The purpose of this study was to explore patients' perception and knowledge regarding hypertension and hypertensive guidelines on sodium intake and lifestyle modifications in a work environment in the Republic of Panama. Hypertension is important not only because of its high prevalence but also because it is a major modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. In Panama the prevalence of hypertension is about 38.7% and uncontrolled hypertension is almost 50%.This number may translate into complications for the general population. For instance 52.8% of the population has had an ischemic disease and death by ischemic disease climbed from third place to second place from 2009 to 2010. This qualitative study used an exploratory approach and semi-structured in-depth interviews to answer the research questions. A purposive sample included woman with a hypertension diagnosis, between 30 to 59 years of age, and working in a single organization. A constant comparative analysis was used to search for themes grounded in the data. Emerging themes illustrated that participants perspectives of hypertension had become their drives towards the management of their disease and throughout their daily lives constant different factors played the role of motivating or discouraging their non-pharmacological treatment. Participants had also provided a list of barriers and coping strategies which were redundant on the need of practical knowledge, obtainable goals and policy changes of their environment in order for them to keep their disease management. Further research at a population level may aid to generalize this finding and to provide a better understanding of patients' compliance to non-pharmacological treatment.

Background: Diabetes type 2 is a chronic disease with rising prevalence worldwide. The implementation of lifestyle changes is an important part of diabetes treatment. Nurses in primary care have a central role to support and guide diabetics for starting and retaining lifestyle changes to prevent later diabetes complications. Aim: The purpose of this study was to describe the primer care nurse’s experiences regarding the type 2 diabetes patients’ compliance to their advice regarding lifestyle changes. The aim was also to describe the primary care nurse’s experiences and reflections of contributing and hindering factors of compliance. Method: A descriptive design with a qualitative approach is used in this study. Eight diabetes nurses from seven health centers were interviewed. Semi-structured interviews conducted and data analyzed by qualitative content analysis method. Results: The emerged theme from the result was that compliance varies and is affected by different influential factors. Factors such as patients’ motivation and understanding of illness, other simultaneous physical and mental disorders, language difficulties and cultural differences have either contributing or hindering effects on compliance. Primary care nurses reported that they used different strategies, such as justifying the small changes at the beginning, establishing of mutual communication and confirmative relationship and give personalized lifestyle advice to improve patient compliance. According to interviews the items that could be improved are arrangements for group therapy sessions, active involvement of the family members in diabetes care, and assigning more resources to approach the desired goals. Conclusion: Compliance to lifestyle advice is a variable affected positively or negatively by various factors such as the individual characteristic, motivation, self-awareness, language difficulties and cultural differences. Diabetes nurses use strategies which improve compliance of diabetics to their lifestyle advice. Group Training, the involvement of the family and access to more resources are areas that need to be developed. / Bakgrund Diabetes typ 2 är en kronisk sjukdom med stigande prevalens i hela världen. Genomförandet av livsstilsförändringar utgör en viktig del av diabetes behandling. Distriktssköterskor i primärvården har en central roll att stödja och vägleda diabetiker genom rådgivning för att kunna etablera livsstilsförändringar samt att upprätthålla för att förhindra diabetes sena komplikationer. Syftet var att beskriva distriktssköterskans erfarenheter och reflektioner av typ 2 diabetespatienters följsamhet till distriktssköterskansråd avseende livsstilsförändringar. Syftet var även att beskriva distriktssköterskans erfarenheter och reflektioner av följsamhetens bidragande och hindrande aspekter. Metod En beskrivande design med kvalitativ ansats användes. Åtta distriktssköterskor från sju hälsocentraler intervjuades. Semistrukturerade intervjuer utfördes som sedan analyserades med kvalitativ innehållsanalys. Resultatet visade att följsamheten varierar och påverkas av olika inflytelserika faktorer. Faktorer såsom patientens motivation och sjukdomsinsikt, andra samtidiga kroppsliga och psykiska sjukdomar, språksvårigheter och kulturella skillnader har antingen bidragande eller hindrande effekter på följsamheten. Distriktssköterskor uppgav att de använde olika strategier som till exempel att motivera till små förändringar i början, etablering av ömsesidig kommunikation och bekräftande relation och att ge individanpassade livsstilsråd, för att förbättra patientens följsamhet. Att genomföra grupputbildningar, involvering av diabetikers familj och tillgång till mer resurser ansågs som områdena som kunde förbättras för att öka följsamheten hos diabetiker. Slutsats: Följsamheten till livsstilsråd var varierande vilket påverkades positivt eller negativt av olika faktorer såsom individens egenskaper, motivation, sjukdomsinsikt, språksvårigheter och kulturella skillnader. Diabetessköterskor använde strategier som gynnade diabetikers följsamhet till livsstilsråd. Grupputbildningar, involvering av familjen och tillgång till mer resurser är områdena som behöver utvecklas.

Title of the thesis: Mapping the lifestyle of 16-17-year-olds in Neratovice. Aim of the study: The thesis surveys the components of the lifestyle of young people in the Neratovice region, in the hope of influencing the state of health of the age group of 16-17 years. Method: The work is based on a sociological survey conducted in 2012 at two schools with different forms of tuition - a grammar school (gymnázium) and a vocational school (učiliště) in Neratovice. The research method was a poll. The polling had two stages: two pilot surveys on a sample of 149 respondents, and a study of 174 respondents. The final data were analyzed with respect to gender and the type of school using the Mann- Whitney U test. The survey questions were based on the questionnaire CAV 2001 for youth and the questionnaire "Determinanty účasti na cvičení" (University of Tasmania - FTK UP Olomouc). Results: The results of the survey show that boys are doing significantly better in physical activity (PA) and girls in physical inactivity (PI) and diet. Grammar school students are doing better in PA and they have a significantly better diet than vocational school students. As for PI, the results were similar for both groups. In terms of PA, 38% of boys and almost 75% of girls do not meet the current minimum levels of PA. As...