OBJECTIVES The nominal group technique (NGT) allows stakeholders to directly generate items for needs assessment surveys. The objective was to demonstrate the use of NGT discussions to develop survey items on (1) challenges experienced by informal caregivers of people living with systemic sclerosis (SSc) and (2) preferences for support services. DESIGN Three NGT groups were conducted. In each...

Research over the last 50 years has repeatedly documented that bus drivers are exposed to several physical and psychological risk factors, which are associated with health problems in the form of heart, musculo-skeletal and stomach disease, and increased coronary mortality. So why has there been little action to improve the situation when it is so obviously indicated by such assessments? This a...

BACKGROUND New measures of exposure prevention (EP) activity were used to evaluate the effectiveness of a 16-month management-focused intervention addressing hazardous substance exposures in manufacturing work settings. METHODS EP efforts were assessed using a rating scheme developed for this study. The rating scheme yields a set of measures of exposure potential and protection, which are com...

The aim of the present paper is to assess local residents' awareness of utilizing Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits to purchase fresh produce at local farmers' markets, and to determine internet use and media preferences of study participants prior to implementation of a social marketing campaign. A needs assessment was conducted to collect baseline data in an underserve...

INTRODUCTION Yuendumu is a Warlpiri Aboriginal community 300 km north west of Alice Springs in Central Australia. Since emerging from the welfare period in the early 1970s, a range of services have evolved with the aim of developing a comprehensive community based aged care service. In 2000 Mampu Maninja-kurlangu Jarlu Patu-ku Aboriginal Corporation (Yuendumu Old Peoples Programme; YOPP) commen...

BACKGROUND Working-aged individuals diagnosed and treated for cancer require support and assistance to make decisions regarding work. However, healthcare professionals do not consider the work-related needs of patients and employers do not understand the full impact cancer can have upon the employee and their work. We therefore developed a work-related guidance tool for those diagnosed with can...

BACKGROUND We describe reach, partnerships, products, benefits, and lessons learned of the 25 Community Network Programs (CNPs) that applied community-based participatory research (CBPR) to reduce cancer health disparities. METHODS Quantitative and qualitative data were abstracted from CNP final reports. Qualitative data were grouped by theme. RESULTS Together, the 25 CNPs worked with more ...

There have been significant improvements in the design and management of humanitarian aid responses in the last decade. In particular, a significant body of knowledge has been accumulated about public health interventions in emergencies, following calls for developing the evidence base of humanitarian health interventions. Several factors have prompted this, such as the increased volume of huma...

Getting the right information into the right hands at the right time is a challenge for many health systems in developing countries. Health workers need access to reliable and up-to-date health information in order to support their clients. This health information needs assessment, conducted in the capital city and 3 districts of Malawi from July 2009 to September 2009, aimed to determine acces...