https://ir.kdu.ac.lk/handle/345/7562 JMSH 2026-04-08T16:18:06Z https://ir.kdu.ac.lk/handle/345/7590 Book Review: Vodun: Secrecy and the Search for Divine Power by Timothy R. Landry Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2018. 201pp. Herath, Nuwan 2023-11-01T00:00:00Z https://ir.kdu.ac.lk/handle/345/7589 Book Review: Humanities and Social Sciences Education in Sri Lankan Universities: Past, Present and Future Hewage, T.U.; Weerawansa, S.R.S.D.K This is an essay about the book “Humanities and Social Sciences Education in Sri Lankan Universities: Past, Present, and Future, Volume III: Premakumara de Silva... [et al.]— University Grants Commission, Government Press, Colombo: 2022, 332 pp. (ISBN 978-624- 5980-09-3)” reviewed as a commentary on the evolution of tertiary-level Humanities and Social Science (HSS) education in Sri Lanka. This essay will provide an in-depth analysis of the content of the book from a holistic point of view, highlighting the interconnectedness of parts I through VI, with a conclusion that discusses in part VII ‘Plans for Future’ and the concluding remarks of the book itself. Therefore, review comments for some chapters may not be in the same order as they appear in the book. This essay reviews how the content of the book addresses the relationship between HSS education and the country’s social problems, such as deepening inequalities of wealth, lack of employment opportunities for HSS graduates, persistent authoritarian regimes, imperfect democracies, corruption, and inadequate systemic responses to them. 2023-11-01T00:00:00Z https://ir.kdu.ac.lk/handle/345/7588 Religion and culture-related explanatory models of cancer and their association with wellbeing: a survey-based study in Sri Lanka Solomons, TH; Malaviarachchi, S; Balawardane, J; Manjuka, S Health beliefs are recognized as being important in predicting disease-related variables. Among health beliefs, explanatory models are observed to be strongly held beliefs. The personal etiological framework of an individual regarding his or her health condition is referred to as an explanatory model. In Asian countries, it has been observed that individuals have two parallel sets of explanatory models. One is based on the Western medical model, and another is based on cultural and religious beliefs. The current cross-sectional study expects to understand the religion and culture-based explanatory models among Sri Lankans. The study’s first phase was conducted with 142 adults in Sri Lanka as an online survey. Multiple regression analysis was conducted to gauge the relationship between selected demographic variables and religious-cultural beliefs related to cancer. A short questionnaire was developed to record the religious-cultural beliefs related to cancer, following five mini-interviews. This was pre-tested before being used in the study. 50 cancer patients participated in the second phase, where their commonly held religion and culture-related explanatory models and their levels of well-being were correlated to understand if they had a significant impact on their well-being. An adapted version of the PERMA profiler was used to measure well-being. No statistically significant relationships were observed between the religious-cultural explanatory models of cancer and the disease-related variables. Thus, the prominent religious and cultural explanatory models of cancer can be seen as part of personal core beliefs in people, which are not normally affected or necessarily changed significantly via education, gender, or other disease-related circumstances. Further, beliefs related to karma appear to have a significant impact on well-being. Thus, karma and other religion- and culture-based explanatory models should be acknowledged in providing holistic care for cancer patients. 2023-11-01T00:00:00Z https://ir.kdu.ac.lk/handle/345/7587 Cross-Cultural Adaptation of the Toronto Empathy Questionnaire to Sinhalese for Implementation among Nursing Students in Sri Lanka Weerasinghe, GDDB; Patabendige, PNM; Thuduwage, SVR; Arumapperumachchi, PM; Gamage, CKW; Hettigoda, K The Toronto Empathy Questionnaire (TEQ) is a valuable tool for assessing empathy in nursing students. This study aimed to translate the 16-item TEQ into Sinhalese and cross-culturally adapt it to Sri Lanka. The process of cross-cultural adaptation consisted of five distinct stages: (I) initial translation, (II) synthesis of the translation, (III) back translation, (IV) Expert Committee Delphi review, and (V) testing of the pre-final version after obtaining permission from its developer. The content and consensual validity of the translated version were assessed by a two-round Delphi procedure involving a panel of five experts. Evaluation metrics included Content Validity Index (CVI) parameters such as I-CVI, Universal Agreement (S-CVI/UA), and Average CVI (S-CVI/Ave). Administered to 197 nursing undergraduates at General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University in Sri Lanka, the finalized Sinhalese TEQ demonstrated exceptional content validity (I-CVI = 1.0 for each item) and the highest overall content validity indices (S-CVI/UA = 1.0; S-CVI/Ave = 1.0). The high internal consistency, as indicated by Cronbach's alpha coefficient of 0.732, underscores the Sinhalese TEQ's reliability. In conclusion, this cross-culturally adapted assessment tool proves valid and reliable for evaluating empathy levels among nursing students in Sri Lanka. 2023-11-01T00:00:00Z