scholarly journals Caregivers of Individuals with Cancer in the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Phenomenological Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 185
Author(s):  
Leila Abou Salha ◽  
Julio Cesar Souza Silva ◽  
Cleusa Alves Martins ◽  
Cristiane Soares da Costa Araújo ◽  
Edinamar Aparecida Santos da Silva ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Qualitative Research ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Methodological Quality ◽  
Phenomenological Study ◽  
Physical Activities ◽  
Health Needs ◽  
Care Needs ◽  
Emotional Vulnerability ◽  
Financial Survival

Caregivers of individuals with cancer in the COVID-19 pandemic are faced with the demands of cancer and the health needs produced by it, along with their own health and self-care needs, and the uncertainties of expectations and risks. A qualitative analytical phenomenological study with caregivers of individuals with cancer registered at the state referral hospital supplying medications, who answered the sociodemographic assessment questionnaires and semi-structured questions about their feelings and perceptions in the COVID-19 pandemic. Bardin’s content analysis was used, with methodological quality assessed using SRQR Standards for Reporting Qualitative Research and the MAXQDA software. Most of the caregivers are women, married, Catholic, of low income and education, aged between 30 and 60 years, optimistic, comply with health guidelines regarding social distancing, use of masks, and routine hand hygiene, do not practice regular physical activities, mention concern for their own physical and financial survival, and that of their family. The main need identified in the affective sphere was to reframe contact with family members, seeking to strengthen the bonds of affection. The feeling of emotional vulnerability shows the importance of building effective public policies for social support consistent with the improvement of health care for this population.

Social Support and Access to Health Care Among Older People in Japan: Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study (JAGES)

2018 ◽  
Vol 30 (5) ◽  
pp. 425-436
Author(s):  
Michiyo Higuchi ◽  
Kayo Suzuki ◽  
Toyo Ashida ◽  
Naoki Kondo ◽  
Katsunori Kondo
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Older People ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Access To Health Care ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Health Care Needs ◽  
Care Needs ◽  
Access To Health ◽  
Unmet Health Care Needs

We investigated cross-sectional associations between social support and access to health care among older Japanese people. From larger cohort datasets of community-dwelling people aged 65 years or older, 23 079 respondents were extracted. We summarized patterns of social support by gender and age group, then analyzed associations between social support and the experience of unmet health care needs, as a negative indicator of access. Adjusting for socioeconomic factors, multiple logistic regression identified that respondents who received instrumental support were less likely to experience unmet health care needs except males aged 65 to 69 years. The effect of receiving instrumental social support was larger than for household income and similar to anxiety about unexpected expenses. In the low-income group, these findings were highlighted among females aged 65 to 69 years and males aged 70 years and older. In addition to redistribution of financial resources, facilitating suitable social support may contribute to alleviating the access gap among older people.

When Child Care Breaks Down

2008 ◽  
Vol 29 (9) ◽  
pp. 1185-1210 ◽  
Author(s):  
Margaret L. Usdansky ◽  
Douglas A. Wolf
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Qualitative Research ◽  
Child Care ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Elevated Risk ◽  
Fragile Families ◽  
Socially Isolated ◽  
Low Income Mothers ◽  
Care Problems

Qualitative research suggests that day-to-day problems with child care produce significant costs for low-income mothers. But the relevance of daily child care problems for mothers of all socioeconomic backgrounds has been largely overlooked. This article asks two interrelated questions: What factors shape how often mothers experience child care disruptions? and What factors shape how often care disruptions lead mothers to miss work? Using the Fragile Families and Child Well-Being Study ( N = 1,309), which includes mothers across the socioeconomic spectrum, this research finds that low-income mothers, mothers whose shifts vary, mothers who rely on patchwork care, and mothers with low social support are likely to experience care disruptions. But only mothers with low social support and mothers who use certain types of child care face an elevated risk of missing work. The findings underscore the widespread nature of child care problems and their heightened impact on socially isolated mothers.

Empathy not quarantined: Association between people’s empathy to others and the COVID-19 pandemic situations based on a national survey study (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhibin Jiang ◽  
Fan Yang ◽  
Bu Zhong ◽  
Xuebing Qin
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Social Media ◽  
National Survey ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Affective Response ◽  
Survey Study ◽  
Income Levels ◽  
The Social

BACKGROUND The Covid-19 pandemic had turned the world upside down, but not much is known about how people’s empathy might be affected by the pandemic. OBJECTIVE This study examined 1) how empathy towards others might be influenced by the social support people obtained by using social media; and 2) how the individual demographics (e.g., age, income) may affect empathy. METHODS A national survey (N = 943) was conducted in China in February 2020, in which the participants read three real scenarios about low-income urban workers (Scenario I), small business owners in cities (Scenario II), and farmers in rural areas (Scenario III) who underwent hardship due to COVID-19. After exposure to others’ difficulties in the scenarios, the participants’ empathy and anxiety levels were measured. We also measured the social support they had by using social media. RESULTS Results show that social support not only positively impacted empathy, β = .30, P < .001 for Scenario I, β = .30, P < .001 for Scenario II, and β = .29, P < .001 for Scenario III, but also interacted with anxiety in influencing the degree to which participants could maintain empathy towards others, β = .08, P = .010 for Scenario I, and β = .07, P = .033 for scenario II. Age negatively predicted empathy for Scenario I, β = -.08, P = .018 and Scenario III, β = -.08, P = .009, but not for Scenario II, β = -.03, P = .40. Income levels – low, medium, high – positively predicted empathy for Scenario III, F (2, 940) = 8.10, P < .001, but not for Scenario I, F (2, 940) = 2.14, P = .12, or Scenario II, F (2, 940) = 2.93, P = .06. Participants living in big cities expressed greater empathy towards others for Scenario III, F (2, 940) = 4.03, P =.018, but not for Scenario I, F (2, 940) = .81, P = .45, or Scenario II, F (2, 940) = 1.46, P =.23. CONCLUSIONS This study contributes to the literature by discovering the critical role empathy plays in people’s affective response to others during the pandemic. Anxiety did not decrease empathy. However, those gaining more social support on social media showed more empathy for others. Those who resided in cities with higher income levels were more empathetic during the COVID-19 outbreak. This study reveals that the social support people obtained helped maintain empathy to others, making them resilient in challenging times.

scholarly journals Qualitative, longitudinal exploration of coping strategies and factors facilitating infant and young child feeding practices among mothers in rural Rwanda

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeanine Ahishakiye ◽  
Lenneke Vaandrager ◽  
Inge D. Brouwer ◽  
Maria Koelen
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Young Child ◽  
Coping Strategies ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Complementary Feeding ◽  
Feeding Practices ◽  
Personal Factors ◽  
Child Feeding ◽  
Young Child Feeding ◽  
Infant And Young Child

Abstract Background Mothers in low-income countries face many challenges to appropriately feed their children in the first year such as poverty, food insecurity and high workloads. However, even in the lowest income families there are mothers who succeed to feed their children according to the recommendations. In this paper, we explored the coping strategies that facilitate appropriate breastfeeding and complementary feeding practices among rural Rwandan mothers from birth to one year of a child’s life. Methods This qualitative longitudinal study recruited a purposive sample of 17 mothers who followed the infant and young child feeding recommendations (IYCF). They were selected from a larger study of 36 mothers. In-depth interviews were conducted with mothers of the total group (36 mothers) within the first week, at 4th, 6th, 9th and 12th months postpartum. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and analyzed thematically. Results Coping strategies included improving mothers’ own diet for adequate breastmilk production, prioritizing child feeding over livelihood chores, livelihood diversification and mothers’ anticipatory behaviors such as preparing child’s food in advance. Some of those coping strategies were shifting overtime depending on the development of the children. Personal factors such as breastfeeding self-efficacy, religious beliefs and perceived benefits of breastfeeding were among the facilitating factors. Additionally, social support that mothers received from family members, other mothers in the community, Community Health Workers (CHWs) and health professionals played an important role. Conclusion In challenging contextual conditions, mothers manage to follow the recommended breastfeeding and complementary feeding practices through the interplay of active coping strategies, feeling to be in control and social support. Nutrition promotion interventions that aim to improve IYCF should consider strengthening mothers’ capability in gaining greater control of their IYCF practices and the factors facilitating their appropriate IYCF practices.

scholarly journals CONECT-6: a case-finding tool to identify patients with complex health needs

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine Hudon ◽  
Mathieu Bisson ◽  
Marie-France Dubois ◽  
Yohann Chiu ◽  
Maud-Christine Chouinard ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Case Management ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Chronic Conditions ◽  
Multivariate Logistic Regression Analysis ◽  
Case Finding ◽  
Adult Patients ◽  
Health Needs ◽  
Bivariate Analysis ◽  
Predictive Values ◽  
First Case

Abstract Background Early identification of patients with chronic conditions and complex health needs in emergency departments (ED) would enable the provision of services better suited to their needs, such as case management. A case-finding tool would ultimately support ED teams to this end and could reduce the cost of services due to avoidable ED visits and hospitalizations. The aim of this study was to develop and validate a short self-administered case-finding tool in EDs to identify patients with chronic conditions and complex health needs in an adult population. Methods This prospective development and initial validation study of a case-finding tool was conducted in four EDs in the province of Quebec (Canada). Adult patients with chronic conditions were approached at their third or more visit to the ED within 12 months to complete a self-administered questionnaire, which included socio-demographics, a comorbidity index, the reference standard INTERMED self-assessment, and 12 questions to develop the case-finding tool. Significant variables in bivariate analysis were included in a multivariate logistic regression analysis and a backward elimination procedure was applied. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was developed to identify the most appropriate threshold score to identify patients with complex health needs. Results Two hundred ninety patients participated in the study. The multivariate analysis yielded a six-question tool, COmplex NEeds Case-finding Tool – 6 (CONECT-6), which evaluates the following variables: low perceived health; limitations due to pain; unmet needs; high self-perceived complexity; low income; and poor social support. With a threshold of two or more positive answers, the sensitivity was 90% and specificity 66%. The positive and negative predictive values were 49 and 75% respectively. Conclusions The case-finding process is the essential characteristic of case management effectiveness. This study presents the first case-finding tool to identify adult patients with chronic conditions and complex health needs in ED.

Social support reduces the risk of unintended pregnancy in a low‐income population

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hartley Feld ◽  
Sheila Barnhart ◽  
Amanda T. Wiggins ◽  
Kristin Ashford
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Unintended Pregnancy ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Low Income Population
Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document