scholarly journals Three Strategies for Describing Social Interactions of Adolescents in a Multicultural Environment—Indicators for the Quality of Life Research

Author(s):  
Alicja Szerląg ◽  
Arkadiusz Urbanek ◽  
Kamila Gandecka

Background: The analysis has involved social interactions in a multicultural environment. The social context has been defined by the Vilnius region (Lithuania), where national, religious, and cultural differences exist across generations (multicultural community). The space of “social relationships”, as one of the modules of the WHO quality of life assessment, has been studied. An innovation of the research has been related to the analysis of the phenomenon of community of nationalities and cultures as a predictor of quality of life (QoL). The social motive of the research has been the historical continuity (for centuries) of the construction of the Vilnius cultural borderland. Here, the local community evolves from a group of many cultures to an intercultural community. Interpreting the data, therefore, requires a long perspective (a few generations) to understand the quality of relationships. We see social interactions and strategies for building them as a potential for social QoL in multicultural environments. Methods: The research has been conducted on a sample of 374 respondents, including Poles (172), Lithuanians (133), and Russians (69). A diagnostic poll has been used. The respondents were adolescents (15–16 years). The research answers the question: What variables form the interaction strategies of adolescents in a multicultural environment? The findings relate to interpreting the social interactions of adolescents within the boundaries of their living environment. The description of the social relations of adolescents provides an opportunity to implement the findings for further research on QoL. Results: An innovative outcome of the research is the analysis of 3 interaction strategies (attachment to national identification, intercultural dialogue, and multicultural community building) as a background for interpreting QoL in a multicultural environment. Their understanding is a useful knowledge for QoL researchers. The data analysis has taken into account cultural and generational (historical) sensitivities. Therefore, the team studying the data has consisted of researchers and residents of the Vilnius region. We used the interaction strategies of adolescents to describe the category of “social relationships” in nationally and culturally diverse settings.

10.3823/2468 ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karina Oliveira de Andrade ◽  
Alexandra Maria Almeida Carvalho ◽  
Ernesto Antonio Figueiró-Filho ◽  
Elenir Rose Jardim Cury Pontes ◽  
Giovana Kátia Viana Nucci ◽  
...  

Objective: To evaluate the general quality of life in medical students. Method: This is a cross-sectional observational study of 320 students from the Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul, located in Campo Grande, Brazil, who answered the WHOQOL-BREF quality of life assessment instrument. Results: The medical students evaluated having a good general quality of life and good satisfaction with their health. According to the domains, the psychological domain was smaller than the social relationships and environment domains. The students had a difference in the values of the WHOQOL-BREF scores only between the psychological and the environment domains and lower values in the men, in the physical and psychological domains. During the years of the course, there was a difference between the domains only for the 3rd grade of the course, with lower scores for the psychological domain. In each domain, the values of the WHOQOL-BREF scores were higher in the second grade compared to the 5th grade in the social relationships domain, and in the environmental domain. The 1st grade had lower values than the 6th grade. Conclusion: Medical students have a positive characterization of the quality of life, although it is less in the psychological domain, by the frequency of negative feelings not enjoying life or concentrating in a satisfactory way. Female students are more fragile in the psychological and physical domain than male students. Keywords: Quality of life; Medical students; Medical Education.


2015 ◽  
Vol 20 (5) ◽  
pp. 1321-1330 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karla Ferraz dos Anjos ◽  
Rita Narriman Silva de Oliveira Boery ◽  
Rafael Pereira ◽  
Larissa Chaves Pedreira ◽  
Alba Benemérita Alves Vilela ◽  
...  

Objective: to ascertain the association between the social support and the quality of life of relative caregivers of elderly dependents at home.Method: a cross-sectional study conducted with 58 relative caregivers of elderly dependents, registered in the Family Health Strategy. Data were collected from the Katz instrument, sociodemographic, Zarit Burden Interview, WHOQOL-bref, and analyzed using descriptive statistics and multiple linear regression.Results: the majority of caregivers were women, who took care full-time and presented moderate to severe burden. Most caregivers are satisfied with their social relationships and the social support received. It is found that the burden and the time of care correlated with the social relationships domain, which is associated with social support, and consequently, reduced quality of life.Conclusion: social support for caregivers is important to prevent health implications, burden, biopsychosocial stress, and provide favorable conditions for quality of life, by allowing greater freedom to develop their daily activities.


2016 ◽  
Vol 32 (12) ◽  
Author(s):  
Flávia Batista Portugal ◽  
Mônica Rodrigues Campos ◽  
Celina Ragoni Correia ◽  
Daniel Almeida Gonçalves ◽  
Dinarte Ballester ◽  
...  

The objective of this study was to identify the association between emotional distress and social support networks with quality of life in primary care patients. This was a cross-sectional study involving 1,466 patients in the cities of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 2009/2010. The General Health Questionnaire, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and the brief version of the World Health Organization Quality of Life Instrument were used. The Social Support Network Index classified patients with the highest and lowest index as socially integrated or isolated. A bivariate analysis and four multiple linear regressions were conducted for each quality of life outcome. The means scores for the physical, psychological, social relations, and environment domains were, respectively, 64.7; 64.2; 68.5 and 49.1. In the multivariate analysis, the psychological domain was negatively associated with isolation, whereas the social relations and environment domains were positively associated with integration. Integration and isolation proved to be important factors for those in emotional distress as they minimize or maximize negative effects on quality of life.


2021 ◽  
Vol 60 (2) ◽  
pp. 124-130
Author(s):  
Dagmar Nemček ◽  
Patrícia Shtin Baňárová ◽  
Petra Kurková

Abstract Objective The objective of the study was to analyse and compare the subjective quality of life (S-QoL) of women with physical disabilities (PDs) through satisfaction with the quality of life domains and the overall quality of life assessment. Methods The sample comprised of women with PDs (n=137), divided into 4 age categories: 19-29 yrs. (n=53); 30-44 yrs. (n=25); 45-59 yrs. (n=24) and over 60 yrs. (n=35). The Subjective Quality of Life Analyses questionnaire and the WHO User Manual were used as a primary research method. The Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test was used to assess the differences between QoLDs, Kruskal Wallis test to assess differences in S-QoL among four independent groups and Mann Whitney U-test between two age categories. Results The highest satisfaction in all age categories of women was found in the social relations domain, and in the 19-29 yr-old women equally in the social relations and physical health domains. The highest dissatisfaction was reported with the psychological health and environment domains. The key finding is that the main differences are between the youngest category (aged 19-29 yrs) and the three older categories with regard to physical health, environment and overall QoL. Conclusions It is necessary to continue this line of research with a greater focus on exploring the ways in which the psychological health domain can be improved as an integral part of S-QoL, and to also focus on the QoL indicators that make up the environment domain and search for ways to enhance these.


Facilities ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 35 (5/6) ◽  
pp. 270-285 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mei-yung Leung ◽  
Ibukun Oluwadara Famakin ◽  
Paul Olomolaiye

Purpose Quality of life (QoL) for elderly residents of care and attention (C&A) homes has become an important consideration, given the increasingly aging population. Due to the number of hours such residents spend indoors, the quality of the facilities can contribute to their day-to-day QoL. This study aims to investigate the effect of facilities management (FM) on the QoL of Chinese elderly people living in C&A homes. Design/methodology/approach A survey of perceived satisfaction with the components of FM and QoL was carried out with a sample of residents. A total of 18 FM components and five QoL domains, including physical health, independence, psychological health, social relationships and living environment, as well as overall QoL, were identified. Findings The findings show that physical health is influenced by accessibility, doors and windows and signage; independence can be improved by enhancing accessibility, water supply, lighting and ventilation; accessibility, water supply, distance and doors and windows all predict psychological health; social relationships are improved by lighting and ventilation; distance impacts positively on the living environment; and overall QoL is predicted by lighting, ventilation, accessibility, doors and windows, handrails, recreation and signage. Originality/value The study recommends that designers and facilities managers review the micro-climate settings to harness available natural lighting and ventilation, introduce bimetallic strips to the heating systems to maintain a suitable water temperature and install large, easy-to-understand and graphic signage for straightforward wayfinding in C&A homes.


Author(s):  
Camilla Aparecida Silva de Oliveira ◽  
Andréa Maria Duarte Vargas ◽  
Fernanda de Morais Ferreira ◽  
Efigênia Ferreira e Ferreira

(1) Objective: To understand the perception of Brazilian children about the Quality of Life (QoL) considering their living environment. (2) Methods: This is a qualitative study conducted with children aged 6–10 years, from a medium-sized Brazilian municipality, recruited from public and private schools. An adaptation of the “draw, write, and say” method was used to collect data. At first, all children (n = 252) drew a “neighborhood with QoL”. On the same day, the researcher analyzed the graphic elements of the representations and intentionally selected the two best-detailed drawings from each class (n = 49) and the children were invited to narrate them. The narratives were analyzed through content analysis. (3) Results: Two major themes emerged from the content analysis, namely, the physical environment and social environment. The first included the needs to live in a community, such as housing, places of leisure, essential services, and natural elements. The second was relationships with family and friends. (4) Conclusion: The children presented the meaning of an environment with QoL, pointing out essential items to have this ideal environment. The social environment and the physical environment were perceived interdependently; that is, any change in one of these aspects may affect children’s QoL.


2012 ◽  
Vol 20 (6) ◽  
pp. 1186-1195 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luciano Magalhães Vitorino ◽  
Lisiane Manganelli Girardi Paskulin ◽  
Lucila Amaral Carneiro Vianna

OBJECTIVES: to evaluate the older adults' perceptions of their quality of life (QoL) in two long-stay care facilities in Pouso Alegre and Santa Rita in Sapucaí, in the State of Minas Gerais, Brazil , and to identify the sociodemographic and health variables which interfere in this perception. METHOD: a cross-sectional epidemiological study of 77 older adults resident in institutions. The instruments used were: personal characterization; WHOQOL-bref and WHOQOL OLD. RESULT: the highest average obtained in the instruments was: the "Social Relationships" domain in the WHOQOL-bref (68%) and the "Sensory abilities" aspect in the WHOQOL-OLD (73.7%). The variables age, sex, physical activity and level of schooling have a significant correlation with the WHOQOL-bref and the variables sex and leisure have the same with the WHOQOL OLD. CONCLUSION: older adults who are younger, with higher levels of schooling and who undertake physical and leisure activity have, on average, better perceptions of their QoL. The older adults' QoL in this study had higher rates than that reported in the literature and was similar to that in the community. The results suggest the need to train those involved with older adults in institutions so that they may develop strategies which promote the adaptation, adjustment and maintenance of QoL.


Author(s):  
Jeane Cristina Anschau Xavier de Oliveira ◽  
Áurea Christina de Paula Corrêa ◽  
Marta Regina Cezar-Vaz ◽  
Samira Reschetti Marcon ◽  
Isabele Torquato Mozer Rosa ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Objective: To assess the context of work and analyze their repercussions on the quality of life of rural workers in soybean agribusiness. Method: Cross-sectional study, with an intentional sample of rural workers, conducted between the months of October and December 2019, with the application of the instruments World Health Organization Quality Life-bref and Scales of Assessment of Context and Human Cost of Work. The data were analyzed through bivariate and multivariate descriptive statistics. Results: The participants amounted to 299 rural workers. The scores of Work Conditions and Socioprofessional Relations were satisfactory and Organization of Work was critical. The scores of Physical and Cognitive costs were considered critical and of the Affective Cost was satisfactory. The Socioprofessional Relations have negatively impacted the overall quality of life and the Physical and Psychological, the Social Relations and the Environmental Domains, whereas Cognitive Cost positively impacted the Physical and the Environmental Domain and the Affective Cost positively impacted the Social Relations Domain. Conclusion: Although the Work Context and Human Cost indicated adverse conditions, only the Socioprofessional Relations exerted negative influences on the quality of life of rural workers.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicolas Vidart d'Egurbide Bagazgoïtia ◽  
Virginie Ehlinger ◽  
Carine Duffaut ◽  
Jérôme Fauconnier ◽  
Silke Schmidt-Schuchert ◽  
...  

Introduction: While most people with cerebral palsy (CP) will have a life expectancy similar to that of the general population, international research has primarily focused on childhood and adolescence; and knowledge about the quality of life (QoL) of young adults with CP, its trajectories, and associated factors remains scarce.Methods: This longitudinal study included young adults with CP living in five European regions and who had previously participated in the SPARCLE cohort as children and/or adolescents. Their QoL in the psychological well-being and social relationships domains was estimated using age-appropriate validated instruments (KIDSCREEN-52 in childhood/adolescence and WHOQOL-Bref in young adulthood). We used generalized linear mixed-effect models with random intercept to estimate long-term trajectories of QoL in both domains and to investigate whether severity of impairment, pain, and seizure influenced these trajectories. We sought to identify potentially different trajectories of QoL from childhood to adulthood using a shape-based clustering method.Results: In total, 164 young adults with CP aged 22–27 years participated in the study. Psychological well-being linearly decreased by 0.78 points (scale 0–100) per year (95% confidence interval (CI) −0.99 to −0.56) from childhood to young adulthood, whereas QoL in the social relationships domain increased (β coefficient 1.24, 95% CI 0.92–1.55). Severity of impairment was associated with reduced QoL in all life periods of the study (childhood, adolescence, and young adulthood): motor impairment with social relationships, and more nuancedly intellectual disability with psychological well-being and social relationships. At all periods, frequent pain significantly reduced psychological well-being, and seizures were associated with lower QoL in the social relationships domain. In both domains, we identified a group of individuals with CP who presented a reverse trajectory compared with the general QoL trajectory.Conclusion: Identification of QoL trajectories and their associated factors yields improved knowledge about the experience of individuals with CP until young adulthood. Further studies are needed to better understand the determinants that have the greatest influence on the different shapes of long-term trajectories of QoL.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Montes Reula ◽  
Miguel Cañete Lairla ◽  
Jorge Navarro López ◽  
Carmelo Pelegrín Valero ◽  
José Galindo Ortiz de Landázuri ◽  
...  

Purpose The purpose of this paper was to detect the most significant factors associated with each living alternative to improve socialization and mental health of the elderly. The measurements included affective evaluation, cognitive assessment, anxiety level, physical functionality, quality of life and social relationships. Individuals in home nursing residences were older and had worse affective status, functionality, cognitive state and quality of life. Social relationships in community people were better than in the institutionalized condition, particularly for less aged people. Design/methodology/approach Comparative descriptive study realized in 200 people older than 70 years in home nursing placement versus community dwelling conditions. Findings Multivariate analysis and logistic regression indicated that greater disability and poorer quality of social relationships were the main factors influencing the institutionalization process. Specifically, the Sociotype Questionnaire appeared as an efficient tool concerning the detection of social isolation effects as well as an acceptable integrator of prosocial information about home nursing placement. Originality/value The Geriatric Sociotype survey has shown usefulness in the evaluation of the social network of elderly people, both from the point of view of assessment and prognosis. In this sense it is considered that one of the main contributions of this study is to have included the qualitative evaluation of social relations, and to observe the differences according to the place of residence.


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