Weight-Making Strategies in Professional Jockeys: Implications for Physical and Mental Health and Well-Being

ABSTRACTObjectives:Optimism and pessimism are distinct constructs that have demonstrated independent relationships with aspects of health and well-being. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether optimism or pessimism is more closely linked with physical and mental health among older adults.Design:Cross-sectional survey.Participants:Community-dwelling older adults (N = 272) ages 59–95 in the southern United States.Measurements:The Life Orientation Test—Revised and the Short Form 8.Results:At the bivariate level, optimism was associated with higher physical health and mental health, while pessimism was associated with lower physical health and mental health. Multiple-regression analyses as well as comparison of correlation coefficients found that pessimism was more closely associated with physical health and mental health than optimism.Conclusions:These results add to the literature suggesting that, in terms of older adults’ health and well-being, avoiding pessimism may be more important than being optimistic.

Download Full-text

Compositional, Contextual, and Collective Community Factors in Mental Health and Well-Being in Australian Rural Communities

Qualitative Health Research ◽

10.1177/1049732315625195 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 27 (5) ◽

pp. 677-687 ◽

Cited By ~ 18

Author(s):

Jessica Collins ◽

Bernadette M. Ward ◽

Pamela Snow ◽

Sandra Kippen ◽

Fiona Judd

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Rural Communities ◽

Mental Health Professionals ◽

Rural Areas ◽

Well Being ◽

Underlying Mechanism ◽

Physical And Mental Health ◽

Geographic Variations ◽

Community Factors ◽

Health And Well Being

There are disproportionately higher and inconsistently distributed rates of recorded suicides in rural areas. Patterns of rural suicide are well documented, but they remain poorly understood. Geographic variations in physical and mental health can be understood through the combination of compositional, contextual, and collective factors pertaining to particular places. The aim of this study was to explore the role of “place” contributing to suicide rates in rural communities. Seventeen mental health professionals participated in semi-structured in-depth interviews. Principles of grounded theory were used to guide the analysis. Compositional themes were demographics and perceived mental health issues; contextual themes were physical environment, employment, housing, and mental health services; and collective themes were town identity, community values, social cohesion, perceptions of safety, and attitudes to mental illness. It is proposed that connectedness may be the underlying mechanism by which compositional, contextual, and collective factors influence mental health and well-being in rural communities.

Download Full-text

Health and well being of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people aged 50 years and over

Australian Health Review ◽

10.1071/ah16200 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 42 (2) ◽

pp. 146 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Mark Hughes

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Psychological Distress ◽

General Population ◽

Short Form ◽

Well Being ◽

Health Issues ◽

Physical And Mental Health ◽

Sexual Diversity ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Health And Well Being

Objectives The aim of the present study was to examine the health and well being of older lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people, the health issues that concern them, the services they use and challenges accessing services. Methods This study comprised a survey of the health and well being of 312 LGBTI people aged 50 years and over in New South Wales. The survey included the Short-Form 12 (SF-12) measure of health-related quality of life, the Kessler 10 (K10) measure of psychological distress, and the three-item Loneliness Scale. Results Higher levels of psychological distress, lower mental health and greater loneliness were found among this sample than is typically found in the general population. Mental health was lower among carers and those not in a relationship, while psychological distress was greater among those living alone and those experiencing higher rates of loneliness. The most commonly accessed health service was a general practitioner (GP), with most respondents reporting that they were open about their sexuality to their GP and that they had a regular GP. Some reported difficulties accessing health services because of their gender or sexual diversity. Conclusions Although many older LGBTI people are well, both physically and mentally, they do appear to face increased risk of certain health issues compared with the general population. What is known about the topic? Overseas research indicates that older LGBTI people may be at greater risk of certain physical and mental health conditions than the general population. What does this paper add? This paper provides Australian data, using well-validated instruments, on the health and well being of older LGBTI people. It provides evidence of the health issues that older LGBTI people are most concerned about and the barriers they face in accessing services. What are the implications for practitioners? It is important for health practitioners to be aware that older LGBTI people appear to be at increased risk of certain physical and mental health issues, such as loneliness and psychological distress. Providing opportunities for clients to identify their gender or sexual diversity may assist in monitoring risk factors and enable referral to promote healthy aging.

Download Full-text

The impact of life events on adult physical and mental health and well-being: longitudinal analysis using the GoWell health and well-being survey

BMC Research Notes ◽

10.1186/s13104-016-2278-x ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 17

Author(s):

Claire Cleland ◽

Ade Kearns ◽

Carol Tannahill ◽

Anne Ellaway

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Life Events ◽

Longitudinal Analysis ◽

Well Being ◽

Physical And Mental Health ◽

The Impact ◽

Health And Well Being

Download Full-text

Evidence on the contribution of community gardens to promote physical and mental health and well-being of non-institutionalized individuals: A systematic review

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0255621 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 16 (8) ◽

pp. e0255621

Author(s):

Tarsila Lampert ◽

Joana Costa ◽

Osvaldo Santos ◽

Joana Sousa ◽

Teresa Ribeiro ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Systematic Review ◽

Health Outcomes ◽

Community Gardens ◽

Well Being ◽

Physical And Mental Health ◽

Community Gardening ◽

Quantitative Studies ◽

Health Gains ◽

Health And Well Being

Introduction There has been growing interest in community gardens as an effective and affordable health promotion strategy. However, most available evidence is derived from qualitative studies, whereas quantitative research on this subject is limited. Objectives To synthetize the literature about physical and mental health outcomes associated with community gardening. Two main questions were addressed: a) is there evidence, from quantitative studies, that community gardening is associated to physical and mental health and well-being of non-institutionalized individuals? b) Does community gardening provokes any discomfort in terms of physical health, i.e., bodily pain, to their beneficiaries? Methods A systematic review of the literature was carried out following PRISMA guidelines by searching relevant electronic databases (PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science). Empirical, quantitative studies published in English with no restrictions concerning the date of publication were considered eligible. The quality of the evidence was appraised using the tool developed by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health for Observational Cohort and Cross-Sectional Studies. Results Overall, 8 studies were considered eligible, of which seven studies were rated as having good methodological quality (one scored as fair). Community gardeners had significantly better health outcomes than their neighbours not engaged in gardening activities in terms of life satisfaction, happiness, general health, mental health, and social cohesion. Conclusion Community gardens are associated to health gains for their users, irrespective of age, being an affordable and efficient way of promoting physical and mental health and well-being. To encourage the design, maintenance, and prospective evaluation of supportive urban environments promoting healthy and, at the same time, sustainable lifestyles, is essential to achieve public health gains and environmental sustainability.

Download Full-text

The Medical Benefits of Work and the Health “Cost” of Unemployment

Guides Newsletter ◽

10.1001/amaguidesnewsletters.2020.janfeb02 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 25 (1) ◽

pp. 12-14

Author(s):

James B. Talmage

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Return To Work ◽

Work Ability ◽

Adult Life ◽

Premature Death ◽

Well Being ◽

Physical And Mental Health ◽

Early Return ◽

Consensus Statements ◽

Health And Well Being

Abstract In 2011, the American Medical Association published the AMA Guides to the Evaluation of Work Ability and Return to Work (AMA's Return to Work), Second Edition, which began with a review of consensus statements attesting that, in general, work is good for a person's health and well-being. Since publication of AMA's Return to Work, the Australian Royal College of Physicians has issued a consensus statement about the negative health consequences of becoming unemployed and the health benefits of returning to work. Key points include: for most individuals, working improves general health and well-being and reduces psychological distress; even musculoskeletal and mental health conditions attributed to work can benefit from activity-based rehabilitation and an early return to suitable work; long-term work absence is harmful to physical and mental health and well-being; the negative effects of remaining away from work include stress on the worker's families, including children. Of the potential consequences of unemployment in mid-adult life, the worst is premature death. In causation research, unlike medical treatment studies, individuals cannot be randomly assigned to a group that is forced to remain at work and a group that is forced to be unemployed. Even so, causation research has found strong evidence for a protective effect of employment on depression and general mental health. In performing evaluations, physicians must accurately assess work ability and recognize the healthy benefits of work.

Download Full-text

Determinants of Volunteering Within a Social Housing Community

VOLUNTAS International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations ◽

10.1007/s11266-020-00275-w ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Tim Walker ◽

Tamaryn Menneer ◽

Catherine Leyshon ◽

Michael Leyshon ◽

Andrew James Williams ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Housing Association ◽

Well Being ◽

Physical And Mental Health ◽

Probit Regression ◽

Data Set ◽

Individual Health ◽

Socio Economic Impact ◽

Mental Well Being ◽

Health And Well Being

Abstract In general, research demonstrates that deprivation, education, health, and well-being are determinants of volunteering, and that volunteering can play an important role in building stronger communities and provides many benefits for individual health and well-being. This study concentrates on the effects of physical and mental health and well-being as predictors when the aspect of socio-economic impact has been minimised. It utilises a unique data set from a UK Housing Association community with generally high levels of deprivation. Data were analysed using bivariate probit regression. In contrast to previous findings, physical health and mental health were not significantly related to volunteering. The key finding was that mental well-being was significantly related to informal volunteering.

Download Full-text

Promoting Gender Equality by Supporting Men’s Emotional Flexibility

Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences ◽

10.1177/2372732220984491 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 (1) ◽

pp. 42-49

Author(s):

Alyssa Croft ◽

Ciara Atkinson ◽

Alexis M. May

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Gender Equality ◽

Gender Stereotypes ◽

Well Being ◽

The United States ◽

Policy Recommendations ◽

Physical And Mental Health ◽

Psychological Barriers ◽

Emotional Flexibility ◽

Health And Well Being

Progress toward gender equality has slowed or stalled in recent years, primarily because gender stereotypes and roles are changing more quickly for women than men. Women are increasingly free to behave more like men, whereas a similar freedom for men (to behave more like women) has been slower to emerge. Expectations governing men remain rigid: They are discouraged from showing weakness/vulnerability and encouraged to assert masculinity by demonstrating strength/toughness. These expectations undermine men’s emotional flexibility, which not only harms their physical health and well-being but also systematically impedes gender equality efforts. We summarize both the direct and indirect consequences of men’s relative emotional inflexibility, as well as cultural and psychological barriers to men’s emotional flexibility development. We then provide empirically based policy recommendations for cultivating emotional flexibility in men, which could in turn foster their physical and mental health, undermine traditional gender stereotypes, and promote broader gender equality in the United States.

Download Full-text

The Role of School Connectedness in Supporting the Health and Well-Being of Youth: Recommendations for School Nurses

NASN School Nurse ◽

10.1177/1942602x211048481 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1942602X2110484

Author(s):

Ellen M. McCabe ◽

Caroline Davis ◽

Lauryn Mandy ◽

Cindy Wong

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

School Environment ◽

School Connectedness ◽

Environmental Influence ◽

Well Being ◽

School Nurses ◽

Physical And Mental Health ◽

Bully Victimization ◽

Culture Of Care ◽

Health And Well Being

The importance of students feeling connected in school cannot be overstated, as this perception is crucial to support their health and well-being. A lack of school connectedness can lead to adverse physical and mental health outcomes, including bully victimization. Numerous factors, including individual, social, and environmental, influence students’ perceived sense of school connectedness. School nurses are well positioned to establish and maintain school connectedness due to their knowledge, accessibility to students, and familiarity with the school environment. This article details the importance of school connectedness and describes the associations between school connectedness, bullying, and mental health. In addition, we offer recommendations geared toward school nurses regarding strengthening school connectedness and promoting a culture of care and inclusivity within school environments, especially salient in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Download Full-text

Health Starting Points: Continuity and Change in Physical and Mental Health before and during the Pandemic

Socius Sociological Research for a Dynamic World ◽

10.1177/23780231211025382 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 7 ◽

pp. 237802312110253

Author(s):

Wendy Manning ◽

Monica Longmore ◽

Peggy Giordano ◽

Cameron Douthat

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Emotional Health ◽

Well Being ◽

Population Based ◽

Health Issues ◽

Physical And Mental Health ◽

Continuity And Change ◽

Health Measures ◽

Health And Well Being ◽

Over Time

The pandemic has created multiple changes in the lives of Americans, with growing and widespread concerns about the implications for the nation’s health and well-being. Most empirical examinations of the physical and mental health implications of the pandemic have rested on aggregate comparisons of prepandemic and pandemic indicators of health. The authors contribute to this body of work by considering continuity and change in health and well-being over time. The authors draw on respondents in a population-based sample with repeated health measures of physical health, depressive symptoms, and anxiety collected prior to the pandemic and subsequently during the pandemic. Using Sankey figures, the authors illustrate their health pathways and as a result highlight the importance of a longitudinal lens on assessments of health. The authors find health starting points are critical to understanding distribution and levels of physical and emotional health issues during the pandemic.

Download Full-text