摘要:

Focus groups were conducted with low-income, single-head-of-household mothers to elicit their views regarding child health issues. Mothers were asked what causes 5- to 10-year-old children to get ill, what helps them stay well and healthy, and how children learn health behaviors. They were also asked how their community facilitated or hindered child health, who were good sources of health information and what were the advantages of having healthy children. Major themes emerging from the data include a perception that communal childrearing is ideal and that many causes of child health problems are external and require external solutions.

ISSN:0160-6379    

出版商:OVID    

年代:1999

数据来源: OVID

摘要:

Population-based data sources describing severe childhood morbidity have been lacking in Virginia. Thus, passage of House Bill 2351 in 1993, which required hospitals to report patient level discharge data, established a mechanism to develop a new population data source. Subsequently, to describe the health status of children, the Virginia Department of Health commissioned a study using these data. The final report, a 189-page document, was distributed to state legislators, public health officials, health care associations, and other interested parties. This article presents key findings from the hospitalization assessment and provides an example of how the results were used to stimulate community action.

ISSN:0160-6379    

出版商:OVID    

年代:1999

数据来源: OVID

摘要:

Hospitalization for asthma occurs most often in children under 5 years of age, and children from low-income, minority families have higher morbidity and mortality rates from asthma than their more advantaged peers. This study measured the prevalence of asthma, asthma symptoms, and health care utilization among urban, predominantly minority, children enrolled in Head Start, an early education program for low-income children under 5 years of age. Parents of nonasthmatic children were asked about the presence of asthma symptoms in their children using the International Study on Asthma and Allergy in Children (ISAAC) questionnaire. Surveys asking about the history of asthma and allergy, health care access, and insurance coverage were administered to parents of children attending Head Start in southeastern Virginia. Questionnaires were completed by 671 (52%) parents of Head Start enrolled children. All children were 3 to 4 years of age. Among asthmatic children, 10 (9%) were hospitalized for asthma and 51 (46%) had been seen in the emergency department (ED) for asthma in the previous year. Asthmatic children saw their primary care physician more often (p < 0.001) than nonasthmatic children, however, an ED was the primary source of asthma medications for 13 (11%) children. The majority of asthmatic children (75%) were using a quick relief medication, but only 18% were using a long-term, controller medication. Parents of asthmatic children reported access barriers to care: 35 (30%) reported transportation problems; 27 (23%), problems with physician access; 18 (16%), financial or insurance problems; and 59 (50%), at least one barrier to preventive asthma care for their child. The study found that Head Start provides an important, and previously overlooked, setting for identifying preschool children at high risk for asthma and an opportunity for implementing asthma outreach and prevention programs.

ISSN:0160-6379    

出版商:OVID    

年代:1999

数据来源: OVID

摘要:

A regional study of ADHD medication use was conducted to address community concerns about an apparently high prevalence of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The study documented that the use of ADHD medication among elementary school children in two southeastern Virginia school districts was two to three times higher than published prevalence estimates. This study contributed to community leaders' desire for a regional school health coalition to ensure continued community involvement in school health assessment and planning. The case history of this coalition, the School Health Initiative for Education (SHINE) is presented as an example of effective community collaboration.

ISSN:0160-6379    

出版商:OVID    

年代:1999

数据来源: OVID

摘要:

Caregivers living in areas with environmental lead problems are often advised to engage in behaviors to protect their children from lead. This study investigates caregiver knowledge, beliefs, and barriers associated with lead poisoning prevention behaviors. Interviews were conducted with 332 caregivers of children ages 1 through 6 living in a mining area with large quantities of lead-contaminated soil. Findings indicated low to moderate levels of preventive behaviors. Of the health beliefs examined, self-efficacy and barriers most consistently predicted the preventive behaviors. Applications of the findings are discussed for both family and community-based lead poisoning prevention programs.

ISSN:0160-6379    

出版商:OVID    

年代:1999

数据来源: OVID

摘要:

School-based educational innovations (new ideas and products) impact the quality of services offered individuals, families, and communities. Factors embedded in the context of a school often dictate whether innovations are adopted and implemented. To that end, the assessment of educational innovations should involve not only whether change occurred but also issues such as why change did or did not occur as a result of a program and its meaning to the participants. These issues can be addressed by expanding evaluation plans to include the context in which an innovation is embedded. In support of a context-sensitive evaluation model, the authors discuss three school-based health or physical education and science program assessment studies and an overall evaluation model. Methodological insights and implications for school and community-based studies are presented and include planning, conducting, recording, and interpreting context-sensitive evaluations.

ISSN:0160-6379    

出版商:OVID    

年代:1999

数据来源: OVID

ISSN:0160-6379    

出版商:OVID    

年代:1999

数据来源: OVID

ISSN:0160-6379    

出版商:OVID    

年代:1999

数据来源: OVID

ISSN:0160-6379    

出版商:OVID    

年代:1999

数据来源: OVID

ISSN:0160-6379    

出版商:OVID    

年代:1999

数据来源: OVID