Health Education Archives - Health Behavior and Policy Review

Provider Perceptions of Attitudes toward People who Inject Drugs and Treatment Services among Community Members, Service Providers, and Law Enforcement Officials

A Fast Track Open Access article published in the Health Behavior and Policy Review Journal.

Authors:

Joshua Wilke, MD
Cahit Kaya, PhD
Wajiha Z. Akhtar, PhD
William Bull, MD
Sarah Krechel, MPH
Randall Brown, MD, PhD
Ryan P. Westergaard, MD, PhD, MPH
David W. Seal, PhD

Objective:

People who inject drugs (PWIDs) often face stigma, leading to barriers in accessing healthcare and may contribute to negative health outcomes. The objective of this study was to understand and describe the manifestations of stigma toward PWIDs and their impact on the utilization of essential prevention services.

Methods:

We interviewed 44 persons knowledgeable about PWIDs’ healthcare needs. Interviews explored perceptions of the community, healthcare service providers, law enforcement attitudes toward PWIDs, and treatment services.

Results:

Respondents believed that the community generally has stigmatizing attitudes towards PWIDs; treatment program personnel and healthcare providers have less stigmatized attitudes but could benefit from more education and training on drug use and addiction.

Conclusions:

Education and training on stigma and its negative impact on the lives of PWIDs for K-12 students and for healthcare professionals (eg, treatment options, harm reduction strategies) might mitigate stigma toward PWIDs and improve access to services and outcomes.

Source: Health Behavior and Policy Review
Publisher: Paris Scholar Publishing Ltd.
Article Link: https://doi.org/10.14485/HBPR.10.4.2

Steven Rowe2023-10-20T16:36:08-06:00August 28th, 2023|Health Education, Rural Health, Substance Use|

What the Data Say: The Utility of Better Health Literacy during and beyond COVID-19

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A Fast Track Open Access article published in the Health Behavior and Policy Review Journal.
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Authors:

Sandra Vamos
Michelle Vine

Objective:

The aim of this paper was to identify the reported need for health literacy related to the COVID-19 pandemic. We explored the role of health literacy in people’s understanding and acceptance of scientific evidence and digital information during the COVID-19 infodemic and beyond.

Methods:

We followed PRISMA guidelines to guide our scoping review and synthesize relevant sources of literature related to health literacy and COVID-19. PRISMA guidelines helped to identify inclusion/exclusion criteria to assess time period and quality sources from academic papers.

Results:

A total of 397 articles were screened, with 44 articles meeting criteria. We identified the necessity of health-literate individuals and data through examples of “information pollution” contributing to the infodemic. We reflected on some key COVID-19 lessons learned, sharing examples and approaches using a health literacy lens in our public health response within our digital landscape.

Conclusions:

This review highlights the need to enhance health literacy skills among individuals, organizations, and governments to empower citizens and communities by bridging the digital health information gap among scientists, public health officials, and the public. More work is needed for effective health literacy capacity building to navigate science, enhance accurate online health communication, and minimize controversies for future public health crises.

Source: Health Behavior and Policy Review
Publisher: Paris Scholar Publishing Ltd.
Article Link: https://doi.org/10.14485/HBPR.10.2.5

Steven Rowe2023-06-09T15:03:00-06:00May 31st, 2023|COVID19, Health Education|

College-level Personal Health Courses: A Perspective for Improving Their Relevance and Reducing Health Disparities in the US

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An Open Access article published in the Health Behavior and Policy Review Journal.
The full article is available as a PDF download.

Authors:

Philip Jacobs, PhD
Arvi Ohinmaa

Objective:

In this paper, we explore how the relevance of college-level personal health courses could be enhanced and how these courses could be leveraged for improving student health and providing access to information useful in reducing health disparities and improving overall health in adulthood.

Methods:

We examine and interpret literature on college student health and the content and delivery of personal health courses.

Results:

College-level personal health courses occur in many different academic units and through numerous delivery modes. College students’ ability to access and use health information may be a social determinant of health later in life. Whereas specific course content varies, it underperforms in relevance to students’ lives. Specific areas needing improvement are mental health, interpersonal relationships, food selection and preparation on a budget, harm reduction with respect to alcohol use, and other areas that currently receive insufficient attention.

Conclusions:

Personal health courses may have the potential to reduce health disparities if access to college and relevant health-related information can be operationalized better. Motivated by the impact on collegiate life by the COVID-19 pandemic, we recommend research that leads to reform of college-level personal health courses responsive to student interests and delivery mechanisms that enhance motivation to learn, and result in reduced susceptibility to chronic diseases and improved adult health and quality of life.

Source: Health Behavior and Policy Review, Volume 9, Number 1, January 2022, pp. 645-659(15)
Publisher: Paris Scholar Publishing Ltd.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.14485/HBPR.9.1.3

Steven Rowe2022-02-04T11:27:25-07:00February 1st, 2022|College Health, Health Education, Healthy People 2030|