scholarly journals Association of military life experiences and health indicators among military spouses

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nida H. Corry ◽  
Sharmini Radakrishnan ◽  
Christianna S. Williams ◽  
Alicia C. Sparks ◽  
Kelly A. Woodall ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Life Experiences ◽  
Health Indicators ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Healthy People ◽  
Military Spouses ◽  
Healthy Weight ◽  
Military Life ◽  
Healthy People 2020 ◽  
Health And Well Being

Abstract Background The health and well-being of military spouses directly contribute to a robust military force by enabling the spouse to better support the active duty member’s career. In order to understand the overall health and well-being of military spouses, we assessed health indicators among military spouses using the Healthy People 2020 framework and examined associations of these health indicators with military experiences and psychosocial factors. Methods Using data from the Millennium Cohort Family Study, a U.S. Department of Defense-sponsored survey of 9872 spouses of service members with 2–5 years of military service, we examined attainment of Healthy People 2020 goals for spouses and service members, including healthy weight, exercise, sleep, and alcohol and tobacco use. Multivariable logistic regression models assessed associations of spouse health indicators with stressful military life experiences and social support, adjusting for demographics and military descriptors. The spousal survey was administered nationwide in 2011. Results The majority of military spouses met each health goal assessed. However, less than half met the healthy weight and the strength training goals. Reporting greater perceived family support from the military was associated with better behavioral health outcomes, while having no one to turn to for support was associated with poorer outcomes. Using the Healthy People 2020 objectives as a framework for identifying key health behaviors and benchmarks, this study identified factors, including military-specific experiences, that may contribute to physical health behaviors and outcomes among military spouses. With respect to demographic characteristics, the findings are consistent with other literature that women are more likely to refrain from risky substance use and that greater education is associated with better overall health outcomes. Conclusions Findings suggest that enhanced social and military support and tailored programming for military spouses may improve health outcomes and contribute to the well-being of military couples. Such programming could also bolster force readiness and retention.

scholarly journals Updated systematic review and meta-analysis of studies examining the relationship between reported racism and health and well-being for children and youth: a protocol

BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. e043722
Author(s):  
Naomi Priest ◽  
Kate Doery ◽  
Mandy Truong ◽  
Shuaijun Guo ◽  
Ryan Perry ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Research Policy ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Children And Youth ◽  
Effect Sizes ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Critical Determinant ◽  
Health And Well Being

IntroductionRacism is a critical determinant of health and health inequities for children and youth. This protocol aims to update the first systematic review conducted by Priest et al (2013), including a meta-analysis of findings. Based on previous empirical data, it is anticipated that child and youth health will be negatively impacted by racism. Findings from this review will provide updated evidence of effect sizes across outcomes and identify moderators and mediators of relationships between racism and health.Methods and analysisThis systematic review and meta-analysis will include studies that examine associations between experiences of racism and racial discrimination with health outcomes of children and youth aged 0–24 years. Exposure measures include self-reported or proxy reported systemic, interpersonal and intrapersonal racism. Outcome measures include general health and well-being, physical health, mental health, biological markers, healthcare utilisation and health behaviours. A comprehensive search of studies from the earliest time available to October 2020 will be conducted. A random effects meta-analysis will examine the average effect of racism on a range of health outcomes. Study-level moderation will test the difference in effect sizes with regard to various sample and exposure characteristics. This review has been registered with the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews.Ethics and disseminationThis review will provide evidence for future research within the field and help to support policy and practice development. Results will be widely disseminated to both academic and non-academic audiences through peer-review publications, community summaries and presentations to research, policy, practice and community audiences.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42020184055.

Family Rejection as a Predictor of Negative Health Outcomes in White and Latino Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Young Adults

2021 ◽  
pp. 5-11
Author(s):  
Caitlin Ryan ◽  
David Huebner ◽  
Rafael M. Diaz ◽  
Jorge Sanchez
Keyword(s):  
Young Adults ◽  
Sexual Orientation ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Health Indicators ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Self Report ◽  
And Bisexual ◽  
Pencil And Paper ◽  
And Gender

OBJECTIVE We examined specific family rejecting reactions to sexual orientation and gender expression during adolescence as predictors of current health problems in a sample of lesbian, gay, and bisexual young adults. METHODS On the basis of previously collected in-depth interviews, we developed quantitative scales to assess retrospectively in young adults the frequency of parental and caregiver reactions to a lesbian, gay, or bisexual sexual orientation during adolescence. Our survey instrument also included measures of 9 negative health indicators, including mental health, substance abuse, and sexual risk. The survey was administered to a sample of 224 white and Latino self-identified lesbian, gay, and bisexual young adults, aged 21 to 25, recruited through diverse venues and organizations. Participants completed self-report questionnaires by using either computer-assisted or pencil-and-paper surveys. RESULTS Higher rates of family rejection were significantly associated with poorer health outcomes. On the basis of odds ratios, lesbian, gay, and bisexual young adults who reported higher levels of family rejection during adolescence were 8.4 times more likely to report having attempted suicide, 5.9 times more likely to report high levels of depression, 3.4 times more likely to use illegal drugs, and 3.4 times more likely to report having engaged in unprotected sexual intercourse compared with peers from families that reported no or low levels of family rejection. Latino men reported the highest number of negative family reactions to their sexual orientation in adolescence. CONCLUSIONS This study establishes a clear link between specific parental and caregiver rejecting behaviors and negative health problems in young lesbian, gay, and bisexual adults. Providers who serve this population should assess and help educate families about the impact of rejecting behaviors. Counseling families, providing anticipatory guidance, and referring families for counseling and support can help make a critical difference in helping decrease risk and increasing well-being for lesbian, gay, and bisexual youth.

scholarly journals Perspective: a healthy planet for healthy people

2019 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul Ekins ◽  
Joyeeta Gupta
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Human Health ◽  
Ecosystem Health ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Healthy People ◽  
Global Environment ◽  
Direct And Indirect Impacts ◽  
Indirect Impacts ◽  
Health And Well Being ◽  
Nations Environment

Non-technical abstract This perspective article from the co-chairs of the United Nations Environment Programme's Sixth Global Environment Outlook (GEO-6) uses the assessment of the literature in the GEO-6 to show how a healthy planet and healthy people are linked together. It argues that the health of the planet is deteriorating and that this deteriorating ecosystem health has major direct and indirect impacts on human health and well-being. Direct impacts include the impacts of polluted air on the lungs of people, while indirect impacts include the impacts of land degradation on food security. Therefore, protecting the environment will also have major benefits for human health and well-being.

Mobile Health Literacy to Improve Health Outcomes in Low-Middle Income Countries

2017 ◽  
pp. 1398-1411
Author(s):  
Nafisa Fatima Maria Vaz
Keyword(s):  
Health Literacy ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Mobile Phones ◽  
Health Indicators ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Mortality And Morbidity ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
Feasible Solutions ◽  
Improve Health

Despite improvements in health indicators over time, such as decreased mortality and morbidity, significant challenges remain with regard to the quality in the delivery of healthcare in low and middle-income countries (LMIC's), especially in rural and remote regions of developing countries. In the effort to find feasible solutions to these issues, a lot of importance is given to the information and communication technologies (ICTs) The author reviews the evidence of the role mobile phones facilitating health literacy to contribute to improved health outcomes in the LMIC's. This was done by exploring the results of ten projects. The author examines the extent to which the use of mobile phones could help improve health outcomes in two specific ways: in improving health literacy and promoting health and well-being, thus increasing life expectancy in LMIC's. Analysis of the papers indicates that there is important evidence of mobile phones boosting increased access, promoting education and increased health literacy leads to the better health status of the population.

Non-religion, atheism, and mental health

2021 ◽  
pp. 259-276
Author(s):  
Miguel Farias ◽  
Thomas J. Coleman III
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Risk ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Recent Work ◽  
Religious Experience ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Methodological Issues ◽  
The World ◽  
Methodological Problems ◽  
Health And Well Being

Based on the well-established link between religiosity and positive mental health outcomes, it has been argued that non-religiosity is a health liability. However, most of this research suffers from methodological problems that limit their generalizability to non-religious populations, such as atheists and agnostics. In this chapter, we draw attention to these methodological issues, and argue in favour of a richer conceptualization of non-religion than has been theorized in previous literature. We further review recent work from various countries around the world, which challenges the notion that non-religiosity presents a health risk, finding instead that the non-religious experience similar levels of health and well-being benefits as the religious. We end by briefly discussing the limitations and recent backlash at this literature, while suggesting that the study of the non-religious may transform how we understand the interaction between beliefs, rituals, and health.

Complex Network Dynamics in Population Health

2020 ◽  
pp. 45-58
Author(s):  
James Moody ◽  
Dana K. Pasquale
Keyword(s):  
Social Networks ◽  
Network Analysis ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Population Health ◽  
Complex Network ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Complex Relationship ◽  
Future Directions ◽  
And Behavior ◽  
Health And Well Being

People constantly interact with each other and their environment, and these interactions—with whom and with what they interact—are not random. Interactions at multiple levels (cellular, neurological, social, physical, environmental) shape one’s experiences and affect health and well-being. These interactions can be represented as a set of networks that feedback and influence other networks. Here we limit our scope to the complex relationship between human social networks and behavior, which frequently forms a feedback loop, and the effect of this relationship on population health outcomes. This chapter introduces traditional network analysis as it pertains to population health, explores examples of interactions between macro-level networks, and proposes future directions for network analysis

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