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Background: Preoperative education can improve postoperative quality of life in patients undergoing stoma surgery. However, the prevalence and when, where, and how preoperative education is implemented are unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the current status of outpatient preoperative education for patients undergoing stoma surgery for rectal cancer as perceived by nurses. Additionally, it sought to identify the information provided by Japanese healthcare providers as a part of preoperative education. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 1,716 wound, ostomy, and continence nurses (WOCNs) in charge of stoma clinics at Japanese hospitals. Unsigned self-administered survey forms were mailed to the participants, and paper- or web-based responses were obtained. The main questions included: overview of the participants and their facilities, provision of outpatient preoperative education, status of implementation, and preoperative education components. To examine the factors associated with preoperative education, the independent variable was the presence or absence of preoperative education in the clinic, and the explanatory variables were the years of experience as a nurse, years of experience as a WOCN, type of hospital, number of beds, and number of intestinal stoma surgeries per year. Regression analysis was performed. Results: We received 773 valid responses (valid response rate: 45%). Duration of experience as a nurse and as a WOCN were 24.6 and 10.9 years, respectively. Outpatient preoperative education was provided by 24% of the participants. Most preoperative education sessions were conducted for patients or caregivers. Preoperative education took 31–60 min per patient, and one to five patients received preoperative education each month. Booklets, ostomy appliances, and stoma models/dolls were used as supplementary materials for preoperative education. The most frequently mentioned components of preoperative education were stoma care, daily life, social security, stoma clinic, traveling and going out, quality of life after stoma surgery, and precautions for medical treatment. In addition, education on the use of restrooms on the go, disaster preparedness, defecation disorders after restorative proctectomy, and complications after stoma closure were considered necessary. Conclusions: The implementation rate of outpatient preoperative education was low (24%). Future challenges include the development of specific educational content and procedures suitable for the Japanese medical environment and the establishment of preoperative medical care teams for stoma surgery to promote the provision of outpatient preoperative education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The formation of information security behavioural intention (ISBI) can be complex and dynamic in different contexts. This paper aims to examine and compare different users' ISBI formalisation mechanisms when dealing with their personal affairs (non-work users) and organisational affairs (work users). Drawing on two principles of Conservation of Resources (COR) theory (i.e. resource loss principle, and resource gain principle), we developed two models to examine how situational support affects ISBI formation. The results of a study of 432 non-worker users and 261 work users indicate a curvilinear relationship between situational support and ISBI through subjective norms and risk perception for non-worker users, whilst a linear relationship via subjective norms is found for worker users. This is the first time that COR has been applied to explain the formation of ISBI. The findings broaden the research scope of individuals' ISBI by revealing how situational support affects the formalisation mechanism for different users in cross-contexts. The theoretical and practical implications of the findings and the future study are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic and the steps governments took to combat it tormented societies across the globe. Accordingly, existential positive psychologists have emphasized the importance of self-transcendence in mitigating the distress and agony caused by prolonged and rigorous health measures. In this cross-cultural study, the correlation between self-transcendence, people's confidence in government, and democracy was examined. Based on the findings of an online survey (n = 36,304) conducted in 16 societies in Europe, Latin America, Asia, and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), the multi-level analysis established that self-transcendence had a negative relationship with people's confidence in their own government, especially in less democratic societies. Besides expanding the Schwartz theory of basic values and inspiring theoretical developments for new research, this paper recommends that related institutions obtain community consent before pushing out strict health measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although people with a migration background (MB) have more unmet mental health needs than the general population, patients with a MB are still underrepresented in mental health care services. Provider bias towards these patients has been evidenced repeatedly but its driving factors remain elusive. We assessed the moderating effect of the individual (e.g. age and ethnicity), interpersonal (e.g. healthcare provider trust), and organisational (e.g. perceived workload) factors on general practitioners (GPs) differential decision-making regarding diagnosis, treatment, and referral for a depressed patient with or without a MB. An experimental study was carried out in which GPs were shown one of two video vignettes featuring adult male depressed patients, one with a MB and the other without. Belgian GPs (n = 797, response rate was 13%) had to decide on their diagnosis, treatment, and referral. Analysis of variance and logistic regression were used to analyse the effect of a MB, adding interaction terms for the explanatory variables. Overall, we found that there were ethnic differences in GPs' decisions regarding diagnosis and treatment recommendations. GPs perceived the symptoms of the patient with a MB as less severe (F = 7.68, p < 0.01) and demonstrated a reduced likelihood to prescribe a combination of medical and non-medical treatments (F = 11.55, p < 0.001). Those differences increased in accordance with the GP's age and perceived workload; at an interpersonal level, we found that differences increased when the GP thought the patient was exaggerating his distress. This paper showed that lower levels of trust among GPs' towards their migrant patients and high GP workloads contribute to an increased ethnic bias in medical decision-making. This may perpetuate ethnic inequalities in mental health care. Future researchers should develop an intervention to decrease the ethnic inequities in mental health care by addressing GPs' trust in their migrant and ethnic minority patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To investigate the mental well‐being of early career nurses working in the United Kingdom during the COVID‐19 pandemic, with a particular emphasis on symptoms related to post‐traumatic stress disorder. Design: A longitudinal survey study. Methods: Data were acquired at three timepoints during the COVID‐19 pandemic (between May 2020 and March 2021) to determine whether symptoms of post‐traumatic stress disorder persisted over time. Quantitative measures of well‐being were supplemented with survey data on the nurses' experiences of working during the pandemic. Results: Twenty‐seven per cent of participants suffered from persistent symptoms of post‐traumatic stress while working as nurses during the pandemic. The nurses' baseline resilience, as well as their perception of the quality of their work environment, were significant negative predictors of symptoms of post‐traumatic stress. Participants identified a range of strategies that would have helped them during the crisis, including visible, consistent and empathetic leadership, adequate training and a supportive work environment. Conclusion: The context of the pandemic has highlighted the vulnerability of the psychological well‐being of early career nurses in the workforce. Immediate implementation of some of the more simple interventions suggested in this paper would provide early career nurses with rapid support. More complex support mechanisms should be given immediate consideration, with a view to implementation in the longer term. Implications for the Profession: This study contributes new knowledge about the psychological well‐being of early career nurses working during the pandemic and suggests support mechanisms that will be crucial for the retention of these nurses in the profession. A measurement of resilience may be useful for determining the appropriate level of support to provide to early career nurses. Impact: Early career nurses are vulnerable to attrition from the profession. This could be exacerbated if the psychological well‐being of these nurses is not being supported.Around 25% of early career nurses suffered from persistent symptoms of post‐traumatic stress disorder while working as nurses during the height of the pandemic, which is a novel finding compared to other longitudinal studies.Understanding the psychological well‐being of early career nurses working during a crisis period (such as a pandemic) equips nurse managers with appropriate strategies to improve nurses' emotional health and to enhance their retention within the workforce.The current findings may be of interest to clinical practitioners who have responsibility for the retention of nursing staff. No patient or public contribution. One of the authors is a statistician. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The prevalence of intimate partner domestic violence (DV) increased in frequency during the global COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this pilot study was to assess dental hygienists' knowledge, attitudes, and readiness to manage patients experiencing DV in the state of Minnesota. Methods A cross-sectional study design was used on a convenience sample of dental hygienists. The validated Physician Readiness to Manage Intimate Partner Violence Survey (PREMIS) was used to collect the data. Survey items included demographic variables and measured attitudes and knowledge regarding intimate partner DV. Paper surveys were distributed to attendees at the Minnesota Dental Hygienist Association Annual Meeting. ANOVA and linear regression models were used to assess associations between domestic violence knowledge scores and respondent demographics and attitudes. Results Eighty-eight surveys were distributed; 31 surveys were completed and met the inclusion criteria for data analysis. The overall mean knowledge score was 11.6 from a possible score of 17. No significant differences were found by age, degree type, or years in practice and domestic violence knowledge or attitudes. Most respondents (64.5%) indicated a lack of preparedness to ask appropriate questions regarding DV and only a little more than half knew how to respond to disclosures of DV (51.6%) or were aware of the state's legal requirements for reporting DV (58.0%). Conclusion Participants demonstrated moderate knowledge of DV and recognized the importance of identifying and providing support for DV victims. However, participants were unsure of current state-mandated guidelines for reporting DV. Future exploration of reporting mandates will better support dental hygienists in their professional obligations identifying victims of DV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Recruitment of sufficient participants for clinical trials remains challenging. Primary care is an important avenue for patient recruitment but is underutilized. We developed and pilot tested a questionnaire to measure relevant barriers and facilitators to primary care providers' involvement in recruiting patients for clinical trials. Methods: Prior research informed the development of the questionnaire. The initial instrument was revised using feedback obtained from cognitive interviews. We invited all primary care providers practicing within the University of Utah Health system to complete the revised questionnaire. We used a mixed-mode design to collect paper responses via in-person recruitment and email contacts to collect responses online. Descriptive statistics, exploratory factor analysis, Cronbach's alpha, and multivariable regression analyses were conducted. Results: Sixty-seven primary care providers participated in the survey. Exploratory factor analysis suggested retaining five factors, representing the importance of clinical trial recruitment in providers' professional identity, clinic-level interventions to facilitate referral, patient-related barriers, concerns about patient health management, and knowledge gaps. The five factors exhibited good or high internal consistency reliability. Professional identity and clinic-level intervention factors were significant predictors of providers' intention to participate in clinical trial recruitment activities. Conclusions: Results of this exploratory analysis provide preliminary evidence of the internal structure, internal consistency reliability, and predictive validity of the questionnaire to measure factors relevant to primary care providers' involvement in clinical trial recruitment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVES: This paper examines (1) the rate of plan switching among beneficiaries enrolled in a Medicaid managed long-term services and supports (MLTSS) program in Virginia, (2) barriers that prevent beneficiaries from changing plans, and (3) the extent to which a change in plans is associated with greater satisfaction with the current health plan. STUDY DESIGN: Survey data from a representative sample of 1048 members enrolled in Commonwealth Coordinated Care Plus, a Virginia Medicaid MLTSS program. METHODS: The survey ascertained whether beneficiaries changed plans at the previous open enrollment period, whether they wanted to change plans but did not, and reasons for not following through with a plan change. Logistic regression analysis examined the association between the intention to change plans and satisfaction with the current health plan. RESULTS: Seven percent of respondents changed plans during the previous open enrollment. However, twice as many respondents (15%) wanted to change plans but did not. The main reason for not changing plans was uncertainty about whether the new plan would meet their needs better than their current plan. Logistic regression analysis shows that an intention to change plans (realized or not) was associated with higher odds (3.5 times higher) of being dissatisfied with the current health plan compared with beneficiaries who had no intention to change plans. CONCLUSIONS: Greater dissatisfaction after a recent plan change may indicate that these members have specific needs beyond the scope of services offered by managed care organizations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Access to safe drinking water is critical in improving health and well-being. It is estimated that >40% of urban households in Ghana do not have access to safe drinking water. Although the willingness and ability of community members to collectively take local initiatives are essential to curtailing inequities in water access in Ghana, the determinant of collective action is less explored. This paper explores determinants of collective action in water-insecure neighbourhoods and examines how perceived inequities in access to water and trust mediate the relationship between lack of access to water and collective action in urban Ghana. The results show that the urban poor OR = 12.047 (p = 0.000) were more likely to participate in water-related collective action compared to wealthy individuals. Primary decision-makers were 1.696 times more likely to participate in collective (p = 0.02). We also found that perceived inequities OR = 0.381 (p = 0.00) significantly predict participation in collective action to address water insecurity. Water service providers should be subjected to a rigid state-level framework that ensures inclusivity, fairness and justice in their distribution systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: To explore the relationship between nurse practitioner work environment and nurse practitioner outcomes (job satisfaction and intent to leave) in the United States. Design The study used a cross‐sectional survey design to collect survey data from primary care nurse practitioners in six states in the United States. Methods: We sent mail surveys to 5689 eligible nurse practitioners in Arizona, New Jersey, Washington, Pennsylvania, California and Texas. The mail also contained an online link. Participants could complete either the paper or online questionnaire. In total, 1244 participants completed the survey in 2018–2019. The work environment was measured using the Nurse Practitioner‐Primary Care Organizational Climate Questionnaire comprised of four subscales: Nurse Practitioner‐Administration Relations, Nurse Practitioner‐Physician Relations, Independent Practice and Support and Professional Visibility. Global items measured job satisfaction and intent to leave. We used mixed‐effect proportional‐odds cumulative logit models to assess the association between work environment and job satisfaction and intent to leave. Results: Overall, 90% of participants were either very satisfied or somewhat satisfied with their job and 22% reported intent to leave their job in 1 year. With a one‐unit increase in the organizational‐level Nurse Practitioner‐Administration Relations score, the odds of having a higher job satisfaction level increased by about four times and the odds of intent to leave job decreased by about 60%. A higher organizational‐level Nurse Practitioner‐Physician Relations score was significantly associated with higher job satisfaction and lower odds of intent to leave. Conclusion: Improvements in work environments may improve nurse practitioner job satisfaction and retention. Impact This study examined the relationship between work environment, job satisfaction and turnover intention of nurse practitioners. Better work environment is associated with higher job satisfaction and lower turnover intention. Findings have implications for clinical leadership who can take actions to create better work environments to increase the nurse practitioner workforce capacity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To assess the attitudes of newly graduated nurses in China toward their work environment and identify the factors affecting their perception. Background: Newly graduated nurses are the primary supply to cover the nursing shortage, but their stressful transition into clinical work has contributed to high turnover for decades. Although serving as a source of stress, the work environment can also be a source of support for new nurses. Methods: A total of 2361 new nurses at 31 tertiary hospitals in 20 provinces were surveyed from June to November 2018, using the Chinese version of the Practice Environment Scale‐Nursing Work Index. Basic information and their perception about work environment were collected. Results: New nurses rated their work environment with an overall score of 84.67 (12.85). Multiple linear regression identified that education level, monthly income, hospital type and location, participation (or not) in standardized training programmes and having (or not) a mentor/preceptor were factors significantly associated with their perception of the work environment. Conclusion: The perception of newly graduated nurses in China was mainly positive overall. Nursing managers may take full advantage of factors affecting the perception of work environment to support newly graduated nurses better, to help their retention and transition. Summary statement: What is already known about the topic? Newly graduated nurses experience transition shock at the beginning of their work.Supportive work environments can help successful transition. What this paper adds? Newly graduated nurses are not fully supported in their work environment.Staffing and resource inadequacy were the poorest environmental factors.Residency programmes had the most impact on the perceptions of newly graduated nurses about their work environment. Implications for nursing practice: These results can guide nursing managers to support the newly graduated nurses better in their transition process, thus helping retention of nursing human resource. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prior studies have focused on general technology use and technology use in domain‐general applications and quantity of technology use. Recent evidence suggests that investigations should consider how technology is used in more contextually specific ways, including how technology is used for various cognitive tasks in specific classrooms. The purpose of this study was to examine the ways in which classroom content area and student goal orientation have a coordinated influence for how students used technology to support learning. The sample included high school students in a Midwestern state who were surveyed on their motivation and how they used technology to support learning. The study employed hierarchical linear modelling to examine how goal orientation and classroom content area predicted various levels of Bloom's Digital Taxonomy. Students who adopted mastery‐oriented goals were more likely to use technology for various cognitive tasks, especially those at higher levels of complexity. Lastly, the association between mastery goal orientation and some aspects of technology use was conditioned on content area, although effect sizes were small. This study showed that, overall, technology is used differentially across four core content areas. Students in mathematics classrooms used technology less, however much of technology use was evident at lower cognitive levels. Second, students' goal orientation, and in particular their mastery goals influence how technology is used across content areas, and this is marginally conditioned on content area. Technology use should match the instructional context to maximize technology use and students' goal orientation. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: Computer technology tools support cognitive engagementTechnology tool availability differs by content areaStudent motivation is often positively related to increased technology use What this paper adds: Student technology use for various cognitive tasks differed by content areaStudents with mastery goals were more likely to use technology differentlyMotivational patterns' effect on technology use did not differ by content areaStudents in math used technology qualitatively less than other content areas Implications for practice and/or policy: Greater emphasis should be placed on choosing technology to match content areasTechnology should be appropriately chosen to maximize cognitive learning tasksTo support technology use, teachers should help student mastery learning goals [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Best practice in mass reach physical activity campaigns includes a role for communities to support the initiative with sustained programs and shorter-term events. The purpose of this paper was to report on an outcome evaluation of ParticipACTION's 150 Play List, a population-level, year-long, national mass reach campaign that included community events. Participants (N = 1,185) were recruited in the last month of the program to complete a questionnaire measuring demographic information, leisure-time physical activity, campaign awareness, attitudes, intentions, and behavioral trialing. Data were also collected, measured using cell phone proximity, on the number of people who attended 150 Play List events, which ranged from large-scale (e.g. national sports events) to smaller community events. Approximately 43% of respondents were aware of the 150 Play List and 19.5% reported participating in some way (e.g. visiting the website). Almost half of the participants who were aware of the campaign reported increased sport or physical activity-related intentions. Among those who participated, 90.6% reported trying at least one physical activity or sport related behavior as a result of the 150 Play List, whereas only 27.5% (n = 75) of those who were aware but did not participate in the 150 Play List tried a behavior. Event attendance goals were mostly met or exceeded. The 150 Play List was valued by those aware of it and the campaign was related to interest in sport and physical activity in Canada. The community events had potential to augment campaign effects but adequate evaluation requires sufficient resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study investigates the mediation effect of anxiety and depression on the relationship between perceived health-promoting workplace culture and presenteeism. Methods: Paper surveys were distributed to 4703 state employees. Variables included symptoms of depression (Patient Health Questionnaire-2 [PHQ-2]); anxiety (General Health Questionnaire- 12 [GHQ-12]); perceived workplace support for healthy living and physical activity; and presenteeism (Work Productivity and Activity Impairment Questionnaire). Correlational analyses assessed relationships among culture, mental health, and productivity. Results: Indirect effects of workplace culture on productivity, mediated by anxiety and depression symptoms were significant (P's=0.002). Healthy living culture and anxiety were significantly associated (r=-0.110, P<0.01), and anxiety and presenteeism were significantly associated (r=+0.239, P<0.01). Conclusion: Anxiety and depression determine the impact of perceived health promotive workplace culture on employee productivity. The paper highlights importance of health promotive practices targeting employee mental well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding how informal care impacts formal care utilisation for home‐based end‐of‐life patients is an important policy‐ and practice‐relevant question. This paper aims to assess the relationship between informal and formal home care among home‐based end‐of‐life patients and how this relationship has changed over the last decade and over the end‐of‐life trajectory. We focus on informal care provided by family members or friends, and three types of home‐based formal care services: care by personal support workers, physician visits, and nurse visits. Using survey data collected in a home‐based end‐of‐life care programme in Ontario, Canada from 2005 to 2016, we build a two‐part utilisation model analysing both the propensity to use each type of formal care and the amount of formal care received by patients. The results suggest that informal care is a substitute for care by personal support workers, but a complement to physician visits and nurse visits. In the case of nurse visits, an increased complementary effect is observed in more recent years. For home‐based physician and nurse visits, the complementary effect grows with patient's proximity to death. These results highlight the complexity of the relationship between informal and formal care among home‐based end‐of‐life patients. Decision‐makers need to take into account the relationship between informal care and different types of formal services when introducing future policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims and objectives: The many negative effects of burnout have prompted researchers to better understand the factors contributing to it. The purpose of this paper is to add to this body of knowledge through the study of burnout among direct‐care workers in nursing homes. Background: Perhaps the factor most often associated with employee burnout is the level of staffing—insufficient staffing results in work overload and eventually employee burnout. A closer look at research findings suggests that there are many other factors also contributing to burnout. These range from those at the organisational level, such as availability of training and resources to individual characteristics such as self‐esteem and length of employment. Methods: A self‐administered survey instrument was completed by 410 direct‐care workers working within 11 nursing homes in the north Texas region. Regression analyses were performed, adjusting for clustering by nursing home. Beta coefficients and structure coefficients are reported. Burnout was measured through three dimensions: emotional exhaustion, depersonalisation and personal accomplishment. Results: Organisational, work design, interpersonal and individual characteristics were found to be associated with one or more dimensions of burnout. Conclusions: The analyses largely support previous research. Organisational variables of significance included the availability of resources to do the work, available training and fair pay. Work design variables of significance included adequate staffing. The individual characteristic, self‐esteem, appeared to have the strongest impact on burnout. Commitment to the organisation also had a large impact. Relevance to clinical practice: While the data do not allow for the testing of causal relationships, the data do suggest that providing adequate staffing, perceived fair pay, sufficient work resources (e.g., towels, gowns), management support and adequate training may result in less direct‐care worker burnout on the job. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Quality of life is included in the economic evaluation of health services by measuring the preference for health states, i.e. health state utilities. However, most intervention studies include a disease-specific, not a utility, instrument. Consequently, there has been increasing use of statistical mapping algorithms which permit utilities to be estimated from a disease-specific instrument. The present paper provides such algorithms between the MacNew Heart Disease Quality of Life Questionnaire (MacNew) instrument and six multi-attribute utility (MAU) instruments, the Euroqol (EQ-5D), the Short Form 6D (SF-6D), the Health Utilities Index (HUI) 3, the Quality of Wellbeing (QWB), the 15D (15 Dimension) and the Assessment of Quality of Life (AQoL-8D). Methods: Heart disease patients and members of the healthy public were recruited from six countries. Non-parametric rank tests were used to compare subgroup utilities and MacNew scores. Mapping algorithms were estimated using three separate statistical techniques. Results: Mapping algorithms achieved a high degree of precision. Based on the mean absolute error and the intra class correlation the preferred mapping is MacNew into SF-6D or 15D. Using the R squared statistic the preferred mapping is MacNew into AQoL-8D. Implications for research: The algorithms reported in this paper enable MacNew data to be mapped into utilities predicted from any of six instruments. This permits studies which have included the MacNew to be used in cost utility analyses which, in turn, allows the comparison of services with interventions across the health system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Malaysia is a multi-ethnic country with Malay, Chinese and Indian being the dominant ethnic groups. This paper investigates the three ethnic cultures in Malaysia by examining the individual-level values of managers and professionals. Based on 528 responses to a Schwartz Value Survey ( SVS) questionnaire, the paper identifies partial convergence of the value systems of Malay, Chinese and Indian people. It was found that the three ethnic groups do not differ significantly in the individualistic value dimensions of Self-enhancement and Openness-to-change. However, Malays are found to be more conservative and less self-transcendent than Chinese or Indians, while Chinese and Indians attribute the same importance to these two sets of values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Ethnic newspapers have the potential to reach and influence various cultural and ethnic subpopulations traditionally underserved in the United States. The current study sought to explore how ethnic news consumption interacts with health motivation to predict cancer prevention behaviors in a sample of Spanish-speaking adults.Design: Participants (N = 100) completed a survey in Spanish, with items measuring demographics, acculturation, health literacy, health motivation, ethnic newspaper consumption (for two papers: La Viva and La Raza), and cancer prevention behaviors.Results: Results indicated consumption of ethnic newspapers correlated positively to acculturation, and cancer screening utilization. In hierarchical regression analyses, the interaction of consumption of an ethnic newspaper (La Raza) and health motivation predicted two of the six prevention behaviors assessed: avoidance of fatty foods and screening behavior.Conclusion: The study provides evidence that consumption of Spanish-language newspapers enhances the likelihood that individuals with high levels of health motivation will engage in healthy behaviors. This finding highlights the utility of utilizing Spanish-language newspapers to reach underserved populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article uses an intersectionality lens to explore how experiences of race, gender, sexuality, class and their intersections are associated with depression and unmet need for mental healthcare in a population of 704 women and transgender/gender liminal people from Ontario, Canada. A survey collecting demographic information, information about mental health and use of mental healthcare services, and data for the Everyday Discrimination Scale and the PHQ-9 Questionnaire for Depression was completed by 704 people via Internet or pen-and-paper between June 2011 and June 2012. Bivariate and regression analyses were conducted to assess group differences in depression and discrimination experiences, and predictors of depression and unmet need for mental healthcare services. Analyses revealed that race, gender, class and sexuality all corresponded to significant differences in exposure to discrimination, experiences of depression and unmet needs for mental healthcare. Use of interaction terms to model intersecting identities and exclusion contributed to explained variance in both outcome variables. Everyday discrimination was the strongest predictor of both depression and unmet need for mental healthcare. The results suggest lower income and intersections of race with other marginalised identities are associated with more depression and unmet need for mental healthcare; however, discrimination is the factor that contributes the most to those vulnerabilities. Future research can build on intersectionality theory by foregrounding the role of structural inequities and discrimination in promoting poor mental health and barriers to healthcare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims If socio-economic disadvantage is associated with more adolescent smoking, but less participation in tertiary education, and smoking and tertiary education are both associated with heavier drinking, these may represent opposing pathways to heavy drinking. This paper examines contextual variation in the magnitude and direction of these associations. Design Comparing cohort studies. Setting United Kingdom. Participants Participants were from the 1958 National Child Development Study (NCDS58; n = 15 672), the British birth cohort study (BCS70; n = 12 735) and the West of Scotland Twenty-07 1970s cohort (T07; n = 1515). Measurements Participants self-reported daily smoking and weekly drinking in adolescence (age 16 years) and heavy drinking (> 14/21 units in past week) in early adulthood (ages 22-26 years). Parental occupational class (manual versus non-manual) indicated socio-economic background. Education beyond age 18 was coded as tertiary. Models were adjusted for parental smoking and drinking, family structure and adolescent psychiatric distress. Findings Respondents from a manual class were more likely to smoke and less likely to enter tertiary education (e.g. in NCDS58, probit coefficients were 0.201 and -0.765, respectively; P < 0.001 for both) than respondents from a non-manual class. Adolescent smokers were more likely to drink weekly in adolescence (0.346; P < 0.001) and more likely to drink heavily in early adulthood (0.178; P < 0.001) than adolescent non-smokers. Respondents who participated in tertiary education were more likely to drink heavily in early adulthood (0.110 for males, 0.182 for females; P < 0.001 for both) than respondents with no tertiary education. With some variation in magnitude, these associations were consistent across all three cohorts. Conclusions In Britain, young adults are more likely to drink heavily both if they smoke and participate in tertiary education (college and university) despite socio-economic background being associated in opposite directions with these risk factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The correlates of alcohol misuse among female Veterans are not well understood. The present study explored associations among alcohol misuse, demographic/military-related characteristics, interpersonal violence exposure, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression symptom severity. Method: Participants were 369 female Veteran patients of the VA New England Healthcare System. Participants completed a paper-and-pencil mail survey that included validated assessments of alcohol misuse, interpersonal violence, and psychological distress. Results: Younger age, adulthood physical abuse, military sexual trauma, past-year psychological aggression by an intimate partner, and PTSD and depression symptom severity showed significant univariate associations with alcohol misuse (as indicated by unsafe drinking levels, presence or incipience of an alcohol use disorder, intrapersonal alcohol-related concerns, and/or interpersonal alcohol-related concerns). A couple of these associations remained significant when examined in logistic regression models. Conclusions: Findings suggest that female Veterans who are at risk for alcohol use disorders and/or are experiencing alcohol-related problems may benefit from screening and intervention efforts that take into account interpersonal violence exposures and mental health symptoms on a case-by-case basis. Results also suggest the importance of future research examining correlates and risk factors for substance misuse among female Veterans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conclusion: By consulting an ENT-doctor, patients with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS), in the general population, receive disease information and adjustment of treatment which can improve disease-specific Quality-of-Life and may improve objective measurements. Objectives: This study aims to follow persons with clinical diagnosed CRS from the general population, to evaluate their benefit from consultation with an ENT-doctor in terms of severity of symptoms and Quality-of-Life. Methods: As part of a trans-European study, selected respondents to a survey questionnaire were invited for a clinical visit. Based on the European Position Paper on Rhinosinusitis and Nasal Polyps, persons were diagnosed with CRS and followed for 2 years. Quality-of-Life was measured using the Sino Nasal Outcome Test 22 and European Quality-of-Life - 5 Dimensions. Clinical examination included rhinoscopy, acoustic rhinometry, peak nasal inspiratory flow, smell test, and skin prick test. Results: Out of 91 persons with CRS, only 42% had previously consulted an ENT-doctor, and 51% were in current treatment for CRS. Most patients were advised medical treatment and 20% underwent surgery. Disease-specific Quality-of-Life, peak nasal inspiratory flow, olfactory function, and the nasal volume significantly increased over the 2-year period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Age-appropriate infant and young child feeding (IYCF) practices are critical to child nutrition.The objective of this paper was to examine the associations between age-appropriate IYCF practices and child nutrition outcomes in India using data from ~18 463 children of 0-23.9 months old from India's National Family Health Survey, 2005-06-3. The outcome measures were child height-for-age z-score (HAZ), weight-for-age z-score (WAZ), weight-for-height z-score, stunting, underweight and wasting. Linear and logistic regression analyses were used, accounting for the clustered survey data. Regression models were adjusted for child, maternal, and household characteristics, and state and urban/rural residence. The analyses indicate that in India suboptimal IYCF practices are associated with poor nutrition outcomes in children. Early initiation of breastfeeding and exclusive breastfeeding were not associated with any of the nutrition outcomes considered. Not consuming any solid or semi-solid foods at 6-8.9 months was associated with being underweight (P < 0.05). The diet diversity score and achieving minimum diet diversity (⩾4 food groups) for children 6-23 months of age were most strongly and significantly associated with HAZ, WAZ, stunting and underweight (P < 0.05). Maternal characteristics were also strongly associated with child undernutrition. In summary, poor IYCF practices, particularly poor complementary foods and feeding practices, are associated with poor child nutrition outcomes in India, particularly linear growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Aging is associated with deterioration in health and well-being, but previous research suggests that this can be attenuated by maintaining group memberships and the valued social identities associated with them. In this regard, religious identification may be especially beneficial in helping individuals withstand the challenges of aging, partly because religious identity serves as a basis for a wider social network of other group memberships. This paper aims to examine relationships between religion (identification and group membership) and well-being among older adults. The contribution of having and maintaining multiple group memberships in mediating these relationships is assessed, and also compared to patterns associated with other group memberships (social and exercise). Method: Study 1 (N = 42) surveyed older adults living in residential care homes in Canada, who completed measures of religious identity, other group memberships, and depression. Study 2 (N = 7021) longitudinally assessed older adults in the UK on similar measures, but with the addition of perceived physical health. Results: In Study 1, religious identification was associated with fewer depressive symptoms, and membership in multiple groups mediated that relationship. However, no relationships between social or exercise groups and mental health were evident. Study 2 replicated these patterns, but additionally, maintaining multiple group memberships over time partially mediated the relationship between religious group membership and physical health. Conclusion: Together these findings suggest that religious social networks are an especially valuable source of social capital among older adults, supporting well-being directly and by promoting additional group memberships (including those that are non-religious). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim This paper introduces the concept of acceleration-related demands in the care of older adults. It examines these new demands and their relation to cognitive, emotional, and physical job demands and to employee well-being. Background Various changes in the healthcare systems of Western societies pose new demands for healthcare professionals' careers and jobs. In particular today's societal changes give rise to acceleration-related demands, which manifest themselves in work intensification and in increasing requirements to handle new technical equipment and to update one's job-related knowledge. It is, therefore, of interest to investigate the effects of these new demands on the well-being of employees. Design Survey. Method Between March-June 2010 the survey was conducted among healthcare professionals involved in care of older adults in Austria. A total of 1498 employees provided data on cognitive, emotional, and physical job demands and on acceleration-related demands. The outcome variables were the core dimensions of burnout (emotional exhaustion and depersonalization) and engagement (vigour and dedication). Results Hierarchical regression analyses show that acceleration-related demands explain additional variance for exhaustion, depersonalization, vigour, and dedication when controlling for cognitive, emotional, and physical demands. Furthermore, acceleration-related demands associated with increasing requirements to update one's knowledge are related to positive outcomes (vigour and dedication). Acceleration-related demands associated with an increasing work pace are related to negative outcomes such as emotional exhaustion. Conclusion Results illustrate that new demands resulting from social acceleration generate potential challenges for on-the-job learning and potential risks to employees' health and well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on the importance of family member closeness as a protective factor against domestic abuse. We explore the link between long-lasting relations within the family and intra-familial violence perpetrated against women in Latino households in South Florida. We use data from an Inter-generational Transmission of Drug Use between Latina Mothers and Daughters (ITDMD) study. The study includes data on family relations and domestic abuse. We estimate a series of multivariate regressions to obtain the probability of abuse against women, the types of abuse inflicted and the relationship with the abusers. Our results indicate that among abused women, the effects of long-lasting relations within the family differ depending on the type of relationship between the abuser and the victim and the degree of closeness the victim feels towards other family members. Given these findings, there is a need to further study family relations and abuse in Latino households. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper examined the importance of household and economic contextual factors as determinants of ethnic disparities in adolescent body mass index (BMI). Individual-level data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 for the years 1997 through 2000 were combined with economic contextual data on food prices, outlet density and median household income. The Oaxaca–Blinder decomposition method was used to examine the factors that could help explain ethnic disparities in BMI. Ethnic differences in household demographic, parental socioeconomic status (SES), and economic contextual factors explained the majority of the male black–white (63%), male Hispanic–white (78%) and female Hispanic–white (62%) BMI gaps but less than one-half of the female black–white BMI gap (44%). We found that adding the economic contextual factors increased the explained portion of the ethnic BMI gap for both female and male adolescents: the economic contextual factors explained 28% and 38% of the black–white and Hispanic–white BMI gaps for males and 13% and 8% of the black–white and Hispanic–white BMI gaps for females, respectively. Parental SES was more important in explaining the Hispanic–white BMI gap than the black–white BMI gap for both genders, whereas neighborhood economic contextual factors were more important in explaining the male BMI gap than the female BMI gap for both black–white and Hispanic–white ethnic disparities. A significantly large portion of the ethnic BMI gap, however, remained unexplained between black and white female adolescents. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

d'arcy l.p., sasai y. & stearns s.c. (2012) Do assistive devices, training, and workload affect injury incidence? Prevention efforts by nursing homes and back injuries among nursing assistants. Journal of Advanced Nursing 68(4), 836-845. Abstract Aims. This paper is a report of a study of association between workplace injuries experienced by nursing assistants in nursing homes in the United States and four factors that may affect injury rates: initial nursing assistant training, training at the current facility, lifting devices, and time to execute daily duties. Background. High injury rates among nursing personnel have been reported in multiple settings across countries. The existing literature is divided on the effectiveness of training and assistive devices in reducing injury rates among nursing assistants. Methods. We examined associations between whether or not the nursing assistant has experienced an injury and four key factors: quality of initial injury prevention training, injury prevention training at current facility, lift availability and whether or not the nursing assistant has sufficient time to complete resident activities of daily living. We estimated a survey-weighted logit model using 2004 National Nursing Assistant Survey data. Results/findings. The odds of an injury in the past year were lower among nursing assistants who reported always having a lift available when needed (41% lower odds), available facility training to reduce workplace injuries (39%), and sufficient time to complete resident activities of daily living (35%). Quality of initial training to prevent work injuries was not significantly associated with injury status. Conclusion. Regions without widespread access to lifting devices may be able to reduce injury rates by increasing the availability of lifting devices. The potential for reductions in injury rates in the United States is greatest from improving training and ensuring adequate time for resident care, as most facilities currently have lifts available. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the moderating role of negative affectivity and risk aversion in the relationships of two bases of continuance organizational commitment (continuance-sacrifices and continuance-alternatives) to turnover, within a stress-coping perspective. More specifically, we propose that (a) the perspective of leaving is a source of stress for those who stay due to the fear of losing valued advantages (i.e. high continuance-sacrifices commitment) and (b) staying is perceived to be stressful by individuals who remain based on a lack of employment alternatives (i.e. high continuance-alternatives commitment). We argue that these perceptions are magnified by negative affectivity and risk aversion, resulting in individuals who present these traits to use avoidance-withdrawal strategies in coping with these situations. Accordingly, based on a sample of 509 human resource management professionals, we found (a) negative affectivity and risk aversion to strengthen the negative relationship of continuance-sacrifices commitment to turnover and (b) continuance-alternatives commitment to relate positively to turnover among individuals with high negative affectivity. We discuss the implications of these findings for our understanding of how commitment mindsets and personality traits affect turnover decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]