Search

This article represents the 28 year history of Professional Development Schools at the University of South Carolina and explains how the network continues to grow and thrive, in part, by the application of a collaborative leadership model. Our goal in this article is to recognize and understand how our continued efforts, as professional development school (PDS) partners, helped grow, change and sustain the Professional Development Schools Network at the University of South Carolina (UofSC) since its inception in 1990. We share our history and describe the context within which we enact our PDS Network of 21 schools in five school districts and most recently a PDS District. Subsequent sections of the article discuss our evolving commitments to the network via our mission, funding, planned events, and assessment.

Introduction: Psychological well-being (PWB) is an important component of positive mental health (PMH) and an asset for population health. This study examined correlates of PWB among community-dwelling adults (18+ years) in the 10 Canadian provinces. Methods: Using data from the 2019 Canadian Community Health Survey Rapid Response on PMH, we conducted linear regression analyses with sociodemographic, mental health, physical health and substance use variables as predictors of PWB. PWB was measured using six questions from the Mental Health Continuum--Short Form, which asked about feelings of self-acceptance, personal growth, environmental mastery, autonomy, positive relations and purpose in life during the past month. Results: In unadjusted and adjusted analyses, older age, being married or in a commonlaw relationship and having a BMI in the overweight category (25.00-29.99) were associated with higher PWB, while reporting a mood disorder, anxiety disorder, high perceived life stress, engaging in heavy episodic drinking and frequent cannabis use were associated with lower PWB. Sex, having children living at home, immigrant status, racialized group membership, educational attainment, household income tertile, having a BMI in the obese category (≥30.00), major chronic disease and smoking status were not significantly associated with PWB. Conclusion: This research identifies sociodemographic, mental health, physical health and substance use factors associated with PWB among adults in Canada. These findings highlight groups and characteristics that could be the focus of future research to promote PMH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Promotion de la Santé et Prévention des Maladies Chroniques au Canada is the property of Public Health Agency of Canada 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.)

Study Design: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Objectives: To assess the radiographic risk factors for adjacent segment disease (ASD) following anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) for degenerative cervical spine pathologies. Methods: PubMed, Embase and the Cochrane Library databases were searched up to December 2023. The primary inclusion criteria were degenerative spinal conditions treated with ACDF, comparing radiological parameters in patients with and without postoperative ASD. The radiographic parameters included intervertebral disc height, cervical sagittal alignment, sagittal segmental alignment, range of motion, segmental height, T1 slope, sagittal vertical axis (SVA), thoracic inlet angle (TIA), and plate to disc distance (PPD). Risk of bias was assessed for all studies. The Cochrane Review Manager was utilized to perform the meta-analysis. Results: From 7044 articles, 13 retrospective studies were included in the final analysis. Three studies had "not serious" bias and the other 10 studies had serious or very serious bias. The total number of patients in the included studies was 1799 patients. Five studies included single-level ACDF, 2 studies included multi-level ACDF, and 6 studies included single or multi-level ACDF. On meta-analysis, the significant risk factors associated with ASD development were reduced postoperative cervical lordosis (mean difference [MD] = 3.35°, P =.002), reduced last-follow-up cervical lordosis (MD = −3.02°, P =.0003), increased preoperative to postoperative cervical sagittal alignment change (MD = −3.68°, P =.03), and the presence of developmental cervical canal stenosis (Odds ratio [OR] = 4.17, P <.001). Conclusions: Decreased postoperative cervical lordosis, greater change in cervical sagittal alignment and developmental cervical canal stenosis were associated with an increased risk of ASD following ACDF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives The objectives of this study were to compare the prevalence of three positive mental health (PMH) outcomes (self-rated mental health, life satisfaction, sense of community belonging) in postpartum women to the general population, and to examine the relationship between protective factors and the three PMH outcomes among postpartum women. Methods The national cross-sectional Survey on Maternal Health (n = 6558) was analyzed. Analyses were weighted and 95% confidence intervals were calculated. Three adjusted logistic regression models were generated. To compare this sample to the general population of women, estimates from the Canadian Community Health Survey-Annual Component (2018) were used. Results Compared to the general population of women, a larger proportion of postpartum women reported a strong sense of community belonging. The odds of postpartum women with high self-rated physical health having high self-rated mental health were approximately seven times greater (aOR 6.9, 95% confidence interval [CI] 5.9, 8.1) than postpartum women with lower self-rated physical health. The absence of symptoms of postpartum depression (PPD) or generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and high self-rated physical health were significantly associated with all three PMH outcomes. Frequent availability of maternal support was associated with greater odds of high life satisfaction (aOR 1.6, 95% CI 1.4, 1.9) and sense of community belonging (aOR 1.4, 95% CI 1.2, 1.6). Conclusions Our study demonstrated that availability of maternal support, self-rated physical health and absence of symptoms of PPD or GAD were associated with PMH among postpartum women. As physical health had the strongest association with mental health, we encourage further examination of this relationship., Author(s): Mélanie Varin [sup.1] , Elia Palladino [sup.2] , Heather M. Orpana [sup.2] [sup.3] [sup.4] , Suzy L. Wong [sup.2] , Mihaela Gheorghe [sup.2] , Tanya Lary [sup.5] , Melissa [...]

Objectives Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is a genetic cancer predisposition syndrome that can impact multiple organ systems and is associated with plexiform neurofibroma tumors, requiring care from birth through adulthood. Adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with NF1 face several barriers to transition from pediatric to adult care. This cross-sectional study aimed to assess transition readiness in this population and to evaluate relationships between specific NF1 symptoms and transition readiness. Methods AYAs (aged 16–24) enrolled in existing studies related to NF1 were eligible. AYAs and their parents completed measures of transition readiness (Transition Readiness Assessment Questionnaire version 4 [TRAQ-4]), and AYAs also completed a transition readiness interview (UNC TRxANSITION). Results Thirty-eight AYAs (mean age = 19.95 ± 2.68 years) participated in the study. Average TRAQ scores indicated that AYAs were still learning Self-Management skills (M  = 3.37, SD  = 1.08) and Self-Advocacy skills (M  = 3.98, SD  = 0.67). Older AYAs had higher TRAQ scores for Self-Management (r  = 0.70, p <.001) and Self-Advocacy (r  = 0.41, p =.011) than younger AYAs. Parents and AYAs had similar TRAQ scores. About one third of AYAs (37.8%, n  = 14) expressed uncertainty about how NF1 might affect them in the future. The remaining AYAs mostly expressed concerns regarding tumor growth, pain, or cancer. Conclusions In this small study, preliminary findings suggest that AYAs with NF1 express confidence in many areas of transition readiness but continue to require support, particularly with Self-Management skills. Given the gaps in understanding of future health risks, AYAs with NF1 would benefit from early assessment, psychoeducation, and support for transition readiness to adult care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Not all recoveries are successful. Previous research mostly focuses on employee service-recovery actions, while limited research examines how customers evaluate the interactions of employees' diverse appearance features and their performance in service recoveries. To build upon the research gaps, this study examines the two processes of evaluation: inference-based and recognition-based evaluations. To do so, this research examines how service employees' diversity features (e.g., gender and race) and their organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) performance influence customer evaluations of service recovery. Using a between-subjects experimental research design, the findings contribute to the diversity, service recovery, and OCB literature by adding new evidence on how recognition-based evaluations of employees' appearances (gender and race) and inference-based evaluations of behaviors (OCB to customers) can affect customer perceptions of employee competence, trustworthiness, and dignity in service recoveries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During crises, hospitality firms practice a range of coping strategies such as laying-off or furloughing employees to cope with financial pressure (denying strategy) to cutting CEOs' salaries to maintain jobs for employees (rebuilding strategy). While firms are still managing the effects of the pandemic, it is unclear how consumers judge how firms respond to crises. This study applies signaling theory to investigate how consumers' ethical idealism influences customers emotional and behavioral responses of firm crisis responses. Study 1 conducts a 2 (crisis response: denying vs. rebuilding) × 2 ethical idealism (low vs. high) quasi between-subjects design experiment to examine the two-way interaction effects on purchase intention, brand support, and positive word of mouth. Study 2 examines the effect of empathy as a key mediator, using a moderated mediation model. Study 1 results show that although negative intentions were not observed toward denying strategies, consumers' purchase intention, brand support, and positive word-of-mouth were elevated when rebuilding strategies are employed among consumers with high ethical idealism. Study 2 results find that consumers with high ethical idealism are more empathetic to the companies' rebuilding responses, thus greater behavioral intentions were witnessed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]