Connecting Faith and Health: Improving Health Outcomes Through Congregant Networks

Background and Hypothesis: People living in areas of high social vulnerability face health disparities in part due to disconnection. Health institutions recognize the importance of treating whole persons but are disconnected from local knowledge of community health assets and social and cultural barriers. People in health-challenged neighborhoods may experience disconnection and distrust in seeking the many resources and services needed for good health. Congregations are longstanding anchor institutions in marginalized communities. They build trusted relationships among members through shared values and care for wellness. Sometimes they extend these connections through on-the-ground service to neighboring communities. We hypothesize that a network of congregations can build trusted connections and share local knowledge and cultural competence to improve health outcomes and holistic wellness in vulnerable neighborhoods. Methods: Community-engaged participatory research requires reciprocity in mapping assets, identifying priorities, narrating shared values, designing projects and messaging results. We developed mixed-methods tools to ensure community expertise drives an iterative research process. Methods include: an initial health and wellness survey, follow-up wellness interviews to collect stories and assets, an online learning community for 14 congregations with monthly focus groups, and visual maps of health data and wellness assets. Results: While the study is ongoing, preliminary survey data demonstrates that congregations have local knowledge of issues affecting health and wellness among their congregants and the surrounding neighborhood. Their preexisting support for health and wellness through community outreach programs indicates building on their current network could expand their reach and improve health and wellness in vulnerable neighborhoods. Conclusion and Potential Impact: Successful community engaged research prioritizes iterative methods that allow community participants to use their voice and tell their stories. Congregations' practice of shared values and knowledge of lived experience can forge connections for greater resilience and health supports in socially vulnerable communities.

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Contesting Representations of Refugee‑Background Women (and Men) as ‘Needy’ and ‘Problematic’ in Healthcare Literature in Aotearoa New Zealand: Advancing the Case for a Capability‑Driven Model

10.26686/wgtn.17003206 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

◽

Kristine Mary Ford

Keyword(s):

New Zealand ◽

Health Outcomes ◽

Good Health ◽

Healthcare Services ◽

Health Needs ◽

Biomedical Model ◽

Maternal Healthcare ◽

Starting Position ◽

Aotearoa New Zealand ◽

Improve Health

<p>This research analyses how power operates discursively within the western biomedical model as it pertains to the representations and treatment of refugee‑background women (and men) in Aotearoa New Zealand. It carefully investigates the tendency of current biomedical discourse to typecast women (and men) with refugee backgrounds as having considerable health needs, which predicates the (over‑) representation of them as exclusively ‘problematic’ and ‘needy’ throughout refugee and healthcare related literature. It also considers other ways in which the western biomedical model may be inappropriate and inadequate for refugee‑background communities. This thesis takes its starting position from some of the concerns regarding health outcomes raised in a meeting with three representatives of various refugee‑background communities in Wellington in 2011, and by the recent ChangeMakers Refugee Forum (CRF) (2011) report, “barriers to achieving good health outcomes in refugee‑background communities”. In light of these concerns (and subsequent recommendations), this research aims to introduce alternative narratives in the effort to improve health outcomes, as well as constitute a more fair and just discourse. The mentation of the thesis is heavily inspired by postdevelopment theory and its potential for more enabling and effective ways of ‘doing’ development. I draw on this theoretical frame to explore how an asset‑based approach to maternal healthcare services in Aotearoa New Zealand for refugee‑background women may be a vehicle to help us negotiate the politics of representation and generate better health outcomes for refugee‑background communitiescomes for refugee‑background communities.</p>

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Using a Learning Community Approach to Improve Health and Wellness among University Faculty and Staff

Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise ◽

10.1249/01.mss.0000486289.79592.0a ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 48 ◽

pp. 428-429 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Mary-Jon Ludy ◽

Amy L. Morgan

Keyword(s):

Learning Community ◽

University Faculty ◽

Health And Wellness ◽

Community Approach ◽

Faculty And Staff ◽

Improve Health

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Contesting Representations of Refugee‑Background Women (and Men) as ‘Needy’ and ‘Problematic’ in Healthcare Literature in Aotearoa New Zealand: Advancing the Case for a Capability‑Driven Model

10.26686/wgtn.17003206.v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

◽

Kristine Mary Ford

Keyword(s):

New Zealand ◽

Health Outcomes ◽

Good Health ◽

Healthcare Services ◽

Health Needs ◽

Biomedical Model ◽

Maternal Healthcare ◽

Starting Position ◽

Aotearoa New Zealand ◽

Improve Health

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Music is medicine: Researchers are exploring how music therapy can improve health outcomes among a variety of patient populations, including premature infants and people with depression and Parkinson's disease

PsycEXTRA Dataset ◽

10.1037/e634362013-021 ◽

2013 ◽

Author(s):

Amy Novotney

Keyword(s):

Parkinson’S Disease ◽

Parkinson's Disease ◽

Health Outcomes ◽

Music Therapy ◽

Premature Infants ◽

Improve Health

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Valuing the voice of lived experience of eating disorders in the research process: Benefits and considerations

Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry ◽

10.1177/0004867421998794 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 000486742199879

Author(s):

Selma Musić ◽

Rosiel Elwyn ◽

Grace Fountas ◽

Inge Gnatt ◽

Zoe M Jenkins ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Eating Disorders ◽

Eating Disorder ◽

Lived Experience ◽

Health Research ◽

Research Process ◽

Mental Health Research ◽

Direct Involvement ◽

The Voice ◽

Process Benefits

Although the inclusion of individuals with lived experience is encouraged within the research process, there remains inconsistent direct involvement in many mental health fields. Within the eating disorders field specifically, there is a very strong and increasing presence of lived experience advocacy. However, due to a number of potential challenges, research undertaken in consultation or in collaboration with individuals with lived experience of an eating disorder is scarce. This paper describes the significant benefits of the inclusion of individuals with lived experience in research. The specific challenges and barriers faced in eating disorders research are also outlined. It is concluded that in addition to existing guidelines on working with lived experience collaborators in mental health research, more specific procedures are required when working with those with eating disorders.

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A cross-sectional study of owner-reported health in Canadian and American cats fed meat- and plant-based diets

BMC Veterinary Research ◽

10.1186/s12917-021-02754-8 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 17 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Sarah A. S. Dodd ◽

Cate Dewey ◽

Deep Khosa ◽

Adronie Verbrugghe

Keyword(s):

Good Health ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Animal Origin ◽

Exclusion Criterion ◽

Health And Wellness ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Adverse Health Outcomes ◽

Nutrient Imbalances ◽

Ideal Body ◽

Diet Type

Abstract Background Cats, being obligate carnivores, have unique dietary requirements for nutrients most commonly found in dietary ingredients of animal origin. As such, feeding a diet devoid of animal-derived ingredients has been postulated as a possible cause of nutrient imbalances and adverse health outcomes. A small proportion of cat owners feed strictly plant-based diets to the cats in their care, yet the health and wellness of cats fed these diets has not been well documented. Results A total of 1325 questionnaires were complete enough for inclusion. The only exclusion criterion was failure to answer all questions. Most cats, 65% (667/1026), represented in the survey were fed a meat-based diet and 18.2% (187/1026) were fed a plant-based diet, with the rest fed either a combination of plant-based with meat-based (69/1026, 6.7%) or indeterminable (103/1026, 10%). Cat age ranged from 4 months to 23 years, with a median of 7 years, and was not associated with diet type. No differences in reported lifespan were detected between diet types. Fewer cats fed plant-based diets reported to have gastrointestinal and hepatic disorders. Cats fed plant-based diets were reported to have more ideal body condition scores than cats fed a meat-based diet. More owners of cats fed plant-based diets reported their cat to be in very good health. Conclusions Cat owner perception of the health and wellness of cats does not appear to be adversely affected by being fed a plant-based diet. Contrary to expectations, owners perceived no body system or disorder to be at particular risk when feeding a plant-based diet to cats. This study collected information from cat owners and is subject to bias, as well as methodological limitations. Further research is warranted to determine if these results are replicable in a prospective investigation.

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Utilizing Participatory Research to Engage Underserved Populations to Improve Health-Related Outcomes in Delaware

Nutrients ◽

10.3390/nu13072353 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (7) ◽

pp. 2353

Author(s):

Shannon M. Robson ◽

Samantha M. Rex ◽

Katie Greenawalt ◽

P. Michael Peterson ◽

Elizabeth Orsega-Smith

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Health Behavior ◽

Health Behaviors ◽

Participatory Research ◽

Cooperative Extension ◽

Underserved Populations ◽

Community Outreach ◽

Outreach Program ◽

Health Related ◽

Improve Health

Cooperative Extension is a community outreach program. Despite its large reach, there is a need for the evaluation of changes in health-related outcomes for individuals engaged with Cooperative Extension. A team-based challenge was developed using community-engaged participatory research integrated with Cooperative Extension to encourage healthy eating and physical activity behaviors through Cooperative Extension programming. Thus, the primary purpose of this secondary analysis was to (1) evaluate changes in anthropometric outcomes and (2) evaluate changes in health behavior outcomes. Associations of anthropometric changes and health behavior changes with engagement in the three-month team-based challenge were explored. Anthropometrics were measured using standard procedures, and intake of fruits and vegetables and physical activity were self-reported. Of the 145 participants in the community-engaged participatory research portion of the study, 52.4% (n = 76) had complete anthropometrics before and after the team-based challenge and were included in this study. At 3 months, there was a significant reduction in body mass index (−0.3 kg/m2, p = 0.024) and no significant change in waist circumference (p = 0.781). Fruit and vegetable intake significantly increased (+0.44 servings/day, p = 0.018). Physical activity did not significantly change based on (1) the number of days 30 or more minutes of physical activity was conducted (p = 0.765) and (2) Godin Leisure-Time Exercise Questionnaire scores (p = 0.612). Changes in anthropometrics and health behaviors were not associated with engagement in the team-based challenge. Using community-engaged participatory research with community outreach programs, such as Cooperative Extension, can improve health-related outcomes in underserved populations. However, despite a participatory approach, changes in anthropometrics and health behaviors were not associated with engagement in the developed team-based challenge.

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Shared Use and Safe Routes to School: Managing the Fear of Liability

The Journal of Law Medicine & Ethics ◽

10.1111/jlme.12212 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 43 (S1) ◽

pp. 36-39 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Benjamin D. Winig ◽

John O. Spengler ◽

Alexis M. Etow

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Health Outcomes ◽

Community Health ◽

School Administrators ◽

Policy Initiatives ◽

Safe Routes To School ◽

Improve Health

This paper examines two policy initiatives that research shows can increase opportunities for physical activity and, in turn, improve health outcomes. These initiatives — shared use and Safe Routes to School (SRTS) — can and should be embraced by schools to improve student and community health. Fear of liability, however, has made many schools reluctant to support these efforts despite their proven benefits. This paper addresses school administrators’ real and perceived liability concerns and identifies four strategies for managing the fear of liability and mitigating any potential liability exposure.

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