Thesis (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1982. / Typescript. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 53-57).

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Aberdeen University, 2009. / Title from web page (viewed on Oct. 5, 2009). Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Aberdeen University, 2006. / Title from web page (viewed on Oct. 8, 2009). Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis--University of Iowa. / eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 478-491).

Thesis (Ph.D.) in History--University of Maine, 2006. / Includes vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 261-277).

Background to the study: The long term maintenance of lymphoedema depends on a daily regime of these physical therapies, which lend themselves to self-management by those with the condition (Lymphoedema Framework, 2006). It has been widely recognised in the literature for many years, e.g. Rose et al (1991) to Fu (2010), that achieving a reduction in volume of the lymphoedema and ensuring the ongoing maintenance of the condition is dependent upon knowledgeable healthcare professionals and patients, who are aware of the importance of self care and self management in the long term maintenance of the condition. The challenges for effective lymphoedema management may be exacerbated when the person lives in a very remote and rural area. It has been recognised by policymakers that sparsely populated and geographically remote areas need different healthcare solutions as many of the healthcare policies designed for urban areas are not applicable or sustainable in these areas (British Medical Association, 2005). Estimating the prevalence of the condition and considering the experience of a sample of people with lymphoedema who live in a very remote and rural area will contribute to the knowledge of the requirements for a lymphoedema service to be effective in such an area. Aims: To estimate the prevalence of lymphoedema/chronic oedema and to investigate the characteristics of the condition in a very remote and rural area of Scotland and to explore the experience of a sample of people living with the condition in that area. Methods: A mixed methods research strategy was used. An initial survey of GP practices was undertaken to estimate the prevalence of lymphoedema/chronic oedema and to generate a sample for the other two stages of the study. A postal questionnaire was used to collect quantitative and qualitative information from the initial sample, and to generate a smaller sample to participate in individual semi-structured qualitative interviews exploring the experience of living with and self-managing lymphoedema/chronic oedema in a very remote and rural area in the north of Scotland. Results: The estimated prevalence rate, based on GP report, was higher than that noted in prevalence studies in large urban areas. Based on questionnaire responses, 53% of participants stated their lymphoedema made no difference to how they felt about themselves. However, interviews revealed that frustration and anger was present despite acceptance of the situation; in particular, lack of information and effective treatment was a source of frustration. Many of the sample effectively self-managed their condition, based on their own commonsense experience. However, this resort to commonsense measures seemed to be as result of an apparent lack of awareness and intervention from health care professionals. Conclusions: The findings suggest that early recognition and even minimal support from a knowledgeable source at that early stage could help to maintain the lymphoedema and reduce the need for specialist treatments. Suggestions for the ways of improving early recognition of the condition and access to self-management support in a very remote and rural area are offered.

No description available.

Social capital has shown the potential to benefit health, and therefore is an important concept to take up within nursing. However, the lack of consensus about how social capital should be defined and measured leads to challenges translating existing evidence into health promotion practice. Further, there is some literature suggesting that social capital may not benefit the health of rural residents in the same way as it does for urban residents. Therefore, there is a need for research that helps advance our conceptual knowledge of social capital while examining the concept and its impact on health for rural residents. This thesis involved a sequential explanatory mixed methods study to understand how rural residents experience social capital and how it impacts their health. In the first phase, I began with an exploratory factor analysis of the 2013 General Social Survey data. This revealed the underlying factors that made up social capital for urban and rural residents of Ontario. Logistic regression analysis indicated that four of the six social capital factors were positively associated with health. There were no differences between rural and urban residents in the factors revealed, nor in the influence of the factors on health, however rural residents scored higher on several social capital factors. In the second phase, interviews and focus groups in two rural Ontario communities helped explain the findings and explored how rural residents experienced social capital in their daily lives. The friendly and helpful social context helped elucidate why rural residents had high social capital scores, yet the structural context contributed to difficulties accessing social capital for some groups. Together, the data from both study phases help advance our knowledge of social capital with important implications for nursing practice. / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) / There has been a lot of attention to the topic of social capital and how it may benefit health. Social capital means the resources someone has access to because of belonging to a social network. This thesis aimed to understand what makes up social capital, how it influences health, whether there are differences in its impact between urban and rural residents, and how people living in two rural communities experience it in their daily lives. Quantitative analysis showed that some components of social capital benefited physical and mental health while others did not. Rural residents were not impacted any differently by social capital, however they had higher scores on several of its components than urban residents. Interviews and focus groups helped explain how the friendly and helpful social context of the rural environment contributed to high social capital, yet structural challenges meant some community members had difficulty accessing its benefits.

Thesis (M.S.P.H.)--University of Michigan, 1933.

Thesis (M.S.P.H.)--University of Michigan, 1935.