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Background: There is little information available related to the reproductive health of people with intellectual disability (ID). The aims of the present study are to describe caregiver attitudes and to examine determinants of gynaecological health for women with ID. Method: We recruited 1152 caregivers (response rate = 71.87%) and analysed their responses to a mailed-out, self-administered, structured questionnaire. We divided attitudinal perceptions of reproductive health into 4 domains: menstruation, menopause, sex education, and preventive healthcare. Each domain in turn had 5 issues (questions), with scores of 1 to 4 given according to the level of agreement with each issue (low to high score: "strongly disagree," "disagree," "agree," and "strongly agree"). The total sum score for each domain was 5-20 (total score range: 20-80). Results: The respondents' attitudinal mean score was 57.78 plus or minus 4.64 (range: 48-75). The multiple logistic regression model revealed that the factors of "workplace training in reproductive health" (OR = 1.793, 95% CI = 1.31-2.46), "felt satisfied with public reproductive health services for the client" (OR = 0.694, 95% CI = 0.53-0.92), and "scores of reproductive health knowledge" (OR = 1.735, 95% CI = 1.29-2.34) were significantly correlated with attitudinal score level toward gynaecological health for women with ID. Conclusions: The study highlights that service authorities should address health policy initiatives to continue providing workplace training in reproductive health, public reproductive health services. There is also a need for caregivers to increase their knowledge of reproductive health. (Contains 6 tables.)

Although many previous studies have begun to address the reproductive health needs of women with intellectual disabilities; however, the supportive behaviors of caregivers to assist their reproductive health is not well understood. Data from a cross-sectional survey of ""2009 National Survey on Reproductive Health Care Needs and Health Education Strategies for Women with Intellectual Disabilities in Taiwan"" were analyzed. Study sample consisted of 1152 caregivers who working in 32 disability institutions have been analyzed in the study. The results showed that the caregiver did not have adequate supportive behaviors towards reproductive health care for women with ID (mean score was 29.84 out of 60), particularly in the arrangement of preventive reproductive health services. We analyzed the potential significant variables in a multiple linear regression model to examine the factors which affect the caregiver's supportive behaviors of reproductive health for women with ID. The model revealed that the factor of respondent's gender, job category, working years in disability setting, helping experience of reproductive health for women with ID, perception of reproductive health knowledge, in-job training of reproductive health, perceived adequacy of public reproductive health service for the client, scores of reproductive health knowledge and reproductive health attitude were significantly correlated to their supportive behavioral score of reproductive health for women with ID. These factors can explain 23.6% of the variation of supportive behavioral score. The present study suggests the reproductive health interventions need to take into account the perspectives of health workers, caregivers and women, as well as the constraints they face in providing and receiving services, respectively. (Contains 5 tables.)

Although longevity among older adults with intellectual disabilities is increasing, there is limited information on their premature aging related health characteristics and how it may change with increasing age. The present paper provides information of the institutional manager's perception on early onset aging and service preparation for this population. We used purposive sampling to recruit 54 institutional managers who care for people with intellectual disabilities in Taiwan. The present study employed a cross-sectional design using a self-administrative structured questionnaire that was completed by the respondents in November 2009. The results showed that more than 90% of the respondents agreed with earlier onset aging characteristics of people with ID. However, nearly all of the respondents expressed that the government policies were inadequate and the institution is not capable of caring for aging people with ID, and more than half of them did not satisfy to their provisional care for this group of people. With regard to the service priority of government aging policy for people with ID, the respondent expressed that medical care, financial support, daily living care were the main areas in the future policy development for them. The factors of institutional type, expressed adequacy of government's service, respondent's job position, age, and working years in disability service were variables that can significantly predict the positive perceptions toward future governmental aging services for people with ID (adjusted R[squared]=0.563). We suggest that the future study strategy should underpin the aging characteristics of people with intellectual disabilities and its differences with general population to provide the useful information for the institutional caregivers. (Contains 7 tables.)

Nationwide data were collected concerning inpatient care use and medical expenditure of people with disabilities (N = 937,944) among national health insurance beneficiaries in Taiwan. Data included gender, age, hospitalization frequency and expenditure, healthcare setting and service department, discharge diagnose disease according to the ICD-9-CM coding system which has been used in Taiwan NHI diagnosis system. There were 27.88% of persons with disabilities have been hospitalized for treatments during the year 2005 and it was 3.5 times of the general population (7.95%). The mean of annual inpatient care expenditure was 163,544.21 NTD, and male patients use more inpatient care cost than female patients in people with disabilities. However, the hospitalization rate in female patients is statistical higher than male patients in the study (p less than 0.001). Infectious and parasitic diseases, mental disorders, diseases of the respiratory system, diseases of the circulatory system, injury and poisoning were the top five reasons for hospitalization among the subjects. Our study also found that psychiatry, internal medicine, orthopedic, surgery and neurosurgery are the top five clinical divisions which the cases used more frequently than other clinical departments in hospitalizations. The present study presents the first information of hospitalization care and medical costs in people with disabilities based on a nationwide data analyzes in Taiwan. We suggest the importance of supporting people with disabilities during hospitalizations, following up rehabilitation and there is an urgent need for cost-effective intervention programs for disability prevention, which could be offset against the cost for treating the disabled in the future. (Contains 4 figures and 7 tables.)

Although little is known about the incidence of cervical cancer in women with intellectual disabilities (ID), Pap smear screening is an effective public health program to prevent cervical cancer to this group of people. The purposes of this study were to identify and evaluate the factors regarding the utilization of the Pap smears in women with ID seen in the preventive health screening program. We employed a cross-sectional survey "2009 National Survey on Preventive Health Use and Determinants among People with Disabilities", with the study sample 508 women with ID (aged [greater than or equal] 15 years) participated in the research in Taiwan. Results showed that there were 22.1% women with ID had ever used Pap smear screening previously and mean age of the first screening was nearly 40 years old. Comparing to the general population in Taiwan, the ID women at age group less than 35 years was less likely to use screening and the age group [greater than or equal] 35 years was more likely to use Pap smears than did the general women. Finally, a logistic regression analysis showed that marital status and had experience of accepted tubal ligation surgery were two factors which predicted Pap smear test use in the study. Those women with ID who had marital status were 8.99 times (95% CI = 1.65-49.15) more likely than those had not marital status to use Pap smear test. Women with ID had experience on tubal ligation surgery were 10.48 times (95% CI = 1.40-78.26) more likely to use Pap smear test than their counterparts. This study highlights that to acknowledge the rights of women with ID to access Pap smear screening service, health professionals will need to become more flexible and competent in the service that they provide. (Contains 7 tables.)

This study aims to establish evidence-based data to explore the perceptions and experience of primary care physicians in the Pap smear screening provision for women with intellectual disabilities (ID), and to analyze the associated factors in the delivery of screening services to women with ID in Taiwan. Data obtained by a cross-sectional survey by a structured, self-administered questionnaire (12 perceptional issues), and were posted to all primary care settings (N = 168) which provided Pap smear tests for women with ID in Taichung and I-Lan counties in Taiwan, Republic of China during the period of 2009. The vital primary care physician of each healthcare setting was the main respondent of the questionnaire. Finally, there were 69 valid questionnaires returned, giving a response rate of 41.7%. The main findings showed that 72.5% medical care settings provide Pap smear services and 51.5% have practical experience on conducting the tests for women with ID. Among the respondents, nearly 90% primary care physicians expressed that women with ID need Pap smear test regularly. With regard to the associated factors in the delivery of Pap smear screening services to women with ID. The study found that experienced healthcare settings in Pap smear tests for women with ID were more likely to be in public healthcare settings, felt confident in providing screening tests, having a rapid screening program and having a reminding follow-up system. Those respondents felt necessity in Pap smear test for women with ID were more likely to express it is needed to set up a special screening clinic for this group of women. The present study suggests that women with ID need thoughtful, well-coordinated care from primary care physicians, to increase access to health care providers may be helpful in improving Pap screening tests for this population. (Contains 3 tables.)

Aims: The aims of the present study were to explore the perceptions of general practitioners (GPs) in the provision of health care services for people with intellectual disabilities and to analyse GPs' priorities in the delivery of health care services to this group of people in Taiwan. Methods: The study employed a cross-sectional design and was conducted by a census method, the aim being to collect information from all GPs in Taiwan. A questionnaire was mailed out, between 10 April 2006 and 16 June 2006, and the responses provided by 331 GPs (response rate = 16) were included in the analysis. Results: The results showed that most of the respondents did not have sufficient experience to deal with patients with intellectual disabilities and lacked adequate knowledge about intellectual disabilities. Indeed, respondents expressed the need for on-the-job training in the field of intellectual disabilities and generally agreed that their role in providing health care services for people with intellectual disabilities was important. However, they were generally not satisfied with the achievements of their role on health care issues. The study highlighted that many issues need to be prioritized for people with intellectual disabilities in relation to policy planning at different health care stages (primary, secondary and tertiary health care). The results also revealed that those senior GPs with considerable experience in treating people with intellectual disabilities were more likely satisfied with their role in providing health care for this group of people. Conclusions: It is concluded that Taiwanese health and welfare authorities need to focus more carefully on issues concerning deficiencies in the training of GPs, and to employ appropriate strategies to address health care issues raised in the present study so as to improve the quality of care for people with intellectual disabilities.

Little is known about the job strain of staff working in disability institutions. This study investigated the staff's job strain profile and its determinants which included the worker characteristics and the psychosocial working environments in Taiwan. A cross-sectional study survey was carried out among 1243 workers by means of a self-answered questionnaire. The outcome variable (high-strain job) was evaluated. The explanatory variables were: worker characteristics and the psychosocial working environment evaluated according to Karasek's Job Demand-Control-Support model. The results show that many staff characteristics were correlated with job strain, such as staff's working hours, age, gender, job title, educational level, religion, in-job training, working years in disability institutions and Effort-Reward Imbalance factors. Organization factors, such as geographical, institutional ownership and accreditation performance and size were also correlated with staff's job strain. In multiple a logistic regression model of the job strain, we found that the factors of financial reward (high compare to low, OR = 0.95, 95% CI = 0.928-0.975), extrinsic effort (high compare to low, OR = 1.072, 95% CI = 1.072-1.158), perceived job stress (sometimes stressful compare to no stress, OR = 2.305, 95% CI = 1.161-4.575; very stressful compare to no stress, OR = 3.931, 95% CI = 1.738-8.893) of the staff were significantly correlated to the high job strain of the staff. An important focus of future research should be extending the findings to consider the factors to affect the high job strain to improve the well-being for staff working for people with intellectual disability. (Contains 9 tables.)

The purposes of the present study were to determine whether extrinsic high-effort/low-reward conditions at work are associated with personal characteristics and the organizational environments. A cross-sectional survey was conducted (76.7% response rate, N = 1243) by recruiting the staff caring for people with intellectual disabilities of Taiwan in 2006. Conditions at work were measured using Siegrist's Effort-Reward Imbalance (ERI) model, the questionnaire included 23 Likert scaled items and it divided into three scales: effort, reward and overcommitment. Multiple logistic regression modeling was conducted for extrinsic high-effort/low-reward status in relation to staff and working environmental factors. We found that 15.1% staff were in the low-effort/low-reward group, 35.9% was in the low-effort/high-reward group, 17.9% belonged to the high-effort/high-reward group and 31.1% was included in the high-effort/low-reward group. Controlling for many personal demographic and organizational characteristics, the factors of perceived job support (OR = 0.91; 95% CI = 0854-0.97), job control (OR = 0.954, 95% CI = 0.934-0.974), job demand (OR = 1.155, 95% CI = 1.109-1.203) and job stress (felt sometimes stressful compare to no stress at all, OR = 2.305, 95% CI = 1.161-4.575) of the staff were significantly correlated to the extrinsic high effort/low reward at work in the multiple logistic regression model. The present study highlights that the service providers need to be aware and understand the experiences that their staff encounters in the organizational, interpersonal and personal level regarding unfair working conditions such as high effort/low reward to improve the positive health of the staff. (Contains 8 tables.)

Little explicit attention has been given to the generic health profile of staff working for people with intellectual disability in institutions. This study aimed to provide a profile of physical and mental health of staff working in disability welfare institutions, and to examine the possible demographic and organizational factors that explain an association with their health. A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted to analyze 1243 staff (76% response rate) working in 24 institutions in Taiwan. The 36-Item Short-Form (SF-36) Taiwan version was used to measure their generic health status. The mean of Physical component scores (PCS) was slightly higher than Mental component scores (MCS) (50.83 vs. 45.12). With regard to each dimension among PCS, the mean score of Physical functioning (PF) was 57.14 (S.D. = 5.93), Role limitations-physical (RP) was 49.88 (S.D. = 9.69), Bodily pain (BP) was 52.14 (S.D. = 8.09) and General medical health (GH) was 51.50 (S.D. = 8.28). Among the MCS, Vitality (VT) was 46.19 (S.D. = 6.71); Social functioning (SF) was 46.44 (S.D. = 7.58); Role limitations-emotional (RE) was 47.30 (S.D. = 11.89) and Mental health (MH) was 43.58 (S.D. = 8.81). We found the generic health of staff working for people with intellectual disabilities were significantly lower in PCS and MCS than the Taiwan general population. Influences of staff's demographic and organizational characteristics on their health were also analyzed in the content. This study highlights the authorities and service providers need to continue to develop their awareness and understanding of the experiences that their staff encounters in the organizations, so that they can receive resources to support their positive health in working for people with intellectual disabilities. (Contains 8 tables.)

The aims of the preset study were to describe the profile of serum uric acid, the prevalence of hyperuricemia and its risk factors among children and adolescents with intellectual disabilities. We conducted a cross-sectional study of 941 children and adolescents with intellectual disabilities (aged 4-18 years) who participated in annual health examinations in three special schools in Taiwan. This study indicated 30.6% boys and 17.9% girls with intellectual disabilities were with hyperuricemia in Taiwan. The factors of gender, age and BMI were variables that can significantly predict the hyperuricemia occurrence in this vulnerable population. Those children and adolescents with intellectual disabilities were boys (OR = 2.93, 95% CI = 2.02-4.26) and older age (OR = 6.49, 95% CI = 2.19-19.21) were more likely to be hyperuricemia. With regard to BMI to hyperuricemia occurrence, those children and adolescents with intellectual disabilities were overweight (OR = 1.16-3.21, 95% CI = 1.16-3.21) and being obese (OR = 4.95-11.58, 95% CI = 4.95-11.58) was more likely to have a hyperuricemia than the normal weight group. This study provides the general profile of serum uric acid, hyperuricemia and its risk factors of children and adolescents with intellectual disabilities. Medical professionals should be highly alert to the possible consequences of hyperuricemia and provide useful information about the clinical manifestation of this condition for caregivers of children and adolescents with intellectual disabilities. (Contains 3 figures and 4 tables.)

The present study based on World Health Organization quality of life (WHOQOL-BREF) scale to examine quality of life of the caregivers caring for their children/adolescents with intellectual disabilities in Taiwan, and the factors contributing to their quality of life. Structured interviews were conducted with 597 caregivers of children/adolescents with intellectual disabilities. The results found that the mean scores in each domain of WHOQOL-BREF of the caregivers as the followings: physical capacity (PC) was 13.71 [plus or minus] 2.35, psychological well-being (PW) was 12.21 [plus or minus] 2.55, social relationship (SR) was 12.99 [plus or minus] 2.43 and environment (EN) was 12.32 [plus or minus] 2.38. These mean scores were lower than the general population and slight higher than the caregivers of adults with intellectual disabilities in Taiwan. Finally, multiple stepwise regressions were conducted to examine the characteristics of caregiver and children/adolescents with intellectual disabilities will more likely explained the WHOQOL-BREF mean scores. The study found the following three factors: self-perceived health status, household income and stress from insufficient family support were significantly correlated to all four domains in multiple stepwise regression analyses. The results highlights that caregivers of children and adolescents with intellectual disabilities seem to display a lower WHOQOL-BREF mean score than the general population, probably for a combination of stress, health and household income factors. These finding must be taken into account in policy making to provide better and more specific supports and interventions for the caregivers of people with intellectual disabilities. (Contains 9 tables.)

Few studies reported in the literature have addressed the long-term trend of the use of medical care for people with intellectual disabilities (ID) in institutions. The subject cohort in this study was made of 168 individuals with ID in a public residential facility from 1999 to 2002 in Taipei, Taiwan. The average age of participants was 19.3 years, and their average stay in an institution was 6.6 years. The average annual outpatient visit of the study participants was 18.2 in the previous 4 years. It was found that they had more medical visits than the general population. Nearly 20.8-34.5% (average 29.0%) of the participants utilized more than 25 visits annually which was defined as high outpatient visit users. This group of high outpatient users consumed more than half of the total annual outpatient care visits in the past 4 years. In the full model of Generalized Estimating Equations to compare the high and non-high outpatient users, the factor of individuals with ID dwelling in the institution were more likely to be high outpatient care users than individuals who were only accepting institutional day care services (OR = 6.29, 95% CI = 1.35-29.30). The present study provides general information of high outpatient utilization and its determinants of people with ID and provides evidence for medical care decision makers dealing with policy development for people with ID care in institutions.

The article focuses on a cross-sectional study conducted at 30 worksites in Taiwan which suggested that companies that initiates health promotion programs need to conduct a detailed assessment of nature of the workplace settings and the perceptions of employees. It states that Taiwan Workplace Health Promotion (WHP) Initiatives helped employees to improve their personal health skills. It informs that health services and health environment domains agreed to health promotion effectiveness.

In Chinese society, traditional postnatal practices and family support protect the health and well-being of women after childbirth. The absence of support for these practices for Chinese migrants in Western societies can have negative implications for their health. Recent studies reveal that postnatal stress is a growing concern among Chinese migrant women in Brisbane, Australia. There is a need to investigate the experiences of these women in order to understand factors affecting their postnatal health and to identify gaps in, and ways to improve, existing services and support identified needs. This paper examines postnatal experience and health needs of Chinese migrant women in Brisbane from three different places of origin: Taiwan, Hong Kong and the People's Republic of China (PRC). Previous studies on reproductive health beliefs and practices of Chinese women have found that a relationship exists between postnatal maternal health and postnatal cultural practices, appropriate family and community support and social circumstances, particularly pressures relating to employment. This study further tests and confirms these findings by comparing the experience of the three Chinese groups who have different migration circumstances, socio-economic and employment status, and support networks. The study reveals that among the three groups, PRC migrants are more likely to have encountered downward social mobility, economic hardship, social isolation, employment and language problems. While all three groups believe in the necessity of traditional postnatal practices, the PRC group has less support and is also more likely to have experienced postnatal health problems than the other two groups. This paper concludes with two sets of recommendations: one for community organisations with a focus on empowerment and cooperation; and one for service providers concerning improvement of multi-sectoral partnership, cross-cultural communication and the development of a postnatal care service model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study was to describe the input/process and evaluate the effectiveness of Taiwanese Workplace Health Promotion Initiatives based on employees' perspectives. This study employed a cross-sectional design by a structured questionnaire that was completed by 842 employees in 30 workplaces that participated in the Taiwan Workplace Health Promotion (WHP) Initiatives which supported by Ministry of Health from 2004 to 2006. The results found that the employees generally agreed that WHP improved their personal health skills. There was a lower level of agreement with respect to other input/process domains such as workplace healthy policy, workplace supportive health environments and WHP activities and services and the WHP effectiveness. With regard to the prediction of WHP effectiveness, the domain of workplace health activities/services could only predict 50.5% of the variation of the effectiveness in a regression model. Three domains of workplace - health activities/services, personal health skills and supportive health environments - were significantly correlated to the agree level of health promotion effectiveness. The results suggest that companies that intend initiating health promotion programs need to conduct a detailed assessment of the nature of the workplace settings and the perceptions of employees.

Purpose: This study was designed to investigate general practitioners' (GPs) beliefs about the perceived importance of their role in, and their satisfaction with, providing healthcare to people with intellectual disabilities. The identification of healthcare issues with potential for improvement was assessed using gap analysis and an opportunity-guided method., Method: A cross-sectional census survey by a mail-structured questionnaire recruited 331 GPs (response rate--16%) who provided information on healthcare for people with intellectual disabilities in 2006 in Taiwan., Results: The results indicated that GPs considered their role in providing healthcare for people with intellectual disabilities to be important (mean score 7.2-8.3). However, the respondents generally did not feel satisfied (mean score 4.6-5.5) with their achievements in treating patients with intellectual disabilities. We found that the gender and educational level of the respondents were statistically correlated to the perceived importance they considered their work to have, while the factors of age, medical practice setting and training experience in intellectual disability were statistically correlated to GPs' perceived satisfaction in providing healthcare to people with intellectual disabilities (p < 0.05). Those healthcare issues of'training and experience in intellectual disability', 'multi-disciplinary and multi-sectoral cooperation', 'adequate competence in disability diagnosis', 'genetic consulting services', 'duty of disease prevention and health promotion', and 'adequate medical consultation time' were the five most promising areas to be improved in healthcare for people with intellectual disabilities according to the opportunity-guided analysis., Conclusions: This study highlights that health professionals need to examine carefully healthcare issues pertaining to people with ID, and that much more effort is required to develop appropriate healthcare policies based on the opportunity-guided health issues identified here.