Individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia commonly experience problems with accurately assessing their health status due to cognitive deficits including impaired working memory, amotivation, and communication difficulties. Little is known about whether these deficiencies influence health behavior decision-making among individuals with schizophrenia. Individuals with schizophrenia die an average of 25 years earlier than those without a mental illness. Approximately 60% of premature deaths in this population are from medical comorbidities; mortality rates due to cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases are two to three times higher than the general population. In order to reduce morbidity and mortality, it is important to find effective ways to assist these individuals in modification of risky behaviors (e.g., smoking, poor dietary habits, and sedentary lifestyles) and to incorporate daily health promoting behaviors (e.g., balanced diet and regular exercise). This qualitative descriptive study was conducted to describe the decision-making processes used by adults with schizophrenia when making health behavior decisions, identify what it means to be healthy from the perspectives of adults with schizophrenia, and identify the perceived barriers and facilitators that affect health behavior decisions. Ten adults diagnosed with schizophrenia were interviewed for this study. Fifty-percent of participants were female, ages 28 to 59 years, and received treatment in a community mental health centers. Data were analyzed using content analysis. Methods included the use of field notes, open and axial coding, and development of a visual model. Trustworthiness of the findings was established through the qualifications and experience of the investigator, peer scrutiny, and member checks. Three phases of health behavior decision making were identified: Recognizing Complex Components of Health, Personalizing Components of Health, and Tracking Health Status. The main category that described health behavior decision making was “Tracking Health Behaviors,” which resulted in the ability to maintain physical and mental health. Within each phase, specific actions associated with achieving and maintaining physical and mental health were identified and were displayed in a visual model. These findings provide a guide to clinicians in identifying health behavior decision making processes and may lead to the design of clinical interventions that improve the health status of adults with schizophrenia.

Background; The overwhelming increase in studies about social capital and health occurring since 1995 indicates a renewed interest in the social determinants of health and a call for a more explicit use of theory in public health and epidemiology. The links between social capital and health are still not clear and the meanings of different forms of individual and collective social capital and their implications for health promotion needs further exploration. The overall aims of this thesis are to explore the relationship between social capital and health and to contribute to the theoretical framework of the role of social capital for health and health promotion. Methods; Data from a social capital survey were used to investigate the associations between individual social capital and self-rated health for men and women and different educational groups. Survey data were also analyzed to determine the association between collective social capital and self-rated health for men and women. A qualitative case study in a small community with observed high levels of civic engagement formed the basis for exploring the role of social capital for community action. Data from the same study were utilized for a grounded theory situational analysis of the social mechanisms leading to social capital mobilization. Main findings; Access to individual social capital increases the odds for good self-rated health equally for men and women and different educational groups. However, the likelihood of having access to social capital differs between groups. The results indicate a positive association between collective social capital and self-rated health for women but not for men. Results from the qualitative case study illustrate how social capital in local communities can facilitate collective actions for public good but may also increase social inequality. Mobilizing social capital in local communities requires identification of community issues that call for action, a fighting spirit from trusted local leaders, “know-how” from creative entrepreneurs, and broad legitimacy and support in the community. Conclusions; This thesis supports the idea that individual social capital is health-enhancing and that strengthening individual social capital can be considered one important health promotion strategy. Collective social capital may have a positive effect on self-rated health for women but not for men and therefore mobilizing collective social capital might be more health-enhancing for women. Collective social capital may have indirect positive effects on health for all by facilitating the ability of communities to solve collective health problems. However, mobilizing social capital in local communities requires an awareness of the risk for increased social inequality.

En god hälsa i barndomen ger förutsättningar för en god hälsa som vuxen. Skolans organisation och miljö skapar unika möjligheter till hälsofrämjande arbete riktat mot barn. Skolsköterskan spelar en viktig roll genom de hälsobesök som genomförs regelbundet under skolgången. Möten med elever i olika åldrar ställer därför krav på skolsköterskans förmåga att kommunicera och förmedla hälsobudskap. Som teoretisk ram för studien används Health Promotion Model. Syftet med studien var att beskriva skolsköterskors uppfattningar av att kommunicera hälsa med elever i årskurs fyra. Studien genomfördes som en kvalitativ studie med induktiv ansats. Sex skolsköterskor intervjuades och materialet analyserades med en fenomenografisk metod. Studiens resultat beskriver skolsköterskornas uppfattningar av hälsokommunikation med elever i årskurs fyra som en komplex uppgift. Tre beskrivningskategorier framträdde: Relationen har betydelse för hälsokommunikationen, Skolsköterskan har en stödjande roll i att hjälpa eleven att kommunicera sin hälsa samt Skolsköterskans kompetens har betydelse för en god hälsokommunikation. Kategorierna binds samman av ordet förtroende. Studiens resultat kan användas inom skolsköterskans yrkeskår för att skapa en bredare förståelse för hälsokommunikationen med elever i årskurs fyra. Behov av vidare forskning ses kring elevens uppfattningar av hälsokommunikationen samt kring de hinder som sjuksköterskorna beskriver. Forskning för att utveckla trepartskommunikationen mellan barn-skolsköterska-förälder är också av vikt. / Healthiness in childhood gives conditions for a healthy life as an adult. The schools organisation and environment creates unique possibilities for health promotional work aimed at children. The school nurse plays an important role through the regular health visits performed during the school years. To meet children of different ages raises demands on the school nurses ability to communicate and mediate health messages. Health Promotion Model is used as a theoretical frame for the study. The aim of the study was to describe school nurses perceptions of communicating health with pupils in the fourth grade. The study was carried out as a qualitative study with an inductive approach. Six interviews with school nurses were held and the material was analysed with a phenomenografic method. The result of the study describes the school nurses perceptions of health communication with pupils in the fourth grade as a complex task. Three descriptive categories emerged; The relations has significance for health communication, The school nurse has a supporting role in helping the pupil to communicate its own health and The competence of the school nurse has significance for a good health communication. The categories are bound together by the word trust. The result of the study can be used within the school nurses own profession to create a wider understanding of health communication with pupils in the fourth grade. There is a need for further research regarding the pupils perceptions of health communication and also regarding the obstacles that the nurses describes. Research to develop three part communication between child-school nurse-parent is also of importance.

No description available.

Bakgrund: Det finns flera bakomliggande orsaker till att unga konsumerar alkohol. Lagar och förordningar finns till för att hindra minderåriga från att bruka alkohol. Trots detta har ett högt antal minderåriga ett riskbeteende relaterat till användningen av alkohol och dessa individer respekterar inte lagen. Skolsjuksköterskan har en betydande roll i preventionsarbetet mot minderårigas alkoholkonsumtion och använder flera strategier för att främja barn och ungas hälsa. Syfte: Att beskriva skolsjuksköterskans hälsofrämjande strategier mot minderårigas alkoholkonsumtion. Metod: En litteraturöversikt baserat på tio kvalitativa studier. Resultat: Två kategorier kunde urskiljas utifrån syftet: hälsosamtal och familjestrategier. Ur kategorin hälsosamtal urskiljs subkategorierna hälsoenkät och motiverande samtal. Dessa strategier har visat sig vara effektiva i det hälsofrämjande arbetet som skolsjuksköterskan utför. Ett bifynd presenteras i resultatet i form av hinder för de hälsofrämjande strategierna. Slutsats: De hälsofrämjande strategierna som skolsjuksköterskan använder i preventionsarbetet mot minderårigas alkoholkonsumtion är gynnsamma för att individanpassa arbetet och motivera till beteendeförändring. Många sociala hinder samt hinder i organisationen står i vägen för preventionsarbetet. Klinisk betydelse: Genom att studera skolsjuksköterskans hälsofrämjande strategier mot minderårigas alkoholkonsumtion åsyftar studien att kunna utveckla och uppmärksamma arbets-och preventionsstrategier. Detta för att skolsjuksköterskan ska kunna nå ut till de minderåriga som idag utvecklar ett riskbeteende relaterat till alkohol. / Background: There are several causes for the consumption of alcohol among young people. Laws and regulations aim to prevent minors from using alcohol. A high number of minors break the laws and have a risky lifestyle related to alcohol. The school nurse plays a significant role in this prevention and uses multiple strategies to promote children’s and young people’s health. Objective: To describe the school nurse's health promotion strategies against underage drinking. Method: A literature review based on ten qualitative articles. Results: Two categories could be identified based on the aim: health dialogue and family strategies. From the category health dialogue two subcategories where acknowledged: health survey and motivational intervening. These strategies have proven to be effective in health promotion performed by the school nurse. An incidental finding is presented in the results as barriers to health promotion strategies. Conclusion: The strategies that school nurses use as prevention to reduce alcohol drinking among minors is beneficial for individual targeting and to motivate behavioral change. Alcohol prevention from a school nurses perspective is challenging due to social and organizational obstacles. Clinical significance: By studying the school nurse health promotion strategies against underage drinking the study refers to develop and recognize work and prevention strategies. This is because the school nurse should be able to reach out to minors that today develop a risk behavior related to alcohol.

Primary health care represents a change from curative approach to preventive approach to rendering health care services. The study analyses the problems encountered in the administration of primary health care in South Africa with specific reference to the Emfuleni Local Authority. The study describes the role of international institutions in the administration of primary health care in South Africa. Furthermore, the historical development, the role of the National Department of Health in the administration of primary health care services is outlined. The study also investigates the role of the Gauteng Provincial Department of Health regarding the implementation of district health system, health promotion, the involvement of the private sector and NGO's in primary health care. Problems encountered by the Emfuleni Local Authority such as lack finance, personnel shartages, security, urbanisation, non-involvement of traditional healers and citizen apathy are investigated. Lastly, governmental relations for primary health care are described.

Approximately 85% of Canadians are physically inactive. This project seeks to support physical activity (PA) as a health intervention within primary care using innovative approaches to help people access community-based PA opportunities. We hypothesize that participants will increase and maintain their moderate to vigorous PA in 10-minute bouts (MVPA10Mins) over 10-months. One-hundred-nineteen patients recruited from two primary care facilities did not change their primary outcome of MVPA10Mins from baseline to 10-months. However, secondary outcomes light and total sporadic PA increased by the 4th month and were maintained until 10-months. Furthermore, self-report data including self-efficacy, mood, and quality of life all improved by the end of the 4-month intervention. Sedentary time increased from baseline to 4-months and was sustained until 10-months. The ENCOURAGE intervention did not increase MVPA10Mins over time. However, improvements in other secondary outcomes indicate that a multilevel intervention delivered within primary care may contribute to health behavior changes.

This study investigated the relationship between gender, management style, and decision-making regarding wellness programming by human resource managers. From a sample of 200 members of the Society for Human Resource Management from the state of Indiana, 83 individuals participated in this study. Each participant completed the 10-item Sargent and Miller Leadership Questionnaire, and ranked, in order of importance, five possible benefit offerings (of which wellness programs was one) that their organization could offer its' employees. T-test analysis revealed that gender was not an indicator of management style preference, nor was it an indicator of the perceived importance of wellness/health promotion programs. Although gender did not show any relevance to management style or the support of wellness programs, the use of correlational analysis did reveal a slight correlation between management style and the support for wellness programs. / Fisher Institute for Wellness

A major goal when conducting worksite health promotion activities is to reach a high percentage of employees. Participation rates vary, especially between blue and white-collar workers. This study investigated perceived barriers to participation in both participants and non-participants, as identified by Support, Professional and Auxiliary Service employees (which include blue and white-collar) at Ball Memorial Hospital in Muncie Indiana. A questionnaire was sent through interoffice mail to a random sample of employees. It included five barrier categories: perceived physical barriers, lack of perceived self-efficacy, perceived psychological barriers, convenience factors and presence of social support. The categories were subjected to an F test and results in 3 of the 5 supported the research hypothesis that there would be a significant difference in the perceived participation barrier scores. For four of the five barrier categories the mean value was highest for Professional Service employees. / Fisher Institute for Wellness and Gerontology

The Purpose of this study was to compare the demographic characteristics, health behaviors, health beliefs, and motivation to exercise of participants and people intending to participate in a corporate fitness program with those of non-participants and people not intending to participate. Six hundred employees of Lands' End, Inc. were randomly selected and mailed a questionnaire. A total of 307 employees returned the questionnaires for analysis. Raw scores were calculated and graphed for all data of this study. The Hypotheses were then tested with a Chi-square analysis. Significant differences were found between participants and non-participants as well as between those intending to participate and those not intending to participate. Demographic characteristics proved to be of little importance as only job classification showed any difference. However, participants appeared to be slightly healthier as they had fewer sick days and visited the physician less often. Participants believed that physical activity led to good health and always used that as motivation to exercise more regularly than non-participants. Participants also used fun, self-discipline, and body attractiveness as motivation to exercise. However, even though the participants appeared to be healthier than non-participants, the development of the Activity Center led to an increase in their exercise level. Employees who indicated that they intended to participate in the next six months were most likely to be salaried and believed that eating nutritious was important for their health. Those intending to participate also listed health and fitness and fun as motivation to exercise more than those people not intending to participate. Further study is suggested. / Fisher Institute for Wellness