This study examined the relationship between the principle of normalization and the concept of quality of life of intellectually challenged adults living in the community. The effect of demographic variables on the quality of life of this population was examined. The sample consisted of sixty respondents from four agencies (one from Montreal and three from Ottawa) providing services to intellectually challenged adults. Cummins' (1997) Comprehensive Quality of Life---Intellectual Disability Fifth Edition (ComQol-I5) was used. / Both objective and subjective quality of life scores were calculated. The major findings were: (1) the subjective scores were higher than the objective scores; (2) a number of subjective scores were positively correlated with the objective score for community (attending leisure/social activities, belonging to a group and/or holding a position of responsibility) and (3) higher functioning respondents (income, diagnosis, education and living arrangements) had significantly higher overall quality of life scores. Results were compared with two outside samples (Italian and Australian); all three samples showed a similar pattern of lower objective scores and higher subjective scores.

In the aging world of today, more attentions are grabbed towards studies on elderly. New facilities and technologies are emerged to serve to the elderly, maketheir life easier, better and more useful. Having participated in a study on thequality of life of the elderly in Europe, it was aimed to run a similar project toresearch the quality of life of the elderly in a Non-EU country. This was donethrough the research questions “What is the quality of life for them?” and “Howa designer, focused on service design, can improve their quality of life?”The knowledge for the study was obtained from fields Quality of Life of ElderlyPeople, Service Design, Service Design Process, and Qualitative Research. As thekey country for this study, Iran was chosen. Study on the target group in thiscountry was done through Cultural Probes and in analyzing the probes, Processfor Empathy in Design was used. To visualize the results of the target group study,Affinity Diagrams and Personas were drawn.The result was designing a service for the target group, which is presented byConcept Scenario, Storyboards, System Maps and Blueprints. In this concept,called “Virtual Family”, the personas are encouraged to be members of a networkwhich is supported by an organization/community in terms of health, social life,leisure activities and educational programs. This network is forming a virtualfamily regarding the traditional values and ethics which are important for thisage group. Additionally it supports them with entertainment and educationalprograms. Later on, the service concept was evaluated by a number of people inthe same age and social group of the target group. Evaluators found the conceptan excellent complement for mentioned target group who are on the verge oflosing their family and social structure, but the organizational system of the contextcountry should be studied to know if it is planning is practical in that context.

This projects attempts to gain an understanding of the role that perceptions and attitudes to ageing play in the recovery process after stroke. Firstly, a systematic review establishes the current opinion within the literature, and how perceived quality of life and depression interplay during the stroke recovery process. Whilst a relationship is apparent in the literature, the direction of causality remained unclear, in addition to many contributing factors possibly adding the interaction. The reader is introduced to the wider context of stroke, looking at the consequences of stroke and the adjustment process. Whilst older adults add a complexity to formulation and clinical work, they are also the predominant age group who experience stroke. Therefore, the role of the ageing process is introduced, in light of the current literature around stroke and recovery. A journal article then examines the role of attitudes towards ageing and perceptions of quality of life, in older adults after stroke. The relationship between attitudes and perceptions is explored, in relation to depressive symptoms in the sample recruited; using a questionnaire based cross sectional design. The questionnaires used were the Attitudes to Ageing Questionnaire (AAQ), the World Health Organisation Quality of Life, version for Older adults (WHOQOL‐Old) assessment and the New Multidimensional Depression Scale (NMDS). A correlational analysis revealed that positive attitudes toward ageing were associated with greater levels of perceived quality of life, and that both were negatively associated with depression. The findings are discussed in the context of ageing literature and incorporating aspects of loss, in an effort to understand how perceptions and attitudes may be protective factors in the journey of recovery from stroke.

Young adults in Sweden have grown up with dental care free of charge until the age of twenty. Their self-perceived oral health has been reported as being good, but rapid changes in society have led to a weaker economic situation for many young adults, which may influence their dental attendance and priorities concerning oral health and oral health care. The overall aim of this thesis was to explore the views of young adults on dental care, oral health and Oral Health-Related Quality of Life (OHRQoL). The thesis is based on four scientific papers which all apply a qualitative approach. In Paper I, the views of young adults on dental care were explored. Paper II investigated the views of young adults on their oral health and OHRQoL. In Paper III, measures of OHRQoL were described and analysed from a public health perspective, and in Paper IV, the views of young adults on the relevance of three measures of OHRQoL were explored. In Paper I, II, and IV, data collection was performed through qualitative interviews. The selection of informants was strategic with reference to age (21-29 years), sex and education. For Paper III, a literature search for OHRQoL measures was made in the PubMed database. The data in Paper I was analysed in accordance with the constant comparative method (inspired by Grounded Theory), and in Papers II, III and IV, qualitative content analysis was used. The results showed that young adults were satisfied with the dental care that they had received but reported specific views and demands on dental care (Paper I). They perceived their oral health as good, but an array of oral health problems was described (Paper II). The young adults’ perceived control of their OHRQoL depended on their future prospects of oral health, in relation to their perceptions of their past and present oral health. In Paper III, the search for measures of OHRQoL in the PubMed database generated 22 measures. The measures were analysed with regard to their theoretical framework and in relation to four principles of health promotion. Some elements of public health principles were found in all the measures, but most of them originated in disease-oriented theories. The occurrence of oral problems was reflected in young adults’ views on the measures of OHRQoL (Paper IV). The analysed measures were deemed to have both advantages and disadvantages but to be fairly equal. The conclusions are that young adults’ OHRQoL was dependent on their earlier experiences of dental care and their former and present oral health, as well as their future prospects regarding oral health. Elements of public health principles were present to a varying degree in all the measures of OHRQoL. Young adults regarded the frequently used measures of OHRQoL as being equal. The measures were mainly disease-oriented and no specific measures had been developed for young adults. / Unga vuxna i Sverige har vuxit upp med fri tandvård till och med det år de fyller 19 år och de upplever ofta en god munhälsa. Snabba samhällsförändringar har bl a medfört sämre ekonomi för många unga och detta kan ha påverkat deras tandvårdsbesök och deras prioriteringar vad gäller tandvård. Det övergripande syftet med avhandlingen var att utforska unga vuxnas syn på tandvården, deras munhälsa och munhälsorelaterade livskvalitet (OHRQoL). Avhandlingen baseras på fyra studier. I Studie I undersöktes unga vuxnas syn på tandvården. Studie II undersökte och beskrev unga vuxnas syn på sin munhälsa och OHRQoL. I Studie III beskrevs och analyserades mätinstrument för OHRQoL ur ett folkhälsoperspektiv och i Studie IV beskrevs hur unga vuxna ser på tre mätinstrument för OHRQoL. I Studie I, Studie II och Studie IV samlades data in genom kvalitativa intervjuer. Urvalet var strategiskt i förhållande till ålder (21-29 år), kön (hälften kvinnor) och utbildning (gymnasienivå/mer). De flesta deltagarna i studierna besökte tandvården regelbundet. I Studie III gjordes sökningar i databasen PubMed för att finna mätinstrument för OHRQoL.  Data i Studie I analyserades genom komparativ metod som är inspirerad av ”Grounded Theory”. I Studie II, Studie III och Studie IV genomfördes dataanalysen med kvalitativ innehållsanalys. Resultaten visade att unga vuxna var nöjda med den tandvård de erhållit men att de hade speciella önskemål och krav på denna (Studie I). Unga vuxna beskrev sin munhälsa som god men angav trots det en mängd olika munhälsoproblem. Deras upplevda kontroll över sin OHRQoL var relaterad till deras syn på sin framtida munhälsa i relation till tidigare erfarenheter av tandvården och synen på sin egen munhälsa (Studie II). I Studie III genererade datasökningen 22 mätinstrument för OHRQoL. Mätinstrumenten analyserades utifrån deras teoretiska utgångspunkter och i relation till fyra principer för folkhälsoarbete (empowerment, medinflytande, holism, rättvisa). Aspekter av de fyra principerna återfanns i varierande grad hos alla mätinstrumenten varav de flesta hade sin utgångspunkt i sjukdomsinriktade teorier. I Studie IV framkom att de unga vuxnas upplevelse av sin egen munhälsa hade betydelse för deras syn på de tre undersökta mätinstrumenten för OHRQoL. Alla mätinstrumenten ansågs ha för- och nackdelar men bedömdes som ungefär likvärdiga. Konklusionen är att unga vuxnas OHRQoL är beroende av deras tidigare erfarenheter från tandvården och deras tidigare och nuvarande munhälsa samt i deras syn på sin framtida munhälsa. Principer för folkhälsoarbete uppfylldes i varierande grad i analyserade mätinstrument för OHRQoL och unga vuxna ansåg att mätinstrumenten var ungefär likvärdiga. Mätinstrumenten var i huvudsak sjukdomsinriktade. Det saknas ett speciellt instrument för att mäta unga vuxnas munhälsorelaterade livskvalitet. / <p>Odontologie doktorsexamen i ämnet odontologisk vetenskap</p>

Background: Chronic pain is a major public health concern in Canada, with an estimated annual cost of $6 billion in direct health care expenses. At the same time, Canadians are participating in an increased use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies. Purpose: The purpose of this quantitative research study was to examine the relationship between the use of CAM and HRQOL for individuals living with chronic pain. Method: This study was a secondary data analysis of the nationally representative Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) Cycle 3.1 Subsample 1 collected by Statistics Canada in 2005 (n=32,133). Results: The prevalence of CAM use for the Canadian population was 20.9% whereas for the chronic pain subset, it was 30.8%. CAM users had 1.48 times increased odds of reporting a high HRQOL than non-CAM users (CI=1.16-1.88). Conclusion: These results demonstrate that a modest but significant positive association exists between CAM use and a high HRQOL.

The problem of this study was to examine the relationship between physical activity patterns and health-related quality of life in college students. A non-experimental, cross-sectional survey design was used to address the problem of the study. Four-hundred-eighty-nine students enrolled in Health Science 160, "Fundamentals of Human Health," participated in the study. The 12-item instrument consisted of an assessment of physical activity patterns and health related quality of life (HRQoL), as well as demographic questions.Data were analyzed using two different statistical techniques. Chi-square tests were used to determine differences between those participants that met CDC physical activity recommendations and those who did not meet the recommendations with regards to the following variables: age, sex, class standing, enrollment status, race/ethnicity, academic major, and self-rated health. T-tests were used to determine if the aspects of HRQoL (i.e., physical unhealthy days, mental unhealthy days, activity limited days, and the Healthy Days Index) were significantly different between the activity groups.The results indicated that those who met the recommended levels of physical activity were more likely to rate their health good, very good, or excellent. They also had significantly fewer mentally unhealthy days and activity limited days, and more healthy days based on the Healthy Days Index. Those who did not meet the recommendations were more likely to rate their health fair or poor. Age, race/ethnicity, sex, class standing, being a full-time student, and being enrolled in a health-related major were not significantly associated with meeting physical activity standards. / Department of Physiology and Health Science

More than 10 million cancer survivors are now living in the United States. Using the QOL-CS, a measure of quality of life of cancer survivors, the current study considered quality of life differences in 115 cancer survivors based upon three cancer types (breast, prostate, and colon cancers) and number of types of cancer treatments received. It was hypothesized that differences in HRQOL would be found between the cancer type and number of treatment types received. Results were mixed. MANOVA analysis revealed statistically significant differences based upon cancer type. Breast cancer survivors had significantly higher scores than prostate cancer survivors on social well-being, and prostate cancer survivors demonstrated significantly higher scores on psychological well-being than breast cancer survivors. No differences in HRQOL were found between the two groups based upon the number of treatment types received. Limitations of the study are reviewed and implications for future research and counseling are considered. / Department of Counseling Psychology and Guidance Services

The purpose of this research was to develop an updated scale based on the framework that Neugarten, Havighurst and Tobin (1961) used to design the Life Satisfaction Index- Form A (LSI-A). The new instrument, the Life Satisfaction Index for the Third Age (LSITA), was used to assess 654 third age adults in a measurement development process to establish the LSITA's psychometric properties. These individuals were Midwestern United States adults from selected third age learning events, retirement centers, church events, community centers and the general public. The participants were all over fifty years old consistent with the definition of the third age and the sample used in the original LSI-A sample.The arrival of the baby boom generation at the threshold of the third age heightened the need to better understand the barriers and contributors to successful aging. LSI-A had been the result of an effort in the early 1960's to measure the construct of successful aging. It has been the most used instrument in the psychosocial study of aging. The author had been involved in a research study that used LSI-A to explore the effects on participants in learning events on their sense of successful aging. The research project led to an appreciation of the importance of measuring successful aging as well as the need to apply current statistical techniques to a revised instrument based on Neugarten, Havighurst, and Tobin's theoretical framework.The LSITA was designed and its psychometric properties assessed using the eight-step design process from DeVellis (1991). The reliability of the 35-item scale was .93 with satisfactory content, construct and criterion validity. In addition, confirmatory factor analysis was performed using structural equation modeling and a satisfactory goodness of fit was obtained.The five sub-scales were as follows:zest for life without a sense of anxiety,successful resolution of life issues and the fortitude to continue,congruence of achievements with goals,positive self-concept,elevated mood tone.The new instrument has been made available to researchers by contacting the author at andybarrettii@earthlink.net. The expectation is that the researchers will provide the author with an electronic copy of their responses to add to the database. / Department of Educational Studies

Background Migraine is a comprehensive endemic disease who is affecting both women and men, but with higher prevalence among women because of hormonal factors. Risk factors for the disease are female gender, hereditariness, depression and socio-economic factors. Migraine can be triggered by factors like stress, menstruation, irregular routines for sleep and unbalanced meals and diet. Migraine is a condition that causes a big suffering for the affected individuals. Aim The aim of this study was to describe individuals' experiences of how migraine is affecting the daily life, out of the aspects like working life, family life and social life. Method A literature overview was maintained, and eight qualitative studies and two quantitative studies between the years 2003- 2014 were analyzed. Results The analysis of the articles lead to one main theme; "Guilt, compensating and restrictions" and seven subthemes "Not being able to perform their best", "Met with incomprehension", "Not being able to take care of home and children", "Not enough", "Avoiding activities", "Always be prepared" and "Living with restrictions". Conclusion Migraine is affecting the daily life among these individuals in a great extent. The disease makes it hard to perform well at work. The individuals where met with incomprehension which made them feel questioned. It was though for the individuals to take care of their home and family. The restricted life that they had and not being able to participate in activities caused isolation. All of this caused feelings of guilt.

No description available.