Aging is a normal process that implies continued growth, development and adaptation until death. Moreover, the elderly can be a burden to themselves, their families and their communities. The present study aims to assess knowledge, attitudes and practices of workers in Assiut University toward the elderly care. The subjects of the study consist of 624 working personnel in different faculties in Assiut University setting. They were chosen using proportion allocation method which was 25% of the total number of working personnel in each faculty, the total number of the workers in Assiut University was 2558. The results revealed that the mean age.ofthe workers was 37.2 ±11.6; females represented 60% of the studied sample, 44% of them were highly educated, and 81.0% of them living in urban communities, 45.8% of them living with elderly persons at home, while 54.2% not living with them. Majority of the studied sample had good knowledge regarding to the changes, which occur to the elderly, such as nutrition, sleeping problems, accident and exercise, while the majority of them had a poor knowledge regarding health promotion and disease prevention of the elderly. Only 14.7% of the studied sample had a satisfactory degree of practice toward the elderly care and the rest of them had a poor degree of practice. Females in studied sample had more score in practice than males. Those living in rural communities also had more score in knowledge and practice than those living in urban communities. The portion of the studied sample that was living with elderly persons, at their homes had high score in knowledge and practice than who were not living with them. The present study can recommend developing home-based care programs for elders who are residing at home and raising family awareness of the ways of keeping good physical and mental health of the elderly through information booklets and mass media.

A cross-sectional community-based study was designed to determine the age at marriage and to study the reproductive history of 616 currently married women of reproductive age in Elwan village, Assiut District, Assiut Governorate. A systematic random sample was selected. Data ware collected using a pre·designed questionnaire. The young age at marriage, below the legal age « 16 years) represents 20.5% of the sample, while the age 16-19 years represents (59.50%) and only 20% of them were married at 20 or over. Illiteracy. was high in the youngest age group at marriage (94.4%). The low socio--economic status represents 79.5% among the youngest age at marriage compared to 52.8% in the oldest. The youngest age at marriage women had the highest mean number of pregnancy (6.32 ± 2.78) compared to old ones (5.19 ± 2.88 and 4.47 ± 2.64). Also the youngest age at marriage had the highest of live birth (5.2 ± 2.35). Maternal bleeding and perineal tear (~ %) occurred more in early marriage than the older ages at marriage (1.6 and 0.8%).The current (54.8%) and past (29.4%) family planning users were in significantly higher in early marriage (54.8% and 29.4%) compared to later ages of marriage (43.9 % aod 21 %)

A cross-sectional community-based study was designed to determine the age at marriage and to study the reproductive history of 616 currently married women of reproductive age in Elwan village, Assiut District, Assiut Governorate. A systematic random sample was selected. Data ware collected using a pre·designed questionnaire. The young age at marriage, below the legal age « 16 years) represents 20.5% of the sample, while the age 16-19 years represents (59.50%) and only 20% of them were married at 20 or over. Illiteracy. was high in the youngest age group at marriage (94.4%). The low socio--economic status represents 79.5% among the youngest age at marriage compared to 52.8% in the oldest. The youngest age at marriage women had the highest mean number of pregnancy (6.32 ± 2.78) compared to old ones (5.19 ± 2.88 and 4.47 ± 2.64). Also the youngest age at marriage had the highest of live birth (5.2 ± 2.35). Maternal bleeding and perineal tear (~ %) occurred more in early marriage than the older ages at marriage (1.6 and 0.8%).The current (54.8%) and past (29.4%) family planning users were in significantly higher in early marriage (54.8% and 29.4%) compared to later ages of marriage (43.9 % aod 21 %)

Background/a ims. A double-blinded trial eval uating silymarin, an herbal supplement for liver di sease, to prevent complications of chronic hepatitis C virus infection has not been done. • Subjects. One hundred and seventy-seven consenting residents of an Egyptian village with chronic hepatitis C virus were randomly assigned to receive either silymarin or multivitamin supplements. Methods. Participants had baseline and fo llow-up clinical, ultrasound, blood tests and quality-of-life assessments. Community nurses visited weekly to ascertain compliance, distribute supplements and record adverse effects. Results. At 12 months almost all of 141 remaining subjects reported feeling better, although symptoms and quality-of- Iife scores did not differ between the silymarin and multivitamin groups. Both the silymarin and vitamins were tolerated equally well; and >95% of supplements were taken by >95% of subjects. One in each group had no detectable hepatitis C virus antibodies while two in the silymarin group and three receiving multivitamins had un4etectable hepatitis C virus R.NA. Serum alan ine aminotransferase elevations did not differ between groups. Serum hepatic fibrosis marker, hyaluronic acid and YKL-40, and abdominal ul trasound results were simi lar in both groups and may have progressed slightly at 12 months. Conclusions. The recommended dose of silymarin can be safely taken for 1 year and improves symptoms and general well-being, but has no effect upon hepatitis C virus virenn ia, serum AL T, or serum and ultrasound markers for hepatic fibrosis. More prolonged evaluation and a higher dose may be. required to ascertain whether milk thistle supplements prevent complications of chronic hepatitis C virus.

A high level of infection with the hepatitis C virus (HCY) has long been recognized in rural Egypt .The roles and practices of informal sector health care providers were studied in two Egyptian villages, focusing on practices which might be associated with the transmission of the blood borne hepatitis C virus (HCY), especially unsafe needle and instrument use. In the study areas many people resort to male providers for injections, dentistry, wound treatment and male circumcision; traditional birth attendants oversee at least half of all births; "injectionists", ·barbers and staff at pharmacies also perform services that may be associated with HCY transmission. These providers know little about HCY, but are willing to learn and to upgrade their practices. As villagers trust these providers and continue to visit them even if primary health care facilities are accessible near by, efforts should be made to upgrade their practices in order to prevent the transmission of HCY. As the informal providers are widely used and trusted by the local people, they should be mobilized in the effort to prevent the transmission of HCY in Egypt.

Worldwide breast cancer is on of the leading cause of mortality among women. It is well documented that early detection of breast cancer is accompanied with a better prognosis as regards treatment and survival time. Unfortunately, the early diagnostic procedures are limited in developing countries due to many barriers such as poverty, educational and cultural obstacles. This study was conducted to assess knowledge attitude and practices of 126 young female employees (45 years) about breast self-examination (BSE) in Assiut. An educational training progmm concerned with BSE was applied after testing their knowledge about BSE and breast cancer. Reevaluation of their knowledge and attitude was done immediately after the program (posttest I) and • for another time after one month (posttest m. The results showed that knowledge, attitude and practice ofBSE improved markedly after the program (p

Worldwide breast cancer is on of the leading cause of mortality among women. It is well documented that early detection of breast cancer is accompanied with a better prognosis as regards treatment and survival time. Unfortunately, the early diagnostic procedures are limited in developing countries due to many barriers such as poverty, educational and cultural obstacles. This study was conducted to assess knowledge attitude and practices of 126 young female employees (45 years) about breast self-examination (BSE) in Assiut. An educational training progmm concerned with BSE was applied after testing their knowledge about BSE and breast cancer. Reevaluation of their knowledge and attitude was done immediately after the program (posttest I) and • for another time after one month (posttest m. The results showed that knowledge, attitude and practice ofBSE improved markedly after the program (p

A cross-section community based study was designed to study 616 currently married women of reproductive age in a relatively rapid developing village (Elwan Village), Assiut District, Assiut Governorate. Systematic random sample was conducted using a pre-designed questionnaire to study the reproductive behaviors among different socia-economic status and factors, which may affect contraceptive use. Another aim was to compare the family planning (FP) use and socioeconomic indicators with a previous study conducted in the same village in 1991 by Labeeb, 1994. According to Fahmy and El Sherbini scoring ' (1993): 63%. 29.5% and 7.5% belonged to low, middle and high SES respectively. FP knowledge was very high (99%), also the current use rate (50.9%) and ever users (62%) were high. The mean numbers of pregnancies and living children • were (5.28±2.85) and (4.02±2.16) and four FP methods were known on the average. Wives started FP use at an early age with small number of living children and mainly for spacing. IUDs (7 1.3%) and pills (19.7%) were the most commonly used methods and most of wives knew pills, IUDs and injectables spontaneously. Mass media (95.3%) and relatives (54.1%) were the main sources of knowledge. By using Multiple Regression Model, age of starting FP use, number of living children, duration of marriage and FP knowledge were the significant predictors of FP ever uses. By comparing the current study with the previous study conducted by Labeeb (1994), the economic development (sanitation and electric appliance) was much more than social development as education. The FP use increased from 29.4% to 50.9% (98.3% increase). Therefore, socioeconomic improvements were found to have significant effects on reproductive profile.

This case study was designed to identify strategies for helth education to prevent the transmission of hepatitis C virus in Egypt at the community level. Epidemiology research in the study area, and elsewhere in Egypt, had indicated that unsafe injection and' instrument use by health staff appeared likely to transmit HCV. This paper describes a pilot program to target health providers at government primary care facilities. The objectives of the program were I) to increase health providers, knowledge of hepatitis, especially HeV; 2) to utilize this knowledge to ensure safe practices in the primary health care setting and 3) to enable providers to respond to the needs of patents and community members. Formative research identified provider's knowledge of HeV, and observede practices in the health centers. Doctors Nurses, technicians and custodian, as well as regional Ministry of Health and population staff participated in information and training workshops, in which messages and posters developed. In response to provider's requests, and with their collaboration, simble booklets on HeV and on sterilization for use by doctors and nurses in primary health care settings were developed and tested. Activities were monitored and evaluated, and recommendations were made for a viable, sustainable program of health aducation for health providers that could be further tested on the district level. The experience of the researchers at the community level, and in primary health care units, also provides front line workers in other countries with insights that may contribute to health promotion in their own local settings.