Journal of Health Education Research & Development

Introduction: Globally there are fewer male student nurses than their female counterparts apparently making it a female-oriented profession; while there is an increase in recruitment of males it is not sufficient to create a gender balance. This study explored the lived teaching and learning experiences of Fijian male student nurses including perceptions of families and communities.

Method: A mix-method design was involved where the Inventory of Male Friendliness in Nursing Programs (IMFNP-S) was used to collect data from third year male student nurses at the Fiji School of Nursing. In addition, Focus Groups were used to gain depth of insight about their lived experience.

Results: All male student nurses were invited to participate (n=30) and the response rate was 93% and the male friendliness in the nursing program was at a moderate level (x̄ = 37.39/68); while thematic analysis elicited the following: ‘being single out’ ‘societal and cultural image of male student nurses’ and ‘educational environment and content’

Conclusion: Male student nurses reported experiencing negative portrayals, being ridiculed for being a male in nursing, harassment and discrimination culminating in them feeling singled out. Educators should have strategies to recruit and to acclimatize male student into nursing education.

In the fast-paced and demanding world of academia, focusing solely on academic achievements often leads to neglecting the crucial aspects of students' overall well-being. Recognizing the importance of a holistic approach to education, there has been a growing emphasis on incorporating mental and physical health education into the academic curriculum. This article explores the significance of empowering students through a comprehensive approach to mental and physical health, aiming to create a foundation for lifelong well-being. Before delving into the holistic approach, it's essential to understand the prevailing challenges that students face concerning their mental and physical health. Today's students often experience high levels of stress, anxiety, and burnout due to academic pressures, societal expectations, and the increasing use of digital devices. Sedentary lifestyles, poor nutrition, and irregular sleep patterns further compound these challenges, negatively impacting students' overall health and academic performance.

Background: Research activities provide educators with valuable knowledge and skills. Publishing research articles and presenting the findings at conferences are important for medical educators in early academic careers to increase their Contentious Professional Development (CPD). However, the level of their research activity practice and affecting factors has not been investigated at Addis Ababa university.

Objectives: Assessing the level of research activity practices and affecting factors among medical educators in their early academic career at Addis Ababa university, college of health sciences, and school of medicine.

Methods: One hundred ninety-five medical educators in their early academic careers from all departments in the school of medicine participated in this study. Proportional allocation and random sampling techniques were used to select each participant. Socio-demographic and other data were collected using a self-administered pretested questionnaire. Data were entered and processed using SPSS version 25.0. Independent t-tests and one-way ANOVA were used.

Results: The average number of articles published and presented at conferences per year in the last five years was 0.47± 0.35 and 0.45 ± 0.29, respectively. These publications were significantly higher among participants with a monthly salary of >10,470 than a monthly salary of ≤ 10, 470 (0.45 ± 0.37 vs. 0.39 ± 0.28, p=0.03) Ethiopian Birr. Participants with moderate attitudes had published more articles than participants with less attitude towards research activities (0.65 ± 0.43 vs. 0.20 ± 0.00, p=0.10). Medical educators with a higher academic experience of greater than fifteen years published more research articles than educators with an academic experience of fewer than five years (0.80 ± 0.45 vs. 0.39 ± 0.31, p=0.000). Participants from basic science departments presented more articles at conferences than participants from clinical science departments (0.56 ± 0.29 vs. 0.39 ± 0.28, p=0.000).

Conclusion: Research activities were low and affected by monthly salary and field of the study. Effective research activity programs and improve attitudes toward research activities are crucial to improve research productivity.

School authorities are expected to provide healthy indoor environments for children. However, managing Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) is a challenge resulting in unhealthy school environment. The IAQ in two nursery schools located in Georgetown was at an unacceptable level due to high particulate matter (PM_2.5), airborne bacteria and fungi. It was revealed through discussions with Ministry of Education officials that an IAQ management plan does not exist. Therefore, this study was undertaken to determine the components of an IAQ management plan and policy, as well as global guidelines. A qualitative design was used employing secondary data and interviews as the data collection instruments. The data obtained was used to construct an IAQ management plan for nursery schools. In Guyana, there are no guidelines for IAQ. As a result, the WHO threshold limits for nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide, particulate matter and airborne microorganisms were recommended. Exposure to pollutants above the threshold limit can cause severe health implications in children such as cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. The objectives of this paper focused on determining the global guidelines for indoor air quality in schools, the elements of an indoor air quality policy for nursery schools and the elements of an indoor air quality management plan for nursery school. The interviews revealed the components of the IAQ policies should include definition of terms, objectives, guiding principles, applicability, policy outcomes and responsibilities, areas of concern, enforcement and annual review. The results indicated an IAQ management plan can be derived from the IAQ policy.