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The long-term and specific impacts on the physical and mental health for Chinese people with major depressive disorders (MDD) are not well-studied. The aim of the study is to investigate both short-and long-term effects of a structured physical rehabilitation program on the physical and mental health and pain for Chinese patients with MDD. 84 Chinese patients with MDD were randomized to intervention (n = 42) or control group (n = 42). Intervention group received a 12-week physical rehabilitation program and the control group with 12-week waiting period followed the same pathway as the intervention group afterwards for longitudinal analysis. Data were collected at baseline (T1), end of 12-week program (T2) and 9-month follow-up period (T3). Significant pre- and post-intervention improvements were noted in cardiopulmonary function, depressive symptoms, pain, body composition, muscle strength and flexibility for the intervention group. Although mild attenuation is noted from T2 to T3, subjects without exercise habit experienced significant decline in cardiopulmonary function, depressive symptoms and pain (p < 0.05) but not in those who developed exercise habit (p > 0.05). Structured physical rehabilitation program could improve physical and mental fitness and pain for Chinese MDD patients. Its effects could be sustained up to 9 months after cessation of the program provided that people establish their own exercise habit. Exercise is an effective means of improving physical and mental health and pain for people with major depressive disorders (MDD). People with MDD have multiple reasons, both physically and psychosocially, for physical deconditioning and hurdles for exercise. Structured supervised exercise program can enhance physical and mental health and may likely enhance exercise compliance in this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Volitional sex is central to the sexual health and well-being of women and girls globally. To date, few studies have examined women's empowerment and its application to sexual health outcomes, including volitional sex. The aim of this study was to explore the relevance of a sexual and reproductive empowerment framework to volitional sex across four geographically and culturally diverse contexts in sub-Saharan Africa. Qualitative data were collected between July and August 2017 in four sites: Ethiopia, Nigeria (Anambra and Kano states) and Uganda. A total of 352 women aged 15-49 and 88 men aged 18 and older were interviewed through 120 in-depth interviews and 38 focus group discussions (n = 440 total participants). Results describe the substantial barriers restraining women's sexual choices, particularly norms that stigmatise women's requests for sex, even within marriage. Results further highlight women's internal sexual motivations, particularly related to the enjoyment of sex and the role of sex in strengthening partner relationships. Future empowerment research and measurement should focus not only on sexual constraints, but also integrate internal motivations, in order to fully understand the factors that shape women's sexual health outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Economic and reproductive empowerment mutually reinforce each other. However, while many studies have examined the importance of economic empowerment for reproductive empowerment, few have investigated the reverse relationship, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa. This study uses retrospective contraceptive-use history and panel data from two time points from a peri-urban community in Ethiopia to explore the impact of quality of contraceptive use as measured by duration of use and type of method on a woman's ability to participate in the labor force, receive payment for work, and contribute to family income. Multivariate regression models were implemented based on the nature of the outcome variable. Women who reported more consistent use had statistically significant higher odds of working in the labor force and receiving cash payments. The findings illustrate the critical role of contraceptive use in enabling women to participate in the labor force and receive payment for their work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Culture, Health & Sexuality is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

We aimed to determine whether current contraceptive use is affected by a history of abortion for women from a country with abortion-restricted laws. This is an analysis of 2006 Brazil Demographic and Health Survey. Nonpregnant women whose first pregnancy occurred in the previous 5 years were selected for this study (n= 2,181). We used propensity score matching to compare current contraceptive use among women with induced or spontaneous abortion and women with no abortion. We found differences in the use, but women with a history of abortion did not report more effective contraceptive than women with no abortion, as we expected. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Stigma has been a major barrier to accessing HIV prevention, care, and treatment services. This study seeks to assess the effect of stigma on self-reported adherence to highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) and self-confidence to take medication correctly among HIV-infected adults in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. A descriptive cross-sectional study using both quantitative and qualitative data was carried out at Zewditu Memorial Hospital's HAART clinic. Self-reported Morisky scale was used to assess adherence to HAART, and Berger stigma scale was used to measure the level of perceived stigma. The three measures of stigma (negative self-image, concern about public attitude, and concern about disclosure) were negatively associated with self-reported adherence to HAART and with self-confidence to take medication correctly. In order to improve adherence, programs that address stigma need to be designed and implemented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies have reported an inverse relationship between depressive symptoms and weight and CD4 gain and a positive association between social support and weight and CD4 gain. The main objective of this study was to explore the effect of depressive symptoms and perceived social support on weight change and CD4 cell progression in an HIV clinic in Ethiopia. The study design was descriptive cross-sectional, with a sample of 1815 HIV-infected adults age 18 years or above. Depressive symptoms and perceived social support were the independent variables, while weight and CD4 cell count were the dependent variables. Regression modeling was the main statistical approach used for the analysis. A significant proportion of females reported depressive symptoms: being bothered by things that do not bother other people, they had been depressed, and their sleep had been restless for 5–7 days a week. A lesser proportion of males reported these problems. A significant proportion of study participants did not have someone to borrow a small amount of money (6 USD) from for immediate help and did not have somebody to support them if they were confined to bed for several weeks. Worse depressive symptoms had a negative effect on weight gain and CD4 cell progression, while better perceived social support had a positive effect on both weight gain and CD4 cell progression. Interventions that address both of these background factors need to be designed and implemented as part of the HAART program to improve weight gain and CD4 cell progression. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

There has been a massive expansion of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) services in Ethiopia since 2005. To assess clients’ self-reported adherence to HAART medication, a descriptive, comparative cross-sectional study was carried out among adults receiving HAART medication at the Zewditu Memorial Hospital ART clinic in Addis Ababa. Of 1 808 clients eligible for the study, 1 722 agreed to participate. The data were collected over six weeks in February and March 2010. Ordered and binary logistic regression models were applied to analyse the data. The majority of participants were over age 30 years, most were females, and 90% had some formal education. More than half reported being ‘extremely sure’ about their ability to take most or all of their medication. Self-reported adherence to the medication was generally good, as 62% said they had never missed a dose. The most commonly cited reason for missing medication was being busy (57.5%). The odds of ever missing a dose of HAART were lower for males (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 1.44; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.15–1.79), older persons (AOR: 0.98; 95% CI: 0.97–0.99), and those who did not drink alcohol regularly. Similarly, the odds of being self-confident about taking the medication properly were higher for males and for those who did not drink alcohol regularly (AOR: 0.48; 95% CI: 0.35–0.64). The odds of self-confidence in taking the medication were lower among those in lower income group. Those who reported an expenditure income of Birr 501–999 (AOR: 0.35; 95% CI: 0.24–0.49) or Birr 1 000–1 999 (AOR: 0.41; 95% CI: 0.29–0.60) had less self-confidence in taking their medication properly as compared to those who had an expenditure income of Birr 2 000 or more. There is a need to design and implement targeted adherence interventions that could lead to better treatment outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

HIV prevention services are increasingly being used by individuals in developing countries, but we know very little about how self-assessed HIV risk determines health-seeking behavior. People may feel they are at risk of HIV infection for many reasons, including both risky behavior and anxiety associated with heightened HIV awareness. In order to improve the measurement of perceived HIV risk, we developed scales measuring two constructs. Perceived risk is one's self-assessed likelihood of becoming HIV-infected based on HIV knowledge and behavior. Perceived vulnerability is felt susceptibility to HIV infection even in the absence of risk behavior. Items measuring these constructs were included in a voluntary HIV counseling and testing (VCT) client survey, conducted in mid-2008 with 2027 women attending eight Ethiopian VCT facilities. We also conducted in-depth interviews with 22 women in two of the facilities and added items to the scales based on findings from these interviews. All items were validated in a post-enumeration survey. Factor structures of both constructs were examined using exploratory factor analysis. We also calculated Pearson's correlations between the scales and comparable constructs and behaviors. Cronbach's alpha for the perceived risk scale was 0.87 in the initial survey and 0.89 in the validation survey. For the perceived vulnerability scale, Cronbach's alpha was only 0.66 in the initial survey but increased to 0.74 after adding items indicated by the in-depth interviews. The scales are moderately correlated, indicated by a Pearson's correlation of 0.65. Both scales have high construct validity. Perceived risk has a higher correlation with HIV status than does perceived vulnerability, at 39% vs 28%. Conversely, perceived vulnerability is more highly correlated with HIV salience than is perceived risk, at 39% compared to 25%. These findings suggest perceived HIV risk and perceived HIV vulnerability should be measured separately. More information is needed about how these constructs may motivate people to seek HIV prevention services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poor reproductive health constitutes one of the leading public health problems in the world, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). We report here an academic partnership that commenced in 2003 between a US institution and six universities in SSA. The partnership addresses the human resources development challenge in Africa by strengthening public health education and research capacity to improve population and reproductive health (PRH) outcomes in low-resource settings. The partnership's core activities focused on increasing access to quality education, strengthening health research capacity and translating scholarship and science into policy and practices. Partnership programmes focused on the educational dimension of the human resources equation provide students with improved learning facilities and enhanced work environments and also provide faculty with opportunities for professional development and an enhanced capacity for curriculum delivery. By 2007, 48 faculty members from the six universities in SSA attended PRH courses at Johns Hopkins University, 93 PRH courses were offered across the six universities, 625 of their master's students elected PRH concentrations and 158 had graduated. With the graduation of these and future student cohorts, the universities in SSA will systematically be expanding the number of public health practitioners and strengthening programme effectiveness to resolve reproductive health needs. Some challenges facing the partnership are described in this article. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While numerous studies have explored young people's sexual behaviour in Peru, to date few have explored how adolescents situate sexuality within the context of their broader lives. This information is needed to inform policies and programmes. Life history interviews were conducted with 20 12-17-year-old young women and men from a low-income settlement near Lima, Peru. Data were analysed using holistic content analysis and grounded theory. Sexuality had a strong presence in respondents' lives. However, interviewees viewed the full expression of their sexuality as a constrained choice. Particular constraints derive from the belief that sexual intercourse always results in pregnancy; the nature of sex education; the provision of proscriptive advice; and the family tensions, economic problems, racism and violence present in young people's lives. The results of this study can inform policies and programmes to support young people as they make sexuality-related decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper attempts to identify the distinctive qualities of successful veteran teachers, referred to as “expert teachers”, which separates them not only from novice teachers but more importantly from experienced non-expert teachers. Based on earlier case studies, this paper maintains that the critical differences between expert and non-expert teachers are manifested in three dimensions: their ability to integrate aspects of teacher knowledge in relation to the teaching act; their response to their contexts of work, and their ability to engage in reflection and conscious deliberation. The paper further addresses the question of why some teachers become experts while others remain experienced non-experts by examining the developmental processes of the experienced teachers in the case studies. The findings suggest that engagement in exploration and experimentation in teaching and learning, in problematizing the unproblematic, and in tasks which challenge teachers to extend their competence are crucial to the development of expertise. The implications for teacher development are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Culture, Health & Sexuality is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper compares the performance of three methods applicable to national-level demographic data of estimating births averted as a consequence of contraceptive practice. Two are based on the relationship between the general fertility rate (GFR) or total fertility (TFR) and contraceptive prevalence, while the third uses Bongaarts' proximate determinants (PD) model. Estimates of the number of births averted and the percentage by which the number would have increased in the absence of contraception are consistent between the GFR-based and TFR-based methods, but in general lower than the estimates generated by the PD-based method, except for a few high-contraceptive-prevalence countries. For 156 countries and areas around the world the estimated number of births that would have occurred in a recent year in the absence of contraception—the average of the estimates of the three methods—is approximately 230 million, which is more than the estimated 129 million births that actually occurred. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent educational changes in China such as the decentralization policy and the marketization of education have introduced concepts such as performativity, competition and effectiveness to the education sector and they have become part of the educational lexicon. Such policy shifts force more local participation in teacher education programmes and schools are now identified as the prime site for offering relevant professional learning activities to teachers. However, interestingly, research on professional development of teachers in China has not devoted significant attention to the voices of teachers. This paper examines how teachers from seven schools in Guangdong Province view the effectiveness of these school-based learning activities within the new context of educational change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examines the optimal stimulation duration of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) for relieving osteoarthritic knee pain and the duration of post-stimulation analgesia. Variations in the duration of TENS; Effectiveness of TENS; Optimal treatment duration of TENS.

It has been pointed out in the literature on computer-mediated communication that the social dimensions of network design, user behaviour and user participation on computer networks are very important to the building of an electronic community. So far, no study has examined these dimensions systematically and the ways in which they mediate user participation. This article reports on a study conducted on a computer network for English teachers in Hong Kong schools, TeleNex, to investigate the teachers' participation on the network, and the technical and social psychological dimensions that mediated their participation. Data were obtained by questionnaires and by interviews with a small sample of teachers. The questionnaire results show significant differences between teachers who participated actively in conferencing and those who did not. The interview data provided further insights into the social psychological dimensions. Implications to be considered when building an electronic community of teachers are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper considers issues in customising descriptions of English grammar in the context of creating an electronic database for secondary school teachers in Hong Kong. In developing the database, we have aimed to incorporate insights from functional grammar and corpus linguistics while keeping the information accessible and relevant to teachers familiar only with traditional approaches to grammar. This has involved exploiting the advantages of hypertext, explicitly foregrounding pedagogical concerns and developing a metalanguage that will allow discussion of areas such as transitivity and theme without alienating the teacher-users. We illustrate the kinds of compromises that are necessary in order to match the linguistic information to the needs and existing knowledge of the teacher-users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

TeleTeach is an electronic hypermedia database of English as a second language (ESL) teaching materials which can be accessed through TeleNex, a computer network for ESL teachers in Hong Kong. This article discusses the theoretical framework for the knowledge structure of TeleTeach, and how the electronic medium was exploited to help ESL teachers with their daily teaching as well as to enrich their knowledge about ESL teaching. It begins with some background information about the conception and design of TeleNex, the ESL teaching profession in Hong Kong, and the need for such a database. This is followed by a discussion of the theoretical framework for teacher knowledge which draws heavily on Shulman (1986) and the ESL knowledge structure of TeleTeach. Based on the knowledge structure outlined, a description is given of how the database is designed to ensure that it is of practical use to teachers with a range of teaching experiences and teaching competences, and is also a means of enriching their knowledge. Finally, the authors report on an investigation into the use of the database by teacher users and its effectiveness in helping teachers in their daily teaching and in building on their knowledge of ESL teaching [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The mandatory use of mother tongue education in Hong Kong after 1997 met strong objections from the local community. While the government put forward a comprehensive educational agenda to justify the implementation of the policy, this paper raises the question of whether the change in language policy was mainly driven by an educational agenda, or whether there were other underlying agendas. To address the question, the history of the medium of instruction in Hong Kong is reviewed, and the experience of three decolonised Asian countries, Malaysia, Singapore and India, is discussed. The paper suggests that the political agenda has always played an important role in language policy formulation and implementation. In view of the important role that language plays in nation building and social reconstruction, it is inevitable that Chinese medium instruction will become more and more important. How the government will balance the need to strengthen the national identity of Hong Kong people and the need to maintain the international outlook and economic development of Hong Kong will have a major impact on the review of the new medium of instruction policy in 2001. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examines the relationship between perceived contraceptive availability and contraceptive use and fertility. Effect of contraceptives on childbearing ability of women; Association of contraceptives availability with higher rates of contraceptive use; Impact of perceived availability on demand for contraception.

Studies on teacher education networks have unanimously pointed out that networks which allow teachers to share their experience, problems and curriculum materials enhance collegiality and professional growth. This paper reports findings of the implementation of TeleNex (Teachers of English Language Education Nexus) which is a teacher education network linking the Teachers of the English Language Education Centre (TELEC) set up at the University of Hong Kong with secondary schools. It points out that for a network of this nature to be effective, we have to take into consideration in the implementation process social factors such as user needs, motivation, background and psychology as well as user proficency in computer skills. The discussion will be illustrated with data from questionnaires, interviews, meetings, and messages on the network. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]