artworks of children and untutored artists. The present article written with over 60 years of hindsight, offers a gentle critique of Lowenfeld's theory of creative intelligence as exemplified within his concepts of developmental stages, growth components, and final outcomes. Yet, by paring away some of his outmoded surfaces, there lurks within Lowenfeld's seminal offering to art education the enduring idea that creative practice offers ways of knowing and world-building that enliven knowledge through acts of personal generativity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 1930s bore witness to a turning point in the work of several important Egyptian intellectuals who were recognized for their Western inclinations. In light of the British presence in Egypt—which was accompanied by internal problems such as the economic crisis and the abrogation of the constitution by Prime Minister Sidqi—these intellectuals turned to Islamic-oriented writings. Their work was characterized by an anti-Western tone, and the general underlying message was that Europe was attempting to oppress as well as 'westernize' Islamic heritage. A claim that was frequently voiced by intellectuals was that orientalism, under the facade of scientific research, was consciously being used as a tool for undermining Islam as part of the cultural war between the East and West. The present article surveys the statements that were articulated on this topic by several of the era's most prominent Egyptian thinkers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thirty years of work as a graphic facilitator listening visually to people in every kind of organization has convinced the author that visual intelligence is a key to navigating an information economy rich with multimedia. He also believes that theory and disciplines developed by practitioners in this new field hold special promise for educators and students learning the deeper grammar of visual language. This article shares conclusions drawn from the author's own extensive field experience, with links to work in process theory and cognitive science that have convinced him of the deeper potential of visualization as a path to building 21st-century cognitive skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This interdisciplinary analysis examines the use of visual images in the college classroom. The three authors—a community psychologist, a literacy specialist, and a mathematician—share examples and critical reflections that illuminate the strengths and challenges in using this medium to meet teaching and learning goals. The authors highlight one dimension of their work with visual images, promoting student capacities and skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Advancements in technology have changed the day to day operation of society. The ways in which we teach and learn have begun the same process. For this reason, we must reexamine instruction. In this article, the author analyzes the changing environment of educational technology and how to incorporate the theory of multiple intelligences. The teaching strategies presented outline how to enhance student performance by blending new technologies with time-tested pedagogy. The author explains and matches up each intelligence with an effective technology tool. He also provides examples from scholarly publications and actual classroom practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]