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Le HHTC, Vien NT, Dang TN, Ware RS, Phung D, Thai PK, Ranganathan S, Vinh NN, Dung PHT, Thanh HN, Dung TTT, Hien TT, Sly PD, Le An P. Wearing masks as a protective measure for children against traffic-related air pollution: A comparison of perceptions between school children and their caregivers in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Trop Med Int Health 2023; 28:753-762. [PMID: 37615211 PMCID: PMC10946546 DOI: 10.1111/tmi.13923] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/25/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) problems are unlikely to be solved in the short term, making it imperative to educate children on protective measures to mitigate the negative impact on their health. Children and their caregivers may hold differing views on wearing a face mask as a safeguard against air pollution. While many studies have focused on predicting children's health-protective behaviours against air pollution, few have explored the differences in perceptions between children and their caregivers. OBJECTIVES To examine this, we conducted a study that compared the health beliefs of two generations and evaluated the factors that influence the use of masks by children to reduce air pollution exposure. METHODS The study was conducted in 24 secondary schools and involved 8420 children aged 13-14 and their caregivers. We used a Health Belief Model (HBM)-based instrument containing 17-item self-administered health beliefs questionnaires to gather data. The results were analysed using hierarchical logistic regression to determine the probability of children frequently wearing masks to protect against TRAP. RESULTS Our study showed both children and caregivers recognised that several factors could influence mask-wearing among children: discomfort or difficulty breathing while wearing a mask and forgetting to bring a mask when going outside; perceived threats of the poor quality of air and children's respiratory health problems; and cues to mask use (i.e., seeing most of their friends wearing facemasks and ease of finding masks in local stores). However, only children were significantly concerned with public perception of their appearance while wearing a mask. Females were more likely to wear masks, and caregivers with higher levels of education were more likely to encourage their children to wear masks. Children who commuted to schools by walking, biking, or motorbiking were also more accepting of mask-wearing than those who travelled by car or bus. CONCLUSIONS Children and their caregivers hold different perceptions of wearing masks to protect against air pollution. Children are more susceptible to social judgements regarding their appearance when wearing a mask.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong H. T. C. Le
- Faculty of MedicineThe University of QueenslandBrisbane CityQueenslandAustralia
- Children's Health and Environment ProgramCentre for Children's Health ResearchBrisbane CityQueenslandAustralia
| | - Nguyen Truong Vien
- Department of Environmental and Occupational HealthPham Ngoc Thach University of MedicineHo Chi Minh CityVietnam
| | - Tran Ngoc Dang
- Faculty of Public HealthUniversity of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh CityHo Chi Minh CityVietnam
| | - Robert S. Ware
- Menzies Health Institute QueenslandGriffith UniversityBrisbane CityQueenslandAustralia
| | - Dung Phung
- School of Public HealthThe University of QueenslandBrisbane CityQueenslandAustralia
| | - Phong K. Thai
- Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS)The University of QueenslandBrisbane CityQueenslandAustralia
| | | | - Nguyen Nhu Vinh
- Centre for the Training of Family Medicine, Faculty of MedicineUniversity of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh CityHo Chi Minh CityVietnam
| | - Phan Hoang Thuy Dung
- Grant and Innovation CenterUniversity of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh CityHo Chi Minh CityVietnam
| | - Huynh Ngoc Thanh
- Faculty of Public HealthUniversity of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh CityHo Chi Minh CityVietnam
| | - Truong Thi Thuy Dung
- Faculty of Public HealthUniversity of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh CityHo Chi Minh CityVietnam
| | - To Thi Hien
- University of Science, Vietnam National UniversityHo Chi Minh CityVietnam
| | - Peter D. Sly
- Children's Health and Environment ProgramCentre for Children's Health ResearchBrisbane CityQueenslandAustralia
| | - Pham Le An
- Centre for the Training of Family Medicine, Faculty of MedicineUniversity of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh CityHo Chi Minh CityVietnam
- Grant and Innovation CenterUniversity of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh CityHo Chi Minh CityVietnam
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Bentum-Micah G, Cai L, Ahoto AT. Observation of covid-19 safety protocols by persons with chronic health conditions in Ghana: The influence of health belief model. Acta Psychol (Amst) 2023; 236:103928. [PMID: 37121072 PMCID: PMC10133890 DOI: 10.1016/j.actpsy.2023.103928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2022] [Revised: 02/15/2023] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 05/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Covid-19 has brought distortion to health delivery globally and made it challenging to seek healthcare, but persons with chronic health conditions who require continuous medical attention have suffered the most as all attention at the medical front was directed to covid-19 related issues. The study explores how the five primary constructs of the health belief model were used to drive adherence to covid-19 preventive protocols among persons with chronic health conditions in Ghana. A quantitative technique was used for data collection and analyses. SPSS version 21 and AMOS version 21 were used to analyze data. Hierarchical regression from SPSS were used to examine the influences of health belief model constructs on chronic patients' adherence to covid-19 preventive protocols. The study's finding indicates that perceived susceptibility, severity, and self-efficacy influence adherence to covid-19 protocols among persons with chronic conditions. While perceived benefits and perceived barriers though they have negative and positive influences on adherence, they were not statistically significant. Perceived self-efficacy has a negative influence on the perceived barrier and a positive influence on perceived benefit. Gender has positive influence on Perceived susceptibility. The study's outcome indicated that persons with chronic health conditions need special arrangements to ease their access to healthcare during outbreaks. Hence, public health professionals need to educate chronic patients on how to practice the covid-19 preventive protocols and support them with covid-19 preventive materials to increase their self-efficacy to adhere to covid-19 protocols.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lianya Cai
- College of Teacher Education, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004, PR China.
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Le HHTC, Le An P, Vinh NN, Ware RS, Phung D, Thai PK, Ranganathan S, Dang TN, Dung PHT, Thuong DTH, Phung H, Hien TT, Sly PD. Burden of asthma-like symptoms and a lack of recognition of asthma in Vietnamese children. J Asthma 2023; 60:516-524. [PMID: 35427209 DOI: 10.1080/02770903.2022.2066002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Lack of recognition of asthma in childhood results in unmet asthma treatment needs and leads to the risk of sub-optimal respiratory health. The present study assessed the prevalence of asthmatic under-recognition in middle school children in Vietnam. METHODS We conducted a school-based survey among 15,112 Vietnamese children. Most of them are aged from 13 to 14. Schools and students were recruited using multi-stage sampling. Respiratory symptoms were collected via self-report using a standardized tool from the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood. Under-recognition of asthma was defined as a presence of at least one asthma-like symptom but a negative response to having ever asthma. Associations were investigated using logistic regression. RESULTS Prevalence of asthma-like symptoms was 27.3% and prevalence of physician-diagnosed asthma was 8.5%. Over 80% of symptomatic children were not diagnosed with asthma. Under-recognition of asthma was found more in girls (adjusted odds ratio; aOR = 1.75; 95%CI: 1.54 to 1.98). CONCLUSIONS Asthma is significantly under-recognized in Vietnamese middle-school children. Urgent action is required to improve the recognition of asthma in Vietnam.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong H T C Le
- Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia.,Children's Health and Environment Program, Centre for Children's Health Research, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Pham Le An
- Centre for the Training of Family Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
| | - Nguyen Nhu Vinh
- Centre for the Training of Family Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
| | - Robert S Ware
- Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Dung Phung
- School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | - Phong K Thai
- Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS), The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | | | - Tran Ngoc Dang
- Faculty of Public Health, University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
| | - Phan Hoang Thuy Dung
- Faculty of Public Health, University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
| | - Do Thi Hoai Thuong
- Faculty of Public Health, University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
| | - Hai Phung
- School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | - To Thi Hien
- University of Science, Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
| | - Peter D Sly
- Children's Health and Environment Program, Centre for Children's Health Research, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
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