Feasibility and Perceptions of Cell Phone-Based, Health-Related Communication With Adolescents in an Economically Depressed Area

Predictors of sexual and reproductive health self-care based on demographic factors in adolescent girls

OBJECTIVES

Global access to sexual and reproductive health is an essential human right, especially to adolescent girls. For improvement sexual and reproductive self-care needs to determine the related factors on utilization and acceptance by adolescents. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine the SRH self-care and its predictors among adolescent girls in Neyshabur city at Northeast of Iran.

METHODS

The present study was a cross-sectional correlational study performed on 265 girl students from 15 girls' high schools in Neyshabour, in Razavi Khorasan province, Northeastern Iran. The sampling method was multistage probability sampling. Data were collected using demographic information and female adolescents' sexual reproductive self-care scale. Data were analyzed using descriptive, frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, and ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficient, and multiple linear regression model. The significant level was p<0.05 using SPSS₁₆.

RESULTS

The results of the present study showed that the mean score of the sexual reproductive health self-care was 61.23 of 100 ± 10.5, it had a significantly relationship with fathers education high school [B=-7.241 CI: (-11.088 to -3.393)], diploma [B=-7.221 CI: -10.707 to -3.735] than academic. The rank of children birth in the family first [B=6.012 CI: (0.931-11.092)] second [B=4.436 CI: (1.437-8.309)] than third and above. Economic status of household Excellent [B=3.159 CI: (2.193-8.511)], Favorable [B=5.866 CI: (1.355-10.378)], relatively favorable [B=2.705 CI: (1.802-7.213)] than poor level economic.

CONCLUSIONS

sexual and reproductive health is associated to father's education, the rank of children birth in the family, and economic status. So these variables will help to strategies and progress educational programs.

How Do Orthopaedic Patients Prefer to Be Contacted During a Pandemic?

Introduction

Communication with patients is a vital part of the surgical pathway, and when done effectively, it can greatly improve patient outcomes and patient satisfaction and reduce canceled appointments. Different forms of communication work well for different patient demographics, and it is important to optimize communication techniques. We designed a study to review the communication preferences of orthopedic patients during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was performed by asking patients who were due to undergo orthopedic procedures to answer a questionnaire on their communication preferences, the reminder notice period for appointments, and safety and satisfaction ratings during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Results

Communication method preferences are influenced by patient factors such as gender and age. Phone calls were the most popular communication method throughout all patient groups, with 61% selecting it as their preference. Younger patients preferred multiple communication methods of phone calls, texts, and emails, whereas the older group had a stronger preference for letters. Letters were more popular among females (28% compared to 10% of males), whereas males had a stronger preference for other communication methods. The majority of patients said they would not have liked a letter prior to their clinic appointment (65%). Of those who indicated a preferred notice period, 73% would have liked five days or less notice prior to their clinic appointment, while 65% would have liked 10-14 days notice prior to their surgery. The average safety rating was 55%. The overall satisfaction rating with the communication process was 71.7%.

Conclusion

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed patient feelings towards healthcare and, as a result, changed the way healthcare is delivered. Communication method preferences among trauma and orthopedic patients vary and depend on factors such as gender and age. If healthcare departments can optimize their communication processes, they will improve their patient outcomes and enhance their resources.

Parental consent: A potential barrier for underage teens' participation in an mHealth mental health intervention

PURPOSE

We sought to examine whether underage adolescents displaying symptoms for a mental illness (i.e., an eating disorder) would be willing to obtain parental consent to participate in a study to test the efficacy of an evidence-based mobile mental health intervention targeting teens with eating disorders.

METHODS

The participants (n = 366) were 15 to 17 year-old English-speakers who post or follow social media accounts on Instagram that emphasize being thin as important or attractive. The participants were administered a survey through Qualtrics to assess eating disorder pathology, interest in trying an evidence-based mobile mental-health intervention, and comfort level with obtaining parental consent to partake in a research study about such an intervention.

RESULTS

About 85% of participants met clinical or subclinical criteria for an eating disorder; however, only 12% had received a treatment within the past six months. While 83% of participants were interested in trying a mobile health interventions app, only 35% indicated willingness to obtain parental consent to participate in a research study. The primary reasons presented for unwillingness to obtain consent included importance of retaining privacy and feeling that parents lack awareness or understanding about mental health issues.

CONCLUSIONS

While barriers exist to obtaining treatment for eating disorders, a mobile intervention app may close some of these gaps. Many underage participants indicated interest in obtaining such treatment, yet only a third were willing to obtain parental consent. Future studies should investigate how to reduce these barriers to obtaining parental consent to facilitate teen access to research and mobile mental health treatment.

The use of technology in the sexual health education especially among minority adolescent girls in the United States

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

The purpose of this review is to examine current sexual health education technologies for adolescents and identify gaps in knowledge. Disparities in sexual health education are prominent and mainly affect young women of color. As a result, the use of technology to reach these marginalized populations could potentially invoke change. Thus, it is crucial to determine the viability of technology as a mechanism to bridge the knowledge gap regarding sexual health for adolescents that are most at risk of sexually transmitted infections and unwanted pregnancies.

RECENT FINDINGS

With a lack of standardized, evidenced-based sexual health education programs in the United States, the future of comprehensive sexual health education is moving toward smartphone apps. Many sexual health technologies exist that target adolescents, most of which have been proven to demonstrate positive effects. Use of mobile apps, especially for vulnerable populations, can be more effective because of privacy and widespread dissemination.

SUMMARY

Ultimately, more research needs to be conducted to determine the most effective content for these sexual health apps. Additionally, more research should be conducted on effective sexual health apps for marginalized populations to determine whether technology is a viable solution.

Indicators of adolescents' preference to receive oral health information using social media

OBJECTIVES

To assess (1) adolescents' preference to use social media (SM) to receive oral health information (OHI) and (2) factors associated with this preference.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A cross-sectional survey was conducted in 2016, Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia including male middle school students. A questionnaire assessed explanatory variables including background, previous OHI seeking practices, internet use purposes, convenience of using SM for OHI and perceived usefulness of obtained OHI. The outcome variable was respondents' preference to use SM to receive OHI. Simple and multiple logistic regression models were used for statistical analysis.

RESULTS

The response rate was 91.2% (456/500). Of those, 57.5% preferred using SM to receive OHI. The odds for this were significantly associated with being Saudi (OR = 3.12, 95%CI = 1.36, 7.18), previously using Twitter (OR = 4.59, 95%CI = 1.77, 11.89) and Instagram for OHI (OR = 2.60, 95%CI = 1.51, 4.45), frequent use of the internet to obtain OHI (OR = 1.25, 95%CI = 1.02, 1.54) and ease of obtaining OHI using the Internet (OR = 2.69, 95%CI = 1.5, 4.39).

CONCLUSION

Most adolescents preferred using SM to receive OHI. This was associated with previous OHI seeking practices and convenience of using SM. These findings have implications for designing SM-based health education campaigns targeting adolescents.

Opportunities for and Barriers to Using Smartphones for Health Education Among Families at an Urban Primary Care Clinic

Mobile technology is omnipresent in society. Though studies suggest increased rates of smartphone accessibility, current access and barriers to smartphone usage at urban primary care clinics remains unclear. A self-administered survey was distributed to families presenting to an urban, underserved pediatric primary care clinic in spring 2017. Survey questions related to smartphone ownership and barriers to usage. A total of 273 parents completed the survey. Ninety-five percent of participants owned a smartphone. Fifty-eight percent of participants identified no barriers to smartphone usage. Among those who identified one or more barriers (n = 108), difficulties were primarily related to Wi-Fi access (46%), available phone memory (45%), existing phone data (28%), and discomfort with technology (11%). The majority of parents (59%) were interested in using a smartphone to learn about their child's health. In conclusion, there is opportunity to transform health education utilizing mobile devices, though disparities to usage should be considered.