Objectives: To evaluate the level of empathy among medical students in Kuwait University Medical School and its association with sociodemographic factors, stress levels and personality. Subjects and Methods: A cross-sectional survey of 264 medical students was conducted in the Faculty of Medicine, Kuwait University. Empathy levels were measured using the Jefferson Scale, personality was assessed using the Zuckerman-Kuhlman Personality Scale and the Perceived Stress Scale was used to measure stress levels. Factors associated with empathy were evaluated using t test/ANOVA for categorical variables and correlation for continuous predictors. Results: Mean empathy score was 104.6 ± 16.3. Empathy scores were significantly associated with gender, year of study, mother's level of education, household income, satisfactory relationship with the mother and stress levels. Male medical students in their clinical years also had significantly lower empathy levels. However, factors such as grade point average, desired specialty, marital status of parents, father's educational level and relationship with father were not significantly (p > 0.05) associated with levels of empathy. Stress scores were significantly and positively associated with empathy (r = 0.13; p = 0.041). Conclusion: Medical students in Kuwait University had low empathy level and this may be a cause for concern; as such we suggest a possible inclusion of emphasis on empathy in the curriculum.
This first evaluation of a clinic-based smoking cessation service in Asia showed that the service was acceptable to Chinese smokers. The quit rate in this pilot part-time clinic is comparable to those of full-time and better funded clinics in the West. A part-time smoking cessation clinic is a promising model for piloting smoking cessation services in the East.
Recognising the signs and finding solutions to the risk and needs of neglected children remains a challenge in child protection practice despite a global increase in the number of reported child neglect cases. This situation is compounded by the impact of cultural practices on how neglect is perceived. Drawing on semi-structured in-depth interviews with 31 kinship caregivers, this study sought to explore how the culturally informed traditional kinship care practice in Ghana can be considered an intervention strategy for parental neglect. Proactive intervention, prevention of abandonment and utilisation of family support emerged as ways kinship care practice can help resolve child neglect issues. This study's findings suggest that kinship care options could help prevent severe forms of child neglect and prevent instances of child neglect at their onset. The study highlights the importance of culture and tradition when considering approaches to addressing neglect of children, which could be adapted to other cultures as it provides learning regarding where it is safe to have the extended family involved from the beginning where there is suspected neglect.
We conducted a cross-sectional survey using a self-administered questionnaire among attendees of a well women clinic in Hong Kong during June and July 1998. The study aimed to examine the factors associated with the past and future use of screening services among Chinese women in Hong Kong and their perception of service providers. Of the 430 respondents (64% response rate), 87% were aged 31-50 y, 85% married, 93% attained education to upper secondary school level, and 96% were non-smokers. Nearly all respondents (99%) reported having sexual experience and most of them (87%) had such experience with only one partner; 59% reported having a pap-smear test, 28% a mammogram and 44% a breast self-examination. Women who were health conscious (ate a lower fat diet and performed regular exercise) were more likely to have used the screening service (mammogram and pap-smear test) and performed breast self-examination. Staff manner, privacy and cost were the most common contributing factors for respondent's desire for future use of the screening service. Respondents showed a preference for doctors (70%) over nurses (30%), and females (80%) over males (20%) as their service providers. The findings suggest the need to disseminate appropriate information on screening services among the public to dispel misconceptions about the preference for doctors over nurses and females over males. Improving clinician- and other staff-patient communication would be important for breast and cervical screening programs in Hong Kong.
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