scholarly journals Study on the Status of Health Literacy and its Relationship with Chronic Diseases in Poor Areas

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xuejiao Chen ◽  
Songhe Shi ◽  
Liyong Yang ◽  
Qian Dong ◽  
Jingyang He ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Literacy ◽  
Chronic Diseases ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Structural Equation Models ◽  
National Level ◽  
Total Sample ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Average Score ◽  
The Status ◽  
Health Related

Abstract Aims We conducted an epidemiological survey of health literacy and chronic diseases among people in poverty-stricken areas in China to understand the current status of health literacy among poor individuals and the epidemic characteristics of chronic diseases. Methods In June 2018, multistage stratified random sampling was used to conduct a face-to-face questionnaire survey of 1,700 residents (response rate: 97.71%) in 7 national-level poverty-stricken counties in Henan Province, China. The questionnaire assessed social demographics, health literacy, health-related behaviours, and the status of chronic diseases (such as diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease). Structural equation models were used to examine the relationships among health literacy, health-related behaviours, and chronic diseases. Statistical analysis was performed using IBM SPSS Statistics 21.0 and Mplus 7.0. Results There were 69 people with sufficient health literacy in poverty-stricken areas, accounting for 4.15% of the total sample, with an average score of 31.95 ± 11.81 points. Individuals who were male, older, poorer, less educated and suffering from chronic diseases were less likely to have sufficient health literacy. A total of 574 patients had chronic diseases, accounting for 34.56% of the total sample. The health literacy score was related to the number of chronic diseases (β = 0.041, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.033 ~ 0.049), while health literacy and health-related behaviour were indirectly related (β = -0.002, 95% CI: -0.003~ -0.001). Health-related behaviours mediated the relationship between health literacy and the number of chronic diseases. Conclusions It is possible to further increase the health literacy level of residents in poverty-stricken areas by increasing the promotion of health literacy knowledge and avoiding unhealthy behaviours, thereby reducing the incidence of chronic diseases and improving their health status.

The Current and forecasted Status of Type 2 Diabetes in the Arab Society of Israel

2021 ◽  
Vol 17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdelnaser Zalan ◽  
Ahmad Sheikh-Muhammad ◽  
Mohammad Khatib ◽  
Rajech Sharkia
Keyword(s):  
Health Care Expenditures ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Progressive Increase ◽  
Current Data ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Global Challenge ◽  
The Status ◽  
Health Related

Background: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is considered one of the main causes of mortality, morbidity, and health care expenditures. Effectively treating this disease is of crucial importance and imposes a global challenge. The incidence of Type 2 DM (T2DM) is rapidly rising in both developing and developed countries. The Arab community in Israel is a distinct ethnic group with unique characteristics. Recently, this community has undergone major changes in its lifestyle, adopting the Westernized one, which could have caused an increase in the T2DM incidence rate. Objective: This review aims to shed light on various studies undertaken to explore the prevalence of diabetes and determine its current status in the Arab society of Israel, resting on previous and current data. It is presented to highlight the status of diabetes globally and to focus on its current situation in the Arab society of Israel, attempting to forecast its direction in the upcoming decade. Methods: Data were obtained from our previous comprehensive socio-economic and health cross-sectional surveys for successive periods from 2004 to 2017. These surveys were conducted on the Arab society of Israel by the Galilee Society. Results: Our results showed a progressive increase in the prevalence of T2DM from 3.4% to 7.6% in the Arab society of Israel. This trend is expected to continue rising in the coming decade, and based on our predictions, may exceed 12% in 2030. Conclusion: Substantial and practical health-related actions must be initiated to prevent an increasing number of adults from developing diabetes and its complications.

scholarly journals Younger and older trust in a crisis situation

2018 ◽  
Vol 36 (3) ◽  
pp. 456-481 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miguel Angel Moliner-Tena ◽  
Juan Carlos Fandos-Roig ◽  
Marta Estrada-Guillén ◽  
Diego Monferrer-Tirado
Keyword(s):  
Theoretical Model ◽  
Financial Crisis ◽  
Economic Crisis ◽  
Financial Services ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Structural Equation Models ◽  
Total Sample ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Older Consumers ◽  
Trust Formation

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyze consumer trust during a financial crisis, studying its antecedents and consequences. The perceptions of older and younger consumers are also compared. Design/methodology/approach The theoretical model of trust formation is tested on a random sample of 634 individuals from the three largest Spanish cities, Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia, in a period of economic crisis. Structural equation models were used to verify the global hypothesized relationships. Additionally, the total sample was divided into two groups (younger and older consumers) in order to test the moderating effect of age in the proposed relationships. Findings In a period of financial crisis, older consumers’ trust is protected by an emotional and experiential shield from the effects of negative news in the surrounding environment. In contrast, trust, although important, is not the core variable for the younger segment, whose preferences are the consequence of a broad range of cognitive and emotional variables. Research limitations/implications This research was carried out on financial services. Emotional, relational and experience-linked variables acquire greater importance as the individual gets older, in contrast to more cognitive evaluations. The difference between the younger and the older segments is that the cornerstone of older consumers’ attitudinal loyalty is trust, whereas for younger people, it is positive switching costs or rewards. Further research on the proposed conceptual model across different industries and countries is needed to determine the generalizability and consistency of the findings from this study. Practical implications This paper has significant managerial implications. The authors believe that the best strategy for a bank during a period of crisis is to follow a customer-friendly orientation, as in the case of banks that took a long-term vision to look after their brand image. The study draws banking companies’ attention to the importance of using age as a segmentation criterion. Originality/value Based on the life-course paradigm, a theoretical model of trust formation is performed. In a period of economic crisis, trust becomes the key variable in determining older consumers’ preferences.

scholarly journals The Status of Prunus padus L. (Bird Cherry) in Forest Communities throughout Europe and Asia

Forests ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 497 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rolf D. J. Nestby
Keyword(s):  
Forest Ecosystems ◽  
National Level ◽  
Natural Antioxidants ◽  
Forest Community ◽  
Prunus Padus ◽  
The Status ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Wood Carving ◽  
Level Monitoring

Prunus padus L. (bird cherry) belongs to the Racemosa group in subgenus Padus in the genus Prunus L. It is a hardy invasive species, which makes it valuable for securing slopes, and for eco-design. It is a good solitary park tree with early flowering of white flowers in racemes, which have a pleasant smell. However, it may be attacked by cherry-oat aphid, and the small ermine moth, which may weave giant webs over the whole tree, which demonstrates the important role of P. padus in the food web of forest ecosystems. The species is in balance with these pests, other herbivores and diseases throughout Europe and Asia. Another threat is the competition against the invasive P. serotina, but it seems that P. padus is not strongly threatened, though they compete for the same habitats. Moreover, human interference of forest community ecology is probably the greatest threat. The tree is not only winter hardy; it can also survive hot summers and tolerate a wide variety of soil types. It may form dense thickets due to the regeneration of branches bent to the ground and basal shoots, and may be invasive. These characteristics are important in determining the ecological niche of P. padus, which involves the position of the species within an ecosystem, comprising both its habitat requirements and the functional role. It is also important that P. padus has effective dispersal of pollen and seeds. This, together with the previously noted characteristics and the fact that the tree can cope well with climate change, define it as a not threatened species. However, the ssp. borealis is threatened and national level monitoring is required. Prunus padus has been exploited by farmers and rural population, but is less used today. However, it is still used for making syrup, jam and liquor. Moreover, the wood is valuable for wood carving and making cabinets. All tissues are valuable as sources of powerful natural antioxidants. However, the interest in the P. padus fruit and other tissues is overshadowed by the interest in other wild species of edible and human health-related berries. Moreover, the tree is used in horticulture as an ornamental in gardens and parks, values that deserve a new focus.

Health Literacy for Collegiate Dancers: Provision and Perceptions of Health-Related Education in University Dance Programs

2020 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 118-125
Author(s):  
Andrea Kozai ◽  
Jatin P. Ambegaonkar
Keyword(s):  
Health Literacy ◽  
Web Sites ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Strength And Conditioning ◽  
Injury Rates ◽  
Course Content ◽  
Related Information ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Faculty And Administrators ◽  
Dance Medicine

Dancers have unique health issues, including high injury rates and functional, nutritional, and psychological concerns. Thererfore, developing dancers with high health literacy is crucial. This study examines 1. the types of health-related information offered in university dance programs, and 2. the perceptions of dance stakeholders (administrators, faculty, and students) toward health-related education provided to dancers in these programs. Participating stakeholders (N = 104) from 11 countries completed a web-based survey examining health-related offerings for dance students at their instituitions. Eighty-four participants (81%) indicated that health-related information was delivered at their instituition. The most commonly offered topics included functional dance anatomy (N = 82, 98%), recognizing dance injuries and illnesses (N = 66, 79%), and strength and conditioning for dancers (N = 61, 73%). Participants rated recognizing dance injuries and illnesses (N = 72, 69%), basic personal health (N = 70, 67%), and nutrition (N = 68, 65%) as the top three "extremely important" topics, even if these were not offered at their institution. Faculty and administrators reported similar attitudes toward topic importance as those reported by students. Fifty-five respondents (65%) reported textbooks were used to deliver health-related information, and content was also provided via journal articles (N = 58, 69%), organizational web sites (N = 39, 46%), and social media (N = 16, 19%). Reported barriers to providing adequate education included lack of dance faculty expertise to deliver course content (N = 7) and receiving care from practitioners lacking in knowledge of dance medicine (N = 5). Participants generally agreed that making health-related information available was important, and 81% of respondants indicated that it was formally offered at their institution. Variability was noted regarding topics rated "highly important," as compared to which topics were already provided. These findings offer insight into the current status of health-related education provided to dance students and can be used to improve curricula in university dance programs.

scholarly journals Model-Based Manifest and Latent Composite Scores in Structural Equation Models

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Norman Rose ◽  
Wolfgang Wagner ◽  
Axel Mayer ◽  
Benjamin Nagengast
Keyword(s):  
Latent Variables ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Missing Values ◽  
Structural Equation Models ◽  
Likelihood Estimation ◽  
Average Score ◽  
Estimation Model ◽  
Model Based ◽  
Sum Score ◽  
Composite Scores

Composite scores are commonly used in the social sciences as dependent and independent variables in statistical models. Typically, composite scores are computed prior to statistical analyses. In this paper, we demonstrate the construction of model-based composite scores that may serve as outcomes or predictors in structural equation models (SEMs). Model-based composite scores of manifest variables are useful in the presence of ignorable missing data, as full-information maximum likelihood estimation can be used for parameter estimation. Model-based composite scores of latent variables account for measurement error in the aggregated variables. We introduce the pseudo-indicator model (PIM) for the construction of three composite scores: (a) the sum score, (b) the weighted sum score, and (c) the average score of manifest and latent variables in SEM. The utility of manifest model-based composite scores in the case of missing values is shown by a simulation study. The use of multiple manifest and latent model-based composite scores in SEM is illustrated with data from motivation research.

scholarly journals Health Literacy: Current Status and Challenges in the Work of Family Doctors in Bosnia and Herzegovina

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (8) ◽  
pp. 1324 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nevena Todorovic ◽  
Aleksandra Jovic-Vranes ◽  
Bosiljka Djikanovic ◽  
Natasa Pilipovic-Broceta ◽  
Nadja Vasiljevic ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Literacy ◽  
Chronic Diseases ◽  
Bosnia And Herzegovina ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Poor Health ◽  
Functional Health ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Family Doctors ◽  
Health Factors

Health literacy (HL) has become an important area of research. The aim of this study was to evaluate the HL of primary healthcare patients in the Republic of Srpska (RS), Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) and to identify socioeconomic and health factors associated with HL. This cross-sectional study among 768 patients was conducted in two healthcare centres between March and May 2017, using the Short Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults (S-TOFHLA). Analysis was done using descriptive and inferential statistics (a chi-squared test and logistic regression). Inadequate and marginal HL was found in 34,6% of respondents. Socioeconomic and self-reported health factors were significantly related to HL. An age of 55 years and over (OR 1.02), living in a rural environment (OR 2.25), being divorced (OR 3.32), being insufficiently physically active (OR 1.29), having poor income (OR 1.96), having more than three chronic diseases (OR 1.94), and poor health (OR 1.59) were significantly corelated with inadequate and marginal HL. The results of our study indicate that a low level of HL is related to the elderly, having a divorce, having a rural residence, poor income, having more than three chronic diseases, poor health, and insufficient physical activity. Further evaluation, monitoring, and activities to improve HL are of great importance for patients’ health outcomes.

scholarly journals Associations between health-related skills and young adults’ work ability within a structural health literacy model

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gerrit Stassen ◽  
Christopher Grieben ◽  
Nina Hottenrott ◽  
Kevin Rudolf ◽  
Ingo Froböse ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Young Adults ◽  
Health Literacy ◽  
Work Ability ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Structural Model ◽  
Self Regulation ◽  
Target Group ◽  
School Students ◽  
Societal Relevance ◽  
Health Related

Summary Young adults have a high societal relevance but are still an under-represented target group in health promotion. Health literacy is widely acknowledged as one of the strongest predictors and key determinant of health, so its influence on work ability is of great interest. The purpose of the study was to examine the associations between health-related skills and work ability within the structural model of health literacy of Lenartz, Soellner and colleagues, which explains health behaviour and health through the indirect and direct influence of six ‘advanced skills’ (‘self-perception’, ‘proactive approach to health’, ‘dealing with health information’, ‘self-control’, ‘self-regulation’ and ‘communication and cooperation’). The cross-sectional study was based on baseline data of a health literacy promotion intervention (495 vocational school students, 59.0% female, age span 18–25 years). Structural equation modelling with partial least squares was used to examine the associations between the six constructs of the model and the Work Ability Index (WAI). Mean WAI score was 39.7 ± 4.5 (51.1% categorized ‘moderate’/‘poor’). Five out of six constructs of the model showed a statistically significant indirect or direct effect, respectively, on work ability. The model explained 24.8% of the WAI score variance. Our findings show associations between the health literacy model and the work ability among young employees. In view of demographic change, it is crucial to develop and analyse target group-specific health literacy interventions. The model offers new facets in the modelling of health literacy.

scholarly journals Status of Women and Fertility in Pakistan

2010 ◽  
Vol 37 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ali Muhammad ◽  
Rajulton Fernando
Keyword(s):  
Structural Equation ◽  
Structural Equation Models ◽  
Negative Association ◽  
High Fertility ◽  
The Status ◽  
Path Models ◽  
Universal Definition ◽  
Status Of Women

As argued, low status of women is associated with high fertility. Yet, it is the most neglected area in fertility studies because of measurement complications. The concept itself needs clarification since there is no universal definition. Despite these complications, utilizing fourteen theory driven indicators, this study attempts to measure the status of women in Pakistan and examines its relationship with fertility. Structural Equation Models are used to measure status and Path Models to examine its association with fertility. The results confirm a negative association between status of women and fertility in Pakistan.

Exploring Health Literacy in Patients with Chronic Diseases in Chongqing, China in 2018: A Cross-Sectional Study

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hongyan Liu ◽  
Chengbin Wu ◽  
Yu Zhao ◽  
Weiyun Lai ◽  
Yong Zhao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Literacy ◽  
Chronic Diseases ◽  
Household Income ◽  
Junior College ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Annual Household Income ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Number Of Patients ◽  
The Status

Abstract Background: Improving health literacy is the key to chronic disease prevention and improved interventions. However, little is known about the status of health literacy and its influencing factors in patients with chronic diseases. Accordingly, this study aimed to explore the different aspects and factors influencing health literacy among patients with chronic diseases in Chongqing, China.Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in areas of Chongqing using the 2018 National Questionnaire on Health Literacy of Residents administered to 27,336 patients with chronic diseases. The research investigated the prevalence and factors of health literacy in patients with chronic diseases in Chongqing, China using χ 2 tests and logistic regression analysis.Results: Among the participants (n = 27,336), 51.3% were males and 48.7% were females. Only a small number of patients with chronic diseases were health literate (21.6%). Regression analyses indicated that inadequate health literacy was associated with rural area residents (OR: 0.92), minorities (OR: 1.31), farmers (OR: 1.18), nonlocal registered permanent residents (OR: 1.05), and patients with self-rated unhealthy status (OR: 1.80). Patients with chronic diseases aged 25–34 (OR = 1.18) and 35–44 (OR = 1.18) were more likely to have health literacy than patients with chronic diseases aged 65–69. Illiterate or slightly literate patients (OR = 0.10) were less likely to have health literacy than patients who were in the junior college or had a bachelor’s degree or above. Patients with an average annual household income of less than 3,000 yuan (OR = 0.65) were all less likely to have health literacy than patients with an average annual household income of more than 15,000 yuan.Conclusions: Health literacy of patients with chronic conditions remains at a low level and varies significantly with their demographic and sociological characteristics. Therefore, developing and adopting appropriate health promotion programs would be necessary to improve the health literacy of all patients with different types of chronic diseases.

Maternal IQ, the Home Environment, and Child IQ in Low Birthweight, Premature Children

1993 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 61-74 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert H. Bradley ◽  
Leanne Whiteside ◽  
Bettye M. Caldwell ◽  
Patrick H. Casey ◽  
Kelly Kelleher ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Home Environment ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Low Birthweight ◽  
Structural Equation Models ◽  
Total Sample ◽  
Regression Analyses ◽  
Mediating Role ◽  
Childhood Home ◽  
Iq Scores ◽  
One Year

The study examined the extent to which aspects of the home environment play a mediating role in the relation between maternal and child IQ. The procedure of establishing mediation developed by Baron and Kenny was followed using 608 low birthweight, premature infants from eight different sites. Regression analyses indicated that both maternal IQ and Infant/ Toddler HOME scores obtained at 12 months made significant contributions to 3 year child IQ scores. Maternal IQ and Early Childhood HOME scores obtained at 36 months also both made significant contributions to 3 year child IQ scores. There was a significant "indirect" or mediated affect associated with HOME scores at both time points. Structural equation models were used to confirm information developed in the regression analyses. The fit of the model was good for the total sample and for a sample of children and mothers whose IQs were both greater than 70. A stronger indirect effect was noted at three years as compared to one year.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document