Rural youths' understanding of gene x environmental contributors to heritable health conditions: The case of podoconiosis in Ethiopia.
OBJECTIVES:Assess the feasibility of engaging youth to disseminate accurate information about gene by environmental (GxE) influences on podoconiosis, a neglected tropical lymphedema endemic in southern Ethiopia. METHODS:A cross sectional survey was conducted with 377 youth randomly selected from 2 d...
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:230788d60574435abf8578563be20c02 2023-05-15T15:08:57+02:00 Rural youths' understanding of gene x environmental contributors to heritable health conditions: The case of podoconiosis in Ethiopia. Kibur Engdawork Colleen M McBride Desta Ayode Caitlin G Allen Gail Davey Getnet Tadele 2018-09-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0006763 https://doaj.org/article/230788d60574435abf8578563be20c02 EN eng Public Library of Science (PLoS) http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC6155534?pdf=render https://doaj.org/toc/1935-2727 https://doaj.org/toc/1935-2735 1935-2727 1935-2735 doi:10.1371/journal.pntd.0006763 https://doaj.org/article/230788d60574435abf8578563be20c02 PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, Vol 12, Iss 9, p e0006763 (2018) Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine RC955-962 Public aspects of medicine RA1-1270 article 2018 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0006763 2022-12-31T00:20:15Z OBJECTIVES:Assess the feasibility of engaging youth to disseminate accurate information about gene by environmental (GxE) influences on podoconiosis, a neglected tropical lymphedema endemic in southern Ethiopia. METHODS:A cross sectional survey was conducted with 377 youth randomly selected from 2 districts of Southern Ethiopia. Measures included GxE knowledge (4 true/false statements), preventive action knowledge (endorse wearing shoes and foot hygiene), causal misconceptions (11 items related to contagion) and confidence to explain GxE (9 disagree/agree statements). RESULTS:Over half (59%) accurately endorsed joint contributions of gene and environment to podoconiosis and preventive mechanisms (e.g., wearing protective shoes and keeping foot hygiene). Multivariable logistic regression showed that youth with accurate understanding about GxE contributors reported having: some education, friends or kin who were affected by the condition, and prior interactions with health extension workers. Surprisingly, higher accurate GxE knowledge was positively associated with endorsing contagion as a causal factor. Accuracy of GxE and preventive action knowledge were positively associated with youth's confidence to explain podoconiosis-related information. CONCLUSIONS:Youth have the potential to be competent disseminators of GxE information about podoconiosis. Interventions to foster confidence among youth in social or kin relationships with affected individuals may be most promising. Efforts to challenge youth's co-existing inaccurate beliefs about contagion could strengthen the link of GxE explanations to preventive actions. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Arctic PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases 12 9 e0006763 |
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Open Polar |
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Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
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ftdoajarticles |
language |
English |
topic |
Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine RC955-962 Public aspects of medicine RA1-1270 |
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Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine RC955-962 Public aspects of medicine RA1-1270 Kibur Engdawork Colleen M McBride Desta Ayode Caitlin G Allen Gail Davey Getnet Tadele Rural youths' understanding of gene x environmental contributors to heritable health conditions: The case of podoconiosis in Ethiopia. |
topic_facet |
Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine RC955-962 Public aspects of medicine RA1-1270 |
description |
OBJECTIVES:Assess the feasibility of engaging youth to disseminate accurate information about gene by environmental (GxE) influences on podoconiosis, a neglected tropical lymphedema endemic in southern Ethiopia. METHODS:A cross sectional survey was conducted with 377 youth randomly selected from 2 districts of Southern Ethiopia. Measures included GxE knowledge (4 true/false statements), preventive action knowledge (endorse wearing shoes and foot hygiene), causal misconceptions (11 items related to contagion) and confidence to explain GxE (9 disagree/agree statements). RESULTS:Over half (59%) accurately endorsed joint contributions of gene and environment to podoconiosis and preventive mechanisms (e.g., wearing protective shoes and keeping foot hygiene). Multivariable logistic regression showed that youth with accurate understanding about GxE contributors reported having: some education, friends or kin who were affected by the condition, and prior interactions with health extension workers. Surprisingly, higher accurate GxE knowledge was positively associated with endorsing contagion as a causal factor. Accuracy of GxE and preventive action knowledge were positively associated with youth's confidence to explain podoconiosis-related information. CONCLUSIONS:Youth have the potential to be competent disseminators of GxE information about podoconiosis. Interventions to foster confidence among youth in social or kin relationships with affected individuals may be most promising. Efforts to challenge youth's co-existing inaccurate beliefs about contagion could strengthen the link of GxE explanations to preventive actions. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Kibur Engdawork Colleen M McBride Desta Ayode Caitlin G Allen Gail Davey Getnet Tadele |
author_facet |
Kibur Engdawork Colleen M McBride Desta Ayode Caitlin G Allen Gail Davey Getnet Tadele |
author_sort |
Kibur Engdawork |
title |
Rural youths' understanding of gene x environmental contributors to heritable health conditions: The case of podoconiosis in Ethiopia. |
title_short |
Rural youths' understanding of gene x environmental contributors to heritable health conditions: The case of podoconiosis in Ethiopia. |
title_full |
Rural youths' understanding of gene x environmental contributors to heritable health conditions: The case of podoconiosis in Ethiopia. |
title_fullStr |
Rural youths' understanding of gene x environmental contributors to heritable health conditions: The case of podoconiosis in Ethiopia. |
title_full_unstemmed |
Rural youths' understanding of gene x environmental contributors to heritable health conditions: The case of podoconiosis in Ethiopia. |
title_sort |
rural youths' understanding of gene x environmental contributors to heritable health conditions: the case of podoconiosis in ethiopia. |
publisher |
Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
publishDate |
2018 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0006763 https://doaj.org/article/230788d60574435abf8578563be20c02 |
geographic |
Arctic |
geographic_facet |
Arctic |
genre |
Arctic |
genre_facet |
Arctic |
op_source |
PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, Vol 12, Iss 9, p e0006763 (2018) |
op_relation |
http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC6155534?pdf=render https://doaj.org/toc/1935-2727 https://doaj.org/toc/1935-2735 1935-2727 1935-2735 doi:10.1371/journal.pntd.0006763 https://doaj.org/article/230788d60574435abf8578563be20c02 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0006763 |
container_title |
PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases |
container_volume |
12 |
container_issue |
9 |
container_start_page |
e0006763 |
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1766340214547021824 |