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Det svenska samhället blir alltmer mångkulturellt. I och med den ökade invandringen behöver hälso- och sjukvård uppmärksamma kulturens betydelse för patienters hantering av sin sjukdom. Utan förståelse för individers kulturella värderingar är det svårt för vårdpersonal att förstå hur individers copingmönster påverkas vid ohälsa. Syftet med litteraturstudien var att belysa hur kulturella hälsoövertygelser kan påverka människors copingmönster vid ohälsa. Till resultatet användes 13 artiklar (elva kvalitativa, en kvantitativ samt en som var både kvantitativ och kvalitativ) som granskades och analyserades. Resultatet visade att sociala relationer kunde ha både en negativ och positiv påverkan på individens copingmönster. Samhällets negativa värderingar kring ohälsa kunde leda till stigmatisering. Kulturella behandlingsstrategier kunde bidra till ökad coping men också skapa konflikt då det gick emot västerländsk medicinsk behandling. Andlighet och religiositet visade sig ha en viktig funktion för att förklara och hantera ohälsa. Individens kunskap kring hälsotillståndet hade en betydande påverkan vid hantering av ohälsa då brist på kunskap utgjorde ett hinder för coping. Vidare forskning bör genomföras och fokusera på hur kulturella hälsoövertygelser kan påverka individens copingstrategier. Sjuksköterskan bör utveckla en ökad kulturell medvetenhet i omvårdnaden av individer oavsett härkomst. / The Swedish society is becoming increasingly multicultural. With the increased immigration there is a need for healthcare to acknowledge the meaning of culture for patients coping with their illness. Without an understanding for individuals’ cultural values, is it difficult for health professionals to understand how individuals’ coping patterns are affected during ill health. The purpose of this study was to illustrate how cultural health beliefs can affect peoples coping during illness. 13 articles were used (eleven qualitative, one quantitative, and one that was both quantitative and qualitative) in the study, that were reviewed and analysed. The results showed that social relationships could have both a negative and positive impact on the individual's coping patterns. Society's negative values ​​regarding illness could lead to stigmatization. Cultural treatment strategies could help to increase coping but also create conflict when it went against western medical treatment. Spirituality and religiosity were shown to have an important role in explaining and dealing with illness. The individual's knowledge of health had a significant impact on the management of ill health, as a lack of knowledge was an obstacle to coping. Further research should be conducted, focusing on how cultural health beliefs may influence an individual's coping strategies. Nurses should develop a greater cultural awareness in the care of individuals, regardless of ancestry.

Magister Artium (Development Studies) - MA(DVS) / Medicinal plants remain a very important natural resource used as traditional medicines for health needs in many developing countries. In the current deepening economic and political crises in Zimbabwe a significant number of the population has inevitably relied more on natural resources which has led to receding population and scarcity of many medicinal plant species in their natural habitat. It is against this background that this research, using Rural Eastern Zimbabwe that this study explored the extent to which use values of medicinal plants increased since the Zimbabwean crises and the different use values of these species among men and women. The rational choice theory, use value approach and concept of utility constituted a theoretical grounding of the research process. The study essentially used qualitative research methods with some quantitative data. A mix of interviews and focus group discussions were employed for this study. Interviews were conducted with community leaders, traditional healers, NGOs in the similar field and Government stakeholders eliciting their views on use values of medicinal plants and sustainable interventions that can be enacted in conserving these species. The findings of the study were shown through using tables, charts and the quantitative data was presented using STATA. The calculated total usevalues of the 11 medicinal plants showed that Kirkia ancuminata Oliv, Dicoma anomala Sond, Syzgium guineense DC, Zingiber offinale, Acacia Karoo Hayne were found to have “high total use-values” and Lannea edulis Engl, Aloe, Lippia javanica Spreng, Virtex payos merril, parinari curatelli and Coleochloa setiflora have “low total use-values”

Very few studies have examined information sentiment and explored other factors that contribute to health information dissemination and sharing. In particular, there is a lack of studies that performed these combined analyses in the modern social network environment during the disease outbreaks, such as with zika, ebola, SARS, or COVID-19. This study aimed to fill the gap in the literature by investigating what drives social media users to widely disseminate health-related information during a pandemic. Diffusion of innovation theory and theory of planned behavior were the basis of the theoretical approach utilized to answer the research questions. The two theories identified antecedents of sharing online health information. Data was collected through an online survey distributed to students in a higher education institution in the United States of America. The study revealed the extent of the relationships between the four major factors derived from the previous literature—attitudes toward sharing, beliefs toward source, peer influence, and information sentiment—and the behavioral intention to share information. The results would support the information science literature by offering and testing a new model that identifies the factors that affect users' intentions to share health information in the social network environment. This study will further the understanding and application of health information behavior research.

Yes / Corruption in the health sector costs over 500 billion USD every year, weakening health system preparedness and response to health crises like the COVID-19 pandemic. The lack of resources to deal with a shock limit the capacity to protect the population, exposing them to a greater risk of infection and mortality. There is an urgent need to improve health policy to reduce corruption in the health sector during times of crisis. This article aims to propose a prepare and response strategy to address corruption during times of health crises. We first explore the inherent characteristics of health systems that make them vulnerable to corruption and present the different faces corrupt practices take. We then explain why anticipatory governance is fundamental in addressing corruption in health systems and draw upon examples of corruption during the COVID-19. Finally, we conclude by proposing that anticipatory governance could decrease the impact of corruption during health crises by increasing the availability of resources required to improve the population’s health.

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There is a distinct lack of research into the concept of acute mental health crisis. Without investigating the concept of crisis itself, it is not possible to appreciate the attributes of crisis so that it can be measured. This has hampered the development of good psychometric tools for crisis. The aim of this research was to develop the first standardised, valid and reliable measure for the assessment of people presenting to Crisis Resolution and Home Treatment (CRHT) teams. This research utilised qualitative and quantitative research techniques to develop a crisis measure starting with a comprehensive investigation into the concept of acute mental health crisis to identify an item pool and clinically credible item rating scale. A prototype crisis measure was developed and piloted in two NHS CRHTs and data collected. This data was analysed to identify the key areas of crisis assessment (the subscales), a flexible rating scale and scoring system creating a measure named the Crisis Risk and Adaptive Functioning Tool (CRAFT). The CRAFT provides patient crisis profiles highlighting areas of strength, resilience, weakness and vulnerability. A thorough investigation of crisis was completed with CRHT staff and patients through interviews and focus groups. An initial 143 item pool and clinically credible item rating scale were identified and developed into a prototype pilot crisis measure. This measure utilised a flexible rating approach encapsulating both risk and protective factors believed to reflect clinical practice. The measure was piloted and the data analysed to assess the structure of the crisis measure’s item pool using the statistical techniques of Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Rasch analysis. These analyses resulted in a 66 item measure with 8 unidimensional subscales including; 1) Crisis Recovery Indicators, 2) Adaptive Decision Making, 3) Risk of Harm to Self, 4) Mediating Factors, 5) Daily Structure, 6) Risk of Harm to Others, 7) Feelings and Affect, and 8) Basic Needs. The total variance explained by these 8 subscales was 67.6% with excellent internal reliability as indicated by a Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of 0.98 (p<0.001) and temporal reliability indicated by Spearman’s correlation of 0.971 (p<0.001, one tailed). This suggests that this measure has a strong internal structure and provides stable outcomes over time at both the subscale and global overall measurement levels. Receiver Operator Characteristic curve analysis supported the identification of cut-offs to indicate low, moderate and high levels of crisis and were shown to have good levels of sensitivity and specificity for the crude discrimination between individuals who require CRHT treatment and individuals who do not require CRHT treatment (sensitivity 0.89 and specificity 0.73) and for accurately discriminating between the basic treatment levels of low, moderate and high (sensitivity 0.80; specificity 0.69). One of the great advantages of utilising the Rasch model is that it supports the identification of key characteristics from an item pool. Application of the subscales and the overall measure to the Rasch model identified items that were most representative of underlying constructs and risk, highlighting items of essential essence for assessing crisis in the context of community treatment. These items may act as useful clinical and risk indicators for community assessment. After considering the evidence from the PCA and Rasch analysis for the underpinning construct, the measure was named the Crisis Risk and Adaptive Functioning Tool (CRAFT) to encapsulate both the risk and adaptive functioning (coping and management) aspects measured by the tool. There are a number of clinical implications resulting from the development of CRAFT for the assessment of crisis. This research clearly identifies 8 key areas for crisis assessment and the specific items that describe them. This promises to be a powerful clinical tool as it clarifies the main areas of concern and importance for crisis assessment and provides mental health professionals with a means of assessing and monitoring patients experiencing crisis. In addition to the clinical benefits offered by the CRAFT, it provides an approach to assessing and monitoring crisis to support further research in the area of acute mental health crisis. This research offers significant steps towards the development of a quality measure for crisis assessment. However, it is acknowledged that the process of measurement development is never complete. It simply evolves over time with the aim of coming closer to the valued direction.

媒體危機事件扮演之角色: 以台灣印刷媒體在SARS危機為例 / This study aims to explore the interaction between the media and the government during Taiwan’s SARS crisis of 2003 and observe the media’s attitude toward the government’s efforts to contain the epidemic. This paper is particularly interested understanding whether the media presented the government in a way that enabled or inhibited the government’s efforts to manage the crisis. Qualitative content analysis is used to operationalize print media’s “framing” of events. Articles are collected from two print media outlets, China Post and Taipei Times.

The covid-19 pandemic in Sweden is characterized by high uncertainty and risk. Health experts and authorities play a central part in informing and guiding the public’s responses to a pandemic. But to have the right to operate, an organization’s legitimacy is important. How does a health expert authority get people to follow the guidelines to ensure public health efforts success in the covid-19 pandemic?   This case study focused on Folkhälsomyndigheten’s perceived legitimacy by young adults in Sweden during the covid-19 pandemic, by understanding if Folkhälsomyndigheten was perceived as a legitimate expert and how their legitimacy was constituted through their conveying of risk. Hence, we aimed to contribute to health and crisis communication by adopting a public-centered approach to the constitution of legitimacy.   The empirical data was collected through three online focus group interviews with 20-24-year-olds. Suchman’s legitimacy theory and Giddens’s notion of the postindustrial risk society was used the analyze the results. Through a thematic analysis, we discovered a total of 12 themes distributed over 3 dimensions, showing that Folkhälsomyndigheten’s legitimacy was constituted on the premises of pragmatic legitimacy, based on the self-interest of the public. We could conclude that Folkhälsomyndigheten was viewed as a legitimate expert because of their status as an institutionalized health authority, and that the legitimacy of their expert position role was grounded in a democratic mindset. Folkhälsomyndigheten’s legitimacy was, through procedures, representatives, and human attributes, constituted by organizing the unstable situation for the young adults to gain a feeling of stability.

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