Using text messages to promote HIV prevention
The introduction of new communication technology has changed how health matters are promoted. Recently ihere was an article by S Castillo in the medicaldaily discussing promotion of better health behaviours using texts in order to prevent HIV. The article revealed that studies have considered text message reminders a way to improve everything from uptake of the flu vaccine and breast cancer screenings to reducing the number of people who end up in the emergency room after a night of binge drinking. The latest research proves they can also increase the rate of HIV testing among the groups who are more vulnerable to infection; in this particular case, young women living in rural Africa. Researchers enrolled 600 students aged 18 to 24 from four colleges in rural central Kenya. Half of these women received weekly texts not just about HIV, but also pregnancy, contraceptives, other sexually transmitted diseases, condoms, and oral sex; the other half did not. Both groups, however, were surveyed monthly about their HIV testing and sexual behavior, as well as their perceived HIV risk or status. All of the women were either uninfected by HIV or were not aware they had been infected.
Within six months of the last message, roughly two-thirds of women in the text messaging group had gone for HIV testing compared to roughly half of those in the control group. And when women in the message group were given the option to receive an additional three texts each week, at least 60 percent opted in.
Text message use in the health sector had been tested earlier and discovered that it lead to positive responses from even workers who received text messages. Health workers in a 2011 study by the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI)-Wellcome Trust Research Programme in Nairobi found twice-daily text message reminders helped them better adhere to national malaria treatment guidelines.
“This trial, the first one using text-messaging to target health workers' behaviour in developing countries, showed that a simple intervention could improve health workers’ adherence to malaria treatment guidelines by as much as 25 [percent] according to the lead study author Dr. Dejan Zurovac.
Now text messages have been proved to also improve health behaviours in developing countries.
Extracted from medialdaily
http://www.medicaldaily.com/young-women-hiv-testing-text-messages-sexual-health-387588
Some books on Health promotion
Our library has a number of books on health promotion in various medical areas such as midwifery and public health . Below is a select few books on health promotion.1. The process of patient education by B K Redman
2. Health promotion in midwifery: prinjciples and practices edited by J Bowden
3. Health promotion and public health for nursing students by D Evans, D Coutsaftiki, C P Fathers
4. Promoting health: a practical guide to health education by L Ewles and I Simnett
5. Developing practice for public health and health promotion by J Naidoo & J Wills
6. Promoting health: a practical guide to health education
7. Understanding the sociology of health : an introduction by A Barry & C Yuill
8. Public health and health promotion: developing practice by J Naidoo & J Wills
9. Health promotion: foundations for practice by J Naidoo & J Wills
contact us
To access these and many other books visit our library located within the Mpilo Hospital, Main Hospital block on the 3rd floor. The hospital is located along Vera Road Mzilikazi Bulawayo Zimbabwe. We are also on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/UzCHSMpiloMedicalLibrary/
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