Good Health as Reliably Competent Functioning

Author(s):  
Lawrence C. Becker
Author(s):  
Amy Hasselkus

The need for improved communication about health-related topics is evident in statistics about the health literacy of adults living in the United States. The negative impact of poor health communication is huge, resulting in poor health outcomes, health disparities, and high health care costs. The importance of good health communication is relevant to all patient populations, including those from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. Efforts are underway at all levels, from individual professionals to the federal government, to improve the information patients receive so that they can make appropriate health care decisions. This article describes these efforts and discusses how speech-language pathologists and audiologists may be impacted.


2000 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 77-83 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lina Pezzuti ◽  
Caterina Laicardi ◽  
Marco Lauriola

Summary: An Elderly Behavior Assessment for Relatives (EBAR), updating the GERRI ( Schwartz, 1983 ), was administered to relatives (or significant others) of 349 elderly persons, from 60 to over 80 years of age, living at home, in good health and without cognitive impairment. A trained psychologist administered subjects the Life Satisfaction for Elderly Scale (LSES), the Instrumental Activity of Daily Living (IADL), the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE), and personally answered to an overall elderly behavior rating scale (RA). EBAR items were first examined. The more attractive and less discriminative statements were excluded. A principal components analysis was carried out on the remaining EBAR items. Three factors were extracted. After varimax rotation they were tentatively labeled: Everyday Cognitive Functioning, Depression, and Hostility. Factor-driven EBAR subscales were designed, taking into account simpler items in the factor matrix. Results provide evidence for EBAR construct validity. Everyday Cognitive Functioning is connected to the IADL and the RA scores; Depression is very highly related to the LSES; Hostility is weakly related to RA, IADL, and MMSE, indicating that the scale needs further investigation.


2003 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 91-102 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steve E. Shive ◽  
Michelle R. Neyman

This study examined fruit intake among 276 female Extended Opportunity Program and Services (EOPS) community college students. Knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors associated with fruit intake were determined. The attitudes which are potential predictors of daily fruit intake were also examined. Analysis showed that 33% ate fewer than the minimum recommended two daily servings of fruit. Students reported that fruit gave them energy, taste and cost were not barriers to consumption and that it would not be difficult to increase daily fruit consumption. A linear regression analysis revealed that beliefs that eating fruit leads to good health, having a habit of eating fruit, feeling energy, and weight loss accounted for 30% of the variance in fruit intake.


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