Dissertations / Theses: 'Health and hygiene'

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Wythe, Helena Fleur. "Meeting food hygiene challenges in older people : mobilising health assets for health promotion." Thesis, University of the West of England, Bristol, 2016. http://eprints.uwe.ac.uk/25538/.

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Background: Listeriosis is a serious foodborne infection with significant rates of morbidity and mortality in the older population. The majority of food safety research has focused on food behaviour, practices and perceptions of 'risk'; isolating actions from their social and health context and historical significance. The alternative, positive and novel approach presented in this dissertation is to identify the accumulated resources, or health 'assets', that older people draw upon in daily life at home to protect themselves against foodborne illness informing future health promotion interventions. This research will also further the theoretical development of the 'asset model' and its contribution to health promotion theory and practice. Methods: There were three chronological phases to the study. Phase I: Sought to gather contextual information about the older people recruited in Phase II through the collection of socio-demographic, health and summary current food hygiene asset related data collected through a researcher completed questionnaire at i) five AgeUK lunch clubs ii) one County Council-run lunch club and iii) via a 'University of the Third Age' webpage advert across Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire. Fifty respondents were recruited via self-selection (20 men, 30 women, mean age of 78.98 years (SD 8.82) mean Visual Analogue Scale of subjective health, 6.89 cm/10cm). Quantitative data were analyzed using SPSS. Phase II: Fifteen semi-structured interviews with older people selected via purposive sampling from the questionnaire cohort to seek their accounts of how food is acquired, stored and cooked and the historical events and influences that shaped these practices (7 men and 8 women, mean age 77.87 (SD 8.06) years, mean Visual Analogue Scale of subjective health, 6.62cm/10cm). Phase III: Three semi-structured interviews with sheltered housing staff in Buckinghamshire recruited via snow-ball sampling. Qualitative data were analyzed using a Grounded Theory approach with NVivo software. Results and Discussion: All of the data indicated that older people have a multiplicity of external food hygiene assets through which to acquire 'safe' and 'fresh' food. Differences in the frequency and type of external asset utilisation were identified between men and women and those reporting severe restrictions in activities of daily living recorded by the EQ5D Quality of Life tool from the questionnaire employed in Phase I. The qualitative data from Phases II and III indicated that food hygiene assets were contextdependent, many being accumulated through the life course and fulfilling non-food related purposes. A number of historically formed internal assets were also identified which served to either facilitate or hinder access to the external food hygiene assets. Members of the social network, specifically the family, were identified as being the principal food hygiene asset throughout the life course from all data sources, fulfilling the newly conceptualised role of 'foodcarers' in the lives of (older) people in a context-dependent manner. Conclusions: The cause of foodborne infections in the older population may be influenced by complex historical factors beyond specific food hygiene knowledge and practice. Current competing or allied concerns in daily life may also serve to motivate or demotivate the employment of 'safe' food hygiene practice. Strategies aimed to reduce the incidence of foodborne illness in the older population could be addressed by placing health promotion within the home setting through the mobilisation of the social network. The contextdependent nature of asset mobilisation has called in to question the validity of some sections of the asset model for use in negotiated small-scale health promotion initiatives and whether the model can serve as a coherent whole.

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Berger, Brittany. "Hand Hygiene Perceptions of Student Nurses." Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University, 2013. https://dc.etsu.edu/honors/176.

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Compliance with hand hygiene is widely recognized as the most important factor in preventing transmission of infection to patients in healthcare settings (Haas and Larson, 2007). Hand hygiene dramatically decreases the potential pathogens on hands and is considered the first measure for decreasing the risk of transmitting organisms to patients, healthcare professionals, and family members. Noncompliance with hand hygiene practices has been shown to increase healthcare-associated infections, costing hospitals $35.7-$45 billion each year (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2012). Education about hand hygiene starts in school and should transfer into the real world of nursing. The purpose of this research is to determine how student nurses in a baccalaureate nursing program in northeastern Tennessee perceive hand hygiene and the importance of conducting the act of hand washing. Students who do not perceive it as important, or do not have the correct information, are unlikely to use principles of good hand hygiene in their practice. Few studies were found assessing nursing school students’ perception of the importance of hand hygiene.

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Ubah, Veronica. "Re-educating Healthcare Providers on Hand Hygiene Practice." Thesis, Walden University, 2017. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=10279506.

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The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) estimate that there are approximately 1.4 million cases of hospital acquired infections (HAIs) at any given time worldwide. Recent reports indicate that 722,000 patients acquire HAIs, with 75,000 or more succumbing to the infections and dying. This quality improvement project focused on the value of re-educating practicing nurses on hand hygiene practices as an approach to reduce the incidence of HAIs. Pre-intervention rates of HAIs were compared with post-intervention rates of HAIs across 2 units (Unit A and Unit B) in an acute care setting to determine if re-educating nurses about hand hygiene was a plausible strategy in reducing HAIs in the acute care setting. The pre-intervention mean rate of Unit A was 0.146% and the post-mean rate was 0.00%. A Wilcoxon signed-rank test showed that the educational intervention did not elicit a statistically significant change in infection rates (z = -1.63, p > 0.05). Similarly, the pre-intervention mean rate of Unit B was 0.12% and the post-mean rate was 0.00%. A Wilcoxon signed-rank test showed that the educational intervention did not elicit a statistically significant change in infection rates (z = 1.732, p > 0.05). Despite the lack of statistical significance, there was a reduction in the mean rate to 0.00% following the educational intervention. The results of this quality improvement project suggest a value in re-educating nurses on the importance of hand hygiene as a strategy to reduce and prevent HAIs in health care organizations in order to promote positive patient outcomes.

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Waterkeyn, Juliet Anne Virginia. "Cost-effective health promotion and hygiene behaviour change through community health clubs in Zimbabwe." Thesis, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (University of London), 2006. http://researchonline.lshtm.ac.uk/682348/.

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Although safe sanitation and hygiene is critical for improving family health, rural communities in Sub Saharan Africa have shown little inclination to change their traditional behaviour, and sanitation coverage has now dropped to 47% (Cairncross 2003). With the Millennium Development Goals seeking to halve the 2.4 billion people without sanitation by the year 2015, there is an urgent need to find cost-effective health promotion strategies that will actively engage rural householders in modifying risky hygiene behaviour. This thesis evaluates an approach, developed over the past ten years in Zimbabwe, in which Community Health Clubs have successfully galvanised rural communities into active behaviour change leading to a strong demand for sanitation. In Tsholotsho District, after six months of weekly hygiene promotion sessions, at the cost of US 35c per beneficiary, good health knowledge of nine different topics was 47% higher in the intervention than for the control, and latrine coverage rose to 43% contrasted to 2% in the control area, with the remaining 57% members without latrines practicing faecal burial, a method previously unknown (p>0.0001). Spot observations of 736 Health Club households in two districts was contrasted to 172 in a control group, and showed highly significant changes in 17 key hygiene practices (p>0.0001) including hand washing. The study demonstrates that if a strong community structure is developed and the norms of a community are altered by peer pressure from a cyclical to linear world view, hygiene behaviour change will ensue and a demand for sanitation can be created. Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs (1954) is adapted to a rural context to analyse the qualitative data, providing some insight into the socio-cultural mechanisms at work. Despite adverse socio-economic conditions in Zimbabwe over the past five years, Health Clubs have flourished, providing a sustainable and cost-effective case study.

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Said, Dina. "Effect of Hand Hygiene Procedures on Skin Biomarkers." University of Cincinnati / OhioLINK, 2006. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1146608923.

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Bunten, A. "The application of health psychology to public health." Thesis, City, University of London, 2017. http://openaccess.city.ac.uk/20309/.

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Background: There is strong evidence linking obesity to health issues and long term conditions such as high blood pressure, type II diabetes, heart disease and some cancers (NICE, 2006). Despite this growing evidence base, the prevalence of obesity continues to rise and rates have more than doubled in England in the last 25 years (Public Health England, 2014). Currently 26% of adults are obese (Health Survey for England, 2014), and the proportion of women that are classified as overweight and obese has risen to 57% (Health Survey for England, 2014). Weight loss can reduce the risk of an individual developing these conditions and can increase their healthy life expectancy. It is estimated that approximately one in every two adults in England are actively trying to lose weight, the majority of which are over-weight or obese women (Piernas, Aveyard and Jebb, 2016). This indicates that over-weight and obese women are motivated to lose weight but are struggling to achieve or maintain a healthy weight. To-date potentially effective weight management interventions have been identified as long term multi-component interventions including diet and exercise components along with behavioural strategies. However, weight changes have been small and weight regain has been found to be very common (Loveman, Frampton, Shepherd, Picot, Cooper et al, 2011; Dombrowski, Knittle, Avenell, Araújo-Soare & Sniehotta, 2014). Despite the primary focus on weight loss being to improve health, research suggest that people’s prime motivation to lose weight is unrelated to health (Piernas, Aveyard and Jebb, 2016). Aim: This study aims to improve the understanding of the challenge of achieving and maintaining a healthy weight in overweight and obese young women. In particular, it aims to i) better understand the barriers and facilitators to achieving and maintaining a healthy weight as experienced by these young women, ii) further understand the relationships and influences of these factors, to iii) inform and develop a new theoretical framework in which to capture this social phenomena and societal challenge. Recruitment: This study recruited 14 female participants aged 18- 35 years, with a BMI over 30 (or 28 with co-morbidity), actively seeking support to lose weight. Participants were recruited through purposive sampling in two primary care practices in East London as part of the ‘Peer Support Weight Action Programme’ (SWAP). This was a Randomised Controlled Trial run by Barts Health NHS Trust and Queen Mary’s School of Medicine and Dentistry, funded by the National Institute for Health Research, Health Technology Assessment fund. Design: The research is qualitative in design utilising in-depth semi-structured interviews. Interviews took place with women recruited to take part in a weight loss programme before commencing the intervention, and follow up interviews took place approximately six months after completion of the weight management programme. Grounded Theory Analysis was used to analyse the data. Results and Findings: An overarching theoretical framework is presented from the findings of the data analysis of the pre and post weight loss attempt interviews. A new ‘Emotion and Mindset’ model is presented to explain the challenge of achieving and maintaining a healthier weight in young women. It includes the core categories of sense of self, emotion and mindset, self-efficacy, and stress and conflicting priorities and has been theoretically framed around the concept of Finding the Health Enhancing Equilibrium - maintaining a positive sense of self whilst generating action to achieve and maintain a healthy weight. It describes the balancing act required between these key contributing elements to engage in positive health behaviour which contributes to achieving and maintaining a healthy weight. Recommendations: Based on the findings from this study, and supported by previous findings (Cochrane, 2008), weight management interventions targeting young women need to build in coping strategies to support individuals cognitively, behaviourally and emotionally. These should include building self-efficacy (NOO, 2011; Ashford, Edmunds, French, 2010), sense of self and re-aligning identity (West & Brown, 2013). Individuals need to be taught how to identify, address and re-orient dysfunctional thoughts, to identify potential stressors such as triggers and environmental cues to prevent relapse. Consideration needs to be given to weight loss maintenance and ongoing tailored support. Further research is needed to identify what type and method of support is most effective and for whom.

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Goss-Bottorff, Barbara. "Hand hygiene compliance in the emergency department| A project report." Thesis, California State University, Long Beach, 2014. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=1527943.

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The purpose of this project was to demonstrate whether a multifaceted quality improvement intervention program would improve hand hygiene compliance of healthcare providers (HCPs) in the Emergency Department (ED). A descriptive design with an observational approach was used with a convenience sample of ED healthcare personnel at a large, 500 bed community hospital. Seven hundred and fifty-eight hand hygiene compliance direct observations were collected during 3 time periods (baseline, pre-intervention and post-intervention observation periods). Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze differences in hand hygiene compliance across the observation periods and by HCP job category.

The results indicated a statistically significant increase in hand hygiene compliance among all groups combined after a multifaceted intervention program was implemented. Efforts to change behavior, lifestyle and the environment must be varied and the target audience must be involved to be effective. This model can be applied to HCPs in other healthcare settings to improve compliance with hand hygiene, a fundamental infection prevention practice to prevent healthcare acquired infections.

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Ubah, Veronica Ihuoma. "Re-educating Healthcare Providers on Hand Hygiene Practice." ScholarWorks, 2017. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/3641.

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The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) estimate that there are approximately 1.4 million cases of hospital acquired infections (HAIs) at any given time worldwide. Recent reports indicate that 722,000 patients acquire HAIs, with 75,000 or more succumbing to the infections and dying. This quality improvement project focused on the value of re-educating practicing nurses on hand hygiene practices as an approach to reduce the incidence of HAIs. Pre-intervention rates of HAIs were compared with post-intervention rates of HAIs across 2 units (Unit A and Unit B) in an acute care setting to determine if re-educating nurses about hand hygiene was a plausible strategy in reducing HAIs in the acute care setting. The pre-intervention mean rate of Unit A was 0.146% and the post-mean rate was 0.00%. A Wilcoxon signed-rank test showed that the educational intervention did not elicit a statistically significant change in infection rates (z = -1.63, p > 0.05). Similarly, the pre-intervention mean rate of Unit B was 0.12% and the post-mean rate was 0.00%. A Wilcoxon signed-rank test showed that the educational intervention did not elicit a statistically significant change in infection rates (z = 1.732, p > 0.05). Despite the lack of statistical significance, there was a reduction in the mean rate to 0.00% following the educational intervention. The results of this quality improvement project suggest a value in re-educating nurses on the importance of hand hygiene as a strategy to reduce and prevent HAIs in health care organizations in order to promote positive patient outcomes.

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Delport, S. V. "Health and health care of the preschool child in Hout Bay." Master's thesis, University of Cape Town, 1987. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/27215.

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At present not enough is known about the health of preschool children in the poorer communities of Cape Town. This study, was undertaken to assess the health and health care of preschool children in one such community: that of the Hout Bay harbour township. A clinic and community-based surveillance programme was devised to make this assessment. Data were obtained by monitoring the records at the Community Health Centre in the township. A study sample of 214 children from the community was also selected by random stratified cluster sampling. This sample was assessed by means of a questionnaire and a full physical examination. Analysis of data was performed on the IBM main-frame computer. A large number of medical problems were identified on screening the community sample. Most of these problems were minor ones and could be managed appropriately at the Health Centre. On the basis of the referral patterns and the small number of newly diagnosed functionally important health problems, the provision of health care in-the area was considered to be adequate. The high immunisation rate in the preschool children and the excellent attendance figures at the child health clinics indicates that the services provided are well utilised by the population. Dental caries was found to be a major health problem in the area. A strong case for the introduction of a dental health educational programme and for the fluoridisation of drinking water can made on the basis of these findings. An ongoing health screening programme would be beneficial. It could be accomplished by utilising appropriately trained nursing personnel.

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Sprague, Daniel Alexander. "Modelling health behaviour." Thesis, University of Warwick, 2015. http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/77458/.

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Many diseases can be prevented or mitigated through behaviour change, but we lack a quantitative model that can accurately predict these changes and inform policies designed to promote them. Here we introduce a quantitative model of health behaviour that takes into account individual-level barriers, the health system, and spread between individuals. We investigate limits of the model where each of these determining factors is dominant, and use them to predict behaviour from data. We apply the model to individual-level geographic barriers to mothers giving birth in a health facility, and find evidence that ease-of-access is a major determinant of delivery location. The geographic barriers allow us to explain the observed spatial distribution of this behaviour, and to accurately predict low prevalence regions. We then apply the model to the role of the health system in determining health facility usage by mothers of sick children. We show that local health facility quality does predict usage, but that this predictive power is significantly less than that gained by including unaccounted-for spatial correlation such as social influence. We also show evidence that results-based funding, rather than traditional input-based funding, increases usage. We develop a psychologically-motivated ‘complex contagion’ model for social influence and incorporate it into a general model of behaviour spread. We apply this model to short-lived behavioural fads, and show that ‘nudges’ can be very eﬀective in systems with social influence. We successfully fit the model to data for the online spread of real-world behaviour, and use it to predict the peak time and duration of a fad before the peak occurred. Finally, we discuss ways to incorporate disease state into the model, and to relax the limits used in the rest of the thesis. We consider a model which links health behaviour to disease, and show that complex contagion leads to a feature that is not present in traditional models of disease: the survival of an epidemic depends non-trivially on the initial fraction of the population that is infected. We then introduce two possible models that include both social influence and an inhomogeneous population, and discuss the type of data that might be required to use them predictively. The model introduced here can be used to understand and predict health behaviours, and we therefore believe that it provides a valuable tool for informing policies to combat disease.

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Cheung, King-chung Alex. "Assessing and explaining the health and hygiene performance of apartment buildings." Click to view the E-thesis via HKUTO, 2006. http://sunzi.lib.hku.hk/hkuto/record/B36723812.

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Cheung, King-chung Alex, and 張勁松. "Assessing and explaining the health and hygiene performance of apartment buildings." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 2006. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B36723812.

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Cravens, Cedric A. "Tr?-Vigil, LLC, a hand hygiene company for health care organizations." Thesis, California State University, Long Beach, 2016. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=10167528.

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Nosocomial infections are a significant medical burden to every health care setting in the United States. Also known as health-associated infections or hospital-acquired infections (HAIs), they are infections that people acquire while they are receiving treatment for another condition in a health care setting. To decrease rates of HAIs, Tr?-Vigil, LLC will provide health care facilities with point-of-care hand hygiene capability in the form of portable hand sanitizers that clip onto lab coats or scrubs, along with a monitoring system that tracks medical staff usage of the sanitizers. This business plan will demonstrate how Tr?-Vigil intends to deliver a vital health care service, while being a sustainable and profitable company.

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Sáenz, de Miera Juárez Belén. "The expansion of public health insurance in Mexico : health, financial and distributional effects." Thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science (University of London), 2017. http://etheses.lse.ac.uk/3685/.

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During the past decade, the Mexican government launched an ambitious expansion of public health insurance through the Seguro Popular programme (SP). As a result, health care access was legislated as citizens’ entitlement, a generous benefit package was offered, and public health expenditure was significantly increased. In 2011, the programme had reached 52 million affiliates. However, there is limited evidence on its effects on a number of outcomes and their distribution. This thesis analyses three aspects that are key to evaluate health system performance. Specifically, using quasi-experimental methods and recent distributional measures of pure health, it examines the effect of universal insurance coverage on infant mortality, non-medical consumption, and health inequalities. Drawing on municipality-level data, the first article finds that the programme led to a 3.9 per cent decrease in infant and neonatal mortality. These reductions were concentrated in more populated, urban, and less marginalised municipalities, however, probably because this type of municipalities have been traditionally better equipped and are thus better prepared to offer all the interventions from the benefit package. Based on data from the Mexican Family Life Survey (MxFLS), the second article shows that unexpected health events such as accidents and deterioration in physical capacity are associated with large declines in non-medical consumption. Social security seems to provide protection against both types of shocks, but endogeneity-corrected estimates show that the SP only protects consumption against accidents. This suggests that income losses associated with disability shocks for which the programme does not offer protection, are likely larger than medical care expenditures, and poses the question of whether other social security benefits, such as disability insurance, should also be extended. Finally, the third article analyses the distribution of health in the context of the SP implementation. Unlike traditional studies, pure health inequality and mobility are analysed using a recently developed class of indices appropriate for categorical data. If a downward-looking definition of status is employed, the distribution of health appears stable, but if an upward-looking definition is adopted, a significant increase in inequality is observed. Evidence of strong persistence in health was also found. This lack of improvement in the health distribution suggests that factors other than health insurance coverage, such as institutional performance, are more important determinants of health inequalities. Overall, this thesis finds important health effects from extending health insurance coverage but limited effects on economic welfare and the distribution of health status across the entire population.

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Tam, Man-hin Cecilia, and 談文憲. "Understanding disability and poor self-rated health: can disability be compressed to achieve healthy aging?" Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 2009. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B42997768.

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Hüntelmann, Axel C. "Hygiene im Namen des Staates : das Reichsgesundheitsamt 1876-1933 /." Göttingen : Wallstein, 2008. http://d-nb.info/988532948/04.

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Wade, Mark T. "Effectiveness of a Posture Education Program to Increase Teacher Knowledge on Postural Hygiene." Thesis, Capella University, 2018. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=10750146.

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Maintenance of appropriate posture is essential for the prevention of various musculoskeletal disorders. Postural stress is a common issue in elementary school children. The literature review indicated that schoolteachers have inadequate and improper postural knowledge. Based on such concepts, elementary schoolteachers in this present study implemented a postural awareness education program designed by the American Posture Institute. The present study indicated that postural awareness amongst schoolteachers was significantly low before the start of the program and was significantly increased after implementing the program (p < 0.01). Moreover, the program results seemed to match the expectations of the posture awareness program. However, the analysis also indicated that teachers failed to achieve requisite postural knowledge on all postural concepts (p < 0.01). Hence, the study necessitated the need for improving the postural awareness program (which was designed and developed by API). The study participants failed to develop a holistic knowledge on postural concepts and could not correlate different postural concepts with one another (p > 0.05). The study necessitated the need for sensitizing schoolteachers on different aspects of physiology and anatomy before implementing a postural education program.

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Hoskin, Pauline Loretta Arnott, and University of Lethbridge Faculty of Education. "The health of nurses : their subjective well-being, lifestyle/preventive practices and goals for health." Thesis, Lethbridge, Alta : University of Lethbridge, Faculty of Education, 1987, 1987. http://hdl.handle.net/10133/18.

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Although promotion of health and healthy lifestyles are accepted tasks of registered nurses, the assessment of nurses' own health and health behaviours has rarely been assessed. In this study questionnaire responses from 59 female registered nurses and interviews with ten nurses employed full-time in south-west Alberta were analyzed. The questionnaire consisted of items taken and adapted from the Canada Health Survey (Health & Welfare Canada, 1981) on subjective well-being (Affect Balance Scale and Health Opinion Survey) and certain lifestyle practices (pap test, breast examination, alcohol consumption, cigarette smoking and seat belt use). A question on leisure time physical activity was take from Godin, Jobin and Bouillon (1986). Questions assessing self-reported immune status and perception of self as a health role model for others were designed by the researcher. Data from the questionnaires were described in narrative, frequency counts and percentages. Comparisons were made among responses in various parts of the questionnaire as well as with the results of the Canada Health Survey. Interview questions designed by the researcher assessed the ways in which the nurse participants thought about health and their goals for health; transcribed interview responses were categorized according to themes; further interpretation was done on three main themes (maintenance of health as a goal, perceived lack of nurses' self-care and nurses' expectations of themselves). The nurses' scores on the Affect Balance Scale and the Health Opinion Survey place them toward the positive end of a positive-negative continuum of subjective well-being (Okun, Stock, Haring & Witter, 1984). Comparison of the participants' responses regarding lifestyle and preventive practices with the Canada Health Survey suggests that these nurses had relatively adequate health practices with the possible exception of participation in vigorous physical activity. A majority of the participants perceived themselves as role models of health, particularly non-smokers and those with post-RN education. The ten interviewed nurses generally gave maintenance of health as their primary present and future goal for health. Lack of self-care was associated by participants with nurses' and women's traditional concern for others before themselves. The participants seemed to have generally high expectations for themselves and other nurses. This descriptive and exploratory study may provide a baseline for future study of nurses' health, an indication of areas for health promotion programs for nurses and a discussion point for nurses to continue to assess their own health and the factors affecting their own health and goals for health.
x, 149 p. ; 28 cm

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Klingenberg, Sanette. "Standards for the hand hygiene of food handlers / Sanette Klingenberg." Thesis, North-West University, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/10394/3734.

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Globally, investigations into food-borne illnesses show that the majority of cases involve poor hand hygiene of the food handler. The challenge of providing safe food therefore requires new strategies for evaluating cross-contamination of pathogenic micro-organisms on the food handler's hands, which might be detrimental or hazardous to the health of the patient Although food-borne diseases may be multifactorial in aetiology, no standards or evaluation systems, such as an occupational health surveillance programme, are available to monitor and ensure that food is free of pathogens. The formulation and implementation of standards may contribute to ensuring that food handlers comply with hand hygiene practices during food handling. Such practices guarantee that food reaching the patient is safe. The objectives in this research project originated from the occupational health practice and gave direction of the empirical research project. The literature was reviewed to discover what is currently known concerning the food handlers' hand hygiene during food handling and food-borne illnesses and the theoretical framework gave direction and guidance to the survey design of the empirical research, which was quantitative, explorative, descriptive and contextual in nature. The food handlers from the food preparation sections of the four major healthcare services in Potchefstroom, in the North West Province, South Africa, were the target population and the sampling method was all-inclusive (n=110). Eighty (75.47%) food handlers participated in the research project. The design entailed three steps. The first was conducted with a questionnaire, to identify the food handlers' compliance with hand hygiene during food handling. The second step involved determining the prevalence of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus on the food handlers' hands. The results were used for the formulation of standards for the hand hygiene of food handlers. Finally, recommendations for practice, education and research were made. The implementation of these recommendations could contribute knowledge to the body of nursing and promote good hand hygiene practices in the healthcare service.
Thesis (M.Cur.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2009.

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Steffen, Kelsey A. "Barriers to Implementation of a Health, Hygiene, & Sanitation Program: Chennai, India." DigitalCommons@CalPoly, 2015. https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/theses/1457.

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In India poor sanitation accounts for 1,600 daily deaths of children under the age of five (Dasra, 2012). The societal and environmental conditions in India and many other developing countries have continuously stood as barriers to facilitating changes in sanitation behavior. Efforts made to improve hygiene have continuously faced opposing forces including major gaps between the supply and demand of sanitation. This paper will focus on one pilot program conducted in Chennai, India over the summer of 2014. This program was designed to teach school children safe sanitation and hygienic habits by providing a guiding tool to teachers. The study analyzed qualitative observational data collected over the seven-week pilot program period to identify the barriers to implementation experienced in this case study. The results indicate that the school administration was the greatest barrier to implementation in this case study. The results also highlight the contextual sensitivity of each of the barriers and their relationships to one another. The findings suggest that depending on the context of implementation of a health, hygiene, and sanitation program these barriers may be re-ordered in hierarchy to work towards achieving sustainable programs.

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Schill, Katie D. "Oral Health Literacy and Oral Hygiene Habits in a Kentucky Appalachian Community." ScholarWorks, 2019. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/6663.

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This study sought to identify the level of oral health literacy held by people who live in transitional and distressed Kentucky Appalachian areas and if this effects how often they are using oral hygiene techniques. Data were also collected to describe the attitudes Kentucky Appalachian adults hold toward oral hygiene and oral health status. Current documentation shows that poor oral health remains a public health threat in this population despite efforts such as school-based sealant programs and increased dental insurance coverage. This study followed a quantitative design and 99 participants were polled using a survey specifically developed for this study's use. Composite median scores and Spearman's correlation values established the existence of a low oral health literacy level across the participant pool, an also documented that oral hygiene techniques are not used in frequencies recommended for proper oral health. A poor self-efficacy towards the ability to utilize these techniques properly was also identified. Using the Mann-Whitney U test, responses were compared based on county designation and few significant differences were found. These findings show that oral health status and related beliefs are similar across the region and not just isolated to the economically poorest areas as the currently available literature suggests. Applying the health belief model it is predicted that Kentucky Appalachians are unlikely to adopt proper oral hygiene habits until their self-efficacy is improved. A recommendation of this study is that public health officials should promote personal control when designing public health programs geared towards improving the oral health status of this population. To do so would introduce a positive social change in that people with good oral health are less likely to experience the pain, malnutrition, and negative social stigma that is associated with poor oral health.

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Peters, Eleanor. "Young women's health and well-being : a qualitative study." Thesis, University of Gloucestershire, 1997. http://eprints.glos.ac.uk/6176/.

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This thesis is concerned with young women's health and well-being, with a specific focus on young women's beliefs, behaviours and attitudes towards smoking, substance use, sexual health, diet and exercise and well-being. These issues are identified as priorities in 'The Health of the Nation: a Strategy for Health in England', (Department of Health, 1992). This document which was published by a previous (Conservative) government in July 1992,set objectives and targets relating to health status to be met by the year 2000. (There are similar separate documents for both Wales and Scotland.) It identified five key areas for action: coronary heart disease and stroke; cancers; mental illness; HIV/AIDS and sexual health and accidents. Some of its targets apply specifically to young women. Informed by a feminist theory and using ethnographic and qualitative research techniques, this study examines young women's health-related beliefs and behaviours within the context of their day-to-day lives.

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Iwar, Vivian. "Hygiene Beliefs, Attitudes, and Practices of Suya Producers in Nigeria." ScholarWorks, 2017. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/3786.

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The street food sector continues to grow in Nigeria in a largely unregulated environment. The lack of regulation poses a significant public health risk for consuming unsafe street foods such as suya. Quantitative research has revealed high levels of microbiological contamination of suya, despite qualitative findings that suggest that food handlers are knowledgeable about safe food handling practices. This discrepancy reveals a gap in understanding about what influences safe food handling practices besides knowledge. This qualitative study was therefore designed to gain a deeper understanding of the beliefs and attitudes that influence hygienic practices among suya producers. Guided by the social cognitive theory, a phenomenological design was used to investigate and describe the hygiene phenomenon. Ten suya operators were recruited in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria, to participate in the study. Data were collected from interviews and observation of participants. Semistructured, open-ended questionnaires were used in face-to-face interviews to elicit participants' views on hygiene. Hygiene practices among participants were also observed. Information gathered was recorded, stored, transcribed, and analyzed using the NVivo software and based on emerging themes. The findings revealed that participants' understanding of hygiene was related to popular culture rather than science. Furthermore, findings also revealed that family, religious, and cultural beliefs, as well as environmental factors such as consumer attitude influenced their hygiene practices. These findings may provide evidence-based guidance for public health interventions for safer suya production processes with positive social change implications for improved consumer health.

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Danis, Ajau. "Health communication and health literacy : participants perspectives on the PROSTAR Health Promotion Programme." Thesis, Liverpool John Moores University, 2006. http://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/5800/.

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Zhang, Yan, and 张琰. "Relationship between family members' oral health behaviours andstatus." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 2013. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B50662284.

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Introduction: Oral diseases such as dental caries and periodontal diseases are among the most common diseases in Hong Kong. Family as a basic societal unit has an important role to play in shaping the individual member’s behaviours and health status. However, most dental research studies focus on modifiable risk factors of individuals rather than those of a family. Objectives: 1. to describe the oral health behaviours and oral health status of family members in a selected sample of families in Hong Kong; 2. to assess the relationships between oral health behaviours and oral health status amongst the family members; 3. to assess the influence of socio-economic factors, lifestyle factors and oral health knowledge, attitudes, and behavioural factors on oral health status of the spouses; and 4. to assess the influence of parental factors on the child’s oral health behaviours and status. Methods: A cross-sectional survey using a combination of a random household and a purposive sampling was conducted. The study population was 5 to 7-year-old children and their parents in Hong Kong. A clinical examination and a questionnaire survey were conducted on the core family members (parents and children) of the recruited families. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was employed to test the hypothesized multivariate models which tried to investigate the complex relationships among different risk factors and oral health status. Results: A total of 432 families with targeted children, 373 fathers and 424 mothers were recruited. The mean DMFT/dmft score of the father, the mother, and their children were 7.2, 6.2, and 2.6, respectively. Around half (52%) of the fathers and one-third (35%) of the mothers had periodontal probing pocket(s) deeper than 3mm. In the structural equation models, strong positive correlations were found between the oral health behaviours of fathers and mothers (∅=0.98, p<0.05), mothers and children (∅=0.79, p<0.05), and fathers and children (∅=0.74, p<0.05). Positive correlations were also found between the oral health status of fathers and mothers (∅=0.43, p<0.05), mothers and children (∅=0.33, p<0.05), and fathers and children (∅=0.30, p<0.05). Fathers’ oral health status was directly affected by their oral health behaviours and smoking habit, and indirectly affected by their socio-economic status and oral health knowledge and attitudes. The explained variance of fathers’ oral health status was 47%. The mothers’ oral health status was only directly affected by their oral health behaviours and indirectly by their socio-economic status and oral health knowledge and attitudes. The explained variance of mothers’ oral health status was 53%. Children’s oral health status was only directly affected by their oral health behaviours and indirectly by their mother’s socio-economic status, mother’s oral health knowledge and attitudes, and mother’s oral health behaviours. The explained variance of children’s oral health status was 26%. Conclusion: Oral health behaviours and status are correlated among family members. Children’s oral health status is affected by their oral health behaviours, which may be affected by parents’ socio-economic status, oral health knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours.
published_or_final_version
Dentistry
Doctoral
Doctor of Philosophy

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Hunt, Kate. "Understanding gender and health : systematically comparing the health and health experiences of men and women." Thesis, University of Glasgow, 2007. http://theses.gla.ac.uk/99/.

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Gender differences in health are the product of a complex interaction between biology and the social world. Our ascribed sex and how this is interpreted in the culture within which we live (gender) have life-long consequences for our life chances, including our health. For many years the aphorism that ‘men die quicker but women are sicker’ was presumed to encapsulate gender differences in health. The first paper presented in the thesis challenged this dominant paradigm. First, an analysis of morbidity in two British data sets showed more similarity than difference between men and women. Secondly, we highlighted earlier research with similar results which had been overlooked and failed to shake the ‘gender orthodoxy’. Thirdly, we stressed the ahistoric and decontextualised way in which research on gender and health had been conducted or reported. The remaining papers in the thesis share two underlying principles; all make systematic comparisons between men and women, and all attempt to also examine diversity within gender. All but one of the papers utilise data from the West of Scotland Twenty-07 Study, a study of the social patterning of health in three age cohorts. The second paper examined the impact of paid and unpaid work on symptoms, treating each domain as being relevant in principle to the health of both women and men. The experience of paid work was the predominant influence on malaise symptoms, and unpaid work in the home did not explain any variation in men’s symptom scores. Similar associations were seen between most aspects of paid work and malaise symptom scores in both genders. The paper highlighted the dearth of literature that had compared systematically either the conditions of men’s and women’s paid work, or the health effects of the paid and unpaid work environment for men and women. Men’s ‘under-usage’ of health care is often constructed as a problem, potentially reinforcing an assumption that women ‘over-use’ health care. On average, women have more consultations with their general practitioner, but this excess is mostly apparent in the reproductive years. The third paper examined whether these gender differences exist when taking account of the underlying nature and perceived severity of illness. Women were no more likely than men to have consulted their GP in the past year amongst those reporting morbidity in any of the five condition groups, and men were more likely to have consulted amongst those who reported digestive conditions. The fourth paper takes as its starting point the strong patterning of cigarette smoking by gender (and class) throughout the twentieth century. In it we examined the relationship between ‘masculinity’ and ‘femininity’ scores using the Bem Sex Role Inventory (BSRI, an instrument developed within social psychology in the 1970s). No relationship was seen between either score and smoking in the youngest cohort, nor amongst men in the middle cohort, and in the oldest cohort there was only a suggestion of an association between higher femininity scores and smoking in men. The strongest relationship was seen between ‘femininity’ score and smoking amongst women born in the 1950s who also had a somewhat elevated risk associated with higher ‘masculinity’ scores. Suicide and suicidal behaviours are strongly patterned by gender, and the dramatic rise in suicides amongst young males in the late 1980s and 1990s in several countries was often attributed to a ‘crisis’ in masculinity. The fifth paper examines the association between serious suicidal thoughts and the same measures of ‘masculinity’ and ‘femininity’ and a measure of gender traditionalism. In both men and women in early and late middle age, we found a negative association between higher ‘masculinity scores’ and serious suicidal thoughts, and a positive association between more traditional gender role attitudes and serious suicidal thoughts at older ages. No such associations were seen in early adulthood, and no relationship was seen between serious suicidal thoughts and ‘femininity’ scores at any age. Gender differences in the pattern of coronary heart disease (CHD) mortality have been described as enigmatic and one of the most striking features of cardiovascular mortality in the twentieth century. In an analysis controlling for many of the classic risk factors for CHD (smoking, blood pressure, body mass index, mental health), we found that higher ‘femininity’ scores (using continuous scores from the BSRI) were associated with a decreased risk of CHD mortality in men. No such association was seen in women, and the continuous ‘masculinity’ scores were unrelated to mortality in both women and men. Some advantages and problems with using these measures of ‘masculinity’ and ‘femininity’ in sociological research on gender and health are discussed. Previous research on one distressing side effect of some cancer treatments, chemotherapy-induced hair loss, has almost exclusively focussed on women. The final paper compares young adults’ experiences of hair loss following chemotherapy. Hair loss was a challenging aspect of the experience of cancer for both women and men which made them acutely aware of their vulnerability and visibility as a ‘cancer patient’. Both recounted negative reactions to their altered image, challenging social norms of interaction. However, there were two notable gender differences: it was only men who discussed the loss of body hair below the eyeline; and only women who spoke of being encouraged to wear wigs or offered ice helmets to delay or disguise hair loss. These differences are discussed in relation to social constructions of hair as a marker social identity, including gender. I argue that the gender-comparative approach taken reveals important commonalities across gender, highlighting a greater need for more support for men with chemotherapy induced alopecia, and makes what is not said in the women’s interviews as revealing as what is said in men’s. The concluding remarks highlight the challenges in researching gender and health, and discuss the complex ways in which gender can influence health and vice-versa.

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Chao, Chung-yee Josephine, and 趙仲儀. "Systematic review on breakfast skipping among children and adolescent: associated factors and interventions." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 2010. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B45170927.

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Lau, Timothea Tin Luen. "Vocal Health of tertiary students, choral and solo classical singers." Thesis, The University of Sydney, 2021. https://hdl.handle.net/2123/25119.

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Singers require good health to perform and have needs unique to their instrument. There is evidence that singing students studying at a conservatorium are more concerned and stressed about their voices than their elite choral singers, which may be related to the expectations and pressure of their degree. The increased vocal load means tertiary singers are at risk of injury. It is important to gain a better understanding of students’ attitudes and beliefs towards vocal hygiene to better inform the support required to help students’ voices. This study aimed to investigate tertiary singing students, choral and solo classical singers, behaviours and confidence in vocal health. Thirty-three singers attending a conservatorium or Sydney-based elite youth choir took part in a questionnaire about voice use; confidence in seeking and following vocal health information; and risk factors for voice difficulties. Eight singers participated in two semi-structured focus groups to explore and expand on themes revealed in the questionnaire. Responses from the focus groups were analysed through content analysis. The majority of singers were aged between 18-22 years with 84.4% (n=28) female. Fifteen participants were solo singers and 18 were elite choral singers. Over half (70.6%) of conservatorium singers reported experiencing voice difficulties compared to 46.7% of elite choral singers. They also engaged in potentially voice harming behaviours more frequently than elite choral singers (i.e. long periods of speaking, 83.3% vs. 66.7%; voice use at work, 77.8% vs. 46.7%). Conservatorium singers dedicated a significant amount of time to maintaining their vocal health compared to elite choral singers (p= 0.03) but were similar in judging the appropriateness of vocal health information compared to elite choral singers (35.3% vs 33.3%). Participants in the focus groups reported a disparity between their speaking and singing voices use. Singers struggled to judge poor vocal behaviours and did not have a good grasp of vocal health/hygiene. Participants’ primary concern was permanent voice loss and an inability to perform. They were also unsure where to find reliable sources of vocal health information or access to appropriate health professionals. Future university singing training should include education on vocal hygiene and provide a vocal health support system for singing students to prevent the development of harmful behaviours and reduce the chance of voice disorders.

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Thean, Hock Ch'ng. "Malaysia and Singapore occupational health and safety : an exploratory study." Thesis, the author [Mt. Helen, Vic.] :, 1994. http://researchonline.federation.edu.au/vital/access/HandleResolver/1959.17/42772.

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Etheridge-Criswell, Sarah M. "Identifying Cultural Themes in a Shared Experience of Water Hygiene Education Partners." ScholarWorks, 2015. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/1599.

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Lack of safe drinking water and lack of water hygiene literacy contribute to a large disease burden in rural areas of Africa, and children suffer disproportionately more than adults from diarrheal diseases caused by nonpotable water. Research is needed to help merge education and water sanitation to provide more effective methods of preventing diarrheal diseases. The ecological model and hygiene improvement framework were used to guide the study. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the shared experiences of people participating in the water hygiene education program provided by Lifewater International. Lifewater is a nonprofit organization focused on improving access to clean water and increasing water hygiene literacy in rural parts of developing countries. Individual interviews were conducted with six Lifewater program participants, using the Delphi sampling technique. After I transcribed and thematically analyzed data for codes, three main themes were identified that motivated Lifewater partners and members of their community to change behavior: improving their children's health, saving time and money, and being a better Christian. The most meaningful part of participating in the program is that they use the information to improve the lives of those in their communities. In addition to making curricula for the Lifewater organization and its partners more streamlined, if the lessons are more culturally relevant, people are more likely to accept the behavior changes being taught, which can also influence the behavior change. Culturally relevant curriculum could help increase the access to and knowledge of clean water in developing areas, which contributes to the United Nation;s Millennium Development Goals, and thus promotes social change.

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Alfailakawi, Noor Khaled. "The effectiveness of a knowledge-based health promotion intervention on multiple health behaviours in adolescent females." Thesis, University of Glasgow, 2017. http://theses.gla.ac.uk/8184/.

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Background: Kuwaiti female adolescents have a substantial prevalence of physical inactivity and unhealthy diet leading to epidemic proportions of obesity. Additionally, rates of tobacco smoking and substance abuse are increasing among them. There is a lack of health promoting interventions to deter such behaviours in this population and therefore a knowledge-based intervention in a school setting was investigated. Methods: The study included 128 adolescent females between the ages of 14 and 18. They were randomly selected and allocated to an intervention group (n= 64) and a control group (n= 64). The intervention consisted of six educational sessions for each of the following: physical activity (PA), healthy nutrition, prevention of tobacco smoking, prevention of substance abuse, bone health, and sun protection. Both groups were assessed before and after the intervention in weight measurements, physical fitness, PA by accelerometry in a subsample, and self-reported behaviours. The self-reported behaviours included PA, dietary behaviours, tobacco smoking, substance abuse, and sun exposure and protection. In addition, the knowledge of each health topic was assessed immediately before the session and a week after. A mixed model repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used for analysis following an intention-to-treat approach. Results: Physical fitness including flexibility, abdominal muscles strength, body balance and cardiorespiratory endurance (VO2max) were significantly improved in the intervention group compared to the control group. The intervention group also had significantly increased energy expenditure, light PA, walking time, moderate PA, and moderate-to-vigorous PA, while had decreased sedentary time and elevator use. They also had improved a range of dietary practices by increasing consumption of breakfast, dairy, and water. Furthermore, their health knowledge of each topic was significantly increased. Weight measurements did not show any significant change. Tobacco smoking and substance abuse were scarcely reported which could be due to cultural sensitivity. Conclusion: A health promotion intervention in school was successful in increasing physical activity and physical fitness, and improving dietary practices in adolescent females in Kuwait. Thus, such interventions are promising and should be invested in and expanded in this population. These interventions should also be supported by socio-environmental changes including families, youth organisations, and health policies.

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Kurtz, Sharon L. "Demographic Factors Associated with Consistent Hand Hygiene Adherence Among ICU Nurses." Thesis, Walden University, 2017. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=10255601.

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Healthcare associated infections cause 75,000 to 80,000 deaths a year. Many are preventable with proper hand hygiene adherence (HHA). Worldwide, HHA range is between 40-60%, far below the 100% recommended. The purpose of this quantitative, cross-sectional, prospective study was to investigate any association between 15 demographic variables and HHA of ICU nurses. A convenience sample of 613 hand hygiene opportunities was collected by direct observation at each of 5ICUs (4 hospitals) in Texas for 8 consecutive hours each day for 3-5 days. The theoretical foundation guiding this study was the healthcare environment theory. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences software was used for descriptive and inferential analysis of data. An aggregated overall HHA rate of 64.09% was identified among all nurses, 66.88% among male nurses and 62.27% among female nurses. Number of children, age of the nurse, number of years of living in the U.S., and the number of years of active nursing practice were significantly associated with HHA (p = .000) using paired sample t-test. The potential social change impact of this study is identifying variables associated with HHA, identification and measurement of 4 barriers to HHA, measuring the Hawthorne Effect, identification of Low Gelers, High Gelers, and Super Gelers, average rate may not be indicative of what is happening in hospital, and call for standardization of surveillance methodology. Findings may lead to specific interventions to increase HHA among nurses with certain demographic characteristics.

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Dommestrup, Pierre. "The relationship between collegiate athletic participation and future health and quality of life." Virtual Press, 1996. http://liblink.bsu.edu/uhtbin/catkey/1027115.

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This study examined the relationship between former collegiate athletes and former college students who did not participate in intercollegiate athletics to determine if there is any correlation between athletic participation and future health. Two groups of Ball State University faculty (42 former athletes and 32 non-athletes) were selected for this research, and the variables of quality of life and well-being were investigated through the Quality of Life Index and TestWell wellness inventory. Former athletes were found to have a higher level of wellness. Similarly, as a group, athletes were found to have a higher quality of life than former non-athletes. These findings do not support the quality of life findings by Morgan and Montoye (1984).
Fisher Institute for Wellness

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Seneca, Martha E. "Improving Anesthesia Professional Adherence to Hand Hygiene." UNF Digital Commons, 2014. http://digitalcommons.unf.edu/etd/502.

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Performance of hand hygiene is among the most effective means of preventing healthcare associated infections (HAI) among patients. Deaths resulting from HAIs are one of the top ten leading causes of death in the United States. Any improvement in the frequency of hand hygiene among healthcare professionals may have a direct impact on patient mortality and associated costs. While anesthesia professionals have been found to have low rates of hand hygiene adherence, few targeted studies seeking to improve hand hygiene adherence among this group exist. Studies conducted to improve hand hygiene among health care professionals have reported limited improvement, with overall inconclusive recommendations for improving prolonged hand hygiene adherence rates. The purpose of this project was to improve anesthesia professionals’ hand hygiene through encouragement of performance and education on the current state of research in the area of anesthesia associated HAIs. Hand hygiene rates were evaluated through measuring the amount of hand sanitizer used at eleven anesthesia workstations in the main operating room of a hospital. Measurements were taken at baseline and continued for three months after the educational program was implemented.

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Samuelsson, Yvonne, and Erik Samuelsson. "Oral Health and Tools for Oral Hygiene in Adolescents in Detema Secondary School." Thesis, Umeå universitet, Institutionen för odontologi, 2018. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-154721.

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Abstract The aim of this epidemiologic pilot field study was to determine if the oral health problem in Detema was periodontal or caries disease. If periodontal disease, was it induced by a certain virulent microflora or by inadequate oral hygiene? A second specific aim was to educate local oral health instructors, to raise the awareness of the importance of oral health, and in that way improve the general health. Methods were that with the use of WHO oral health questionnaire, interview 117 participants in index ages 15-19 years, inform about oral diseases, instruct techniques for optimized oral cleansing, assess dental status and periodontal health on index teeth. Local oral health instructors were educated for maintaining the knowledge and to reinstruct the toothbrush and toothpaste methods. Susceptibility to caries and periodontal disease in relation to ethnicity was investigated. The prevalence of caries disease was 32% a decrease compared to 44% in 1995. The prevalence of periodontal disease was 82%, attachment loss and gingival retractions 8% each, and gingival retractions 6%. This result was an impairment compared to 73% in 1995, when there were no pockets, retractions or any attachment loss in this index age. Results could not significantly show association between oral disease and lack of, or infrequent use of cleansing devices and fluoridated toothpaste, neither to a diet with high and frequent carbohydrate intake. There was indication of susceptibility to periodontal disease in the population. The conclusion was that the non-optimized technique for oral hygiene affected this population´s oral health.

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Wendling, April Lee. "Oral Health Status and Oral Hygiene Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices of Jail Inmates." ScholarWorks, 2016. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/2303.

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The oral health and hygiene of incarcerated populations, both in the United States and globally, is known to be poorer than that of the general population. This study examined the prevalence of dental caries and periodontal disease and the relationships between oral health status and the oral health knowledge, attitudes, and practices of jail inmates housed in a large metropolitan jail located in the midwestern United States. This cross-sectional study collected data from 100 inmates using a 21-item closed-ended questionnaire in addition to oral examinations conducted by the jail's dentist to determine the extent of dental caries and periodontal disease (DMFT and CPI scores) in this population. Neither oral health and hygiene studies nor studies of oral health knowledge, attitudes, and practices have been examined in U.S. jails. The conceptual frameworks of this study were the health belief model and social cognitive theory. The data were analyzed with the use of bivariate correlation tests, as well as binary logistic analyses. The results of this study revealed that the total number of correct answers on the oral health attitudes (OHA) questionnaire appeared to be the strongest predictor of high DMFT, with significance of 0.05 and an odds ratio of 1.522 (95% CI [1.000, 2.334]). In the analysis that included the total number of correct answers for the OHA questionnaire, years incarcerated was the strongest predictor of high CPI (p = 0.027), with an odds ratio of 0.340 (95% CI [0.131, 0.883]). This study advances social change by aiding in understanding the oral health status and oral health knowledge, attitudes, and practices of inmates - an underserved population. Results from this study can be used to assist jail administrators in understanding the types of dental care that is needed in correctional facilities.

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Wang, Jennifer. "Health care behaviour of Hmong refugees in Sydney." Thesis, The University of Sydney, 1998. https://hdl.handle.net/2123/27572.

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The Hmong, a minority group from Laos, began arriving in Australia in 1976, having fled their country after the Pathet Lao (Lao communists) came into power in May, 1975. Little has been written on the Hmong in Australia but one survey conducted in 1987 on the Hmong community in Sydney identified it as socioeconomically disadvantaged (Lee 1987). At the same time, studies from the United States were discovering a significant problem of poor health status and unsatisfactory health care behaviour within various Hmong refugee communities in that country (Bliatout 1988a; Deinard and Dunnigan 1987; Scott 1982; Strand and Jones 1983). This study aims to examine the health care behaviour of Hmong in Sydney, and related socio-economic issues, in part to discover whether Hmong in Sydney exhibit similar health care behaviour and health status to Hmong in the United States. It will therefore both provide basic information on the Hmong in Australia, and specifically focus on the health care behaviour of Hmong in Sydney and, secondly, compare this with situations in the United States.

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Wong, Wing-tung Tony, and 黃永通. "A study on the health status of the single elderly persons in Kwai Chung District." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 1997. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B31978381.

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Pisaniello, Dino. "Isocyanate exposures and health outcomes in local industries /." Title page, table of contents and abstract only, 1992. http://web4.library.adelaide.edu.au/theses/09MPM/09mpmp674.pdf.

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Brown, Maximillian. "Trust, power, and workplace democracy : safety and health works councils in Oregon /." view abstract or download file of text, 2002. http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/uoregon/fullcit?p3072576.

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Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Oregon, 2002.
Typescript. Includes vita and abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 383-408). Also available for download via the World Wide Web; free to University of Oregon users.

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Singh, Shenuka. "A critical analysis of the provision for oral health promotion in South African health policy development." Thesis, University of the Western Cape, 2004. http://etd.uwc.ac.za/index.php?module=etd&action=viewtitle&id=init_4116_1178278944.

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The rhetoric of primary health care, health promotion and health service integration is ubiquitous in health policy development in post-apartheid South Africa. However the form in which oral health promotion elements have actually been incorporated into other areas of health care in South Africa and the extent to which they have been implemented, remains unclear. The central aim of this research was to critically analyse oral health promotion elements in health policies in South Africa and determine the extent to which they have been implemented. The study set out to test the hypothesis that oral health promotion is fully integrated into South African health policy and practice.

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Westbury, J. "An exploration of consultant doctors' hand hygiene : practice and perspectives." Thesis, University of Southampton, 2012. https://eprints.soton.ac.uk/340447/.

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Hand hygiene is considered the cornerstone of infection prevention practice, but previous studies demonstrate one group of healthcare professionals, doctors, have not achieved good levels of compliance in comparison to other staff groups. The aim of the research was to examine consultant doctors‟ practice and perspectives of hand hygiene, exploring their perceptions as leaders and role models, so as to identify strategies to improve compliance. The study design was based on naturalistic inquiry, focussing on the social constructions of participants. Nineteen consultant doctors were observed during hospital ward rounds using both a national audit tool to assess hand hygiene compliance and recording of field notes. These same consultants, plus a further two, were interviewed individually to elicit their views. Data from the 21 interviews and field notes were analysed qualitatively using thematic content analysis. Observations demonstrated high levels of hand hygiene compliance for high risk and medium risk activities, with low levels of compliance for low risk activities. Thematic content analysis revealed a strong belief by consultant doctors in the value of hand hygiene. However, a perceived conflict between political and scientific drivers of hand hygiene promotion gave rise to confusion, frustration and a lack of engagement that created barriers to leadership and acting as a role model. Differing guidelines and audit tools that did not address levels of risk compounded the matter. However, consultant doctors offered various recommendations to resolve the issues. Compliance with hand hygiene by consultant doctors is dependant on perceived levels of risk. To promote leadership and role modelling it is critical to engage consultant doctors, understand their views, employ their recommendations and recognise they are motivated by evidence-based rationales for practice rather than political mandates. The findings, conclusion and recommendations of the research study have significant implications for addressing the shortfalls of the hand hygiene agenda in clinical practice and for the engagement of consultant doctors.

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Taft, Sara. "Hand Function Evaluation for Dental Hygiene Students." Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University, 2014. https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/2326.

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Dental hygiene students may struggle in dental hygiene curriculum in regards to hand function. Currently, this is not an aspect dental hygiene programs screen for or have protocol in place to help students. The research in the study examined if hand function could improve with hand function exercises and if exercises improved instrumentation scores. During a 6-week pilot study, an occupational therapist tested the hand function of a cohort of dental hygiene students. The results were recorded and the students began a 6-week hand function exercise regimen. After 6 weeks the same evaluations were preformed and the pre- and posttest data were compared. Statistical tests showed a significant improvement in hand function. After the hand function testing was complete, the scores of the cohort on the periodontal probe and 11/12 explorer were compared to students in the previous 5 cohorts. No significant improvement was made on the instrumentation scores.

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Moore, Christian. "A qualitative case study of nurse, physician, and allied clinicians perceptions on hand hygiene compliance." Thesis, University of Phoenix, 2016. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=3746426.

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The purpose of this qualitative exploratory case study was to explore the perceptions held by physicians, nurses, and other allied clinicians regarding hand-hygiene practices in order to understand what causes non-compliance with those practices. The conceptual framework guiding the research study was based on the social behavioral theories Rosenstocks Health Belief Model, The theory of reasoned action (TRA), introduced by Ajzen and Fishbein (1975) and The social cognitive theory which suggests that an individual’s behavior is determined by his or her own personal intention and that this intention is a function that also determines the individual’s attitude toward the subjective norm or behavior. This research study employed a telephone interview with open-ended questions to explore physician, nurse, and allied clinician perceptions about the hand washing and the factors for non-compliance. The content of the transcribed interviews were analyzed using NVivo 10 software to explore the hand hygiene perspective of a purposeful sample of 3 nurse, 3 physicians and 4 allied clinicians with at least two years of direct patient care experience. Interview data collected from the study resulted in 5 major themes encompassing the need for healthcare institutions to consider when developing hand hygiene initiatives. The descriptive patterns that emerged were: (a) lack of reoccurring formal education/training, (b) staff shortages, (c) sink placement, (d) skin breakdown and sensitivity to hand hygiene products, (e) educational differences among the three groups (physician, nurse, and allied clinician staff). Specifically the results of the case study showed demographic and generational variability with participants of different ages, educational backgrounds, and patient care experience. Results from the study led to recommendations for healthcare leaders that may strengthen hand hygiene compliance enforcement. Study results were also used to make suggestions for future research.

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MacKay, Kathryn Langdon. "An ethical examination of public health communications." Thesis, University of Birmingham, 2017. http://etheses.bham.ac.uk//id/eprint/7732/.

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Public health agencies engage in the public discourse through the creation and promulgation of various health-related campaigns. Using anti-obesity messages for context, I analyse the ethics of the communicative actions that public health engages in, finding that the ethical standards of truth-telling and respect for agents are frequently sacrificed in favour of quick, catchy, and manipulative messages. This is morally problematic. For example, in the case of anti-obesity communications, manipulative messages utilise and contribute to the on-going discrimination, marginalisation, and imperialisation of the fat body, which contributes to and reproduces oppression. This oppression is observable in the lives of fat people, with research showing negative impacts upon important aspects of social identity, and upon self-regarding attitudes. An impact of manipulative campaigns upon attitudes that contribute to the capacity for self-governance and self-authorisation may be that individuals become less able and less likely to undertake the behavioural changes that public health encourages. Further, a central aim of public health activity is the achievement of greater equity in society. I argue, in sum, that public health defeats its own behaviour-change efforts, while also undermining its central equity-focussed aim, in engaging in manipulative campaigns in the public discourse.

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Getschman, Benjamin John. "Evaluation of the validity of the inhalable and "total" dust concentration ratio." Thesis, University of Iowa, 2013. https://ir.uiowa.edu/etd/2500.

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Industrial hygienists can compare "total" dust concentrations to higher inhalable concentrations using a value called the performance ratio. A commonly used performance ratio of 2.5 is used for dusts found in the workplace, after results from multiple studies were compiled. The objective of this study was to evaluate the "total" and inhalable dust performance ratio over a range of conditions to investigate whether the commonly used value of 2.5 varies between: (1) dust type (2) IOM and Button inhalable samplers and (3) distance from the dust source. Dust concentrations were generated in a still air chamber using three dust types; sawdust, flour, and glass microbeads. The IOM, Button, and CFC samplers were used to measure concentrations at four locations increasing in distance from the source. Linear regressions in the form of [Inhalable mg m-3] = S x ["Total" mg m-3] were used to calculate the appropriate performance ratio, S. The intercept of this regression was forced through the origin. Linear regression was also used to examine whether the effect of distance on S was significant and a distance factor (β1) was calculated. The calculated performance ratios, S, differed between sawdust, flour, and glass microbeads, and were 1.62, 2.82, and 2.97 respectively when comparing IOM concentration to CFC concentration. Performance ratios computed for the Button sampler for sawdust, flour, and glass microbreads were 0.82, 1.04, and 0.57 respectively. Performance ratios were significantly different (p=0.049) between the two inhalable sampler types. The IOM/CFC performance ratio for all three dusts averaged 2.47 (SD=0.74), whereas the Button/CFC performance ratio for the three dusts averaged 0.81 (SD=0.24). Only the IOM/CFC performance ratio had a statistically significant distance factor at α=0.05. The authors caution against using a single performance ratio of 2.5 for all dusts due to the large variance involved with dust sampler and dust type. Distance from the source did not significantly affect the performance ratios computed under laboratory conditions. Industrial hygienists are advised to perform side by side sampling with inhalable and "total" dust samplers to create specific performance ratios appropriate for tasks found in the workplace.

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Thedell, T. Aron. "Comparisons of a novel industrial hygiene filter material, wash solutions, and extraction methods in the detection and quantification of influenza virus." Thesis, University of Iowa, 2017. https://ir.uiowa.edu/etd/5862.

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The collection and quantification of influenza virus is important in determining exposure, and in the control of infection. There are a number of bioaerosol samplers and analytical methods available to do this, however few researchers have been able to detect influenza virus in the environment. Therefore, new samplers and methods should be considered. This study compared influenza virus recovery from three filter types (PTFE, PVC, and PS) treated with sampling air or no air, using HBSS or PBS as wash buffers, and the QIAamp Viral RNA Mini Kit or Trizol method in the extraction of viral RNA. Twenty, 30-minute laboratory trials were completed in a sampling chamber designed to control RH at 50%. Samples were analyzed using RT-qPCR. Viral recovery for each filter type was significantly different (p-value < .0001), with the new PS filter material resulting in the recovery of the most viral RNA. Treating filters with simulated sampling air did not affect the recovery of viral RNA from the filter materials (Kit, HBSS: Air vs. No Air p-value = 0.615; Trizol, HBSS: Air vs. No Air p-value = 0.947; Kit, PBS: Air vs. No Air p-value = 0.224; Trizol, PBS: Air vs. No Air p-value = 0.1122). Using HBSS and PBS as a filter wash buffer resulted in viral recoveries that were significantly different, depending on the RNA extraction method used (Kit, Air or No: HBSS vs. PBS p-value = 0.0001, 0.0001; Trizol, Air or No: HBSS vs. PBS p-value = 0.0322, 0.499). Viral RNA counts were significantly different when using the Kit and Trizol extraction methods for all comparisons (HBSS, Air or No-Air: Kit vs. Trizol p-value = 0.0021, 0.0013; PBS, Air or No-Air: Kit vs. Trizol p-value = 0.0001, 0.0002). Our results demonstrated that the novel PS filter material resulted in the highest counts of extracted RNA compared to the commonly used PTFE and PVC, and that sampling air did not have a significant effect on viral recovery. Also, that the combination of HBSS with QIAamp Viral RNA Mini Kit, and PBS with the Trizol method, resulted in the highest counts of RNA extracted.

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Magner, MaryBeth. "The Effects of Managed Care on the Quality of Dental Hygiene Care." TopSCHOLAR®, 1998. http://digitalcommons.wku.edu/theses/344.

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Managed care has become a prominent mechanism for insuring dental care. Empirical research suggests that managed dental plans provide lower quality care to patients. However, few studies have specifically addressed the effects of managed care on the quality of dental hygiene care. Thus, in this study the researcher examines whether dental hygienists deliver a lower level of treatment to managed care patients than to those who are not subject to managed care. Questionnaire data were gathered from 193 members of the American Dental Hygienists' Association residing in the Chicago area. The primary independent variable, managed care, was measured with an item that asked the respondents to indicate the percentage of patients they treat that are insured by a managed dental plan. The questionnaire also contained items that measured the frequency in which the respondents perform 23 tasks that are indicators of quality of dental hygiene care. Principal components factor analysis of these 23 items yielded the study's two dependent variables: periodontal procedures and appointment time. Regression analysis of the data revealed a significant negative relationship between managed care and appointment time. This relationship may be attributable to an economic incentive on the part of dentist-employers who control the amount of time scheduled for dental hygienists' patients. Dentist-employers may reduce the time available for managed care patients in order to allow longer appointments for more profitable fee-for-service patients. The study results did not support the notion that managed care affects the extent to which dental hygienists perform periodontal procedures. These mixed results suggest that future research should examine the relationships between managed care and other aspects of quality of dental hygiene care not addressed in the current study.

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Glass, Deborah Catherine, and mikewood@deakin edu au. "Exposure estimation, uncertainty and variability in occupational hygiene retrospective assessment." Deakin University. School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, 1999. http://tux.lib.deakin.edu.au./adt-VDU/public/adt-VDU20051017.142634.

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This thesis reports on a quantitative exposure assessment and on an analysis of the attributes of the data used in the estimations, in particular distinguishing between its uncertainty and variability. A retrospective assessment of exposure to benzene was carried out for a case control study of leukaemia in the Australian petroleum industry. The study used the mean of personal task-based measurements (Base Estimates) in a deterministic algorithm and applied factors to model back to places, times etc for which no exposure measurements were available. Mean daily exposures were estimated, on an individual subject basis, by summing the task-based exposures. These mean exposures were multiplied by the years spent on each job to provide exposure estimates in ppm-years. These were summed to provide a Cumulative Estimate for each subject. Validation was completed for the model and key inputs. Exposures were low, most jobs were below TWA of 5 ppm benzene. Exposures in terminals were generally higher than at refineries. Cumulative Estimates ranged from 0.005 to 50.9 ppm-years, with 84 percent less than 10 ppm-years. Exposure probability distributions were developed for tanker drivers using Monte Carlo simulation of the exposure estimation algorithm. The outcome was a lognormal distribution of exposure for each driver. These provide the basis for alternative risk assessment metrics e.g. the frequency of short but intense exposures which provided only a minimal contribution to the long-term average exposure but may increase risk of leukaemia. The effect of different inputs to the model were examined and their significance assessed using Monte Carlo simulation. The Base Estimates were the most important determinant of exposure in the model. The sources of variability in the measured data were examined, including the effect of having censored data and the between and within-worker variability. The sources of uncertainty in the exposure estimates were analysed and consequential improvements in exposure assessment identified. Monte Carlo sampling was also used to examine the uncertainties and variability associated with the tanker drivers' exposure assessment, to derive an estimate of the range and to put confidence intervals on the daily mean exposures. The identified uncertainty was less than the variability associated with the estimates. The traditional approach to exposure estimation typically derives only point estimates of mean exposure. The approach developed here allows a range of exposure estimates to be made and provides a more flexible and improved basis for risk assessment.

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Trutnovsky, Gerda. "Health seeking behaviours in a sexual health clinic population." Master's thesis, Faculty of Medicine, 2000. http://hdl.handle.net/2123/5905.

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Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Health and hygiene'

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