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General Awareness (general + awareness)

Distribution by Scientific Domains

Medical Sciences	75%

Selected Abstracts

Involving consumers in peer-facilitated home-based food hygiene training

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CONSUMER STUDIES, Issue 3 2003
L. Stevenson
A community-based food hygiene initiative was piloted in the Toxteth,Granby area of Liverpool between December 2001 and March 2002. The project aimed to increase awareness and behaviour, related to poor food purchase, storage and handling practices, by actively involving members of the local community in home-based peer-facilitated training. Facilitators (23) were actively recruited from within the Toxteth,Granby community, and undertook a 4-day induction and training programme, which included successful completion of the CIEH Basic Food Hygiene course. Facilitators subsequently recruited and visited nearly 1000 households (992) within the Toxteth,Granby electoral ward, undertook an observation sheet, a detailed questionnaire, and spent approximately 1 hour delivering food hygiene training. Facilitators returned to all households within an 8-week period, and completed further observation sheets and questionnaires, for use in a comparative analysis. Facilitators and householders received incentives for their involvement in the project. Analysis of the data collected showed that general awareness of a range of food hygiene issues was high (such as hand washing before handling food), and most participants (73.8%) were able to recognise the main symptoms of food borne disease. As a result of the home-based hygiene training there were significant changes in knowledge, attitudes, and food handling practices, including the use of refrigerators, purchase of chilled and frozen foods, washing or peeling of fruits and vegetables, and the cooking of meat-based products. The project demonstrates that it is possible for communities to improve their food hygiene awareness and food handling behaviours through home-based peer-facilitated training programmes, with minimal input from professionals. [source]

Cross-cultural assessment of the Contextual Memory Test (CMT)

OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY INTERNATIONAL, Issue 4 2000
Health Studies, Naomi Josman PhD, OTR Faculty of Social Welfare
Abstract The Contextual Memory Test (CMT) measures aspects of memory and metamemory of people with cognitive disabilities. The assessment tool was originally developed and standardized in the United States. The objectives of this study were: (1) to evaluate the applicability of the CMT to an Israeli population; (2) to further investigate the construct validity of the CMT to discriminate among age groups; and (3) to analyse the 40 items on the CMT from a cultural point of view. The CMT was administered to 217 typical Israeli adults, grouped into three age categories, closely matching those in the US normative study (Toglia, 1993). Similar levels of performance were obtained for Israelis and Americans on the various test components. Statistically significant differences between American and Israeli subjects' performance levels were evident in three memory components in the elderly groups (group 3) and in only two memory components in the young group (group 1). In addition, within-sample comparisons of the three Israeli age groups yielded significant age effects for recall, recognition, strategy use and general awareness. This study confirmed discriminant validity for the CMT. The tool seems to be highly appropriate for use by occupational therapists in assessing memory and metamemory with American and Israeli adult subjects. The relatively small size of the age groups and the lack of random selection of subjects are limitations of this study. Therefore, it is recommended that the study be replicated with a larger and randomized sample. The multifaceted nature of the assessment provides much more information than traditional recall scores, and the metamemory components enhance both differential diagnosis and appropriate planning of treatment. Copyright © 2000 Whurr Publishers Ltd. [source]

Chemical injuries: The Tasmanian burns unit experience

ANZ JOURNAL OF SURGERY, Issue 1-2 2003
Sophie Ricketts
Background: Chemical burns account for relatively few admissions to a burns unit. These injuries, however, deserve separate consideration because of their ability to cause continuing tissue destruction, their potential to cause systemic toxicity and the value of early treatment with copious lavage. Widespread inexperience in the treatment of chemical burns highlights the potential for greater levels of general awareness and knowledge. Methods: A review of 31 patients with chemical injuries admitted to the Tasmanian Burns Unit at the Royal Hobart Hospital (RHH) was carried out for the years 1989,1999. Results: The majority of patients were men aged 20,49 years (mean age: 32 years). Fifty-one per cent of injuries occurred in a domestic and 38% in an industrial setting. The more common aetiological agents were cement (25%), sulphuric acid (16%) and hydrofluoric acid (16%). The upper and lower extremities were involved in all but four patients and the mean total body surface area affected was 3.4%. The mean length of hospital stay was 9 days with a range of 1,30 days. Management of injuries consisted of either surgical or conservative treatment. The former included debridement and split-thickness skin grafting or primary closure and the latter of topical treatment with 1% silver sulfadiazine cream and appropriate dressings. Conclusion: Widespread inexperience in the treatment of chemical injuries highlights the potential for greater levels of knowledge. This is particularly apparent in the early management of these injuries. [source]

Assessment of the risks of communicable disease transmission through the movement of poultry exhibited at agricultural shows in New South Wales

AUSTRALIAN VETERINARY JOURNAL, Issue 9 2010
F Dusan
Objective To assess biosecurity practices in the fancy poultry show sector that would influence the establishment and spread of exotic diseases in poultry in New South Wales. Design A cross-sectional survey of 105 fancy poultry exhibitors at seven agricultural shows. Procedure Exhibitors were interviewed about biosecurity practices on their farms and their knowledge of exotic diseases. Poultry stewards at 18 shows were interviewed about biosecurity practices at their shows. Results Although many exhibitors travelled only short distances to attend shows, some exhibitors attended up to 30 shows per year and travelled interstate to exhibit poultry. A network diagram revealed extensive connections and interactions of poultry throughout the eastern half of NSW. Five of 18 shows included cash sales without any record of purchasers; 46% of exhibitors reintroduced exhibited birds back into their flocks without a quarantine period; and 16% failed to wash cages used to transport the birds. There was a general awareness that exhibition of birds posed a risk to flock health, but knowledge of avian influenza and practices that could be adopted to minimise the risk of disease introduction was limited. Conclusions The factors that could assist the establishment and spread of exotic diseases in poultry in NSW include the mixing of birds at shows, inadequate recording of exhibitor details at shows, inadequate biosecurity practices when reintroducing exhibited poultry back into flocks, cash sales associated with shows that did not include the collection of purchaser details, and inadequate identification of birds. [source]