Background: Food insecurity has been described as an urgent and pervasive public health issue for Aboriginal people (First Nations [FN], Métis, and Inuit) in Canada. However, national health surveys have generally excluded a large portion of the Aboriginal population (FN living on-reserve and Inuit), resulting in limited data on food insecurity in these individuals and communities. In addition, scales for measuring food insecurity have not been validated in Canadian Aboriginal populations. Food security challenges faced by Aboriginal people living in remote communities are unique and few studies have examined the perceptions of and coping strategies for food insecurity in this population. Objectives: The overall objective of this research was to explore various aspects of food insecurity (prevalence, perceptions, and coping strategies) in the remote, on-reserve First Nations community of Fort Albany, Ontario. This thesis consisted of five studies conducted in Fort Albany. The objectives for Study I were to quantitatively measure the prevalence of food insecurity using the Household Food Security Survey Module (HFSSM) and to use two qualitative interview questions to evaluate the relevance of the HFSSM. Study II used qualitative interview questions to examine the perceptions of and coping strategies for food insecurity. Studies III and IV investigated two programs in Fort Albany that had the potential to affect food security: the school snack program and a greenhouse project. Study III assessed the impact of the school snack program on student food intake. Study IV was a descriptive case study of the context and implementation of a community greenhouse project. Study V involved the development and formative evaluation of supplemental questions for the HFSSM intended to be relevant for measuring food security in First Nations households. Methods: One adult from each household in the community was invited to complete the 18-item HFSSM, demographic questions, and an interview with questions on the relevance of the HFSSM for First Nations food security and strategies used to cope with food insecurity. To evaluate the snack program, 24 hour diet recall data were collected using the Waterloo Web-based Eating Behaviour Questionnaire (WEB-Q) in November 2004 and December 2007 with grade six to 10 students attending Peetabeck Academy in Fort Albany. Food group consumption and nutrient intake of students participating in the school snack program were compared with students who chose not to participate. Five additional questions asked students about their participation, preferences, and impressions of the snack program. Data sources for the greenhouse project included semi-directed interviews with a purposive and snowball sample of community key informants, direct observations, written documentation, and photo-documentation. The case study was carried out over a period of 33 months; from early 2009 until October of 2011. The supplemental questions for the HFSSM were drafted based on themes that had emerged from the evaluation of the relevance of the HFSSM and relevant literature. Feedback on the importance, clarity, and cultural appropriateness of each proposed question was gathered from key informants (n=12) working on food security issues with Aboriginal groups, using an online survey. Results: For the HFSSM study, of 64 households (87% response), 70% were food insecure, 17% severely and 53% moderately. The prevalence of food insecurity in households with children was 76%. Among respondents from homes rated as having severe food insecurity, all (100%) reported worrying that food would run out; times when food didn’t last and there wasn’t money to buy more; and times when they couldn’t afford to eat balanced meals. When asked about the relevance of the HFSSM, the majority of respondents felt the HFSSM did not fully capture an accurate picture of food security for their situation. Aspects missing from the HFSSM included the high cost of market food and the incorporation of traditional food practices. For the coping strategies study, a thematic analysis of interviews (n=51) revealed that food sharing, especially with family, was regarded as one of the most significant ways to adapt to food shortages. The majority of participants reported consuming traditional food (wild meats) and suggested that hunting, preserving and storing traditional food has remained very important. However, numerous barriers to traditional food acquisition were mentioned. Other coping strategies included dietary change, rationing and changing food purchasing patterns. In order to improve access to healthy foods, improving income and food affordability, building community capacity and engagement, and community-level initiatives were suggested. Findings from the school snack program study showed that students participating in the snack program had significantly higher intakes from specific food groups and related nutrients compared to those who did not participate. With the exception of Meat and Alternatives in 2004, there was a trend for a higher percentage of students to meet dietary recommendations if they participated in the snack program. Students indicated that the three things they liked most about the school snack program were the juice, that the program kept them from feeling hungry at school, and that they got a snack at school every day. Students indicated that the snack program helped them to eat healthier by motivating them, eating more fruit, and making better dietary choices. Qualitative analysis of the greenhouse case study data generated gardening related themes: seasons, fertile ground, sustainability, gardeners, ownership, participant growth, and sunshine. Amongst the gardeners, local champions were critical to project success. Positive outcomes included the involvement of many community members, a host of related activities being carried out, and that the greenhouse had introduced an opportunity to gain knowledge about growing plants in a northern greenhouse setting. For the study on measuring food security in FN households, valuable feedback was provided by key informants (n=12) on clarifying the wording of the questions as well as providing perspectives on how the questions may or may not be applicable to different Aboriginal populations. A revised list of questions was created that incorporated the feedback from key informants. Conclusions: A very high prevalence of household food insecurity was reported in this community with the prevalence especially high in households with children. On-reserve remote FN communities may be more susceptible to food insecurity than off-reserve Aboriginal populations. Findings point to the continued importance of traditional food acquisition and food sharing, as well as community solutions for food systems change. These data highlight that traditional and store-bought food are both part of the strategies and solutions participants suggested for coping with food insecurity. Given the positive impact of the school snack program on the food and nutrient intake of student participants, it is clear that school snack programs can be an important venue to address the nutritional vulnerability of FN youth living in remote communities. Community and school greenhouse projects require local champions to be successful and foster community participation and ownership. Implementing a greenhouse project can engage community members, including children, and provide a great learning opportunity for gardeners in a remote, northern community. Finally, input from community participants and experts suggest additional questions that may add relevance to food security questionnaires for FN populations. Data highlight the urgency for public health policies and initiatives that promote food security for vulnerable FN populations. Findings can be used to inform assessment and program planning activities and to advocate for policies at the local, provincial and federal levels to strengthen community food security.

This study presents an account of the lived-experience of internationally-trained midwives who have immigrated to Canada, attended a bridging program to reaccredit as a midwife, and currently meet the requirements for registration with the College of Midwives of Ontario. Ten internationally-trained midwives were interviewed about their experience of this transition in their life. The interviews were then subjected to a qualitative analysis based on the principles of grounded theory. The findings outline the experience of immigration and reaccreditation focusing on the barriers and challenges faced by these female immigrants. The impact on the individual’s sense of identity was explored. Coping strategies used by the participants were investigated.

This study presents an account of the lived-experience of internationally-trained midwives who have immigrated to Canada, attended a bridging program to reaccredit as a midwife, and currently meet the requirements for registration with the College of Midwives of Ontario. Ten internationally-trained midwives were interviewed about their experience of this transition in their life. The interviews were then subjected to a qualitative analysis based on the principles of grounded theory. The findings outline the experience of immigration and reaccreditation focusing on the barriers and challenges faced by these female immigrants. The impact on the individual’s sense of identity was explored. Coping strategies used by the participants were investigated.

The present review focuses on understanding the explanatory mechanisms behind the use of violence within intimate relationships, highlighting the consequences of adolescents’ exposure to Inter-parental violence and gauging the role of their (adolescents) appraisal and coping strategies. The theories reviewed stress the significant impact of close figures’ behaviors on the developing child and adolescent trough observational and imitational processes, secure and insecure attachment patterns and related internal working models as well as trough building own understanding of the world and human interrelations. The review revealed also that adolescents’ exposure to Inter-parental violence constituted an unequivocal risk factor leading to a range of consequences categorized as internalizing and externalizing problems. It however indicates that the outcome behaviors are not a result of a linear process because there is range of mediating factors that explain the association between adolescents’ exposure to Inter-parental violence and outcome behaviors. Finally, appraisal of Inter-parental violence was identified as a central mechanism that impacts both the magnitude of the consequences of exposure and the adolescents’ conception and execution of coping strategies.

Syftet var att genom en deskriptiv litteraturstudie identifiera troliga stressorer bland sjuksköterskor i deras yrkesverksamhet på sjukhus i Europeiska länder samt vilka copingstrategier de använder sig av för att hantera stressen. Vidare var syftet att undersöka vilken relevans undersökningsgruppen har i förhållande till valda artiklars syfte och frågeställningar. Ur de 14 granskade artiklarna utläste författarna tio olika grupper för stressorer vilka i storleksordning med den mest förekommande/vanligaste var ”Relationer”, därefter följer i fallande ordning; ”Kontroll”, ”Osäkerhet”, ”Arbetskrav/överbelastning”, ”Personliga förväntningar/tvetydighet”, ”Arbetsmiljö”, ”Emotionella påfrestningar”, ”Arbetsledning”, ”Tidspress” samt ”Missnöje”. Ur sex av de granskade artiklarna kunde författarna utläsa vilka copingstrategier som användes, vilka var olika typer av känslofokuserad- och problemfokuserad coping. Slutsatsen är att ”Relationer” visade sig vara den mest förekommande stressorn. Undvikande och distanserande coping visade sig inte fungera så bra, däremot visades socialt stöd och aktiv coping fungera väl. Vidare är detta ämnesområde väl känt och bevisat att det har en negativ påverkan inom sjuksköterskeyrket inte bara vad gäller sjuksköterskans hälsa och välmående utan påverkar även patienternas säkerhet och omvårdnadskvalitén i stort. / The aim was through a descriptive literature study identify possible stressors among working nurses in hospitals in European countries and which coping strategies they use to handle the stress. Further on the aim was to view the relevance of the participants in relation to the chosen articles aim and research questions. The authors identified ten groups of stressors from the 14 reviewed articles which were “Relations”, “Control”, “Insecurity”, “Working demands/overload”, “Personal expectations/ role ambiguity”, “Working environment”, “Emotional strain”, “Management”, “Time pressure” and “Dissatisfaction”. Six of the reviewed articles brought up different types of emotion- and problemfocused coping strategies. The authors concluded that “Relations” was the most common stressor. Avoiding and distancing strategies gave negative response contrary to social support and active coping which gave a positive effect. Stress is a well-known fact and proved not only to negatively affect nurses health, but also the patients safety and quality of the nursing care broadly.

I föreliggande systematiska litteraturstudie undersöktes vilka bemästringsstrategier som förekom hos kvinnor med diagnostiserad bröstcancer, samt vilken bemästringsstrategi som var den vanligaste hos dessa kvinnor. Via Högskolan Dalarnas databas Elin och Blackwell Publishing söktes fulltextartiklar som innehöll uppgifter om bröstcancerdrabbade kvinnors bemästringsstrategier under sjukdomstiden. Av 43 lästa arbeten medtogs slutligen både kvantitativa (n = 14) och kvalitativa (n = 11) artiklar i studien och dessa undergick kvalitetsgranskning utifrån särskilda granskningsmallar. Artiklarna hade god kvalitet. På basen av de 25 vetenskapliga artiklarna befanns kvinnor med diagnostiserad bröstcancer använde sig av olika bemästringsstrategier där stöd och kampanda var de vanligast förekommande. Dessa två bemästringsstrategier skiljde sig inte från varandra i användningsfrekvens. Den bemästringsstrategi som användes i minst utsträckning visade sig vara normalisering. Resultatet diskuterades i termer av Antonovskys (1991) KASAM- teori eller känsla av sammanhang. Arbetet underlättar vårdpersonalens förståelse för den bröstcancerdrabbades behov av känsla av sammanhang under sjukdomstiden. Vidare förstås den drabbades respons på cancern, så att personalen inte tvingar på patienten egna reaktioner och personliga bemästringsstrategier.

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the phenomena of transition, adjustment, and transformation among adult graduate students from India, who made the transition to Nurture University in the southwestern part of the United States. According to Open Doors 2008, since 2001, a majority of the international students in U.S. higher education has been from India. Because of the significant cultural gap between India and the United States, Indian students encounter adjustment difficulties in the host country. To overcome such difficulties, students apply several coping strategies, which in turn lead to a transformational change among them. The transitional adjustment literature on the experiences of the students from India has been very limited. This lack of attention to Indian students, despite the fact that their percentage has been increasing in the U.S. higher education, is an issue of concern and, therefore, calls for research. To achieve this goal, a phenomenological data analysis process presented by Moustakas's modified version of Stevick-Colaizzi-Keen's method was utilized. Data analysis generated the following themes: individual experiences, situational experiences, coping strategies/suggestions, and personal transformation. Under individual experiences, the participants described their experiences in the United States, and differences between their expectations and experiences in relation to Nurture University and general living. Under the situational experiences, study participants described the differences between being a student in the United States versus in India, and the differences between the academic systems of United States and that of India. Further, the application of imaginative variation in step 7 of the data analysis led to the identification of two sub-themes under the theme individual experiences: individual factors that helped in adjustment and individual factors that hindered adjustment in the United States. Sub-themes identified under situational experiences were situational factors that helped in adjustment and situational factors that hindered adjustment in the United States. This study has implications for the home country, host country, adult education, higher education, policy, theory and future research. To ensure the trustworthiness of the data, qualitative procedures such as Epoche, thick descriptions of the phenomenon of transition and member checks, were employed.

This case study examined coping strategies and support systems utilized by 33 children of Hispanic migrant farmworkers from Fabens, Texas. The youth participated in the summer 2011 Creative Kids Incorporated Migrant Program in El Paso, Texas. The study examined how socio-ecological factors, specifically within Creative Kids Inc., help youth to cope with risk factors and aid in the resilience process. This study applied both qualitative and quantitative approaches. The qualitative portion consisted of 12 in-depth program participant interviews, ages 9-15, and observations at Creative Kids Inc. The quantitative portion consisted of a survey that utilized the Brief Adolescent Life Event Scale, the Children Coping Strategies Checklist, and the Multi-Dimensional Support Scale. Thirty-four surveys were distributed, and 33 surveys were analyzed from program participants ages 10-15. The study found the youth were affected by various risk factors within their environment, such as poverty, separation from family, and school. When adapting to stress, most youth utilized behavioral-based distraction strategies (i.e., listening to music and playing outside) and cognitive-based avoidance strategies (i.e., not thinking about their problem) to cope. The youth did not use active coping strategies as often as avoidance strategies. However, some support seeking strategies were mentioned. Most often, youth sought support from parents and older siblings. While the youth sought support from their teachers, it was mainly in regard to school work. Similarly, youth sought support from Creative Kids Inc. staff concerning their art projects. Families were beneficial to youth in the coping process, because they provided youth with opportunities for distracting activities as well as some support. Although the youth strongly enjoyed participating in the Migrant Program, they rarely sought support for personal stressors or problems from the staff. Yet, the program provided youth with opportunities to participate in distracting activities, express their feelings, and seek out support. Despite the lack of literature on children of Hispanic migrant farmworkers and the factors that influence their resilience, this study provided an in-depth description of how they cope with daily life events, what support systems are available to assist in overcoming risks, and provided a basis for understanding the role of support systems in facilitating resiliency among this adolescent group.

Abstract This study focuses the work stress by children¡¦s English teachers and their Coping Strategies so as to find out if there is a correlation between work stress and background variables, such as sex, age, marriage status, whether English teachers majored in English at college, and whether English teachers assumed administrative duties concurrently. The author has invited four English teachers for children in Tainan area to take part in the research project, and has gathered data via semi-structural intensive interviews for summarization and analysis. Four participants were highly interested in sharing their experience with the author. The author has reached conclusions as follows: 1. The work stress sensed by children¡¦s English teachers subjectively are resulted from the varied abilities of students, shortage of professional know-how, classroom management, and teachers¡¦ workload. 2. The Coping Strategies taken by children¡¦s English teachers include participation in on-job training programs, search for support in and outside campus, as well as emotion adjustment. 3. As to the relationship between work stress and background variables: the relationship was inconsistent with respect to sex, age, and whether English teachers majored in English at college; and the relationship was consistent with regard to marital status, English teachers¡¦ seniority, whether the English teachers assumed administrative duties concurrently, the grade of class, the number of students in the class, and whether the English teachers had received professional training programs. 4. Regarding the relationship between background variables and Coping Strategies: the relationship was consistent with respect to the English teacher¡¦s seniority and personal characteristics. The aforesaid results are presented to faculty training institutions, children¡¦s English teachers, and future researchers for their reference.

Two primary purposes of this study were to explore and to identify the sources of occupational stressors and coping strategies perceived and reported by selected Texas community college faculty members and to generate current demographics about these faculty members that would be useful in understanding such stress. Another purpose of this study was to measure and to compare for possible relationships among stressors, coping strategies, and selected demographic characteristics. Participants who received a three-part survey questionnaire consisted of 90 community college faculty members who were members of either Texas Business and Technology Educators Association or the Accounting Section of the Texas Community College Teachers Association. Each participant was sent a survey questionnaire consisting of three sections. Sections I and II were used to gather data pertaining to the sources of occupational stressors and the coping strategies used by the participants. Section III was designed to request information concerning personal and professional demographic characteristics of each research participant. An analysis of the data was completed on all three sections. The major findings for the study indicated the following: 1. Community business teachers experienced high levels of stress from issues involving reward and recognition, time constraints, college/departmental influence, professional identity, and student interaction. 2. Community college business faculty members responded by identifying additional stressors, such as teaching inadequately prepared students to experiencing too heavy a teaching load. To relieve these stressors, these faculty members use coping strategies, such as talking to other persons about problems to experiencing nature. Based on the findings of this study, this researcher's recommendations include the following: 1. Community college districts should provide stress management training to their faculty, especially the new faculty, along with some clerical assistance for all faculty members, especially during the beginning and ending of a semester. 2. Community college administrators should encourage the establishment of wellness programs. 3. Community college faculty members should be encouraged to develop and to utilize effective coping strategies to reduce the negative effects of their stress.