scholarly journals Is Socioeconomic Advantage Associated With Positive Health Behaviors and Health Outcomes Among Asian Indians?

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. 233339281983037
Author(s):  
Beverly Gor ◽  
Vishnu P. Nepal ◽  
Rashmi Dongardive ◽  
V. K. Dorai ◽  
Mala Pande
Keyword(s):  
Health Behaviors ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Vegetable Consumption ◽  
Cultural Beliefs ◽  
The United States ◽  
Moderate Physical Activity ◽  
Multinomial Regression ◽  
Positive Health ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Convenience Sample

Objective: The South Asian Health Needs Assessment was conducted to collect health status information on the rapidly growing Asian Indian (AI) community in the Houston area. Many were highly educated and reported high income levels, factors usually associated with better health outcomes. This study examined the relationship between socioeconomic advantage and the health behaviors and health outcomes of AIs. Methods: We analyzed cross-sectional survey data from a convenience sample of 1416 AIs. Income was categorized as low, medium, and high. Descriptive statistics were generated by income categories and weighted multinomial regression analyses were conducted to examine the association of income with health behaviors and outcomes, adjusting for age, sex, health insurance, and years in the United States. Results: Income was positively associated with better self-rated health, higher body mass index, moderate physical activity, having shingles vaccine, and cervical cancer screening. Income was inversely associated with perceived stress and heart disease. However, income was not significantly associated with alternative therapies, cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, self-reported overweight/obesity, fruit and vegetable consumption, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and screening for breast, prostate, and colon cancer. Conclusions: Socioeconomic advantage was not consistently associated with positive health outcomes or desired health behaviors among AIs. We speculate that other factors, including cultural beliefs and acculturation may also impact health behaviors and health outcomes in this group. Further studies examining the influence of these variables on health behaviors and health outcomes are warranted.

scholarly journals One Month into the Reinforcement of Social Distancing due to the COVID-19 Outbreak: Subjective Health, Health Behaviors, and Loneliness among People with Chronic Medical Conditions

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (15) ◽  
pp. 5403 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roni Elran-Barak ◽  
Maya Mozeikov
Keyword(s):  
Health Behaviors ◽  
Vegetable Consumption ◽  
Chronic Illnesses ◽  
Long Term Effects ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Significant Deterioration ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
Social Distancing ◽  
Israeli Government

We sought to examine how the near-lockdown measures, announced by the Israeli government in an effort to contain the COVID-19 outbreak, impacted the self-rated health (SRH), health behaviors, and loneliness of people with chronic illnesses. An online cross-sectional survey was carried out about one month (20–22 April 2020) after the Israeli government reinforced the severe social distancing regulations, among a convenience sample of 315 participants (60% women) with chronic conditions (27% metabolic, 17% cardiovascular, 21% cancer/autoimmune, 18% orthopedic/pain, 12% mental-health). Results suggested that about half of the participants reported a decline in physical or mental SRH, and as many as two-thirds reported feeling lonely. A significant deterioration in health behaviors was reported, including a decrease in vegetable consumption (p = 0.008) and physical activity (p < 0.001), an increase in time spent on social media (p < 0.001), and a perception among about half of the participants that they were eating more than before. Ordinal regression suggested that a decline in general SRH was linked with female gender (p = 0.016), lack of higher education (p = 0.015), crowded housing conditions (p = 0.001), longer illness duration (p = 0.010), and loneliness (p = 0.008). Findings highlight the important role of loneliness in SRH during the COVID-19 lockdown period. Future studies are warranted to clarify the long-term effects of social-distancing and loneliness on people with chronic illnesses.

How Different Health Literacy Dimensions Influences Health Status and Well-being among Men and Women: The Mediating Role of Health Behaviors

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fan Zhang ◽  
Peggy Pui-Lai Or ◽  
Joanne Wai-Yee Chung
Keyword(s):  
Health Literacy ◽  
Health Behaviors ◽  
Health Knowledge ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Physical Symptoms ◽  
Literacy Skills ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Positive Health ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Men And Women

Abstract Background. Health literacy, the ability to access, understand, evaluate, and apply health information, was found to contribute to positive health outcomes, possibly via promoting healthy behaviors. However, the specific pathways linking different health literacy skills to health and well-being has remained unclear. Methods. A cross-sectional survey with structural questionnaires was administered among 2236 community-based adults in Hong Kong (mean age = 46.10 ±19.05). Health literacy was measured by HLS-Asian-47. Participants' health behavior, physical conditions, and subjective well-being were reported.Results. With structural modeling path analysis, health literacy in finding and understanding information showed a direct effect on enhancing physical health. While applying information capacity had an indirect positive effect via promoting health behaviors, which was moderated by sex. Only among women, this indirect effect predicting fewer physical symptoms and better well-being was significant.Conclusions. Although similar patterns were found in physical condition and well-being, distinct direct and indirect pathways were found of different health literacy dimensions for men and women. Based on the findings, by targeting specific health literacy skills, education programs should be developed to enhance women’s health knowledge, and men's application of the knowledge in healthy lifestyle.

scholarly journals The Role of Immigration in the Health of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Older Adults in the United States

2019 ◽  
Vol 89 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-21
Author(s):  
Jane J. Lee ◽  
Hyun-Jun Kim ◽  
Karen Fredriksen Goldsen
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Health Behaviors ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Health Care Access ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Foreign Born ◽  
Care Access ◽  
Bisexual And Transgender

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) aging research is growing around the globe. Yet, few studies have examined the interconnectedness of different populations and cultures. This study examines whether LGBT foreign-born older adults experience greater health disparities than their U.S.-born counterparts. We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of the National Health, Aging, and Sexuality/Gender Study: Aging with Pride from 2014, which assessed measures of health and well-being among LGBT adults aged 50 years and older ( n = 2,441). We compared sociodemographic characteristics, health-care access, health behaviors, and health outcomes between foreign-born and U.S.-born participants. Foreign-born LGBT older adults reported greater socioeconomic disadvantage and higher levels of experiencing barriers to health-care access than U.S.-born LGBT older adults. Groups did not significantly differ in health behaviors and health outcomes when controlling for sociodemographic factors. Greater understanding of the mechanisms that shape the relationship between migration and health among the LGBT population is warranted.

Characterization of nurses’ duty to care and willingness to report

2019 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 348-359 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charleen McNeill ◽  
Danita Alfred ◽  
Tracy Nash ◽  
Jenifer Chilton ◽  
Melvin S Swanson
Keyword(s):  
Research Design ◽  
Perceived Risk ◽  
The United States ◽  
Discussion Board ◽  
Care Group ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
The University ◽  
Willingness To Report

Background: Nurses must balance their perceived duty to care against their perceived risk of harm to determine their willingness to report during disaster events, potentially creating an ethical dilemma and impacting patient care. Research aim: The purpose of this study was to investigate nurses’ perceived duty to care and whether there were differences in willingness to respond during disaster events based on perceived levels of duty to care. Research design: A cross-sectional survey research design was used in this study. Participants and research context: Using a convenience sample with a snowball technique, data were collected from 289 nurses throughout the United States in 2017. Participants were recruited through host university websites, Facebook, and an American Nurses Association discussion board. Ethical considerations: Institutional review board approval was obtained from the University of Texas at Tyler and the University of Arkansas. Findings: Analysis of willingness to report to work based on levels of perceived duty to care resulted in the emergence of two groups: “lower level of perceived duty to care group” and “higher level of perceived duty to care group.” The most discriminating characteristics differentiating the groups included fear of abandonment by co-workers, reporting because it is morally the right thing to, and because of imperatives within the Nursing Code of Ethics. Discussion: The number of nurses in the lower level of perceived duty to care group causes concern. It is important for nursing management to develop strategies to advance nurses’ safety, minimize nurses’ risk, and promote nurses’ knowledge to confidently work during disaster situations. Conclusion: Level of perceived duty to care affects nurses’ willingness to report to work during disasters. Primary indicators of low perceived duty to care are amenable to actionable strategies, potentially increasing nurses’ perceived duty to provide care and willingness to report to work during disasters.

scholarly journals The Effectiveness of Healthy Community Approaches on Positive Health Outcomes in Canada and the United States

2015 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hazel Williams-Roberts ◽  
Bonnie Jeffery ◽  
Shanthi Johnson ◽  
Nazeem Muhajarine
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
The United States ◽  
Positive Health ◽  
Positive Health Outcomes ◽  
Healthy Community

Teaching resident physicians to work with the previously incarcerated patient

2017 ◽  
Vol 52 (3) ◽  
pp. 277-285 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sabrina Hofmeister ◽  
Andrya Soprych
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
The United States ◽  
Positive Health ◽  
Formal Curriculum ◽  
Residency Programs ◽  
Self Reflection ◽  
Lower Socioeconomic ◽  
Medical Residency Training ◽  
Positive Health Outcomes

Over 2 million adults in the United States are incarcerated and over 650,000 return to the community each year. This disparate population is known to have an elevated burden of chronic disease and lower socioeconomic status. Medical residency training about care for incarcerated or previously incarcerated patients is significantly lacking in the United States. Curriculum can be developed and implemented in residency programs to help physicians learn how to work with this population, be sensitive to their unique needs, and achieve positive health outcomes. This article describes a method for “educating the educators” based on a workshop presented at a peer-reviewed national conference during the fall of 2016. Attendees participated in exercises addressing assumptions, expectations, bias, and worldview and increased their ability for self-reflection when interacting with patients who are or have experienced incarceration. In this session, strategies were identified that engaged the patient with the goal to aid in patient retention and compliance. Future steps include development of a formal curriculum for training in this area, incorporation into existing community medicine rotations or electives, and establishment of structured transition clinics where residents can be exposed to this population on a more regular basis and improve their overall health outcomes.

Prevalence of health behaviors and their associated factors among a sample of university students in India

2014 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 531-540 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karl Peltzer ◽  
Supa Pengpid ◽  
Krishna Mohan
Keyword(s):  
Health Promotion ◽  
Health Behavior ◽  
University Students ◽  
Health Behaviors ◽  
Associated Factors ◽  
Vegetable Consumption ◽  
Overweight And Obesity ◽  
High Rate ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Behavior Index

Abstract Objective: With advances in knowledge about health promotion, public health professionals are in search for the determinants of personal health behaviors. The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence of health behaviors and its associated factors in a sample of Indian university students. Materials and methods: Using a cross-sectional survey, we assessed health behavior among a sample of randomly selected university students. The sample included 800 university students from non-health (mainly engineering and sciences) undergraduate courses of Gitam University, Visakhapatnam in India. The students were 541 (67.6%) males and 259 (32.4%) females in the age range of 17–20 years (Median age=18.2 years, SD=1.0). Results: On average, students engaged in 15.8 out of 25 health behavior practices. There was a high rate of overweight and obesity (26.8% and 10.7%, respectively), low rate of brushing teeth at least twice a day (28.6%), annual dental check-up (25.8%), habitual seatbelt use (23%), and poor dietary patterns (79% ate less than the recommended fruit and vegetable consumption of five servings a day, and 68.5% did not avoid eating fat and cholesterol). In multivariate analysis among men, personal constraints (Odds Ratio=OR 1.75, Confidence Interval=CI 1.09–2.82), health benefits (OR=2.01, CI=1.27–3.17), and not suffering from depression (OR=0.60, CI=0.22–0.94) were associated with the health behavior index. Among women, those who were living away from their parents or guardians (OR=1.94, CI=1.06–3.55), economically better off (OR=2.16, CI=1.00–4.63), and had higher social support (OR=3.65, CI=1.75–7.63), were associated with the health behavior index. Discussion: Students had a high proportion of health behavior practices. Several high health risk practices were identified, including overweight, poor dental practices, poor dietary and sleeping habits. It is hoped that the gender-specific predictors identified, including sociodemographics as well as social and mental health variables, can also be utilized in designing health promotion programs.

scholarly journals Psychedelic mushrooms in the USA: Knowledge, patterns of use and association with health outcomes

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Matzopoulos ◽  
Robert Morlock ◽  
Amy Morlock ◽  
Bernard Lerer ◽  
Leonard B Lerer
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Media Coverage ◽  
Public Perception ◽  
Adult Population ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Positive Health ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey

Introduction: Popular media coverage, including of recent positive late stage clinical trials in depression and PTSD, and decriminalization initiatives, are transforming the public perception of psychedelics. However, little is known about levels of knowledge and personal use of psychedelic mushroom(s) (PM) among American adults. Methods: We examined PM use and various measures of health status, quality of life and self-reported mental health outcome measures obtained through a national on-line, cross-sectional survey of adults with a demographic composition representative of the US adult population by region, gender, age, and race (weighted N = 251,297,495) from November 2020-March 2021. Results: General mental health and well-being was a popular reason for PM use (63.6%). PM users were less likely to be overweight than non-users, but overall quality of life (VR-12) was lower for mental health (39.5 vs 45.5). PM users reported significantly higher levels of anxiety (GAD-7 scores of 9.6 vs 5.9) and depression (PHQ-9 scores of 11.2 vs 6.8). They were less likely to have health insurance [OR=0.50 (0.35-0.72)], but reported significantly more healthcare services utilization. Discussion and Conclusions: There is a mismatch between our findings of an association between PM use and poor mental health outcomes, and current discourse on the positive health benefits of PM consumption. A significant number of Americans are already self medicating with PM and further research to understand the role of anecdotal knowledge and pseudoscientific information in PM uptake. There is an urgent need for a PM use-related national harm reduction strategy.

The Impact of Smoke Free Housing on Sick Visits and Hospitalization for Respiratory Illness in Children Ages 0-12

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gail Davis
Keyword(s):  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Public Housing ◽  
Housing Policy ◽  
Respiratory Health ◽  
Respiratory Illness ◽  
Positive Health ◽  
Theoretical Frameworks ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Housing Units

This project analyzes the impact of smoke-free family public housing on the respiratory health of children ages 0 – 12. The purpose of this pilot correlational study was to examine the relationship between the initiation of smoke-free policies in family public housing units and health outcomes in children 0 - 12 years. A comprehensive literature review of environmental tobacco health risks and tobacco-free public housing policy is presented. Two theoretical frameworks which guided the project, the Social Ecological Model and the Health Impact Pyramid, are described with an emphasis on health policy as a significant catalyst for positive health outcomes. The methodology, which includes a convenience sample of Neighborhood Health Plan of RI (NHPRI) claims for a cohort of children 0 – 12 years old living in selected smoke-free family public housing units in Providence, RI, was reviewed. Claims data pre and post housing policy change were evaluated to determine whether the implementation of smoking bans in family public housing units in the City of Providence were associated with a decrease in claims of hospitalizations and sick visits for respiratory diseases/illnesses in a cohort of children insured by NHPRI who lived in these units.

Teaching resident physicians the power of implicit bias and how it impacts patient care utilizing patients who have experienced incarceration as a model

2017 ◽  
Vol 52 (4-6) ◽  
pp. 345-354 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sabrina Hofmeister ◽  
Andrya Soprych
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
The United States ◽  
Positive Health ◽  
Formal Curriculum ◽  
Residency Programs ◽  
Self Reflection ◽  
Lower Socioeconomic ◽  
Medical Residency Training ◽  
Positive Health Outcomes

Over 2 million adults in the United States are incarcerated and over 650,000 return to the community each year. This disparate population is known to have an elevated burden of chronic disease and lower socioeconomic status. Medical residency training about care of incarcerated or previously incarcerated patients is significantly lacking in the United States. Curriculum can be developed and implemented in residency programs to help physicians learn how to work with this population, be sensitive to their unique needs, and achieve positive health outcomes. This article describes a method for “educating the educators” based on a workshop presented at a peer-reviewed national conference during the fall of 2016. Attendees participated in exercises addressing assumptions, expectations, bias, and worldview and increased their ability for self-reflection when interacting with patients who are or have experienced incarceration. In this session, strategies were identified that engaged the patient with the goal to aid in patient retention and compliance. Future steps include development of a formal curriculum for training in this area, incorporation into existing community medicine rotations or electives, and establishment of structured transition clinics where residents can be exposed to this population on a more regular basis and improve their overall health outcomes.

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