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Background and Objectives Telehealth holds potential for inclusive and cost-saving health care; however, a better understanding of the use and acceptance of telehealth for health promotion among rural older adults is needed. This systematic review aimed to synthesize evidence for telehealth use among rural-living older adults and to explore cost-effectiveness for health systems and patients. Research Design and Methods This systematic review was conducted in accordance with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Study designs reporting health promotion telehealth interventions with rural-living adults aged 55 and older were eligible for review. Following screening and inclusion, articles were quality-rated and ranked by level of evidence. Data extraction was guided by the Technology Acceptance Model and organized into outcomes related to ease of use, usefulness, intention to use, and usage behavior along with cost-effectiveness. Results Of 2,247 articles screened, 42 were included. Positive findings for the usefulness of telehealth for promoting rural older adults' health were reported in 37 studies. Evidence for ease of use and usage behavior was mixed. Five studies examined intention to continue to use telehealth and in 4 of these, patients preferred telehealth. Telehealth was cost-effective for health care delivery (as a process) compared to face to face. However, findings were mixed for cost-effectiveness with both reports of savings (e.g. reduced travel) and increased costs (e.g. insurance). Discussion and Implications Telehealth was useful for promoting health among rural-living older adults. Technological supports are needed to improve telehealth ease of use and adherence. Cost-effectiveness of telehealth needs more study, particularly targeting older adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore working men's perspectives about sleep health and the intersecting influences of gender and work, describing participant's views on current and potential programming and organizational support to promote sleep health. Twenty men employed in male-dominated industries in the north-central region of Alberta, Canada, participated in 4 consultation group discussions addressing motivators, facilitators and barriers to sleep health. Participants reported sleeping an average of 6.36 (SD ±1.1) hours per night, and the majority worked more than 40 hours per week. Data were analyzed using an inductive approach. The findings provided important insights. In normalizing sleep deprivation and prioritizing the need to "just keep going" on six or less hours of sleep, the men subscribed to masculine ideals related to workplace perseverance, stamina and resilience. Workplace cultures and practices were implicated including normative dimensions of overtime and high productivity and output, amid masculine cultures constraining emotions and conversations about sleep, the sum of which muted avenues for discussing, let alone promoting sleep. Challenges to good sleep were primarily constructed around time constraints, and worry about meeting work and home responsibilities. Men's preferences for workplace support included providing and incentivizing the use of sleep health resources, designing work for sleep health (e.g., shift schedules, overtime policies) and getting advice from experienced coworkers and experts external to the workplace organization. These findings hold potential for informing future gender-sensitive programming and organizational practices to support sleep health among working men. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Predictors of men's health behaviors and interest in workplace health promotion are not well known. The aim of this study was to describe men's interest in workplace health promotion and associated health behaviors. Method : Male employees (N = 781) at six workplaces in British Columbia, Canada, were invited to complete a survey of their health behaviors, demographics, and interest in health promotion prior to implementation of a workplace health program. Findings : A total of 227 male employees (M age = 43.6 years; SD = 12.1) completed the survey (response rate = 29%). Regarding health behaviors, 62.1% reported 150 weekly minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), 29.3% consumed 5+ servings of fruit/vegetables per day, 56.8% reported 7+ hours sleep/night, 14.4% smoked, and 81.3% consumed alcohol. Men spent 50% of their workday sitting, and higher body mass index (BMI), higher income, and greater hours worked were related to greater hours sitting. Age was inversely related to MVPA. Alcohol consumption was lower among men who were older, had higher income, and worked fewer hours. Most men were interested in being physically active (85%), managing stress (85%), eating healthy (89%), and cancer screening (91%). Higher stage of change for physical activity (β =.20, p =.003) and fruit/vegetable consumption (β =.18, p =.027) were related to interest in these activities. Conclusions/Application to Practice : Occupational health providers should consider worker demographics and could support interventions that target individuals with varying levels of health behaviors given the importance of meeting the needs of often sedentary workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To explore published empirical literature in order to identify factors that facilitate or inhibit collaborative approaches for health promotion using a scoping review methodology.Data Source: A comprehensive search of MEDLINE, CINAHL, ScienceDirect, PsycINFO, and Academic Search Complete for articles published between January 2001 and October 2015 was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines.Study Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria: To be included studies had to: be an original research article, published in English, involve at least 2 organizations in a health promotion partnership, and identify factors contributing to or constraining the success of an established (or prior) partnership. Studies were excluded if they focused on primary care collaboration or organizations jointly lobbying for a cause.Data Extraction: Data extraction was completed by 2 members of the author team using a summary chart to extract information relevant to the factors that facilitated or constrained collaboration success.Data Synthesis: NVivo 10 was used to code article content into the thematic categories identified in the data extraction.Results: Twenty-five studies across 8 countries were identified. Several key factors contributed to collaborative effectiveness, including a shared vision, leadership, member characteristics, organizational commitment, available resources, clear roles/responsibilities, trust/clear communication, and engagement of the target population.Conclusion: In general, the findings were consistent with previous reviews; however, additional novel themes did emerge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study created personas using quantitative segmentation and knowledge user enhancement to inform intervention and service design for rural patients to encourage preventive care uptake., Methods: This study comprised a cross-sectional survey of rural unattached patients and a co-design workshop for persona development. Cross-sectional survey data were analyzed for meaningful subgroups based on quartiles of preventive care completion. These quartiles informed "relevant user segments" grouped according to demographics (age, sex), length of unattachment, percentage of up-to-date preventive activities, health care visit frequency, preventive priorities, communication confidence with providers, and chronic health conditions, which were then used in the workshop to build the final personas., Results: 207 responses informed persona user segments, and five health care providers and 13 patients attended the workshop. The resulting four personas, included John (not up-to-date on preventive care activities), Terrance (few up-to-date preventive care activities), George (moderately up-to-date preventive care activities), and Anne (mostly up-to-date preventive care activities)., Conclusion: Quantitative persona development with integrated knowledge user co-design/enhancement elevated and enriched final personas that achieved robust profiles for intervention design., Innovation: This project's use of a progressive methodology to build robust personas coupled with participant feedback on the co-design process offers a replicable approach for health researchers., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 The Authors.)

Objective: To describe the smoking patterns of patients receiving elective surgery and their knowledge about the benefits of smoking cessation to inform and strengthen support for patients to quit smoking in order to optimize surgical outcomes., Design: Patients who had elective surgery were screened for smoking status, and eligible patients completed a telephone survey., Setting: Two regional hospitals in northern British Columbia., Participants: Of 1722 patients screened, 373 reported smoking before surgery. Of these, 161 (59.0% women) completed a telephone survey., Main Outcome Measures: Patient smoking cessation, knowledge of the perioperative risks of smoking, use of resources, and health care provider advice and assistance., Results: Participants included 66 men and 95 women (mean [SD] age of 51.9 [14.0] years). In total, 7.5% of these patients quit smoking in the 8 weeks before their surgeries, although an additional 38.8% reduced their smoking. Only about half of the patients surveyed were aware that continuing to smoke increased their surgical risks. Further, only half of the patients surveyed reported being advised to quit before their surgeries by a health care professional. Few were using the provincial resources available to support smoking cessation (eg, QuitNow), and 39.6% were unaware of the provincial program to cover the cost of smoking cessation aids (eg, nicotine gum or patches), yet 62.7% of respondents were thinking about quitting smoking., Conclusion: Many surgical patients in northern British Columbia who smoked were unaware of the perioperative risks of smoking and the cessation support available to them. An opportunity exists for all health care professionals to encourage more patients to quit in order to optimize their surgical outcomes.