Dongo Rémi Kouabenan

Incidence and prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus nasal carriage among healthcare workers in geriatric departments: relevance to preventive measures.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcs aureus (MRSA) nasal carriage was assessed among healthcare workers caring for elderly patients in contact precautions in geriatric departments. Monthly incidence ranged from 0% to 3.3%. Carriage was observed only among nurses and nursing assistants. MRSA was thus infrequently acquired using precautions and carriage was usually transient.

Control beliefs and engagement in hygienic and safety behaviours: the case of foodborne illness

Abstract Foodborne illness is an ever-growing concern in public health. Studies found that conventional training is not enough to cause employees to apply the hygiene and safety measures. The present study explores control and fatalistic beliefs as potential factors for explaining engagement in preventive actions. Two-hundred and seventeen employees of a fast-food restaurant (75 % of all staff) answered a questionnaire assessing their control beliefs, fatalistic beliefs, risk perception, and engagement in hygienic and safety behaviours. The results validated our hypotheses. Control beliefs were positively related to engagement in hygienic and safety behaviours (b = 0.43, p < 0.001). The inverse relation was observed for fatalistic beliefs (b = − 0.24, p < 0.001). The perceived effectiveness of the prescribed measures seems to be the best predictor of engagement in preventive behaviours, followed by perceived self-efficacy. To increase adherence to preventive measures, it is recommended to enhance staff’s self-efficacy and perceived effectiveness of these measures.

Accident history, risk perception and traffic safe behaviour

Abstract This study clarifies the associations between accident history, perception of the riskiness of road travel and traffic safety behaviours by taking into account the number and severity of accidents experienced. A sample of 525 road users in Cameroon answered a questionnaire comprising items on perception of risk, safe behaviour and personal accident history. Participants who reported involvement in more than three accidents or involvement in a severe accident perceived road travel as less risky and also reported behaving less safely compared with those involved in fewer, or less severe accidents. The results have practical implications for the prevention of traffic accidents. Practitioner Summary: The associations between accident history, perceived risk of road travel and safe behaviour were investigated using self-report questionnaire data. Participants involved in more than three accidents, or in severe accidents, perceived road travel as less risky and also reported more unsafe behaviour compared with those involved in fewer, or less severe accidents. Campaigns targeting people with a less serious, less extensive accident history should aim to increase awareness of hazards and the potential severity of their consequences, as well as emphasising how easy it is to take the recommended preventive actions. Campaigns targeting those involved in more frequent accidents, and survivors of serious accidents, should address feelings of invulnerability and helplessness.

Impact of perceptions about children and procreation on family-planning practices

Objective: The present study looks at how family-planning (FP) practices might be influenced by perceptions about children and procreation. We hypothesised that adding the perceived value of children and procreation to Ajzen’s 1985 model would improve its predictive power. Method: Two hundred and seventy Nigerian women, 120 living in an urban area and 150 living in a rural area, answered a questionnaire about their use of FP. The questionnaire contained items assessing the variables found in Ajzen’s model (attitude, perceived control, subjective norms, intention) as well as items assessing perceptions about children and procreation. Results: The results confirmed that child-related perceptions improved predictions for both rural and urban women (improvements of 2.4% and 2.8%, respectively). They also had an effect on FP practices. More specifically, the more positive a woman’s perceptions of children, the less inclined she was to engage in FP. Conclusions: Recommendations are made in view of taking this variable into account in FP promotion programmes.

Social norms in promoting family planning: a study in Niger

Despite the progress made in the domain of family planning, the practice of the latter remains a current issue around the world, particularly in emerging and developing countries. This study examines the impact of traditional values and norms regarding family planning in Niger. Self-reported data were gathered – by means of a questionnaire – as to the variables likely to influence family planning practices (through contraceptive use). Participants were married females (N = 200), between 21 and 50 years of age. The data were analysed using SPSS 15.0 software. The findings suggest that subjective norms have a direct effect on contraceptive use among women with no formal schooling, living in either rural or urban settings. For women with some formal schooling, it was their attitude towards family planning that had a direct effect on family planning practices. Suggestions for devising targeted family planning messages based on cultural values and norms have been proposed.