Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Family planning knowledge'

Rapid population growth is now one of the biggest socio-economic and consequently, health problems in the world. The significance of this dramatic increase in population becomes apparent when the limited possibilities of socio-economic growth are considered among developing countries. The use of modern contraceptives in order to control birth rates, on the other hand, is rather limited in these countries.
The present study investigates the knowledge and attitudes of family planning programs by Iranian males, who play a major role in all familial decision-making, including the practice of family planning. This research examines subjects' reasoning strategies about practicing family planning. A sample of sixty laborers with various levels of formal education were selected and some methods developed within the domain of cognitive psychology were used in analyzing the data.
The results showed that males, as proposed, play a vital role in decision-making regarding the practice of family planning. Formal education appears to have no significant impact on the subjects' knowledge and attitudes toward issues of family planning. Furthermore, early age of marriage, particularly with respect to the girls, appears to be an accepted phenomenon and has strong roots in the belief systems of the population.
This research has implications for developing educational programs in the domain of health. It is proposed that future research should devote considerable effort to better understand the role of the males in the process of decision-making regarding the practice of family planning.

When the owners of family-owned businesses leave the workplace, they can transfer ownership to the next generation; however, their knowledge of the business goes with them. There is a gap in the literature regarding effective ways to transfer family business resources and knowledge to subsequent generations. The problem was some small and family-owned businesses do not have detailed plans in place based on the needs of owners and the successor generation, with cross-project knowledge as part of the succession plan. The purpose of this nonexperimental study was to examine the relationships between the subscales of cross-project tacit knowledge transfer and to examine the generational differences in cross-project tacit knowledge transfer among small and family-owned businesses. The theoretical underpinning of the study was Argyris and Schön's organizational learning theory. Data from family business owners were collected through an online survey administered by SurveyMonkey, using purposeful sampling. Data (n = 233) were analyzed using a Spearman correlation matrix and Kruskal-Wallis tests. The findings indicated there were significant associations for seven of the 10 correlations between the subscales of cross-project knowledge transfer with each relationship being positive. In addition, the findings suggested that there were significant differences in cross-project knowledge transfer by age cohort. These findings may assist informed family-owned business owners with the complexities of succession planning, which may lead to the business being successful over more generations. This may allow the business to sustain its contribution to the local economy and help the community to prosper, leading to positive social change.

The present study "Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices of Family Planning 'Methods in Rural Nepal" was conducted to assess the situation of fertility behavior and use of family planning methods. It attempted to collect reliable data on reproductive behavior; contraceptive knowledge, attitudes, and practices; and family size preferences.The immediate objectives of the study were to assess the level of knowledge, attitudes, and practices of family planning methods; to assess the contribution of governmental and non-governmental programs; and recommend appropriate measures and suggestions for the further improvement of the programs.As a representation of rural Nepal, Banganga Village planning office, and the households were randomly selected from the list by the team supervisor. Eligible households selected included all of those in which there was a currently married couple in which either spouse aged between 15 and 45 years of age were present. There were a total of 150 couples identified as eligible for interview and all were successfully interviewed.A structured interview schedule was developed by the researcher, which was sent to Nepal with detailed guidelines for training and management of interviewers. The final editing of all collected survey instruments was carried out by the researcher with the advice of the members of the thesis committee. Later, those instruments were coded and entered in the computer for the purpose of statistical analysis.Based on statistical analysis, it was found that 60.7 percent of the total respondents have heard of at least one of the methods of family planning. However, only 11.3 percent of them have ever used a particular method of family planning. The current use of contraception is also 11.3 percent which is slightly lower than the level found in a 1986 national survey (15.1%). This shows a great disparity between the knowledge and practice of family planning methods.The major reasons given by respondents for not using any family planning method were bad side effects and the desire to have more children. This suggests that program managers and policy makers in Nepal must develop improved information and communication strategies in order to increase the rate of acceptance of family planning.Of the 11.3 percent of the sample who are current users of contraceptive methods, sterilization constitutes as high as 82.4 percent which indicates that family planning is very popular insynonymous with sterilization. This clearly indicates that the concept of birth spacing has not been Nepal.A further finding was that the family planning program is reaching proportionately more literate than illiterate people. This necessitates formation of effective strategies by the concerned agencies which will increase the acceptance rate among illiterate people. This is extremely significant since more than 75 percent of the total population is still illiterate and the majority of them live in rural Nepal.
Department of Sociology

There has been extensive, mostly negative research on the outcomes of foster care youth. Due to the abundance of this research, Extended Foster Care (EFC) was created to help to provide additional resources and support to young adults in foster care until age 21. This is a fairly new program, therefore little research has been completed. One of the negative outcomes of foster youth is the high pregnancy and parenting rates. The purpose of this study is to be able to understand the knowledge and use of family planning services among the young adults participating in EFC. Understanding this information will help to improve services provided by the social workers who work with this population. This research used a quantitative questionnaire. The questionnaire was mailed to the young adults participating in EFC in San Bernardino County. A statistical analysis was completed using SPSS version 21. The study’s findings showed that on average, EFC participants have a good understanding of safe-sex practices but do not usually use safe-sex methods or go to family planning service organizations. The study also found that participant demographics do not have a correlation to their knowledge or use of family planning services, nor to the number of pregnancies or live births. However, there is a negative correlation between a participant's knowledge score and if they have children in their custody. Finally, 47% of participants reported being informed about family planning service organizations by their Social Worker.

Includes bibliographical references (leaves 97-106).
[Background]The IUD is a highly effective, reliable, and safe contraceptive method that is under-utilised in many countries due to persistent fears that it causes pelvic infection. Reliable evidence of the safety of this contraceptive method has not been enough to effect a change in use. The aim of this study was to assess the knowledge and acceptability of the IUD among clients and providers in the Family Planning services in Cape Town and to attempt to identity obstacles to use. [Methods] A descriptive cross-sectional survey was conducted at eight Family Planning clinics in Cape Town. Two hundred and sixteen clients aged between 18 and 50 years, and 30 providers from the same clinics, were interviewed using structured questionnaires. [Results] Awareness of the IUD among clients was low - 81 women (41%) had heard of this contraceptive method. Ever and current use were very low. Only 9 women (4%) had ever used an IUD and 3 women were still using this method. Both the women who were interested in using this method in the future (n=77; 36%) and the women who were ambivalent or not interested in future use (n=139; 64%) cited a lack of knowledge as an obstacle to use. Although most providers were aware of the availability of the IUD (n=26; 87%). their factual knowledge was limited. Infection (n=14; 47%) and increased menstrual bleeding (n=12; 40%) were frequently mentioned as disadvantages. Referrals for and insertions of the IUD were low, and this method was often not discussed with women considering tubal ligation. Providers identified lack of client knowledge, myths and rumours among clients, lack of skilled providers to insert the device, and lack of promotion of the IUD, as significant obstacles to greater use of this method. [Conclusion] Although the IUD is available in the public sector services, it is not being utilized. Better education of both clients and providers is essential in order to improve accessibility and acceptability of this highly effective and cost effective contraceptive method.

CoordenaÃÃo de AperfeiÃoamento de Pessoal de NÃvel Superior
A hansenÃase acomete, principalmente, pessoas jovens em plena capacidade reprodutiva, que necessitam de cuidados no campo da anticoncepÃÃo, uma vez que a gestaÃÃo e a lactaÃÃo podem agravar o quadro clÃnico de mulheres e representar riscos para o bebÃ. Estabeleceu-se como objetivos descrever o perfil reprodutivo e o perfil da hansenÃase em um grupo de mulheres em idade fÃrtil; conhecer a prÃtica anticonceptiva do grupo pesquisado e sua adequabilidade com relaÃÃo à presenÃa da hansenÃase; avaliar o conhecimento de mulheres com hansenÃase sobre as particularidades do uso de MÃtodos Anticoncepcionais (MAC) relacionadas à patologia e sobre os riscos maternos e fetais associados à mesma; e verificar associaÃÃo estatÃstica entre o intervalo de tempo atà o diagnÃstico de hansenÃase e o Grau de Incapacidade FÃsica (GIF) apresentado pelas mulheres no momento do diagnÃstico; surgimento do diagnÃstico da hansenÃase com o perÃodo da gravidez e/ou lactaÃÃo e pÃs-parto imediato; e ser usuÃria de Anticoncepcional Hormonal Combinado e apresentar reaÃÃo hansÃnica. Tratou-se de estudo avaliativo, transversal, realizado com 200 mulheres com hansenÃase, em idade fÃrtil, acompanhadas no Centro de ReferÃncia Nacional em Dermatologia SanitÃria Dona LibÃnia de Fortaleza-CE. Os dados foram coletados de marÃo a outubro de 2011, por meio de entrevista e revisÃo de prontuÃrios. Para avaliar o conhecimento foram utilizadas escalas Likert. Foi realizada anÃlise estatÃstica descritiva utilizando freqÃÃncia absoluta e relativa, mÃdia, desvio padrÃo e intervalo de confianÃa, e anÃlise estatÃstica bivariada, sendo as associaÃÃes entre as variÃveis categÃricas verificadas por meio dos testes de Qui-Quadrado, Qui-Quadrado com correÃÃo de continuidade e Qui-Quadrado de tendÃncia. Para todas as anÃlises foram consideradas como estatisticamente significantes aquelas com p=0,05. O projeto de pesquisa foi submetido ao Comità de Ãtica em Pesquisa do local do estudo, segundo ResoluÃÃo n 196/96, aprovado conforme protocolo 012/2011, e as participantes assinaram o Termo de Consentimento Livre e Esclarecido. As mulheres apresentaram mÃdia de idade de 39 anos, predomÃnio de relacionamento com parceiro fixo, e renda per capita de R$ 170,74. Predominou a forma clÃnica dimorfa (86 â 43%), a poliquimioterapia multibacilar (111 â 55,5%) e o GIF zero no diagnÃstico (160 â 80%). O surgimento e/ou diagnÃstico de hansenÃase durante a gravidez ou lactaÃÃo dÃi afirmada por 50 (25%) mulheres, sendo que no perÃodo de fertilidade Ãtima (16 a 35 anos) foi afirmada por 31 (40,2%). Quanto à prÃtica anticoncepcional, 163 (81,5%) mulheres usavam algum MAC, sendo os mais citados laqueadura (71 â 43,5%), o anticoncepcional oral combinado (41 â 25,1%) e o preservativo masculino (30 â 18,4%); 58 (35,3%) faziam uso de MAC contra-indicado para sua condiÃÃo clÃnica. Predominou o nÃvel de conhecimento limitado (114 â 57%) na avaliaÃÃo sobre os riscos para o bebÃ, moderado (95 â 47,5%) na avaliaÃÃo sobre os risco para a mÃe, e limitado (107 â 53,5%) na avaliaÃÃo sobre o uso de MAC seguros. NÃo foi encontrada associaÃÃo estatÃstica significante entre o tempo atà o diagnÃstico e o GIF (p=0,0461), entre surgimento dos sinais e sintomas da hansenÃase ou diagnÃstico com gestaÃÃo/lactaÃÃo, sendo os valores de p= 0,335 e 0,871, respectivamente; e entre o uso de MAC hormonal combinado e o surgimento ou diagnÃstico de reaÃÃo hansÃnica (p=0,156). Concluiu-se que mulheres com hansenÃase necessitam de atenÃÃo anticoncepcional, com orientaÃÃo eficaz para os MAC indicados para sua condiÃÃo clÃnica, de modo a contribuir para o alcance do nÃvel de conhecimento extenso. Apesar do estudo nÃo ter revelado associaÃÃo estatÃstica significante entre gravidez/lactaÃÃo com o surgimento/diagnÃstico da hansenÃase, a busca de casos suspeitos em consultas de prÃ-natal, especialmente em Ãreas hiperendÃmicas, deve ser rotina na atenÃÃo bÃsica.
Leprosy affects mainly young people in their reproductive capacity, requiring care in the Field of contraception, as pregnancy and lactation may aggravate the clinical presentation of women and pose risks to the baby. The main objective was to describe the reproductive and leprosy profile in a group of women at childbearing age, to know the practice of contraceptive research group and the suitability for the presence of leprosy; to assess the knowledge of women with leprosy on the specifics of the use of Contraceptive Method (CM), and on maternal and fetal risks associated with it, and verifying statistical association between the interval until the diagnosis of leprosy and the Degree of Disability(DD) at diagnosis, onset/diagnosis of leprosy with the period of pregnancy/lactation and the immediate postpartum period, and be combined hormonal contraceptive user and present leprosy reaction. It was an evaluative study, cross-sectional, conducted with 220 women with leprosy at childbearing age, accompanied by the Center of Dermatology Dona LibÃnia, in Fortaleza, CearÃ. Data were collected from March to October 2011, through interview and records review. To assess the knowledge Likert scales were used. Descriptive statistical analysis was performed using absolute and relative frequency, mean, standard deviation and confidence intervals, and bivariate statistical analysis, and the associations between categorical variables were verified by the chi-square, chi-square with continuity correction and chi square trend. For all tests were considered statistically significant p =0.05. The research was submitted to the Ethics Committee of Center of Dermatology Dona LibÃnia, according to Resolution nÂ196/96, approved according to the protocol 012/2011 and participants signed a consent form. Women had a mean age of 39 years, predominantly in stable relationships, and per capita income of R$ 170.74. Boderline clinical forms predominated (86 â 43%), multibacilary multidrug therapy (111 â 55.5%) and zero degree of disability at diagnosis (160 â 80%). The onset/diagnosis of leprosy during pregnancy/lactation was affirmed by 50 (25%) women, and in the period of optimum fertility (16 to 35 years) was affirmed by 31 (40.2%). As to the contraceptionâs practice 163 (81.5%) women used a CM, the most cited was tubal ligation (71 â 43.5%), the combined oral contraceptive (41 â 25.1%) and male condom (30 â 18.4%), and 58 (35.3%) women were using a contraindicated CM for their condition. Limited knowledge level was predominated (114 â 57%) in the assessment of risks to the baby, moderate (95% - 47.5%) in the assessment of risks to the mother, and limited (107 â 53.5%) in assessment of safe use of CM. There was no statistically significant association between time to diagnosis and DD (p = 0.0461) between appearance of signs and symptoms of leprosy diagnosis with pregnancy or lactation, the values of p= 0.335 and 0.871, respectively, and between the use of combined hormonal contraceptive and the onset/diagnosis of leprosy reaction (p = 0.156). It was concluded that women with leprosy requires contraceptive care with effective guidance for the CM indicated for their condition to contribute to achieving the level of extensive knowledge. Although the study doesnât establish a statistically significant association between pregnancy/lactation with the onset/diagnosis of leprosy, the search for suspects in cases in prenatal consultations, especially in hyperendemic areas, should be a routine in primary care.

The prevalence of post abortion contraception in Zambia is lower than in many other African countries, with unmet family planning needs. Midwives play an important professional role in family planning. In conjunction with an abortion the midwife is provided with an opportunity to inform, discuss, prescribe and initiate family planning with the woman concerned. It is shown that women receiving information and knowledge about post abortion contraception are more likely to use it.   The aim of the study was to describe midwives experiences of working with post abortion family planning in Zambia.   A qualitative interview study with semi-structured questions was used. To conduct the study and find participants with the right inclusion criteria a strategic sampling was used. Ten midwives working with post abortion family planning in Zambia were interviewed. Qualitative content analysis was performed to analyze the collected data from the interviews.   During the data-analysis two categories and eight subcategories were identified. The midwives had experiences of several challenges within post abortion family planning. These included lack of knowledge, supplies and health care staff as well as problem with stigma around family planning and lack of compliance. The midwives also described other factors influencing the work with post abortion family planning. These factors included changes in attitudes, the midwife's knowledge and the importance of information provided by the midwives.   The midwives experienced that there were several factors influencing their work with post abortion family planning. Several challenges within post abortion family planning were identified in this study. Areas of improvement involve education, more midwives working and a better availability to post abortion family planning equipment and services.
Användandet av preventivmedel efter abort är lägre i Zambia i jämförelse med andra afrikanska länder och behovet av familjeplanering är inte tillfredsställt i Zambia. Barnmorskeprofessionen har en viktig roll i familjeplanering. I samband med abort har barnmorskan ett utmärkt tillfälle att informera, diskutera, förskriva samt initiera familjeplanering med den berörda kvinnan. Det har visat sig att kvinnor som får information och kunskap om familjeplanering efter abort är mer benägna att använda sig av preventivmedel.   Syftet med denna studie var att beskriva barnmorskors erfarenheter av att arbeta med familjeplanering för kvinnor i Zambia som genomgått en abort.   En kvalitativ intervjustudie med semistrukturerade frågor användes. För att nå deltagare som uppfyllde studiens inklusionskriterier användes ett strategiskt urval. Tio barnmorskor i Zambia som arbetar med familjeplanering efter abort deltog i studien. En kvalitativ innehållsanalys utfördes för att analysera det insamlade materialet.   Under analysen identifierades två kategorier och åtta subkategorier. Barnmorskorna hade erfarenhet av flera utmaningar inom familjeplanering efter abort. Dessa bestod dels av brist på kunskap, material och vårdpersonal samt problem med stigma kring familjeplanering och brist på följsamhet rörande preventivmedelsanvändning. Barnmorskorna beskrev även andra faktorer som påverkade arbetet med familjeplanering efter abort. Dessa faktorer bestod av ändrade attityder, barnmorskans kunskap och vikten av barnmorskans information.   Barnmorskorna hade erfarenhet av att flera faktorer påverkade deras arbete med familjeplanering efter abort. Flera utmaningar med familjeplanering efter abort identifierades genom den här studien. Förbättringsområden involverar utbildning, fler verksamma barnmorskor och en bättre tillgänglighet till material och familjeplanering efter abort.

Women's control over their fertility is vital for both their health and that of their children. Although family planning methods are available at most health facilities in the country, the service does not enable many Black South African women to control their fertility successfully. This inadequacy of the present service is demonstrated, by a high rate of teenage pregnancy and abortion. Based on anecdotal reports, one of the barriers to effective use of contraceptive methods seemed to be the competence and abilities of the providers. This qualitative study was done in clinics in a peri-urban township to explore the knowledge and problem-solving abilities of the nurses providing family planning services. The aim was to use the information so gained to improve family planning services in the area by preparing a set of guidelines for the management of specific clinical problems and making recommendations to service organisers. The study tape-recorded 18 actual nurse-patient interactions to get an idea of the clinical problems faced by the nurses. A consensus panel was used to derive a set of "ideal" answers to the clinical scenarios the nurses faced in the consultations and the nurses' and panels' responses were compared. A focus group discussion with the nurses was then conducted and their opinions and reasons for the differences explored. The results revealed a general malaise affecting the services in this area. There were significant differences in the nurses and panels' handling of the problems especially in the areas of counselling and advice. In addition, the nurses were found to be inappropriate providers of family planning as their scope of practice prevented them from examining patients. They were also unable to rule out pregnancy because there were no pregnancy test kits available in the clinics. The focus group discussions indicated that many of the nurses knew how to handle the problems and what advice to give. They claimed that work and time pressures prevented them from doing this. They also alleged that patients were the problem and never told the truth. Poor communication skills and attitudes towards patients were other barriers identified. Nurses spoke to their patients like children and were often rude. In addition, nurses counselled patients infrequently on the use of methods and the side effects to be expected. Patients were offered a choice of method rarely and health education when given, focused on morality and did not mention issues like safe sex and HIV/ AIDS. The manual of guidelines will only address the problem solving of the nurses. The study therefore concludes by making recommendations to the Directorate of Maternal, Child and Women' s Health to carefully evaluate the use of enrolled nurses as providers with full consideration given to the quality of care that can be provided by them. The resources available and the practices related to supervision and in-service training also need to be reviewed and prioritised. A recommendation is also made to the Provincial Human Resources Directorate to develop policies for improving staff attitudes towards service users and disciplinary procedures for staff who are rude to service users. Recommendations are also made to supervisors to review the present training course and introduce the problem-solving approach and respect for patient autonomy into it. The supervision is also recommended to be facilitative and on-site and the providers must be involved in the solving of problems. The emphasis of the service must change from patient turnover to effective contraceptive use to enable women in this area to have any meaningful control over their fertility.

Background: Approximately 70% of US adults currently receiving opioid agonist treatment (OAT) for opioid use disorder are of reproductive age. Among women receiving OAT at risk of having an unintended pregnancy, typically less than half report any current contraceptive use compared to 90% in the general population. In addition, the rate of unintended pregnancy among women receiving OAT is disproportionately higher than the general population (~80% vs. 45%, respectively). Lack of knowledge about family planning may be contributing to decreased rates of contraceptive use and increased rates of unintended pregnancy among women receiving OAT. Method: Participants were a convenience sample of women and men receiving OAT or a comparison group receiving primary care (PC) services. Family planning knowledge was assessed with the recently validated Contraceptive Knowledge Assessment (CKA), a self-administered 25-question multiple-choice survey. A two-way ANOVA, with fixed factors (i.e. patient sample and sex), compared the total number of correct responses for all questions and five more specific content areas (p<.05). Results: Overall, 332 participants completed this survey. The mean percent of total correct responses was significantly lower in the OAT sample (n=167) compared to the PC sample (n=165), 47% vs. 53% correct, respectively (p<.001) or approximately 1.5 questions less. The mean percent of correct responses in four of the five content areas was also lower among the OAT sample compared to the PC sample (ps<.01). The mean percent of total correct responses was significantly higher among women (n=169) than men (n=163), 56% vs. 44% correct, respectively (p<.0001) or approximately 3 questions more. The percent of correct responses in four of the five content areas was also higher among women than men (ps<.01). Conclusion: Given the substantial discrepancy in rates of contraceptive use and unintended pregnancy between individuals receiving OAT and the general population, it is somewhat unexpected that individuals receiving OAT did not have lower levels of family planning knowledge, although patients in both samples only answered approximately 50% of the questions correctly. Results from the present study suggest deficits in family planning knowledge, while statistically significant, may be less clinically so. Overall, lack of family planning knowledge is likely only playing a small role in population differences in contraceptive use and unintended pregnancy and interventions aimed at decreasing these differences will need to address other barriers to accessing family planning services and utilizing contraception in this population.

It takes two to tango! However, family planning programmes in most countries especially in Sub-Saharan Africa have focused almost solely on one - the female-invariably with little impact. The few attempts which have been made to involve males have concentrated on the adult male. It was felt the time had come to involve the adolescent males most of whom are already sexually active and after all are the husbands and fathers of tomorrow. Male high school students (N=240) out of a total of 2101 male students were randomly selected from all the six urban high schools in the Zwelitsha District of Ciskei (now part of the new Eastern Cape Province of RSA) and were surveyed to obtain information on KABP concerning family planning. The study was undertaken to provide information for planning of a family planning health intervention programme by the school health team in an attempt to address the high unplanned teenage pregnancy rate and STDs in the schools. The response rate was 83,3%. Important findings included the following: 90% reported they had already had sexual intercourse; the mean age at first sexual intercourse was 15.4 years; the interval from first intercourse to first contraceptive use was 2 years; knowledge of contraceptives was at times scanty and there were several misconceptions and myths concerning fertility, contraceptives and STDs; majority (71,5%) felt the decision to use contraceptives should be the responsibility of both male and female; 86,4% expressed the desire to use contraceptives in the future and 73,0% felt sex education should start in primary school. The adolescent male is interested in family planning and wants to be an active participant in the programme. Recommendations for improved family planning services in schools are made.

Postpartum family planning (PPFP) is the initiation and use of contraception during the first year after delivery. Following delivery mothers are encouraged to attend local Baby Clinics where infant follow up and immunization services and contraceptive advice should be available. The general understanding and importance of contraceptive use of postpartum mothers in this period has not been fully explored within our services. The aim of this study was to assess the current knowledge and the utilisation of contraception at the primary level of care among women who delivered 6 to 14 weeks earlier. We also hoped to identify possible obstacles to accessing family planning services. Methods This was descriptive cross-sectional study that was conducted between March and September 2014, in the Metro West of Cape Town. The study included five Baby Clinics in local health centres. Ethics committee approval was granted by the Human Research Ethics Committee of the Faculty of Health Sciences of UCT (HREC REF: 544/2013) and further permission was granted for study sites by the Provincial Health Research Council of the Western Cape Government (RP 004/2014). A total of 228 mothers, who were 6-14 weeks postpartum and attended a Baby Clinic during the study period were recruited. Questionnaire based interviews were conducted and data were entered using Microsoft Excel 2012 spreadsheets and were analysed using SPSS version 22.

Maternal mortality is a huge concern globally leading to more than a quarter of a million deaths every year. Similarly, an estimated 4 million neonates die every year worldwide, contributing to the majority of deaths of under-5 children. The majority of these deaths take place in under-developed countries, and specifically, in the sub-Saharan Africa region. It is evidenced that maternal ill-health and death contribute to the majority of child deaths. Reducing the death of children under 5 years by two thirds and also improving maternal health/reducing maternal death by three quarters between the years 1990 and 2015 are two of the eight aims of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), MDG-4 and MDG-5 respectively. The report on maternal health services in Eritrea, a nation in the sub-Saharan Africa, shows a low utilization of antenatal care, family planning services, and postnatal care. Furthermore, there is insufficient use of skilled assistance at delivery. The purpose of this study was to explore the reproductive health knowledge and practice of women aged 18-49 and the impact of these on infant birth outcomes. Participants were all living in the Central Zone of Eritrea. This study proposed that knowledge of reproductive health is one of the key factors contributing to the health of women in the reproductive age group, and thereby reduction of maternal and child deaths and morbidities. An exploratory cross-sectional study design was implemented in this study using an investigator-designed questionnaire. Data were collected from participants intending to assess awareness on the domains of reproductive health including knowledge of family planning, sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), antenatal and postnatal care, importance of vaccinations, and identification of pregnancy/labor danger signs. Data on the most recent birth outcome that took place in the past five years were collected to investigate any existing associations. Findings showed that a majority of participants recognized danger signs and where to seek help in case of complications related to pregnancy and childbirth. Participants also stated the importance of child vaccination, identified STDs and family planning methods as well. Further, the majority also acknowledged the importance of antenatal care (ANC) and postnatal care by skilled personnel. However, a large percentage did not start ANC visits until after the first trimester. Also, a large number of participants did not know when fetal anomalies were most likely to occur or when conception can happen in relation to the menstrual cycle. Looking at birth outcomes, marital status and educational status showed a significant relationship with birth weight, while educational status was further a significant predictor of maturity of fetus at birth. Overall, these findings indicate the need for increased efforts in providing adequate reproductive health education, especially in certain target areas, so that women are better equipped with the necessary basic reproductive health information. This will hopefully contribute to the betterment of maternal health, further leading to a desired birth outcome.

Background: About 22.4 million people were living with HIV/AIDS in 2008 out of which women constitute approximately 57%. Namibia is one of the highly affected countries with a national HIV prevalence of 17.8% among women attending antenatal clinics. Antiretroviral medications have become available in Namibia since 2002 and presently all district hospitals and some health centres provide ARVs to those in need. Namibia is rated as one of the few countries in sub-Sahara Africa with a high coverage of ART, with 80% of those in need of ART receiving the treatment. An increasing trend has been observed whereby HIV+ women on ARV are becoming pregnant. Little is known about the attitude, knowledge and behavior of these women towards family planning and use of contraceptives and what barriers they may be facing in accessing these services.Aim: To determine the factors affecting the utilization of family planning services by HIV+ pregnant women receiving PMTCT services. Methodology: The study was a cross sectional study using both quantitative and qualitative methods to assess the critical elements of knowledge, attitude and perceptions of the study participants towards family planning services. The study also assessed the health system and other factors that impact on the use of contraceptives by HIV+ women. It was conducted in northern Namibia at Oshakati Health centre among randomly selected pregnant HIV+ women attending for PMTCT services.Results: Among the 113 respondents, who participated in the study, 97.3% knew at least one method of family planning but only 53.6% actually used any method of contraception prior to current pregnancy. Among the 46.4% who did not use any contraception, the reasons often cited for non-use were because they wanted a baby (52%), spouse objection (10%), being afraid of the effects (14%) and other reasons such as belief, culture and distance to travel to the health facility. 88% of the respondents indicated a willingness to use contraceptives after current pregnancy and expressed general satisfaction with services at the health centre while asking for more information on family planning services.Conclusion: HIV+ women have high awareness on some contraceptives but use of contraceptives is not as high as many of them have a desire to have children for self esteem and leave a legacy for the future. Knowledge of the risks of pregnancy on HIV+ woman may be limited and there is a need to improve educational intervention in this regard as well as integrate family planning services into all HIV/AIDS services.

Health care providers can play a significant role in empowering women to make informed decisions when selecting suitable contraceptive methods during contraceptive counselling. This study explores the experiences and perceptions of primary health care providers delivering contraceptives services in Cape Town to gain a deeper understanding of the delivery of contraceptive services. Ten in-depth interviews were conducted at five public primary health care facilities in urban areas in Cape Town, South Africa. Eligible participants included primary health care providers providing contraceptive services and willing to participate in the study. The qualitative software package NVivo was used to sort and manage data. Data was analysed using a thematic analysis approach. Overall, providers emphasized supporting women in contraceptive decision-making. Sexual and reproductive health training increased providers confidence to deliver appropriate contraceptive services. Furthermore, contraceptive prescribing practices were also influenced by medical eligibility criteria and women's preferred bleeding patterns. However, contraceptive prescribing practices were also influenced by providers' attitudes towards younger and older women. Challenges experienced by providers when providing contraceptive services included: contraceptive stockouts; time constraints of employed women accessing the service; and work pressure due to providing other health services. Health care providers play a critical role in facilitating women's right to accessing high quality contraceptive services. Providers in the study perceived themselves as negotiators during contraceptive counselling by considering both women's preferences and provider recommendations for contraception, whilst enabling women to make informed contraceptive decisions through provision of reproductive health information. Consequently, shifting contraceptive counselling to focus on shared decision-making may encourage autonomy during decision-making and help to limit the influence of provider attitudes on contraceptive prescribing and counselling.

Aim: The purpose of this study was to describe, analyze and compare university students’ desire to have children, when they wanted to have their first and last child and their knowledge about fecundity in relation to the background factors: age, gender and educational level. This study will also investigate differences regarding university students’ desire to have children along with when they wanted to have their first and last child and their knowledge of declining fecundity at increasing age. Method: A descriptive, comparative, cross-sectional study with quantitative method was used in the study. Five hundred university students visiting a Student Health Centre (SHC) in a Swedish town, Uppsala, participated in the study. All visitors at the SHC were asked to participate in the study. The participants answered 52 questions, of which 10 questions were selected for this study. Results: The majority of the participating students (128 men and 324 women) wanted to have children. Despite this fact they lacked knowledge about the age at which fecundity declines. Men in general had poorer knowledge of fecundity than women, and young students had poorer knowledge than older students. The study showed that women wanted children earlier than men and younger students earlier than older students. There was no difference found in educational level and knowledge in fecundity or desire to have children. The level of knowledge students had about declining fecundity at increasing age did not affect their desire to have children, or when they wanted their first and last child. Conclusion: The study confirms previous research on knowledge about fecundity and the desire to have children among students. Once again evidence is presented that women have greater knowledge than men, that young people lack adequate knowledge about fecundity, and that the majority of students want to have children. Evident is that there is a need for further education and to create better conditions for childbearing, with purpose to facilitate a secure family planning for students.

Mycket pekar på att det finns en brist hos många svenska unga kvinnor vad gäller kunskap om fertilitet och reproduktion. Det finns ett behov av att formulera ett evidensbaserat redskap för barnmorskor att använda sig av i samtal om en Reproduktiv Livsplan och för att ge hälsoförebyggande information inför en eventuell graviditet. Syfte: Studiens syfte var att genomföra en pilotstudie beträffande implementering av en Reproduktiv Livsplan i svensk vårdkontext. Ett andra syfte var att testa ett instrument och proceduren inför kommande forskningsprojekt samt att utvärdera dess effekt. Metod: Föreliggande studie hade en kvantitativ ansats och hade designats som en randomiserad kontrollerad interventionsstudie. Totalt deltog 75 unga kvinnor i tre grupper; interventionsgruppen (IG), kontrollgrupp 1 (CG1) och kontrollgrupp 2 (CG2). Data samlades in via enkäter vid baslinje och telefonintervju vid uppföljning. Av de 75 kvinnorna var det 70 som fullföljde studien. Resultat: Få kvinnor uppgav att de tidigare hade funderat speciellt mycket på frågor kring fertilitet. Kunskapen om reproduktion och fertilitet var jämn mellan grupperna vid baslinjemätningen. Vid uppföljningen visade resultaten en kunskapsökning bland den tredjedel av kvinnorna som tagit del av interventionen. Det mest utmärkande fyndet var att flertalet av kvinnorna i interventionsgruppen var ganska eller mycket positiva till att barnmorskan frågade dem om deras Reproduktiva Livsplan. Alla kvinnorna svarade att det var ganska eller mycket sannolikt att de skulle vända sig till sin barnmorska om de hade fler frågor angående fertilitet. Flertalet ansåg att vårdpersonal borde ha som rutin att diskutera frågor om en Reproduktiv Livsplan. Slutsats: Det finns ett behov av att formulera ett evidensbaserat redskap för barnmorskor att använda sig av i samtal med unga kvinnor vad gäller deras Reproduktiva Livsplan och för att informera om hälsoförebyggande faktorer inför en graviditet. Genomförbarheten för denna studie var god och materialet väl lämpat för syftet, därmed kan det även rekommenderas för kommande forskning. Ytterligare visade det sig även att kvinnorna som deltog i interventionen ställde sig positiva till samtalet med barnmorskan om en reproduktiv livsplan.
Research indicates that there is a shortage among Swedish young women in terms of knowledge about fertility and reproduction. There is a need to formulate an evidence-based tool for midwives to use in conversation about a Reproductive Life Plan and to provide information about health prevention before a possible pregnancy. Objective: The aim of this study was to conduct a pilot study on the implementation of a Reproductive Life Plan in a Swedish caring context. A second aim was to test the instrument and procedure for future research projects and to evaluate its effect. Method: The present study had a quantitative approach and was designed as a randomized controlled intervention study. In total, 75 young women participated in three groups; intervention group (IG), control group 1 (CG1) and control group 2 (CG2). Data were collected via questionnaires at baseline and at follow-up by telephone interview. Out of the 75 women, 70 completed the study. Results: Few women reported that they had previously thought much about issues surrounding fertility. The knowledge of reproduction and fertility was similar between the groups at baseline. At follow-up there was a knowledge increase among the third of the women who took part of the intervention. The most striking finding was that most of the women in the intervention group were somewhat or very positive about the midwife asking them about their Reproductive Life Plan. All the women replied that it was somewhat or very likely that they would turn to their midwife if they had more questions about fertility. The majority felt that healthcare professionals should routinely discuss issues of a Reproductive Life Plan. Conclusion: There is a need to formulate an evidence-based tool for midwives to use in conversations with young women in terms of their Reproductive Life Plan and to provide information on health prevention factors before pregnancy. The feasibility of this study was good, and the material well suited for the purpose, thus it can be recommended for future research. Furthermore the results also showed that the women that participated in the intervention where positive to the talk they had with the midwife concerning the reproductive life plan.

We examined military retirement. We sought to determine if preretirement planning, having knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) that are readily transferable, and being committed to, and/or identifying with, the Navy would affect the retirement satisfaction and adjustment of a retired naval officers sample. Results indicated that both planning and transferability influenced retirement satisfaction and adjustment, while organizational commitment and identification did not. Implications of our findings, as well as a brief overview of some general retirement issues are included.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1987.
Typescript. Vita. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 169-178).

碩士
義守大學
護理學系
107
Background: The discharge preparation service is providing integrating extension care services for the patients from acute medical hospitalization into community home cares, moreover, discussing with the patient and home carers to draft discharge care plans. The family caregivers play an important role in caring for patients. Staff nurses of hospital are the first-lined of caring patients and should be capable to conduct the overall assessment and make the pre-discharge preparation services for the disabled families. Purpose Explore the Knowledge of Clinical Nursing Staff About the Needs of　Family　Caregivers’ Discharge Planning Method:Collecting data by using cross-sectional survey sampling and selecting a would-be medical center hospital in southern Taiwan as a target. The content of the questionnaire includes the identification ability of high risk family carers and confidence in cares of carers after discharged Result The nursing staff''s high-risk family caregiver identification ability project is 「The age of observing home carers are above 65 years old」; The average of the confidence of the home carers tackle discharge preparation demands is 69.02, and the highest average is 20.73(±6.68) which is「The confidence handling of human support」. Pearson''s product-related correlations with the discernment ability and confidence handling were positively correlated (p<.001) and that means the higher the discernment ability of the staff, the higher the confidence handling in demands for the family caregivers; the predictive variable for the family caregiver discharge preparation demands is "the total years of service of the hospital, whether the curriculum improves the ability to discharge and long-term needs", and the total explanatory variance for the discharge preparation demand processing confidence is 12.9%. Conclusion:Suggesting the hospital to increase the professional knowledge, long term care and the confidence with dealing with home caregivers’ demands handling and make hospital care quality better, also enhance the care demands of senior people for the hospital staff nurses in the future.

Title: Knowledge and willingness of nurses in the public primary health care setting of sub-district “F” in the Johannesburg metro district to promote the use of the female condom. Methods: A quantitative cross sectional descriptive survey was conducted in the public primary health care setting of sub-district “F” in the Johannesburg metro district, which included 16 primary health care clinics. Three hundred and ninety eight nurses participated in the study. Association between knowledge and willingness to promote use of female condom was investigated using Chi-Square test. Result: Seventy nine per cent of the participants had more knowledge on female condom use than the rest of the nurses. Fifty nine per cent of the participants were more willing to promote the use of the female condom. There was no statistically significant relationship between willingness to promote the use of female condom and knowledge on female condom use. (Chi-square with one degree of freedom =2.7243, p =0.099). However, those nurses who are more knowledgeable on the use of female condom are noted to be more willing to promote female condom use (though this may not have been statistically significant. Conclusion: The more knowledgeable group of participants in this study was determined to be high (80%). Fifty nine per cent of the participants were more willing to promote female condom use than the others. Being more knowledgable in the use of female condom did not positively predict willingness to promote female condom use.

碩士
國立臺北護理健康大學
護理研究所
99
Background: Family planning services are free of charge and available in all the health facilities in the Gambia since 1975 yet the prevalence rate is only 17.5% and even lower to 6% in some areas. The population is growing at a rate of 2.7% with total fertility rate of 3.9 while maternal and infant mortality rate at 730 per 100,000 and 55 per 1000 respectively. PURPOSE: The purposes of this study are to explore married couples’ family planning knowledge, attitudes and practice in The Gambia and to analyze what factors may affect such knowledge, attitude and practice. METHODOLOGY: A descriptive quantitative cross-sectional study design was used for this study. Through convenience sampling, 411 married men and women participated. A structured questionnaire with a positive validity to investigate the married couples’ knowledge, attitudes and practice was used. Trained research assistants collected data using face to face interviews, door to door approach from both urban and rural areas using the piloted questionnaire. Descriptive and inferential statistics was used to analyze the data. RESULT: The result indicated high level of illiteracy 55.0% of participants with low level of family planning knowledge. The mean score of family planning knowledge was 18.96 (SD= 6.105; total score ranging from 0 to 64). There was negative attitude towards family planning among participants with a mean score of 6.85 (SD = 3.298; total score ranging from 0 to 16). The practice of family planning is also very low with a mean score of 4.69 (SD 3. 298; total score ranging from 0 to 19). Urban residents had shown better family planning practice than their rural counterparts, p = <.046. High level of early married coupled with low education level among female participants indicated serious gender disparities. These findings reveal that broader health intervention programs in health education and promotion are needed. KEY WORDS: Family Planning, contraceptive Practice, Married Couples, community based, The Gambia

The purpose of this study was to assess men’s knowledge and attitude towards vasectomy as a family planning method options available to men in East Wollega zone of Oromia Region. Male sterilisation in sub-Saharan countries including Ethiopia is very much limited due to lots of reasons despite its many advantages than other family planning methods. Quantitative, descriptive cross-sectional research was used to describe level of knowledge and attitude towards vasectomy. Data were collected using structured questionnaire in which a total of 150 respondents, who were selected using non-random purposive sampling technique participated in the study. The data were analysed using SPSS version 20. Hence the findings revealed the lack of knowledge and low interest on vasectomy among respondents. The concerted effort from all stakeholders and use of multiple strategies to educate the community will raise awareness which in turn improves vasectomy service uptake
Health Studies
M.A. (Public Health)

ABSTRACT The Nitinaht language and traditional knowledge that was usually transmitted from the older to the younger family members is on the verge of being lost forever. As a member of a Nitinaht family, I have concentrated on finding the Elders in our family, who are spread all over Vancouver Island, in an attempt to try to find a way to preserve this invaluable knowledge and to pass it on to future generations. This information was recorded and will be presented through interactive multimedia, which allows for the transmission of oral information such as stories, photographs, interviews, family trees, history, language and anecdotes. Since modern technology and traditional knowledge seem at the opposite ends of the spectrum, the research also looked into the acceptability of this method of transmission. Much traditional knowledge is confidential, and thus is not part of the written dissertation; however, much information is included without disrespect for our beliefs as ideas for future research. The written documentation includes a history of our family, discussion of the beauty and uniqueness of the Diitidaht (Nitinaht) language, a narration of our last Puku’u basket weaver, and a description of the “Family First” interactive multimedia program.

This research was set out to investigate the role of knowledge management as a coping strategy for PHE institutions in Botswana, especially given that they operate in a highly regulated environment. One of the major drivers of volatility in the educational sector is intensely volatile regulatory environment in which the institutions operate. Further, a large portion of the stakeholder community of these institutions hold a strong believe that these institutions offer poor quality education to maximise profit. The primary objective of this study is therefore to determine the role of knowledge management (KM) enablers in facilitating KM practices in selected PHE institutions in Botswana that operate in this highly regulated environment and to develop a model for effective KM in these institutions. The study adopted a survey research design and collected quantitative data through a structured self-administered questionnaire and document reviews. The subjects comprised all five degree-awarding PHE institutions, which were strictly regulated by the Tertiary Education Council (TEC). The population surveyed came to 670 and sample size was 350. Data was analysed through various statistical measures such as Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) in the form of Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), multiple regression analysis, and Chi-square test. The results of the study revealed that KM enablers were playing an insignificant role in facilitating KM practices in selected PHE institutions in Botswana. Results of the study can be generalised to similar institutions elsewhere operating in similar environments. In order to enhance KM practices in PHE institutions, it is recommended that the institutions adopt a systematic approach to KM, establish an organisational culture and structure that promote KM practices, and enhance the quality of their human capital including leadership. It should be noted that the state of KM in organisations operating in an uncertain environment can be enhanced if the leadership carefully controls the family-owned setting and organisational culture as these factors can detract from the organisation’s effective practising of KM. However, strategic leadership, organisational structure, and the role played by stakeholders played positive deterministic factors in ensuring an enhanced KM drive.
Business Management
D.Admin. (Business Management)

La démographie et les modes de vie ont considérablement évolué au cours des dernières décades. De tels changements sont destinés à influencer la conception de l’habitation et ils incluent notamment une série de besoins émergents: s’en suivent des besoins additionnels en espace pour répondre à l’arrivée de ces activités additionnelles au niveau du logement. La planification en vue de répondre à ces besoins émergeants constitue le principal thème de la présente thèse. Dans le cas de la maison unifamiliale détachée, le sous-sol est disponible pour offrir des espaces appropriés à ces besoins émergents. Par contre, une telle ressource n’est normalement pas présente dans le cas d’un édifice multifamilial. La thèse propose un espace additionnel spécifique en vue de répondre à ces besoins émergents : l’espace supplétif. Même si un tel espace n’est pas envisagé dans les publications du domaine, des précédents existent quant à sa présence en planification multifamiliale. Le but de la présente étude est d’offrir des lignes directrices quant à la conception et l’intégration d’un tel espace supplétif. Elle va s’appuyer sur l’approche systémique en raison de la logique de déduire la solution à partir d’une analyse de l’objectif. L’application de l’approche systémique implique donc que tous les critères correspondant à la nature spécifique de l’espace supplétif seront extrapolés à partir de l’objectif. Dans le cas la présente étude, ce sont les critères du bureau à domicile qui seront d’abord précisés car il s’agit de l’activité émergente la plus exigeante. Les critères seront traités comme vecteurs d’un modèle générique indicatif de la manière d’organiser l’espace supplétif. Ce modèle visera le bureau à domicile en vue d’offrir les solutions pertinentes et il se concentrera principalement sur les critères d’intimité visuelle et spatiale. La contribution du modèle sera de suggérer des lignes directrices en vue d’incorporer l’espace supplétif à l’intérieur des édifices résidentiels de type multifamilial, ce que la planification conventionnelle n’offre pas. C’est le concept d’adaptabilité qui est à la base de toute stratégie visant à permettre le changement en architecture et en habitation, d’autant plus lorsqu’il s’agit d’un espace supplétif. À cet effet, l’espace supplétif va recourir à l’approche Open Building afin d’appliquer le concept d’adaptabilité, en raison de ses avantages majeurs tant au niveau conceptuel que constructif. Différentes applications de l’approche Open Building, telles que le projet NEXT21 et le protocole KSI (Kikou support and Infill), offrent des exemples susceptibles de constituer d’efficaces lignes directrices pour la conception d’un espace supplétif. La faisabilité du modèle d’espace supplétif proposé est vérifiable et démontrable dans le monde réel. Les systèmes constructifs industrialisés sont en mesure de permettre le changement sans démolition car leurs joints mécaniques « à sec » rencontrent généralement les normes DfD (Design for Disassembly), non seulement en ce qui concerne l’espace supplétif mais pour l’ensemble du logement.
Demographics and lifestyles have changed considerably in the past few decades. These changes are bound to influence the design of housing and they notably include a series of emerging needs: additional spatial needs due to additional activities brought to the traditional housing premises. Planning for those emerging needs is the main theme of this thesis. In a typical single-family detached house, the basement is available to accommodate the spatial requirements for these emerging needs. However, such a provision does not typically exist in multi-family housing. This thesis proposes a specific additional space to accommodate these emerging needs: the supplementary space. Although such a space has not been explored in the literature, there are precedents for its application in multi-family floor planning. The objective of this study is to provide guidelines for the design and the integration of this supplementary space. It relies on the systems approach as the design-decision methodology due to its logic of deducting the solution from the analysis of the objective. Applying the systems approach means that all the criteria corresponding to the specific purpose of the supplementary space will be extrapolated from the objective. However, once the supplementary space is being used to deal with emerging needs, it will then introduce its own relevant criteria. This study will start with the criteria for designing a home office because this is the most demanding emerging needs activity. The criteria are organized as vectors of a generic model indicating how the supplementary space can be formulated. The model will target the workplace at home and subsequently offer solutions to them. This study focuses on the planning provisions dealing mainly with visual and spatial privacy. The overall outcome of the model is to suggest guidelines to incorporate the supplementary space within multi-family residential buildings, a feature not offered in traditional planning. The concept of adaptability is the key design strategy to accommodate change in architecture and housing, even more in the case of a supplementary space. Therefore, the supplementary space model will apply the concept of adaptability through the Open Building (OB) approach; elaborating more on the practical design and construction features. Different OB applications, such as the NEXT21 project and the KSI (Kikou Support and Infill) protocol in Japan, are examples that can be used as efficient guidelines to design a supplementary space. The feasibility of the supplementary space model can be validated and served in the real world. Industrialized building systems are capable of accommodating change without demolition as their dry mechanical joints are generally at meeting the DfD (design for disassembly) standards, not only for the supplementary space but also for the whole dwelling unit.

A infertilidade prevalece e cresce no seio das comunidades devido a diversos fatores internos e externos ao indivíduo. Porém, o conhecimento de fertilidade e, especificamente, dos fatores de risco da fertilidade manifesta-se limitado na população em idade fértil. Em Portugal, a transmissão deste conhecimento conta com o apoio da Consulta de Planeamento Familiar (PF), devidamente adequada a qualquer decurso psicossocial. Neste sentido, o presente estudo, baseado numa metodologia mista, pretende compreender de que forma o conhecimento de fertilidade é transmitido pelos Enfermeiros na Consulta de PF e qual a sua relação com o conhecimento dos fatores de risco da fertilidade dos jovens adultos. Para tal, recorreu-se a uma amostra de 461 jovens com idades compreendidas entre os 18 e 30 anos, que responderam a um conjunto de escalas avaliativas de desejos reprodutivos, fontes de conhecimento de fertilidade priorizadas e conhecimento dos fatores de risco da fertilidade. Recorreu-se ainda a uma amostra de oito Enfermeiros de seis unidades de saúde da zona de Lisboa e Vale do Tejo e duas do Centro, que responderam a uma entrevista semiestruturada sobre a perceção da sua função, práticas de transmissão do conhecimento de fertilidade e perceções acerca do conhecimento dos jovens adultos. Os resultados obtidos sugerem uma lacuna na transmissão do conhecimento de fertilidade por parte dos Enfermeiros, assim como uma perceção discrepante relativamente ao conhecimento dos jovens adultos, quando comparado com o nível de conhecimento reportado por estes. Evidencia-se um limitado conhecimento dos fatores de risco da fertilidade dos jovens adultos, porém, a maioria dos jovens adultos participantes considera bastante importante ser fértil e ter filhos, não existindo qualquer relação entre os construtos. Relativamente às fontes de informação priorizadas pelos jovens adultos aquando a procura de conhecimento de fertilidade, o Médico/Ginecologista surge como o meio menos priorizado. Deste modo, verifica-se o potencial da Consulta de PF na transmissão de conhecimento de fertilidade e as oportunidades de maximização do mesmo, tendo em vista o aumento do conhecimento dos jovens adultos e a promoção da saúde e prevenção da doença. Considerando a utilidade do presente estudo, finda-se com uma reflexão acerca das limitações e implicações práticas do mesmo.
Infertility, grows and prevails within communities due to several internal and external factors to the individual. However, fertility knowledge, particularly, on fertility risk factos is limited in the childbearing age population. In Portugal, the transmission of fertility knowledge suplies on the support of the Family Planning (FP) Consultation, duly suited to any psychosocial course. Therefore, the present study, based on a mixed method, aims to understand how the fertility knowledge is transmitted by Nurses in the FP Consultation and what is its relation with the knowledge of the fertility risk factors of young adults. For this purpose, was used a sample of 461 young people aged between 18 and 30 years, who responded to a set of evaluative scales of reproductive desires, prioritized sources of fertility knowledge and knowledge of fertility risk factors. Was still utilized a sample of eight Nurses from six health units from Lisboa and Vale do Tejo area and two from the Centro, who answered a semi-structured interview about their role perception, fertility knowledge transmission practices and perceptions about young adults´ knowledge. The results suggest a gap in the transmission of fertility knowledge by Nurses, as well as an incongruent perception regarding the knowledge of young adults. It demonstrates that the fertility knowledge risk factors for young adults is limited, however, the majority of the participants considerates very important to be fertile and have children, with no relationship between the constructs. Regarding the information sources prioritized by young adults when seeking fertility knowledge, the Doctor/Gynecologist emerges as the least prioritized source. Thus, it has been concluded that the FP Consultation has a potential value in the transmission of fertility knowledge, as well as the opportunities for maximizing it, aiming to increase knowledge of young adults and promoting health and disease prevention. Considering the usefulness of the present study, we conclude with a reflection on its limitations and practical implications.

A quantitative, descriptive, explorative, contextual study was conducted to determine pharmacists and drug vendors' level of knowledge, attitude towards and practice on Emergency Contraceptive (ECl in Addis Ababa. Forty licensed service providers in Addis Ababa were randomly selected during 2008 and interviewed using a structured interview schedule. Data were analysed using a computer software package. The findings revealed that although these service providers were knowledgeable on the purpose and dOSing schedule of EC, they lacked knowledge on side-effects, contra-indications, and types of ECs. Most respondents portrayed a subjective attitude towards easy EC access of especially adolescent girls, since they believed that it will encourage promiscuity and unprotected intercourse. Their knowledge and practice need to be improved, as it has a direct effect on potential users and reducing unwanted pregnancies among young.
Health Studies
M.P.H. (Health Sudies)

The study aimed at assessing the factors influencing the low involvement of men in prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) of HIV programmes in the Mambwe district, Zambia. The factors studied were grouped as knowledge and awareness, socio-cultural, programmatic and demographic characteristics. A quantitative, exploratory study was used and 127 men were interviewed. The major findings were: Knowledge of PMTCT was the strongest factor which was positively associated with the level of men's involvement in PMTCT. Socio-cultural and programmatic factors were found to negatively influence men's involvement (although weakly); and among the demographic characteristics, age and level of education were positively associated with an increase in the level of involvement, while the duration of the relationship with the female partner was negatively associated with the level of men involvement.
Health Studies
M.A. (Public Health)