scholarly journals THE IMPACT OF INTERVENTION PROGRAM ON HEALTH BEHAVIOURS AND SOCIOEMOTIONAL SKILLS AMONG PORTUGUESE COLLEGE STUDENTS

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 82-93
Author(s):  
Marta Reis ◽  
Lúcia Ramiro ◽  
Margarida Gaspar de Matos

Health promotion is defined as the process of enabling people to increase control over and to enhance their health. It focuses on individual behaviors towards a wide range of interventions on social and environmental determinants of health and other health related aspects of life (WHO, 2015; 2017). Thus, health promotion implies the need to promote and empower people with resources and skills towards health and well-being (Saboga-Nunes, et al., 2019). The literature reports a negative variation in the lifestyle of university students, and simultaneously demonstrates a significant percentage of university students with a set of emotional, relational, anxiety and stress management difficulties (WHO, 2021, 2018). The need to curb behavioral tendencies harmful to the health of young university students comes justify the need for health promotion in the context of these institutions. This study aimed at analyzing the impact of university students' training, in the area of health promotion and of personal and socio-emotional skills. Participated 286 students. The results show that in addition to the skills worked during the training, the students’ well-being and health also improved at the end of the training. The variables that evidenced to be the most important for the university students’ health promotion were that they finished the training with more self-esteem, resilience, psychological well-being, self-efficacy, happiness and less instability and alienation. Regarding the pre and post evaluation comparisons about skills, importance and usefulness of HBSC/JUnP training, it was observed that both knowledge about health aspects and personal and socio-emotional skills, namely the resilience, self-regulation and problem-solving strategies had a strong positive impact on promoting the health and well-being of students. Higher education institutions present themselves as enhancers of public health, contributing to the students make healthy choices. Keywords: health promotion, personal and socio-emotional skills, university students’ training, healthy universities, Portugal

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 192
Author(s):  
Susana León-Jiménez

Friendship has been studied along centuries, since ancient times to present-day, as the basis of the social cornerstone, present at all stages of the lifespan and belonging to the world of truthful sentiments. Benefits of friendship on health have been demonstrated. Less is known about the role of friendship on seniors. The aim of this case study has been to show how the end friendship developed in an adults’ school operating for more than 40 years in Barcelona is having a positive impact on the well-being and health of their participants. Through the communicative discussion group, we have deepened in the trajectories of some of the school participants. The results show how participation in the school and the dialogic gatherings have contributed to the emergence of a non-instrumental friendship feeling and to consider an impact on the perceived general wellness and health and an improvement of their life quality. It is discussed how this research provides more elements to the existing literature. More research on how other communitarian environments have similar effects on this population, or on the impact of these dialogical spaces in the development of end friendships in other stages of the life cycle would be of interest.


2020 ◽  
pp. 60-65
Author(s):  
Inna Irtyshcheva ◽  
Dmytro Ryabets

Introduction. The main priorities for the development and reform of the health care system are to create conditions for improving the quality, life expectancy and efficiency of citizens by increasing the availability of medical services and medical care, improving the quality of medical services, early prevention and prevention of timely medical care. The aim of the article is to develop recommendations for ensuring the availability of medical care as a basic basis for the formation of good health and well-being of the population on the way to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. Methods (methodology). The general scientific methods, in particular theoretical generalization - for research of theoretical bases of maintenance of availability of medical care are applied in research; system economic analysis - for correlation-regression analysis of the relationship between morbidity, mortality and economic affordability of medical services in Ukraine. Results. The impact of public and private sector expenditures on the level of morbidity was analyzed and compared, which showed that both factors have a positive impact on reducing the incidence rate. At the same time, there is a tendency to increase household spending on health care and the purchase of medicines much faster than at the state level, which confirms the targeted trends in health care reform to significantly reduce the number of free medical services. To a certain extent, these trends are positive, but in the event of a significant deterioration in the situation with the level of morbidity, this financial policy should be revised.


1996 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 308-317 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathy Sanders-Phillips

Purpose. The purpose of this review is to identify and examine relationships between exposure to violence and health promotion behaviors in low-income black and Latino groups. Design. Based on computer surveys of the psychologic, public health, medical, and sociologic literature, approximately 90 previous studies of the impact of exposure to violence on psychologic functioning, perceptions of health and well-being, and health decisions and behavior were identified. This article reviews those studies that examine the relationships between experiences of violence and subsequent feelings of alienation, powerlessness, and hopelessness, and perceptions of health and well-being and studies that examine relationships between alienation, hopelessness, and powerlessness and health promotion behaviors. Studies of health promotion behavior that did not examine or address the impact of exposure to violence are not reviewed in this article. Results. Violence affects low-income communities directly by contributing to rates of mortality, and indirectly by affecting health promotion behaviors. Exposure to violence can result in feelings of powerlessness, hopelessness, and alienation that significantly limit motivation, the extent of involvement, and persistence in overcoming barriers to health promotion behavior. Conclusions. Future researchers must consider the confounding effects of exposure to violence when investigating differences in health promotion behaviors for low-income black and Latino groups. Community empowerment programs that address the impact of violence and focus on developing control over life and health outcomes may be needed to successfully address the effect of violence on health promotion behavior in low-income, black and Latino communities.


Gerontology ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 62 (3) ◽  
pp. 362-370 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Eibich ◽  
Christian Krekel ◽  
Ilja Demuth ◽  
Gert G. Wagner

Background: Neighborhood characteristics are important determinants of individual health and well-being. For example, characteristics such as noise and pollution affect health directly, while other characteristics affect health and well-being by either providing resources (e.g. social capital in the neighborhood), which individuals can use to cope with health problems, or limiting the use thereof (e.g. crime). This also suggests that there might be age differentials in the impact of these characteristics, since individuals at different stages of life might need different resources. However, there is a lack of empirical evidence on age differentials in associations between well-being, health, and neighborhood characteristics. Objective: This paper studies associations between a wide range of neighborhood characteristics with the health and well-being of residents of the greater Berlin area. In particular, we focus on differences in the effects between younger (aged 20-35) and older (aged 60+) residents. Methods: We used data from the Berlin Aging Study II (312 younger and 993 older residents of the Berlin metropolitan area in Germany). We used survey data on health and well-being, combined these with subjective perceptions of the neighborhood, and geo-referenced indicators on the neighborhood, e.g. amenities (public transport, physicians, and hospitals). Results: The results show that access to public transportation is associated with better outcomes on all measures of health and well-being, and social support is associated with higher life satisfaction and better mental health. There are considerable differences between both age groups: while the associations between access to public transport and health and well-being are similar for both age groups, neighborhood social capital shows stronger associations for older residents. However, the difference is not always statistically significant. Conclusion: Having access to services is associated with better health and well-being regardless of age. Local policy makers should focus on lowering barriers to mobility in order to improve the health and well-being of the population. Since the social capital of a neighborhood is associated with better health and well-being among older residents, investments that increase social capital (e.g. community centers) might be warranted in neighborhoods with higher shares of older residents.


2018 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 50-57 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary J. Minten ◽  
Cass Dykeman

Relationship health impacts many facets of both physical and mental well-being, including depression, heart health, and even children’s health. For a variety of reasons, distressed couples often delay entering therapy despite its value in supporting wellness and preventing distress. One early intervention program, the marriage checkup (MC), aims to keep healthy couples healthy with a brief supportive checkup. The MC is based on motivational interviewing principles, and research on MC shows the program has a positive impact on relationship satisfaction, prevents decline, and improves health on other variables such as intimacy. However, past research on MCs has only focused on heterosexual couples. As such, this study explores the research question, “What is the impact of a relationship wellness checkup on lesbian couples’ relationship satisfaction?” Using a single-subject design, specifically concurrent multiple-baseline, multiple-probe design, this study extends MC research to an underrepresented population. After conducting checkups over 10 weeks with three lesbian couples, findings show the intervention had a medium effect on satisfaction (nonoverlap of all pairs = .66). These results indicate a relationship checkup can increase satisfaction for lesbian couples. The findings also suggest checkups with lesbian couples can have a comparable impact to their use with heterosexual couples. This study concludes by advocating that the checkup may help lesbian couples stay healthy, providing support for this marginalized group of couples in a time of prejudice.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Joy Penman ◽  
Gulzar Malik ◽  
Eli Chu ◽  
Giselle Kett ◽  
Kerry Hampton ◽  
...  

International students report higher sociocultural and academic stress when settling into a new university compared with their local counterparts. Three disciplines in the health professions collaborated to create a transition program addressing international student health and well-being concerns. Commencing students and senior student mentors participated in a four-session program of activities to reflect on their current study/work practices, and learn self-management strategies. They developed plans for coping with cultural, language, academic and social barriers, and assisted in improving physical and mental health and well-being. Of the 26 participants who attended sessions, 15 participated in in-depth interviews to share their experiences of the program. ‘Facilitating adjustment’, ‘Establishing relationships’, ‘Gaining new skills and knowledge’, and ‘Transforming beliefs and behaviour’ were the four themes identified that captured and explicated the impact of the initiative. The program demonstrated a positive impact in creating a supportive learning environment for commencing and continuing international students.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 959-960
Author(s):  
Natalie Galucia ◽  
Nancy Morrow-Howell ◽  
Peter Sun ◽  
Tanner Meyer ◽  
Ying Li

Abstract This study, launched in June 2020, documents the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Villages nationally. Villages are non-profit, membership-based organizations that provide support from volunteers and social connections to enable aging in place. We distributed on-line surveys to the leaders of the 287 Villages in the national network to capture the effects of the pandemic on organizational operations, membership recruitment, service provision, and member well-being. A 40% response rate (n=116) was obtained. A majority of Villages reported that the pandemic greatly affected the organization, with the top concerns being: 1) membership recruitment, 2) the health and well-being of members and volunteers and 3) connecting with their members outside of normal in-person events. Over half of the respondents reported that the mental health of members had declined; and there were high levels of disruption to usual health care. New member recruitment efforts were thwarted and most Villages lost revenue. About 70% offered virtual programming but, in general, participation in these on-line events dropped. From the survey respondents’ perspective, the value of the Village to members and their family increased (48%) or remained the same (22%). New opportunities emerged that may be continued post-pandemic: new meal and medicine delivery volunteer services, more on-line communication and telephone reassurance, and new family and community connections. Findings indicate a wide range of experiences during the pandemic, with variation stemming from age of the Village and size of membership. The study informs the sustainability and growth efforts of Villages during and after the pandemic.


Author(s):  
Liz Green ◽  
Kathryn Ashton ◽  
Nerys Edmonds ◽  
Sumina Azam

Health impact assessment (HIA) is a systematic and flexible tool, which is advocated by the World Health Organisation as a method through which to consider the impact of policies on the health and well-being of a population, and the inequalities that may arise because of it. In 2018, the HIA support unit in Wales carried out a comprehensive and unique HIA on the impact of Brexit in Wales. The aims were to understand the differential impacts that Brexit would have on the health and well-being of the population and to provide evidence to inform decision makers across a range of public bodies. It followed a five-step process for HIA and utilised a wide range of evidence sources and health intelligence including both quantitative and qualitative evidence. This paper reflects on the process of carrying out the HIA and the methods used. It discusses the stages of the HIA, and shares the findings and reflections of implementation which will be beneficial to other HIA practitioners and policy makers. It does not concentrate on the findings of the HIA in detail, but focusses on what worked and any challenges encountered. It has been used to progress the practice of HIA in Wales and demonstrates the value of HIA as a method to inform and influence complex decisions.


2017 ◽  
Vol 29 (6) ◽  
pp. 1027-1034 ◽  
Author(s):  
Megan E. Hempel ◽  
Joanne E. Taylor ◽  
Martin J. Connolly ◽  
Fiona M. Alpass ◽  
Christine V. Stephens

ABSTRACTBackground:Driving anxiety can range from driving reluctance to driving phobia, and 20% of young older adults experience mild driving anxiety, whereas 6% report moderate to severe driving anxiety. However, we do not know what impact driving anxiety has on health and well-being, especially among older drivers. This is problematic because there is a growing proportion of older adult drivers and a potential for driving anxiety to result in premature driving cessation that can impact on health and mortality. The purpose of the current study was to examine the impact of driving anxiety on young older adults’ health and well-being.Method:Data were taken from a longitudinal study of health and aging that included 2,473 young older adults aged 55–70 years. The outcome measures were mental and physical health (SF-12) and quality of life (WHOQOL-8).Results:Hierarchical multiple regression analyses demonstrated that driving anxiety was associated with poorer mental health, physical health, and quality of life, over and above the effect of socio-demographic variables. Sex moderated the effect of driving anxiety on mental health and quality of life in that, as driving anxiety increased, men and women were more likely to have lower mental health and quality of life, but women were more likely to have higher scores compared to men.Conclusion:Further research is needed to investigate whether driving anxiety contributes to premature driving cessation. If so, self-regulation of driving and treating driving anxiety could be important in preventing or reducing the declines in health and quality of life associated with driving cessation for older adults affected by driving anxiety.


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