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Psychosocial Health (psychosocial + health)
Selected AbstractsImplementing touch-screen technology to enhance recognition of distressPSYCHO-ONCOLOGY, Issue 8 2009K. Clark Abstract Objective: The University of California, San Diego, Moores Cancer Center implemented a systematic approach for patients to communicate with their health-care team in real-time regarding psychosocial problem-related distress using touch-screen technology. The purpose of this report is to describe our experience in implementing touch-screen problem-related distress screening as the standard of care for all outpatients in a health-care setting. Although early identification of distress has recently gained wide attention, the practical issues of implementing psychosocial screening with and without the use of technology have not been fully addressed or investigated. Methods: ,The How Can We Help You and Your Family?' screening instrument was used to identify and address patient problem-related distress for clinical services, program development, research and education. Using a HIPPA-compliant approach, the touch-screen technology also helped to identify patients interested in clinical trials and additional support services. Results: We found that the biggest barrier to implementing this technology was the attitude of the front desk staff (i.e. schedulers, clerks, administrative staff) who felt that the touch-screen would be burdensome. Our experience suggested that it was essential to actively involve these personnel from the beginning of the planning process. As specifically acknowledged in the recent 2007 Institute of Medicine report (Cancer Care for the Whole Patient: Meeting Psychosocial Health Needs. The National Academies Press: Washington, DC, 2007), use of this computerized version of the screening instrument was able to bridge the gap between the detection of problem-related distress and referrals for assessment or treatment. Conclusion: We found that it is feasible to implement a computerized problem-related distress screening program in a comprehensive cancer center. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Energy efficiency in gait, activity, participation, and health status in children with cerebral palsyDEVELOPMENTAL MEDICINE & CHILD NEUROLOGY, Issue 3 2008Claire Kerr BSc (Hons) Physio PhD The aim of the study was to establish if a relationship exists between the energy efficiency of gait, and measures of activity limitation, participation restriction, and health status in a representative sample of children with cerebral palsy (CP). Secondary aims were to investigate potential differences between clinical subtypes and gross motor classification, and to explore other relationships between the measures under investigation. A longitudinal study of a representative sample of 184 children with ambulant CP was conducted (112 males, 72 females; 94 had unilateral spastic C P, 84 had bilateral spastic C P, and six had non-spastic forms; age range 4-17y; Gross Motor Function Classification System Level I, n=57; Level II, n=91; Level III, n=22; and Level IV, n=14); energy efficiency (oxygen cost) during gait, activity limitation, participation restriction, and health status were recorded. Energy efficiency during gait was shown to correlate significantly with activity limitations; no relationship between energy efficiency during gait was found with either participation restriction or health status. With the exception of psychosocial health, all other measures showed significant differences by clinical subtype and gross motor classification. The energy efficiency of walking is not reflective of participation restriction or health status. Thus, therapies leading to improved energy efficiency may not necessarily lead to improved participation or general health. [source] Health-related quality of life of children with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia: Comparisons and correlations between parent and clinician reportsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CANCER, Issue 4 2003Elizabeth B. Waters Abstract The improving prognosis for children with cancer refocusses attention to long-term outcomes with an emphasis on quality of life. Few studies have examined relationships and differences in reported results between the parent, child and clinician. We examined parent-proxy and clinician-reported functional status and health-related quality of life for children and adolescents with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Children and adolescents, 5,18 years, in the maintenance phase of treatment for ALL attending the Haematology/Oncology outpatient clinic at the Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, were eligible. Measures included: 1) parent-reported functional health and well-being (Child Health Questionnaire [CHQ]); 2) parent-reported condition specific quality of life (Pediatric Cancer Quality of Life inventory [PCQL]); 3) clinician ratings of physical and psychosocial health; and 4) clinical indicators. Insufficient numbers of older patients prohibited collection of adolescent self-reports. We had a 94% response and 31 participants. Mean time since diagnosis: 1.5 (SD 0.4) years. Parents reported significantly lower functioning and well-being than population norms for all CHQ scales, whereas cancer-specific quality of life was comparable to PCQL norms. Clinician reports of the child's global physical and psychosocial health were moderately associated with each other (rs = 0.56, p < 0.001), and with the parent-reported physical (rs = 0.47, p < 0.01) and psychosocial (rs = 0.56, p < 0.001) CHQ summary scores. Clinician reports of the child's psychosocial health were not associated with any clinical indicators reported regularly. The results demonstrate that the social, physical and emotional health and well-being of children with ALL is significantly poorer than the health of their community-based peers. Routinely collected indicators of clinical progress conceal the psychosocial burden of ALL. Data on health, well-being and quality of life can easily be incorporated into clinical care. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] The health status of family caregivers in Taiwan: an analysis of gender differencesINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GERIATRIC PSYCHIATRY, Issue 9 2005Chii-Jun Chiou Abstract Background Many studies have assessed the impact of caregivers' work activities on the caregiver. There is growing concern about the ever-increasing problems, both physical and physiological, faced by health care workers who provide care for the ill and incapacitated. Aim The aim of the study was to examine what, if any, differences exist between male and female caregivers. This study primarily focused on caregivers who were taking care of a family member. Method Three hundred and eighty-eight caregivers (280 females and 108 males) were recruited from 16 randomly selected home-care agencies in Southern Taiwan. The participants completed the Chinese Health Questionnaire-12 and the Self-Rated Health Scale. They also completed questionnaires drawn up specifically for the purpose of this study. Results Compared to the male caregivers, the female caregivers more often reported they suffered from symptoms of lack of well being, a decrease in psychosocial health and overall self-rated health. Conclusion The results reiterate the importance of considering gender differentiation in the caregiving role. Major differences were found in the extent to which negative health consequences were experienced by the male and female caregivers. The results suggest that caregivers, especially female caregivers, urgently require adequate professional health care assistance in order to reduce the negative physical and physiological effects of caregiving on the health caregiver. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Association between peer relationship problems and childhood overweight/obesityACTA PAEDIATRICA, Issue 12 2009Anja Boneberger Abstract Aims:, To assess the association between peer relationship problems and childhood overweight and obesity. Methods:, Data on 4718 preschool children were obtained at the obligatory school entry health examination in Bavaria. Parentally reported peer relationship problems (,normal', ,borderline' or ,abnormal') were assessed from the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Overweight and obesity were defined according to age- and gender-specific BMI cut-off points. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to control potential confounders. Results:, The prevalence of overweight and obesity was higher among children with ,borderline' or ,abnormal' peer relationship problems compared to ,normal' children. The association of ,abnormal' peer relationship problems was still significant in the final logistic regression model for girls [odds ratio (OR) for overweight 2.0; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.4,3.0; OR for obesity 2.6; 95% CI: 1.3,5.0]. Among boys the adjusted odds ratio were lower and no longer significant. Conclusion:, The significantly increased prevalence of overweight and obesity among preschool children with peer relationship problems could not be explained by confounding. It seems evident that there is a relevant co-morbidity of peer relationship problems and obesity in pre-school children pointing to the need of interventions focusing on both physical as well as psychosocial health. [source] The value of the PedsQLTM in assessing quality of life in survivors of childhood cancerCHILD: CARE, HEALTH AND DEVELOPMENT, Issue 2 2003C. Eiser Abstract Aims To determine differences in ratings of quality of life (QOL) depending on respondent (mother or child) and implications for the validity of measures of QOL, and interpretation of scores. Method Forty-five survivors of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) and 23 survivors of central nervous system (CNS) tumours and their mothers completed a generic measure of QOL: the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory TM Version 4.0 (PedsQLTM4.0; Varni et al., 2001). Results Although correlations between mother and survivor ratings were largely moderate to good, further analyses showed that mothers reported QOL to be worse than survivors. Both mothers and survivors rated physical health worse than psychological health, and survivors of a CNS tumour had poorer QOL than survivors of ALL. Although survivors of ALL reported reasonably good physical health, their psychosocial health was more adversely affected. Conclusions Implications for further use of the PedsQLTM 4.0 in the clinical or research context are discussed. Incidental findings highlight some limitations of the PedsQLTM4.0 for work with this population. [source] Health-related quality of life and intellectual functioning in children in remission from acute lymphoblastic leukaemiaACTA PAEDIATRICA, Issue 9 2007Trude Reinfjell Abstract Aim: To evaluate the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and intellectual functioning of children in remission from acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL). Methods: Children and adolescents treated for ALL (n = 40; mean age 11.8 years, range 8.5,15.4) and healthy controls (n = 42; mean age 11.8, range 8.11,15.0) were assessed through a cross-sectional approach using the Pediatric Quality of Life inventory (PedsQLÔ) 4.0 and the Wechsler Intelligent Scale for children-III (WISC-III). Results: Children and adolescents treated for ALL reported on average significantly lower HRQOL compared to healthy controls: the mother's proxy-report showed significantly lower HRQOL for their children, as did the father's proxy-report, measured by the PedsQLÔ 4.0 Total Scale and Psychosocial Health Scale. Intellectual functioning as measured by the WISC-III Full Scale IQ was below that of the control group, but still within the normal range. Conclusions: Significant differences found between children treated for ALL and their control group for the PedsQL Psychosocial Health Scale may indicate that the complex illness-treatment experience can make children more vulnerable with regard to psychosocial sequels, in spite of otherwise satisfactory physical and intellectual functioning. Follow-up programs that target the psychosocial health of children in remission from ALL should be implemented. [source] Low-birthweight adolescents: Quality of life and parent,child relationsACTA PAEDIATRICA, Issue 9 2005Marit S. Indredavik Abstract Aim: To explore the effect of low birthweight on quality of life, the parent,child relationship and the parents' mental health. Design/study groups: A population-based follow-up of 56 very-low-birthweight (1500 g), 60 term small-for-gestational-age (birthweight <10th centile) and 83 term control adolescents (birthweight10th centile) at 14 y of age. Outcome measures: Child Health Questionnaire (Child Form, Parent Form), Parental Bonding Instrument rated by adolescents and parents; Symptom Checklist-90-Revised rated by mothers and fathers. Results: There were no group differences in self-reported health or self-esteem. Parents reported more behavioural problems and lower psychosocial health for very-low-birthweight adolescents (p<0.001) compared with controls. Results did not differ significantly between small-for-gestational-age and control adolescents. The youngsters, their mothers and fathers perceived the same amount of relational warmth in all three groups. Very-low-birthweight parents reported more emotional impact than control parents, especially in the presence of psychiatric problems and cerebral palsy. There were no group differences in mothers' or fathers' mental health. Conclusion: The low-birthweight adolescents perceived quality of life as others did, but the parents reported functional disadvantages for the very-low-birthweight group. Birthweight did not influence the warmth in the parent,child relationship. Parents of very-low-birthweight adolescents experienced increased emotional burden, but they did not have more mental health problems than others. [source] | ||||||||||