Do knowledge about sodium, health status by self-report, and having hypertension predict sodium consumption behaviors among Southern California hospital employees?

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lia D’Addario ◽  
Tony Kuo ◽  
Brenda Robles
Keyword(s):  
Health Status ◽  
Salt Intake ◽  
Good Health ◽  
Hospital Staff ◽  
The United States ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Sodium Reduction ◽  
High Sodium ◽  
Hospital Employees ◽  
Sodium Consumption

Lay Summary A major problem in the United States is the overconsumption of high sodium foods. These foods often put people at higher risk of hypertension, heart disease, and stroke. Recent public health efforts have tackled this problem by making it easier to select/purchase healthier, lower sodium foods in different settings. Hospital employees are one such group that has been the focus of these interventions. Presently, little is known about what explains sodium-related dietary behaviors among hospital employees. To address this gap, we used data from a survey of hospital staff who were exposed to sodium reduction interventions in the workplace to examine how their knowledge, attitudes, and self-reported health status affected their sodium consumption. A key finding was being in “good health” and having the belief that salt intake matters for health predicted decreased sodium consumption among the survey participants. These and other study findings provide context and insights into ways in which further sodium reduction could be achieved among at-risk hospital employees.

scholarly journals Health Status of Adults with Hearing Loss in the United States

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 100-111
Author(s):  
Jennifer Glassman ◽  
Timothy Jordan ◽  
Jiunn-Jye Sheu ◽  
Lori Pakulski ◽  
Amy Thompson
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Heart Disease ◽  
Health Status ◽  
The United States ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Lifestyle Behaviors ◽  
General Health Status ◽  
Disease States ◽  
Screening Behaviors

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the current health status of adults in the United States with self-reported hearing loss and compare it with US adults with a self-reported excellent or good hearing in three areas: (1) chronic disease states and general health status, (2) medical screening behaviors, and (3) lifestyle behaviors. Methods: A secondary data analysis was conducted using the 2014 data set from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), specifically the Sample Adult Public Use File (samadult). For this questionnaire set, one adult per family was randomly selected. This individual self-reported their response to the questionnaire items. Binary regressions were used to analyze the odds ratio to find differences for selected disease states, screenings, and lifestyle behaviors. Respondents were grouped into one of four categories: excellent/good hearing, a little trouble hearing, moderate/a lot of trouble hearing, and deaf. Results: The excellent/good hearing group was used as the comparison group for the other three levels of hearing. There are many differences in likelihood to self-report disease states; the greatest increased likelihoods include tinnitus and heart disease, with tinnitus being 8.6 times more likely for those who identified as having moderate/a lot of hearing loss. Those with any level of hearing loss were 3 to 5 times more likely to self-report heart disease. Regarding lifestyle factors, individuals with any level of hearing loss were less likely to consume alcohol and 2.5 to 9 times more likely to be unable to engage in moderate or vigorous activity on a weekly basis, respectively. Conclusions: There is a difference in the health status of individuals with hearing loss across all three areas examined (chronic disease states and general health status, medical screening behaviors, and lifestyle behaviors), and those differences vary based on level of hearing loss, the most notable being the self-reported inability to engage in moderate and vigorous physical activity. Disproportionate rates of tinnitus and heart disease were evident in all levels of hearing loss but most notable in those identifying as having moderate/a lot of trouble hearing. Further interdisciplinary research is necessary to improve the health of individuals with all levels of hearing loss, increase awareness of the hearing/health connection, and decrease hearing loss in general.

scholarly journals Is Childhood Disadvantage Temporary or Permanent? Evidence From the Study on Global Ageing and Adult Health in Ghana

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 336-336
Author(s):  
Paul Ayernor
Keyword(s):  
Socioeconomic Status ◽  
Health Status ◽  
Primary Education ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Good Health ◽  
Self Report ◽  
World Health ◽  
Adult Health ◽  
Logistic Regression Models ◽  
Childhood Socioeconomic Status

Abstract The paper assesses whether childhood socioeconomic status have a temporary or permanent effect on adult health status and well-being. The study uses cumulative inequality theory to explain disparity in health status and well-being at older ages in Ghana. Data comes from the 2007-2008 World Health Organization global study of ageing in Ghana (SAGE). The study utilizes wave 1 of the data, with retrospective questions about early childhood socioeconomic status. The study uses ordinal logistic regression models to assess the relationship between childhood socioeconomic status and self-report health on one hand and wellbeing on the another. The results show that father’s education is a significant predictor of health status and wellbeing at older ages. Specifically, the odds of reporting good and moderate health status and wellbeing are 1.29 and 2.22 times higher among older adults whose fathers have primary education or higher. As expected, the odds of reporting moderate or good health status and wellbeing decrease with increasing age and also for women. In terms of interaction effects, those aged 60-69 years whose fathers have primary education are less likely to report good and moderate health. In contrast, those who are aged 70-79 years old and have fathers with secondary or higher education are 2.51 times more likely to report good and moderate wellbeing. There is strong evidence of compensation among those who keep once or twice contact with social ties.

scholarly journals Administering the Sarcoidosis Health Questionnaire to sarcoidosis patients in Serbia

2016 ◽  
Vol 42 (2) ◽  
pp. 99-105
Author(s):  
Violeta Mihailović-Vučinić ◽  
Branislav Gvozdenović ◽  
Mihailo Stjepanović ◽  
Mira Vuković ◽  
Ljiljana Marković-Denić ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Health Status ◽  
The United States ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Health Questionnaire ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Language Version ◽  
Patient Gender ◽  
Disease Specific

Objective: The aim of this study was to use a Serbian-language version of the disease-specific, self-report Sarcoidosis Health Questionnaire (SHQ), which was designed and originally validated in the United States, to assess health status in sarcoidosis patients in Serbia, as well as validating the instrument for use in the country. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of 346 patients with biopsy-confirmed sarcoidosis. To evaluate the health status of the patients, we used the SHQ, which was translated into Serbian for the purposes of this study. We compared SHQ scores by patient gender and age, as well as by disease duration and treatment. Lower SHQ scores indicate poorer health status. Results: The SHQ scores demonstrated differences in health status among subgroups of the sarcoidosis patients evaluated. Health status was found to be significantly poorer among female patients and older patients, as well as among those with chronic sarcoidosis or extrapulmonary manifestations of the disease. Monotherapy with methotrexate was found to be associated with better health status than was monotherapy with prednisone or combination therapy with prednisone and methotrexate. Conclusions: The SHQ is a reliable, disease-specific, self-report instrument. Although originally designed for use in the United States, the SHQ could be a useful tool for the assessment of health status in various non-English-speaking populations of sarcoidosis patients.

scholarly journals Urinary sodium excretion in a young to middle-aged adults urban population: a pilot study in Ecuador

2018 ◽  
Vol 20 (5) ◽  
pp. 568-573
Author(s):  
Ivan Sisa ◽  
María Herrera-Fontana ◽  
María Bovera ◽  
María Palomeque ◽  
Enrique Teran
Keyword(s):  
Urban Population ◽  
Salt Intake ◽  
Sodium Intake ◽  
Population Sample ◽  
Reference Value ◽  
Population Level ◽  
Urban Setting ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
High Sodium ◽  
Sodium Consumption

Objective High sodium consumption is associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD). CVD is the leading cause of mortality in Ecuador, which may be caused in part by unhealthy eating habits. Currently, there are no data on the consumption of sodium using 24-hr urine samples. The aims of the study were to provide preliminary data of sodium intake in an urban population sample consisting of adults between 25 and 64 years old, and to explore the feasibility to conduct a population-level sodium intake determination by using 24-hr urine samples.Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted in a sample of 129 adults living in an urban setting. 24-hr urinary samples were collected and the WHO STEPS instrument was used to collect the socio-demographic and clinical characteristics of participants. A reference value of 2.0 g/day was used to differentiate between normal and high sodium intake groups.Results Participants’ median age was 39 years, 91% of them identified themselves as belonging to the mestizo race, and 60% were female. The average sodium intake was 2 655(±1 185) mg/d (range: 1 725 to 3 404), which is equivalent to a salt intake of 6.8 g/d (range: 4.4 to 8.7). Sodium intake was significantly higher in males than in females: 3 175(±1 202) mg/d vs. 2 304(±1 042) mg/d, respectively, (p<.01).Conclusions Sodium consumption in two-thirds of the participants was higher than the WHO recommended level. These results should help to support the execution of a national sodium intake survey that, in turn, would provide information to guide and plan public health strategies seeking to decrease cardiovascular diseases occurrence rates in Ecuador.

scholarly journals Cross-sectional Analysis of Food Insecurity and Frequent Emergency Department Use

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 911-918
Author(s):  
Alex Estrella ◽  
Joy Scheidell ◽  
Maria Khan ◽  
Donna Castelblanco ◽  
Tod Mijanovich ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Department ◽  
Health Status ◽  
Food Insecurity ◽  
The United States ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Household Food Security ◽  
United States Department ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Anxiety Depression ◽  
Overall Health Status

Introduction: Emergency department (ED) patients have higher than average levels of food insecurity. We examined the association between multiple measures of food insecurity and frequent ED use in a random sample of ED patients. Methods: We completed survey questionnaires with randomly sampled adult patients from an urban public hospital ED (n = 2,312). We assessed food insecurity using four questions from the United States Department of Agriculture Household Food Security Survey. The primary independent variable was any food insecurity, defined as an affirmative response to any of the four items. Frequent ED use was defined as self-report of ≥4 ED visits in the past year. We examined the relationship between patient food insecurity and frequent ED use using bivariate and multivariable analyses and examined possible mediation by anxiety/depression and overall health status. Results: One-third (30.9%) of study participants reported frequent ED use, and half (50.8%) reported any food insecurity. Prevalence of food insecurity was higher among frequent vs. non-frequent ED users, 62.8% vs 45.4% (P <0.001). After controlling for potential confounders, food insecurity remained significantly associated with frequent ED use (adjusted odds ratio 1.48, 95% confidence interval, 1.20-1.83). This observed association was partially attenuated when anxiety/depression and overall health status were added to models. Conclusion: The high observed prevalence of food insecurity suggests that efforts to improve care of ED patients should assess and address this need. Further research is needed to assess whether addressing food insecurity may play an important role in efforts to reduce frequent ED use for some patients.

scholarly journals Evaluating the association of self-reported psychological distress and self-rated health on survival times among women with breast cancer in the U.S.

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (12) ◽  
pp. e0260481
Author(s):  
Oluwaseun John Adeyemi ◽  
Tasha Leimomi Gill ◽  
Rajib Paul ◽  
Larissa Brunner Huber
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Health Status ◽  
Health Care Access ◽  
Breast Cancer Diagnosis ◽  
Good Health ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Outcome Variable ◽  
Survival Times ◽  
Self Rated Health

Background Psychological distress and self-rated health status may create additional complexities in patients already diagnosed with breast cancer. This study aims to assess the association of self-report-based assessment of psychological distress and self-rated health on survival times among women with breast cancer diagnoses. Methods Seventeen-year data from the Integrated Public Use Microdata Series—National Health Interview Survey (IPUMS-NHIS) were pooled and analyzed. Women who were aged 30 to 64 years old, with breast cancer diagnosis were selected (n = 2,819). The outcome variable was time to death. The independent variables were self-reported assessment of psychological distress and self-rated health. Psychological distress was defined using the Kessler-6 scale while self-rated health was measured on a 3-point Likert scale: Poor, Fair, and Good-to-Excellent (referred to as good for brevity). We computed unadjusted and adjusted hazard ratios (HR) using Cox-Proportional Hazard regression models with sociodemographic characteristics and measures of health care access used as potential confounders. Significance was set at alpha = 0.05. Results Women with breast cancer assessed as having psychological distress had 46% (Adjusted HR: 1.46; 95% CI: 1.02–2.09) increased risks of mortality. Also, women who rated their health as poor or fair had a significantly elevated mortality risk (Poor Health: Adjusted HR: 3.05; 95% CI: 2.61–4.69; Fair Health: Adjusted HR: 1.83; 95% CI: 1.43–2.35) as compared to women with good health status. Conclusions Self-reported psychological distress and fair and poor self-rated health are associated with reduced survival times among women with breast cancer diagnoses.

Health Communication: Implications for Diverse Populations

2011 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 12-19
Author(s):  
Amy Hasselkus
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Communication ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Linguistically Diverse ◽  
Good Health ◽  
The United States ◽  
Poor Health ◽  
Health Care Decisions ◽  
Diverse Backgrounds ◽  
Health Related

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.

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