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Health Complaints (health + complaints)
Selected AbstractsMore aspiration than achievement?HEALTH & SOCIAL CARE IN THE COMMUNITY, Issue 6 2006Children's complaints, advocacy in health services in Wales Abstract The present paper reports on key results from a government-funded survey of all National Health Service trusts, local health boards and community health councils in Wales, which was conducted in 2004,2005 to identify the characteristics of complaints involving children, and the use of professional advocacy services in these complaints and their role in supporting children in relation to health service matters more generally. Findings from the survey are presented which reveal the marginal take-up of professional advocacy services in health complaints, and the slender resource in professional advocacy for children commissioned by a small number of health bodies. Advocacy support for users of health services typically focuses upon adult-related issues. The needs of children, particularly those who may have special requirements because of disability, being looked after, or having language or cultural needs are not well met according to the present survey. This raises the question of whether recent policy and guidance on advocacy (particularly for children and vulnerable groups) is seen by health bodies as warranting decisive action and dedicated investment, or whether rhetoric and modest change is the more likely outcome in the face of other pressing demands on health budgets. [source] Predicting needs for nursing home admission , does sense of coherence delay nursing home admission in care dependent older people?INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF OLDER PEOPLE NURSING, Issue 1 2009A longitudinal study Objectives., This study examined predisposing, enabling and need variables (Andersen's Behavioral Model) influencing the need for nursing home admission (NHA) in older people receiving home nursing care. In particular, the potential role of coping ability, measured as ,sense of coherence' (SOC), was studied. Design, sample, and measurements., A survey with baseline- and follow-up data after a 2-year period was undertaken with 208 patients aged 75+. The measures used were: gender, education, age, social visits, SOC, social provision scale (SPS), self-rated health (SRH), general health questionnaire (GHQ), clinical dementia rating (CDR), Barthel activities of daily living (ADL) index, and registered illnesses (RI). A Cox proportional model was used to examine factors that could explain risk of NHA. Results., Measures with predictive properties were Barthel ADL index, SPS, SRH, and gender. SOC, along with subjective health complaints, general health questionnaire, RI and social visits did not predict NHA. Conclusions., It is concluded that the patients' subjective evaluations of both their health and perceived social support were important predictors of future NHA needs, and should be seriously taken into consideration, along with the more commonly used objective measures of ADL and CDR. [source] MMPI-2 profiles of Gulf and Vietnam combat veterans with chronic posttraumatic stress disorderJOURNAL OF CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 4 2002D. Michael Glenn The current study examined service era differences in a sample of 172 Gulf and Vietnam outpatient veterans with combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Participants completed the MMPI-2 and several additional self-report measures of symptom severity (PTSD, depression, anxiety, hostility, and health complaints). Results indicated that MMPI-2 profiles differed significantly according to service era with Vietnam veterans scoring higher on scales 2, 8, and 0 and lower on scale 9 than did Gulf veterans. Examination of group means derived from parametric analysis of MMPI-2 data suggested a mean two-point code type of 2,8/8,2 for Vietnam veterans and 1,8/8,1 for Gulf veterans. In contrast, when the data were examined using descriptive techniques based on frequency counts of individual MMPI-2 profiles, the most frequently occurring two-point codetype was 7,8/8,7 for Vietnam veterans, and 6,8/8,6 for Gulf veterans. In addition, Gulf veterans reported a greater number of total health complaints than Vietnam veterans, whereas Vietnam veterans reported a greater number of physician-diagnosed physical conditions. Potential advantages of incorporating descriptive approaches versus parametric methods when examining profile data are also presented. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Psychol 58: 371,381, 2002. [source] Exposure, health complaints and cognitive performance among employees of an MRI scanners manufacturing departmentJOURNAL OF MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING, Issue 2 2006Frank de Vocht MSc Abstract Purpose To assess sensory effects and other health complaints that are reported by system testers working near magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) magnets, realizing that it is believed that exposure up to 8 T is safe for humans. Materials and Methods Levels of exposure to static magnetic fields (SMFs), movement speed during exposure, health complaints, and cognitive performance among employees in an MRI-manufacturing department and at a reference department have been analyzed. Mercury concentrations in urine samples were determined to analyze whether they depend on exposure to SMFs. Results Average exposure of system testers was 25.9 mT/8 hours at a 1.0-T system and 40.4 mT/8 hours at a 1.5-T system. Vertigo, metallic taste, and concentration problems were more reported among workers of MRI-fabrication than in the reference department. Cognitive performance was tested outside the SMF, and no significant changes were detected. Conclusion This study suggests that any effects on cognitive functions are acute and transient and disappear rapidly after exposure has ended. All complaints, except for headaches, were more frequently reported by "fast movers" than by "slow movers," and depended on field strength and duration of exposure. Mercury-levels in urine were not affected. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2006. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Occupational stress in (inter)action: the interplay between job demands and job resourcesJOURNAL OF ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR, Issue 5 2005Natasja van Vegchel The present study addresses theoretical issues involving different interaction effects between job demands and job resources, accompanied by a thorough empirical test of interaction terms in the demand,control (DC) model and the effort,reward imbalance (ERI) model in relation to employee health and well-being (i.e., exhaustion, psychosomatic health complaints, company-registered sickness absence). Neither the DC model nor the ERI model gives a clear theoretical rationale or preference for a particular interaction term. Hierarchical regression analyses were conducted among 405 nursing home employees and cross-validated in a comparable sample (N,=,471). Results including cross-validation showed that only a multiplicative interaction term yielded consistent results for both the DC model and the ERI model. Theoretical as well as empirical results argue for a multiplicative interaction term to test the DC model and the ERI model. Future job stress research may benefit from the idea that there should be a theoretical preference for any interaction form, either in the DC model or in the ERI model. However, more research on interactions is needed to address this topic adequately. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Unfairness at work as a predictor of absenteeismJOURNAL OF ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR, Issue 2 2002Elpine M. de Boer This study among 514 security guards examines the relationship between perceptions of unfairness at work and absenteeism during a one-year follow-up. On the basis of previous theoretical work and fragmented empirical evidence, it was hypothesized that distributive unfairness causes absence behavior in a direct or indirect way (through health complaints). Procedural unfairness was hypothesized to cause absence behavior through affective commitment or through health complaints. Results of a series of structural equation modelling analyses offer support for the mediating role of health complaints in the relationship between (distributive and procedural) unfairness at work and absenteeism. Moreover, our findings demonstrate that perceived unfairness contributes to explaining T2-absenteeism over and above the impact of T1-absenteeism and traditional work-related stressors (i.e., work load and low job control). The theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] The influence of news events on health after disaster: A longitudinal study in general practiceJOURNAL OF TRAUMATIC STRESS, Issue 6 2009Petra M.H. ten Veen This study investigates the influence of local and international news events on utilization of health services resources and health complaints as presented by victims of a fireworks depot disaster. It was hypothesized that victims (N = 2,854) will show more utilization and health complaints to their general practitioner (GP) in the week after 11 local news reports of events relating to the specific index trauma and 6 unrelated disasters reported in international print news, than the week before. Health data of victims and matched controls were extracted from electronic medical records, covering 4-years postdisaster. Especially local news events concerning the cause of the disaster were associated in both victims and controls with an increase of GP utilization and health complaints, including medically unexplained physical symptoms, chronic diseases, and psychological problems. No difference between victims and controls were found. [source] Illness in French Travelers to Senegal: Prospective Cohort Follow-up and Sentinel Surveillance DataJOURNAL OF TRAVEL MEDICINE, Issue 5 2010Aïssata Dia MD Objective. To investigate travel-associated illnesses in French travelers to Senegal. Methods. A prospective cohort follow-up was conducted in 358 travelers recruited at a pre-travel visit in Marseille and compared to data from ill travelers collected from the GeoSentinel data platform in two clinics in Marseille. Results. In the cohort survey, 87% of travelers experienced health complaints during travel, which most frequently included arthropod bites (75%), diarrhea (46%), and sunburns (36%). Severe febrile illness cases, notably malaria and salmonella, were detected only through the surveillance system, not in the cohort follow-up. Food hygiene was inefficient in preventing diarrhea. Arthropod bites were more frequent in younger patients and in patients with pale phototypes. Sunburns were also more frequent in younger patients. Finally, we demonstrate that mild travel-related gastrointestinal symptoms and the lack of arthropod bites are significantly associated with poor observance of antimalarial prophylaxis. Conclusions. In this study, we suggest the complementary nature of using cohort surveys and sentinel surveillance data. Effective protection of skin from arthropod bites and sun exposure should result in significantly reduced travel-associated diseases in Senegal. Travelers to Senegal should be informed that diarrhea is extremely common despite preventive measures, but it is mild and transitory and should not lead to the disruption of malaria chemoprophylaxis. [source] Respiratory sinus arrhythmia predicts written disclosure outcomePSYCHOPHYSIOLOGY, Issue 5 2005Denise M. Sloan Abstract Research has indicated that writing about traumatic experiences is associated with beneficial health effects compared with writing about emotionally neutral topics. What remains unclear are those factors that moderate the beneficial effects associated with written disclosure. This study examined respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) as a moderator of written disclosure outcome. Findings indicated that individuals with the highest RSA during the first written disclosure session benefited most from written disclosure in terms of physical health complaints and depression symptoms. As expected, RSA did not impact outcome for participants assigned to a control condition. These findings indicate that individuals who display good emotion regulation skills are best served by written disclosure. [source] Prevalence of habitual refractive errors and anisometropia among Dutch schoolchildren and hospital employeesACTA OPHTHALMOLOGICA, Issue 5 2009Theo J.W. Hendricks Abstract. Purpose:, Refractive error (RE) is suggested to cause not only visual impairment, but also functional problems such as aspecific health complaints and lower levels of school achievement. During the last few decades the prevalence of myopia has increased worldwide, especially in Asia. We investigated the prevalence of habitual RE and anisometropia in a Dutch population of children and employees. Methods:, In a cross-sectional study, RE in both eyes of 520 children (aged 11,13 years) and 444 hospital employees (aged 17,60 years) were measured using an autorefractometer. The measurements were performed without using a cycloplegium. Pearson's correlation coefficient (r) was used to analyse correlations between the right and left eyes. Chi-square tests were used to test the differences between subgroups according to gender and age. Results:, In schoolchildren 28% of right eyes were myopic (> 0.50 D) and 8% hyperopic (> 0.50 D). Pearson's r between right and left eyes for spherical equivalent power (SEP) was 0.93. The mean cylinder deviation in right eyes was 0.26 D (range 0.00,4.50 D). Anisometropia > 1.00 D was present in 4.6% of children; 22% of children were not optimally (> 0.50 D) corrected. In hospital employees, 30% of right eyes were myopic (> 0.50 D) and 10% hyperopic (> 0.50 D). Pearson's r between right and left eyes for SEP was 0.53. The mean cylinder deviation in right eyes was 0.35 D (range 0.00,5.75 D). Anisometropia > 1.00 D was present in 25% of employees. Anisometropia was more frequently present in employees aged 40,60 years, than in those aged 17,39 years (30% versus 18%; p = 0.02, Cramer's V = 0.15). Conclusions:, Refractive errors are common in children aged 11,13 years and in working adults aged 17,60 years. Distributions of sphere and cylinder deviations are similar for Dutch schoolchildren and hospital employees. Surprisingly, anisometropia proved to be more prevalent with age. In children many eyes are not optimally corrected. Increased attention should be paid to uncorrected and miscorrected REs. [source] The enigma of the welfare state: excellent child health prerequisites , poor subjective healthACTA PAEDIATRICA, Issue 6 2010C Lindgren Abstract The rate of subjective health complaints among Swedish children is increasing by age and over time, and more so than among children in other Scandinavian countries. In contrast, the somatic health and prerequisites for wellbeing are excellent. This paradoxical situation, The Enigma of the Welfare State, is the focus of this viewpoint. We argue that one important background factor may be late adverse effects of the welfare society itself and some of its inherent values. We have identified several possible pathways. We have given them names of diseases , on the society level , like health obsession, stress panic, welfare apathy and hyper-individualism. Together with other factors such as a dysfunctional school and an unsatisfactory labour market for youth, these diseases are involved in an interplay that is constantly inducing anxiety and low self-esteem. Conclusion:, The gradually deteriorating self-reported health among Swedish youth may, to some degree, be explained as a late adverse effect of the welfare society itself and its inherent values. [source] | |||||||||||||