Search

Background The World Health Organization recommends the development of participatory sexuality education. In health promotion, web-based participatory interventions have great potential in view of the internet’s popularity among young people. Objective The aim of this review is to describe existing published studies on online participatory intervention methods used to promote the sexual health of adolescents and young adults. Methods We conducted a systematic review based on international scientific and grey literature. We used the PubMed search engine and Aurore database for the search. Articles were included if they reported studies on participatory intervention, included the theme of sexual health, were conducted on the internet (website, social media, online gaming system), targeted populations aged between 10 and 24 years, and had design, implementation, and evaluation methods available. We analyzed the intervention content, study implementation, and evaluation methods for all selected articles. Results A total of 60 articles were included, which described 37 interventions; several articles were published about the same intervention. Process results were published in many articles (n=40), in contrast to effectiveness results (n=23). Many of the 37 interventions were developed on websites (n=20). The second most used medium is online social networks (n=13), with Facebook dominating this group (n=8). Online peer interaction is the most common participatory component promoted by interventions (n=23), followed by interaction with a professional (n=16). Another participatory component is game-type activity (n=10). Videos were broadcast for more than half of the interventions (n=20). In total, 43% (n=16) of the interventions were based on a theoretical model, with many using the Information-Motivation-Behavioral Skills model (n=7). Less than half of the interventions have been evaluated for effectiveness (n=17), while one-third (n=12) reported plans to do so and one-fifth (n=8) did not indicate any plan for effectiveness evaluation. The randomized controlled trial is the most widely used study design (n=16). Among the outcomes (evaluated or planned for evaluation), sexual behaviors are the most evaluated (n=14), followed by condom use (n=11), and sexual health knowledge (n=8). Conclusions Participatory online interventions for young people’s sexual health have shown their feasibility, practical interest, and attractiveness, but their effectiveness has not yet been sufficiently evaluated. Online peer interaction, the major participatory component, is not sufficiently conceptualized and defined as a determinant of change or theoretical model component. One potential development would be to build a conceptual model integrating online peer interaction and support as a component.

Objectives To review the literature on individual community professionals’ caseload management (behaviours related to assessment, treatment and discharging of clients) to identify the main themes and concepts, and to synthesize the findings to inform practice, policy and research. Methods Publications were systematically identified from electronic databases, hand searches of bibliographies, and contact with professional organizations. There were no restrictions on language, the nature of publications or publication year. Procedures were systematically applied for quality appraisal and data extraction. Qualitative and descriptive quantitative methods were used for data analysis and synthesis. Results Search criteria yielded 2048 papers of which 42 papers met the inclusion criteria. Thirty-five percent of these were based on research, the rest on professionals’ experiences. The papers covered 16 professional and 20 client populations, and their quality was generally poor. Analysis identified six broad themes: definitions of caseload management, caseload measurement and ‘tools’, models of caseload management practice, client- professional relationship, discharging and professional guidance. Six papers presented issues that related to but did not fit within these themes. Current caseload management tools and models of caseload management practice had a poor evidence base. Five papers described benefits of team-based approaches. Professional guidance for caseload management is limited in detail and relevance to daily practice. Conclusions Although there is a considerable literature on caseload management, it is not possible to make summative conclusions. Policy-makers and professional bodies should encourage and support development of research evidence about the ways to achieve effective, efficient and equitable caseload management. Health and social care services considering implementing caseload management tools or models of practice should critically appraise their basis, and consider their potential advantages as well as disadvantages.

Background: There are interests in the use geospatial data for development of acute stroke services given the importance of timely acess to acute reperfusion therapy. This paper aims to introduce clinicians and citizen scientists to the possibilities offered by open source softwares (R and Python) for analyzing geospatial data. It is hope that this introduction would stimulate interest in the field as well as generate ideas for improving stroke services. Method: Instructions on installation of libraries for R and Python, source codes and links to census data are provided in a notebook format to enhance experience with running these softwares. These codes illustrate different aspects of using geospatial analysis: 1)- creation of choropleth (thematic) map which depicts estimate of stroke cases per post codes; 2) use of map to help define service regions for rehabilitation after stroke. Results: Choropleth map showing estimate of stroke per post codes and service boundary map for rehabilitation after stroke. Conclusions The examples in this article illustrate the use of a range of components that underpin geospatial analysis. By providing an accessible introduction to these areas, clinicians and researchers can create code to answer clinically relevant questions on topics such as service delivery and service demand.

Exclusive and extended breast feeding is responsible for much of the fertility limitation and child spacing throughout the world. In many developing countries, where breast feeding is almost universal and of long duration, postpartum amenorrhea protects women from closely spaced subsequent pregnancies. However, at the same time, increased pressures toward modernization, rapid rural-to-urban migration, frequent advertisements of powdered milk substitutes, and the increased employment of women outside of the home are adversely affecting traditional breast feeding practices. In Bolivia, almost all women breast feed their newborn infants, for periods up to 2 years. This paper reports findings which describe and compare patterns of women's differential knowledge of breast feeding and lactational amenorrhea resulting from data collection using a survey instrument and a focus group guide. The findings are part of a larger study on infant feeding and child spacing conducted in periurban communities in Bolivia. Current and historical trends with regard to paradigm and methodology in social science research are reviewed and the survey/focus group research method is described.

Survey methods offer the possibility of obtaining extensive health information on populations, including the identification of people's health status and the nature of their illnesses. The inadequacy of respondent reports concerning ill health conditions, as a substi- tute for medical diagnoses, has been amply demonstrated. Research has identified many factors that contribute to biased or inadequate reporting. The central problem, however, is a con- ceptual one. Data collection techniques must fit the nature of the problem. Many health relevant questions pertain to the psychosocial experience of health and illness; survey methods are often appropriate for such questions. WITH the popularity of health surveys, and their promise to provide health professionals with information on the health status of populations, a series of questions have been raised concerning the usefulness of such data (l-4). This paper will examine the objectives of sample surveys related to health, the difficulties encountered, remedies proposed to deal with shortcomings, and the central conceptual problem of our approach to health and illness. Survey methods appear to offer a relatively cheap, quick way to obtain large amounts of health-relevant information from any specifiable population. Historically, there appear to be several types of objectives that form the basis for a health survey: 1. Foremost perhaps is the need for basic information on the extent and nature of health problems in a population-we know that many problems are never treated by a physician, that much treatment initiated in response to symptoms is not followed through, and that most medical records are of little value in estimating illness in a group. The rationale behind the National Health Survey referred to the "need for general purpose health information for assessment of national health problems" (5). 2. The administration of health services seems to require knowledge of the people for whom services are to be provided-where are they, what are they like, what they need (6). With the recent emphasis on planning services and on rational decision making in allocating resources, information concerning health needs is in great demand. While health workers may think they know their communities, the fact is they don't. 3. Better understanding of factors related to health problems requires systematic collec- tion of information. There is no question that social and psychological factors are related to the occurrence and progress of diseases, for example, VD or coronary heart disease. Social research in general and survey research in particular seems necessary to identify conditions that contribute to illness and accidents (7). 4. Finally, we want to know what actions people take in response to health problems. Most behavior relative to illness is voluntary or, at least, socially determined. There are both very imperfect records of recommended health behaviors and astonishingly little information on the popular health culture that determines self-medication and lay referral (8). Survey research then has been regarded as an appropriate tool to deal with these kinds

Both health planners and researchers have a particularly difficult time measuring morbidity, especially in developing countries. However, public health programs need information on the prevalence of disease in a community in order to take timely and appropriate measures to prevent, control, and eradicate disease. Moreover, the incidence of various types of disease indicates the potential need for resources such as hospitals, dispensaries, laboratories, rehabilitation centers, and home nursing facilities. Considerable variation can exist in the completeness of morbidity reporting both between and within countries. This paper examines nine recent health interview surveys in India in terms of their methodology and findings. The surveys deal specifically with morbidity patterns and the use of health services. Broad issues related to the empirical measurement of morbidity and its relationship with development are discussed, followed by a critical review of survey design methods, concepts, definitions, and procedures adopted in both national and regional health studies. The surveys' main findings on the incidence of morbidity, patterns of disease, and the use of and expenditure on health care are discussed.