Interface Design and Functional Optimization of Chinese Learning Apps Based on User Experience

This research paper investigates the interface design and functional optimization of Chinese learning apps through the lens of user experience.With the increasing popularity of Chinese language learning apps in the era of rapid mobile internet development,users'demands for enhanced interface design and interaction experience have grown significantly.The study aims to explore the influence of user feedback on the design and functionality of Chinese learning apps,proposing optimization strategies to improve user experience and learning outcomes.By conducting a comprehensive literature review,utilizing methods such as surveys and user interviews for data collection,and analyzing user feedback,this research identifies existing issues in the interface design and interaction experience of Chinese learning apps.The results present user opinions,feedback analysis,identified problems,improvement directions,and specific optimization strategies.The study discusses the potential impact of these optimization strategies on enhancing user experience and learning outcomes,compares findings with previous research,addresses limitations,and suggests future research directions.In conclusion,this research contributes to enriching the design theory of Chinese learning apps,offering practical optimization recommendations for developers,and supporting the continuous advancement of Chinese language learning apps.

An Exploration of Traditional Chinese Cultural Programs:The Construction of Rituals,Narrative Strategies,and Experiential Insights

In the context of the cultural development of the new era and the burgeoning spiritual demands of the people,there has been a remarkable surge in the proliferation of traditional Chinese cultural programs.The“Chinese Festivals”series,produced by Henan TV,standing out as an engaging TV program that showcases traditional Chinese culture,has rapidly captivated a diverse audience across different age groups,creating a rich,multi-dimensional,and cross-media cultural communication ecosystem.The program strategically selects symbolic elements by systematically categorizing and organizing traditional Chinese cultural symbols to create a rich cultural space.It employs cutting-edge scientific and technological methods to enrich viewer immersion,crafting media rituals with both temporal significance and a profound sense of media ritual.This approach boosts the program’s popularity and sets a benchmark for industry innovation.By fostering an interactive narrative between mainstream media and the public,the program continuously broadens the scope of the“story world,”fostering a harmonious and structured national cultural community through the creative interpretation of traditional Chinese culture and the evocative crafting of the aesthetic sensibilities inherent in Chinese art.It is worth noting that the phenomenon of aesthetic fatigue besets the development of this serial program.To address this issue and further improve the appeal of the program,a comprehensive approach is required to develop a cohesive narrative mode for the“story world.”This involves harmonizing the interplay between artistic endeavors and technological advancements,synchronizing sensory experiences with the foundational ritualistic elements,and enhancing the effectiveness of the media communication matrix to construct a brand of media culture that has social significance,aesthetic value,and economic profits in the new era.

Validation of the Chinese Version of the Affective Exercise Experiences Questionnaire (AFFEXX-C)

Despite the well-established benefits of regular physical activity(PA)on health,a large proportion of the world population does not achieve the recommended level of regular PA.Although affective experiences toward PA may play a key role to foster a sustained engagement in PA,they have been largely overlooked and crudely measured in the existing studies.To address this shortcoming,the Affective Exercise Experiences(AFFEXX)questionnaire has been developed to measure such experiences.Specifically,this questionnaire was developped to assess the following three domains:antecedent appraisals(e.g.,liking vs.disliking exercise in groups),core affective exercise experiences(i.e.,pleasure vs.displeasure,energy vs.tiredness,and calmness vs.tension),and exercise motivation(i.e.,attraction vs.antipathy toward exercise).The current study aimed to validate a Chinese version of the AFFEXX questionnaire(AFFEXX-C).In study 1,722 Chinese college students provided data for analyses of factorial,convergent,discriminant,criterion validity,and test-retest reliability of the AFFEXX-C.In addition,1,300 college students were recruited in study 2 to further validate its structural model.Results showed that the AFFEXX-C demonstrates a goodfit and reliability.Additionally,results further supported the hypothesized model based on previous research:antecedent appraisals predicted core affective exercise experiences,which in turn predicted attraction-antipathy toward physical exercise.The AFFEXX-C was found to be a reliable and valid measure of affective exercise experiences in a population of Chinese college students.

A Bifactor Analysis Approach to Construct Validity and Reliability of the Affective Exercise Experience Questionnaire among Chinese College Students

Affective exercise experience as an emerging theoretical concept has great potential to provide a more nuanced understanding of individual factors that influence exercise behavior.However,concerning the Affective Exercise Experiences(AFFEXX)questionnaire,it has not been examined yet whether the structural score of the AFFEXX is a useful index to predict physical activity(refers to any bodily movement produced by skeletal muscles that requires energy expenditure).Furthermore,there is currently a gap in knowledge regarding the psychological mechanisms that can explain the relationship between affective exercise experiences and the level of physical activity(PA).In order to adress these gaps in the literature,we conducted two studies among Chinese collge students that aimed(i)to investigated whether the total score of the three AFFEXX-C constructs(antecedent appraisals,core affective exercise experiences,and attraction-antipathy towards exercise)is a relaible indicator that can be utilized in research and pratical settings and(ii)to evalute the specific psychological mechanisms that can explain the relationship between affective exercise experience and PA.In Study 1,we recruited 801 voluntary Chinese college students for bifactor and correlational analyses.In Study 2,875 Chinese college students were enrolled to verify our findings from Study 1 and to explore the aforementioned mechanism.Results from the bifactor analyses supported our hypothesis that the total scores of the three AFFEXX-C constructs can be used among Chinese college students to establish a link with PA.Additionally,our results suggested that core affective exercise experiences and attraction-antipathy mediated the relationship between antecedent appraisals and the level of moderate-to-vigorous intensity PA.Therefore,measuring affective exercise experiences using the AFFEXX-C,specifically the total scores of each individual construct may be a useful approach to predict future PA levels.

Remote Learning in Higher Education During the Pandemic: A Study of the Experiences of Chinese International Students at United Kingdom and United States Universities in 2020/21

During the COVID-19 pandemic crisis,many universities around the world made a drastic change by transferring most of their offline classes to emergency remote learning(ERL).The aim of this study was to explore how Chinese students,who studied in United Kingdom(UK)and United States(US)universities during the 2020/21 academic year,perceive their experiences of remote learning.As the UK and the US have two relatively advanced education systems,the arrangements of their universities for ERL and their support for international students are worth exploring.Moreover,during the ERL,a portion of Chinese students had online classes in their home countries instead of the country in which their universities are located.Therefore,semi-structured interviews were carried out to explore the academic experiences and social interaction of students who studied in UK and US universities,while remaining in China.The data were analyzed using the thematic analysis method.The findings showed that ERL was perceived negatively by students despite its flexibility in areas of academic learning experiences and social interaction.

A retrospective study on professor Gui-Qi Xuan’s experience in traditional Chinese medicine treatment on attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder: based on data mining and network pharmacology

Background:To investigate the clinical medication approach of Professor Guiqi Xuan(Prof.Xuan)in treating pediatric patients with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder(ADHD)and the potential mechanism of the core herbal prescription.Methods:Following medical record information pretreatment,the Traditional Chinese Medicine(TCM)inheritance computing platform system V3.0 was utilized to analyze the standardized data.The associate rules were summarized to identify the core prescription for treating ADHD.The extracted core herbal prescription’s active compounds and potential targets were used to establish a protein-protein interaction network of active ingredient-disease targets.Cytoscape 3.9.1 software was used to analyze the network’s topological parameters to obtain the key active ingredients and their targets.The Bioconductor data package of R4.0.2 was used to analyze the gene ontology biological functions and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathways of key targets.Results:Two hundred and twenty-seven entries derived from TCM record information were selected.Through data mining,it was found that 62.5%of pediatric patients had short-tempered behavior,nearly half had sleep problems,and 30%-40%had picky eating and polyphagia issues.The highest-frequency syndrome type was kidney deficiency and liver hyperactivity.Deficiency,fire,phlegm,and dyspeptic food were the main pathological factors for ADHD.Prof.Xuan’s treatment of ADHD mainly focused on replenishing kidney essence and subduing Yang(active,external,ascending,warm,bright,functional and excited pertain to Yang).The core herbal prescription for ADHD included Yuan-zhi,Yi-zhi,Gui-jia,Bai-shao,Long-chi,Ci-shi,Shi-chang-pu,Yu-jin,Fu-shen,and Huang-jing.The protein-protein interaction network showed that MAOA,ADRB2,FOS,MAOB,and SLC6A3 were the five key targets essential in treating ADHD with core herbal prescriptions.The gene ontology biological function of crucial targets mainly involved G protein-coupled amine receptor activity,catecholamine binding,and neurotransmitter transmembrane transporter activity.Analysis of Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathways showed that the dopaminergic synapse signaling and neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction pathways were significantly enriched and may be the primary routes for the main treatment of ADHD.Conclusion:Prof.Xuan’s treatment of ADHD has achieved satisfactory clinical effects by supplementing the kidney,replenishing the essence,opening the orifices,nourishing the Yin(static,internal,descending,cold,dim,organic,depressed and pertain to Yin),and subduing the Yang.The major prescription predominantly affects catecholamine binding,neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction,G protein-coupled amine receptor function,and signaling pathways for dopaminergic synapses.Our findings showed that the methodology and software used in this research could explore and analyze the mechanism behind Prof.Xuan’s clinical medication rule for treating ADHD in children.

Summary of Chief Physician Hao Mingxia's Experience in "Treating Liver Disease in Four Chinese Medicinal Formulae"

This paper summarizes Hao Mingxia's experience in treating chronic hepatitis B with traditional Chinese medicine.Director Hao discussed the treatment from the dynamic changes of damp-heat,toxin,deficiency and blood stasis,which mainly involved liver,spleen and kidney.Chronic hepatitis B is a chronic wasting disease,which always belongs to the combination of deficiency and excess,asthenic healthy qi with pathogen lingering,and pathogenic qi does not go for the progress of the disease.The four directions of this paper are based on supporting healthy qi,combining attack with tonic,so as to attack evil-qi without hurting positive.It not only follows the ancient method of TCM for syndrome differentiation and treatment,but also combines modern pharmacological effects to clarify the direction of disease.There are more accurate and comprehensive coverage of disease symptoms,so as to achieve the effect of systemic conditioning.Director Hao is good at comprehensive treatment,according to the physiological characteristics of viscera and body pathology,unified qi,blood and yin-yang of whole body,medication to often reach,knowing constantly and achieving change,the effect is immediate.

Treatment for non-alcoholic steatohepatitis with type 2 diabetes by traditional Chinese medicine:a case report and experience

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and type 2 diabetes are common comorbidities or target organ damage,which can lead to adverse metabolism and increased risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.In the management plan of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and type 2 diabetes,there is no drug with significant efficacy or both.The dialectical idea of traditional Chinese medicine has a good curative effect and significant advantages in treating metabolic disorders.The author now reviewed a case of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis combined with type 2 diabetes.In this case,the method of invigorating the spleen and eliminating turbidity was effective,which effectively prevented the progression of liver disease in the patient,and T2DM was alleviated by maintaining within the standard range after the use of insulin was stopped.It can be said that“killing two birds with one stone”,more fully reflects the advantages of traditional Chinese medicine in the integrated treatment of metabolic-related diseases.

On Answering the Question Related to the Legal Regulation of Working Hours in the New Era:Western Experience and Chinese Approach

The popularity of flexible working hours around the world has slowed down the historical trend of reducing working hours.It even shows signs of regression.Whether and how to guide the cur-rent society with flexible working hours to return to the historical track of reducing working hours,improve the quality of working hours,and promote a smooth transition from the era of traditional standard work-ing hours to the era of flexible working hours has become a question related to the legal regulation of working hours in the new era.In this regard,although Western countries have proposed new regulatory concepts and carried out legislative practices with distinctive charac-teristics,the limitations of legal regulation capabilities have prevented them from proposing a package of institutional solutions.The advan-tage of China in the ability of legal regulation of working hours has been gradually formed in the legislation on working hours unnder the leadership of the CPC in the past century.It enables China to break through the limitations of the West and propose a Chinese approach to answer the question of the legal regulation of working hours in the new era from three aspects:limiting the extension of working hours,improving the quality of flexible working hours,and optimizing the funnctions of the multi-funnctional regulatory system for working hours.

Expert Experience and Data-Driven Based Hybrid Fault Diagnosis for High-SpeedWire Rod Finishing Mills

The reliable operation of high-speed wire rod finishing mills is crucial in the steel production enterprise.As complex system-level equipment,it is difficult for high-speed wire rod finishing mills to realize fault location and real-time monitoring.To solve the above problems,an expert experience and data-driven-based hybrid fault diagnosis method for high-speed wire rod finishing mills is proposed in this paper.First,based on its mechanical structure,time and frequency domain analysis are improved in fault feature extraction.The approach of combining virtual value,peak value with kurtosis value index,is adopted in time domain analysis.Speed adjustment and side frequency analysis are proposed in frequency domain analysis to obtain accurate component characteristic frequency and its corresponding sideband.Then,according to time and frequency domain characteristics,fault location based on expert experience is proposed to get an accurate fault result.Finally,the proposed method is implemented in the equipment intelligent diagnosis system.By taking an equipment fault on site,for example,the effectiveness of the proposed method is illustrated in the system.

Synergistic effects of carbon cycle metabolism and photosynthesis in Chinese cabbage under salt stress

Chinese cabbage(Brassica rapa ssp. pekinensis) has a long cultivation history and is one of the vegetable crops with the largest cultivation area in China. However, salt stress severely damages photosynthesis and hormone metabolism, nutritional balances, and results in ion toxicity in plants. To better understand the mechanisms of salt-induced growth inhibition in Chinese cabbage, RNA-seq and physiological index determination were conducted to explore the impacts of salt stress on carbon cycle metabolism and photosynthesis in Chinese cabbage. Here, we found that the number of thylakoids and grana lamellae and the content of starch granules and chlorophyll in the leaves of Chinese cabbage under salt stress showed a time-dependent response, first increasing and then decreasing. Chinese cabbage increased the transcript levels of genes related to the photosynthetic apparatus and carbon metabolism under salt stress, probably in an attempt to alleviate damage to the photosynthetic system and enhance CO_(2) fixation and energy metabolism. The transcription of genes related to starch and sucrose synthesis and degradation were also enhanced;this might have been an attempt to maintain intracellular osmotic pressure by increasing soluble sugar concentrations. Soluble sugars could also be used as potential reactive oxygen species(ROS) scavengers, in concert with peroxidase(POD)enzymes, to eliminate ROS that accumulate during metabolic processes. Our study characterizes the synergistic response network of carbon metabolism and photosynthesis under salt stress.

Understandings of Urban Sustainability in China:a Bibliometric Analysis Using Chinese Literatures

Cities hold a critical responsibility for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs)due to their high population density,extensive resource consumption,and significant economic contributions.To examine the present state of understandings regarding urban sustainability(SDG 11:Sustainable Cities and Communities)within Chinese research communities,this study collected 15950 papers from 1994 to 2022 on the 12 indicators of SDG 11,from the China National Knowledge Infrastructure(CNKI),a hub of Chinese academic papers,that directly relate to policymaking.Significant research topics on SDG 11 were identified for each indicator using bibliometrics analysis approaches.The high-frequency keywords and clusters of keywords over the last three decades reveal that existing studies primarily concentrated on the physical aspects,such as transportation and environment,while there is a lack of consideration of societal aspects.This indicates a limited and biased understanding of the urban sustainability within the Chinese academic community.Hence,it is crucial to prioritize the societal aspects in order to develop a research agenda that further advances urban sustainability.

Finding biomarkers of experience in animals

At a time when there is a growing public interest in animal welfare,it is critical to have objective means to assess the way that an animal experiences a situation.Objectivity is critical to ensure appropriate animal welfare outcomes.Existing behavioural,physiological,and neurobiological indicators that are used to assess animal welfare can verify the absence of extremely negative outcomes.But welfare is more than an absence of negative outcomes and an appropriate indicator should reflect the full spectrum of experience of an animal,from negative to positive.In this review,we draw from the knowledge of human biomedical science to propose a list of candidate biological markers(biomarkers)that should reflect the experiential state of non-human animals.The proposed biomarkers can be classified on their main function as endocrine,oxidative stress,non-coding molecular,and thermobiological markers.We also discuss practical challenges that must be addressed before any of these biomarkers can become useful to assess the experience of an animal in real-life.

Acceptance and Experience of HIV-Infected Adolescents in Two Hospitals in Yaoundé

Introduction: Access to antiretroviral drugs has improved the survival of children infected with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). As they reach adolescence, they are confronted with various constraints related to the infection and its treatment, in addition to those of the growth period they are going through. The main aim of the study was to assess the acceptance and describe the experience of HIV infection by infected adolescents but also to investigate the factors associated with good acceptance and a positive experience. Methodology: The cross-sectional analytic study concerned HIV-infected adolescents aged 15 to 19 followed up at the Chantal Biya Foundation-Mother and Child Centre (CME-FCB) and the Yaoundé University Hospital Centre (CHUY) between February 2020 and June 2020. The study saw participants complete a questionnaire containing socio-demographic data and assessing acceptance and experience with the infection. Data analysis was accomplished using Epi info software version 7.2.2.6. Results: One hundred and thirteen HIV-infected adolescents were included in the study. The sex ratio was 0.68 and the mean age was 17 years. More than half of the adolescents had a good acceptance and positive experience with the infection. Related factors were the adolescent’s perception of good health and participation in an association with other infected adolescents. Conclusion: Emphasizing the psychological and educational follow-up of infected adolescents and encouraging their participation in associations for adolescents living with HIV could reduce the consequences of poor acceptance and ensure a better transition to adulthood. .

Effect of Modified Biochar with Organic Fertiliser on the Growth and Development of Chinese Rose

In order to reduce the waste of resources and environmental pollution caused by excessive application of chemical fertilizers, improve the utilization rate of fertilizers, and promote the large-scale and high-quality development of the Chinese rose industry. In this experiment, corn stover biochar, phosphoric acid modified biochar and organic fertilizer were used as test materials, and the effects of mixed application of modified biochar and organic fertilizer on the growth and development of Chinese rose as well as soil physicochemical properties were investigated by using the method of pot planting test. The results showed that modified biochar with organic fertilizer had the most significant effect on the enhancement of soil pH, organic matter content and soil carbon-to-nitrogen ratio. After 120 d of planting, modified biochar with organic fertilizer had the most significant effect on the enhancement of plant height and crown width of Chinese rose;both organic fertilizer and modified biochar with organic fertilizer significantly increased the chlorophyll content of Chinese rose. The number of flowers and the number of branches were the highest in the modified biochar with organic fertilizer treatment. In conclusion, the application of modified biochar with organic fertilizer can better improve the soil pH, and increase the soil organic matter content and carbon-to-nitrogen ratio to change the biological traits of Chinese rose. The results of this study provide a theoretical basis for the reduction of chemical fertilizers and the resource utilization of agricultural wastes and guarantee the sustainable development of the cut flower industry.

Improve Chinese Aspect Sentiment Quadruplet Prediction via Instruction Learning Based on Large Generate Models

Aspect-Based Sentiment Analysis(ABSA)is a fundamental area of research in Natural Language Processing(NLP).Within ABSA,Aspect Sentiment Quad Prediction(ASQP)aims to accurately identify sentiment quadruplets in target sentences,including aspect terms,aspect categories,corresponding opinion terms,and sentiment polarity.However,most existing research has focused on English datasets.Consequently,while ASQP has seen significant progress in English,the Chinese ASQP task has remained relatively stagnant.Drawing inspiration from methods applied to English ASQP,we propose Chinese generation templates and employ prompt-based instruction learning to enhance the model’s understanding of the task,ultimately improving ASQP performance in the Chinese context.Ultimately,under the same pre-training model configuration,our approach achieved a 5.79%improvement in the F1 score compared to the previously leading method.Furthermore,when utilizing a larger model with reduced training parameters,the F1 score demonstrated an 8.14%enhancement.Additionally,we suggest a novel evaluation metric based on the characteristics of generative models,better-reflecting model generalization.Experimental results validate the effectiveness of our approach.

Comparative efficacy and safety of Chinese patent medicines of iron deficiency anemia during pregnancy:A network meta-analysis

BACKGROUND Iron deficiency anemia(IDA)is a prevalent nutritional disorder during pregnancy.Clinical studies indicate that incorporating Chinese patent medicines(CPMs)with oral iron(OI)in treating IDA in pregnancy can reduce adverse effects and improve clinical outcomes.Nonetheless,the comparative efficacy of different CPMs remains unclear.AIM To assess the safety and effectiveness of different CPMs for treating IDA during pregnancy using network meta-analysis.METHODS We conducted a search for randomized controlled trials(RCTs)that combined CPM and OI for IDA treatment in pregnancy,spanning from 2013 to the present.Data analysis was performed using Rev Man 5.3 and Stata 14.0 on literature that satisfied the quality criteria.RESULTS The analysis included 45 RCTs,encompassing 4422 pregnant patients with IDA.Six CPMs were examined,including Shengxuebao Mixture,Shengxuening Tablets(SXN),Yiqi Weixue CPMs(YQWX),Jianpi Shengxue CPMs(JPSX),Yiqi Buxue Tablets,and Compound Hongyi Buxue Oral Liquid(FFHY).Findings indicated that FFHY+OI significantly improved the clinical effective rate.SXN+OI was most effective in boosting red blood cells counts and hemoglobin levels.YQWX+OI showed superior results in improving serum ferritin,and SXN+OI was most effective in increasing serum iron levels.JPSX+OI was optimal in reducing adverse pregnancy outcomes,while YQBX+OI effectively minimized adverse events.A cluster analysis suggested that SXN+OI could be the potentially optimal therapeutic regimen for IDA in pregnancy.CONCLUSION This study demonstrates that the combination of OI with CPMs offers better outcomes than OI alone.Based on clinical efficacy and other measured outcomes,SXN+OI emerges as the most effective treatment modality for improving the health of pregnant patients with IDA.

Mechanism of traditional Chinese medicine in the treatment of psoriasis with depression:A review

Psoriasis is a kind of immune-mediated, chronic, inflammatory skin disease, which is often associated with different degrees of psychological disorders. Specifically, there is a significant correlation between psoriasis and depression, and they show the relationships of reciprocal causation and mutual promotion. Psoriasis with depression is more harmful than simple psoriasis, and its prognosis is worse, which brings a huge burden to the family and society and is worthy of clinical attention. Based on the pathogenic factors of western medicine and pathogenesis of traditional Chinese medicine in psoriasis with depression, the paper summarized and elaborated the research progress on the mechanism of traditional Chinese medicine in the treatment of psoriasis with depression, in order to provide new ideas for clinical treatment.

Qualitative exploration of home life experiences and care needs among elderly patients with temporary intestinal stomas

BACKGROUND This study employed a phenomenological research approach within qualitative research to explore the challenges encountered by elderly individuals with temporary colostomies in managing their daily lives and care needs.Protecting the anus surgery combined with temporary colostomy has emerged as a prevalent treatment modality for low rectal cancer.However,the ileostomy is susceptible to peri-stoma skin complications,as well as fluid,electrolyte,and nutritional imbalances,posing challenges to effective management.The successful selfmanagement of patients is intricately linked to their adjustment to temporary colostomy;nonetheless,there remains a dearth of research examining the factors influencing self-care among temporary colostomy patients and the obstacles they confront.AIM To investigate the lived experiences,perceptions,and care requirements of temporary colostomy patients within their home environment,with the ultimate goal of formulating a standardized management protocol.METHODS Over the period of June to August 2023,a purposive sampling technique was utilized to select 12 patients with temporary intestinal stomas from a tertiary hospital in Shanghai,China.Employing a phenomenological research approach,a semi-structured interview guide was developed,and qualitative interviews were conducted using in-depth interview techniques.The acquired data underwent coding,analysis,organization,and summarization following Colaizzi’s seven-step method.RESULTS The findings of this study revealed that the experiences and needs of patients with temporary intestinal stomas can be delineated into four principal themes:Firstly,Temporary colostomy patients bear various burdens and concerns about the uncertainty of disease progression;secondly,patients exhibit limited self-care capabilities and face information deficits,resulting in heightened reliance on healthcare professionals;thirdly,patients demonstrate the potential for internal motivation through proactive self-adjustment;and finally,patients express a significant need for emotional and social support.CONCLUSION Home-living patients with temporary intestinal stomas confront multifaceted challenges encompassing burdens,inadequate self-care abilities,informational deficits,and emotional needs.Identifying factors influencing patients’self-care at home and proposing strategies to mitigate barriers can serve as a foundational framework for developing and implementing nursing interventions tailored to the needs of patients with temporary intestinal stomas.

Experiences of Mothers on the Utilization of Elimination of Mother to Child Transmission of HIV Services at Mtendere Clinic, Lusaka

Introduction: Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is one of the leading causes of mortality among women of reproductive age and Mother to Child Transmission of Human immunodeficiency virus is still a challenge affecting many countries. Globally, an estimation of 180,000 children under 15 years acquire the Human immunodeficiency virus every day, and more than 90% of those infections are due to Mother to Child Transmission. The study sought to explore the experiences of mothers on the Elimination of Mother to Child Transmission-HIV services at Mtendere Clinic, Lusaka. Materials and Methods: Qualitative interpretive phenomenology study design was employed using in-depth interviews to collect data from a sample that was selected using purposive sampling technique. Thirteen participants were recruited, and these were HIV-positive mothers at least between the ages of 15 and 49 years and enrolled in the Elimination of Mother To Child Transmission-HIV program. The in-depth interviews were audiotape recorded and transcribed verbatim. Data was analyzed using thematic method. Findings: Three main themes that emerged are;living with HIV, support system and barriers to utilization of Elimination of Mother To Child Transmission-HIV services. Most of the participants expressed having acquired knowledge from the program, and received counselling and support from spouses, family as well as health personnel at Mtendere health facility which culminated into a positive experience and enhanced their uptake of the Elimination of Mother to Child Transmission-HIV services. However, barriers to service utilization were identified and these included fear of stigma, negative attitudes from health workers, long waiting times, lack of support and lack of transport to the health facility. Conclusion: Interventions such as community awareness campaigns on Elimination of Mother To Child Transmission-HIV, male involvement and implementing mother-to-mother peer support strategies in Elimination of Mother To Child Transmission-HIV service utilization should be prioritized so as to alleviate stigma and enhancing a positive experience for these mothers thus reducing on the Mother to Child HIV Transmission burden and mortality rates.