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Effective solutions to biodiversity loss are multidimensional, requiring engagement from diverse stakeholders across various sectors and commitment levels. In this context, voluntary actions from community members emerge as a valuable addition to the large‐scale nature conservation activities conducted by states and municipalities. Such actions complement biodiversity protection measures and legal requirements aimed at companies. This article delves into the rescaling of biodiversity offsetting to the community members level and explores it from the perspective of community members. Through workshops organized in four Finnish municipalities, participants were prompted to reflect on biodiversity offsetting in their daily lives. The results show community members' limited resources to conduct pro‐biodiversity actions and highlight their diverse interpretations of the topic. Beyond direct biodiversity‐enhancing action, like maintaining rural biotopes, eradicating alien species, or protecting forests, workshop participants called for indirect actions. These included education, eco‐taxes, and the development of sharing economies. Thus, rather than solely focusing on biodiversity offsetting or the mitigation hierarchy, these suggestions underscore the need for diverse pro‐biodiversity actions at the community member's level. Furthermore, the results highlight the need for support that enables community members and communities' work for biodiversity. Introducing the concept of nature amends addresses this need, enhancing the mitigation hierarchy's capacity to incorporate community members in nature conservation endeavors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Violence toward health-care workers is a global health problem, usually associated with decreased job satisfaction, and poor patient care outcomes, with serious consequences for the patients. Its extent is difficult to measure due to under-reporting. Objective: The objective of this study was to explore the opinion of some influential community members about violence against health workers with respect to its types, reasons, mechanisms in place, and suggestions to de-escalate it. Methods: A qualitative in-depth study was conducted with 10 key informants (including people working in judicial premises, police and military services, teachers, municipality members, and religious leaders). The discussion was conducted through a direct face-to-face interview, using a semi-structured interview guide that included open-ended questions. Results: Almost all the interviewees agreed that the main reasons for violence were the general security instability in the whole country, the poor quality of health services, weakness of laws and regulations for the punishment of the perpetrators, irresponsible behaviors of some doctors, in addition to the unexplained negative role of media toward doctors. Conclusion: workplace violence is a common, frequently happening practice in most health-care facilities in Iraq, probably attributed to the long-suffering of wars and conflicts. Shortage of staff and equipment is the base for this malpractice.

Aim Design Methods Results Conclusion Impact Patient or Public Contribution This study explores and understands community members' resilience in outpatient clinics, considering various dimensions and types of resilience.A cross‐sectional study.This study was conducted in Saudi outpatient clinics from September to December 2023 and included 384 individuals chosen through systematic random sampling. Various tools were used, such as Social Cohesion and Trust Scale, Community Resilience Assessment Tool, Community Assessment of Psychic Experiences, Environmental Resilience Assessment, Economic Resilience Index, Connor‐Davidson Resilience Scale, Brief Resilience Scale, Resilience Scale for Adults and Healthcare Resilience Index.Participants displayed a robust overall resilience level, as indicated by Total Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale score of 63.0 ± 9.0. Additionally, they demonstrated commendable levels of resilience in Total Brief Resilience Scale (56.04 ± 8.6), Resilience Scale for Adults (82.5 ± 7.2) and Healthcare Resilience Index (45.8 ± 5.5). These findings offer significant insights into psychological and emotional well‐being of the study population, highlighting their adaptive capacities and coping mechanisms across various life domains.This study provides valuable insights into the multidimensional nature of resilience in outpatient settings. The cross‐sectional design sets the groundwork for future longitudinal investigations, highlighting the need for a holistic approach to understanding and promoting resilience.This study holds immediate implications for participants and their communities. It underscores the adaptive capacities and coping mechanisms prevalent in the outpatient population by revealing commendable resilience levels. This insight enhances individuals' psychological and emotional well‐being, contributing positively to the overall resilience and communal strength. Additionally, this study sheds light on how resilience among community members in Saudi Arabia relates to international advanced nursing communities, providing insight into their work.Patients who have received outpatient services in the past 6 months were purposively chosen to ensure a diverse representation across age, gender and socio‐economic backgrounds in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background COVID-19 is still a disease of global public health importance which requires long term application of control measures as millions of new infections or re-infections and thousands of related deaths still occur worldwide and the risk of an upsurge from new strains of the virus continues to be a threat. The decrease in the use of and non-use of preventive public health measures are among the factors fuelling the disease. The (previous) experiences and perceptions of people regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, COVID-19 vaccination, and the vaccination process are factors that will influence subsequent use of preventive/control measures. We explored the COVID-19 and COVID-19 vaccination and the vaccination process experiences and perceptions, and their predictors, among the community members in Ebonyi state, Nigeria. Methods We conducted an analytical cross-sectional study between March 12 and May 9, 2022 among all consenting/assenting community members aged 15 years and above in 28 randomly selected geographical clusters. A structured interviewer-administered electronic questionnaire in KoBoCollect installed in android devices was used to collect data which was analysed using descriptive statistics and bivariate and multivariate generalized estimating equations. Results Of the 10,825 community members surveyed: only 31.6% had strong COVID-19 experience and perception, 72.2% had good COVID-19 vaccination expectation and perception, and only 54.2% had positive COVID-19 vaccination process experience and perception. The most important predictors of the extent/level of COVID-19 and COVID-19 vaccination and the vaccination process experiences and perceptions were level of attitude towards COVID-19 and COVID-19 vaccination and level of knowledge about COVID-19. Other important predictors were marital status, educational level, and main occupation. Conclusions This study’s evidence, including the identified predictors, will inform subsequent policy actions regarding COVID-19 in the strategies to improve the COVID-19 and COVID-19 vaccination and the vaccination process experiences and perceptions of community members (and their use of preventive/control measures) in Ebonyi state and Nigeria, and other similar contexts. It will also inform future policy actions/strategies regarding similar diseases.

The current research shifts from the tradition of researcher-generated and directed community study and explores a new model for data collection based on citizen-directed participation and restorative economies. This is important because the scholarship of urban planning is often separated from the practice, in which scholars undertake the bulk of the academic research and professional planners work in the field, engaging with the community and creating and implementing plans around local issues and opportunities. While urban planning trends support diverse, equitable, and inclusive engagement in visioning and shaping local development, few operationalized examples exist for citizen-led scholarship with local community application. The work outlined herein explicitly partners with local residents to collect data on both community and academic interests, and it also promotes a citizen sense of agency. Community leaders worked with the local public university to design and implement a study to solicit park use ideas and visions among three groups: youth; adults; and returning citizens. Results identify an overall theme of a lack of engagement with the community, relative to other local parks, and they also highlight four common areas of thought between the three populations—concerns about safety among park users, functional use of park space, demand for widespread park access, and desire for natural environment conservation. This work represents a viable local engagement approach including demonstrated investment in a local community and resultant increased trust; also, this work contributes valuable new knowledge about local history and the use of a community resource to inform land use planning and policy around community sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: COVID-19 is still a disease of global public health importance which requires long term application of control measures as millions of new infections or re-infections and thousands of related deaths still occur worldwide and the risk of an upsurge from new strains of the virus continues to be a threat. The decrease in the use of and non-use of preventive public health measures are among the factors fuelling the disease. The (previous) experiences and perceptions of people regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, COVID-19 vaccination, and the vaccination process are factors that will influence subsequent use of preventive/control measures. We explored the COVID-19 and COVID-19 vaccination and the vaccination process experiences and perceptions, and their predictors, among the community members in Ebonyi state, Nigeria. Methods: We conducted an analytical cross-sectional study between March 12 and May 9, 2022 among all consenting/assenting community members aged 15 years and above in 28 randomly selected geographical clusters. A structured interviewer-administered electronic questionnaire in KoBoCollect installed in android devices was used to collect data which was analysed using descriptive statistics and bivariate and multivariate generalized estimating equations. Results: Of the 10,825 community members surveyed: only 31.6% had strong COVID-19 experience and perception, 72.2% had good COVID-19 vaccination expectation and perception, and only 54.2% had positive COVID-19 vaccination process experience and perception. The most important predictors of the extent/level of COVID-19 and COVID-19 vaccination and the vaccination process experiences and perceptions were level of attitude towards COVID-19 and COVID-19 vaccination and level of knowledge about COVID-19. Other important predictors were marital status, educational level, and main occupation. Conclusions: This study’s evidence, including the identified predictors, will inform subsequent policy actions regarding COVID-19 in the strategies to improve the COVID-19 and COVID-19 vaccination and the vaccination process experiences and perceptions of community members (and their use of preventive/control measures) in Ebonyi state and Nigeria, and other similar contexts. It will also inform future policy actions/strategies regarding similar diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anchor institutions are a part of a complex urban governance regime influencing policy, investment and programming in urban neighborhoods. Anchor land-grant educational institutions are questioning their role in conducting impactful research in and with the community. We find growing evidence of interest in community-based participatory research (CBPR) by universities and funders. Utilizing a systematic literature review we analyze peer-reviewed scholarship on CBPR. While the number of CBPR publications has been on the rise since 2005 and the term CBPR among others is used most frequently across the fields, the trend in the social sciences is lagging. About half of the CBPR literature provides community perspectives, and less than a third was coauthored with community partners. We find community perspectives and voices are more limited in the social sciences. We attribute this phenomenon to funding limitations and the potential for bias in the peer-review process of relevant journals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Globally, Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF) remains a multifaceted social issue in the 21st century. Despite the ratification of international treaties and national laws, South Africa continues to have alarmingly high levels of GBVF, which were worsened during the Covid-19 national lockdown. The 2020 crime statistics reported that one in five South African women were victims of GBVF and South African Police Services (SAPS) data from 2015 to 2020 showed that seven women are killed daily nationwide. Despite copious studies on GBVF, the voices of local community members and activists as key collaborators in such research have been excluded. Therefore, this study used a mixed methods approach to determine the known interventions to decrease or eliminate GBVF and their effectiveness in seven communities across South Africa. The study included 191 participants in a survey for the quantitative aspect as well as a qualitative aspect of the study. Community members participated in gender-specific focus group discussions, while activists had a focus group of their own to obtain data on interventions. Our findings showed that three main forms of interventions existed in South Africa, viz. government-led campaigns that normally occurred during the 16 days of activism against violence towards women and children, community-led campaigns in response to GBVF cases reported in the media as well as NGO-led initiatives to support GBV survivors. However, these interventions were stifled by the social and cultural stigma against reporting GBVF, a lack of sustainability, decreased visibility, poor organisation and management as well as a lack of funding. Therefore, our findings show that while the South African government has made strides in its efforts to eliminate GBVF, there are no sustainable community level programming and interventions aimed at changing social norms and toxic masculinity that perpetuate GBVF. In conclusion, we recommend that efforts be made to implement intervention initiatives that go beyond creating awareness on GBVF, but partner with local NGO-led organizations to engage in programming and intervention that is aimed at changing social norms.

Objectives were (a) to understand a community‐informed narrative, as told by community members (CMs) and community partners (CPs), about the strengths, experiences, and perspectives of public housing communities; and (b) to analyze similarities and differences between CMs' and CPs' experiences and perspectives. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 22 CMs of public housing (ages 26–58, 100% female caregivers, 96% Black, 4% multiethnic) and 43 CPs (ages 28–78, 67.4% female, 81.4% Black and African American). Four themes were derived from the CM and CP interviews: (1) counters to public narratives, (2) disinvestment begets disinvestment, (3) community conditions should be better, and (4) community cohesion and connection. Findings from this study present community‐centered narratives and experiences that were counter to stereotyped public narratives and could influence public perceptions and behavior to inform policy changes related to improving living conditions and supporting CMs in public and low‐income housing communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Community health workers (CHWs) bridge the primary health care (PHC) system and communities by providing care in the household. In Malawi, few studies have examined the perspective of users of household-level CHW services, in remote areas, to understand CHW’s role in community-based PHC. Aim: To explore perspectives of community and facility stakeholders on the enablers and challenges of the CHW role in community-based PHC in Neno District. Setting: The study was conducted in the Neno District health facilities, namely, Ligowe, Dambe, Chifunga, and Zalewa. Methods: We conducted eight focus group discussions (FGDs) with purposively sampled community members and conveniently sampled facility stakeholders. Data were transcribed and analysed thematically through an adapted COM-B model of behaviour change. Results: Three main themes of perceived behaviour change within the CHW role were identified: (1) capacity – the CHW programme aids health education and promotion within the community; (2) opportunity – the CHW programme facilitates community-based PHC and linkage to the facility; and (3) motivation – the CHW programme enablers and challenges in providing community-based PHC. Conclusion: Community health workers enrich community-based PHC delivery through health education, timely access to care, and linking communities to the facility. Optimising workload and programme support is critical for the help of CHWs. Further studies are required to address programme and cultural challenges to enhance positive health-seeking behaviours. Contribution: This study provides contextual knowledge for further research on bringing together spiritual and formal health practices and considering the cultural background when planning for health interventions in remote areas.

Introduction: Early detection and prevention of diseases can reduce morbidity, mortality, and economic burden. There is need to assess the utilization of preventive services for common chronic diseases, cancers, and vaccinations. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence and sequence of utilization of preventive services for common chronic diseases, cancers, and vaccinations in addition to exploring community perspectives on these services. Materials and Methods: This study was a cross-sectional survey, which was conducted at primary healthcare centers in Prince Sultan Military Medical City covering Riyadh region from October 2022 to January 2023. The study used a self-administered questionnaire to collect data from attendees aged 18 years and older, focusing on the utilization of eight preventive services (blood glucose testing, blood pressure measurement, cholesterol testing, screening for breast cancer, screening for cervical cancer, screening for colorectal cancer, screening for prostate cancer, and flu and pneumococcal vaccines). Descriptive statistics of the study were reported in frequencies and percentages. Chi-square test was used to assess association between outcome variables. Results: Participants were mostly married and had a higher educational degree. However, a considerable number is not accessing primary healthcare services regularly. The results showed that the rate of utilizing preventive services was as follows: blood pressure screening (91%), blood glucose testing (72%), cholesterol testing (65.8%), vaccination utilization (39.5%), breast cancer screening (8%), prostate cancer screening (4.6%), colon cancer screening (4.2%), and least utilized was cervical cancer screening with frequency of (3%). Conclusion: The results underscore the importance of increasing awareness and accessibility of primary healthcare services to promote better health outcomes in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

South Africa still struggles with poverty, inequality and unemployment after two decades of democracy. By historical and international standards, poverty levels continue to be relatively high despite some recent progress in reducing the scourge. This study explores community participation to mobilise the strengths and assets of community members towards sustainable livelihoods in Tshwane, Gauteng Province, South Africa. The qualitative study was undertaken with 21 participants from four community development projects. The participants were purposefully selected, and individual semi-structured and focus group interviews were utilised to elicit data following ethical research principles. The findings of the study demonstrate that the community development projects managed by the development centres struggle to uphold accountability in poverty alleviation because they lack community participation, skills and the capacity to mobilise assets. The implications of the study are that development centres need to ensure the participation and mobilisation of strengths and assets of community members to empower them towards selfreliant, sustainable livelihoods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Measurement-based care is an approach to clinical care that involves systematically evaluating patient-reported outcomes to guide clinical decision making with a strong evidence base in the general population; however, its use in autism is limited. As autistic people are more likely to be diagnosed with psychiatric disorders (e.g. depression, anxiety) and to use psychiatric services (e.g. psychotherapy) than the general population, efforts to enhance clinical care for this population are critical. The current proof-of-concept study presents the development and pilot administration of an autism-adapted measurement-based care (MBC-AUT) system for psychotherapy designed for and with autistic people, as well as preliminary data on the feasibility, acceptability, benefits, and barriers to the adoption of the system for clients and clinicians. Findings from the first 18 youth and adult clients to use the system suggest that the MBC-AUT system is feasible and acceptable. Important benefits of the MBC-AUT system for clients and clinicians were identified through semi-structured interviews, and some barriers to the use of the MBC-AUT system were raised. Potential solutions are presented to address these barriers and to reduce the client and clinician burden. As autistic clients continue to seek psychological services, efforts to enhance the delivery and quality of psychotherapy for this population are essential. Autistic youth and adults are more likely to experience psychiatric symptoms (e.g. depression, anxiety) and to use psychiatric services than non-autistic people, yet research on evidence-based approaches to enhance psychiatric care for autistic people is limited. Measurement-based care is an evidence-based approach to psychotherapy that improves outcomes for clients, clinicians, and organizations by routinely administering and evaluating measures to clients. Despite this, research on measurement-based care systems for autistic clients is sparse. To address this gap, we developed an autism-adapted measurement-based care (MBC-AUT) system for and with autistic people and pilot tested the system in an outpatient psychiatry clinic to investigate the preliminary feasibility, acceptability, benefits, and barriers to this system for clients and clinicians. Findings suggested that the MBC-AUT system was a feasible and acceptable system for the first 18 autistic youth, their caregivers, and autistic adults to use the system. In semi-structured interviews, clients and clinicians discussed the benefits of the MBC-AUT system to various therapeutic processes, as well as several important barriers to the use of the system. We offer potential solutions to address these barriers and to reduce client and clinician burden, and propose future directions for this line of research to increase access to more autistic people. As autistic clients continue to seek psychological services amid social landscapes of increasing complexity (e.g. COVID-19 pandemic), efforts to enhance the delivery of psychotherapy for this population are critical. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Substance use is a major public health issue in South Africa. Cocktails, containing two or more low-quality substances, have been reported. Nyaope is one of the most popular and is widely available. It has a significant impact on users and communities. The aim of this study was to explore community members’ perceptions of the potential contributors to Nyaope use and dependency. Methods: This was an exploratory descriptive qualitative study that conducted three focus group interviews with 29 community members. A maximum variation sample was used. Data were analysed using the framework method, assisted by Atlas-ti. Results: Seven main themes were identified, namely unfavourable home environments, distrust between community members and the local police, easy access to Nyaope at school, inadequate social services, lack of religious or spiritual drive, unfavourable community environments and the effects of Nyaope on users. Conclusion: The factors identified, were used to construct an emerging model of how Nyaope use is driven in Tshwane. It is clear that a multisectoral response is required involving health and social services, basic education, policing and community leadership. Further research will explore the views of family members and users and quantify the importance of the factors identified. Contribution: This study showed that rather than a simple linear chain of events, Nyaope use is enabled by a complex system of interconnected elements. According to the respondents, variables in the community at large, the school, the home and the specific user all have a role in Nyaope usage and dependency.

There is stereotypical thinking in communities when coming to parenthood. Most community members believe that only mothers are capable of caring for the child. Most community members see teen fathers as unresponsible community members who indulge into different drugs. This stereotypical thinking mainly occurs in rural areas wherein grandparents will deny the biological father rights to care for the child. Due to the rejection and other social ills that come to place, some fathers find substances as an escape route or coping mechanism. This paper is aimed at identifying and mapping available literature on rurality stigma, associated with teen fatherhood and substance use. The researcher adopted scoping review as the research design and purposively sampled articles from different databases, such as PubMed and ScienceDirect. Data was then analyzed thematically. From sampled articles, it became evident, that teen fathers are severely judged in their own communities. They are seen as unruly teenagers who became fathers at a young age. Some of the community members go as far as calling them reckless and careless. Moreover, it was established, that teen fathers are individuals who cannot execute parenting roles and lacking moral principles due to their high alcohol consumption. We recommend a multidisciplinary team to conduct awareness campaigns to educate community members on the effects of stigmatisation and discrimination on an individual's mental health - especially teen fathers [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Early detection and prevention of diseases can reduce morbidity, mortality, and economic burden. There is need to assess the utilization of preventive services for common chronic diseases, cancers, and vaccinations. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence and sequence of utilization of preventive services for common chronic diseases, cancers, and vaccinations in addition to exploring community perspectives on these services. Materials and Methods: This study was a cross-sectional survey, which was conducted at primary healthcare centers in Prince Sultan Military Medical City covering Riyadh region from October 2022 to January 2023. The study used a self-administered questionnaire to collect data from attendees aged 18 years and older, focusing on the utilization of eight preventive services (blood glucose testing, blood pressure measurement, cholesterol testing, screening for breast cancer, screening for cervical cancer, screening for colorectal cancer, screening for prostate cancer, and flu and pneumococcal vaccines). Descriptive statistics of the study were reported in frequencies and percentages. Chi-square test was used to assess association between outcome variables. Results: Participants were mostly married and had a higher educational degree. However, a considerable number is not accessing primary healthcare services regularly. The results showed that the rate of utilizing preventive services was as follows: blood pressure screening (91%), blood glucose testing (72%), cholesterol testing (65.8%), vaccination utilization (39.5%), breast cancer screening (8%), prostate cancer screening (4.6%), colon cancer screening (4.2%), and least utilized was cervical cancer screening with frequency of (3%). Conclusion: The results underscore the importance of increasing awareness and accessibility of primary healthcare services to promote better health outcomes in the region.

Social anxiety and depression are common mental health diagnoses that are highly related to the use of substances. Researchers have found relationships between social anxiety and depression with alcohol and marijuana use problems. However, interrelations among population characteristics, internalizing symptoms, substance use, and substance use problems can cloud research findings. Undergraduate students (n = 221, 57.0% female) and community members (n = 269, 50.2% female) completed questionnaires regarding internalizing symptoms and substance use. We conducted a series of hierarchical linear regressions, which revealed that social anxiety and depression were differentially associated with substance use problems in the undergraduate and community samples, above and beyond the amount and frequency of use. Results of this study suggest that clinicians target social anxiety and depression symptoms among their clients to potentially reduce alcohol or marijuana use problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of this study is to examine how online travel communities and host benevolence influence Couchsurfer behavior. We formulated a model of Couchsurfers’ behavioral intentions from the perspectives of trust, social identity theory, and altruism. Design/methodology/approach - Empirical data were collected from members of online travel communities. Participants were required to complete an online survey program developed using the SURVEYCAKE website (https://www.surveycake.com/), via invitation message. The invitation information stated the purpose of the study and provided a hyperlink to the digital survey form. We sent out the invitations, and 423 were returned completed. Findings - Community engagement is an enzyme catalyst between Couchsurfers and online travel communities. Online travel communities that provide an enjoyable experience could increase the satisfaction of Couchsurfers, who tend to spend more time browsing and interacting with interesting online travel communities. Research limitations/implications - Research will discuss the travel purpose of Couchsurfers and may better understand the considerations of hosts willing to provide lodging in future research. Practical implications - The operator of online travel communities should collect tacit knowledge and transform it into useful tourism information that can benefit both online travel communities and Couchsurfers. Originality/value - The results of this study provide additional evidence of altruism in the study of tourism behavior and offer new perspectives on behavior in virtual communities.

Background: Substance use is a major public health issue in South Africa. Cocktails, containing two or more low-quality substances, have been reported. Nyaope is one of the most popular and is widely available. It has a significant impact on users and communities. The aim of this study was to explore community members' perceptions of the potential contributors to Nyaope use and dependency. Methods: This was an exploratory descriptive qualitative study that conducted three focus group interviews with 29 community members. A maximum variation sample was used. Data were analysed using the framework method, assisted by Atlas-ti. Results: Seven main themes were identified, namely unfavourable home environments, distrust between community members and the local police, easy access to Nyaope at school, inadequate social services, lack of religious or spiritual drive, unfavourable community environments and the effects of Nyaope on users. Conclusion: The factors identified, were used to construct an emerging model of how Nyaope use is driven in Tshwane. It is clear that a multisectoral response is required involving health and social services, basic education, policing and community leadership. Further research will explore the views of family members and users and quantify the importance of the factors identified. Contribution: This study showed that rather than a simple linear chain of events, Nyaope use is enabled by a complex system of interconnected elements. According to the respondents, variables in the community at large, the school, the home and the specific user all have a role in Nyaope usage and dependency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new strain of the coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, was identified as the cause by the Chinese authorities and the World Health Organization (WHO). At the time, it was referred to as a coronavirus disease 2019 and is now commonly referred to as COVID-19. Gamil Ghaleb Alrubaiee and associates 2020) coronaviruses are a family of enveloped RNA viruses that get their name from the outer edge of their envelope proteins that look like crowns ('corona' in Latin). The purpose of this study was to determine how anxious COVID-19 recovered patients in a specific community area were. A quantitative strategy with a descriptive study design for the research. Purposive sampling is used to collect 50 samples from COVID-19 recovered patients for this study. The average anxiety score among COVID-19 recovered patients was 26.76, with a standard deviation of 5.76 and a minimum anxiety score of 13.0 and a maximum anxiety score of 40.0. In patients who had recovered from COVID-19, the analysis showed that none of the demographic variables had a statistically significant relationship with the level of anxiety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the widespread prevalence of gangsterism and the predominantly male membership of gangs, some males residing and growing up in the Northern Areas of Port Elizabeth (Gqeberha), where gangsterism is so widespread, have never been involved in gangs. A qualitative study, explorative, descriptive and contextual in design, using semi-structured interviews as data-collection method, explored and described the experience-based lessons from selected males on factors that have protected them from gang involvement. Findings included family support, faith or religion, positive role models, education, participation in wholesome pursuits and involvement in sports as being amongst the factors that prevented participants against involvement in gang activities. Strategies to strengthen these protective factors and utilise them to design relevant programmes and interventions should now be investigated.

Despite the widespread prevalence of gangsterism and the predominantly male membership of gangs, some males residing and growing up in the Northern Areas of Port Elizabeth (Gqeberha), where gangsterism is so widespread, have never been involved in gangs. A qualitative study, explorative, descriptive and contextual in design, using semi-structured interviews as data-collection method, explored and described the experience-based lessons from selected males on factors that have protected them from gang involvement. Findings included family support, faith or religion, positive role models, education, participation in wholesome pursuits and involvement in sports as being amongst the factors that prevented participants against involvement in gang activities. Strategies to strengthen these protective factors and utilise them to design relevant programmes and interventions should now be investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Abstract Background The popular use of traditional medicine in low-income settings has previously been attributed to poverty, lack of education, and insufficient accessibility to conventional health service. However, in many countries, including in Rwanda, the use of traditional medicine is still popular despite the good accessibility and availability of conventional health services. This study aims to explore why traditional medicine is popularly used in Rwanda where it has achieved universal health coverage. Methods The qualitative study, which included in-depth interviews and participant observations, investigated the experience of using traditional medicine as well as the perceived needs and reasons for its use in the Musanze district of northern Rwanda. We recruited 21 participants (15 community members and 6 traditional healers) for in-depth interviews. Thematic analysis was conducted to generate common themes and coding schemes. Results Our findings suggest that the characteristics of traditional medicine are responding to community members’ health, social and financial needs which are insufficiently met by the current conventional health services. Participants used traditional medicine particularly to deal with culture-specific illness – uburozi. To treat uburozi appropriately, referrals from hospitals to traditional healers took place spontaneously. Conclusions In Rwanda, conventional health services universally cover diseases that are diagnosed by the standard of conventional medicine. However, this universal health coverage may not sufficiently respond patients’ social and financial needs arising from the health needs. Given this, integrating traditional medicine into national health systems, with adequate regulatory framework for quality control, would be beneficial to meet patients’ needs.

Introduction: To investigate the association between individual and community‐level measures of HIV stigma and HIV incidence within the 21 communities participating in the HPTN (071) PopART trial in Zambia and South Africa. Methods: Secondary analysis of data from a population‐based cohort followed‐up over 36 months between 2013 and 2018. The outcome was rate of incident HIV infection among individuals who were HIV negative at cohort entry. Individual‐level exposures, measured in a random sample of all participants, were: (1) perception of stigma in the community, (2) perception of stigma in health settings and (3) fear and judgement towards people living with HIV. Individual‐level analyses were conducted with adjusted, individual‐level Poisson regression. Community‐level HIV stigma exposures drew on data reported by people living with HIV, health workers and community members. We used linear regression to explore the association between HIV stigma and community‐level HIV incidence. Results: Among 8172 individuals who were HIV negative and answered individual‐level stigma questions at enrolment to the cohort, there was no evidence of a statistically significant association between any domain of HIV stigma and risk of incident HIV infection. Among the full cohort of 26,110 individuals among whom HIV incidence was measured, there was no evidence that community‐level HIV incidence was associated with any domain of HIV stigma. Conclusions: HIV stigma is often cited as a barrier to the effectiveness of HIV prevention programming. However, in the setting for the HPTN 071 "PopART trial," measured stigma alone was not associated with the risk of HIV infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Self-help spirit which culminates into selfless services, voluntarism, and free labor by people in communities appears to be waning in Ghana. This free labor services provided by community members require revitalization. Adult educators have roles to play in revitalizing self-help spirit to build resilient communities., Questions to be addressed are: What is self-help in community development? Who are adult educators and what roles they play in reviving self-help spirit in the communities? This theoretical approach to literature review paper used a library research and adapted a critical literature review approach. It reviewed 30 out of the 60 documents on self-help, adult educators, and community development. It was observed that self-help, a strategy to improve communities, makes people learn. Through continuous learning and training, people adapt to changes and address problems in their communities. Adult educators are to build inclusiveness, networks, attitudinal change, partnership and mobilization of self-help groups to restore vitality and make communities more vibrant and sustainable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article identifies the leading ideas and motives of the Ukrainian Communities, which were determined by the period of social-political changes and the formation of the modern Ukrainian nation in the context of globalization challenges. The factors influencing the activities of the Ukrainian community members have been identified. The main ideas and principles of the Ukrainian civic movement are analysed, as well as love for people as a sociocultural phenomenon and the idea of the community members for national and cultural revival. The approaches to the pedagogical activity of the Ukrainian intellectuals were revealed; the own interpretation of the concept of a "Sunday school" was offered and the peculiarities of the organization of the educational process based on liberal approaches were established. In the conditions of today's geopolitical and military challenges, it is important to understand the original idea of the national revival and to identify the main ways to achieve it. An important factor in the nation-building in the second half of the nineteenth century was the activity of the Ukrainian intelligentsia, which tried to establish ideas for national identification and self-awareness as an independent nation through the enlightenment of the masses. The community members tried to involve the inexperienced peasantry in political life peacefully, through educational and scientific activities and helped them to socialize in the new social conditions, so their activities can be divided into the categories: social-pedagogical and social-political one. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the forms of decentralization and how they can bring about educational accountability in Tanzania. Open-ended questionnaires, interviews, focus group discussions and documentary reviews were methods for data collection. The findings indicate that the school committee as a representative organ of the community and parents in a decentralized educational management system, succeeded in improving the attendance rate, maintaining discipline, and controlling truancy among pupils. The findings also indicate that the teachers and school committee members appreciated the financial transparency in their schools. However, teachers commented that school committee members concentrated their attention on the Primary School Leaving Examinations (PSLE) and financial matters without ensuring that schools improve the environment in which education is provided for teachers to be accountable for the pupils' learning. Further, it was, found that financial contributions from the parents and community members were a challenge because of a lack of awareness of the importance of education for their children. It is argued in this paper that although financial contributions from the community members are necessary for the school development plans, the government needs to play a leading role in the provision of education to safeguard the poor and fight inequality in education.

Abstract Background Displaced populations in fragile settings experience health disparities that are seldom attended to. Task-shifting, which involves training non-specialized community health workers (CHW) to deliver basic education and health services is a favorable strategy to address this problem, however very little data exist on this topic in the Middle East region. We conducted a long-term evaluation of the Women’s Health Certificate delivered to Syrian refugees and host community in informal tented settlements in Lebanon under the Mobile University for Health (MUH) program. The training was delivered through a mobile classroom approach that incorporated a blended learning modality. Methods We collected short-term data from the 42 trained CHW (knowledge assessments and satisfaction measures) during the delivery of the intervention between March and August 2019, and long-term data (semi-structured interviews with 8 CHW and focus group discussion with 9 randomly selected community members) one year later between July and August 2020. The evaluation approach was informed by the Kirkpatrick evaluation model, and the qualitative data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Results Data from the CHWs and community members were triangulated, and they showed that the training enhanced access to education due to its mobile nature and provided opportunities for CHWs to engage and interact with learning material that enhanced their knowledge and favorable behaviors regarding women’s health. In turn, CHWs were empowered to play an active role in their communities to transfer the knowledge they gained through educating community members and providing women’s health services and referrals. Community members benefited from the CHWs and called for the implementation of more similar training programs. Conclusion This is one of few studies reporting a long-term community-level evaluation of a task-shifting program on women’s health among displaced populations in Lebanon. Our findings support the need to increase funding for similar programs, and to focus on delivering programs for a variety of health challenges. It is also essential to enhance the reach and length of recruitment to wider communities, to design concise, interactive, and engaging sessions, and to provide tools to facilitate circulation of learning material, and resources for referrals to health services.

The changing of global warming and the participation of human activities has seen the rise of disasters globally. In their nature, natural disasters leave vulnerable community members homeless and health challenges. As a result, those affected tend to be in serious need of counselling; that is where social workers get involved. On that note, this study aimed to explore and describe the communal traditional coping strategies used by Runnymede community members in the face of natural disasters. This study adopted a qualitative research approach using exploratory-descriptive research designs. The study was conducted at Runnymede Village, found in Tzaneen Municipality, Limpopo Province, South Africa. The researchers used a purposive sampling design to sample community members at Runnymede village who could shed light on the factors contributing to natural disasters and coping strategies. The researchers used individual semi-structured interviews to interview 9 participants in the study. The collected data was then analysed thematically using Thematic Content Analysis. The study found that socio-economic factors predispose community members to natural disasters. It further indicated that several strategies, that is, traditional practices and prayers, are adopted by community members to mitigate the effects of natural disasters. The study concludes that even though community members are exposed to the rampage effects of natural disasters, they still use their indigenous knowledge to mitigate those effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Service–learning has, arguably, gained significant currency as a pedagogical and engagement mechanism within the broader discourse of universities and their role in community development. However, less emphasis has been placed on the human development dimensions of service–learning for community members, with the focus largely being on students' experiential learning and other academic outcomes for the university. Though usually conceived as an integral part in university–community partnerships, community members' role in the conception and implementation of service–learning initiatives is from a peripheral position. In this paper, we interrogate this lacuna by applying core tenets of the human development approach to document the experiences and perceptions of community members within a university–community service learning partnerships. From the analysis of qualitative data n = 22, we demonstrate that while service–learning enhances agency, it continues to operate within a historical context and contemporary political economy of South Africa, which obscure community members' active participation and empowerment towards inclusive and sustainable valued outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Homelessness among people with mental illness has grown to become a common phenomenon in many developed and developing countries. Just like in any other country, the living conditions of homeless people with mental illness in Ghana are unwholesome. Despite the increased population of these vulnerable individuals on the streets, not much is known about the perspectives of the general public towards this phenomenon in Ghana. Aim: This research was conducted to explore the perspectives of community members on homeless people with mental illness. The main study objectives were (a) to find out the impacts of the presence of persons with mental illness on the streets and (b) to ascertain the reasons accounting for homelessness among persons with mental illness. Method: Utilizing a qualitative research design, twenty community members were sampled from selected suburbs in Nsawam and interviewed with the use of a semi-structured interview guide. The audio data gathered from the interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed thematically. Results: Majority of the participants asserted that homeless people with mental illness had no access to good food, shelter, and health care. They further stated that some homeless people with mental illness perpetrated physical and sexual violence against the residents. Moreover, the participants believed that persons with mental illness remained on the streets due to neglect by their family members, and limited access to psychiatric services. Conclusion: This paper concludes by recommending to government to make mental health services accessible and affordable to homeless persons with mental illness nationwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study is to investigate the relationship between modern racism and rape victim and perpetrator blame, and rape perception. Participants from both a community population (n = 211) and a student population (n = 200) read a rape vignette and provided their judgements of blame towards a victim and perpetrator, their perception of the event as rape, and later answered the modern racism scale. Results showed a significant positive relationship between modern racism and rape victim blame (r =.35, R 2 × 100 = 12.1%), while modern racism had a significant negative relationship with perpetrator blame (r = −.27, R2 × 100 = 7.5%) and rape perception (r = −.29, R2 × 100 = 8.7%). Implications for the criminal justice system as well as suggestions for future research were discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of this study is to examine how online travel communities and host benevolence influence Couchsurfer behavior. We formulated a model of Couchsurfers’ behavioral intentions from the perspectives of trust, social identity theory, and altruism. Design/methodology/approach - Empirical data were collected from members of online travel communities. Participants were required to complete an online survey program developed using the SURVEYCAKE website (https://www.surveycake.com/), via invitation message. The invitation information stated the purpose of the study and provided a hyperlink to the digital survey form. We sent out the invitations, and 423 were returned completed. Findings - Community engagement is an enzyme catalyst between Couchsurfers and online travel communities. Online travel communities that provide an enjoyable experience could increase the satisfaction of Couchsurfers, who tend to spend more time browsing and interacting with interesting online travel communities. Research limitations/implications - Research will discuss the travel purpose of Couchsurfers and may better understand the considerations of hosts willing to provide lodging in future research. Practical implications - The operator of online travel communities should collect tacit knowledge and transform it into useful tourism information that can benefit both online travel communities and Couchsurfers. Originality/value - The results of this study provide additional evidence of altruism in the study of tourism behavior and offer new perspectives on behavior in virtual communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the nature of benefit outcomes from participatory natural resource management is crucial in gauging its performance. More so, comparative assessment offers best learning platform. The study sought to understand opportunities associated with collaborative forest management through the lens of community livelihood. It examined existing avenues, types of benefits and modes of scheme implementation in Karnataka (India) and Kenya. The study assessed nine village forest committees (VFCs) in Uttara Kannada and four community forest associations (CFAs) in Mau Forest. The primary gain to VFC members was benefit sharing from the proceeds of sale of forest plantation products and auction of non-timber forest product. This granted average income ranging between USD 54-380 to each participating household alongside use rights to forest. Revolving seed funds managed as micro-credit facility by VFCs further supported individual members economic and welfare activities. In Kenya, forest use right under collaborative forest management was the main livelihood benefit. CFAs members in Mau forests benefitted from access to forest for collection of non-timber forest products and undertaking forest-based enterprises within the forest. This was conducted for subsistence, commercial or for both purposes. Average monthly revenues from sale of non-timber forest products ranged between USD 2-22 from fruits or vegetable, while USD 14-109 for fuel wood. Average semi-annual income from sale of honey as a key forest-based enterprise was USD 4.5-324. Evidently, collaborative forest management affords direct and indirect livelihood opportunities to rural households. The extent and nature however vary depending on respective forest policy guidelines and the manner of execution. These findings have relevance in appraising collaborative forest management in line with amplifying rural livelihood opportunities, especially those dependent on forests resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background To strengthen the implementation of the Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) programme which is Ghana’s key primary health care delivery strategy, the CHPS+ Project was initiated in 2017. We examined community utilisation and satisfaction with CHPS services in two System Learning Districts (SLDs) of the project. Methods This community-based descriptive study was conducted in the Nkwanta South Municipality and Central Tongu District of Ghana. Data were collected from 1008 adults and analysed using frequency, percentage, chi-square, and logistic regression models. Results While the level of utilisation of CHPS services was 65.2%, satisfaction was 46.1%. Utilisation was 76.7% in Nkwanta South and 53.8% in Central Tongu. Satisfaction was also 55.2% in Nkwanta South and 37.1% in Central Tongu. Community members in Nkwanta South were more likely to utilise (AOR = 3.17, 95%CI = 3.98–9.76) and be satisfied (AOR = 2.77, 95%CI = 1.56–4.90) with CHPS services than those in Central Tongu. Females were more likely to utilise (AOR = 1.75, 95%CI = 1.27–2.39) but less likely to be satisfied [AOR = 0.47, 95%CI = 0.25–0.90] with CHPS services than males. Even though subscription to the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) was just 46.3%, NHIS subscribers were more likely to utilise (AOR = 1.51, 95%CI = 1.22–2.03) and be satisfied (AOR = 1.45, 95%CI = 0.53–1.68) with CHPS services than non-subscribers. Conclusion Ghana may not be able to achieve the goal of universal health coverage (UHC) by the year 2030 if current levels of utilisation and satisfaction with CHPS services persist. To accelerate progress towards the achievement of UHC with CHPS as the vehicle through which primary health care is delivered, there should be increased public education by the Ghana Health Service (GHS) on the CHPS concept to increase utilisation. Service quality should also be improved by the GHS and other stakeholders in Ghana’s health industry to increase satisfaction with CHPS services. The GHS and the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) should also institute innovative strategies to increase subscription to the NHIS since it has implications for CHPS service utilisation and satisfaction.

The research objectives: (1) Describe the prejudices of community leaders about Islam Nusantara. (2) Describe the picture of people's prejudices about Islam Nusantara. (3) Connecting between the prejudices of religious leaders and the community and its relation to the social conflict of the people of the city of Padang. The study uses qualitative approaches and quantitative mixing methods (mixed methods). The population in this study were 32 religious leaders and 168 community members. Data collection techniques using; observation, interview and psychological scale. A simple random sampling technique. Data analysis techniques using Pearson correlation. The results of this study found that generally the negative prejudices of religious leaders about Islam Nusantara were high. While social conflict in the midst of society is classified as low. Whereas them correlation aspect shows that there is no correlation between the views of religious leaders and community members about Islam Nusantara not correlating with social conflict in the midst of society.

Globally, Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF) remains a multifaceted social issue in the 21st century. Despite the ratification of international treaties and national laws, South Africa continues to have alarmingly high levels of GBVF, which were worsened during the Covid-19 national lockdown. The 2020 crime statistics reported that one in five South African women were victims of GBVF and South African Police Services (SAPS) data from 2015 to 2020 showed that seven women are killed daily nationwide. Despite copious studies on GBVF, the voices of local community members and activists as key collaborators in such research have been excluded. Therefore, this study used a mixed methods approach to determine the known interventions to decrease or eliminate GBVF and their effectiveness in seven communities across South Africa. The study included 191 participants in a survey for the quantitative aspect as well as a qualitative aspect of the study. Community members participated in gender-specific focus group discussions, while activists had a focus group of their own to obtain data on interventions. Our findings showed that three main forms of interventions existed in South Africa, viz. government-led campaigns that normally occurred during the 16 days of activism against violence towards women and children, community-led campaigns in response to GBVF cases reported in the media as well as NGO-led initiatives to support GBV survivors. However, these interventions were stifled by the social and cultural stigma against reporting GBVF, a lack of sustainability, decreased visibility, poor organisation and management as well as a lack of funding. Therefore, our findings show that while the South African government has made strides in its efforts to eliminate GBVF, there are no sustainable community level programming and interventions aimed at changing social norms and toxic masculinity that perpetuate GBVF. In conclusion, we recommend that efforts be made to implement intervention initiatives that go beyond creating awareness on GBVF, but partner with local NGO-led organizations to engage in programming and intervention that is aimed at changing social norms., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (© 2024 Mkwananzi and Nathane-Taulela.)

Introduction: the 2014 Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak in Nigeria has further raised the awareness of health-care workers (HCWs) and community members (MCs) on the threat posed by infectious diseases and the need for improvement on infection control practices. However, awareness of dangers of increasing incidences of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in hospitals and communities remained low. Methods: a cross-sectional survey of awareness of 195 HCWs and 265 MCs toward EVD and AMR was conducted through a structured questionnaire. Results: majority of HCWs (95.4%) and MCs (82.8%) still have knowledge of EVD's danger and give reasons like its unique way of killing and unavailability of drugs for their awareness. Only 17.2% of MCs are aware of AMR as a problem, and only 3.4% of MCs and 10.3% of HCWs agreed that AMR is more dangerous than EVD. On the contrary, 76.4% of doctors, 95.1% nurses, 67.9% laboratory scientists, 66.7% pharmacists, 77.4% students and 100% of civil servants, drivers and religious leaders believed that EVD is more horrific and spread faster. They both attributed the rapid awareness of EVD in Nigeria, despite being new at the time of the outbreak, to the seriousness with which stakeholders and the media fought EVD, the gesture AMR is yet to receive. Though both HCWs and MCs agreed that prevention, not treatment is the best option to tackle Ebola like-diseases, but surprisingly, about 37% and 65% of HCWs and MCs respectively, still believe that traditional medicines can be used to treat Ebola related illnesses. Conclusion: AMR awareness remains low among MCs and some HCWs when compared with EVD. It is recommended that efforts put in place during EVD outbreak by all stakeholders and the media need to be doubled to increase the knowledge of both HCWs and MCs toward AMR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

African vulture populations are currently in rapid decline, due to a range of anthropogenic factors. These include intentional and unintentional poisoning; degradation, fragmentation, and loss of habitat; and the killing of vultures to obtain body parts for use in traditional medicine. Consequently, people living in rural communities adjacent to protected areas may have a negative or positive impact on their local vulture populations, and so understanding their attitudes towards vultures is imperative. We surveyed Traditional Health Practitioners (those who may [unlawfully] acquire vulture parts for use in traditional medicine) and other community members (those who are not Traditional Health Practitioners but who might use traditional medicine containing vulture body parts) to understand how they perceive vultures and the cultural beliefs associated with vultures in the Kruger to Canyons Biosphere Region, South Africa. We conducted 248 structured interviews with 197 community members and 51 Traditional Health Practitioners in nine villages in the Bushbuckridge Local Municipality, Mpumalanga Province, adjacent to protected areas. Our results showed that community members and Traditional Health Practitioners regarded vultures as beneficial to them for ecosystem services, as a cultural resource, and as a means of generating income. Community members and Traditional Health Practitioners generally had positive attitudes toward vultures, and community members were more inclined than Traditional Health Practitioners to like vultures. Both groups of respondents expressed a fear of vultures because of their aggressive feeding behavior and their physical appearance. Our results highlighted that vultures in our study area are traded and used in traditional medicines for various purposes. Contrary to what was previously thought, vultures are indeed used in traditional medicine close to the Kruger National Park. Our interviewees expressed a desire to learn more about vultures, and this could be a starting point to increase conservation education for these species. There is a need to raise awareness of vulture population declines among all community members in Bushbuckridge and to highlight the human health risks of using poison for pest control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The popular use of traditional medicine in low-income settings has previously been attributed to poverty, lack of education, and insufficient accessibility to conventional health service. However, in many countries, including in Rwanda, the use of traditional medicine is still popular despite the good accessibility and availability of conventional health services. This study aims to explore why traditional medicine is popularly used in Rwanda where it has achieved universal health coverage. Methods: The qualitative study, which included in-depth interviews and participant observations, investigated the experience of using traditional medicine as well as the perceived needs and reasons for its use in the Musanze district of northern Rwanda. We recruited 21 participants (15 community members and 6 traditional healers) for in-depth interviews. Thematic analysis was conducted to generate common themes and coding schemes. Results: Our findings suggest that the characteristics of traditional medicine are responding to community members' health, social and financial needs which are insufficiently met by the current conventional health services. Participants used traditional medicine particularly to deal with culture-specific illness – uburozi. To treat uburozi appropriately, referrals from hospitals to traditional healers took place spontaneously. Conclusions: In Rwanda, conventional health services universally cover diseases that are diagnosed by the standard of conventional medicine. However, this universal health coverage may not sufficiently respond patients' social and financial needs arising from the health needs. Given this, integrating traditional medicine into national health systems, with adequate regulatory framework for quality control, would be beneficial to meet patients' needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Displaced populations in fragile settings experience health disparities that are seldom attended to. Task-shifting, which involves training non-specialized community health workers (CHW) to deliver basic education and health services is a favorable strategy to address this problem, however very little data exist on this topic in the Middle East region. We conducted a long-term evaluation of the Women's Health Certificate delivered to Syrian refugees and host community in informal tented settlements in Lebanon under the Mobile University for Health (MUH) program. The training was delivered through a mobile classroom approach that incorporated a blended learning modality.Methods: We collected short-term data from the 42 trained CHW (knowledge assessments and satisfaction measures) during the delivery of the intervention between March and August 2019, and long-term data (semi-structured interviews with 8 CHW and focus group discussion with 9 randomly selected community members) one year later between July and August 2020. The evaluation approach was informed by the Kirkpatrick evaluation model, and the qualitative data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis.Results: Data from the CHWs and community members were triangulated, and they showed that the training enhanced access to education due to its mobile nature and provided opportunities for CHWs to engage and interact with learning material that enhanced their knowledge and favorable behaviors regarding women's health. In turn, CHWs were empowered to play an active role in their communities to transfer the knowledge they gained through educating community members and providing women's health services and referrals. Community members benefited from the CHWs and called for the implementation of more similar training programs.Conclusion: This is one of few studies reporting a long-term community-level evaluation of a task-shifting program on women's health among displaced populations in Lebanon. Our findings support the need to increase funding for similar programs, and to focus on delivering programs for a variety of health challenges. It is also essential to enhance the reach and length of recruitment to wider communities, to design concise, interactive, and engaging sessions, and to provide tools to facilitate circulation of learning material, and resources for referrals to health services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Evidence suggests wide variability in the provision of mental healthcare across countries. Countries experiencing fragility related risks suffer from a high burden of mental-ill health and additionally have limited capacity to scale up mental health services given financial and human resource shortages. Integration of mental health services into routine primary care is one potential strategy for enhancing service availability, however little is known about the experiences of currently active health care providers involved in mental health and psychosocial support service (MHPSS) provision at primary care level. This study aims to determine how healthcare providers offering MHPSS services at primary care levels in Lebanon perceive mental health and the health system's ability to address the rising mental ill-health burden with a view to identify opportunities for strengthening MHPSS service implementation geared towards integrated person focused care model. Methods: A qualitative study design was adopted including 15 semi-structured interviews and 2 participatory group model-building workshops with health care providers (HCPs) involved in mental healthcare delivery at primary care level. Participants were recruited from two contrasting fragility contexts (Beirut and Beqaa). During workshops, causal loop diagrams depicting shared understandings of factors leading to stress and mental ill health, associated health seeking behaviors, and challenges and barriers within the health system were elicited. This research is part of a larger study focused on understanding the dynamics shaping mental health perceptions and health seeking behaviours among community members residing in Lebanon. Results: Findings are organized around a causal loop diagram depicting three central dynamics as described by workshop participants. First, participants linked financial constraints at household levels and the inability to secure one's livelihood with contextual socio-political stressors, principally referring to integration challenges between host communities and Syrian refugees. In a second dynamic, participants linked exposure to war, conflict and displacement to the occurrence of traumatic events and high levels of distress as well as tense family and community relations. Finally, participants described a third dynamic linking cultural norms and patriarchal systems to exposure to violence and intergenerational trauma among Lebanon's populations. When describing help-seeking pathways, participants noted the strong influence of social stigma within both the community and among health professionals; the latter was noted to negatively affect patient-provider relationships. Participants additionally spoke of difficulties in the delivery of mental health services and linked this to the design of the health system itself, noting the current system being geared towards patient centered care, which focuses on the patient's experiences with a disease only, rather than person focused care where providers and patients acknowledge broader structural and social influences on health and work together to reach appropriate decisions for tackling health and other social needs. Barriers to delivery of person focused care include the lack of coherent mental health information systems, limited human capacity to deliver MHPSS services among primary health care staff and inadequate service integration and coordination among the many providers of mental health services in our study contexts. Critically however, provider accounts demonstrate readiness and willingness of health professionals to engage with integrated person focused care models of care. Conclusions: Mental ill health is a major public health problem with implications for individual health and wellbeing; in a fragile context such as Lebanon, the burden of mental ill health is expected to rise and this presents substantive challenges for the existing health system. Concrete multi-sectoral efforts and investments are required to (1) reduce stigma and improve public perceptions surrounding mental ill health and associated needs for care seeking and (2) promote the implementation of integrated person focused care for addressing mental health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agriculture is one of Australia's largest rural industries. Oversized and slow moving industry equipment and vehicles, hereafter referred to as large agricultural vehicles (LAVs), use public roads. Restrictions exist regarding their on-road operation, but whether this is a function of the risk that their on-road use represents is unknown. A convenience sample of community members was used to explore perspectives about LAVs' presence on roads. An online survey was used to explore LAV interaction experiences, risk perceptions, and how best to promote safe interactions. Ethics approval was obtained. The participants' (N = 239) exposure to LAVs on roads in the last 12 months was variable, but there were clear seasonal points when encounters could be expected. The participants indicated that LAVs have a right to drive on the road (94.8%), and most interactions were neutral, with four LAV crashes reported. Other vehicle types were perceived as representing a higher risk to rural road safety than LAVs. The use of the driver's license test to increase knowledge about LAVs' presence, how to respond, and the use of signs were suggested in order to improve safety. The participants commonly interacted with LAVs, and rarely experienced negative events such as crashes. Continued communication about LAV presence on rural roads is an important consideration in order to help ensure safe interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Community health workers (CHWs) bridge the primary health care (PHC) system and communities by providing care in the household. In Malawi, few studies have examined the perspective of users of household-level CHW services, in remote areas, to understand CHW's role in community-based PHC., Aim: To explore perspectives of community and facility stakeholders on the enablers and challenges of the CHW role in community-based PHC in Neno District., Setting: The study was conducted in the Neno District health facilities, namely, Ligowe, Dambe, Chifunga, and Zalewa., Methods: We conducted eight focus group discussions (FGDs) with purposively sampled community members and conveniently sampled facility stakeholders. Data were transcribed and analysed thematically through an adapted COM-B model of behaviour change., Results: Three main themes of perceived behaviour change within the CHW role were identified: (1) capacity - the CHW programme aids health education and promotion within the community; (2) opportunity - the CHW programme facilitates community-based PHC and linkage to the facility; and (3) motivation - the CHW programme enablers and challenges in providing community-based PHC., Conclusion: Community health workers enrich community-based PHC delivery through health education, timely access to care, and linking communities to the facility. Optimising workload and programme support is critical for the help of CHWs. Further studies are required to address programme and cultural challenges to enhance positive health-seeking behaviours.Contribution: This study provides contextual knowledge for further research on bringing together spiritual and formal health practices and considering the cultural background when planning for health interventions in remote areas.