• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.183-195
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• 2004

The purpose of this study was to discover the effects on women's health education for college women on their health promotion behaviors and the health related knowledge. The content of women's health education consisted of sex education, smoking, alcohol, exercise, nutrition, diet and stress management. “A Women and Heath” course was provided as an optional full term subject in the years of 2002 and 2003 at C University in G City. Out of 210 students who had chosen this course, 134 had agreed to participate in the research and had answered the same questionnaire which was given before the education and 14 weeks after the course at the last class. The findings are as follows： 1. It was found that the subjects have obtained knowledge mainly from television, radio, the Internet, women's magazines in order before the education. 2. Knowledge related to women"s health origionally scored low(average 1.92 out of 5). However, having completed a course on women and their health, they showed a significant increase of knowledge statistically(t＝26.945, p＝ .001) with average score of 3.48. 3. Health promotion behaviors who had completed the course has statistically significantly increased (t＝6.464, p＝ .001) compared to before the education. The results of this study are that by providing a women's health related course for college women on a regular basis, they could broaden their health related knowledge and become more active in practicing health promotion behaviors. This shows us the need to broaden the curriculum on women's health at the college level so that women have good knowledge and practice the knowledge for the sake of their health throughout their life.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.78-84
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• 2018

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Folic acid supplementation before pregnancy is known to reduce the risk of neural tube defects. The purposes of this study were to investigate the awareness, knowledge, and use of folic acid supplements along with their associated factors among non-pregnant Korean women of childbearing age. SUBJECTS/METHODS: From August 2012 to March 2013, 704 women aged 19-45 years completed a self-administered questionnaire regarding their awareness, knowledge, and use of folic acid as well as questions to identify risk of inadequate folate intake. RESULTS: Approximately 67% of women reported that they had heard of folic acid, and 23.7% had knowledge of both the role of folic acid in preventing birth defects and appropriate time for taking folic acid supplements to prevent birth defects. However, only 9.4% of women took folic acid supplements at the time of the survey. Women aged 19-24 years, unmarried women, and women who had never been pregnant were less likely to be aware and knowledgeable of folic acid or take folic acid supplements. In addition, women at high risk of inadequate folate intake were less likely to take folic acid supplements. In a multivariate analysis, women aged 19-24 years, women with a high school diploma or lower education level, and unmarried women were less likely to be aware and have knowledge of folic acid. The percentage of women taking folic acid supplements was significantly higher among knowledgeable women than among unknowledgeable women. CONCLUSIONS: These results support our hypothesis that women with knowledge of folic acid are more likely to take folic acid supplements. Therefore, educational programs or campaigns to improve knowledge regarding the importance of folic acid and to promote consumption of folic acid supplements as well as folate-rich foods are needed to target young, less educated, and unmarried women.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.33-43
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• 2009

Purpose: This study was done to develop a pregnancy nutrition knowledge scale and to examine the relationships between pregnancy nutrition knowledge and eating habits in pregnant women. Methods: With convenient sampling, 189 pregnant women who used community health centers for their ante-natal care were recruited. Data were collected using a self administered questionnaire including items on pregnancy nutrition knowledge (18 items) developed by researcher and items on eating habits (14 items). Cronbach's alpha and exploratory factor analysis were examined to test reliability and construct validity of the scale. Pearson's correlation coefficients were used to identify the relationship between pregnancy nutrition knowledge and eating habits. Results: Cronbach's alpha of 18 items was .80. In factor analysis using principal components, 6 factors explained 65% of the total variance. The level of pregnancy nutrition knowledge was not sufficient but correlations between pregnancy nutrition knowledge and some of eating habits were significant. Specifically, pregnancy nutrition knowledge was positively correlated with good eating habits and negatively with bad eating habits. Conclusion: The pregnancy nutrition knowledge scale developed in this study is acceptable for nutrition education led by nurses. Pregnancy nutrition knowledge and eating habits are considered as major variables for ante-natal nutrition education. In future studies, explorations are needed on dietary intake and physiological indices in pregnant women, comparison of women at risk with those not at risk, and development of nutritional education programs for pregnant women.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.16
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• pp.6603-6608
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• 2014

Cervical cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer in women worldwide. One way by which the incidence of this malignant disease can be minimized is by imparting knowledge through health education. This study aimed at developing an educational package on cervical cancer (EPCC) and determining its effectiveness in terms of significant increase in knowledge of rural women regarding cervical cancer. A one group pre-test, post-test design was adopted. Thirty rural women were selected using a convenient sampling method. Data were collected using a demographic questionnaire and a structured knowledge questionnaire developed by the researchers. The EPCC was designed for a duration of one hour and 10 minutes. The structured knowledge questionnaire was first administered as the pre-test, following which knowledge on cervical cancer was imparted using the EPCC. On the 8th day, the post-test was administered. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The mean post-test knowledge score of the women regarding cervical cancer was significantly higher than that of their mean pre-test score, indicating that the EPCC was effective in improving the knowledge of rural women on cervical cancer. The association between pre-test knowledge scores and selected demo-graphic variables were computed using chi-square test showed that pre-test knowledge score of the women regarding cervical cancer was independent of all the socio-demographic variables. It was concluded that the EPCC is effective in improving the knowledge of women, regarding cervical cancer. Since the prevalence of cervical cancer is high, there is an immediate need to educate women on prevention of cervical cancer.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.2013-2018
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• 2015

Background: The aim of the study was to assess the extent of knowledge, attitudes and practical behavior of women in Bojnourd conerning the Pap smear test. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional and population-based study was conducted with 1000 Iranian women aged 15-60 years old in Bojnourd city. In order to collect the data, a validated questionnaire was provided in four sections covering demographic information and questions about knowledge, attitude and practice about the Pap smear. Statistical analysis was performed with the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (version 17.0) applying a 0.05 significance level. Results: Evaluation of knowledge showed that 146 women (14.6%) had very weak, and 594 women (59.4%) had weak knowledge. In contrast, most of the women studied, 873 (87.3%), had a positive attitude toward the Pap smear test. According to the findings, 375 women (37.6%) had done this test so far. Findings indicated that the extent of knowledge had a meaningful relationship with the attitude status (p<0.0001). Also, there was a meaningful relationship between knowledge and practice, so that the weakest practice was seen in women who had weak knowledge (61.1%), (p<0.0001). Conclusions: According to findings of this research, most women do not have an appropriate knowledge about the necessity of having the Pap smear test, so that only a low percentage of women had undergone this test.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.52 no.2
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• pp.109-114
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• 2019

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to characterize Indonesian women's knowledge of HIV/AIDS and to investigate the effects of socio-demographic characteristics thereupon with the goal of supporting the prevention and early detection of HIV/AIDS. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted using secondary data from the standard Indonesian Demographic and Health Survey (IDHS) in 2012. A total of 34 984 subjects ranged in age from 15 years to 49 years. Data were analyzed using the chi-square test and logistic regression to identify the effects of socio-demographic characteristics on Indonesian women's knowledge of HIV/AIDS. Results: All socio-demographic characteristics except marital status were related to knowledge of HIV/AIDS among Indonesian women in the univariate analysis (p<0.05). Multivariate analysis revealed that only age group, education level, location of residence, and wealth index were related to Indonesian women's knowledge of HIV/AIDS (p<0.05). Conclusions: Indonesian women's insufficient knowledge related to HIV/AIDS shows that the provision of accurate and comprehensive information related to HIV/AIDS are components of prevention and control interventions that should be improved. With greater knowledge, women are expected to be more likely to determine their own and their partners' human immunodeficiency virus status and to take appropriate preventive steps.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.51-62
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• 2004

The purpose of this study was to assess whether the osteoporosis preventive educational program has changed the middle-aged women's knowledge on osteoporosis. A one group pretest-posttest design was used. A total of 27 women (at pretest) and 27 women (at posttest) who were volunteers participated. The intervention program content included lecture and exercise entitled The Prevention of Osteoporosis. This program design consisted of one 3-hour session per week and lasted over 4-week period. Osteoporosis Knowledge Questionnaire (OKQ) was used. The OKQ contains 20 true-false items to measure the knowledge levels about osteoporosis. The Kuder-Richardson test (KR 20), used as an estimate of internal consistency for knowledge, was .7783. Overwhelming majority of the participants (96.2％) were ranging in age from 40 to 60. About half of the participants were college graduates and the majority of them (77.8％) had no jobs. The educational program significantly increased osteoporosis knowledge in middle-aged women. Results of this study shows that educational program is effective in increasing knowledge of osteoporosis. Further study using the same program with different age group is needed to measure knowledge, behavior and attitude on osteoporosis.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.17
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• pp.7707-7711
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• 2015

A cross-sectional survey of 370 female teachers working at Governmental schools in Gaza city was conducted. Twenty four schools were selected randomly of all female schools of the city that included primary, preparatory and secondary. In each school all-female teachers aged 35-45 year were invited to fill out a self-administered questionnaire to investigate knowledge and behavior toward breast cancer screening. The survey revealed that more than 75% of women had never undergone clinical breast examination and 60% had never undergone mammography, whereas 62% performed breast self-examination (BSE). Women who performed BSE had significantly higher knowledge about breast cancer screening (P=0.001). Women attending CBE and mammography screening also had significantly higher knowledge (P=0.001). There were significant associations between the practices and presence of positive breast cancer family history (P=0.002) and the level of education of husbands (P=0.024). The oldest women demonstrated higher performance rates of screening methods than the youngest (P=0.001). Lack of breast screening knowledge was identified among more than one third of the women, and 24.6% of women did not know any screening method. About a half of women harboured misconceptions about breast cancer screening, including the belief that breast cancer not treatable. Women residing in Gaza city (P=0.00) and with husbands less educated were more likely to have a high level of misconceptions (P=0.01).

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.609-616
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• 2004

Purpose. The prevalence of urinary incontinence (UI) among community-dwelling older women in Korea is not well known. This study examined the prevalence of UI and UI-related knowledge among community-dwelling Korean women aged 55 and over. Method. A cross-sectional descriptive-correlational study was conducted. Data were collected from 276 women aged 55 and over in a metropolitan city using a structured questionnaire. Result. Of 276 respondents, 28.3% (n=78) reported experiencing UI. More than 50% of respondents incorrectly agreed with the statement that UI is the result of normal aging, with only 20.9% realizing that there is an exercise that can control urine leaks when one coughs, sneezes, or laughs. Older women who had sought treatment had higher mean score for UI-related knowledge. Conclusion. This study revealed substantial misconception about UI among community dwelling older women, demonstrating that comprehensive educational programs need to be developed to increase knowledge of UI.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.52 no.2
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• pp.115-122
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• 2019

Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding tuberculosis (TB) in the general population in Timor-Leste. Methods: In the nationally representative cross-sectional 2016 Timor-Leste Demographic and Health Survey, 4622 men (aged 15-59 years) and 12 607 women (aged 15-49 years) were randomly selected using stratified multistage sampling and interviewed. Results: Overall, 66.9% of men and 62.8% of women were aware of TB, 4.4% of men and 12.6% of women had TB courtesy stigma, and 83.3% of men and 88.6% of women reported intention to receive TB treatment. The $mean{\pm}standard$ deviation overall TB knowledge score was $3.9{\pm}2.0$ (out of 8) among men and $3.0{\pm}1.8$ among women. In a multivariable linear regression analysis, among both men and women, older age, higher education, rural residence, and sources of TB information (family/friends, school/workplace, health care provider, Internet, television, and newspaper) were associated with higher TB knowledge scores. In addition, among women, higher wealth status and having heard about TB from the radio were associated with higher TB knowledge scores. Negative associations with TB courtesy stigma were found for urban residence and having heard about TB from family or friends among men, and for older age, higher TB knowledge, and TB information sources (family/friends and school/workplace) among women. Among both men and women, higher TB knowledge scores and having heard of TB from a health care provider were associated with intention to receive TB treatment. Conclusions: This study identified socio-demographic risk factors for deficiences in population-based TB knowledge in Timor-Leste; these findings should be considered when designing TB communication, prevention, and control strategies.