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<p>  </p> <p>Polypharmacy in older adults presents several challenges, such as suboptimal therapeutic outcomes and increased adverse effects. Deprescribing, a clinically supervised process of decreasing dosage or stopping the medication when risks outweigh benefits, has emerged as one possible solution to these problems. However, the literature describing deprescribing intervention frameworks is heterogenous regarding targeted medications to deprescribe, population characteristics, clinical settings, and measured outcomes. This dissertation utilizes Linsky et al.'s deprescribing conceptual model, which details factors influencing decisions regarding initiating deprescribing interventions and their direct impact on the process. </p> <p>This dissertation utilizes a multimethod approach to investigate factors that facilitate and improve the deprescribing of anticholinergic medications for older adults, addressing gaps in this population's anticholinergic medication use. The three studies included in this dissertation provide a comprehensive understanding of deprescribing anticholinergic medications for this population, each contributing unique insights and results. </p> <p>The first study explores the feasibility of in-person and remote Home Medication Inventory Method (HMIM) approaches to evaluate over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription medication possession and use, including anticholinergics. Results demonstrate that both methods can accurately assess anticholinergic medication usage patterns, providing healthcare providers with reproducible methods and detailed medication profiles to make informed deprescribing decisions based on complete medication lists.</p> <p>The second study examined the intertwined roles of social determinants of health and health beliefs in predicting older adults' self-reported deprescribing behaviors, proposing the Deprescribing Health Belief Model (DeRx-HBM) framework that can be utilized for these efforts. These results emphasize the importance of considering these elements when creating a patient-centric and culturally sensitive intervention since they significantly shape deprescribing behaviors.</p> <p>In the third study, we explored the use of a symptom-specific scale for measuring the symptom burden in older adults during the deprescribing of anticholinergic medications prescribed for urinary incontinence, depression, and pain management. This research introduces a validated scale for assessing anticholinergic symptom burden prior to, throughout, and following the deprescribing attempt. The implementation of this scale has the potential to enhance the reproducibility and standardization of deprescribing decisions. Furthermore, it can improve communication between healthcare professionals and patients, as well as monitor the effectiveness of interventions during and after the deprescribing process.</p> <p>Collectively, these studies provide invaluable insights into factors influencing deprescribing decisions, obstacles to implementing deprescribing practices, and potential strategies to optimize medication management in older adults. The major takeaway from these studies is that addressing these factors leads to more informed decisions among healthcare professionals and patients - potentially leading to improved patient outcomes, ensure the ongoing effectiveness of deprescribing initiatives among older adults, and the promotion of health equity throughout the deprescribing process.</p>

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Thesis (M.A. (Psychology)) -- University of Limpopo, 2000 / Refer to document

Depuis une décennie se rencontrent de plus en plus nombreux des malades d'un genre particulier. Présentant des symptômes variés et souvent invalidants, ils en attribuent la responsabilité à des facteurs environnementaux très spécifiques : produits de la chimie de synthèse pour les personnes hypersensibles chimiques multiples (MCS), rayonnements électromagnétiques artificiels pour les personnes électro-hypersensibles (EHS). La définition, l'existence même de ces maladies font l'objet de controverses autant politiques que scientifiques, que la littérature sociologique a déjà bien décrites. L'expérience de leurs victimes est en revanche peu connue – ce à quoi cette recherche propose de remédier, en s'interrogeant sur ce que signifie concrètement le fait de souffrir d'une hypersensibilité environnementale.Quatre manières de répondre à cette question seront explorées. La première renvoie à l'expérience de l'hypersensibilité, à ses manifestations symptomatiques ressenties dans l'évidence simultanée de leur corporéité et de leur origine environnementale. La seconde recouvre le raisonnement étiologique grâce auquel cette origine est reconnue et crédibilisée. La troisième a trait aux stratégies que les hypersensibles déploient contre leur mal, qui s'inscrivent dans le double registre du soin et de la mise à distance. Enfin, dernière dimension de leur expérience : la profonde transformation des rapports sociaux qu'entraîne le fait de souffrir d'une maladie controversée. Il s'agira d'étudier comment ces quatre dimensions se nouent, à l'aide d'une démarche ethnographique et inductive. / For about two decades, the number of people claiming to suffer from multiple chemical sensitivity or electromagnetic hypersensitivity has been steadily increasing in France.T hese persons experience various and sometimes quite disabling somatic symptoms, which they attribute to exposure either to chemicals or to anthropogenic electromagnetic fields. The definition, and even the existence of these diseases are controversial. They are not legally recognized and their victims resort to self-diagnosis. However, this is not a cognitively easy task. Its implications are also far-reaching: it results in a radical change in their views of themselves, their environment and their community, as well as significant alterations in their daily lives and behaviour. It is thus an interesting phenomenon to explain for a cognitive sociology concerned with how mental representations evolve and influence conduct. Such is the purpose of this thesis. The analysis relies mostly on ethnographic materials and is conducted in a comprehensive and ecological perspective. It falls into three stages. The first one is devoted to an exploration of the controversies aroused by environmental sensitivities, so as to clarify their lack of legitimacy. The second one deals with the subjective experience and biographical trajectories of environmentally sensitive persons. The last one tries to explain the appearance and persistence of their conviction that they are hypersensitive with a utilitarian model in which emotions play a prominent role. To conclude, a comparison is outlined with other epidemics of medically unexplained symptoms.

Fundação de Apoio a Pesquisa e à Inovação Tecnológica do Estado de Sergipe - FAPITEC/SE / The present dissertation aimed to investigate beliefs and other constructs of the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), to developing a model able to identifying the main predictors of the intention to perform Digital Rectal Exam (DRE). For this, we did three studies. In the Study 1, a theoretical chapter on TAP and its applicability to human health behaviors was carried out, with emphasis on the behavior of the ETR. The Studies 2 and 3 were empirical, men between 40 and 70 years old participated, dividing them into two groups: the men that did the DRE x the men that didn’t do the DRE. In the Study 2, we aimed to identify the main beliefs of men about DRE, comparing the responses pattern by group. Here, a questionnaire with sociodemographic and clinical questions and the free word evocation technique were used. We found that men who had already done DRE tended to evoke more terms for the susceptibility and severity of prostate cancer, while men who had never done emphasized the susceptibility to cancer and also the benefits of doing the DRE. These data showed how each group looks at the DRE, allowing for occasional interventions. The Study 3 investigated the predictive model of TPB (attitudes, norms and perception of control), aiming to identify the main predictors of the intention to doing the DRE. A scale with TPB constructs was used, as well as sociodemographic and clinical issues. In short, the results revealed that the attitude is better to predict the intent of men who had never done the DRE, while the norms are better to predict the intention of men who had already done so. And the perception of control seemed to work with the male audience whatever if they did or not the exam. Finally, we understood that TPB and the study of beliefs can help social and health researchers to understand the single factors that induce a person to engage in the behavior of interest, in this case, to understand how men engage in the DRE. / A presente dissertação buscou investigar crenças e os demais construtos da Teoria da Ação Planejada (TAP), visando desenvolver um modelo capaz de identificar os principais preditores da intenção de realizar o Exame do Toque Retal (ETR). Para isto, realizou-se três estudos. No Estudo 1 foi realizado um capítulo teórico sobre a TAP e sua aplicabilidade a comportamentos de saúde do homem, com ênfase no comportamento de realização do ETR. Já os estudos 2 e 3 foram empíricos, realizados com homens entre 40 e 70 anos de idade, dividindo-os em dois grupos: Fez o ETR x Não fez o ETR. No Estudo 2, procurou-se identificar as principais crenças de homens acerca do ETR, comparando padrão de respostas por grupo. Aqui, utilizou-se um questionário com questões sociodemográficas e clínicas, além da técnica de evocação livre de palavras. Constatou-se que os homens que já fizeram o ETR costumaram evocar mais termos voltados à suscetibilidade e gravidade do câncer de próstata, enquanto que os homens que não o fizeram destacou a suscetibilidade ao câncer e, também, os benefícios de realizar o ETR. Tais dados mostraram como cada grupo vê o ETR, possibilitando intervenções pontuais. Já o Estudo 3 investigou o modelo preditivo da TAP (atitudes, normas e percepção de controle), visando identificar os principais preditores da intenção de realizar o ETR. Foi utilizada uma escala com os construtos da TAP, além de questões sociodemográficas e clínicas. Em suma, os resultados revelaram que a atitude prevê melhor a intenção de homens que nunca fizeram o ETR, enquanto as normas preveem melhor a intenção de homens que já o realizaram. Já a percepção de controle pareceu funcionar junto ao público masculino independentemente de ter feito ou não o exame. Enfim, entende-se que a TAP e o estudo das crenças podem auxiliar os pesquisadores sociais e da saúde a entender os fatores únicos que induzem uma pessoa a engajar-se no comportamento de interesse, neste caso, entender como homens se engajam na realização do ETR.

Fundação de Apoio a Pesquisa e à Inovação Tecnológica do Estado de Sergipe - FAPITEC/SE / The present dissertation aimed to investigate beliefs and other constructs of the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), to developing a model able to identifying the main predictors of the intention to perform Digital Rectal Exam (DRE). For this, we did three studies. In the Study 1, a theoretical chapter on TAP and its applicability to human health behaviors was carried out, with emphasis on the behavior of the ETR. The Studies 2 and 3 were empirical, men between 40 and 70 years old participated, dividing them into two groups: the men that did the DRE x the men that didn’t do the DRE. In the Study 2, we aimed to identify the main beliefs of men about DRE, comparing the responses pattern by group. Here, a questionnaire with sociodemographic and clinical questions and the free word evocation technique were used. We found that men who had already done DRE tended to evoke more terms for the susceptibility and severity of prostate cancer, while men who had never done emphasized the susceptibility to cancer and also the benefits of doing the DRE. These data showed how each group looks at the DRE, allowing for occasional interventions. The Study 3 investigated the predictive model of TPB (attitudes, norms and perception of control), aiming to identify the main predictors of the intention to doing the DRE. A scale with TPB constructs was used, as well as sociodemographic and clinical issues. In short, the results revealed that the attitude is better to predict the intent of men who had never done the DRE, while the norms are better to predict the intention of men who had already done so. And the perception of control seemed to work with the male audience whatever if they did or not the exam. Finally, we understood that TPB and the study of beliefs can help social and health researchers to understand the single factors that induce a person to engage in the behavior of interest, in this case, to understand how men engage in the DRE. / A presente dissertação buscou investigar crenças e os demais construtos da Teoria da Ação Planejada (TAP), visando desenvolver um modelo capaz de identificar os principais preditores da intenção de realizar o Exame do Toque Retal (ETR). Para isto, realizou-se três estudos. No Estudo 1 foi realizado um capítulo teórico sobre a TAP e sua aplicabilidade a comportamentos de saúde do homem, com ênfase no comportamento de realização do ETR. Já os estudos 2 e 3 foram empíricos, realizados com homens entre 40 e 70 anos de idade, dividindo-os em dois grupos: Fez o ETR x Não fez o ETR. No Estudo 2, procurou-se identificar as principais crenças de homens acerca do ETR, comparando padrão de respostas por grupo. Aqui, utilizou-se um questionário com questões sociodemográficas e clínicas, além da técnica de evocação livre de palavras. Constatou-se que os homens que já fizeram o ETR costumaram evocar mais termos voltados à suscetibilidade e gravidade do câncer de próstata, enquanto que os homens que não o fizeram destacou a suscetibilidade ao câncer e, também, os benefícios de realizar o ETR. Tais dados mostraram como cada grupo vê o ETR, possibilitando intervenções pontuais. Já o Estudo 3 investigou o modelo preditivo da TAP (atitudes, normas e percepção de controle), visando identificar os principais preditores da intenção de realizar o ETR. Foi utilizada uma escala com os construtos da TAP, além de questões sociodemográficas e clínicas. Em suma, os resultados revelaram que a atitude prevê melhor a intenção de homens que nunca fizeram o ETR, enquanto as normas preveem melhor a intenção de homens que já o realizaram. Já a percepção de controle pareceu funcionar junto ao público masculino independentemente de ter feito ou não o exame. Enfim, entende-se que a TAP e o estudo das crenças podem auxiliar os pesquisadores sociais e da saúde a entender os fatores únicos que induzem uma pessoa a engajar-se no comportamento de interesse, neste caso, entender como homens se engajam na realização do ETR.

Research over the last several decades offers clear evidence that mothers experience considerable pressure in carrying out the expectations of contemporary mothering, including expanded responsibilities relating to child and family health (Hays, 1996; Wolf, 2013). While we know that these pressures produce negative impacts, we know less about the strategies and tools mothers use to cope with these anxieties as they try to "do it right" (Villalobos, 2014). At the same time, research suggests that mothering is increasingly digitally-embedded, as mothers look to the internet and social media for information and support (Schoppe-Sullivan et al., 2017). This study thus explores how mothers use Facebook groups to inform health and parenting decisions. Drawing on data generated through a digital ethnography incorporating 18 months of participant observation, discourse analysis, and interviews with 29 mothers across two sets of divergent, specialized sets of Facebook groups (focusing on “evidence-based” and “natural” health and parenting), I advance three key, interconnected arguments. First, I apply theories of boundaries and boundary-work to show how specialized Facebook groups become persuasive ideological spaces for mothers who seek certainty around their healthcare beliefs and decisions. Next, I apply the concept of echo chambers to argue that mothers involved with these specialized Facebook groups engage in siloed health learning that shapes health beliefs, decisions, and even conversations with healthcare providers. Finally, I show how mothers engage in a form of digitally-mediated emotion management by turning Facebook groups that confirm their parenting ideology in order to alleviate anxieties associated with neoliberalism and individualist parenting, and to feel better about their maternal performance. I ultimately conclude that the turn to digital platforms for certainty, reassurance, and good feelings is both a logical expression and a reflection of the latest wave of maternal responsibilization.