Prevalence, Awareness and Risk Factors for Hypertension in Adults Attending a Tertiary Hospital in South-East Nigeria

Hypertension, a non-communicable disease, is considered a major public health challenge because of its widespread prevalence globally coupled with its huge morbidity and mortality burden, which is largely preventable if early detection and prompt initiation of management are done. Hypertension prevalence is increasing especially in the developing world, despite this, its awareness among the general population is low. This study aimed at determining the prevalence of hypertension among adult attendees of the General Outpatient Clinic of the Federal University Teaching Hospital (FUTH), Owerri, with an assessment of the proportion of hypertensives who were aware of their hypertensive status, and identifying risk factors of hypertension in the study participants. A cross-sectional analytical study was conducted between October and November 2022 at the General Outpatient Clinic of the FUTH, Owerri. A total of 257 consenting and eligible adult patients made up of 135 males and 122 females, aged 18 years and above, were selected by systematic random sampling method. The overall prevalence of hypertension was 34.6%. The prevalence was higher in females than in males (37.7% vs 31.9%, P = 0.325). Among the hypertensive subjects 56.2% had awareness of their hypertensive status. Following a multiple regression analysis, hypertension was independently associated with age, family history of hypertension, occupation (retirees, traders, farmers and the unemployed), and marital status (being widowed). Hypertension is prevalent in our environment;the prevalence rate from this study is higher than in most studies in our environment, suggesting possibly, a rising burden. The results from the study underscore the need for increased and sustained advocacy for implementation of policies and programs directed at increased detection and management of hypertension in the different population groups such as annual wellness check for employees in the formal sector, largescale dietary and lifestyle adjustments, and know your numbers (an approach to population driven blood pressure check for all adults). Also, health workers should use any opportunity of contact with a patient to screen for hypertension.

Depressive semantic awareness from vlog facial and vocal streams via spatio-temporal transformer

With the rapid growth of information transmission via the Internet,efforts have been made to reduce network load to promote efficiency.One such application is semantic computing,which can extract and process semantic communication.Social media has enabled users to share their current emotions,opinions,and life events through their mobile devices.Notably,people suffering from mental health problems are more willing to share their feelings on social networks.Therefore,it is necessary to extract semantic information from social media(vlog data)to identify abnormal emotional states to facilitate early identification and intervention.Most studies do not consider spatio-temporal information when fusing multimodal information to identify abnormal emotional states such as depression.To solve this problem,this paper proposes a spatio-temporal squeeze transformer method for the extraction of semantic features of depression.First,a module with spatio-temporal data is embedded into the transformer encoder,which is utilized to obtain a representation of spatio-temporal features.Second,a classifier with a voting mechanism is designed to encourage the model to classify depression and non-depression effec-tively.Experiments are conducted on the D-Vlog dataset.The results show that the method is effective,and the accuracy rate can reach 70.70%.This work provides scaffolding for future work in the detection of affect recognition in semantic communication based on social media vlog data.

Awareness of the Termination of Pregnancy Act of the Laws of Zambia among Women of Reproductive Age at Kanyama First Level Hospital in Lusaka District Zambia

Background: Termination of pregnancy (TOP) in Zambia is guided by the Termination of Pregnancy (TOP) Act of 1972 and as amended in 1994 of the laws of Zambia. However, despite provision of Comprehensive abortion care services with the liberal law, statistics at Kanyama First Level Hospital in relation to unsafe illegal abortions are alarming. This study sought to understand the Awareness on the TOP Act of the laws of Zambia among women of reproductive age 15 - 49 years at Kanyama First Level Hospital in Lusaka District. Purpose of the Study: To assess awareness on the TOP Act among women of reproductive age at Kanyama First Level Hospital in Lusaka, Zambia. Methodology: A convergent parallel mixed method design was conducted using both survey and in-depth interviews among women of reproductive age at Kanyama First Level Hospital in Lusaka District. The study surveyed 370 randomly sampled women aged 15 to 49 years old while the in-depth interviews included eight women purposively sampled from the survey population. Survey data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics while qualitative data thematic analysis was used. Results: The study found that 37% of the participants were aware of the TOP Act while 63.8% viewed legalization of abortion for any reason as wrong. The study results also showed that widowed women were 8 times more likely to be aware of the TOP Act compared to single women (AOR: 8.262;95% CI: 1.105, 61.778). Women in business were significantly more likely to be aware of the TOP Act compared to those who reported having no occupation. (AOR: 2.61;95% CI: 1.246, 5.499). Limited access to information, the social stigma attached to abortion, health care providers’ attitudes, cultural norms, values and religious beliefs, restrictive legal requirements, and absence of a supportive network were some of the barriers affecting awareness and utilization of available safe abortion care services. Conclusions: The research findings concluded that a significant lack of awareness among women of reproductive age regarding the Termination of Pregnancy (TOP) Act. The majority of respondents held the view that abortion should only be legalized for medical reasons. Furthermore, there was a notable gap in knowledge concerning the penal code’s provisions on abortion.

Promoting Sickle Cell Trait Awareness and Education: A Typology of Interventions in the United States to Inform Ongoing Efforts to Patients and Providers

Research Background: Sickle cell trait has no treatment or cure and predominantly affects people who are Black, but can affect anyone of any race or ethnicity. While commonly incorrectly considered benign by providers and the public, people with a sickle cell trait experience life-threatening outcomes that are exacerbated by extreme conditions. There is a severe lack of awareness and understanding of sickle cell trait and the associated health complications among sickle cell trait carriers and healthcare providers. Purpose/Aim: Interventions that aim to improve awareness of sickle cell trait differ in approaches and are not well documented in the literature. This typology aims to highlight current efforts to inform targeted interventions that raise awareness through consistent messaging, educate people and providers on sickle cell trait and the related health complications, and support the design and implementation of comprehensive sickle cell trait awareness initiatives. Methods: We conducted a scoping review of United States-based sickle cell trait interventions and performed a content analysis to identify the categories and characteristics of these efforts. We then organized the results into a typology according to established protocols. Results: Among 164 interventions, twenty-five (15%) met the typology inclusion criteria described above and were grouped into categories: Seven of twenty-five interventions were Educational Interventions (28%), three of twenty-five interventions (12%) were Combined Screening and Educational-Based Interventions, eight of twenty-five interventions (32%) were Policy and Guideline-Based Intervention, and six of twenty-five interventions (24%) were Sickle Cell Trait Organization-Led Interventions. Conclusions: There is a lack of consistency in messaging across interventions whether delivered by credible healthcare institutions or national organizations, which can result in lack of education and awareness and confusion around sickle cell trait. Categorizing interventions through a typology allows clarity and informs consistency in messaging, which should be at the forefront of future sickle cell trait efforts.

Household Solid Waste Awareness and Practices among Residents of Windhoek, Namibia

This study explores household solid waste management (HSWM) practices and awareness among residents of Windhoek West, a rapidly urbanizing constituency in the Khomas Region of Namibia. Employing a descriptive methodology, the research investigates the interplay between public awareness, regulatory frameworks, and the availability of waste management facilities to assess their impact on waste management behaviors. Our findings indicate significant gaps in both knowledge and infrastructure that hinder effective waste management. The study reveals that while there is a high willingness among residents to engage in recycling and waste reduction, actual practices are limited due to inadequate facilities and lack of stringent enforcement of waste policies. This research identifies key factors that influence waste management practices, including demographic characteristics and access to waste management facilities. It also proposes actionable strategies such as expanding recycling and sorting facilities, enhancing educational campaigns tailored to local needs, and implementing regular enforcement mechanisms. These strategies are aimed at improving compliance with waste management protocols and fostering a culture of environmental responsibility. The results of this investigation show the critical role of ongoing education and infrastructural improvement in bridging existing knowledge gaps and facilitating effective waste management practices. This research lays a foundational step toward enhancing sustainable urban development and effective waste management in Windhoek, providing valuable insights for policymakers, community leaders, and stakeholders engaged in urban environmental management.

Current status and prospects of research on safety situation awareness of high speed railway operation environment

Purpose–The safety of high-speed rail operation environments is an important guarantee for the safe operation of high-speed rail.The operating environment of the high-speed rail is complex,and the main factors affecting the safety of high-speed rail operating environment include meteorological disasters,perimeter intrusion and external environmental hazards.The purpose of the paper is to elaborate on the current research status and team research progress on the perception of safety situation in high-speed rail operation environment and to propose directions for further research in the future.Design/methodology/approach–In terms of the mechanism and spatio-temporal evolution law of the main influencing factors on the safety of high-speed rail operation environments,the research status is elaborated,and the latest research progress and achievements of the team are introduced.This paper elaborates on the research status and introduces the latest research progress and achievements of the team in terms of meteorological,perimeter and external environmental situation perception methods for high-speed rail operation.Findings–Based on the technical route of“situational awareness evaluation warning active control,”a technical system for monitoring the safety of high-speed train operation environments has been formed.Relevant theoretical and technical research and application have been carried out around the impact of meteorological disasters,perimeter intrusion and the external environment on high-speed rail safety.These works strongly support the improvement of China’s railway environmental safety guarantee technology.Originality/value–With the operation of CR450 high-speed trains with a speed of 400 kmper hour and the application of high-speed train autonomous driving technology in the future,new and higher requirements have been put forward for the safety of high-speed rail operation environments.The following five aspects of work are urgently needed:(1)Research the single factor disaster mechanism of wind,rain,snow,lightning,etc.for high-speed railways with a speed of 400 kms per hour,and based on this,study the evolution characteristics of multiple safety factors and the correlation between the high-speed driving safety environment,revealing the coupling disastermechanism ofmultiple influencing factors;(2)Research covers multi-source data fusion methods and associated features such as disaster monitoring data,meteorological information,route characteristics and terrain and landforms,studying the spatio-temporal evolution laws of meteorological disasters,perimeter intrusions and external environmental hazards;(3)In terms of meteorological disaster situation awareness,research high-precision prediction methods for meteorological information time series along high-speed rail lines and study the realization of small-scale real-time dynamic and accurate prediction of meteorological disasters along high-speed rail lines;(4)In terms of perimeter intrusion,research amulti-modal fusion perception method for typical scenarios of high-speed rail operation in all time,all weather and all coverage and combine artificial intelligence technology to achieve comprehensive and accurate perception of perimeter security risks along the high-speed rail line and(5)In terms of external environment,based on the existing general network framework for change detection,we will carry out research on change detection and algorithms in the surrounding environment of highspeed rail.

A Situational Awareness Method for Initial Insulation Fault of Distribution Network Based on Multi-Feature Index Comprehensive Evaluation

Most ground faults in distribution network are caused by insulation deterioration of power equipment.It is difficult to find the insulation deterioration of the distribution network in time,and the development trend of the initial insulation fault is unknown,which brings difficulties to the distribution inspection.In order to solve the above problems,a situational awareness method of the initial insulation fault of the distribution network based on a multi-feature index comprehensive evaluation is proposed.Firstly,the insulation situation evaluation index is selected by analyzing the insulation fault mechanism of the distribution network,and the relational database of the distribution network is designed based on the data and numerical characteristics of the existing distribution management system.Secondly,considering all kinds of fault factors of the distribution network and the influence of the power supply region,the evaluation method of the initial insulation fault situation of the distribution network is proposed,and the development situation of the distribution network insulation fault is classified according to the evaluation method.Then,principal component analysis was used to reduce the dimension of the training samples and test samples of the distribution network data,and the support vector machine(SVM)was trained.The optimal parameter combination of the SVM model was found by the grid search method,and a multi-class SVM model based on 1-v-1 method was constructed.Finally,the trained multi-class SVM was used to predict 6 kinds of situation level prediction samples.The results of simulation examples show that the average prediction accuracy of 6 situation levels is above 95%,and the perception accuracy of 4 situation levels is above 96%.In addition,the insulation maintenance decision scheme under different situation levels is able to be given when no fault occurs or the insulation fault is in the early stage,which can meet the needs of power distribution and inspection for accurately sensing the insulation fault situation.The correctness and effectiveness of this method are verified.

Farmers’ Knowledge and Awareness towards the Use of Agrochemicals in Vegetable Cultivation, Fako Cameroon

Agrochemicals are contemporary, omnipresent tool used in vegetable cultivation. Farmers’ knowledge and awareness of the proper usage of agrochemicals are critical for mitigating the negative effects on human health. This cross-sectional study was aimed at assessing the usage knowledge, risk awareness of toxicological and chemical classes, proper handling and use practices for agrochemicals homologated for use in vegetable farming, and the occurrence of health-related symptoms as a result of exposure among these farmers. The study included 93 vegetable growers from agricultural hotspot towns in Fako, southwest Cameroon. The field study, ran from November 2021 to December 2023, using a questionnaire to collect information on farmers demographic, and their knowledge of pesticide classes, and the related risk of associated with the handling of agrochemicals. Results show that all vegetable farmers, particularly those engaged in agribusiness, employ pesticide inputs to maximize production. Six pesticides, two fertilizer types, and one unknown substance were identified. While 23 active compounds were found, the most utilized were abamectin, emamectin (10.46%), dimethoate (9.30%,) and ethoprophos (8.13%). Two active chemicals, dimethoate and methalaxyl, are illegal yet remain in circulation. Toxicological classes I and II, with the greatest harmful effect on human health, were the most commonly utilized (64.27%). Thirty-nine percent of farmers never use personal protection equipment when working with agrochemicals, demonstrating a significant gap in knowledge and awareness of agrochemicals and their various applications and handling procedures in the field. The government should implement an intensive specialized educational program for on-field farmers with incentives in order to promote sustainable agriculture methods that ensure environmental and human safety.

Effect of Health Management in Raising Awareness Rate of Disease Prevention and Treatment in Patients with Prehypertension

Objective: To analyze the effect of health management on improving the awareness rate of disease prevention and treatment in patients with prehypertension, so as to provide guidance for clinical management of patients with prehypertension. Methods: 108 patients diagnosed with prehypertension in our hospital were divided into a control group and an experimental group. The control group was not given management measures, while the experimental group was given health management. The incidence of hypertension and cognition level of hypertension knowledge were compared between the two groups after management. Results: The incidence of hypertension in the experimental group was 7.41% lower than that in the control group 29.63%. The cognitive level of hypertension in the patients (66.54 ± 1.25) was significantly higher than that in the patients without health management (41.45 ± 2.45), and P < 0.05;Conclusion: For patients with prehypertension, the implementation of health management is helpful to improve their cognition of hypertension, master related prevention knowledge, and reduce the incidence of hypertension.

Research on Enhancing Students’Intercultural Awareness and Competence in English Teaching

With the deepening of globalization,intercultural communication has become an important part of people’s daily lives and work.English,as an international language,plays a vital role in intercultural communication.However,simple language knowledge can no longer meet the needs of modern society.Students need to have intercultural awareness and competence to better adapt to the development of globalization.Therefore,it is particularly important to improve students’intercultural awareness and competence in English teaching.This paper will discuss how to improve students’intercultural awareness and competence in English teaching,which includes three parts.The first part introduces the definition of intercultural awareness and competence.The second part explores the importance of intercultural awareness and competence to students,which can help students better understand and respect different cultures,stimulate students’innovative thinking and creativity,and cultivate critical thinking skills,and is also of great significance to students’professional development,personal growth,and social responsibility.The third part discusses the effective methods and strategies to improve students’intercultural awareness and competence in teaching,including carrying out cultural discussion and debate,introducing diverse materials,creating intercultural experience teaching activities,and using virtual learning tools.To a certain extent,this study can enrich the theoretical research in the field of intercultural awareness and competence,help to improve students’intercultural awareness and competence,and provide certain practical guidance for educators to teach intercultural courses.

Breast cancer awareness in reproductive women in the low-and middle-income countries:a scoping review

Objective:This study aimed to assess breast cancer(BC)awareness among reproductive women in low-and middle-income countries(LMICs),identify influencing factors,and propose feasible interventions or programs.Methods:We followed a 5-step process using a modified version of Arksey and O’Malley framework methodology.A comprehensive search was conducted on the Embase,PubMed,and CINAHL electronic databases for literature published within 10 years(from 2012 to 2022).Results:Thirty-three papers published between 2012 and 2020,spanning 18 countries,were included.Of these,45.6%described a good level of knowledge,while 24.2%reported that women at reproductive ages had good awareness.Twelve influencing factors were identified in 3 categories:socio-demographic(family history,personal history,marital status,age,religion,income status,living place,and occupation),personal(self-efficacy,education,and perceived level),and external(advertisements promoting awareness).Educational programs were recommended in most(>72%)of the included studies.Conclusions:While most studies reported high levels of knowledge and awareness,some found low prevalence among certain groups.Factors affecting knowledge and awareness were classified into socio-demographic,personal,and external categories,with socio-demographic factors such as age,education,income,and marital status being the most frequently cited.The studies recommended implementing educational programs,health prevention strategies,and social interventions to increase BC knowledge and awareness.

Health awareness and lifestyle toward healthcare-seeking behavior among students in Universitas Advent Indonesia

Objective:Healthcare-seeking behavior(HSB)would affect the prevalence of morbidity and mortality.There are various factors that affect one's HSB.This study aimed to determine if health awareness and lifestyle might relate to HSB.Methods:A cross-sectional study was applied by using three questionnaires to determine par ticipants'health awareness,lifestyle,and HSB.This study took place in Universitas Advent Indonesia and the students were recruited to be par ticipants.Results:There were 39 par ticipants joined in this study.Most of the par ticipants were females,third-year students,and from Accounting major.Almost all participants were aware of their low risk of health issues,had a fine lifestyle,and had moderate HSB.Conclusions:One's urge to seek health care facilities was not related to their health awareness and lifestyle.There was no fur ther study to contradict with this finding at this moment.

Knowledge and awareness of human mpox infection among healthcare workers:A cross-sectional study in southwestern Nigeria

Objective:To identify the knowledge and awareness level of human mpox viral infection among healthcare workers in southwestern Nigeria.Methods:A cross-sectional study was conducted in Ekiti State,southwest Nigeria among 316 healthcare workers that were selected through a systematic random sampling.Data were collected with the aid of a semi-structured,self-administered questionnaire.The Chi-square test and binary logistic regression were used to find the association between the independent and dependent variables.The significance level was set at P-value<0.05.Results:Two hundred and twenty-two(70.3%)of the respondents were aged≤40 years,mean age(36±9)years,189(59.8%)were female,306(96.8%)were Christians,and 203(64.2%)were married.Three hundred and fourteen(99.4%)of the respondents were aware of mpox infection.Main sources of information about mpox were medical education(44.0%),radio/television(32.0%)and newspaper(21.0%).However,among those aware of the disease,209(67.0%)demonstrated poor knowledge levels.Longer than 5 years’experience of medical practice was the only significant predictor of higher knowledge level of the disease(OR 1.76,95%CI 1.01-3.06;P=0.046).Conclusions:Despite the high awareness level of mpox infection among healthcare workers,there still exists a huge knowledge gap.It is recommended that targeted intervention could be directed towards continuous medical education and simulation exercises on re-emerging infectious diseases like mpox to improve the knowledge of the healthcare workers.

Improving myopia awareness via school-based myopia prevention health education among Chinese students

AIM:To investigate the myopia awareness level,knowledge,attitude,and skills at baseline and to implement and evaluate the efficacy of myopia prevention health education among Chinese students.METHODS:A total of 1000 middle school students from 2 middle schools were invited to participate in the study,and myopia prevention health education was conducted.The students were assessed at baseline,followed by a survey.The efficacy of health education was evaluated using the self-comparison method pre-and post-health education.RESULTS:The study included 957 and 850 pre-and post-health education par ticipants,respectively.The baseline knowledge of all respondents on myopic symptoms(87.5%),myopia is a risk of eyes(72.9%),myopia prevention(91.3%),myopia increases with age(86.7%),performing periodic eye examinations(92.8%),and one first,one foot,and one inch(84.8%)significantly increased after health education(P<0.001 for all).However,the percentage of students who still did not think it necessary to take breaks after 30-40min of continuous near work was 27.0%.The opinion that“myopia can be cured”was still present in 38.3%.CONCLUSION:Implementing school-based myopia prevention health education improves knowledge,attitudes,and skills regarding myopia among Chinese middle school students.

Providing Global Awareness in Distributed Dynamic Systems

The paper investigates applicability of the developed high-level model and technology for solution of diverse problems in large distributed dynamic systems which can provide sufficient awareness of their structures,organization,and functionalities.After the review of meanings of awareness and existing approaches for its expression and support,the paper shows application of the Spatial Grasp Model and Technology(SGT)and its basic Spatial Grasp Language(SGL)for very practical awareness solutions in large distributed dynamic systems,with obtaining any knowledge from any point inside or outside the system.The self-evolving,self-replicating,and self-recovering scenario code in SGL can effectively supervise distributed systems under any circumstances including rapidly changing number of their elements.Examples are provided in SGL for distributed networked systems showing how in any node any information about other nodes and links,including the whole system,can be obtained by using network requesting patterns based on recursive scenarios combining forward and backward network matching and coverage.The returned results may be automatically organized in networked patterns too.The presented exemplary solutions are parallel and fully distributed,without the need of using vulnerable centralized resources,also very compact.This can be explained by fundamentally different philosophy and ideology of SGT which is not based on traditional partitioned systems representation and multiple agent communications.On the contrary,SGT and its basic language supervise and control distributed systems by holistic self-spreading recursive code in wavelike,virus-like,and even“soul-like”mode.

Measuring the Level of Knowledge and Awareness about Scoliosis in Saudi Arabia

Background: Scoliosis is a serious condition occurring in 1% to 4% of the population. This study was conducted and designed to educate society about scoliosis and measure the knowledge and awareness about it. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted on members of the Saudi Society who have consented to participate in this research between the 8th of January and 5th of February 2023. Results: A total of 427 people agreed to participate in the study. The highest percentage of the participants was female 69.1%. About 41% participants out of 427 were in the age group 18-25 years. Most of the participants were from the Middle Region. (71.9%) of participants were unfamiliar with scoliosis, while (72.1%) had no prior knowledge of the condition. Conclusion: This study indicates insufficient awareness and knowledge about scoliosis in Saudi Arabia. Therefore, further studies are needed to raise awareness about scoliosis and help people to learn more about this condition.

The Awareness of Jazan Females about the Nutrition Related Effects of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

Introduction: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common endocrine and metabolic disorders in premenopausal women affecting 5% - 10% women in reproductive age. Many studies show that good dietary habits and balanced diet in addition to regular exercise can significantly improve the symptoms of the syndrome. The prevalence rate in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia reached 42.8%. This study aimed to measure the awareness of Jazan females about the nutrition related effects of polycystic ovary syndrome and investigate the association between age and awareness of nutrition related effect on PCOS. Method: Cross sectional study was conducted during a period from January 9th to February 5th 2023, by a questionnaire used to measure the awareness of female in Jazan region about the nutrition related effects of poly cystic ovary syndrome. Data was collected using Google questionnaire survey and it was randomly distributed to Jazan women from 18 to 50 years old. The questionnaire was about general information about PCOS, nutrition-related effects of PCOS, the effects of eating patterns on PCOS, physical activity, and sleeping. The sample size was 384 women. Results: The total response was about 363 women. The results showed that women in the Jazan region did not have sufficient knowledge about PCOS 51.5% and 63.4% had no knowledge about diet recommendations for PCOS. However, there was awareness about healthy eating patterns that reduce the symptoms of PCOS. The level of awareness of PCOS and its association with age among Jazan women was higher in young adult groups (21 to 29 years old). Conclusion: Based on the results of this study, the level of knowledge about PCOS among Jazan women is insufficient. Also, their awareness about diet and lifestyle interventions was low. There is a relationship between age and awareness of the nutrition-related effects of PCOS. Promoting the role of balanced nutrition and nutritional knowledge is an important requirement for all women, especially those with PCOS. The role of health, educational, and governmental institutions is important in spreading the link between nutrition and PCOS.

Measuring the Awareness of Thalassemia in Saudi Arabia

Introduction: Thalassemia disorder is a genetic disease that causes the blood to have less hemoglobin than normal, the main requirement to control thalassemia’s propagation is to educate the entire society. Methodology: A descriptive survey was taken to evaluate the awareness of thalassemia among Saudi Arabia’s society, with a sample size of 384. Results: The results were written in frequencies, and it shows that most of the participants were unaware and lacking information on thalassemia syndrome. Discussion: The results of this study provide valuable insights into the awareness of thalassemia in Saudi Arabia and highlight the need to raise awareness of this disease. Conclusion: This study is not comprehensive because the survey was not disrupted evenly, but it can give us an overview of the awareness of thalassemia in Saudi Arabia, and it shows that most of the participants were unaware and lacked information on thalassemia.

Health Awareness: A Significant Factor in Chronic Diseases Prevention and Access to Care

Health literacy and awareness are essential strategies in promoting global health and improving access to care. While seen as an essential tool for promoting population health awareness to improve early detection and treatment of chronic diseases, it is yet to be emphasized in most African countries. Health literacy is an essential practice to promote chronic disease prevention and reduce the growing threat to population health. Incidences and mortalities from chronic diseases commonly arise from limited knowledge of the causative risk factors and access to health facilities. Without knowledge about causes, health impacts, and available health services, people continue to indulge in the habits that worsen their health conditions and fail to access care timely. By using health literacy and awareness as a tool for chronic disease prevention, healthcare professionals will develop strategic health awareness programs that fit the socio-demographics of the population they serve. This article explored the significant role health awareness occupies in individual and community health prevention through health promotion and education. It reviewed the concept and dimensions of chronic disease prevention, cultural beliefs and impact on chronic diseases, gaps created by low health literacy, and the significance of health literacy in disease prevention and health promotion. Furthermore, it recommends that health systems and local communities form partnerships to address common and emerging health problems, and health systems should be properly funded.

Breast Self-Examination (BSE): Association between “Belief in BSE” and “Awareness of BSE” among University Female Students in Uganda

Background: Regular breast self-examination (BSE) has been known to effectively detect breast cancer occurrence early. Are Women who consider BSE effective in detecting breast cancer more likely to be aware of BSE, or vice versa? The present study was an attempt to answer this question. Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed for 259 female University students in Kampala, Uganda. Data were analyzed using SPSS. Univariate and bivariate analyses were carried out. Results: The majority (64.1%) were aware of the BSE technique. Women considering BSE to be effective for early cancer detection were significantly more likely to be aware of the BSE technique. Conclusions: University students who believed in the benefits of BSE were more likely to be aware of BSE than those who did not. More emphasis should be placed on health education for women of younger ages to increase the knowledge of the practice of BSE.