Thesis (M.S.P.H.)--University of Michigan, 1939.

Thesis (M.P.H.)--University of Michigan, 1944.

In order to advance our understanding of informal carer health, this mixed-method research was conducted amongst a large, general population of informal carers. Initially, a postal survey was carried out using the UK version of the Short-Form 36 (SF-36) health status questionnaire. The study population, which was composed of 578 participants, was drawn from the carer mailing lists of voluntary sector organisations in four geographically distinct areas in the North West of England. The participants' scores for SF-36 were compared with those of a small group of non-carets and UK normative data for this measure. These evaluations revealed that the participants' health was dramatically inferior to that of a normative population across all eight health dimensions addressed by the SF-36. Moreover, following the performance of a further evaluation, the health of the participants was shown to be comparable to or worse than that of patients with a variety of medically diagnosed conditions. A subsequent series of in-depth interviews with 28 of these participants validated and expanded upon the findings of the quantitative survey. Furthermore, data from these interviews demonstrated clear associations between the participants' health status and their social and political milieu. A coherent theory, which contributes to our current knowledge of caret health, was developed from these research findings.

No description available.

For years crystalline silica has been recognized as an occupational hazard of the dusty trades with exposures resulting in silicosis. As recently as 1997, IARC categorized the respirable portion of crystalline silica as a Grade 1 human carcinogen indicating that silica may be implicated in the development of lung cancer. Evidence in the literature indicates that silica may be not only an occupational hazard, but an environmental hazard as well, with patients with no known exposure showing measurable quantities of silica within cancerous tissue samples. This study aims to establish a methodology using computer-controlled scanning electron microscopy to examine silica content in lung cancer tissue. Furthermore, demonstrating that silica is not evenly distributed within the tissue will establish the need to use automated full scanning techniques, such as CCSEM, in order to guarantee that the analysis is not subject to random sampling error or researcher driven error, which may be rendering the traditional random sampling of zones for analysis under-representative of silica concentration in the tissue.

This work evaluated the robust, lightweight DiSCmini (DM) aerosol monitor for its ability to measure the concentration and mean diameter of submicrometer aerosols. Tests were conducted with monodispersed and polydispersed aerosols composed of two particle types (sodium chloride, NaCl, and spark generated metal particles, which simulate particles found in welding fume) at three different steady-state concentration ranges (Low, <103; Medium, 103-104; and High, >104 particles/cm3). Particle number concentration, lung deposited surface area (LDSA) concentration, and mean size measured with the DM were compared to those measured with reference instruments, a scanning mobility particle sizer (SMPS) and a handheld condensation particle counter (CPC). Particle number concentrations measured with the DM were within 16% of those measured by the CPC for polydispersed aerosols. Poorer agreement was observed for monodispersed aerosols (±35% for most tests and +101% for 300-nm NaCl). LDSA concentrations measured by the DM were 96% to 155% of those estimated with the SMPS. The geometric mean diameters measured with the DM were within 30% of those measured with the SMPS for monodispersed aerosols and within 25% for polydispersed aerosols (except for the case when the aerosol contained a substantial number of particles larger than 300 nm). The accuracy of the DM is reasonable for particles smaller than 300 nm but caution should be exercised when particles larger than 300 nm are present.

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Nursing Johannesburg 2018. / Background Client satisfaction is an increasingly important concept in service delivery, especially in the health sector. Knowing whether clients are satisfied has a multi-faceted effect. Besides being a determinant of quality service and care, satisfaction encourages happy clients to return to the service/company, so that the company retains their clientele, and may attract more. Purpose The purpose of this study was to explore and describe the employees’ level of satisfaction with the occupational health practitioners (OHPs) at one of the occupational health services (OHSs) in the Gert Sibande District in the Mpumalanga Province. Objectives The purpose of this study was to: 1. ascertain the specific demographics of employees presenting at the occupational health service (OHS) 2. ascertain and describe employees’ overall satisfaction with the occupational health practitioner’s (OHP’s) consultation on their visit 3. describe employees’ levels of satisfaction with how they were managed on their visit 4. explore and describe employees’ perceptions regarding the OHS environment 5. describe the level of trust in the relationship between the employee and the OHP. Research design and method This study made use of a quantitative cross-sectional descriptive study design to measure satisfaction experienced by clients entering and using a specific occupational health service. The survey method used was based on the Patient Satisfaction with Occupational Health Physicians tool developed by Verbeek, de Boer, van der Weide et al. (2005). Data analysis Data was captured using the guidelines provided by Verbeek et al. (2005) and was analysed using the Data Analysis and Statistical Software Version 14.1 software (STATA) computer package. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyse the data. Statistical assistance was provided by a biostatistician at the Health Sciences Faculty of the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg. Data were presented in tables and figures. Categorical data was presented using frequencies (number of occurrences) and percentages. Main findings Participants surveyed had a mean age of 33.87, with the majority being male, while the highest education attained was at the secondary level. Although 43.4% of participants had never used the service before, the arithmetic mean of the overall satisfaction rating with the OHP service was found to be 9.06 out of 10, implying that both new and returning participants experienced a high level of satisfaction. Most subscales showed an overall mean rating of more than 4, again implying that participants were satisfied with the services rendered. Conclusion Literature reveals that limited research has been done on South African employees’ levels of satisfaction with occupational health practitioners (OHPs). For this reason the researcher decided to ascertain and describe employees’ overall level of satisfaction with OHPs, finding a high level of satisfaction amongst the participants in this study. Ultimately, employees’ satisfaction is a strong indicator of quality of care, and employees should be able to voice their opinions on the quality of care received. Recommendations The occupational health nurse practitioner (OHNP) should be encouraged to participate in research- and evidence-based practice, as well as to formulate satisfaction surveys related to the specific workplace based on the workers’ needs, in order to identify strengths and weaknesses in the service provided. Further studies should be conducted on OHP services in South Africa. These studies can take place in different industries and provinces to ascertain if the results obtained herein are generally prevalent or will be contradicted. Furthermore, alternate methods of data collection such as qualitative one-on-one interviews should be used to yield more in-depth information on the satisfaction of employees with OHSs. Keywords Employee, Occupational Health Practitioner, Satisfaction, Occupational Health Service, Survey / LG2018

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Thesis (M.S.)--Boston University

No description available.