Earticle

Background/Objectives: Mother’s Mosquito Eradication (ME) behavior plays important role on ME in Indonesia. Dengue Chit-Chat (DCC) is a text-messaging based intervention that can be used to improve ME. The aim of this study was to analyse the effect of DCC on the mother’s ME behavior in Bali. Methods/Statistical analysis: This study was a quasi-experimental with pre-test and post-test with control group design and cluster sampling technique. Sixty-seven participants were divided into experimental and control groups. The experimental group was given a three weeks message program that was delivered four times a week. Findings: Statistical analyses showed no significant differences in knowledge (p=0.064) and container index score (p=0.051), but showed significant differences in attitude (p<0.001) and practice (p<0.001) before and after the intervention. Improvements/Applications: Based on these results, we conclude that DCC can be used to increase attitude and practice of ME. However, study with a longer intervention duration may be needed to explore the behavioral effect of text-messaging intervention on ME.

Background/Objectives: Telehealth through videoconferencing has the potential to improve the lives of the elderly. Unfortunately, little is known on its health benefits in the physical and quality of life dimensions among seniors. The aim of this paper is to compare videoconferencing as a mode of telehealth with traditional healthcare delivery in the contexts of functional independence and Quality of Life (QoL) measures using a non-equivalent control group before-after quasi experimental design. Methods/Statistical analysis: One-hundred forty seniors from a rural area were purposively selected and distributed to the telehealth (n=82) and traditional (n=58) groups. SF-8 and Functional Independence Measure (FIM) were used to gather the needed data from the participants before and after exposure to the interventions. Findings: Results of t-tests indicate significant improvement in QoL of the two groups of subjects on both telehealth and traditional groups, while FIM measures exhibited no significant change among the telehealth group. Improvements/Applications: On the whole, study findings promote a more personal delivery of healthcare among the elderly, and challenges the health practitioners and policy makers to recognize the pragmatic worth of and improve telehealth as a complementary healthcare tool for traditional consultation in enhancing QoL among seniors. Impliedly, more researches with extended number of subjects and locale is needed to come up with a more generalizable result.

Background/Objectives: The fire related injuries such as burns are one of the main problems of the community. It is because of the insufficient ideas in wound healing and lack of financial capabilities resulting into self-medication. Methods/Statistical analysis: In this study, the researchers will prepare an ointment from milkfish skin and scale added to soft paraffin in 70 C until it congeals. The milkfish is known having high content of riboflavin and vitamin B complex that is a big impact to fasten the first-degree burn healing process. The milkfish skin and scales are also to be extracted using Gamma Irradiation as a manner of sterilization and for preservation of collagen and vitamin B content. The experimental rats will be induced of burn wounds by 5 seconds in the back part using cylindrical heat steel to be associated in 100C boiling water which will be treated with the prepared ointment. The epithelialization times, wound contraction and histological examination will be observed and the data recorded is to be analyzed using one-way ANOVA and repeated measures. Findings: This study deals with scientific experimentation to identify the potential of Milkfish skin and scale in wound healing. Improvements/Applications: If proven effective, it may be utilized as an alternative wound healing agent.