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Health Indicators (health + indicator)
Kinds of Health Indicators Selected AbstractsComparison of Web-Based versus Paper-and-Pencil Self-Administered Questionnaire: Effects on Health Indicators in Dutch AdolescentsHEALTH SERVICES RESEARCH, Issue 5p1 2008Petra M. Van De Looij-Jansen Objective. The aim of this study is to investigate differences in responses related to (mental) health and behavior between two methods of data collection: web-based (web) and paper-and-pencil (p&p). Study Design. Within each participating school all third-grade classes (mainly 14,15-year-old pupils) were randomly assigned to either the Internet condition (n=271) or the paper-and-pencil condition (n=261). Principal Findings. Significant but small differences were found for the strengths and difficulties subscales "emotional symptoms" (p&p>web) and "prosocial behavior" (p&p>web), and carrying a weapon (web>p&p). Perceived level of privacy and confidentiality did not differ between the two modes. Conclusions. The findings suggest that in a controlled school setting, web-based administration of health indicators yields almost the same results as paper-and-pencil administration. To generalize these findings, we recommend repeated studies in other populations and settings. [source] Developing health indicators for people with intellectual disabilities.JOURNAL OF INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY RESEARCH, Issue 6 2007The method of the Pomona project Abstract Aim Recently, attention has focused on the health inequalities experienced by people with intellectual disabilities (ID) when compared with the general population. To inform policies aimed at equalizing health opportunities, comparable evidence is needed about the aspects of their health that may be amenable to intervention. Method Applying the framework of the European Community Health Indicators (ECHI) for the general population, the Pomona group developed a set of health indicators reflecting aspects of the health of people with ID: socio-demographic data, health status, health determinants and health systems. Results This paper documents the procedures that partners carried out in 13 European countries. The process comprised a search for evidence in published literature; consultation with advocates, family members and health professionals; and analyses of national and international databases. Indicators were selected if they were appraised as important, useful, measurable and if resulting data would enable comparisons between the health of people with ID and that of the general population. Conclusion The thus developed indicator set that is aligned with ECHI will permit investigators to compare key aspects of health of people with ID with those of people in the general population within Europe. The final set of 18 indicators will be applied in the Pomona 2 project (2005,08) to gather information about the health of samples of adults in 14 participating European countries. [source] Developing a Set of Health Indicators for People with Intellectual Disabilities: Pomona ProjectJOURNAL OF POLICY AND PRACTICE IN INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES, Issue 3-4 2005Patricia Noonan Walsh Abstract, The European Commission's Health Monitoring Programme culminated in the development of a set of European Community Health Indicators (ECHI) for the general population. Despite evidence of marked disparities between the health of people with intellectual disabilities (ID) and their peers in the general population, the ECHI contain no significant reference to people with ID. To address this deficit, a two-year grant from the Health Monitoring Programme was awarded to the Pomona project (a collection of researchers from 13 European countries). The project comprised exchanges of expertise; a critical review of published evidence about health and ID; and consultative processes in member states. The project's finding was that there was no systematic monitoring of the health of people with ID in EU member states and, as a consequence, a set of health indicators specific to people with ID was proposed that could lead to such systemic monitoring. [source] Partial regression method to fit a generalized additive modelENVIRONMETRICS, Issue 6 2007Shui He Abstract Generalized additive models (GAMs) have been used as a standard analytic tool in studies of air pollution and health during the last decade. The air pollution measure is usually assumed to be linearly related to the health indicator and the effects of other covariates are modeled through smooth functions. A major statistical concern is the appropriateness of fitting GAMs in the presence of concurvity. Generalized linear models (GLM) with natural cubic splines as smoothers (GLM,+,NS) have been shown to perform better than GAM with smoothing splines (GAM,+,S), in regard to the bias and variance estimates using standard model fitting methods. As nonparametric smoothers are attractive for their flexibility and easy implementation, search for alternative methods to fit GAM,+,S is warranted. In this article, we propose a method using partial residuals to fit GAM,+,S and call it the "partial regression" method. Simulation results indicate better performance of the proposed method compared to gam.exact function in S-plus, the standard tool in air pollution studies, in regard to bias and variance estimates. In addition, the proposed method is less sensitive to the degree of smoothing and accommodates asymmetric smoothers. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Children's growth: A health indicator and a diagnostic toolACTA PAEDIATRICA, Issue 5 2006Lars Gelander Abstract The publication of Werner and Bodin in Acta Paediatrica should inspire countries to use the growth of children as an indicator of health. The development of databases that cover all measurements of all children that have contact with healthcare and medical care will provide new knowledge in this area. Such databases will give us the opportunity to explore health in different areas of the country and to evaluate community projects in order to prevent obesity. Conclusion: Growth charts that are used to identify sick children or children that have other causes for growth disturbances must reflect how a healthy child should grow. If such prescriptive growth charts are computerized together with regional databases, they will provide necessary growth data for descriptive health surveys. [source] Factor structure of a conceptual model of oral health tested among 65-year olds in Norway and SwedenCOMMUNITY DENTISTRY AND ORAL EPIDEMIOLOGY, Issue 2 2010Anne Nordrehaug Ĺstrřm Ĺstrřm AN, Ekbäck G, Ordell S. Factor structure of a conceptual model of oral health tested among 65-year olds in Norway and Sweden. Community Dent Oral Epidemiol 2010. © 2010 John Wiley & Sons A/S Abstract,,, Background:, No studies have tested oral health-related quality of life models in dentate older adults across different populations. Objectives:, To test the factor structure of oral health outcomes within Gilbert's conceptual model among 65-year olds in Sweden and Norway. It was hypothesized that responses to 14 observed indicators could be explained by three correlated factors, symptom status, functional limitations and oral disadvantages, that each observed oral health indicator would associate more strongly with the factor it is supposed to measure than with competing factors and that the proposed 3-factor structure would possess satisfactory cross-national stability with 65-year olds in Norway and Sweden. Methods:, In 2007, 6078 Swedish- and 4062 Norwegian adults borne in 1942 completed mailed questionnaires including oral symptoms, functional limitations and the eight item Oral Impacts on Daily Performances inventory. Results:, Model generation analysis was restricted to the Norwegian study group and the model achieved was tested without modifications in Swedish 65-year olds. A modified 3-factor solution with cross-loadings, improved the fit to the data compared with a 2-factor- and the initially proposed 3-factor model among the Norwegian [comparative fit index (CFI) = 0.97] and Swedish (CFI = 0.98) participants. All factor loadings for the modified 3-factor model were in the expected direction and were statistically significant at CR > 1. Multiple group confirmatory factor analyses, with Norwegian and Swedish data simultaneously revealed acceptable fit for the unconstrained model (CFI = 0.97), whereas unconstrained and constrained models were statistically significant different in nested model comparison. Conclusions:, Within construct validity of Gilbert's model was supported with Norwegian and Swedish 65-year olds, indicating that the 14-item questionnaire reflected three constructs; symptom status, functional limitation and oral disadvantage. Measurement invariance was confirmed at the level of factor structure, suggesting that the 3-factor model is comparable to some extent across 65-year olds in Norway and Sweden. [source] Analytical ecological epidemiology: exposure,response relations in spatially stratified time seriesENVIRONMETRICS, Issue 6 2009Hagen Scherb Abstract An important task of environmental research is the investigation of a possible causal relationship between exposure and the frequency of a biologic trait. Major industrial accidents provide examples where the exposure status of large populations may change considerably within relatively short time intervals of days or weeks (e.g. Seveso herbicide plant explosion, Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant catastrophe). Therefore, purely temporal change-points may be tested in time series of appropriate public health indicators (e.g. mortality, morbidity, sex ratio at birth). If, in addition, the spatial contamination is strong and variable enough and can be identified with sufficient precision at the level of regional units (e.g. districts), then a spatial-temporal approach makes sense. This essentially means that a global time trend model is adjusted for region-specific trend functions, allowing for local or global temporal jumps or broken sticks (change-points) at certain points in time. The local jump heights may be tested for associations with local exposure (exposure,response relation), and all other characteristics in the data that vary with locality and in time are automatically accounted for, thus minimizing confounding. Spatial-temporal approaches may help to strengthen the evidence of possible causal relationships. As an example, the human sex ratio at birth in several European countries before and after the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant accident was investigated. A long-term chronic impact of radioactive fallout on the secondary sex ratio has been found. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Survey findings on characteristics and health status of clients treated by the federally funded (US) Health Care for the Homeless ProgramsHEALTH & SOCIAL CARE IN THE COMMUNITY, Issue 1 2009Cheryl Zlotnick RN DrPH Abstract For almost two decades, the US Health Care for the Homeless (HCH) Program has funded clinics across the country for homeless populations. Between October and December 2003, for the first time ever, a nationally representative sample of the almost 200 HCH clinics with a response rate of approximately 71% (the HCH User Visit Survey) was created to examine the health status of its users (n = 1017). This study employed the HCH User Visit Survey's cross-sectional data set to evaluate health indicators of individuals using HCH Services with the US population, and compare individuals who reported they routinely used HCH clinics (,usual' HCH users) to those who did not (,non-usual' users). HCH users had poorer health status than the US population (44.0% versus 12.3%, respectively). Usual HCH users had similar healthcare status compared to non-usual users, but were more likely to be uninsured, non-English speakers, and walking or taking public transportation to their medical appointments. Usual versus non-usual HCH users were also more apt to have slept in cars, buses or on the streets in the week prior to the survey (14.8% versus 4.3%, respectively). This study shows that the HCH clinics are serving homeless individuals who have a variety of complex health and psychosocial needs, and its most frequent users are those who experience the most barriers accessing care. [source] Testing for an economic gradient in health status using subjective dataHEALTH ECONOMICS, Issue 11 2008Michael Lokshin Abstract Can self-assessments of health reveal the true health differentials between ,rich' and ,poor'? The potential sources of bias include psychological adaptation to ill-health, socioeconomic covariates of health reporting errors and income measurement errors. We propose an estimation method to reduce the bias by isolating the component of self-assessed health that is explicable in terms of objective health indicators and allowing for broader dimensions of economic welfare than captured by current incomes. On applying our method to survey data for Russia we find a pronounced (nonlinear) economic gradient in health status that is not evident in the raw data. This is largely attributable to the health effects of age, education and location. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] On the empirical association between poor health and low socioeconomic status at old ageHEALTH ECONOMICS, Issue 3 2002Christian Salas Abstract Epidemiologic studies using mortality rates as indicators of health fail to find any meaningful association between poor health and low socioeconomic status in older age-groups, whereas economic studies using self-assessed health consistently find a significant positive correlation, even after controlling for self-reporting errors. Such contradictory results have not been reported for working age individuals. A simple explanation might be that the elderly samples on which the epidemiologic and economic studies are based come from different populations. However, this paper shows that similar contradictory results are obtained even when the same samples are used, simply by switching between self-assessed health and mortality as health indicators. An alternative explanation is proposed, namely that these health indicators yield different results because they relate to different ranges of the latent health variable at old age. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Burnout and physical and mental health among Swedish healthcare workersJOURNAL OF ADVANCED NURSING, Issue 1 2008Ulla Peterson Abstract Title.,Burnout and physical and mental health among Swedish healthcare workers Aim., This paper is a report of a study to investigate how burnout relates to self-reported physical and mental health, sleep disturbance, memory and lifestyle factors. Background., Previous research on the possible relationship between lifestyle factors and burnout has yielded somewhat inconsistent results. Most of the previous research on possible health implications of burnout has focused on its negative impact on mental health. Exhaustion appears to be the most obvious manifestation of burnout, which also correlates positively with workload and with other stress-related outcomes. Method., A cross-sectional study was conducted, using questionnaires sent to all employees in a Swedish County Council (N = 6118) in 2002. The overall response rate was 65% (n = 3719). A linear discriminant analysis was used to look for different patterns of health indicators and lifestyle factors in four burnout groups (non-burnout, disengaged, exhausted and burnout). Results., Self-reported depression, anxiety, sleep disturbance, memory impairment and neck- and back pain most clearly discriminated burnout and exhausted groups from disengaged and non-burnout groups. Self-reported physical exercise and alcohol consumption played a minor role in discriminating between burnout and non-burnout groups, while physical exercise discriminated the exhausted from the disengaged group. Conclusion., Employees with burnout had most symptoms, compared with those who experienced only exhaustion, disengagement from work or no burnout, and the result underlines the importance of actions taken to prevent and combat burnout. [source] Does controlling for comorbidity matter?AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR, Issue 3 2010DSM-oriented scales, violent offending in chicago youth Abstract Mental health problems have long been linked to antisocial behaviors. Despite an impressive body of literature demonstrating this relationship and claims that comorbidity matters, few studies examine comorbidity using multiple distinct mental health indicators, with most studies instead adopting single or composite mental health measures. This study tested separate and comorbid effects of five DSM-oriented mental health issues on self-reported violence using a community-based sample of Chicago youths from the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods. Moreover, it utilized both primary caregiver and youth self-reports of psychopathology across four developmental stages of childhood and adolescence. When examined separately, the results indicated affective/depressive, anxiety, attention deficit hyperactivity, and oppositional defiant/antisocial personality problems independently predicted violence. When considering comorbidity, however, only oppositional defiant and antisocial personality problems significantly predicted violence at any stage, regardless of informant type. Implications for future studies and policy are discussed. Aggr. Behav. 36:141,157, 2010. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Developing health indicators for people with intellectual disabilities.JOURNAL OF INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY RESEARCH, Issue 6 2007The method of the Pomona project Abstract Aim Recently, attention has focused on the health inequalities experienced by people with intellectual disabilities (ID) when compared with the general population. To inform policies aimed at equalizing health opportunities, comparable evidence is needed about the aspects of their health that may be amenable to intervention. Method Applying the framework of the European Community Health Indicators (ECHI) for the general population, the Pomona group developed a set of health indicators reflecting aspects of the health of people with ID: socio-demographic data, health status, health determinants and health systems. Results This paper documents the procedures that partners carried out in 13 European countries. The process comprised a search for evidence in published literature; consultation with advocates, family members and health professionals; and analyses of national and international databases. Indicators were selected if they were appraised as important, useful, measurable and if resulting data would enable comparisons between the health of people with ID and that of the general population. Conclusion The thus developed indicator set that is aligned with ECHI will permit investigators to compare key aspects of health of people with ID with those of people in the general population within Europe. The final set of 18 indicators will be applied in the Pomona 2 project (2005,08) to gather information about the health of samples of adults in 14 participating European countries. [source] There's more to life than money: Exploring the levels/growth paradox in income and health,JOURNAL OF INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT, Issue 1 2009Charles Kenny Abstract This paper discusses historical and recent cross-country evidence relating income to measures of health. After a review of the literature on income and the quality of life, the paper looks at long-term historical evidence on the link between income change and health indicators. Using data on life expectancy, infant mortality and income for a small subset of largely wealthy countries over the 1913,1999 period, the paper examines correlations between income and health at period start and end as well as using the growth of the variables. Using a larger set of data over the period 1975,2000, the paper repeats these tests, as well as looking for any evidence of a larger impact of income, when different data are used or the sample is split. Results suggest a strong cross-country link between income and health and considerable evidence of global improvements over time, but a comparatively weak relationship between improvements in income and improvements in health, even over the very long term. The paper discusses a model based on technology and institutions that might account for such results as well as some preliminary evidence in favour of such a model. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Subjective food intake ability in relation to maximal bite force among Korean adultsJOURNAL OF ORAL REHABILITATION, Issue 3 2009B. I. KIM Summary, This study examined the relationship between the subjective food intake of 30 food types and their objective bite force to identify the key food items within the 30 food types to achieve a greater depth of masticatory function in Korean adults. A sample of 308 (112 males and 196 females) adults over the age of 20 (average age, 48·6) was selected among patients who visited four dental hospitals in Seoul, Korea. The subjective masticatory ability was evaluated through an interview with food intake ability questionnaires consisting of 30 food types ranging from hard to soft using a five-step Likert scale. The objective maximal bite force was measured using pressure-sensitive films. The relationship between the food intake ability and bite force was analysed and stratified according to age, gender, number of post-canine teeth lost and several clinical oral health indicators. The key foods were selected using correlation and factor analysis. The subjective food intake ability between the 30 foods and key foods were tested by cluster and one-way anova analysis. The Pearson's correlation coefficient between food intake ability and bite force was 0·45 (P < 0·01). The five key food items selected were dried cuttlefish, raw carrot, dried peanut, cubed white radish kimchi and caramel. The correlation coefficient between the food intake ability and bite force of these items was 0·51 (P < 0·01). These results suggest that the subjective food intake ability using the 30 and five key foods can be used to evaluate the masticatory function in Korean adults. [source] Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance , United States, 2001JOURNAL OF SCHOOL HEALTH, Issue 8 2002Jo Anne Grunbaum ABSTRACT: Priority health-risk behaviors, which contribute to the leading causes of mortality and morbidity among youth and adults, often are established during youth, extend into adulthood, are interrelated, and are preventable. This report covers data during February-December 2001. The Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) monitors six categories of priority healthrisk behaviors among youth and young adults; these behaviors contribute to unintentional injuries and violence; tobacco use; alcohol and other drug use; sexual behaviors that contribute to unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection; unhealthy dietary behaviors; and physical inactivity. The YRBSS includes a national school-based survey conducted by CDC as well as state, territorial, and local school-based surveys conducted by education and health agencies. This report summarizes results from the national survey, 34 state surveys, and 18 local surveys conducted among students in grades 9,12 during February-December 2001. In the United States, approximately three-fourths of all deaths among persons aged 10,24 years result from only four causes: motor-vehicle crashes, other unintentional injuries, homicide, and suicide. Results from the 2001 national Youth Risk Behavior Survey demonstrated that numerous high school students engage in behaviors that increase their likelihood of death from these four causes: 14.1% had rarely or never worn a seat belt during the 30 days preceding the survey; 30.7% had ridden with a driver who had been drinking alcohol; 17.4% had carried a weapon during the 30 days preceding the survey; 47.1% had drunk alcohol during the 30 days preceding the survey; 23.9% had used marijuana during the 30 days preceding the survey; and 8.8% had attempted suicide during the 12 months preceding the survey. Substantial morbidity and social problems among young persons also result from unintended pregnancies and STDs, including HIV infection. In 2001, 45.6% of high school students had ever had sexual intercourse; 42.1% of sexually active students had not used a condom at last sexual intercourse; and 23% had ever injected an illegal drug. Two-thirds of all deaths among persons aged ,25 years result from only two causes: cardiovascular disease and cancer. The majority of risk behaviors associated with these two causes of death are initiated during adolescence. In 2001, 28.5% of high school students had smoked cigarettes during the 30 days preceding the survey; 78.6% had not eaten ,5 servings per day of fruits and vegetables during the 7 days preceding the survey; 105% were overweight; and 67.8% did not attend physical education class daily. Health and education officials at national, state, and local levels are using these YRBSS data to analyze and improve policies and programs to reduce priority health-risk behaviors among youth. The YRBSS data also are being used to measure progress toward achieving 16 national health objectives for 2010 and 3 of the 10 leading health indicators. [source] Social Support and Quality of Life Among Older People in SpainJOURNAL OF SOCIAL ISSUES, Issue 4 2002Ballesteros, Rocío Fernández Social support is a key concept in social gerontology; there is empirical evidence of its relationships with health, well,being and quality of life in old age. The density of an individual's social relationships, the degree to which he/she interacts with others and how much he/she receives and gives affect, instrumental support, and/or services are all associated with health indicators, subjective well,being, and quality of life measures. This article deals with social support in old age in Spain, its relationships with health indicators, and its role in quality of life. Several descriptive studies dealing with social integration, frequency of social interactions, satisfaction with social relationships, and formal and informal social support are reviewed. Finally, the role attributed by elders to social relationships is an important conditioning factor of quality of life. [source] Obesity and Physical Activity in College Women: Implications for Clinical PracticeJOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF NURSE PRACTITIONERS, Issue 7 2004APRN-BC, Jacquelyn M. Clement PhD Purpose To investigate the relationships between levels of physical activity, health attitudes and behaviors, and specific health indicators in women attending college. Data Sources A convenience sample of 116 college women, ages 18 to 24 years, participated in this research study at a moderate-sized midwestern university. The data were obtained through self-administered questionnaire; trained technicians collected physiological measurements. Conclusions The young women in this study had, on average, normal body mass indexes (BMIs) and reported activity levels consistent with or greater than the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/American College of Sports Medicine guidelines. Items used to assign participants into the appropriate stage of the transtheoretical model of change were correlated with participants' perceived personal physical activity levels. Similarly, the participants, whose scores fell in the higher stages of the transtheoretical model, reported greater levels of physical activity; consumption of more fruits, vegetables, and water; and less consumption of high-fat/high-calorie foods. Implications for Practice The years between ages 18 and 24 are a critical time in the lives of young women. During this period, they develop physical activity and nutrition habits that will affect their health across the life span. Because of the sometimes insidious development of major health problems, young women's current health status may not accurately reflect the possible longterm results of negative health habits. Nurse practitioners (NPs) have many opportunities to identify and address major factors that, if unattended, may threaten the life-long health status of women. Health teaching in the areas of physical activity and dietary habits may be useful even in young women who appear to be healthy, are of normal weight, and are physically active.Poor dietary habits, if unattended, may eventually contribute to the development of obesity and related illnesses. [source] Feeding trials in organic food quality and health researchJOURNAL OF THE SCIENCE OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE, Issue 2 2010Alberta Velimirov Abstract Feeding experiments comparing organically and conventionally produced food are performed to assess the overall impact on the animals' health as a model for the effects experienced by the human consumers. These experiments are based on systems research and characterized by their focus on production methods, whole food testing and procedures in accordance with the terms of organic farming. A short review of such experiments shows that the majority of these tests revealed effects of the organically produced feed on health parameters such as reproductive performance and immune responses. Systems research is not just about simple cause,effect chains, but rather about the pluralism of interactions in biological networks; therefore, the interpretation of the outcome of whole food experiments is difficult. Furthermore, the test diets of organic and conventional origin can be constituted in different ways, compensating for or maintaining existing differences in nutrient and energy contents. The science-based results suggest positive influences from organic feeds, but there is still a need for confirmation in animals and, finally, in humans. For this purpose animal feeding trials with feed from different production systems should be conducted, with the aims to define health indicators and to establish biomarkers as a basis for future dietary intervention studies in humans. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry [source] Rates of caesarean section: analysis of global, regional and national estimatesPAEDIATRIC & PERINATAL EPIDEMIOLOGY, Issue 2 2007Ana P. Betrán Summary Rates of caesarean section are of concern in both developed and developing countries. We set out to estimate the proportion of births by caesarean section (CS) at national, regional and global levels, describe regional and subregional patterns and correlate rates with other reproductive health indicators. We analysed nationally representative data available from surveys or vital registration systems on the proportion of births by CS. We used local non-parametric regression techniques to correlate CS with maternal mortality ratio, infant and neonatal mortality rates, and the proportion of births attended by skilled health personnel. Although very unevenly distributed, 15% of births worldwide occur by CS. Latin America and the Caribbean show the highest rate (29.2%), and Africa shows the lowest (3.5%). In developed countries, the proportion of caesarean births is 21.1% whereas in least developed countries only 2% of deliveries are by CS. The analysis suggests a strong inverse association between CS rates and maternal, infant and neonatal mortality in countries with high mortality levels. There is some suggestion of a direct positive association at lower levels of mortality. CS levels may respond primarily to economic determinants. [source] Evidence of organizational injustice in poultry processing plants: Possible effects on occupational health and safety among latino workers in North CarolinaAMERICAN JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL MEDICINE, Issue 1 2009Antonio J. Marín MA Abstract Background Over 250,000 workers are employed in poultry processing, one of the most dangerous industries in the US. These jobs are increasingly held by immigrant workers who are frequently undocumented, lack knowledge of workers' rights to workplace safety, and who are reluctant to pursue their rights. This situation creates the potential for organizational injustice, made visible through abusive supervisory practices, and leads to situations in which occupational illnesses and injuries are likely to occur. Methods This paper draws on data collected during the research phases of a community-based participatory research and social justice project. Two hundred survey interviews and 26 in-depth interviews were collected in representative, community-based samples in western North Carolina. Analyses describe associations between one aspect of organizational injustice, abusive supervision, and worker injuries. Results Workers' reports of abusive supervision are associated with a variety of specific and summary health indicators. The associations are stronger for women than for men. These suggest that the use of relative power within the plant may be the basis for injuries and illnesses. Three types of power relations are described that form the basis for these abusive interactions in the plant: ethnicity (American vs. Latino), immigration status ("good papers" vs. undocumented), and rank (supervisor vs. worker). Two factors modify these relations: kinship (preferences and privileges for family members) and gender. Conclusions Among Latino immigrants working in poultry plants, power differences reflecting organizational injustice in the form of abusive supervision may promote occupational illnesses and injuries, particularly for women. Am. J. Ind. Med. 52:37,48, 2009. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Resilience in Homeless Youth: The Key Role of Self-EsteemAMERICAN JOURNAL OF ORTHOPSYCHIATRY, Issue 2 2008CPRP, Sean Kidd PhD This study examined the protective role of self-esteem, social involvement, and secure attachment among homeless youths. These protective factors were examined as they ameliorate risks among 208 homeless youths surveyed in New York City and Toronto. Both mental and physical health indicators were employed in this study, including loneliness, feeling trapped, suicidal ideation, subjective health status, and substance use. Self-esteem emerged as a key protective factor, predicting levels of loneliness, feeling trapped, and suicide ideation, and buffering against the deleterious effect of fearful attachment on loneliness. Findings highlight the role of the self-concept in risk and resilience among homeless youth. [source] Sexlessness among Married Chinese Adults in Hong Kong: Prevalence and Associated FactorsTHE JOURNAL OF SEXUAL MEDICINE, Issue 11 2009Jean H. Kim ScD ABSTRACT Introduction., Despite recent media coverage in the topic of sexless marriages in East Asia, population-based studies examining the absence of sexual activity among nonelderly married individuals are scant. Previous studies have not simultaneously examined sociodemographic, physiological, and lifestyle predictors of sexless marriages. Aims., To determine the prevalence of past-year sexlessness and the associated factors among the married Chinese adults in Hong Kong. Methods., An anonymous, population-based telephone survey was conducted on 2,846 married Chinese men and women between the ages of 25 and 59 in Hong Kong. Main Outcome Measures., The prevalence of past-year sexlessness and the associated factors and mental health symptoms were examined. Results., The prevalence of past-year sexlessness between the ages of 25,34 years, 35,44 years and 45,59 years was 5.5, 5.1, and 17.0%, respectively, among married males, and 8.3, 12.4, and 31.6%, respectively, among married females. Older age and poor spousal relationship were associated with sexlessness for females, whereas lack of interest in sex, older age, and lower education were significant factors for males. Married women demonstrated statistically significant associations between sexlessness and poorer mental health indicators, such as lower quality of life and being bothered by the unavailability of a sex partner. Conclusions., Sexlessness is prevalent among certain subgroups of urban Chinese couples in Hong Kong, and the large discrepancy in sexlessness between married men and women in each age strata suggests a high prevalence of extramarital relationships. Contrary to commonly held beliefs, there was a stronger association between sexlessness and poorer psychosocial symptoms among married females than males. Sexless marriages are an underappreciated phenomenon among urban Chinese individuals. Kim JH, Lau JTF, and Cheuk KK. Sexlessness among married Chinese adults in Hong Kong: Prevalence and associated factors. J Sex Med 2009;6:2997,3007. [source] General health in Timor-Leste: self-assessed health in a large household surveyAUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH, Issue 4 2009Jaya Earnest Abstract Objective: Timor-Leste is one of the world's newest nations and became a democracy in 2002. Ranked 150 out of 177 in the 2007 UNDP Human Development Index, the country has the worst health indicators in the Asia-Pacific region. The objective of this study was to collect and analyse data on subjectively assessed general health, health service use, migration and mobility patterns. Methods: The data collection involved recording self-reported status of general health using a structured questionnaire. The survey was administered to 1,213 Timorese households in six districts using a multi-stage random cluster sampling procedure. Basic descriptive statistical analyses were performed on all variables with SPSS version 13. Results: More than a quarter (27%) of respondents reported a health problem at the time of the survey. Only approximately half of respondents assessed their health to be good (53%) or average (38%). Barriers reported in the uptake of healthcare services were no felt needed; difficulty in accessing services and unavailability of service. Conclusions: Results reveal that Timor-Leste needs a more decentralised provision of healthcare through primary healthcare centres or integrated health services. Trained traditional healers, who are familiar with the difficult terrain and understand cultural contexts and barriers, can be used to improve uptake of public health services. An adult literacy and community health education program is needed to further improve the extremely poor health indicators in the country. Implications: Key lessons that emerged were the importance of understanding cultural mechanisms in areas of protracted conflict and the need for integrated health services in communities. [source] Prevalence of adverse life events, depression and suicidal thoughts and behaviour among a community sample of young people aged 15,24 yearsAUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH, Issue 5 2001Maria Donald Objective: To provide prevalence data on several key mental health indicators for young people aged 15 to 24 years. Methods: A cross-sectional household survey, using telephone recruitment followed by a postal pencil-and-paper questionnaire. The overall response rate was 67.3%. Results: Difficulties with interpersonal relationships are common causes of distress for young people, in particular problems with parents, problems with friends and relationship break-ups. Depressive symptomatology is common among young people with approximately one in eight males and one in four females reporting current depressive symptomatology. One in three young people reported that they had had suicidal thoughts at some time in the past, 1.2% of young people reported that they had made a plan on how to kill themselves in the four-week period prior to completing the survey and 6.9% of young people reported that they had tried to kill themselves at some time during their life time (4.2% of males and 9.0% of females). Conclusions and implications: The prevalence figures for the various mental health indicators presented in this paper represent good baseline information upon which to examine the progress over time of interventions designed to improve the mental health of young people. [source] Child health indicators for Europe.CHILD: CARE, HEALTH AND DEVELOPMENT, Issue 2 2004A priority for a caring society Background Measurement of children's health is important for two reasons: first, because young people are citizens in their own right, yet largely unable to act as self-advocates, particularly at the population level; and second, because their health determines the health of the future population. Indicators based on measurements of child health are important for identifying progress, problems and priorities, changes over time, and newly emergent issues. The European Community Health Monitoring Programme (HMP) is a comprehensive programme to develop and implement a set of national-level indicators. The Child Health Indicators of Life and Development (CHILD) project is the only population group-specific project, seeking to determine a holistic set of measures. Methods The project endeavoured to address all aspects of child health and its determinants, balancing positive and negative aspects. It undertook a structured search of published evidence to seek to identify, and validate, indicators of health and illness, health determinants and challenges to health, quality of healthcare support and health-promoting national policies. A systematic approach was used in identifying valid indicators, and in assembling a balanced composite list. All ages from infancy to adolescence were covered. Results The project's final report identifies 38 core desirable national indicators, citing purpose and evidence for each. Of equal importance, it also identifies 17 key child health topics on which further research work is needed in order to identify and validate indicators appropriate across different national settings. [source] A sea change on the island continent: frameworks for risk assessment, prevention and intervention in child health in AustraliaCHILDREN & SOCIETY, Issue 2 2005Joanne Williams This article overviews prevention and early intervention approaches focusing specifically on their relevance to the health of children and young people in Australia. Australian public health has a sound track record although concealed within the aggregate profile are a number of sub-populations with poorer health indicators. Recognition of this has increased efforts to improve the health of children and young people especially in exploring the impact of social environments within the communities where children are raised. This paper examines emerging research in this area drawing out key lessons and learning from Australian experience in the field of early intervention and prevention in community settings. [source] Trends in the prevalence of low birth weight in Okinawa, Japan: a public health perspectiveACTA PAEDIATRICA, Issue 2 2009T Hokama Abstract Aim: To review the trends in low birth weight (LBW) in Japan and Okinawa and to discuss the public health implications of the trend. Methods: The statistical records of Japan and the Okinawa prefecture were reviewed to observe secular trends of LBW incidence rate and other health indicators. Literature researches were undertaken of English and Japanese language publications to complete the review. Results: The LBW rate in Japan declined until the 1970s, reaching a low point for the whole country in 1978,1979 when it was 5.2% (7.2% in Okinawa). In Okinawa the proportion of LBW declined from 8.1% in 1973 to 7.2 in 1978. Since 1980 the LBW rate has steadily increased to its current level of 9.3% in Japan and 10.9% in Okinawa. During this period, the prematurity rate has not increased and other indicators of child health have continued to improve. Conclusion: Japan is unique among developed countries in that the LBW rate has almost doubled in the past three decades and the rate in Okinawa is 20% greater than the mainland. The health costs of this trend include the neonatal care of LBW infants and the increased risk of chronic disease in later life. [source] Shed some light on darkness: will Tanzania reach the millennium development goals?ACTA PAEDIATRICA, Issue 6 2007Annika Janson Abstract The overall picture of health in sub-Saharan Africa can easily be painted in dark colours. The aim of this viewpoint is to discuss epidemiological data from Tanzania on overall health indicators and the burden of malaria and HIV. Is the situation in Tanzania improving or deteriorating? Are the health-related millennium development goals (MDG) on reducing under-five mortality, reducing maternal mortality and halting HIV and malaria within reach? Conclusion: Child mortality and infant mortality rates are decreasing quite dramatically. Malaria prevention strategies and new effective treatment are being launched. The MDG 4 on child mortality is clearly within reach, and the same optimism may apply to MDG 6 on combating malaria. [source] The conceptual relationship between health indicators and quality of life: results from the cross-cultural analysis of the EUROHIS field studyCLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY AND PSYCHOTHERAPY (AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF THEORY & PRACTICE), Issue 1 2005Silke Schmidt The aim of this study was to determine the performance of various health indicators to predict quality of life, mental health and general health from a conceptual point of view. The EUROHIS study (see Nosikov and Gudex, 2003) includes a broad range of health care and health behaviour related indicators, such as preventive care, health care utilization, use of medicine, physical health, mental health, alcohol consumption, physical activity and quality of life. Data on various health indicators and quality of life were collected from 10 countries, amounting to a sample size of 4849 (2750 females and 2099 males). An analytical approach was employed to investigate the interrelationship between indicators of each particular indicator set (such as alcohol consumption) and between conceptually different indicator sets. Regression analyses as well as structural equation modelling were employed, pooled across all countries as well as separately for different groups of countries. Findings indicate a higher extent of cross-cultural variation in health behaviour and the QOL measures than in mental health and physical health. In regression analyses, results showed strong and consistent effects of various health behaviour indicators to predict quality of life (R2 = 0.48), mental health (R2 = 0.48) or general health (R2 = 0.45). However, a differential effect of socio-demographic variables, in particular education, and health behavioural determinants was found in different groups of countries. In the structural equation modelling, good fit indices were observed for the model determining physical and mental health factors by different health behaviour factors. Findings suggest that quality of life rather mediates mental outcomes in this particular set of health indicators in a European sample than functions as an outcome variable. However, it was not possible to include sociodemographic data in the whole model but only in each of the latent factors. This finding still requires replication, both in different clinical groups and in longitudinal data.,Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. 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