Moving Beyond a One-Size-Fits-All View of Positive Affect in Health Research

2018 ◽  
Vol 27 (5) ◽  
pp. 339-344 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah D. Pressman ◽  
Marie P. Cross
Keyword(s):  
Positive Affect ◽  
Health Research ◽  
Health Interventions ◽  
Complex Picture

Although the literature that connects positive affect (PA) to health has exploded over the last 20 years, the approach to studying this topic has remained simplistic. Specifically, researchers overwhelmingly rely on the principle that all PA is healthful, all of the time. Here, we review recent studies indicating that a more nuanced approach is valuable. In particular, we demonstrate that a more thoughtful approach to factors such as arousal, culture, timing, and measurement type results in a more complex picture of when PA is helpful and when it is not. Taking these issues into account also has implications for the types of mechanisms underlying these associations, as well as how other moderators might operate. Thus, we argue that considering these gradations will allow researchers to develop successful and theoretically based health interventions, untangle mixed findings, and enable a deeper understanding of the connection between PA and health.

Forgiveness Communication and Health

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Douglas L. Kelley ◽  
Bianca M. Wolf ◽  
Shelby E. Broberg
Keyword(s):  
Positive Affect ◽  
Health Effects ◽  
Health Research ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Positive Health ◽  
Late 20Th Century ◽  
Affective Factors ◽  
Current Trends ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Health Promoting

Research on forgiveness and its health-related effects has steadily increased since the late 20th century. Most of the forgiveness-health literature demonstrates that forgiveness indirectly influences health through a variety of psychosocial affective factors. Common distinctions in this research are reflected in studies focused on reduction of negative affect and, thus, negative health effects, and studies focused on preventative and health-promoting implications of forgiveness (e.g., increased positive affect). While a lack of clarity exists regarding health implications stemming from reductions in unforgiveness (as distinct from increases in forgiving responses), current research supports the notion that forgiveness, as opposed to unforgiveness, affects psychological, physical, and relational health in overridingly beneficial ways. More specifically, forgiveness, and/or the moderation of unforgiveness, is associated with the exhibition of positive affect (e.g., sympathy, empathy, and optimism), improved self-esteem, higher life satisfaction, and better mental health ratings. Physical health effects of forgiveness include enhanced bioregulation in response to transgression stressors, as well as better self-rated health status and the exhibition of positive health behaviors. Limitations in the current literature most commonly relate to disparate definitional, methodological, and interpretative issues typical of transdisciplinary forgiveness and health research. Current trends and future directions for forgiveness-health research include consideration of additional variables thought to be associated with forgiveness processes, including religiosity, empathy, and social support. Additionally, research that focuses on communicative and relational aspects of health and well-being is warranted. Suggestions for research opportunities in forgiveness-health research framed by a communicative lens are offered.

scholarly journals Searching for the Impact of Participation in Health and Health Research: Challenges and Methods

2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janet Harris ◽  
Tina Cook ◽  
Lisa Gibbs ◽  
John Oetzel ◽  
Jon Salsberg ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Health Research ◽  
Health Interventions ◽  
Recent Experience ◽  
Primary Research ◽  
Recent Systematic Review ◽  
The Public ◽  
Research Challenges ◽  
Key Points ◽  
The Impact

Internationally, the interest in involving patients and the public in designing and delivering health interventions and researching their effectiveness is increasing. Several systematic reviews of participation in health research have recently been completed, which note a number of challenges in documenting the impact of participation. Challenges include working across stakeholders with different understandings of participation and levels of experience in reviewing; comparing heterogeneous populations and contexts; configuring findings from often thin descriptions of participation in academic papers; and dealing with different definitions of impact. This paper aims to advance methods for systematically reviewing the impact of participation in health research, drawing on recent systematic review guidance. Practical examples for dealing with issues at each stage of a review are provided based on recent experience. Recommendations for improving primary research on participation in health are offered and key points to consider during the review are summarised.

Arts in Health

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daisy Fancourt
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Research ◽  
Healthcare Professionals ◽  
Health Interventions ◽  
Research Project ◽  
Research And Practice ◽  
The Arts ◽  
History Of ◽  
Medical Disciplines ◽  
Arts In Health

Arts in Health: Designing and Researching Interventions provides a complete overview of how to go about undertaking research and practice in the field of arts in health. Part I explores the context for arts in health interventions, including the history of the use of arts in health and the theoretical and political developments that have laid the foundations for its flourishing. It also considers what ‘arts in health’ encompasses and the range of disciplines involved. Part II examines how to design an arts in health intervention, develop partnerships, and find funding, and considers the sensitivities around working in health care. Part III considers the value of research for the field of arts in health and how to design and undertake a research project. Finally, Part IV provides a fact file of arts in health research and practice, showing how the arts can be applied and the benefits they can bring across a range of medical disciplines. The title is aimed at researchers, practitioners, healthcare professionals, and those interested in learning more about the field.

A scoping review of patient-facing, behavioral health interventions with voice assistant technology targeting self-management and healthy lifestyle behaviors

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 606-628 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emre Sezgin ◽  
Lisa K Militello ◽  
Yungui Huang ◽  
Simon Lin
Keyword(s):  
Behavioral Health ◽  
Scoping Review ◽  
User Satisfaction ◽  
Health Research ◽  
Healthy Lifestyle ◽  
Health Interventions ◽  
Self Management ◽  
Lifestyle Behaviors ◽  
Healthy Lifestyle Behaviors ◽  
Behavioral Health Research

Abstract Engaging in positive healthy lifestyle behaviors continues to be a public health challenge, requiring innovative solutions. As the market for voice assistants (Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple Siri) grows and people increasingly use them to assist their daily tasks, there is a pressing need to explore how voice assistant (VA) technology may be used in behavioral health interventions. A scoping review of literature was conducted to address a PICO (Population, Intervention, Comparison, and Outcome) question: across populations, how does the use of voice assistants in behavioral health research/interventions influence healthy lifestyle behaviors versus control or comparison interventions? To inform the science, a secondary aim of this review was to explore characteristics of VAs used in behavioral health research. The review was conducted following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis guidelines with scoping review extension (PRISMA-ScR). Ten studies satisfied the inclusion criteria, representing research published through February 2019. Studies spanned pediatric to elderly populations, covering a vast array of self-management and healthy lifestyle behaviors. The majority of interventions were multicomponent, involving more than one of the following behavior change techniques grouped by cluster: shaping knowledge, self-belief, repetition and substitution, feedback and monitoring, goals and planning, antecedents, natural consequences, comparison of behavior, and identification. However, most studies were in early stages of development, with limited efficacy trials. VA technology continues to evolve and support behavioral interventions using various platforms (e.g., Interactive Voice Response [IVR] systems, smartphones, and smart speakers) which are used alone or in conjunction with other platforms. Feasibility, usability, preliminary efficacy, along with high user satisfaction of research adapted VAs, in contrast to standalone commercially available VAs, suggest a role for VAs in behavioral health intervention research.

scholarly journals Challenges Facing the Health System in Somalia and Implications for Achieving the SDGs

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
A Gele
Keyword(s):  
Mortality Rate ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Health System ◽  
Health Research ◽  
National Level ◽  
Health Interventions ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
High Fertility ◽  
Research Institutions ◽  
Live Births

Abstract While Somalia's health system has been slightly progressing over the last 6 years, there has been significant challenges in both the provision of health services and enabling access to the services. The existing health system is essentially privatized, and it is confined to major towns, leaving the poor majority, in the rural areas, out of affordable health care. Moreover, the national health system is fragmented, and the absence of unified health system governance has affected the capacity of national authorities to regulate the private sector and to partner NGO's to deliver services to remote areas. Consequently, less than 30% of the Somali population have access to health services. The neonatal mortality rate is 40 deaths per 1000 live births and the under-5 mortality rate is 137 deaths per 1000 live births. The maternal mortality rate is estimated at 732 per 100 000 live births. The use of family planning remains low, resulting in high fertility rates. The progress, and also the setbacks, of the health sector has been obscured by lack of reliable data at regional and national level. The absence of research institutions and human resources in research are among the obstacles to implementing evidence-based health interventions and the subsequent quality of health policy and practices. Investing health research is prerequisite for evidence-based health interventions that not only save lives, but also are crucial investment in the wider economy and development of the country. Therefore, to achieve the health-related SDGs, Somalia should invest in research by revitalizing essential public health research institutions.

scholarly journals The answer is 17 years, what is the question: understanding time lags in translational research

2011 ◽  
Vol 104 (12) ◽  
pp. 510-520 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zoë Slote Morris ◽  
Steven Wooding ◽  
Jonathan Grant
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Transfer ◽  
Translational Research ◽  
Health Research ◽  
Investment Decisions ◽  
Health Interventions ◽  
Research Translation ◽  
Time Lags ◽  
Translation Process ◽  
Time Points ◽  
Current State

This study aimed to review the literature describing and quantifying time lags in the health research translation process. Papers were included in the review if they quantified time lags in the development of health interventions. The study identified 23 papers. Few were comparable as different studies use different measures, of different things, at different time points. We concluded that the current state of knowledge of time lags is of limited use to those responsible for R&D and knowledge transfer who face difficulties in knowing what they should or can do to reduce time lags. This effectively ‘blindfolds’ investment decisions and risks wasting effort. The study concludes that understanding lags first requires agreeing models, definitions and measures, which can be applied in practice. A second task would be to develop a process by which to gather these data.

scholarly journals Exporting "failure": why research from rich countries may not benefit the developing world

2010 ◽  
Vol 44 (1) ◽  
pp. 185-189 ◽  
Author(s):  
J Jaime Miranda ◽  
M Justin Zaman
Keyword(s):  
Medical Research ◽  
Health Research ◽  
Developing World ◽  
Health Interventions ◽  
Specific Context ◽  
Research Results ◽  
Global Forum ◽  
The Poor ◽  
The Rich ◽  
Rich Countries

The '10/90 gap' was first highlighted by the Global Forum for Health Research. It refers to the finding that 90% of worldwide medical research expenditure is targeted at problems affecting only 10% of the world's population. Applying research results from the rich world to the problems of the poor may be a tempting, potentially easy and convenient solution for this gap. This paper had the objective of presenting arguments that such an approach runs the risk of exporting failure. Health interventions that are shown to be effective in the specific context of a Western industrialized setting will not necessarily work in the developing world.

scholarly journals Review and Implications of Intergenerational Communication and Social Support in Chronic Disease Care and Participation in Health Research of Low-Income, Minority Older Adults in the United States

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joan A. Vaccaro ◽  
Trudy R. Gaillard ◽  
Ramces L. Marsilli
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Health Behavior ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Health Research ◽  
The United States ◽  
Health Interventions ◽  
Intergenerational Communication ◽  
Older Parents

Background: Health disparities disproportionally affect Black and Hispanic older US adults. Health research is needed to understand and eliminate these disparities; however, older adults, and particularly Black and Hispanic/Latino older adults are underrepresented in health research. Adult children have influenced health behavior and health outcomes of their older parents in several demographics in the US. Analysis of these studies can lead to a model for the development of interventions aimed at improving health and healthcare participation of older Black and Hispanic US adults.Objectives: To review the role of intergenerational communication and social support in health behavior, health research, and health outcomes for older adults and to apply these findings toward a model for health interventions for Black and Hispanic US older adults.Methods: An analytical narrative review and application toward an intervention model.Results: Key topic areas were reviewed and analyzed by examining studies that applied forms of intergenerational communication and/or intergenerational social support with the goal of either improving health, disease management and/or participation in health research in populations world-wide. Next, a model for providing health interventions in older Black and Hispanic US adults was developed using strategies gleaned from the findings.Conclusion: A model for health intervention for Black and Hispanic/Latino US older adults was presented based on an analytical review and intergenerational communication and/or social support. Qualitative data are necessary to understand the enablers and barriers of intergenerational communication and social support to improve health outcomes in these populations.

scholarly journals Implications for public health research of models and theories of disability: a scoping study and evidence synthesis

2016 ◽  
Vol 4 (8) ◽  
pp. 1-166 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Berghs ◽  
Karl Atkin ◽  
Hilary Graham ◽  
Chris Hatton ◽  
Carol Thomas
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Scoping Review ◽  
Health Research ◽  
Decision Aid ◽  
Public Health Research ◽  
Health Interventions ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Disabled People ◽  
Public Health Interventions ◽  
Models Of Disability

BackgroundPublic health interventions that are effective in the general population are often assumed to apply to people with impairments. However, the evidence to support this is limited and hence there is a need for public health research to take a more explicit account of disability and the perspectives of people with impairments.Objectives(1) To examine the literature on theories and models of disability; (2) to assess whether or not, and how, intervention studies of effectiveness could incorporate more inclusive approaches that are consistent with these theories and models; and (3) to use the findings to draw out implications for improving evaluative study designs and evidence-based practice.Review methodsThe project is a scoping review of the literature. The first stage examines theories and models of disability and reflects on possible connections between theories of disability and public health paradigms. This discussion is used to develop an ethical–empirical decision aid/checklist, informed by a human rights approach to disability and ecological approaches to public health. We apply this decision aid in the second stage of the review to evaluate the extent to which the 30 generic public health reviews of interventions and the 30 disability-specific public health interventions include the diverse experiences of disability. Five deliberation panels were also organised to further refine the decision aid: one with health-care professionals and four with politically and socially active disabled people.ResultsThe evidence from the review indicated that there has been limited public health engagement with theories and models of disability. Outcome measures were often insensitive to the experiences of disability. Even when disabled people were included, studies rarely engaged with their experiences in any meaningful way. More inclusive research should reflect how people live and ‘flourish’ with disability.LimitationsThe scoping review provides a broad appraisal of a particular field. It generates ideas for future practice rather than a definite framework for action.ConclusionsOur ethical–empirical decision aid offers a critical framework with which to evaluate current research practice. It also offers a resource for promoting more ethical and evidence-based public health research that is methodologically robust while being sensitive to the experiences of disability.Future workDeveloping more inclusive research and interventions that avoid conceptualising disability as either a ‘burden’ or ‘problem’ is an important starting point. This includes exploring ways of refining and validating current common outcome measures to ensure that they capture a diverse range of disabling experiences, as well as generating evidence on meaningful ways of engaging a broad range of disabled children and adults in the research process.FundingThe National Institute for Health Research Public Health Research programme.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document