scholarly journals The Effects of Play Streets on Social and Community Connectedness in Rural Communities

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (19) ◽  
pp. 9976
Author(s):  
M. Renée Umstattd Meyer ◽  
Tyler Prochnow ◽  
Andrew C. Pickett ◽  
Cynthia K. Perry ◽  
Christina N. Bridges Hamilton ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Collective Efficacy ◽  
Social Identification ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Innovative Strategies ◽  
Community Connectedness ◽  
Implementation Team ◽  
Health And Wellbeing ◽  
Public Health Initiative ◽  
Building Community

Promoting physical activity (PA) is a long-standing public health initiative to improve overall health and wellbeing. Innovative strategies such as Play Streets, temporary activation of public spaces to provide safe places for active play, are being adopted in urban and rural communities to increase PA among children. As part of these strategies, aspects of social and community connectedness may be strengthened. This study analyzes focus groups and interviews from rural Play Street implementation team members (n = 14) as well as adults (n = 7) and children (n = 25) who attended Play Streets hosted in rural North Carolina, Maryland, Oklahoma, and Texas to better understand the added benefits of Play Streets in community connectedness. Overall, elements of social support and social cohesion are mentioned most frequently with instrumental and conditional support; however, concepts of social capital, collective-efficacy, and social identification are also presented. Participants expressed that Play Streets provided more than just PA; they provided opportunities to access and share resources, build perceptions of safety and trust in the community, and develop relationships with others. Fostering community connection through Play Streets may reduce health inequities in rural communities by building community resilience. Community-based PA programming that enhance and capitalize on community connectedness could be effective ways to improving the overall health and wellbeing of residents.

scholarly journals Microcredit as a public health initiative? Exploring mechanisms and pathways to health and wellbeing

2021 ◽  
Vol 270 ◽  
pp. 113633
Author(s):  
Fatma Ibrahim ◽  
Neil McHugh ◽  
Olga Biosca ◽  
Rachel Baker ◽  
Tim Laxton ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health And Wellbeing ◽  
Health Initiative ◽  
Public Health Initiative

Employers' duty of care to district nursing team members: health and safety concerns with lone domiciliary visits

2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (8) ◽  
pp. 377-379 ◽  
Author(s):  
Monica Duncan
Keyword(s):  
Staff Training ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Disciplinary Action ◽  
Duty Of Care ◽  
Personal Safety ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Health And Wellbeing ◽  
Nursing Services ◽  
Policies And Procedures ◽  
District Nurses

District nurses and their teams often work in isolation during domiciliary visits. As employers, providers of district nursing services have responsibility to ensure that appropriate policies and procedures are in place to keep district nursing teams safe. If the employer fails to do everything that was reasonable in the circumstances to keep the employee safe, the employer can be deemed to have breached their duty of care. Employees also have responsibility for their own health and wellbeing at work, and they are entitled by law to refuse to undertake work that is not safe, without fear of disciplinary action. Staff training in risk management, personal safety, handling aggressive behaviour, using safety devices such as mobile phone trackers, incident reporting and debriefing are essential for district nurses and their teams, as they face a steeply increased demand for their services and a severely compromised skill mix within their teams.

scholarly journals How do members of a fire and rescue service perceive expanding their roles to deliver more health care services?

2018 ◽  
Vol 41 (3) ◽  
pp. 593-599
Author(s):  
L M T Byrne-Davis ◽  
D Marchant ◽  
E R Bull ◽  
D Gyles ◽  
E Dean ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care Services ◽  
Fire Service ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Rescue Service ◽  
Health And Wellbeing ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Medical Response ◽  
Role Expansion ◽  
Emergency Medical Response ◽  
Response Trial

Abstract Background Increasingly, public sector workers are being required to expand their roles into public health. Fire and rescue services, as part of the Emergency Medical Response trial, are at the forefront of role expansion, with increasing capacity due to reducing numbers of fires in recent years. Firefighter roles, successfully implemented, include responding to cardiac arrests and conducting checks on health and wellbeing in people’s own homes. In this study, we explored fire service members’ perceptions about this role expansion, to increase understanding of how role expansion can be introduced and supported. Methods We interviewed 21 firefighters and team members about their perceptions of new roles. Interviews were conducted, transcribed and thematically analysed until reaching thematic saturation. Results Perspectives differed for responding to cardiac arrests and wellbeing checks. Cardiac arrests were seen as aligned with core roles and thus more acceptable. For both types of new role participants wanted more training and opportunities to provide feedback on implementation. Conclusions How team members viewed role expansion depended on new role alignment with core role, training and being able to give feedback to management to shape future services.

scholarly journals Translating Community Connectedness to Practice: A Qualitative Study of Midlevel Health Workers in Rural Guatemala

ISRN Nursing ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alison Hernández ◽  
Anna-Karin Hurtig ◽  
Kjerstin Dahlblom ◽  
Miguel San Sebastián
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
Health Needs ◽  
Building Relationships ◽  
Community Connectedness ◽  
Vulnerable Communities ◽  
The People ◽  
Rural Settings ◽  
Shared Culture ◽  
Auxiliary Nurses

Background. The performance of midlevel health workers is a critical lever for strengthening health systems and redressing inequalities in underserved areas. Auxiliary nurses form the largest cadre of health workers in Guatemala. In rural settings, they provide essential services to vulnerable communities, and thus have great potential to address priority health needs. This paper examines auxiliary nurses’ motivation and satisfaction, and the coping strategies they use to respond to challenges they confront in their practice. Methods. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 14 auxiliary nurses delivering health services in Alta Verapaz, Guatemala. Results. Community connectedness was central to motivation in this rural Guatemalan setting. Participants were from rural communities and conveyed a sense of connection to the people they were serving through shared culture and their own experiences of health needs. Satisfaction was derived through recognition from the community and a sense of valuing their work. Auxiliary nurses described challenges commonly faced in low-resource settings. Findings indicated they were actively confronting these challenges through their own initiative. Conclusions. Strategies to support the performance of midlevel health workers should focus on mechanisms to make training accessible to rural residents, support problem-solving in practice, and emphasize building relationships with communities served.

scholarly journals Hiding In Plain Sight: Building Community Social Capital In Distance Education Graduate Programs

2013 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 265 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brenda Helen Sheingold ◽  
Joyce A. Hahn ◽  
Anne Hofmeyer
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Distance Education ◽  
Academic Success ◽  
Nursing Students ◽  
Academic Programs ◽  
Academic Learning ◽  
Innovative Strategies ◽  
Phase Study ◽  
On Line ◽  
Building Community

There is an increasing global demand for a broad range of academic programs to be offered by distance education. The development of flexible online technology has made studying for a degree anywhere and anytime possible and this option has significant appeal for many people. However, there is limited knowledge available to guide faculty in the strategic development of supportive learning environments for distance education students that fosters connectedness for academic success. The purpose of this three-phase study was to introduce the concept of community social capital to a cohort of graduate nursing students (N=97) and then track implementation and impact in their on-line academic learning environment. Understanding social capital at the onset of graduate school can lead to an improved sense of how students can utilize and grow social capital, enhance bonding, and increase their academic advantage. The findings inform future education curricula, innovative strategies, and educational research agendas by suggesting that social capital awareness is beneficial to students enrolled in distance education.

scholarly journals Community stakeholders' perceptions of crime and victimization: A mixed-methods approach to understanding collective efficacy and social cohesion in the rural heartland

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 96-115
Author(s):  
Ashley Lockwood ◽  
April Terry
Keyword(s):  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Rural Communities ◽  
Urban Communities ◽  
Collective Efficacy ◽  
Social Cohesion ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Neighborhoods ◽  
Mixed Methods Approach ◽  
Community Stakeholders ◽  
Rural And Urban

Previous criminological literature has mostly neglected rural communities, often treating these places as smaller pieces of urban culture. Literature suggests rural communities operate differently than urban neighborhoods, with distinctive values, norms, and community cohesion. For example, concepts surrounding collective efficacy may work counterproductively in rural areas—further exploiting outed community members within "close-knit" environments. The current study sought to compare perceptions of collective efficacy and social cohesion, crime, and victimization between rural and urban counties across one Midwestern rural state. Using a mixed-methods approach, community stakeholders from a variety of professions were surveyed. Quantitative results suggest similar perceptions of collective efficacy and social cohesion in rural and urban communities while qualitative responses paint a much different picture—an image of rural communities "minding their own business" and both formally and informally intervening only in the most extreme and personalized scenarios.

scholarly journals The Importance of Building Community Trust for Sustained Malaria Elimination Interventions During Unforeseen Major Disruptive Events Such as COVID-19: A Cambodia Case Study

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mitra Feldman ◽  
Lieven Vernaeve ◽  
James Tibenderana ◽  
Leo Braack ◽  
Mark Debackere ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Malaria Elimination ◽  
The Novel ◽  
National Guidelines ◽  
Patients At Risk ◽  
Building Community ◽  
Novel Coronavirus ◽  
High Level ◽  
First Time

Abstract Background Impressive progress in reducing malaria trends combined with the 2018 report of no malaria related deaths for the first time, puts Cambodia well on track to reaching its malaria elimination goals. However, the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic presents a potential challenge to this goal. The path towards malaria elimination is dependent on sustained interventions to prevent rapid resurgence, which can quickly set back any gains achieved. Methods Mobile Malaria Workers (MMWs) need to have a strong understanding of the local geography and, most importantly, build and maintain trust among the communities they serve. To achieve this, Malaria Consortium uses a peer-to-peer approach for the MMWs and ensures the same level of trust operates between the MMWs and Malaria Consortium. Malaria Consortium’s policy during COVID-19 has been to follow national guidelines while continuing to support community-based malaria services via the MMWs / mobile malaria posts (MPs) with as minimal disruption as possible. A risk assessment was carried out by Malaria Consortium, with a mitigation plan quickly developed and implemented, to ensure MMWs were able to continue providing services without putting themselves or their patients at risk. Results Malaria Consortium ensured the MMW/ mobile MP program is built on trust, relevance to, and connection with the communities being served. An overall decline in malaria testing was reported from Health Centres and VMWs among all three provinces in March and April, not seen in previous years and possibly attributable to fear of COVID-19. However, Malaria Consortium supported MMWs have not reported any such decline in the utilization of their services and attribute this to the trust they have among the communities. Conclusion Malaria Consortium has effectively demonstrated care and solidarity with and among the MMWs and communities being served. This has ensured a high level of trust, and therefore willingness among the MMWs and communities to continue providing and utilising malaria services as usual despite the fear of COVID-19. Building trust among rural communities builds resilience and ensures uninterrupted and effective malaria elimination activities can continue even during a potential extraneous disruptive force, such as the Covid-19 pandemic.

scholarly journals Balancing Student Sex Education Needs with Community Preferences: A Qualitative Study in Rural Indiana

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Hoseus ◽  
Carolyn Meagher ◽  
Rebecca James ◽  
Doug Cope-Barnes ◽  
Mary Ott
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Parent Education ◽  
Sex Education ◽  
Teen Pregnancy ◽  
Community Outreach ◽  
Administrator Support ◽  
Making A Difference ◽  
Building Community ◽  
Field Notes ◽  
Ebp Implementation

Background and Purpose: Rural youth experience high rates of teen pregnancy. Despite this increased health risk, little data exist on evidence-based sex education programs (EBPs) in rural communities. Using the Exploration, Preparation, Implementation, and Sustainment (EPIS) framework, we describe the challenges and community-derived solutions in implementing an EBP in rural Indiana schools, providing insight on rural EBP implementation.     Methods: As part of a larger federally funded implementation project, an abstinence focused EBP (Making a Difference! and Guiding Good Choices) was taught at middle schools located in twelve counties in rural southern and eastern Indiana. Three community agencies implemented the curriculum over three years. Afterwards, SH and CM conducted interviews of the agency partners (n=13) and of key school stakeholders (n=6). Interviews were conducted via Zoom, audio-recorded, transcribed, field notes written, and all data analyzed using thematic analysis. Codes were developed from the EPIS framework and included outer contexts of communities, inner contexts of schools, preparation activities, implementation, and potential sustainability. We asked participants to identify challenges and solutions.     Results: Challenges and solutions were mapped onto the EPIS framework. Outer context challenges included religion, conservative communities, outside agencies, and parenting beliefs. Inner context challenges included lack of teacher and administrator support. Preparational challenges included lack of communication with parents, lack of community outreach, and lack of parent education. Implementational challenges included teaching a 60-minute lesson in 45 minutes and classroom engagement of schoolteachers. Sustainment challenges included teacher discomfort with the topic. Community-derived solutions included building community trust before implementation, providing information to parents, inviting administrators to observe, offering a student question box, and training school staff to implement the program.     Conclusion and Potential Impact: Many challenges emerged during implementation because of perceived lack of preparation. Future implementation of EBPs in rural communities should focus more on aspects of exploration and preparation.  

scholarly journals “It’s being a part of a grand tradition, a grand counter-culture which involves communities”: A qualitative investigation of autistic community connectedness

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Monique Botha ◽  
Bridget Dibb ◽  
David Frost
Keyword(s):  
Social Connectedness ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
Autism Diagnosis ◽  
Community Connectedness ◽  
Health And Wellbeing ◽  
Sense Of Direction ◽  
Autistic People ◽  
Counter Culture ◽  
Political Connectedness ◽  
Autistic Community

Autistic people report experiencing greater comfort socialising and easier communication with other autistic people compared to with non-autistic people. Despite autism being stereotypically associated with a lack of social motivation or community, an autistic community has been described briefly in the literature but is not yet well understood. Autistic community connectedness (ACC) may play an important role in promoting and protecting wellbeing for autistic people. This qualitative study involved interviewing autistic individuals (N = 20) in-person, via a video-based platform, over a text-based platform, or over email (according to the needs of the participants) to investigate ACC. Critical grounded theory tools were used to collect and analyse the data. Three elements of ACC were apparent in the data: belongingness, social connectedness, and political connectedness. Belongingness referred to the general sense of similarity that autistic people experienced with other autistic people, which they often did not with non-autistic people. Social connectedness referred to specific friendship participants formed with other autistic people. Political connectedness referred to a connectedness to the political or social equality goals of the autistic community. Participants described the benefits of ACC as being increased self-esteem, a sense of direction, and access to a sense of community that they did not typically experience with non-autistic people. Lack of connectedness involved ambivalence with an autism diagnosis and/or feelings of internalised stigma. These experiences of ACC may have implications for autistic people’s health and wellbeing, as well as how they deal with exposure to discrimination and stigma.

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