Search

Purpose: This study aims to understand the impact of professionalism (PR) of the workplace learning support team on learning outcomes. The context of this study is an e-procurement system implementation. Management provides initial formal training (TR) to potential users of the system and also arranges informal learning support by deploying the support team for technical guidance/resolving issues on day-to-day basis for successful implementation. Learning outcome has been measured in terms of perceived ease of use (PEU) by employees and also in terms of the actual use (AU) of the system. This study also explores the role of timely and appropriate initial TR on learning outcomes. Design/methodology/approach: An empirical study has been conducted by collecting survey data from 167 employees using an e-procurement system from India. SPSS 22.0 with add-in Process Macro v3.4 developed by Hayes has been used for statistical analysis. Findings: The results indicate that the PR of the workplace learning support team positively influences employee's PEU of the system and also the final required outcome in terms of the AU of the system. This study also found that the employee's PEU of the system mediates the relationship between the PR of the workplace learning support team and the AU of the system. The result also indicates that higher is the user perception of the appropriateness of initial TR, higher is the effect of PR of the workplace learning team on user learning outcome. Originality/value: This study is an attempt to investigate the unexplored aspect of workplace learning. This paper contributes by studying for the first time, the impact of PR of the workplace learning support team and appropriate initial TR in enhancing the learning outcome in the context of e-procurement implementation.

The purpose of this randomized pilot study is to conduct an intervention with 68 rural women living with AIDS to compare the effectiveness of two different programs on depressive symptoms. The trial was designed to assess the impact of the Asha-Life intervention engaging with an HIV-trained village woman, Asha (Accredited Social Health Activist), to participate in the care of women living with AIDS (WLA), along with other health care providers compared to a Usual Care group. Two high prevalence HIV/AIDS villages in rural Andhra Pradesh, which were demographically alike and served by distinct Public Health Centers, were selected randomly from a total of 16 villages. The findings of this study demonstrated that the Asha-Life participants significantly reduced their depressive symptom scores compared to the Usual Care participants. Moreover, women living with AIDS who demonstrated higher depressive symptom scores at baseline had greater reduction in their depressive symptoms than women with lower scores.

Rural women living with HIV/AIDS (WLA) in India face multifarious challenges which affect access to antiretroviral regimens and management of HIV/AIDS. The purpose of this pilot study, using cluster randomization, is to compare the effectiveness of the Asha-Life (AL) intervention, delivered by HIV-trained village women, Asha (Accredited Social Health Activists), with a usual care group on reduction of internalized stigma and avoidant coping among 68 WLA in rural India over a 6-month period. The findings demonstrated that participation in the AL intervention was associated with significant reductions in internalized stigma and the use of avoidant coping strategies at follow-up. The findings of our study are promising in terms of the role rural village women (Asha) may play in reducing internalized stigma and avoidant coping in the lives of rural WLA in India.

Body composition in HIV-infected individuals is subject to many influences. We conducted a pilot 6-month randomized trial of 68 women living with AIDS (WLA) from rural India. High protein intervention combined with education and supportive care delivered by HIV-trained village women (activated social health activist [Asha] life [AL]) was compared to standard protein with usual care delivered by village community assistants (usual care [UC]). Measurements included CD4 counts, ART adherence, socio-demographics, disease characteristics (questionnaires); and anthropometry (bioimpedance analyzer). Repeated measures analysis of variance modeled associations. AL significantly gained in BMI, muscle mass, fat mass, ART adherence, and CD4 counts compared to UC, with higher weight and muscle mass gains among ART adherent (≥66%) participants who had healthier immunity (CD4 ≥450). BMI of WLA improved through high protein supplementation combined with education and supportive care. Future research is needed to determine which intervention aspect was most responsible.

Researchers explored the barriers to AIDS care for rural women living with AIDS, and they investigated alternative delivery models to increase the women's adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART). Community-based participatory research focus groups were conducted by the researchers with a convenience sample of 39 women living with AIDS from a primary health center (PHC) near Chennai, India, and with nurses, physicians, and Accredited Social Health Activists (Ashas), who are lay health care workers. The most prevalent barriers expressed by the women were sickness-related, psychological, financial issues with childcare, and distance, or transportation to the site. Women living with AIDS reviewed Ashas favorably.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the incidence and risk factors of group A streptococcus (GAS) sore throat among school-aged children living in a periurban slum area of Chandigarh, North India. METHODS: A total of 536 children aged 5-15 years from 261 families identified by a systematic random selection method were enrolled in the study. Episodes of sore throat were recorded through fortnightly home visits over a one-year period. The local vernacular (Hindi) terms gala kharab (bad throat) and khansi jukam (cough and cold) were used to identify symptoms of sore throat, and throat swab specimens were collected from children who had these symptoms on the day of the home visit. Bacterial culture was carried out and the isolation of GAS was confirmed using group-A-specific antiserum. FINDINGS: The incidences of sore throat and GAS sore throat were, respectively, 7.05 and 0.95 episodes per child-year. The incidence was higher in the following situations: among 11-year-olds, during the winter (November to January) and rainy (August) months (a bimodal peak), among children living in houses where there was no separate room for the kitchen, and in homes that included a tobacco smoker. CONCLUSION: The results show that the incidence of GAS sore throat was related to age, season, and indoor air pollution.