Leeds Health Education Database
1.
Objectives
2.
Criteria
for inclusion in database
3.
Results
4.
Why were papers excluded from the database?
5.
Conclusions
6.
Health
topics in the database
1. Objectives
This
project began in 1997 with the objectives:
- To document evaluated health education and health
communication interventions in developing countries
- To critically assess the evidence for effectiveness of health education in developing
countries
- To develop guidelines
on ingredients for successful intervention programmes
2. Criteria for inclusion in database
- The health education/health
communication should be described in sufficient detail
- There should be evidence of
impact of the health communication on the community.
- There should be evidence to
attribute the impact achieved to the health education/communication
activity either through the use of controls or other means.
- Data can be quantitative or
qualitative - in both cases adequate information should be provided on the
evaluation methodology including sampling, data collection and
data-analysis/statistical testing.
- The intervention should take
place in a developing country
- The report
should be in a published or easily accessible source and be dated after
1975.
3. Results
·
600 potential interventions were initially identified. On
examination almost half were rejected on various grounds including lack of
impact data, baseline, controls, statistical tests and controls leaving:
·
353 publications in the database -
·
of which 63 were
classified as borderline in that they did not fully meet criteria for inclusion
but had some special features which justified retention subject to further
consideration.
·
More than two thirds (278) of
the entries in the database were published since 1990.
·
These publications with
accompanying abstracts and key words have been entered onto a microcomputer
bibliographic database using ‘Reference manager’ software.
·
The content of the abstracts
have been organized under the headings Target group/Country, Intervention
Methodology, Evaluation Method and Impact Achieved.
4. Why
were papers excluded from the Leeds Health Education Database?
General
reasons
·
The health promotion component was not adequately described with no
description of the methods used, personnel involved or the content.
·
Health promotion was only one of many components of a programme its
contribution was not evaluated.
·
The report was a descriptive study of activities and/or coverage with no
data on impact -
·
The intervention was evaluated in terms of performance of the health
worker e.g. improved prescribing practices, referral, treatment, communication
skill and not impact on the community.
·
The outcome measures were not properly defined (e.g. a knowledge scale
was used without adequate definition of the knowledge measured).
·
The objectives were inappropriate objectives either for epidemiological
or ethical reasons
Data
collection/analysis/presentation
·
Lack of detail of sampling/use of self-selected samples
·
Lack of information on data-collection instruments
·
Data reported as % but raw data not provided to judge validity
·
Lack of statistical treatment and significance tests to justify assumptions
·
No base line data provided or alternative means to demonstrate that
there has been an impact
·
No controls or alternative methods for ascribing the impact to the
intervention
·
Findings of qualitative studies presented with no accompanying
description of method used for analysis of qualitative data
Evidence exists for many
health topics and methods that well designed health education/communication
programmes can bring about changes in knowledge, attitudes, behaviour change
and in some cases improvements in health
Most of the published evaluations in developing countries
have been on sexual health, infectious and tropical diseases. There has been
little effort directed at emerging problems such as cancers both
tobacco-related and others, hypertension, accident prevention, drug abuse,
adolescent health, disability awareness, occupational health and the workplace
setting.
Most of the published studies explored traditional areas of
health and behaviour change.
There were very few evaluation studies of programmes using
empowerment participation or community participation
The impact of advocacy on health promoting policies has not
been evaluated
Many of the programmes which provide good evidence of
effectiveness are small scale pilot programmes. There is a need for research to
explore issues of scaling up and introducing good practice into health and
education infrastructure.
Many good programmes have not been evaluated or have been
poorly written up in the literature. There is a need to provide technical and
financial support for evaluation, documentation and dissemination of health
promotion activities.
Appendix
What health
topics are included in the database?
|
AIDS and STDs |
81 |
|
Family planning |
39 |
|
MCH -general |
12 |
|
Safe motherhood |
7 |
|
Breastfeeding |
27 |
|
Immunization |
11 |
|
Oral rehydration |
18 |
|
Acute respiratory
infection |
5 |
|
Growth monitoring |
6 |
|
Nutrition |
13 |
|
Infectious diseases
(malaria, TB, Onchocerciasis, Worms, Leprosy, Dengue) |
46 |
|
Water, sanitation and
hygiene education |
36 |
|
Oral Health |
10 |
|
Eye Health |
17 |
|
Chronic (heart disease,
cancer, smoking, alcohol, drugs |
17 |
|
Miscellaneous: accidents,
disability, mental health, patient education |
20 |
What
are the main sources for database entries?
|
No. papers in database |
Journal |
|
21 |
Social Science and Medicine |
|
15 |
International Quarterly of Community
Health Education |
|
12 |
AIDS, Lancet, Southeast Asian Journal of
Tropical Medicine and Public Health |
|
11 |
Studies in Family Planning |
|
10 |
Bulletin of the World Health Organization |
|
8 |
Indian Pediatrics, International Journal
of Health Education, |
|
7 |
AIDS Care, Health Education Research,
Health Policy and Planning, International Family Planning Perspectives,
Journal of Diarrhoeal Diseases Research |
|
6 |
Hygie, International Journal of
Epidemiology, Journal of Tropical Medicine & Hygiene, South African
Medical Journal, Transactions of the Royal Society Tropical Medicine and
Hygiene |
|
5 |
AIDS Education and Prevention, Food and
Nutrition Bulletin, Patient Education and Counseling, Public Health, Tropical
Doctor, Tropical Medicine and International Health |
|
4 |
Journal of Tropical Paediatrics |
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